Ranking the 0-1 Teams
15.) Houston Texans (0-1 = 7-29)
For each of the last two seasons I've never believed in the Texans as they were winning back-to-back AFC South titles. I'll be stunned if they make it three. There is some talk they may go back to Tom Savage, which is ludicrous. The OL is in tatters with Duane Brown still holding out. The defense seems off, with an incredibly leaky secondary and a clearly not yet 100% JJ Watt. The Texans are terrible, having easily the worst loss of any team in Week 1.
14.) San Francisco 49ers (0-1 = 3-23)
I was never more sure of a team not scoring 10 points than the 49ers playing that Carolina defense. Kyle Shanahan's scheme is not player-neutral, with Brian Hoyer doing a terrible Matt Ryan impression. Shame about Ruben Foster who by all accounts was having a really nice game before he got hurt. It's a long process in San Francisco right now, the NFCs only true tank-tastic team.
13.) Indianapolis Colts (0-1 = 9-46)
Obviously, ranking the Colts comes with an asterisk as that team wouldn't lose 9-46 with Andrew Luck at QB. Of course, at this point there is no real guess for when Luck is going to return. The Colts team outside of Luck (and maybe Hilton and a couple defenders) is garbage. It is amazing that in Year 6 of the Luck era, the talent on the team is arguably worse than it was during their 2011 disaster when Peyton went down. Irsay needs to hire a Team President and stay the fuck away from football decisions. He may have hated the Polian era, but at least his franchise wasn't a laughingstock.
12.) New York Jets (0-1 = 12-21)
Both of the two 'tanking' teams acquitted themselves reasonably well in Week 1. Sure, the Jets had to play another team that is semi-tanking in Buffalo, but they didn't look dreadful. That defense still has some nice pieces, with Wilkerson and Williams having a better game than the stat-sheet would indicate. The offense has some nice young players in Robbie Anderson and Will Tye. Josh McCown is perfectly capable enough to keep them from going 2-14 which they probably should do.
11.) Chicago Bears (0-1 = 17-23)
I'll be interested to re-evaluate that game a few weeks from now. The Bears defense is quietly solid having drafted well over the past couple seasons. Any team with Mike Glennon has a ceiling on offense, but Tarik Cohen is a perfect complement to Jordan Howard. The Bears showed they can compete with good teams in Week 1, but so often we see a team play surprisingly well in Week 1 only to end up being who we thought they were (e.g.: the 2016 Jaguars who lost 23-27 to the Packers in Week 1). I'm hoping we get Trubisky at some point because the Bears have an intriguing future and I'm not sure what holding him out accomplishes.
10.) Cleveland Browns (0-1 = 18-21)
I have two seemingly incongruous thoughts about the Browns loss to Pittsburgh. First, they played really well given the Steelers scored their first points on a blocked punt for a TD. Second, the Browns are still a bad team. To me, that game showed more about Pittsburgh still not getting over their malady of playing 5-6 uninspired games a year. The Browns defense is legitimately decent, but the offense lacks any explosion. I like what I saw from Kizer, but his pocket presence needs to improve a lot. The Browns are no longer a doormat, and still have a bevy of picks, but they still need a lot of those picks to work out to seriously start competing.
9.) New Orleans Saints (0-1 = 19-29)
The final stats looked nice, with Brees close to 300 yards, and no turnovers, and just one sack, but they were overwhelmed for much of that game, and the red zone performance was putrid. Adrian Peterson seems a terrible fit, as his lack of pass blocking ability makes him fairly unplayable. The defense looks as bad as ever. While they can at times generate pressure, the secondary is a disaster and doesn't look to improve at all.
8.) Cincinnati Bengals (0-1 = 0-20)
The Bengals can go in one of two directions. They can either be the annual team that lays a stinker in Week 1 but ends up fine anyway (Falcons last year, or Minnesota in 2014), or the team that was supposed to compete but got exposed in a preview of things to come (2015 Colts). In a way, we should know following Thursday's opposite of intriguing Thursday Night game against Houston. They should dominate Houston. Dalton can't possibly worse and quietly the defense still looks good, but the ack of protection and quiet AJ Green performance is disturbing.
7.) San Diego Chargers (0-1 = 21-24)
The Chargers probably could've stolen that game, but let's not forget they were down 24-7, with Rivers hovering under 100 yards passing, before some weird stuff late in that game. The Chargers offense looked good with the return of Keenan Allen, but Rivers seemed a bit off, and Antonio Gates seemed a bit slow. The defense was fairly strong, though they need to get more pressure to be consistent as Siemien had way too much time at times.
6.) Arizona Cardinals (0-1 = 23-35)
I mentally had them a little higher up before hearing that David Johnson would be out at minimum a couple weeks and more likely a month or more. Carson Palmer looks awful. Maybe it is week one, and even in his good or average years he has a few clunkers, but he had no zip, wasn't reading the Lions defense well and just spraying passes. The defense looked good for most of the game but just collapsed. I still believe that the Cardinals defense will be good, and having the receivers all back healthy was nice, but if Palmer can't recapture even the 2013-14 version of himself, this team is fairly well doomed.
