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Week 1 is in the books. What did we learn? Let's discuss!
Are the chiefs going to continue to be that bad?Any hope the offense can get back on track?
Been doing a LOT of tweeting (@WilliamsonNFL) about KC today. I am very concerned. Their problems are great and they are many. Just on O: I think they have schematic issues and obvious execution issues. The protection isn't good enough. WRs are not getting downfield or separating. And Cassel isn't equipped to overcome such problems. Need to get back to their foundation: Charles
What's your prediction for the Colts this season, assuming no Manning?
4-12
Are you going to give me any props for leading my team to victory when I had no running game and my defense got shredded up and down the field?
Absolutely. Came up big when he needed to most-that has become a Sanchez trait-and a wonderful trait. Still don't think that Sanchez played a great game though. And I also think Dallas' Pass D is awful.
what do you think of chad henne performance?
Played great. Very few mental errors or poorly thrown balls. Has looked quite good in the preseason too. Improving
Romo. Discuss.
2 Critical Errors. And I agree with him-he did lose the game for his team. I also expect him to rebound strong.
Is the Pats' O that good, or are the Fins in trouble with their defense? I thought they were going to be solid.
I have been REALLY talking up MIA's D this offseason. And I am still a believer. But they looked tired and fatigued to me early in that game. They were on the field a lot, but that was worrisome. And, maybe more importantly, they are not equipped to overcome those CB injuries-not very deep at that position. But back to your original question: I think NEng does that to everyone. Might have been the best Brady has EVER played-and no D would have stopped him on that night.
Lets talk about REX baby! Let's talk about that QB!
Playing very well. Like Henne, he too was strong in the preseason. Shanny coaching him up well. Also very much improving. Could be in for another big game this week.
Hey there Matt. Ok - Shonn Greene... really? I had him tagged to finally bust out big. What say you? Bust out big or just bust?
Not a believer. Doesn't make anyone miss. Doesn't catch the ball. Jets OL isn't as great as it once was. And every D will look to take away their run game first and foremost.
yo matt! it was pretty obvious how the saints decided to defend the packers, by doubling finley early and often. is that how all teams will defend the pack, even if the pack keeps scoring 35+ on opposing teams? will they try a different tactic? i was just hoping this was the year finley busted out for 1200 yards and 12 touchdowns. is that still possible in your mind after seeing the week 1 action? thanks man!
Good points-but I do think those numbers are still attainable. Not sure how every team will chose to play the Pack O-but pretty much any way you chose is wrong. But no doubt in my mind, Finley is the most dangerous guy they have and the hardest to cover. Of course Jennings is great too. It is a terrible problem to have for opposing Ds.
Do you think 12 personnel with two receiving TEs is becoming the next big thing in the NFL? It seems like such a glaring advantage for the offense.
It is almost becoming standard. The FB is a dinosaur. Most teams don't have 2 receiving TEs though. Usually they have a blocking TE that can catch a little and a TE that is as much WR as TE. Really makes the D chose-do you play base or nickel against such personnel? And-either choice is wrong.
matt! i know there's no many, but after week 1 what issues do you see the packers facing this year? is there any reason to think they won't repeat?
Their DL depth is a bit of a worry-but they played almost exclusively 2 DL sets on Thurs. I think it is pretty clear that GBay and NEng are the top 2 teams right now.
Are the Texans real this year or should I prepare for more disappointment?
I am a believer. Because the D should be noticeably better. The O is in place.
A lot of top-tier RBs had disappointing performances...you concerned about any long-term?
Let's think: I expect C Johnson to bounce back big time. We talked about Greene. Blount needs to get more touches-he goes away when TBay gets behind-that is a problem. Who else are you worried about?
Matt, if you believe what we saw from the Ravens was real and not a mirage, I think they are better than NE right now.
I don't think they are better than the Pats. But BALT played a tremendous game in EVERY facet. Best game I have ever seen Flacco play. But they won't create 7 turnovers every week.
Matt. I've finally put Sunday behind me. Tell me. Can the Cowboys bounce back from that heartbreak?
Yes, but they have issues. Their OL played much better than I expected on Sunday Night, but I still very much worry about that young group. Also still very worried about their Pass D (outside of Ware)...although the Jets didn't really expose that weakness either.
are the Ravens that good or are the Steelers that bad?
