NFL Week 1 Reminds Us Why We Love Football

NFL Week 1 Reminds Us Why We Love Football

By Ian Shimizu, Reporter

Week 1 of the NFL season is nearly over, and it was a football fans dream and a perfect start to the 2018 NFL season.

 

Eagles 18- 12 Falcons

It was far from pretty, but the reigning champions kicked off the season right. I’m predicting a big season from Eagles back Jay Ajayi, who looked as explosive as ever on Thursday night.

Ravens 47-3 Bills

Well, Nathan Petermen is simply not good. Petermen finished with a 0.00 quarterback rating, and the rest of the Bills offered very little, getting shredded by Joe Flacco.

Browns 21-21 Steelers

Well, the Browns still haven’t won since 2016, but they didn’t lose for the first time in 17 games. It has to feel good, considering they were down 21-7 and have far more talent on their roster this season than years past. Ben Roethlisberger continues to look like he’s declining, entering his 14th season.

Bengals 34-21 Colts

The Red Rifle and the Bengals look refreshed. Joe Mixon looked like a future superstar, as he averaged 5.6 yards per carry. Andrew Luck was okay in his return but it seems like the Colts could be in for another rough season.

Dolphins 27-20 Titans

In a game that lasted 7 hours due to weather delays and saw two kickoff return touchdowns, the Titans lost Marcus Mariota, Taylor Lewan, and Delanie Walker to injuries, and took a loss to a quarterback that hadn’t played an NFL game in nearly two years. Yikes.

Vikings 24-16 49ers

Well, Jimmy G isn’t god, as he finally lost his first game and actually ran into some problems, throwing 3 interceptions against an elite defense. The 49ers simply have little star power, and the Vikings looked extremely good with Kirk Cousins commanding the offense.

Patriots 27-20 Texans

Deshaun Watson was the definition of rusty, completing just half of his passes, and struggling against what was a mediocre defense last year. Tom Brady doesn’t really need receivers, throwing for 280 yards and three touchdowns in another game without Julian Edelman.

Buccaneers 48-40 Saints

In a massive shootout, Ryan Fitzpatrick recorded 454 all purpose yards and 5 touchdowns. Not bad for a backup quarterback. The Saints offense was just as good, as Brees also threw for more than 400 yards, Alvin Kamara scored three times and Michael Thomas caught 16 passes, but the Saints defense is an absolute mess.

Jaguars 20-15 Giants

It’s kind of surprising the Giants had a great chance to win this one, but Eli Manning and a horrid offensive line are going to hold back stars Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr. Both had superb games, but were still limited. Running back Leonard Fournette, the Jaguars best offensive weapon, left the game with a hamstring injury.

Chiefs 38-28 Chargers

The Chargers simply got flamed by Tyreek Hill. Hill recorded more than 250 total yards and three touchdowns. Patrick Mahomes looked like a potential franchise quarterback. Phillip Rivers had a great game, throwing for over 400 yards but was let down by some big drops from his receivers in a typical “Chargers” game. The Chargers pass rush was exposed by the absence of Joey Bosa.

Broncos 27-24 Seahawks

A shell of the matchup it would’ve been a few years ago, the Seahawks and Broncos showcased their new teams. Doug Baldwin left the game early, and none other than Will Dissly led the Hawks in receiving.

Redskins 24-6 Cardinals

Even with star David Johnson back, the Cardinals continued to look lost. Alex Smith got an easy win in his game as a Redskin.

Panthers 16-8 Cowboys

For a bulk of the game, the Cowboys simply couldn’t move the ball. Ezekiel Elliott was swarmed by a great Panthers defense, and Dak Prescott struggled all game. Cam Newton lost Greg Olsen yet again to injury, but will take the win.

Packers 24-23 Bears

Aaron Rodgers only needs one leg to play football. It was a great comeback by a great quarterback. After going down early, Rodgers returned in the third quarter to lead the Packers back from a 20-3 defecit. Rodgers reminded us why he is probably the best quarterback in football at the moment.