5.) New York Giants (0-1 = 3-19)
The good news is the Giants defense is still really good. The secondary is my pick for the league's best (at least before seeing Denver again), and the front is still strong. The bad news is the offense is shot. Remove OBJ and there literally is no positional group where they aren't a bottom-10 unit. Even Eli is starting to look a bit old. He used to be really good at covering up patches of bad OL play, but know he's starting to panick and dump-off and just throw balls into the ground. This is not a good sign.
4.) Washington Redskins (0-1 = 17-30)
I'm not exactly sure what the Redskins do well right now. They don't do anything badly, but the Redskins are fairly mediocre at everything now that DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon have left town. Josh Norman is really good, but the rest of secondary is middling. The pass rush has a few talents from 2012, but now those guys are a bit old. The offense lost its firepower, and Kirk Cousins can't get better than what he was in 2015. In that division, which is suddenly hyper-competitive, that just isn't good enough.
3.) Tennessee Titans (0-1 = 16-26)
If you look at the box score, the Titans didn't play all that badly. They didn't turn the ball over. Mariota was only sacked once. The ran if decently well. They didn't give up too many yards. Problem is, none of it was nearly good enough. There's really nothing that jumps out about that loss other than the Titans played reasonably well and lost to a better team. Of course, the fact that the Raiders are clearly the better team is in itself a bit disappointing. For Mariota, it will take time to gel with all those weapons. The Titans seemed to be running a more conventional offense, and while we all laughed at Mike Mularkey when he unleashed his 'exotic smashmouth' maybe that is unique enough to work better than the milquetoast offense we saw yesterday.
2.) New England Patriots (0-1 = 27-42)
I'm not going to say anything that will come back to haunt me three months from now when they are 10-2. I'll just say this, I find it hilarious how many people suddenly discovered very real and present flaws with this team after writing serious thinkpieces on whether the 2017 Pats were better than the 2007 version. The front seven needs a good dose of Belichick coaching magic, and maybe Julian Edelmen is more important than we realize. Though I will say that after watching Sunday's action, the Patriots offensive output in the opener might be one of the 5 best offensive performances of the weekend.
1.) Seattle Seahawks (0-1 = 9-17)
Obviously, the Seahawks have very real flaws, including the one flaw they've had during the entirety of the Russell Wilson era since 2013 in their OL, but that loss showed why the Seahawks are still so scary. Their defense is probably the league's best right now, and with Earl Thomas back that secondary is scary. The offensive line is a disaster, but the receiving core is really good and Russell Wilson is a very capable improvisor. That was a very good team losing to another very good team. It could come back to haunt Seattle in terms of playoff positioning, but no real shame is losing a close, hard-fought game to Green Bay in Lambeau.
Ranking the 1-0 Teams
15.) Buffalo Bills (1-0 = 21-12)
Someone had to win that Jets vs. Bills game - oddly enough taking 1st place in the division in the process. The Bills are not tanking as much as the Jets or Browns are, but they did trade away a whole host of players in the offseason. The defense still has a few good players, but what may keep them somewhat competitive is the continued success of their running game. Another 190+ yards in Week 1 and the Bills are starting right where they left off last year. This is not a good team. They had probably the least impressive win of any team in Week 1.
14.) Los Angeles Rams (1-0 = 46-9)
Out of the teams that won a game, a few that had the largest wins by point differential looked to be fairly weak overall. The Rams right now have the best point differential in the NFL, but color me a bit skeptical until they show it a few more times, especially this new competent version of Jared Goff. What is great though is that defense. Sure, a Scott Tolzein-led Colts offense may be an opponent of preseason quality, but with the history of Wade Phillips taken over teams, and the impending return of Aaron Donald, there are potentially bright futures for the Rams.
13.) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0 = 29-7)
Do you know what really stood out for the Jaguars: the influence of Tom Coughlin. Blake Bortles is still not very good. The OL is still a mess. Leonard Fournette had a nice start but you want more from the #3 pick in the draft. That all said, they showed competence. They also showed a terrifying potential on defense. I would like to see it against an actual NFL offense, but they have been drafting and signing big names on that side of the ball for years now, including finally the debut of last year's #3 overall pick Dante Fowler, Jr. They will need Bortles at some point, but that division is wide open for the taking.
12.) Denver Broncos (1-0 = 24-21)
The Broncos defense is still really good, but the depth is just not there. I realized this when Wolfe went down for a short period of time, and also when the Chargers doubled and/or chipped Von Miller on every play. They need a good Shaq Barrett season. Siemien looked OK, but he did the same thing at the beginning of last season as well. I'll hold off judgement for a bit until they play a better defense. The Broncos defense also probably can't rely on so much blitzing as they did against San Diego.
11.) Detroit Lions (1-0 = 35-23)
Through one game, the ROI on that Stafford mega contract is looking pretty good. He started out slow, but ended with one of the top games of the weekend against what still looks to be a good defense. The defense played better than it did last year when it somehow ranked last in defensive DVOA, but maybe that is helped by playing a suddenly ancient Carson Palmer. The Lions will go as far as Stafford takes them, but for one week he is looking like a man who deserved that money, and getting big games from Tate and Galloday will always help.
