Week 1 musings...

[off_the_wall]

Its only week one but the Steelers looked old and were soundly beaten by the Ravens.

Why did the Steelers extend DB Troy Polamalu contract for another 4 years ? Seems like a long time considering how banged up he always seems to be.

While impressive in his first start, I'll wait until Cam Newton faces Green Bay in week 2 to really get overjoyed about his " arrival " on the NFL stage. That being said, with the recent state of QB play in Carolina, I wouldn't blame Panther fans for being a tad giddy. But he did look electric on most plays, however.

Speaking of which, I've never been a fan of Jay Cutler despite his week 1 showing. With the Saints and Green Bay coming up, its only a matter of time before he reverts to form.

On a further related note, Donovan McNabb throwing for a mere 39 yards (!). Just ugly. Sad as this is, the Vikings could have won had the offense did anything in the 2nd half. Minnesota is fast becoming (if it wasn't already), the grave yard for QB's at the end of their career's.

RB Chris Johnson's 24 rushing yards weren't too impressive either.

Jaguars coach, Jack del Rio, comes out looking good in his week 1 victory (after cutting starting QB Garrard a week before the season started).

Rex Grossman didn't stink the joint out. Just saying.

While everyone is going on about the great kickoff returns in week 1, only 50% of the kicks were actually returned in week 1 so I'm not so sure this has added much excitement to that game.

I wonder how many kicks Ted Ginn will get the next time the 49'ers play the Seahawks ?

While watching the Giants/Redskins game, I couldn't help but feel like I was watching too very mediocre teams.

For those that said (in the pre-season) that Ray Rice would be the #1 RB this year, congrats, you look like a genius now.

Buffalo scores 41, which means they are nearly 15% to last years season total for total points scored already.

If your Indy, you mail the rest of the season in and get #1 pick overall in the draft. Seriously.

Yep, believe it. QB Kerry Collins has thrown for more yards than Joe Montana. Another reason why stats lie.

I'm not sure if it was because of the lock-out, or because it was week 1 or what exactly, but there was a ton of awful tackling in nearly every game this week.

It seems near official now, the Detroit Lions are a decent football team again.

I liked the NY teams were wearing FDNY hats during their respective games. Class move.

If your a Chiefs fan, you must not be feeling too well after that week 1 " effort " versus the Bills. At home, when you only run for 108 as a team versus the worst run defense (last year), its not a pretty picture.

Why is QB Mark Sanchez in so many commercials ? I know he is playing in New York but still, the guy isn't that special.

Tony Romo. I like you as a player but your the last person I want on the field in a clutch moment in a game.

[revo]

- you have to be very unhappy if you're a Shonn Greene owner. LT looks like he still has some left in the tank and Greene is absent on passing downs.
- Ben Tate sure looked good in Houston. Just another reason why not taking Foster just off last year's numbers may be a blessing in disguise.
- Big Ben had FIVE turnovers. Who does he think he is, Eli Manning?
- speaking of Manning, I was less impressed with his one turnover than with his seemingly poor accuracy.
- Josh Freeman really turned it around mid-game.
- Bad sign for LeGarrette Blount owners -- he will disappear from the lineup when the Bucs are behind.
- Seattle was as terrible as everyone thought they'd be.
- Buffalo laid a beatdown on KC at one of the toughest road stadiums to play in. Huge letdown for KC, huge plus for Buffalo.
- how does a slot receiver, whose job is making many over the middle catches, get shutout like Austin Collie did yesterday?
- Darren Sproles looks like he'll be a better Reggie Bush than Reggie Bush was.
- Steve Smith owners have to imagine they just struck gold, as his value was as down as it had ever been.

[Hammer]

every Rex Grossman pass is bad. He never hits a receiver in the hands or on the run. His accuracy stinks.

[chancellor]

Yay! Musings are back! One of my fav RJ threads every year!

Other comments:

- I can understand Carolina fans being excited. For the first time in more years than I can count on two hands, they have a QB who can actually get the ball downfield to Steve Smith. Cards or no, that was one impressive outing.
- I love BJ Raji. But Haloti Ngata is a superhuman beast and the best nose tackle in football. He was crushing double teams, including Pro Bowler Pouncey, regularly.
- Repeated bad decisions by Big Ben this week.
- The Cowboys may be the first team to require an ENT doctor on the sidelines so they can do in-game tracheatomies on Romo.
- I hate to admit it, but the Redskins looked pretty good.
- I hate to admit it even more, but the Bears looked even better against a pretty good Falcons team. Heck, even Williams played hard at WR before getting hurt.
- Steven Jackson looked really good...for one play.
- Does Peyton Manning really matter this much to the Colts?
- I'm not a Rex Ryan fan, but it was pretty cool to see his defense come out in the "46" to start the game in honor to his dad.