Neither
Lets not act like Baltimore was behind by a few scores before the turnovers.
Never were behind. Utter domination from the first snap to the last snap by BALT.
Speaking of Flacco, when will people notice he is as good, or dare I say better, than Matt Ryan. Almost seems like Ryan is immune to justifiable criticism.
I still prefer Ryan. Not bashing Flacco though. He was fantastic.
Fair enough. My question is about Vick. Why is everyone in the media obsessing about his play while he did not even complete half of his passes. That has to be worrisome, no?
Absolutely worrisome-as is his decision making/ball security. He is a roller coaster. Hold on!
George is gettin upset!!!!!!!!!!!
What happened to Oakland's passing game?
Well, the running game was quite strong. They are certainly built better to run it than throw. WRs didn't help the cause a lot. Denver is also much better vs. pass than run on D. I do think the Z Miller loss will be tough to overcome too.
Can I say a big "Oh please" to the Sanchez post? Here are their last 3 drives down a td. Fumble, punt, 2 yards and a dropped int. I must have missed his role in that comeback win
Well said Ryan. He does continue to win. I have to concede that. But he also hurts his team way more than he helps them overall.
If the Colts lose to Cleveland at home should we all become Stanford fans?
LOL...this will be a very telling game for Indy. Not sure who I am picking either. I did send Ross a text yesterday for his Football Today Power Rankings that I think I would have put Indy at #32.
Sanchez did a remarable job leading his special teams to a blocked punt TD
Didn't he though! lol....That is because he is a "Winner"! Give me a break
How scared should the Packers be of Cam Newton if Tramon Williams can't play at Carolina? Is one game of Newton and how the offense uses the TE's going to be enough film for dom capers?
The Pack does not need to be afraid. CAR can't keep up with GBAY
Can we please slow down on the effusive praise for a 44 percent passer in a game of passing? In other words can we wait to anoint Vick until he completes at least half of his throws? Also, can Manning win the MVP due to his absence making his value obvious?
Not going to see me anointing Vick!
Do the 49ers beat the Cowboys at home?
Not feelin' it Nick. SF really isn't very good.
why dont the packers need to be afraid.
Cause they are the way better team. CAR's D needs to be afraid.
"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am a man of wealth and taste..." You go Mick. He's sick. Just sick.
Bigger loss? Beason or Berry?
Berry. Just because the drop off is insane behind him. Connor starts for most teams in this league.
wouldn't you agree that peyton is more valuable to the colts than brady is to NE given when brady was out they went 11-5
I suppose so. Sure. That doesn't mean that Manning is a better player than Brady. But your point is valid.
The Colts are in trouble, and it's because the team has been mismanaged as much as Manning's neck injury. When will everybody realize that Polian has really screwed up the last few years, and could he end up being on the hot seat?
All very true. Missing on way too many picks. 18 has covered up a lot of glaring problems.
The Colts can't really be bad enough to land Luck can they? I mean it can't happen right? Right? RIGHT!?!?!
...I think it can happen
Buffalo was a few peoples pick for a suprise team this year,you starting to buy that or is the sample size still too small.
Sample size is too small. I give Gailey a lot of credit though: Maximizing the talent he has been given.
Urlacher looked 26 again this week and seems to have been playing better than ever over the last two seasons... Any news on if his family emergency is going to keep him out of this weeks game?
Don't know anything about his family issue-hopefully it isn't too serious. But you are right-still playing at a high level. But their DL stole the show for me. Peppers-of course. But Melton! Marinelli is doing a whale of a job there.
Injury to franchise QB right when a top prospect named Luck is available; you can't script this stuff. It's why sports is the greatest reality show.
Which AFC East QB finishes the year as the 2nd best QB in the division behind Brady?
Henne
Tom Brady: on pace for over 8,000 passing yards. The Buffalo Bills: on pace to outscore their opponents by 544 points. What's your favorite absurd "on-pace" projection?
Yeah, the whole "On Pace" thing is utterly ridiculous. Give me some more to pick from! Hilarious.
Any chance Pittsburgh's O-line woes keep the game close with Seahawks?