10.) Philadelphia Eagles (1-0 = 30-17)
It's interesting that in almost every case save a couple, the team I expected to be better on the season won their Week 1 game. That makes it both hard to rank, and hard to say anything interesting. The Eagles played pretty much exactly like I expected. Their defensive line can dominate any team. Their secondary can get exposed. Their offense will depend on the odd big play. Their remade receiving core can help elevate Carson Wentz, and coupled with that defense can be a devastating combination.
9.) Atlanta Falcons (1-0 = 23-17)
Natural regression for Atlanta's offense was somewhat inevitable. Their offense, particularly the passing game, was historically good last yeaer, and aside from teams QBed by messers Peyton, Tom and Drew,keeping up historically great for multiple years is basically impossible. But still, it was surprising to see them struggle so much against the Bears. 6 three-and-outs is a high number. They took advantage of a busted play with the deep TD to Hooper, but take that away and their production looks pretty middling. The good news is the defense played up and that pass rush can be really good, but the offense, through one week, seems to miss Shanahan quite a bit.
8.) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0 = 21-18)
As I mentioned in the Browns entry, that was a strange game that I came out of disliking Pittsburgh more than liking the Browns. The Steelers should not be tied 7-7 late into the 1st half with the Browns, especially when those 7 points came from a blocked punt. The Steelers struggled to get anything going if the ball wasn't targeted to Antonio Brown. Roethlisberger looked fine, but there is a clear lack of timing with him and Martavis Bryant at this point. The defense looked good, but it is hard to really judge based off of one game against a rookie QB.
7.) Carolina Panthers (1-0 = 23-3)
Cam Newton looked like someone who has barely thrown the ball the last six months. He was better in the 2nd half and I expect him to improve. What is nice is McCaffrey had a nice game, the OL looked better, and of course, they still have that defense. That was a suffocating effort on the road, with all the patented Panthers defensive elements, like a sack by Thomas Davis and a pick by Luke Keuchly and some dominant Kawaan Short play. If Newton gets right, their ceiling is quite a bit higher than this.
6.) Baltimore Ravens (1-0 = 20-0)
I run the risk of overreacting to the Ravens effort. Last year, they held the Bills to 7 points in the opener, and while they were a good defense all year, they weren't great. But this year seems different. That was scary from Baltimore, at all levels. The DL hounded Dalton. The linebackers were flying around the field, particularly Mosely (pick) and Suggs (sacks). The secondary blanketed a decent receiving core. The offense did next to nothing and it bears watching if that improves, but the Ravens could be the best defense in the NFL if they stay healthy.
5.) Minnesota Vikings (1-0 = 29-19)
I'm kind of pissed the Vikings took their foot off the gas defensively late in that game. They had a good shot at holding the Saints out of hte end zone. The pressure was there all game, forcing Brees into so many dump-offs. Bradford was great, and he should always be if he gets protection. That is the key for the Vikings. It is what ruined the team last year even after their 5-0 start. It did look better in Week 1 but that could be attributed to how godawful the Saints are on defense. The receivers also looked more cohesive as a unit. The Vikings could be scary, but this could also be a fool-me-once situation.
4.) Dallas Cowboys (1-0 = 19-3)
Of all the potential outcomes of that game, I don't know how many people would have predicted the version where the Cowboys win a low-scoring affair. The defense looks good, and the offense looks really spotty. Now, a lot of that is probably just due to the team they played, with the Giants fielding a good defense and bad offense. I do worry about Dak Prescott's ability to lead this team if the run game is not working. Even in the big comeback in the Divisional Round, Elliott had a really effective game. Maybe Prescott never has to face that scenario, but it is a question on a team with few others.
3.) Oakland Raiders (1-0 = 26-16)
The one thing the Raiders really never did was win a comfortable game on the road against a good team. Well, in Week 1 they did that. The Titans were a trendy pick, they were favorites, and the Raiders slowly, systematically beat them in a most business-like fashion. They didn't play their best game, but their B game is good enough right now to beat a contender. You would like to see less drops from Amari Cooper, more sustained pressure, continuing improvement of their coverage, but the Raiders right now are continuing where they left off in their growth plan.
2.) Kansas City Chiefs (1-0 = 42-27)
The Chiefs and Raiders staged a great race for the AFC West last year, and they look dead set to do it again. The Chiefs ticked off each box on Thursday. Their pass rush was good, their coverage was good. Alex Smith and that offense hummed, perfectly mixing brilliant Andy Reid creations with conventional deep balls (for once). The injury to Eric Berry is a damper, but a defense can overcome one player, especially if the offense is going to become a juggernaut.
1.) Green Bay Packers (1-0 = 17-9)
Oddly, what I liked more about the Packers performance was their offense. Rodgers looked great, as always, but both Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb looked closer to their 2014 versions than their 2015-16 vintages. Ty Montgomery looked a lot more like a natural running back. The OL held up reasonably well, as a few of the 1st half sacks were coverage related rather than quick pressure. That was an incredibly tough test, and the Packers offense effectively wore them down. The defense looks great as well, but for the Packers if their offense can click like they did in the 2nd half, it won't really matter.
