What we learned in NFL's Week 1 action

KAS
Sep 14, 2016
5 min read

Oh heyyyy footballllll, nice to see you again.

Sure, we've had a few weeks of preseason NFL play but those dress rehearsals just aren't on the same level as regular season competition. And now it's back! Overall, we've learned a few things from week one - here's a breakdown of my takeaways.

Seahawks still have their late-game swagger.

I'm not really sure if it's God's will, practice or a rabbit's foot hidden in Russell Wilson's pocket but either way, the Seahawks have brought their late-game mojo to this season's table. Somehow the Hawks pulled off a touchdown to take the lead in the last two minutes and win Sunday's game in Seattle against the Miami Dolphins - even after Hauschka missed a PAT in the final minute, leaving the score 12-10 with seconds on the clock.

Seahawks DE Cassius Marsh also had one HELL of a game, making key special teams tackles, blocking a Dolphins field goal and sacking Tannehill on a final game play (a Miami drive that, if turned into a field goal, would have cost Seattle the game.)

Moral of the story: Seahawks somehow managed to perform poor offensively the entire game until the final minutes, when Wilson, Baldwin and Marsh made big plays, rallying the troops to victory.

Them Giants, though.

First off, I'd like to just give Giants WR Victor Cruz a round of applause for battling back from a two-year NFL absence, proving all those doubters wrong. Cruz tore his patellar tendon (ouch) and sustained a calf injury in back-to-back seasons, leaving him on injury reserve since 2014. He is now back, after a groin injury this summer, to catch a couple passes and even score a touchdown putting the Giants over the Cowboys Sunday afternoon, 20-19.

Cruz's return, coupled with the always-exciting OBJ and rookie Sterling Shephard, leave me genuinely excited about this Giants receiving core. And with the defense standing strong, this should (hopefully) place the ball in Eli's hands more often, providing him with more opportunity to showcase his WRs' talents.

I'm no Giants fan but I'm a fan of the sport and this could be a season of decent football from the Giants.

Someone needs to go over the rules with Terrance Williams.

I feel a little bad for laughing but this moment was just... *sigh.* In the final minute of the game with the score favoring Giants at 20-19, Cowboys WR Terrance Williams had the ball and instead of making a play to stop the clock, he slid down. On the field. With no timeouts.

HE SLID ON THE GROUND AND TIME RAN OUT. Dez Bryant was even directing him toward the sidelines like a damn traffic cop and yet Williams still chose a patch of grass in-bounds, effectively running the clock and leaving no time for another snap.

Cowboys lost to the Giants, 20-19. Lol.

We should cut Zeke some slack. For now.

It's no secret Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliot was predicted to show out this season. He performed well in preseason games, putting up respectable numbers and looking more like a powerhouse RB than just a rookie.

Too bad he didn't do diddly SQUAT against the Giants. To be fair, nobody was too sure what the Giants would look like this year and their defense really showed up to play on Sunday - so I can make my peace with Zeke's performance. But dang, he really was one of my top fantasy selections and 51 yards on 20 attempts is just not going to cut it.

So for now, I'll factor in nerves, pressure, rookie status, no crop top and an adequate Giants D-line that seemed real happy every time Zeke got the ball. He really had very little space to work with and I recognize that... so for now, he gets a pass. For now.

But next week I expect numbers.

I love Antonio Brown.

I'll just leave this here for you.

I feel bad for Cammy Cam.

QB Cam Newton did his best to lead the Panthers over the Broncos Thursday night in Denver but it just wasn't enough. Carolina led 17-7 going into the half until a quick pep-talk in the locker room prompted Denver to bring their A-game in the second half.

After some rough hits to Cam knocked the Panthers off their momentum, Denver made it a ball game with CJ Anderson's multiple touchdowns, leading 21-20 near the end of the fourth quarter. Cam put the boys on his back and marched down the field, getting within field goal range with only seconds left on the clock. The game was about to be won until Carolina's kicker, Graham Gano, MISSED THE FREAKING FIELD GOAL AS TIME EXPIRED.

Cam did his job. He marched down the field. He took tough hits when the blocks weren't there. He got up and he ran through space. He brought that ball into the end zone. He put them in a position to win, and sure the snap was slightly skewed, but the eighth highest paid kicker in the league dropped the ball. Literally. To the left of the goal post.

I just feel bad. Cammy Cam ain't everyone's favorite guy but he keeps his personal business quiet, works extremely hard and genuinely cares about playing football. I respect that. I like to see those guys win and I'm just not sure what more he could've done in this situation.

Welp. Better luck next week. We'll see what this season holds for the Panthers.

The Rams need chill.

I know it's frustrating to not perform well, I'm the first one to admit I'm the poorest of all sports. I'm a sore loser and I was never afraid to express my saltiness after a loss - BUT, I also never played professionally. At this level, it's not just your pastime or hobby, it's your job.

To throw a fit when your team is down, especially in a season opener, is just silly. I understand this is your livelihood and depending on teammates to uphold their duties isn't always easy, but you only make it harder on yourself, your coaching staff, your fans and your partners when you have a mental breakdown on the field.

This week the Rams played in their new (old) home of California so tensions were high, but Aaron Donald... really?! The Rams DT's tantrum resulted in a 49ers' helmet flying off, contact with an official and a one-way ticket to the locker room for the evening.

Hopefully with Jared Goff's return, the Rams can put on a better showing. Just not too good of a performance next week - they play the Seahawks. :)

Redskins & Browns won't be winning the Super Bowl.

Cousins didn't show much promise on Monday and I'm not convinced he'll put on much of a show this year which is a bit disappointing because Desean Jackson in on my fantasy squad... (Hey Dad, let's make some trades.) Also, RGIII is now out for an estimated four to six weeks with a shoulder injury so I don't see things looking up for the Browns anytime soon either.

Week 1 is often misleading and with sooo much time left in the season, I could be wrong. Call it a gut feeling, call it an educated guess, either way I don't think anyone needs to fear Washington or Cleveland right now. 'Nuff said.

Steelers and Pats won without who?!

Steelers played the Redskins without RB Le'Veon Bell, WR Martavis Bryant, WR Markus Wheaton and TE Heath Miller - they won. Patriots played the Cardinals without QB Tom Brady, TE Rob Gronkowski, T Nate Solder and RB Dion Lewis - they also won.

Safe to say these teams should be carefully watched as the weeks go by. They're good and only going to get better.