That was refreshing. We've waited a long time for a full slate of NFL football and man did we get it. As always, the weekend of action gave us a million things to discuss/debate/overreact to, so these were some of our key observations.
Xavier Worthy's Very Fast
The rookie from Texas doesn't look a pound heavier than his listed weight of 165 pounds, but man can he fly. He found pay dirt on his first touch against Baltimore before scoring again late on a blown coverage. When he gets a full head of steam, he's hard to get a hand on. What a weapon for Patrick Mahomes.
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| Photo: Scott Winters/ Icon Sportswire |
Ravens Offensive Line Woes
Between the illegal formations and the complete inability to block Chris Jones, Baltimore's glaring issue is on the O-Line. Unless they make a move to acquire some veteran help, a la Eugene Monroe in 2013, there's going to be some iffy play while these young guys take their bumps in front of Lamar Jackson. Here's to hoping something clicks for the group.
Saquon Barkley's Actually Great at Football
Forgive my lack of faith, it appears Daniel Jones just has that effect on some people. More on that later... But Barkley, what a debut for Philly. 24 totes for 109 and 2 scores on the ground, plus 23 yards on 2 catches and another touchdown through the air. He does it all and can do it well, adding another wrinkle to an already high-powered Eagles offense.
Jason Kelce = Tush Push
Possibly an overreaction here, but with the bearded Kelce brother no longer under center, the Tush Push was not as advertised. Possibly the end of an era?
Losing Jordan Love is Really Bad
Few people finished last season on a higher note than Jordan Love. While he didn't look quite as otherworldly on Friday, he still had the Packers competing late against a quality opponent. Then the ankle roll, which initially looked like it could be substantially worse. Being stuck with Malik Willis is not a good position for a team with playoff aspirations.
The good thing is, Green Bay plays the Colts, Titans, Vikings and Rams over their next four. All considered, those are very winnable games given the situation. Got to find a way to steal at least two of them, while hoping Love can return on the earlier end of his timeline.
Josh Allen's a Gamer
Anyone watching this game knew there was no way Josh Allen was going to let the Bills loose. The dude's so talented, elevating his young receiving core while providing plenty of help with his legs.
Speaking of Young Receivers...
Anyone see Marvin Harrison Jr? One catch for 4 yards on 3 targets? What a let down.
The New Kickoff is Stupid
It looks silly, and thus far, hasn't quite provided the intended outcome. The DeeJay Dallas touchdown in the Arizona-Buffalo game was cool, but outside of that, unsure how necessary or impactful the change was. Time will tell.
Michael Penix, the Steal of the Draft??
Hyperbole, but Kirk Cousins looked like ass. They're paying the 36-year-old too much to not extend him the longest of leashes, but there's no way they should've lost a home game where the defense only gave up field goals-- albeit 6 of them.
Respectable Performance by Justin Fields
Regardless of Russell Wilson's health, Fields absolutely earned the right to start next week. It wasn't a game breaking performance, but he also didn't hurt the team, managing to not turn the ball over once. Tomlin's got to ride with the hot hand, especially when the upside is this much more considerable.
Also, Russ being in full pads while inactive was pretty symbolic. Dude stays true to himself.
Horrible Quarterbacking
Watching Will Levis flail away the game winning interception while attempting to flip a pass out of bounds is up there for worst plays you'll ever see from the position. He was the antithesis of the aforementioned Justin Fields, doing everything to cost his team the game. Fortunately for him, he's got virtually no competition for the spot, but this was a rock bottom moment.
Daniel Jones knows about those, as he currently digs into the foundation of his. 22-42 passing at 4.4 YPA, two interceptions, and the only touchdown he was responsible for belonged to Minnesota. He's now thrown more pick sixes than touchdown passes since signing his ill-fated $160 million dollar deal, in an eight game sample size. Drew Lock can't be worse.
Caleb Williams is a Winner
It wasn't pretty, but Williams was the first quarterback taken #1 to win week one since David Carr in 2002. Plenty of room for growth, but no critical errors to match Levis.
Is Sam Darnold an NFL Starting Quarterback?
Perhaps a year under Kyle Shanahan undid some of the terrible things Darnold "learned" under Adam Gase. The man was unrecognizable in the Meadowlands, hardly missing a target in the first half en route to a 19/24 day with 208 yards and 2 scores. He's locked in as the Vikings guy for this season and made one hell of an impression.
Is Joe Burrow a Product of the Talent Around Him?
A little bit of sarcasm here, but only so much. With Tee Higgins banged up, a rusty Ja'Marr Chase and virtually no running game, Burrow looked incredibly pedestrian on Sunday. He's surely got some rust of his own to knock off as he eases back in from a wrist injury, but this wasn't a performance we can just overlook.
Jacoby Brissett: The Consummate Professional
Going 15-24 for 121 yards won't often earn you praise, or wins, but that's what Jacoby Brissett got this week. He didn't try to do too much and turn the ball over, opting to ride Rhamondre Stevenson's hot hand while connecting on a few crucial throws. This is ultimately Drake Maye's job, but Jacoby might just turn over the reins with the Pats in a good spot.
Wonder How David Tepper's Feeling?
The 47-10 loss is inexcusably horrendous, but what's worse is that it never looked remotely competitive. Surely Tepper's spent many a night reenacting the Wolverine meme, sitting in bed with a picture frame of CJ Stroud. Pathetic excuse for a franchise.
