NFL Recap: Week One

The only thing longer then the Thursday night NFL Kickoff Game was the intro to the Thursday night NFL Kickoff Game. After what seemed like hours of “EA Sports presentations” including Tim McGraw and the Black Eyes Peas, the Steelers and the Titans finally took the field to kick off the best season of the year…football season.

The Titans were the last team to beat the Steelers in a game that ended with the Titans stomping on Terrible Towels. Not this time! Santonio Holmes had 9 catches for 131 yards and one touchdown…exactly what he had as the MVP of the Super Bowl and it looked like the Steelers were going to pull the plug on the Titans, who just wouldn’t die, until Hines Ward fumbled on the Titans 4 yard line with under a minute to go, sending the game into OT. After winning the toss, the Steelers kicked a field goal on first down, to win the game 10-13.

However, the biggest loss in the game was not to the Titans, but when Troy Polamalu was forced to leave the game with a left knee injury. The Steelers are shaking it off, but, no matter what you say Pittsburgh, you are not fooling me. Regardless of how the Steelers want to play it, or how long he is out, they will feel it. We know Troy is more to the Steelers than just his long tousseled hair.



Miami played Atlanta in the Dome and the picture says it all. The Dolphins laid down and the Falcons danced all over them. A pair of touchdown passes for Matty Ice and 4 turnovers for the Dolphins, looked like a shut out until Ricky Williams put up 6 for the Dolphins late in the 4th. 7-19, Atlanta.

But it’s okay Miami, just point at St. Louis and say, “at least we aren’t them!” The Rams did get shut out and looked like the same old 2-14 Rams of last season, against my favorite blue-eyed baldy and the Seattle Seahawks. Matt Hasselbeck, missed 9 games last season and came back just in time to send the Rams back to St. Louis without a single point. The only time the Seahawks beat a team by more than 28 pts was when they beat the Eagles 38-0 in 1998. (No, I never miss a chance to take a shot at the Eagles!). 0-28, Seattle.

Broncos- Bengals game in Cincinnati was a sleeper until Brandon Stokley's touchdown reception with 11 seconds remaining which game off a tipped ball and resulted in 87-yards, where Stokely ran along the end zone to run out the clock before stepping in for 6. Final, a riveting 12-7, Denver.

The Minnesota Vikings took on the Cleveland Browns (as much as one can actually “take on” the Browns) where after throwing his first touchdown pass the ESPN world stopped for just one second (more like a minute and a half) to watch 39 year old QB, Brett Favre celebrate. However, the play of the game belongs to Brady Quinn.


I wish that Quinn would just give up already. His NFL career started as we all watched him sit in an emptying room, as player after player was drafted until finally, in what seemed like a pity draft, the Cleveland Brown put an end to his embarrassment. Then his NFL starting debut was overshadowed by none other than JAY CUTLER! Then we watched him take the bench and finally, this…


You want to hang on to the ball until your arm actually moves forward or at least until there is someone around to make it look like you didn’t just drop it. Obviously, the Vikings beat the Browns, 34-20. But seriously, I am tired o hearing about Favre already. Yeah yeah, he is 100 years old and he won a football game, but it was the Browns. Do you need to see this again?


After the game, Favre went over to shake hands with his old pal, Mangini. I can only imagine how that conversation went.




I picked the Saints over the Lions this week and was a little nervous for a while, but then I remembered…it is the Detroit Lions and before I knew it, Drew Brees had thrown for six touch down passes. Two of those passes were to Jeremy Shockey, who hadn’t scored a single point since the New York Football Giants traded him. It was Matt Stafford’s first day with the big boys, and he scored his first rushing touchdown. Yay Matt! (He also had 3 interceptions.) 14-28 Saints.

Tony Romo got rid of the nagging girl and Jessica Simpson (Haha. Get it? The nagging girl was T.O.) and is a better man for both. Romo threw for his career-best 353 yards passing, and three touchdowns. Not to mention his 80-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton was the longest of Romo's career. Both teams had more than 450 total yards and zero turnovers. But unfortunately the Cowgirls won, 21-34, Dallas.

There was nothing but confusion in North Carolina, as the Panthers tried every quarterback they had to no avail after Delhomme racked up his 5th turnover of the game. But perhaps the biggest confusion of the game came when ancient, I mean veteran Eagle quarterback, McNabb was crushed in the end zone (that’s why you don’t want a running quarterback), with Vick not eligible until week three, we were all left to wonder, “who the heck is that white guy playing quarterback for Philadelphia?” Kevin Kolb did nothing more than run out the clock, which probably couldn’t happen fast enough for the hopeless Panthers. 38-10, Philadelphia.

For the record, I don’t want to see anyone get hurt, ever. But if it absolutely has to be someone, McNabb is my first choice. Lets see you flap round with those broken ribs. With Vick watching from the luxury box and McNabb being old, what will the Eagles do next week?

Rookie QB, Mark Sanchez made his NFL debut against the Houston Texans (sure, give him an easy one). I am sure Sanchez owes a little bit of his win to the Texans who are consistently bad and the Jets defense who allowed Houston's offense past midfield just once in the first three quarters. (Again, some credit to the Texans for being a horrible football team). The only thing I can be sure didn’t contribute to the Jets win was Joe Namath’s pre-game pep talk with the rookie. When Sanchez asked Nameth about his first career start, Namath said, “I don’t remember.” Good talk, Joe! See ya out there!

The Redskins almost traded Campbell for a chance at Mark Sanchez. They didn’t and kept Campbell, who apparently just isn’t Mark Sanchez, enough. The New York Football Giants racked my nerves for 4 quarters, sending Ware inside early with a wrist injury and watching Hicks return to the game on crutches in the fourth, as usually the G-men easily moved the ball down field, but refused to deliver from the red zone. Maybe they should start taking a few delay of games from the red zone to back them up until they are comfortable. Good thing it was only the Redskins. 17-23 Giants.

Jay Cutler's comment was that "its hard to win games with three turnovers in the first half." Oh yeah, Jay. You should know because they were all yours and there were four in total! 4 picks...all thrown by you! "There were a lot of failures," Cutler said. Yes, Jay Cutler, that would be you! Sorry. Green Bay over Chicago, 15-21.

Peyton Manning tied the franchise record for victories, in a win over Jacksonville. 12-14 Colts. (I forgot about this game and went back and added it. Sorry Peyton.)

And the question of the week. How do the defending NFC Champions lost to the San Francisco 49ers? (How does anyone lose to the 49ers?) 20-16, San Fran over Arizona.
Tonight we find out if Brady still has what it takes to go 18 and 1, when the Patriots play the Bills on MNF.

San Diego takes on Oakland, I guess. But I am not staying up to watch that and will check out the highlights, if there are any. (I took San Diego in this game, actually, so GO CHARGERS!)