The first full weekend of football is in the books and life is seemingly inching toward normalcy once again. Thousands upon thousands of flesh and blood fans replaced cardboard cutouts in state of the art stadium as they tried to provide home field advantage to their teams. Fantasy football fanatics micro analyze every last statistic to compose a winning roster for the sake of bragging rights and cash prizes. College football alumni wear their school colors as they roll their eyes at their alma mater’s inept football program or cheer loudly for their school that has continued their long standing tradition of winning.
Yes, one and all, the most wonderful time of the year is upon us once again, and it feels even better than expected.
Week one in the NFL season gave viewers numerous exciting games, some as anticipated, other shockingly close. The first week is the time in which teams are playing with an entire starting lineup (especially now under new pre-season rules) and is the perfect stomping ground for overreactions and hyperbolic commentary to establish narratives and fill content. Some knee jerk reactions may prove to be prophetic. Others will have aged horribly by mid-season. And though I have no insight or predictions as to how the opening weekend of NFL will set the stage for the remainder of the season, I can say with confidence that this was one of the most exciting opening weekends of my lifetime.
It all began when the reigning Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted the Dallas Cowboys last Thursday night to kick off the season. The Bucs gave an unimpressive defensive performance that surrendered 404 passing yards to Dak Prescott, a man that many a Cowboys fan were anxious about due to his shoulder injury in the offseason. Prescott proved to be as good as he was last year prior to his season ending ankle surgery, but as I kept watching the aerial circus that he was conducting, I questioned just how long Dak’s shoulder would hold up if offensive coordinator Kellen Moore insists on him throwing the ball nearly 60 times per game.
Also thought provoking was the invisibility of running back Ezekiel Elliot, a back whom most would still regard in the upper echelon of the League, as his biggest plays of the night came from pass blocking and catching an overthrown Prescott pass to put the Cowboys in scoring position. Mike McCarthy has never been one to empathizes the running attack, believing more so in rushing attempts than yards gained to establish play action, and though Michelle Tafoya noted coming out of halftime that they weren’t calling Zeke’s number because of the Buc’s defensive looks, one has to wonder if the Cowboys are doomed to repeat their same ill-fated strategy in the opening month of the 2020 season.
But the opener, in the end, was simply another opportunity for Tom Brady to reaffirm his mastery of the game. With 1:24 left in regulation after Dallas took the lead, I would be hard pressed to believe that anyone watching the game was thinking that Tampa would begin their campaign to repeat as champions with a loss. Granted, three turnovers accompanied with numerous penalties and a subpar running game threatened to ruin opening night for Bucs fans, but Brady again showed when he’s taking the snaps, he’s in control of the game.
This game would only wet the whistle for Sunday afternoon, however. The minute I turned on NFL RedZone, Scott Hanson’s hyper enthusiasm grabbed my attention as we approached kick off for eight games that had exciting match ups, finishes, upsets and what may be the beginning of several redemption stories.
As a Steelers fan, it appeared that in the first half the offense was picking up right where it finished a year ago, as the Ben Roethlisberger led offense could only muster 54 yards and 0 points in the first half, while Josh Allen led the Bills to a 10-0 halftime lead. But resilience reigned supreme as TJ Watt and Melvin Ingram came flying with a vengeance, and Ben, picking his battles, made contested throws that paid off. Let’s also not to forget to mention the punt block for a TD that further energized the Steelers to victory.
Very few, if any, had picked Pittsburgh to win the game, as doubts continue to swim around the minds of writers, fans and talking heads on how a 39 year old Ben can thrive with a brand new offensive line with the toughest schedule in pro football. Given the clobbering on Sunday Night Football last year at the hands of the Bills, it seemed like a no brainer that the Steelers were the inferior team, and they still may be, but to Mike Tomlin’s credit, he had his team focused on a mission and coached an impressive opening victory, which hasn’t always been the case in his tenure. But if the defense’s rigor can keep going without interruption, and Najee Harris can take the pressure off the passing game, Mike will have the chance to reap the rewards of a Super Bowl championship he once achieved so long ago.
West of Buffalo, quarterback Joe Burrow returned to football after suffering a season ending ACL tear that thwarted a promising rookie campaign. Despite the hiccup, Burrow’s headfirst, self-assured attitude that the Bengals franchise needs to stay afloat in the unforgiving division of the AFC North didn’t waver, and the Cincinnati Kid showed he’s in command when it matters most.
The overtime thriller against the Minnesota Vikings was a prime example of this attitude, as Burrow showed no signs of backing down. With a gutsy 4th and inches pass in overtime to get into field goal range, Burrow audibles to another play, stayed calm and patient, surveying the field and hitting his third option on the play with a beautiful touch pass that brought about a first down and mayhem at Paul Brown stadium, giving the Bengals faithful optimism that perhaps they found the guy capable of reversing their misfortune.
South of the Ohio River, Kyler Murray and the Cardinals went to Tennessee and painted the turf red with the Titan’s blood. The vaunted Derrick Henry was limited to 58 yards on 17 carries, while Ryan Tannehill couldn’t escape the violent streak of the red bird’s defensive end Chandler Jones, whose five sacks in a red uniform immediately brought back flashes of former Chiefs legend Derrick Thomas and his seven sack performance in a losing effort against the Seattle Seahawks back in 1990. The pressure held Tannehill to 212 yards en route to a 38-13 victory, and Julio Jones must have felt as if he was back in Atlanta.
