Yes, the Week 1 Recap is a little late this week, but better late than never, right?
Week 1 had plenty to talk about; big plays, NFL firsts, upsets, season-ending injuries, an “I told you so” and a partridge in a pear tree. Besides QB Brett Favre becoming a game manager in purple, RB Adrian Peterson showed why the Vikings will be a force to be reckoned with this season.
QB Tony Romo threw for a career best 353 yards and three TDs. So much for needing T.O. The Eagles find themselves in a familiar situation, as QB Donovan McNabb gets injured, AGAIN! The Bears lost their defensive field general, Brian Urlacher, for the season and rookie QB Mark Sanchez helps the Jets pull an upset by beating the Texans on the road.
The Good: Part 1
Saints QB Drew Brees became the first QB to throw for six TD passes on NFL opening weekend. Sure he did it against the Lions, but anytime your QB tosses six touchdown passes – that is a beautiful thing.
The Good: Part 2
No way I could not place RB Adrian Peterson (198 total yards, 3 TDs) in this week’s “Good” section. AP sealed the Vikings victory with a 64 yard TD run in which he shoved a couple Browns defenders out of the way. Not only did that run show Peterson’s speed, it showed his strength and determination. If he stays healthy, the Vikings will be tough to beat.
The Bad
Losing a football game is bad enough, but losing in the final minutes of the game is atrocious! (I don’t usually use big words, my wife, Tricia gave me atrocious.) There were five games that were lost in the final minutes, but none stranger than the Bengals giving up an 87-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds. Broncos WR Brandon Stokley caught a deflected pass and ran it in for an 87-yard touchdown with only 11 seconds remaining. This happened just after the Bengals had scored the go ahead touchdown seconds earlier.
The Ugly
There is a growing pandemic in the NFL, Interceptionitis. QBs Jay Cutler and Jake Delhomme threw four interceptions each, while rookie QB Matthew Stafford threw three INTs, while five other QBs threw for two a piece. All in all, quarterbacks threw 34 interceptions during Week 1 games in the NFL.
Come back next week for another edition of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!