Looking Ahead to Next Week's Games
16.) Arizona Cardinals (0-1) @ Indianapolis Colts (0-1) (1:00 - FOX)
15.) Houston Texans (0-1) @ Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) (TNF - NFLN)
I call it "we already have bad games in Week 2?" Thursday and Sunday, like honestly these games look abjectly terrible. Two of the most interesting players on either Arizona or Indianapolis are out, likely for a while, and the Colts fanbase is in full anti-Irsay and anti-Pagano mode. That will not be a fun place on Sunday. The Bengals and Texans match up two of the teams with the worst Week 1 performances on primetime for christ sake. I'm usually on the side that TNF isn't all that bad and the level of play is more or less as good as any other week, but this is not a great start.
14.) New York Jets (0-1) @ Oakland Raiders (1-0) (4:05 - CBS)
13.) Cleveland Browns (0-1) @ Baltimore Ravens (1-0) (1:00 - CBS)
12.) San Francisco 49ers (0-1) @ Seattle Seahawks (0-1) (4:25 - FOX)
I call it "Things could get a bit ugly" Sunday, as we get three games were losing Week 1 teams that are expected to be bad go play either one of two teams that are expected to be good, or another that had one of the more devastating displays on defense in Week 1. All of these games have high blowout potential. In fact, at least for Oakland and Seattle, if it isn't a blowout that says a lot about those teams. They should beat the Jets and 49ers down.
11.) Miami Dolphins (0-0) @ San Diego Chargers (0-1) (4:05 - CBS)
10.) Chicago Bears (0-1) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-0) (1:00 - FOX)
I call it "Found it really odd there are teams that haven't played a game yet" Sunday, as it will annoy me for a while that even after one week not all 32 teams have played the same amount of games. It is heartening that the Buccaneers feel comfortable to play at home, but I hope they aren't rushing things back home. For Miami, it will be interesting to get a first look at Jay Cutler in live action. For the Bucs, they should win this game if they really are a matured team.
9.) Tennessee Titans (0-1) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) (1:00 - CBS)
8.) Washington Redskins (0-1) @ Los Angeles Rams (1-0) (4:25 - FOX)
I call it "bad games I really have nothing to say about" Sunday, as I really don't have much to say about these games. The Jaguars have a great opportunity to go 2-0 for what I assume is the first time since the first Tom Coughlin era. They maybe should, honestly, with that defense. The Redskins and Rams game is just a nothing for me. I would like to see if the Wade Phillips effect continues against teams not QBed by Scott Tolzein, and also if Jared Goff can continue his good Week 1 form.
7.) Buffalo Bills (1-0) @ Carolina Panthers (1-0) (1:00 - CBS)
6.) Detroit Lions (1-0) @ New York Giants (0-1) (MNF - ESPN)
I call it "decent games I really have nothing to say about" Sunday and Monday, I also have little to say about these games, but at least seem more decent. Bills at Panthers is easily the worst of the 1-0 vs. 1-0 games, likely because the Bills are probably the worst 1-0 team. It will be good to monitor if Cam Newton looks any healthier in Week 2. The Lions could fly under the radar again this year, and the Giants should be one of the more desperate 0-1 teams in Week 2. I'm hoping OBJ plays because that Giants offense is unwatchable without him.
5.) New England Patriots (0-1) @ New Orleans Saints (0-1) (1:00 - CBS)
I call it "Someone is gonna be 0-2 and it won't be pretty... and it will probably be the team that has been 0-2 each of the last three years," Sunday, as we get two teams that should be desperate. There has been little 'On to New Orleans' type talk from New England this week, but the Saints should be an interesting test for that New England defense. Drew Brees at home is still usually a tough test, and the last time he got New England in the Dome he had a ridiculous day in one of the best regular season games for us Pats haters. If Tom Brady struggles in this game, well we might be looking at a Peyton in 2015 2.0 type scenario.
4.) Dallas Cowboys (1-0) @ Denver Broncos (1-0) (4:25 - FOX)
3.) Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) @ Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) (1:00 - FOX)
2.) Minnesota Vikings (1-0) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) (1:00 - FOX)
1.) Green Bay Packers (1-0) @ Atlanta Falcons (1-0) (SNF - NBC)
I call it "There's some good stuff in Week 2 afterall" Sunday, as we get a nice spate of intriguing 1-0 vs. 1-0 games. Cowboys and Broncos gives us the best OL and Dez against the two-time 'Best Defense in the NFL' champions. Eagles and Chiefs is a nice game with Andy Reid against his former team (and protege in Doug Pedersen), with a good test for the Chiefs reborn offense. The Steelers look to shake off some rust against a suddenly very intriguing Minnesota team. It will be good to see if their defense travels well outside that dome. Finally, a nice little NFC Championship Game rematch with the Packers potentially getting their 2nd tie-breaker type win in two weeks. Also, any game with Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, et. al. is worth the price of many admissions.
