The leaves start to change colors, the mugginess from the warm summer air begins to turn into crisp waves of refreshing breeze, Starbucks releases their pumpkin flavored treats. Hope truly springs eternal in this time of the year. It’s in that time where you can cozy up next to your partner, where stretchy clothes. Everyone is going for comfort over style right now. As October nears, you can see Thanksgiving is right around the corner, then Christmas. It’s really special. As the dawn of a new fall season approaches, we ignore the fact that spooky season is around the corner. The goblins and gools come out at night and the dead seemingly rise to life. The stuff of nightmares. Pretty indicative of the week 1 of the NFL season. Let’s dive into your week 1 roundup…
The Good (Autumn air blowing into your face):
Bills Mafia, this might actually be your year. Josh Allen was ultra efficient through the air and accounted for 4 total TD’s and no turn overs. He’s taking raw talent and actually capitalizing YoY and getting better, it’s great to watch. He’s also got stability in coaching staff and is making no-name receivers into fantasy must haves.
Houston, we might actually have a problem in the Texans. Boy did they get the Stroud pick right. He picked up right where he left off. Picked up a great win on the road against a talent Colts team, and there’s already great chemistry with Diggs. Diggs didn’t have the yards, but 6 catches and 2 scores is great efficiency. Tank Dell is back, Joe Mixon ran for 5000 yards, and Nico Collins is already in stride coming off of a pro-bowl caliber season.
This one hurts, but the Bucs… Baker is the #1 rated QB by many metrics since week 14 of last year and boy did TB knock it out of the park in resigning him and Mike Evans, and keeping an ultra competitive roster together since the departure of TB12.
Mo’Town is buzzing. The Lions came into the year 30 min away from a SB birth and they looked sharp against a platoff caliber Rams team. Goff could have looked a little sharper, but they have an already established identity behind the run game and Jameson Williams has proven to have Tyreek Hill-like abilities
I’m going to put the Cardinals in here. They’ve had some disfunction over the years, but not too long ago Kyler had them among the NFL’s best and going on the road against a SB caliber team in the Bills with a chance to win on the final drive is very impressive. Kyler was making plays consistently with his arm and feet. Arms and feet so sweet that Hannibal Lectar wouldn’t mind paying him for a visit.
Fins to the left.. Fins to the right! Hootie and the Blowfish may have to celebrate Tua’s and that defenses performance on Sunday. Tyreek had a chance to be the modern day George Floyd but I guess he’ll have to settle for being the best player on the football field. If the Dolphins can prove to perform in tough conditions then they have a chance to make a run late into January.
49ers are going to play in the SB. Next
Chiefs are going to win the SB. Next.
The Bad (That first cold front is rolling in and you’re reminded that the harsh realities of another brutal winter is fast approaching):
The Johnson family has already sold their soul by playing a pivotal role in the opioid epidemic in America but they really might have ventured into the 8th circle of hell (there’s reportedly only 7) when they decided to give the keys to the Ferrari to Aaron “Joe Rogan” Rodgers. The Jets didn’t even look competitive against a team that they want to measure against. Still, that roster is loaded and they have time to turn things around.
Cincy is on red alert. Chase and Higgins with contract drama compounded with rumors swirling around the status of Burrows wrist. That was an ugly loss to the lowly Patriots. Zac Taylor has been flying close to the sun for the last 2 years and he may finally get burnt.
The Ravens get put on the naughty list. Even with Lamar in MVP form already, addition of King Henry, the growth of Zay Flowers and a budding star in Likely, the dirty birds lost to the Chiefs B-game. They (KC) are the barometer for success and Baltimore didn’t measure up.
The Jags paid their QB handsomely even though they imploded late in the ’23 season to miss the playoffs. They had a chance to knotch a quality win on the road against a playoff team in Miami and fumbled it away.
The Ugly (It’s spooky season down here. You’ve entered the haunted house with your friends and one of the characters grab you and separate you from the group just 1 minute into the attraction. You find yourself bound and gagged and fear starts to creep in that this may not be a part of the performance. This is the real deal and you’re in trouble. Shouldn’t have signed that waiver…):
The Panthers.. Boy do you not want to start the season with your QB throwing for 102 yards and losing by 37 to a division foe, and a foe who shouldn’t make a lot of noise this season. Polarizing owner, David Temper, has been pressured to sell the team and it’ll be interesting to see if Bryce Young can save his career despite it being just year 2.
The New York Football Giants are celebrating their 10000th year of existence. An existence that is starting to feel like regret for not aborting the kid when you had a chance and now they’re a problemed teenager (cc what happened in Georgia the other week). Daniel Jones has thrown for more pick 6’s (3) than TD’s (2) since signing his massive extension. He also hasn’t throw a TD in 360 (!!!) days. As cited in the hit series Hard Knocks, the G-men made the conscious decision to not have a $40m QB hand the ball off to a $12m RB… Tisk tisk
I bet you thought I was going to put the Browns here, huh? Well I am. They’re not in jail though. They are in the deepest pit of hell. Satan won’t even let the Browns enter his lair. The bottom has fallen out and we’ve gone through enough drama for a year much less 1 week. As the old saying goes, “It’s starting feel like December in Berea”.