What may have surprised everyone in the late afternoon was the fact that Jameis Winston had more touchdown passes than the Green Bay Packers had points as the Saints dismantled the Cheeseheads, 38-3. Winston, one of the most frustrating players to figure out since entering the NFL, seemed as if he was running on borrowed time in Tampa. With every game in which he through more than two interceptions, the fans were cheering for new blood. With every game he played well, fans awaited for the inevitable and ill-timed turnover to come.
But Winston made a career move that may prove to be his saving grace. He sat behind a legend in his final year with the Saints, observed and took notes on the offense. Sean Payton, one of the most brilliant offensive minds in the history of pro football, appeared to ease Jameis into the game, relying on a solid ground attack with calculated throws at opportune times that resulted in an handful of touchdown passes to start the season. It’s not a forgone conclusion that Winston will be a long term solution for the Saints at quarterback; he may not even prove himself to be a viable option past this season. But a performance like this reenforces the redemption narrative that draws fans to certain players. It’s the same attraction that lifted up the likes of Randall Cunningham in Minnesota or Michael Vick in Philadelphia and even Tommy Maddox in Pittsburgh. Sometime a change of scenery can revitalize a career, and if the thrashing of the Green Bay Packers was any indication of Jameis’ new comfortability with his surroundings, New Orleans could pick up right where they left off.
The game scheduled during this same time was the Cleveland Browns vs the Kansas City Chiefs. Just as Tom Brady reaffirmed his mastery of the sport on Thursday night, Patrick Mahomes proved again that the deficit against him is never big enough. Cleveland successfully came out with a strong running attack and aggressive play calling that has become their fixture in their identity as a team. Head coach Kevin Stefansky is the offensive genius of a different kind, crafting an offense that is as retro as it is contemporary. Jet Sweep handoffs mixed with weak side plunges from the split back formation just shows he’s a coach, much like Andy Reid and Belichick, that appreciates history.
That run game, looking as if it had put a wrench in the Chiefs defense with a Kareem Hunt touchdown in the 4th quarter, couldn’t take enough time off the clock before Mahomes launched a bomb to Tyreek Hill for a touchdown that put the game within two point. A Browns punt on the ensuing possession all but assured that the Chiefs were in the driver’s seat, and a 33-29 victory following the Chiefs late touchdown left Browns fans celebrating the fact that they almost won the game.
But fittingly enough for football history buffs, the best game of the weekend came on the premiere of the 52nd season of Monday Night Football. What I expected to be a mediocre game in which the Raiders would hang tough and fight tooth and nail until Baltimore rushed their way to a comfortable victory instead revealed itself to be a late night early season thriller that already surpassed any Monday night game from last season.
Much was made before and during the game regarding the amount of season ending injuries Baltimore withstood only a week ago, most notably J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Indeed, it’s challenging to overcome injuries to starters, but in an offense where Lamar Jackson is the prime rushing threat, the Ravens OC Greg Roman can rotate any capable backs and design a quality running attack.
The real consequential injury, however, was cornerback Marcus Peters, though that didn’t appear to be the case in first quarter as there would be no hiccups in the Raven’s aggressive defensive scheme. Blitzes came from all directions and the defensive backs played tight and forced Derek Carr to unsuccessfully throw into tight spaces. At the end of the first quarter, it appeared that Raiders punter A.J. Cole was the best player on their roster.
But thanks to the dynamic pass rush of the Raiders defensive line that was anchored by Maxx Crosby, Lamar Jackson had no choice but to run, and when he did, he paid the price. Carr settled into the game and upheld his end of the bargain, hitting his tight end Darren Waller in stride and putting receivers Hunter Renfrow and Bryan Edwards in position to make plays. Marcus Peters’ absence was certainly missed as the game progresses, for when Carr and his receivers got hot, the Ravens defensive backs got winded.
But when you have a former league MVP in Jackson and a Hall of Fame kicker in Justin Tucker, victory seems all but assured when you’re up by 3 with 37 second left. Carr, hitting two deep passes over the middle, put Raiders kicker in position to tie the game up. The 55 yarder was through the upright, and everyone packed into the Alligient Stadium went wild.
The energy in overtime was nearly deflated, however, when Carr threw what appeared to be a touchdown pass that was later overturned and then had a pass deflected for an interception three plays later in the endzone. What felt like a game in which the Raiders had something to prove and had shown a national audience what they were capable of had now descended into another example of the Raiders becoming a punchline on social media for these kind of performances and heartbreaks. But alas, the Raiders D stifled Jackson and forced his second fumble. The Raiders O took the ball into their territory to win with a walk off touchdown.
As a fan who’s watched football religiously for about 13 years, this was personally one of the most exciting starts to a season I can remember. Maybe I’d be singing a different tune if the Steelers had indeed gotten their asses handed to them as expected, or if the dramatic overtime finish in Vegas had ended on a Raider’s missed field goal attempt at the end of regulation, or even if I had missed Kyler Murray’s performance that made me wonder if it would be fair to say that he’s the Frank Tarkenton of this generation.
But the reality is that after a 2020 season that was never in synch due to the pandemic, this opening weekend had an atmosphere that felt as much reinvigorating as it was refreshing. And if we’re lucky that rest of the season will play out similarity, or even better, than week one, we are now riding shotgun to a season we’ll never forget.