15.) Houston Texans (0-1 = 7-29)
For each of the last two seasons I've never believed in the Texans as they were winning back-to-back AFC South titles. I'll be stunned if they make it three. There is some talk they may go back to Tom Savage, which is ludicrous. The OL is in tatters with Duane Brown still holding out. The defense seems off, with an incredibly leaky secondary and a clearly not yet 100% JJ Watt. The Texans are terrible, having easily the worst loss of any team in Week 1.
14.) San Francisco 49ers (0-1 = 3-23)
I was never more sure of a team not scoring 10 points than the 49ers playing that Carolina defense. Kyle Shanahan's scheme is not player-neutral, with Brian Hoyer doing a terrible Matt Ryan impression. Shame about Ruben Foster who by all accounts was having a really nice game before he got hurt. It's a long process in San Francisco right now, the NFCs only true tank-tastic team.
13.) Indianapolis Colts (0-1 = 9-46)
Obviously, ranking the Colts comes with an asterisk as that team wouldn't lose 9-46 with Andrew Luck at QB. Of course, at this point there is no real guess for when Luck is going to return. The Colts team outside of Luck (and maybe Hilton and a couple defenders) is garbage. It is amazing that in Year 6 of the Luck era, the talent on the team is arguably worse than it was during their 2011 disaster when Peyton went down. Irsay needs to hire a Team President and stay the fuck away from football decisions. He may have hated the Polian era, but at least his franchise wasn't a laughingstock.
12.) New York Jets (0-1 = 12-21)
Both of the two 'tanking' teams acquitted themselves reasonably well in Week 1. Sure, the Jets had to play another team that is semi-tanking in Buffalo, but they didn't look dreadful. That defense still has some nice pieces, with Wilkerson and Williams having a better game than the stat-sheet would indicate. The offense has some nice young players in Robbie Anderson and Will Tye. Josh McCown is perfectly capable enough to keep them from going 2-14 which they probably should do.
11.) Chicago Bears (0-1 = 17-23)
I'll be interested to re-evaluate that game a few weeks from now. The Bears defense is quietly solid having drafted well over the past couple seasons. Any team with Mike Glennon has a ceiling on offense, but Tarik Cohen is a perfect complement to Jordan Howard. The Bears showed they can compete with good teams in Week 1, but so often we see a team play surprisingly well in Week 1 only to end up being who we thought they were (e.g.: the 2016 Jaguars who lost 23-27 to the Packers in Week 1). I'm hoping we get Trubisky at some point because the Bears have an intriguing future and I'm not sure what holding him out accomplishes.
10.) Cleveland Browns (0-1 = 18-21)
I have two seemingly incongruous thoughts about the Browns loss to Pittsburgh. First, they played really well given the Steelers scored their first points on a blocked punt for a TD. Second, the Browns are still a bad team. To me, that game showed more about Pittsburgh still not getting over their malady of playing 5-6 uninspired games a year. The Browns defense is legitimately decent, but the offense lacks any explosion. I like what I saw from Kizer, but his pocket presence needs to improve a lot. The Browns are no longer a doormat, and still have a bevy of picks, but they still need a lot of those picks to work out to seriously start competing.
9.) New Orleans Saints (0-1 = 19-29)
The final stats looked nice, with Brees close to 300 yards, and no turnovers, and just one sack, but they were overwhelmed for much of that game, and the red zone performance was putrid. Adrian Peterson seems a terrible fit, as his lack of pass blocking ability makes him fairly unplayable. The defense looks as bad as ever. While they can at times generate pressure, the secondary is a disaster and doesn't look to improve at all.
8.) Cincinnati Bengals (0-1 = 0-20)
The Bengals can go in one of two directions. They can either be the annual team that lays a stinker in Week 1 but ends up fine anyway (Falcons last year, or Minnesota in 2014), or the team that was supposed to compete but got exposed in a preview of things to come (2015 Colts). In a way, we should know following Thursday's opposite of intriguing Thursday Night game against Houston. They should dominate Houston. Dalton can't possibly worse and quietly the defense still looks good, but the ack of protection and quiet AJ Green performance is disturbing.
7.) San Diego Chargers (0-1 = 21-24)
The Chargers probably could've stolen that game, but let's not forget they were down 24-7, with Rivers hovering under 100 yards passing, before some weird stuff late in that game. The Chargers offense looked good with the return of Keenan Allen, but Rivers seemed a bit off, and Antonio Gates seemed a bit slow. The defense was fairly strong, though they need to get more pressure to be consistent as Siemien had way too much time at times.
6.) Arizona Cardinals (0-1 = 23-35)
I mentally had them a little higher up before hearing that David Johnson would be out at minimum a couple weeks and more likely a month or more. Carson Palmer looks awful. Maybe it is week one, and even in his good or average years he has a few clunkers, but he had no zip, wasn't reading the Lions defense well and just spraying passes. The defense looked good for most of the game but just collapsed. I still believe that the Cardinals defense will be good, and having the receivers all back healthy was nice, but if Palmer can't recapture even the 2013-14 version of himself, this team is fairly well doomed.
