The NFL just wrapped up its first Sunday of the season and I thought I'd make a post about different thoughts and opinions I have on various things I witnessed yesterday. Feel free to agree or disagree about anything mentioned here. All comments are welcome.
The Cowboys offense is MIA
Let me start out by saying I'm a Dallas Cowboys fan. A big one. And this season is going to hurt.
Unfortunately this game turned out exactly as I thought it would. The defense is good, probably better than it has been in years. No worries if they stay healthy. But the offense? Oh boy.
It's real simple to game plan against Dallas: load the box and stop the run. Everything the Cowboys do on offense is based on the running game. The o-line took a big hit with the loss of center Travis Frederick. They sure didn't play like a cohesive unit in Carolina. Holes were few and far between for Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott was sacked six times. He was running for his life nearly every other time he dropped back.
This is going to be a problem throughout the season because the Cowboys' wide receiving corp doesn't scare anybody. They don't have a big play threat to stretch out a defense and the receivers are struggling to get open. Same story as last year. It was frustrating listening to Buck and Aikman drone on about how the loss of Dez Bryant has hurt this team. It hasn't. Bryant is no longer an elite wide receiver and the league knows it because he is sitting home tweeting instead of playing. His decline hurt the offense last year because he was the only receiver opposing teams had to be concerned about, until they saw him on the field.
It's hard to expect Dak Prescott to grow as a quarterback if he his running for his life looking at receivers who can't get open.
The Legend of Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers is unreal. He's crushed the hopes of Cowboys fans so many times, but he always he did it with two legs. Sunday night he showed only one leg was needed to ruin the season opener for the Bears.
Bears fans were flying high at halftime with a 20-0 lead and Rodgers having been carted off the field with a knee injury. Then the second half began and Rodgers limped out of the tunnel to re-enter the game. I was thinking why risk further injury in a game that was out of hand. I forgot Aaron Rodgers is unreal. He shrugged off a 17 point fourth quarter deficit to lead the Packers to thrilling come from behind win. On one leg.
This game ended the debate on who is the best NFL quarterback right now for me. The Packers receivers are nothing special and they have failed to find a decent running game, but as long as there is a little time left on the clock Aaron Rodgers has proved he can simply will his team to victory.
The new Monster of the Midway
It was a disappointing loss for the Bears, but they have to be thrilled with the performance of their latest acquisition Khalil Mack.
Mack cost this team a fortune in money and draft picks but proved to be worth every penny with a monster game against the Packers. 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and fumble recovery by simply ripping the ball out of Deshone Kizer's hands and an interception return for a touchdown. An impressive debut for a guy who joined the team just a week ago.
The Raiders are going to regret this trade. Quit being so cheap! Talent deserves to be paid.
Another Impressive Debut
Make sure you click on the video to the left to see Saquon Barkley's first career touchdown. It will be the first of many.
I try to go to at least one Penn State game every year and it was a pleasure watching Barkley run roughshod over the Big Ten. Barkley is better than Elliott and better than Fournette. I'm pissed the Giants drafted him because now my Cowboys have to face him twice a year. I blame Cleveland for not drafting him #1. Don't tell me it is dumb to take a running back #1, Barkley has the ability to be an all-time great. I doubt Mayfield does. Once the Giants figure out he just as good a receiver as he is a running back, he will explode on the NFL.
Cleveland Browns are 0-0-1 Best Start in 14 Years
The headline of this section says it all. Good lord Cleveland, your most hated rival comes to town without their best player, commits six turnovers, misses a field goal and the best you can do is kiss your sister?
Congrats I guess for not going 0-16 this year. You should have drafted Barkley.
Even though my Cowboys shit the bed against Carolina, it's still good that football is back. What are your thoughts on Week One? Did your team win or lose? Let me know, always willing to talk about football.
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