I really don't think so. Steelers will kill these guys. Just asking too much from T Jackson on the road against this squad. The PGH OL is a nightmare-but I guess we will see what Gilbert can do.
Ted Ginn Jr. is on pace for 32 special teams TDs. Book it, Vegas!
Well done
<-------- Vic in No Cal -- on pace to have ZERO questions answered in this chat.
Had to post it
What kind of numbers do u expect from Best. im thinkin as long as this offense is rolling it opens up more holes for him and it also opens up more of his specialty receiving out of the back field, wut do u think?
Oh very much so. This O can be/is a juggernaut through the air. That benefits Best greatly.
Favorite "on pace" Steelers 112 turnovers.
Brady historically struggles against the Chargers and they are coming off giving up 37 yards to Mcnabb. Who ya got in NE?
That is the game of the week and I am very much a SD believer...but not betting against TB right now.
Hey Matt, Raiders front four looked great but the secondary actually looked okay as well? What kind of player will Routt be?
Agreed-I do think people are selling Routt short. Good player. Just not Nnamdi. I still have secondary concerns, but their pass rush should be fantastic.
heard you on the radio on espn in pittsburgh, are you still drinking the pittsburgh kool-aid? what a homer...
They are 0-1. I still think PGH is a contender-just like every year. I also still think ATL is a contender.
The Vikings were able to hang with the Chargers for the entire game with virtually no passing game. Can the Vikings continue to be competitive playing like this? What are the chances Ponder plays this season if McNabb struggles?
But if you watch that game, it really wasn't close. SD had to play different without a kicker. The opening kickoff was huge for Minny to get up 7-0. And Rivers and company were just a smidge off for a little over a half. Once they started playing their game-they dominated.
ATL will be 0-2 after Sunday...still on the bandwagon drinking the kool-aid?
Certainly not an easy game! But they are WAY better at home. And while Philly's DL can be awesome, I think ATL's OL is truly much better than what they showed. Also, 0-2 isn't the end of world.
Miami defense "on pace" to give up 8000 passing yds.
Sure are
What happened to the Titans OTs. Roos and Stewart were once the best tandem in the League. Now I'm not sure either is even starter caliber.
The whole OL stinks-and for some reason, no one seems to notice. They are much worse on the interior than at OT, but those two have fallen down heavy over the past year or so. So...what do you do? Make the OL coach who has never been a coordinator or HC at every level the new Head Guy!
16 games*
Yup...that is important
Thoughts on Lions "O" and Stafford? How about that sick throw and catch to Calvin?
Sick. Both are amazing players. Lions O will be amongst the better ones in the league. Well, not sure about their running game.
Matt, do you still think Matt Ryan is an elite QB after week 1? Also,do you think he has the potential to be a HOF QB?
No, never did. There are 6 Elite QBs. Ryan is my 7th ranked guy. And that is probably his ceiling. Guys like Freeman and Stafford could join the Elite-doubt Ryan can. Still-heck of a player.
Will McNabb at least be good enough to get the ball to Percy Harvin...I thought the former Gator would break out this year..but 39 yds...
I LOVE Harvin. Great player-and will get better. But he is not a true #1 WR. And they don't do a great job of moving him around to truly feature his great skills. Every D in the land will key on Harvin-cause the rest of their receiving weapons stink. And the QB isn't very good.
Actually, I think it shows the Pats are a better organization than the Colts. Matt Cassel spent 4 years in the system and they trusted him. Indy didn't have a plan, didn't trust Painter and got Kerry Collins off the scrapheap.
I can't argue that.
If the Colts' pass protection improves, as I believe it should, do you think they still have a shot at the division? Or is Houston too good this year?
Protection might improve as the youngsters get better. But I still see this as a 4 or 5 win team. It is now a bad division, but not that bad that they can win it at 5-11.
Matt, you tweeted yesterday (@WilliamsonNFL) that "Solder prob should be at the bottom of my top 10 rookie list". Im quite sure you meant "probably shouldnt" right?
No, I meant he should be. But that is kind of by default. It was tough to come up with 10 Rooks who lit it up in their debut game. Wake owned Solder on a handful of plays, but overall, I thought he was solid. Not enamored with him at all though right now.