5.) New York Giants (0-1 = 3-19)
The good news is the Giants defense is still really good. The secondary is my pick for the league's best (at least before seeing Denver again), and the front is still strong. The bad news is the offense is shot. Remove OBJ and there literally is no positional group where they aren't a bottom-10 unit. Even Eli is starting to look a bit old. He used to be really good at covering up patches of bad OL play, but know he's starting to panick and dump-off and just throw balls into the ground. This is not a good sign.
4.) Washington Redskins (0-1 = 17-30)
I'm not exactly sure what the Redskins do well right now. They don't do anything badly, but the Redskins are fairly mediocre at everything now that DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon have left town. Josh Norman is really good, but the rest of secondary is middling. The pass rush has a few talents from 2012, but now those guys are a bit old. The offense lost its firepower, and Kirk Cousins can't get better than what he was in 2015. In that division, which is suddenly hyper-competitive, that just isn't good enough.
3.) Tennessee Titans (0-1 = 16-26)
If you look at the box score, the Titans didn't play all that badly. They didn't turn the ball over. Mariota was only sacked once. The ran if decently well. They didn't give up too many yards. Problem is, none of it was nearly good enough. There's really nothing that jumps out about that loss other than the Titans played reasonably well and lost to a better team. Of course, the fact that the Raiders are clearly the better team is in itself a bit disappointing. For Mariota, it will take time to gel with all those weapons. The Titans seemed to be running a more conventional offense, and while we all laughed at Mike Mularkey when he unleashed his 'exotic smashmouth' maybe that is unique enough to work better than the milquetoast offense we saw yesterday.
2.) New England Patriots (0-1 = 27-42)
I'm not going to say anything that will come back to haunt me three months from now when they are 10-2. I'll just say this, I find it hilarious how many people suddenly discovered very real and present flaws with this team after writing serious thinkpieces on whether the 2017 Pats were better than the 2007 version. The front seven needs a good dose of Belichick coaching magic, and maybe Julian Edelmen is more important than we realize. Though I will say that after watching Sunday's action, the Patriots offensive output in the opener might be one of the 5 best offensive performances of the weekend.
1.) Seattle Seahawks (0-1 = 9-17)
Obviously, the Seahawks have very real flaws, including the one flaw they've had during the entirety of the Russell Wilson era since 2013 in their OL, but that loss showed why the Seahawks are still so scary. Their defense is probably the league's best right now, and with Earl Thomas back that secondary is scary. The offensive line is a disaster, but the receiving core is really good and Russell Wilson is a very capable improvisor. That was a very good team losing to another very good team. It could come back to haunt Seattle in terms of playoff positioning, but no real shame is losing a close, hard-fought game to Green Bay in Lambeau.
Ranking the 1-0 Teams
15.) Buffalo Bills (1-0 = 21-12)
Someone had to win that Jets vs. Bills game - oddly enough taking 1st place in the division in the process. The Bills are not tanking as much as the Jets or Browns are, but they did trade away a whole host of players in the offseason. The defense still has a few good players, but what may keep them somewhat competitive is the continued success of their running game. Another 190+ yards in Week 1 and the Bills are starting right where they left off last year. This is not a good team. They had probably the least impressive win of any team in Week 1.
14.) Los Angeles Rams (1-0 = 46-9)
Out of the teams that won a game, a few that had the largest wins by point differential looked to be fairly weak overall. The Rams right now have the best point differential in the NFL, but color me a bit skeptical until they show it a few more times, especially this new competent version of Jared Goff. What is great though is that defense. Sure, a Scott Tolzein-led Colts offense may be an opponent of preseason quality, but with the history of Wade Phillips taken over teams, and the impending return of Aaron Donald, there are potentially bright futures for the Rams.
13.) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0 = 29-7)
Do you know what really stood out for the Jaguars: the influence of Tom Coughlin. Blake Bortles is still not very good. The OL is still a mess. Leonard Fournette had a nice start but you want more from the #3 pick in the draft. That all said, they showed competence. They also showed a terrifying potential on defense. I would like to see it against an actual NFL offense, but they have been drafting and signing big names on that side of the ball for years now, including finally the debut of last year's #3 overall pick Dante Fowler, Jr. They will need Bortles at some point, but that division is wide open for the taking.
12.) Denver Broncos (1-0 = 24-21)
The Broncos defense is still really good, but the depth is just not there. I realized this when Wolfe went down for a short period of time, and also when the Chargers doubled and/or chipped Von Miller on every play. They need a good Shaq Barrett season. Siemien looked OK, but he did the same thing at the beginning of last season as well. I'll hold off judgement for a bit until they play a better defense. The Broncos defense also probably can't rely on so much blitzing as they did against San Diego.
11.) Detroit Lions (1-0 = 35-23)
Through one game, the ROI on that Stafford mega contract is looking pretty good. He started out slow, but ended with one of the top games of the weekend against what still looks to be a good defense. The defense played better than it did last year when it somehow ranked last in defensive DVOA, but maybe that is helped by playing a suddenly ancient Carson Palmer. The Lions will go as far as Stafford takes them, but for one week he is looking like a man who deserved that money, and getting big games from Tate and Galloday will always help.
