As I’ll keep saying opening Sunday in the NFL is like Christmas morning to me. It is so fun to just plug in and watch my favorite game. Although it is the best game going, Week 1 has its issues.
Week 1 Review
The pre-season being not valued by a lot of teams meaning they do not play their starters a lot and with the new rules where players cannot hit as much as years of yore, translates to some pretty bad football in Week 1.
- Penalties Aplenty: The number of penalties alone in Week 1 was astounding. This year we had 255 of penalties or 15.9/game in Week 1. As a comparison, in Week 17 of 2017, the number of penalties was 195 or 12.2/game. Here is a little table for you courtesy of : http://www.nflpenalties.com/?year=2018
2018 Week 1 2017 Week 1 2016 Week 1 2017 Week 17 2009 Week 1
Total Flags 296 250 241 224 210
Accepted Penalties 255 208 197 195 186
Penalty Yards 2254 1915 1763 1716 1417
- Injuries in Week 1: I believe the number of injuries we see in Week 1 is also a symptom of lack of contact and play in the pre-season. When you look at it closely, sure, we have big injuries any week of the NFL season. However, logic tells you that if a player is 100% conditioned to play football at full speed, then injury risk drops. All the moves to prevent injuries by not hitting as much and holding players out to save them for the season often backfires. Most soft tissue injuries like muscle pulls and strains are directly related to lack of practicing. However, I would contend that guys not going full speed and full effort in pre-season leads to other injuries, too, as the body has not been used to the demands put on it yet. Now, Delanie Walker dislocating his ankle may not be related, as it was kind of a freak injury. Yet, I think that all players are not in their bodies yet and that mean positioning and reacting to contact. I think that all the moves to “prevent” injuries are almost just as likely to cause injury.
- Popular Picks Looked Bad: Both the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers looked terrible on defense and got smoked at home in their openers. It’s only one week, but both teams need to clean up a ton to meet their pre-season expectations.
- New Coaches, No Wins: There were 7 new coaches in the NFL this year. They went 0-7 on the week. Sure, the Bears blew it in the 2nd half, and Colts had a great chance to win their game. However, the Cardinals, Lions, Raiders and Titans were beaten soundly. So, those are all works in progress.
- Browns Didn’t Lose: The Browns had lost 17 games in a row. The new look Browns were on the verge of victory in forcing OT versus a Super Bowl contender in Pittsburgh (without Le’Veon Bell), but a blocked Field Goal late solidified a Tie….
- Teams Looking Good:
- New England – Keep rolling at home with easy win over Texans 27-20 – Tom Brady even without top WRs was stellar
- Jacksonville – Solid road victory at NY Giants 20-15 – that defense is so good – RB Fournette injured his hammy
- Minnesota – Vikings dominated the upstart SF 49ers in the opener 24-16 – QB Kirk Cousins looked solid and that defense is really dominant
- LA Rams – After a challenge in the 1st half from the Raiders, the Rams turned on the jets and won going away 33-13 – the team to beat in my view
Week 2 Look Ahead
There are a lot of solid divisional games in Week 2. Here are a few I really like:
- Carolina at Atlanta – Cam hasn’t been great in Atlanta and the Falcons want to bounce back against that tough loss at Philly. I like the Falcons to win, but this should be a good game.
- Minnesota at Green Bay – The 2017 Division winner, Vikings, go to the Packers with an injured Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers participation is still unclear. If he plays, then this is a huge game for playoff ramifications. If he doesn’t then the Vikes will dominate. I like Minnesota to win either way, but it should be a great one with Rodgers on the field.
- NY Giants at Dallas – The Giants played tough in Week 1 against the Jags. The defense at Dallas will not be as good, and the Dallas O-line is struggling to open holes for Zeke Elliott. This is a really good Sunday Night match up to watch, and traditionally has given us some great games.
2 Non-Division Games to Watch:
- Kansas City at Pittsburgh – The Chiefs lit up the Chargers on the road in Week 1, but they have not been able to beat the Steelers for a while. The Steelers need a win after the lackluster tie at Cleveland, but Bell is not going to play again. I still see the Steelers winning here, but this one has the largest O/U total on the board. It should be a fun game to watch.
- New England at Jacksonville – This is the game of Week 2 and rematch of the AFC Championship (it is my AFC Championship game this year). The Pats will need to win away from Foxborough against a hungry defense that wants revenge. I like the Jags as long as they can score enough for their defense. Fournette probably won’t play, but Yeldon was solid in his absence in Week 1. Must watch!
Survivor Pick: I’m going chalk here with the Los Angeles Rams hosting Arizona who were shut out at home against Washington.
Who do you like to survive Week 2?
Wegs