[off_the_wall]

Grossman noodled an under thrown pass to a steaking Santana Moss in the 2nd half, no shocker there.

I never saw what others apparently have in RB Shonn Greene.
Ditto for LeGarrette Blount.

KC head coach, Todd Haley, will likely be canned by Halloween. Having safety Eric Berry out for the year is gonna help that along nicely...

Agreed, that Darren Sproles looked more dynamic than Reggie Bush ever has, or at least has for a good while.

Haloti Ngata is criminally underrated but being a nose tackle and playing on the Ravens kinda does that.

If your a WR Steve Smith (south) owner, now is the time to sell high.

[billbuckner]

I saw a yahoo article that suggest a $28-$33 FAAB bid on Cam Newton. He had a great game, but I suspect at least half of his performance xcan be attributed to the Arizona defense being awful.

[Hammer]

No way Haley gets canned this season. He built some equity last year after taking an overachieivng KC team to the playoffs. I am not a fan but he will get the season, at least.

[frae]

Why did the Steelers extend DB Troy Polamalu contract for another 4 years ? Seems like a long time considering how banged up he always seems to be.
.

Just a couple things on the contract, while they used the term 4 years it really is a 3 year extension as they ripped up his 2011 contract to help with the cap. I have only found it reported that 10.5 million is guaranteed. So if Troy suffers a bad injury they aren't on the hook for much and this contract only takes him through 33.

[Erik]

Yeah, years mean nothing when it comes to football contracts. It's all about the guaranteed money.

The Rams had arguably six of their seven best players get hurt yesterday, only Laurinatiis spared.

[Long John]

-The Packers and Saints defenses are really quite good. Their offenses are even better!
-Instead of kickoffs, let's flip a coin. Heads, the offense starts on the 20. Tails, the offense starts on the 30. If it lands on its side, the kicking team gets the ball on their own 40.
-The Colts are not that bad. The Texans are THAT good. Now's your time to go buy low on Dallas Clark.
-The Steelers are not that bad. The Ravens are THAT good. Now's your time to go buy low on Rashard Mendenhall.
-Dallas will never have a punt blocked again so long as Jason Garrett is the head coach.
-Chad Henne will be fine until Reggie Bush gets hurt.
-For fantasy owners, Cam Newton's week one performance was great news for DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart owners. Defenses can't just laugh off Newton now.
-I'd like to see what would have happened in the Eagles/Rams game if Bradford and SJax actually stayed on the field the whole game.
-David Garrard's price for the Seahawks is going up by about $1 million an hour.
-The only thing that would have made the Jets/Cowboys game better would be if BOTH teams lost.

[onejayhawk]

No way Haley gets canned this season. He built some equity last year after taking an overachieivng KC team to the playoffs. I am not a fan but he will get the season, at least.

I would not go that far.

They mailed in one, no doubt. So did the Steelers, and three or four other teams. Not to be cute, but its April. That being said, it will not take many like this one. They have a winnable game 2, but then the schedule turns for the worse. A P'd off SD team is week 3, just for starters. The Chiefs could easily go 3-7 before that horrific stretch in December: NE, Pitt, Chicago, NYJ, GB.

J

[Erik]

-I'd like to see what would have happened in the Eagles/Rams game if Bradford and SJax actually stayed on the field the whole game.

I don't think much would have changed. The game was pretty much over by the time Bradford left. The Eagles run D was pretty bad regardless of who was running the ball. The biggest loss was Jason Smith, whose replacements were schooled by Babin, Cole and Tapp.

[Hammer]

I would not go that far.

They mailed in one, no doubt. So did the Steelers, and three or four other teams. Not to be cute, but its April. That being said, it will not take many like this one. They have a winnable game 2, but then the schedule turns for the worse. A P'd off SD team is week 3, just for starters. The Chiefs could easily go 3-7 before that horrific stretch in December: NE, Pitt, Chicago, NYJ, GB.



J

and thats going to get him fired? Are KC fans that delusional to think they were going back to the playoffs this year?

[onejayhawk]

and thats going to get him fired? Are KC fans that delusional to think they were going back to the playoffs this year?

My, ever optomistic, projection was 9-7, which got downgraded to 8-8.

There is no record, as such, that will get Haley fired. That much I give you.

However, Buffalo is a team they should be expected to beat. Instead, they not only got shredded, they looked lethargic doing it. the tackling was awful. The blocking was perfunct. There was no hustle or grit. You endured the Broncos under McDaniel, so you know how that looks. Pioli and Hunt will not fire a coach who gets his team prepared to play, and gets them to play hard, at least for the rest of the season. If they do what the Bronos did, or the Cowboys last season, Haley will hit the bricks.

J

[Hammer]

Lol watching the offense last night made me miss mcdaniels.