10.) Philadelphia Eagles (1-0 = 30-17)
It's interesting that in almost every case save a couple, the team I expected to be better on the season won their Week 1 game. That makes it both hard to rank, and hard to say anything interesting. The Eagles played pretty much exactly like I expected. Their defensive line can dominate any team. Their secondary can get exposed. Their offense will depend on the odd big play. Their remade receiving core can help elevate Carson Wentz, and coupled with that defense can be a devastating combination.
9.) Atlanta Falcons (1-0 = 23-17)
Natural regression for Atlanta's offense was somewhat inevitable. Their offense, particularly the passing game, was historically good last yeaer, and aside from teams QBed by messers Peyton, Tom and Drew,keeping up historically great for multiple years is basically impossible. But still, it was surprising to see them struggle so much against the Bears. 6 three-and-outs is a high number. They took advantage of a busted play with the deep TD to Hooper, but take that away and their production looks pretty middling. The good news is the defense played up and that pass rush can be really good, but the offense, through one week, seems to miss Shanahan quite a bit.
8.) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0 = 21-18)
As I mentioned in the Browns entry, that was a strange game that I came out of disliking Pittsburgh more than liking the Browns. The Steelers should not be tied 7-7 late into the 1st half with the Browns, especially when those 7 points came from a blocked punt. The Steelers struggled to get anything going if the ball wasn't targeted to Antonio Brown. Roethlisberger looked fine, but there is a clear lack of timing with him and Martavis Bryant at this point. The defense looked good, but it is hard to really judge based off of one game against a rookie QB.
7.) Carolina Panthers (1-0 = 23-3)
Cam Newton looked like someone who has barely thrown the ball the last six months. He was better in the 2nd half and I expect him to improve. What is nice is McCaffrey had a nice game, the OL looked better, and of course, they still have that defense. That was a suffocating effort on the road, with all the patented Panthers defensive elements, like a sack by Thomas Davis and a pick by Luke Keuchly and some dominant Kawaan Short play. If Newton gets right, their ceiling is quite a bit higher than this.
6.) Baltimore Ravens (1-0 = 20-0)
I run the risk of overreacting to the Ravens effort. Last year, they held the Bills to 7 points in the opener, and while they were a good defense all year, they weren't great. But this year seems different. That was scary from Baltimore, at all levels. The DL hounded Dalton. The linebackers were flying around the field, particularly Mosely (pick) and Suggs (sacks). The secondary blanketed a decent receiving core. The offense did next to nothing and it bears watching if that improves, but the Ravens could be the best defense in the NFL if they stay healthy.
5.) Minnesota Vikings (1-0 = 29-19)
I'm kind of pissed the Vikings took their foot off the gas defensively late in that game. They had a good shot at holding the Saints out of hte end zone. The pressure was there all game, forcing Brees into so many dump-offs. Bradford was great, and he should always be if he gets protection. That is the key for the Vikings. It is what ruined the team last year even after their 5-0 start. It did look better in Week 1 but that could be attributed to how godawful the Saints are on defense. The receivers also looked more cohesive as a unit. The Vikings could be scary, but this could also be a fool-me-once situation.
4.) Dallas Cowboys (1-0 = 19-3)
Of all the potential outcomes of that game, I don't know how many people would have predicted the version where the Cowboys win a low-scoring affair. The defense looks good, and the offense looks really spotty. Now, a lot of that is probably just due to the team they played, with the Giants fielding a good defense and bad offense. I do worry about Dak Prescott's ability to lead this team if the run game is not working. Even in the big comeback in the Divisional Round, Elliott had a really effective game. Maybe Prescott never has to face that scenario, but it is a question on a team with few others.
3.) Oakland Raiders (1-0 = 26-16)
The one thing the Raiders really never did was win a comfortable game on the road against a good team. Well, in Week 1 they did that. The Titans were a trendy pick, they were favorites, and the Raiders slowly, systematically beat them in a most business-like fashion. They didn't play their best game, but their B game is good enough right now to beat a contender. You would like to see less drops from Amari Cooper, more sustained pressure, continuing improvement of their coverage, but the Raiders right now are continuing where they left off in their growth plan.
2.) Kansas City Chiefs (1-0 = 42-27)
The Chiefs and Raiders staged a great race for the AFC West last year, and they look dead set to do it again. The Chiefs ticked off each box on Thursday. Their pass rush was good, their coverage was good. Alex Smith and that offense hummed, perfectly mixing brilliant Andy Reid creations with conventional deep balls (for once). The injury to Eric Berry is a damper, but a defense can overcome one player, especially if the offense is going to become a juggernaut.
1.) Green Bay Packers (1-0 = 17-9)
Oddly, what I liked more about the Packers performance was their offense. Rodgers looked great, as always, but both Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb looked closer to their 2014 versions than their 2015-16 vintages. Ty Montgomery looked a lot more like a natural running back. The OL held up reasonably well, as a few of the 1st half sacks were coverage related rather than quick pressure. That was an incredibly tough test, and the Packers offense effectively wore them down. The defense looks great as well, but for the Packers if their offense can click like they did in the 2nd half, it won't really matter.
