The first weekend of the NFL is in the books which means some fan bases are ready to print off Super Bowl tickets while others are tempted to jump off a cliff.
Where are we really at after the first weekend though? Here’s perhaps what we learned.
Maybe, just maybe the 49ers aren’t as bad as we thought
Carlos Hyde looks like the real deal as San Francisco put up 230 yards rushing. If it wasn’t for eight penalties this games score could of been worse than 20-3 vs. Minnesota. For the mass exodus of players the 49ers saw, this win has to feel good for the fan base.
Hype is just that
Miami, Minnesota, and Philadelphia were all suppose to take steps foward this year. The Vikings did nothing against a defense that got gutted in terms of personal.
The Eagles are loaded with talent but don’t seem to know what to do with it. You run DeMarco Murray just eight times after paying him all that money in the off-season, chase off Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy, and then declare 32 year old running back Darren Sproles as your number one offensive weapon?
Miami pushed all their chips to the middle of the table to sign Ndamukong Suh yet they still struggled with lowly Washington. For a team that finishes 8-8 and aspires to compete with New England, keep dreaming.
Does anyone want to see Peyton Manning go out like this
I know they won, but any football fan questions whether Peyton Manning can even throw the 35 yards? He lost two offensive lineman and the middle of Denver’s defense has been gutted with Terrance Knighton and Rahim Moore leaving in free agency. Good Luck “Omaha!” Fans I think it’s going to be a long year in Denver.
Dez Bryant’s injury will not cost Dallas the division
Their offensive line is a juggernaut and wins off the snap. Joseph Randle by the end of the year will have good numbers and Tony Romo seems to like him in the passing game too. Don’t underestimate the Cowboys second options. Romo is very comfortable with guys like Cole Beasley and Terrence Williams. Plus having Jason Witten as a safety blanket doesn’t hurt either.
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are just fine with properly inflated footballs
Tight end Rob Gronkowski might be the most important offensive weapon in football. He is unmatched in size and strength by any secondary player in the NFL and linebackers can’t stay with him. There is a reason he has the lead in touchdowns in the league since he joined it. Factor in no quarterback is in tune with his teams game plan like Tom Brady and another trip deep into the playoffs is ahead.