Steelers old or unprepared? It looked like they got beat down in the trenches.
Not sure. But I am sure that they got whipped in trenches.
Are you buying, selling, or holding on the Bears?
Holding. Great performance. But not totally sold.
Matt: that is not funny 5-11 wins the AFC South, BS. Texans win 10+ game this year.......MM
Not sure if that joke worked or not. Maybe I should keep my day job. But yes, Houston does win 10 this year.
Carolina fan.. Obviously Cam clowned anyone making JaMarcus/Tebow comparisons, but trying not to get ahead of myself. What is your evaluation after 1 game?
I watched Newton heavy in preseason-and was not very impressed. Missed a ton of open guys. That wasn't the case at all in this game. Amazing. Maybe he is one of those big game players (he was at Auburn) who plays his best when it matters most under the brightest lights. Not sure. But wow-blown away with his first game. I am also pretty sure that Arizona's Pass D stinks.
Who looked better in Week 1 - James Starks or Ryan grant?
Grant is still serviceable and will use a rotation for both RBs, but Starks looks to have more juice to me.
Is this Jordy Nelson's breakout year?
I like Nelson a ton-so maybe. But not sure he sees the targets. Finley and Jennings are clearly ahead of him on the pecking order. Cobb could pass him too-Cobb is that good.
Kerrigan have a shot at defensive ROY?
No question
Why does everyone call the Packer's defense a 3-4 when their true base defense is always a nickel? they spent almost the whole saints game in a 2-4-5...
They most certainly did. But they don't do that EVERY game. Wanted 5 DBs on the field vs. high powered Saints O.
Who will be more productive as the Broncos #2 - Eric Decker or Eddie Royal?
Give me Decker. Looks like a very solid WR to me. He probably is what he is, but that can be a legit #2 next to Lloyd.
Your clear, weirdly aggressive and child-like bias against the Jets really hurts your overall reporting credibility. It's hard to know when your being honest or just emotional.
0% Emotional. Strictly Business. Please give me one reason why I would dislike the Jets any more than the Texans, Cowboys, Giants, etc etc etc
Should Rams fans be concerned or is it too early to panic.
Time to worry. Not because of the loss. But because of the injuries. Those are some brutal hits. And they are not the deepest team around. But their division is rather putrid...so they have that going for them, which is nice.
Wow, Jets fan's just won't let it go.
It is insane. I am not big Sanchez. I just am not. I am not big on T Jackson either.
Thoughts on the Bills? Flash in the pan (KC being aweful) or a chance to be average with a strong passing game? Thanks
I had to post this because you are Hedley Lamarr from Rockridge....too funny. Can't stop chuckling. What did you ask again? KC is awful right now. In fact, they could possibly SuckForLuck. But Buff killed them. They didn't just squeak one out. I can't say I am jumping on Buff's bandwagon though either.
Can the Giants get it together or are the injuries too much? Offense and Eli have been very sloppy too
It really has not been pretty at all. Certainly worrisome. Not sure what to think here. But I tend to think it isn't good.
Were you surprised how bad KC looked?
Nothing has gone well for them of late, but yes, was shocked it was THAT awful.
Cutler looking like he's turning a corner and starting to flourish in Martz's offense. Thoughts?
Agreed. Guys, Cutler is a heck of a QB. That shouldn't be a secret. But wow, he still took a ton of hits. Protection improved some as the game went on, but this is a big problem.
Is Mike H really watching the Browns play football? I think their WR's couldn't start for ANY other team in the NFL.
It isn't the best group for sure, but I do think Litle will be a star. Will take time.
You say the Niners aren't very good, but do you think they can back their way in to the playoffs in the awful West?
It is possible. I can't discount that. Harbaugh will have to do a heck of a coaching job-but again, that could happen as well.
The Packers lined up with five or more defensive backs on the field for 75.1 percent of their defensive snaps this season, which ranks as the highest rate in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information. - not a 3-4 defense!
Okay. Okay! Settle! They still do run a 3-4 quite a bit. This was one game! Vs. a heavy passing team! They still have NTs and 3-4 DE types! Its all good. Chill
Okay folks, that is a wrap. Same Bat Time and Same Bat Channel next week. Adios.