Looking Ahead to Next Week's Games
16.) Arizona Cardinals (0-1) @ Indianapolis Colts (0-1) (1:00 - FOX)
15.) Houston Texans (0-1) @ Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) (TNF - NFLN)
I call it "we already have bad games in Week 2?" Thursday and Sunday, like honestly these games look abjectly terrible. Two of the most interesting players on either Arizona or Indianapolis are out, likely for a while, and the Colts fanbase is in full anti-Irsay and anti-Pagano mode. That will not be a fun place on Sunday. The Bengals and Texans match up two of the teams with the worst Week 1 performances on primetime for christ sake. I'm usually on the side that TNF isn't all that bad and the level of play is more or less as good as any other week, but this is not a great start.
14.) New York Jets (0-1) @ Oakland Raiders (1-0) (4:05 - CBS)
13.) Cleveland Browns (0-1) @ Baltimore Ravens (1-0) (1:00 - CBS)
12.) San Francisco 49ers (0-1) @ Seattle Seahawks (0-1) (4:25 - FOX)
I call it "Things could get a bit ugly" Sunday, as we get three games were losing Week 1 teams that are expected to be bad go play either one of two teams that are expected to be good, or another that had one of the more devastating displays on defense in Week 1. All of these games have high blowout potential. In fact, at least for Oakland and Seattle, if it isn't a blowout that says a lot about those teams. They should beat the Jets and 49ers down.
11.) Miami Dolphins (0-0) @ San Diego Chargers (0-1) (4:05 - CBS)
10.) Chicago Bears (0-1) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-0) (1:00 - FOX)
I call it "Found it really odd there are teams that haven't played a game yet" Sunday, as it will annoy me for a while that even after one week not all 32 teams have played the same amount of games. It is heartening that the Buccaneers feel comfortable to play at home, but I hope they aren't rushing things back home. For Miami, it will be interesting to get a first look at Jay Cutler in live action. For the Bucs, they should win this game if they really are a matured team.
9.) Tennessee Titans (0-1) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) (1:00 - CBS)
8.) Washington Redskins (0-1) @ Los Angeles Rams (1-0) (4:25 - FOX)
I call it "bad games I really have nothing to say about" Sunday, as I really don't have much to say about these games. The Jaguars have a great opportunity to go 2-0 for what I assume is the first time since the first Tom Coughlin era. They maybe should, honestly, with that defense. The Redskins and Rams game is just a nothing for me. I would like to see if the Wade Phillips effect continues against teams not QBed by Scott Tolzein, and also if Jared Goff can continue his good Week 1 form.
7.) Buffalo Bills (1-0) @ Carolina Panthers (1-0) (1:00 - CBS)
6.) Detroit Lions (1-0) @ New York Giants (0-1) (MNF - ESPN)
I call it "decent games I really have nothing to say about" Sunday and Monday, I also have little to say about these games, but at least seem more decent. Bills at Panthers is easily the worst of the 1-0 vs. 1-0 games, likely because the Bills are probably the worst 1-0 team. It will be good to monitor if Cam Newton looks any healthier in Week 2. The Lions could fly under the radar again this year, and the Giants should be one of the more desperate 0-1 teams in Week 2. I'm hoping OBJ plays because that Giants offense is unwatchable without him.
5.) New England Patriots (0-1) @ New Orleans Saints (0-1) (1:00 - CBS)
I call it "Someone is gonna be 0-2 and it won't be pretty... and it will probably be the team that has been 0-2 each of the last three years," Sunday, as we get two teams that should be desperate. There has been little 'On to New Orleans' type talk from New England this week, but the Saints should be an interesting test for that New England defense. Drew Brees at home is still usually a tough test, and the last time he got New England in the Dome he had a ridiculous day in one of the best regular season games for us Pats haters. If Tom Brady struggles in this game, well we might be looking at a Peyton in 2015 2.0 type scenario.
4.) Dallas Cowboys (1-0) @ Denver Broncos (1-0) (4:25 - FOX)
3.) Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) @ Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) (1:00 - FOX)
2.) Minnesota Vikings (1-0) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) (1:00 - FOX)
1.) Green Bay Packers (1-0) @ Atlanta Falcons (1-0) (SNF - NBC)
I call it "There's some good stuff in Week 2 afterall" Sunday, as we get a nice spate of intriguing 1-0 vs. 1-0 games. Cowboys and Broncos gives us the best OL and Dez against the two-time 'Best Defense in the NFL' champions. Eagles and Chiefs is a nice game with Andy Reid against his former team (and protege in Doug Pedersen), with a good test for the Chiefs reborn offense. The Steelers look to shake off some rust against a suddenly very intriguing Minnesota team. It will be good to see if their defense travels well outside that dome. Finally, a nice little NFC Championship Game rematch with the Packers potentially getting their 2nd tie-breaker type win in two weeks. Also, any game with Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, et. al. is worth the price of many admissions.
