Way too early NFL Week 1 overreactions
It’s that time of the season where we watched Week 1 of the NFL season (except for Monday night games) and peek all the way ahead for the regular season in our way too early overreactions.
For this season, yesterday was our first time seeing all these teams in action except for brief practice videos due to COVID-19. Of course, that means mistakes will be made and the play for the most part will be sloppy, whether that’s missed coverages, not being on the same timing as your QB, or just being penalized and seeing that yellow flag. Whatever the case, this first action we’ve seen should not be indicative of what we will be accustomed to down the season but for this article, it will be as I will overreact to everything I saw this weekend and make my predictions. Not everything is an overreaction as you can get the sense of certain trends developing from just one game, but nonetheless here are my way too early overreactions:
Philip Rivers and the Colts will be a bust
Coming into this season, the supposed “fix” that needed to be made to this team was QB play. The Colts felt that, after already paying him, Jacoby Brissett wasn’t going to get this talented team to the Super Bowl. Well, they changed that factor this offseason and brought in aging veteran Philp Rivers to be that guy, and sadly Colts fans that won’t be enough.
The Colts fell this Sunday to the division-rival Jaguars after Minshewmania made it’s NFL return. When you look at the stat sheet, you wonder how a team that almost doubled in total yards and won in time of possession lost. Rivers didn’t play bad, passing for over 350+ yards, but it was the interceptions he threw that killed them. His first one coming in the second quarter that basically gave this Jaguar team life after back to back punts and then a crucial one in the fourth after the Jaguars had taken their first lead in the game with a touchdown by Minshew. After that, they failed to get a game-tying touchdown and turned the ball over on downs sealing the game for them.
The problem with the Colts is they bet all their chips on bringing in the QB who in my opinion isn’t all that good anymore. They still lack offensive weapons that you need in today’s offenses and they brought in an immobile QB that isn’t as sharp as he used to be after tying his second-highest season for interceptions last year. Rivers is just a sitting duck behind that offensive line that doesn’t look as strong as they use to with some injuries there, and now they have lost their starting RB Marlon Mack for the year with his injury. Their schedule isn’t that friendly either as they have big games against strong teams and division rivals later in the season that might just end their playoff hopes early. They only person that can save the Colts at this point is a hopeful return of the general Andrew Luck.
Patriots will win more games than Bucs
For every one that wondered how the new-look Pats will fare with a supposedly “washed up” QB, they looked to me like a well-oiled Bill Belichick machine. Cam played great in his first appearance as a Patriot, missing on only four targets and running in for two touchdowns. Their defense played well despite the losses they took due to free agency and opting up with the virus at large. And while all this happened early in the day, Belichick got to sit down and watch as his former QB stunk up the place in his Bucs debut.
Now the level of difficulty between the Bucs and Pats opponents is a valley-wide difference. The Saints are a perennial playoff team that is always knocking on the door of an SB while the Dolphins just got finished tanking for Tua. But the way the Bucs looked in this first game brings me to my “overreaction.” The talk all offseason was how this team would be much better with Brady as the QB instead of Winston. How the offense would be what Brady wanted it to be, simplistic and precise, but what we saw was still fragments of the Tampa Bay of old. For starters, why is Arians calling for Brady to throw an out route to the right side of the field on the left hash mark knowing he has a 43-year-old QB that doesn’t have the same zip on him. That play resulted in a pick-six for the Saints. Also, the Bucs continue to draw penalities on themselves, accruing nine of them for the day.
The receivers and Brady don’t look on the same page and if you’re limiting these deep threat receivers due to the limitations of the QB then all that talk of look at the weapons Brady will have will be for nothing. Of course, I expect them to get right and for the Bucs to look way better, but they don’t have the pleasure of playing in the sorry AFC East as the Patriots do which guarantees you at least four to five wins. The Bucs will continue to struggle in the opening gates of the season while the Patriots will just continue what they’ve been doing and that is dominating their division which will surely help them reach a better record and will make another narrative in the Brady-Belichick saga.
Raiders will make the playoffs
Depending on how you value the Raiders this may or may not be an overreaction. Jon Gruden has put his print firmly on this team by using all them draft picks to bring in the players he wants. He also elected to ride with Derek Carr who were some seasons ago from being an MVP candidate. Now the question is can he bring this team together to make a run for a playoff spot in a division that is hunted by the reigning SB MVP Patrick Mahomes.
The Raiders had an impressive showing Sunday against the Panthers as second-year player Josh Jacobs ran for a career-high three touchdowns. It wasn’t their running game however that was so great but it was their offense in total that looked like it had a healthy balance of passing and running the ball. They put up 34 points total which was good to see from a Gruden offense and their defense held up when they needed too. The defense is obviously their weakness, which makes you always think back to the Khalil Mack deal, but to cool down a surging Panthers run in the fourth showed some improvements.
Looking back at last season, the Raiders were in playoff contention until the latter part of the season finishing at 7-9. Now they are in the Mahomes division, meaning the Raiders ain’t winning that division, maybe even no time soon. But a Wild Card berth is in their favor, especially now with the expanded playoffs format letting an extra team from each conference be in the Wild Card round. Their first-half schedule looks pretty rough, having to play the Saints, Patriots, Bills, and Chiefs in all consecutive weeks…yikes, but their remaining schedule is manageable for that playoff berth especially their last five games which if we can get the same Raiders we saw yesterday, explosive offense with a defense that makes timely plays, those should all be wins.
Carson Wentz will be benched for Jalen Hurts at some point
Eagles fans please be wary but this might be the best for you. The Wentz rollercoaster may be soon coming to an end if we are to see the same Wentz we saw against the Washington Football team yesterday. What was a bad day for the Eagles yesterday, blowing a 17 point lead to a team that doesn’t even have a nickname, was an even worse day for Wentz.
Wentz was sacked six times showing already that their offensive line is going to be a problem for them moving forward with all the injuries they have. To go along with that were two fumbles Wentz had, only one being recovered by Washington, showing that he still has the fumbling problem that has plagued him his whole career. And the icing on the cake was the two interceptions that show the parallels of the good and the bad of Wentz, when he’s good he’s good but when he’s bad it sure does get ugly for the Eagles, throwing up a goose egg in the second half.
Now his poor play isn’t why I think Hurts will start over the former MVP candidate. It’s apart of it for sure as the Philly faithful won’t tolerate bad play from a man they paid all that money to be a franchise leader. It is also coupled with his health. The Eagles didn’t draft Hurts for no reason as Wents have been in and out of the lineup for practically his whole professional career. He wasn’t there for their SB run and their run they made in the playoffs last season he only lasted a quarter before going out with yet another injury. He almost got hurt again yesterday doing the exact same thing that took him out that playoff game and that is holding the ball too long. If he continues that up, being risky knowing his health in the NFL, and keep up with his hot and cold play then the Eagles will have no choice but to look to their second-round draft choice whether its due to injury or just being benched. And if the Eagles can’t protect him with that O-line it might be sooner than later.
