With week 1 of the 2016 NFL season in the books, I wanted to highlight want I liked and didn't like about the games, because a lot happened this week. This will probably be a one-time deal and not a weekly thing.
THE GOOD:
The Games: The NFL couldn’t have asked for a better opening weekend. With the exception of the Eagles game and the two Monday night games, all the games were close, and exciting to watch. I am glad I was able to watch all the action unfold on my free preview of Sunday Ticket, which sadly disappears next week.
Young QBs: A bunch of new, inexperienced quarterbacks debuted as starters this week, and all of them looked at least decent. In the nationally televised first game of the season on Thursday, Trevor Siemian, who had, until then, thrown one pass in the NFL, had a decent game, and the team won thanks to good coaching. Rookie Dak Prescott started in place of an injured Tony Romo, and almost won the game if not for a bonehead play (more on this later). Since the Eagles sent Sam Bradford packing, Carson Wentz started his first game as a rookie, and was poised, calm and played a great game, throwing 2 TDs, no picks and earning a QB rating of 101. He is also more mobile than his lanky frame would suggest. His No. 11 jersey is now the team’s top-selling jersey. Eagles fans need to temper their excitement, though. Remember the Eagles were playing the lowly Browns. Their defense is so bad, Ryan Leaf could have had a good game against this team. As a loving Cleveland fan said, the Browns will put the 0-16 in 2016. I want to see how Wentz does against strong NFC East opponents like the Giants. Finally, the Pats played in Arizona on Sunday night. No Brady? No Gronk? No Problem. Once again, good coaching allowed virtual unknown Jimmy Garoppolo (No relation to Janeane Garofolo) to lead the Pats in a dominating performance against a team that many experts have picked to go to the Super Bowl.
The Raiders: New coach Jack Del Rio wants to change the perception that the Raiders are a team that loses season after season, and I think the team is going to shock a lot of people this year. The Raiders are down by 7 in the 4th quarter, and drive for a touchdown. There is about a minute and change left on the clock. Instead of kicking a (relatively) easy PAT for a tie, the offense manages to convince Del Rio to attempt a 2-point conversion, giving the team the lead. The conversion is successful and the Raiders win. I know the team talked him into it, but it was the coach’s decision in the end, and he showed some true balls attempting a conversion near the end of an away game. Upon further thought, it was probably the smart thing to do, because it may have been more difficult for the Raiders to win in overtime.
THE BAD
There are some teams that really do suck again. Cleveland, the L.A. Rams, the Redskins, and the Bills.
The Cowboys: They aren’t a bad team from what I could see, but once again, they found a way to lose. They were down by 1, and had to drive down the field quickly and kick a field goal. However, with 12 ticks left on the clock and no timeouts, wideout Terrance Williams, instead of stepping out of bounds to stop the clock so the team could line up for a field goal, ran up the field, and got tackled. The clock continued to run down to zero, and the Cowboys became an 0-1 team. Many are saying he blew it for the team, but if he had run out of bounds, the next play would have been a 60-plus yard field goal attempt or a Hail Mary pass, so the Cowboys had little chance of winning either way. It is still entertaining to see the Cowboys lose because of a bonehead play.
Injuries: Chargers standout Keenan Allen is out for the season. Eagles TE Zach Ertz is out this week. Seattle QB Russell Wilson had his ankle "accidentally" stepped on by Ndamukong Suh, but should play this week. Cleveland QB Robert Griffin III, who the Browns gave up a lot to snag, is out for several weeks with a shoulder injury. Remember, God hates the city of Cleveland.
THE UGLY
Adventures in officiating: On Thursday night, Carolina QB Cam Newton took at least two helmet-to-helmet shots. None of them were called. In the Sunday night game, I believe it was New England who got a play off three seconds after the play clock expired, but were not called for delay of game. Carson Wentz was flagged for a false start. How does a QB get flagged for a false start?
The No-Fun League: The refs really dropped the hammer on celebrations this week, handing out poor sportsmanship penalties like they were candy. I am all for this penalty if it is a pre-planned celebration like something that was choreographed before the game, the Sharpie in the sock, the cell-phone call on the field, and just about anything that Terrell Owens or Chad Ochocinco did. However, this week, Niners wideout Michael Crabtree was flagged for throwing the ball in the air after a touchdown. Antonio Brown was penalized for twerking in the endzone. A bunch of Cardinals defenders were nailed for spontaneous celebratory dancing after sacking the QB, forcing a fumble, and recovering the ball! Not flagged were Victor Cruz’s salsa dancing and Cam Newton’s “Superman” gesture. Let the players celebrate. It makes the game more fun to watch.
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