The Saints Marched
Not sure which Voodoo entity Klint Kubiak sacrificed an animal to, but whatever he did brought out an inner demon in Derek Carr that we haven't seen in New Orleans. Carr consistently was making the right read on all levels of the defense, only missing four passes all afternoon. And that was with Chris Olave posting a pedestrian 2/11 receiving line. This team may actually be competitive.
Two Sides to the Miami Win
One could spin the Dolphins' win as a gritty, come from behind performance-- but not this guy. They struggled to sustain drives for much of the game, relying on big plays from Tyreek Hill and an opportunistic defense to ultimately nudge out the dub. It was a formula they had success with in '23, but it was ultimately revealed to be unsustainable. No reason Miami should've been as lifeless as they were.
Tank Bigsby Looks Ready to Work
There were few less inspiring running backs than Bigsby during his rookie stint, failing to even carve out a role as the main backup. Fast forward, and this could be his starting job soon enough. He and Travis Etienne Jr. received the same amount of carries, but Tank took his for 29 more yards while Etienne fumbled the game away on the goal line. If this trend continues, we'll have a new RB1 down in Duval soon enough.
AR-15
Possibly the most captivating quarterback prospect we've ever seen in the league. Huge, strong-armed, fast and competitive: a tantalizing physical specimen. The touchdown throw he made to Alec Pierce, after slipping on his plant foot, was one of the most impressive you'll ever see.
But he went 9-19 overall, with 54% of his passing yards coming on two long completions. It was a perfect microcosm of Anthony Richardson-- something that'll be as frustrating as it is fun for Colts fans all season.
Workhorse Mixon
How's 30 carries for a way to welcome your new running back? Joe Mixon, whom the Texans traded for this offseason, was the definition of a bell cow, trucking Colts defenders while consistently churning out positive yardage on the ground. Many, myself included, thought he might have been washed up. Perhaps Cincinnati's offensive line is that bad?
Fun First Quarter for Las Vegas
Gardner Minshew looked decent, Davante Adams can still ball, Brock Bowers seems to be a good fit, the defense is actually alright. Some positives you could draw from this game without needing your silver-lensed glasses. But they still only managed 10 points and could not stop JK Dobbins on the ground. This team's just not going to be good this year, but they're still more fun than the Panthers or Giants.
Strong Impressions in LA
5/39/1 line for Ladd McConkey and 135 yards on 10 carries for Dobbins-- not too shabby for a slot guy and an injury prone back. Ladd looks like he's going to be Justin Herbert's go-to receiver for the foreseeable future.
Safety Squared
While I'm sure there's a handful of games with two safeties in them, none come immediately to mind. The fact that Denver forced two in the first half was unheard of. What's crazier is they were about a half yard from notching a third one. Weird things just seem to happen when the Broncos and Seahawks clash.
Bo Nix
Not too shabby! The interceptions weren't great, but Bo had Denver competing in his first professional action, and that was with his running backs averaging 2.8 yards a carry. This isn't going to be a good offense, but its one that should be able to give us a read on who Nix is as a quarterback.
Geno's Wheels
It didn't look majestic, but Geno Smith's 34-yard touchdown scamper was entertaining. Not the athlete he used to be!
Micah Parsons Wrecks
He's usually good for 2-3 performances like this a season, but nine pressures from Parsons was particularly impressive. He recorded 5 QB hits and a sack for his efforts, consistently crashing the pocket. Dak and CeeDee got their bags from Dallas, is Micah next? And can they afford him??
The Bed Cleveland Made, Next to a Known Sex Offender
24-45 for 169 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Not the return many would want from their $230 million dollar investment, but the Browns are a Factory of Sadness. The red flags were always there with Deshaun Watson, glaringly, but Cleveland chose to ignore them and send a haul of picks to Houston anyway. Now they're acting surprised that more allegations are arising against the creepy quarterback? The two couldn't deserve each other more.
...while Baker Mayfield Thrives in Tampa
What a beautiful turn of events. Mayfield, cast off by the Browns in favor of a pervert, had to earn the job in Tampa and hasn't looked back. After a turnover-free, 289 yard, 4 touchdown performance against Washington, the former Heisman winner finds himself closer to MVP than unemployed. Who'd have thought that a little patience, less State Farm-themed distractions and an elite receiving core could bring out the best of this talent?
Raw Dog
That's a stat line we should've expected from Jayden Daniels. He was predictably shaky in the pass game, but more than supplemented his shortcomings in the run game. This draft's #2 pick took 16 carries for 88 yards and two trips to the end zone, helping the Commanders to at least appear competent on the offensive side of the ball.
Cooper Kupp- Still Great
Between the injuries, an aging Matthew Stafford and the Puka Nacua hype train, WR1 Cooper Kupp slipped between many cracks and radars over the last few weeks. A 14 catch, 110 yard day will quickly remind people of the kind of player he is, doing so on an obscene 21 targets. The craziest part is, this type of game has the potential to not be an outlier for Kupp, making him one of the more desirable fantasy commodities moving forward.
Where Are You Amon Ra?
3 catches for 11 yards?? Yikes, against a middle of the pack Rams secondary at that. Brighter days ahead surely, but Jameson Williams popping under those same circumstances is at least slightly a cause for concern.
Is Aaron Rodgers Cooked?
Been saying this for a few months now, but his deep ball was horrible 2 years ago. All he's done since is age and tear his Achilles-- not usually a recipe for rediscovering one's physical ability. San Francisco's defense is plenty good, so there's a chance he just ran into a buzz saw, but it was an ugly evening for Rodgers.
Jordan Mason's an Animal
Taking a spot start for
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@Choppinglines
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