Monday, September 12, 2011

NFL Week 1 Thoughts: Will Tony Romo Ever Get It Done in the 4th?

Embed from Getty Images
Cowboys @ Jets: 

If I needed a quarterback for the first three quarters of a game, I'd take Tony Romo. In the fourth quarter? Give me Mark Sanchez.


Both Romo and Sanchez made critical mistakes in the second half of Sunday night's Jets victory, but Romo's errors were truly mind-boggling. Trying to do too much while scrambling led to a fumble in chip-shot field goal range, and his attempted attack of Darrelle Revis ended in a gimme interception.

Romo was smiling and laughing all night until the final couple of minutes. Aww, sorry Tony. I was also happy to see Revis abuse Dez Bryant after his impressive start against Antonio Cromartie. I'd be willing to say that Revis' incredible coverage caused Bryant's debilitating cramps, to some extent.

Panthers @ Cardinals:

The Cardinals fought back for a nice win, but the story of the game was obviously rookie quarterback Cam Newton. Cam showed that he's ready to play in the NFL by breaking the league record for passing yards in a career-opening game.

Veteran WR Steve Smith looks like he's going to be a popular fantasy play this season. The question is...how soon will opposing teams double and triple-team him, forcing Legedu Naanee to become Cam's most available target?

Giants @ Redskins:

I feel like I'm always saying, "Rex Grossman's not that bad." He's always had a legitimate, professional arm, and now he has a better offensive coaching staff than he had in Chicago. Grossman torched the Giants' beat-up defense for over 300 yards en route to one of the most impressive individual performances of the opening weekend.

Grossman displayed considerable chemistry with WR2 Jabar Gaffney, a former teammate of his at the University of Florida. The Redskins' receiving corps has been weak in recent years, but they're in better shape this season with Santana Moss, Gaffney, and burner Anthony Armstrong.

The Giants, not surprisingly, looked out of sync. They need to be more committed to Ahmad Bradshaw. Their offensive line play was also embarrassing.

Steelers @ Ravens:

Not too stunning that the Ravens came away with a win, but their margin of victory was shocking. The Ravens' talented, veteran defense completely stifled the Steelers' offense, resulting in a pair of horrific performances from Ben Roethlisberger and Rashard Mendenhall. Thanks for the negative fantasy points, Ben.

Embed from Getty Images

Colts @ Texans:

I don't think anyone was expecting Kerry Collins to come out and torch the Houston Texans, but damn...it wasn't pretty from start-to-finish. The Colts were fittingly out of whack, and the Texans went for the kill from the get-go.

Excellent showing for the Texans considering the absence of superstar RB Arian Foster. Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson showcased their usual chemistry. When 'Dre is healthy he's with Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald atop the wide receivers list.

Lions @ Bucs:

Speaking of Calvin Johnson...

I'm wondering if "Megatron" is already making Matt Stafford look a little better than he actually is. Often times Stafford simply puts it up for grabs, and Megatron does the rest. Reminds me of Eli Manning and Plaxico Burress a handful of years ago.

As long as Jahvid Best stays healthy and effective, the Lions should be able to hang around in the NFC Wild Card race throughout the season. Not in the same league as the Packers -- sorry.

Eagles @ Rams:

I knew the linesmakers were asleep when they posted the Eagles at just (-4.5). After the Lions, I'd say the Rams were the No. 2 "buzz" team of the preseason, and I'm not exactly sure why. Now they've lost WR1 Danny Amendola for a good portion of the season and things are only going to get worse.

Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson are freaks. So fun to watch.  

No comments:

Post a Comment