NFL Week 1 Recap, Minnesota starts off strong
What an opening week! The focus today is on Week 1 of the NFL Season and a small recap for each game as well as 2 in depth recaps of the games I believed were the 2 most interesting and/or exciting games this week. As always, if you enjoy the content or you just feel like doing something nice today, follow me on here as well as on Twitter at @CoachTylerPauly for more content from a coaching perspective.
Now to the recap!
Week 1 Recap
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH
- CHIEFS 42 PATRIOTS 27
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH
- JETS 12 BILLS 21
- EAGLES 30 REDSKINS 17
- RAIDERS 26 TITANS 16
- BUCCANEERS DOLPHINS (POSTPONED)
- JAGUARS 29 TEXANS 7
- CARDINALS 23 LIONS 35
- FALCONS 23 BEARS 17
- RAVENS 20 BENGALS 0
- STEELERS 21 BROWNS 18
- COLTS 9 RAMS 46
- SEAHAWKS 9 PACKERS 17
- PANTHERS 23 49ERS 3
- GIANTS 3 COWBOYS 19
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH
- SAINTS 19 VIKINGS 29
- CHARGERS 21 BRONCOS24
We started off with a fantastic game between two top AFC teams, however, the ending wasn't what most experts were predicting. The Patriots just didn't look like themselves most of the time as the offensive line struggled to be consistent and Tom Brady seemed a little rusty (maybe it's because he's 40??) Elsewhere in the league, two teams who struggled last year (Jaguars and Rams) both got off to great starts, albeit against teams with below average QBs. Both teams relied on defense and special teams to carry them to victory. The Raiders played consistently to top the Titans in one of my games to watch this week. Derek Carr looked strong on many of his down field throws and Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch showed he can still be a lead back. The Eagles and Packers both relied on questionable calls from the referees to help them win their games. I firmly believe the refs were wrong in both scenarios even though I do understand the interpretation of each rule leaves both situations open to interpretation. Jeremy Lane set himself to be ejected in the Seahawks and Packers game with his antics towards all of the Packers WRs. Finally, Monday night we saw a Vikings team come out and light up the scoreboard against the Saints and the Broncos pull out a close one against the Chargers . Check out my in-depth recap of the 2 most important games of the week below!
Steelers at Browns
While this wasn't one of my games to watch this week, it turned into one of the best games to watch from a coaching standpoint as well as a football fan standpoint. Coming into the game the Steelers (My super bowl pick in my Week 1 Preview article) were heavy favorites to take down the Browns at home and with a stout defense on the first drive and a blocked punt being recovered for a touchdown, it seemed like the game was going to be a blowout. However, after that point, the Steelers offense seemed to be unable to run to the ball and Antonio Brown was the only one who could get open. When Brown was open Big Ben was able to hit him for some big gains, especially with Brown coming from an X or Z position and running some sort of crossing route like a dig or 5-10 yard mesh. The anticipated return of All-Pro back Le'veon Bell was nothing more than smoke and mirrors as he was kept in check all day by an improved Browns defense.
The Steelers defense was trying to get back to looking like it's old self after a somewhat disappointing year last year. The addition of T.J. Watt certainly helped as he had himself a monster game both in helping to stop the run and playing out in space on passing downs. The defense complied 7 sacks while pressuring Deshone Kizer all day (even though I thought the rookie played really well which you will read about below) without relying too heavily on blitz packages. The secondary was the only real inconsistent part of the defense, at times allowing Browns receivers to gain extra YAC. 7 of the 8 Browns receivers who caught passes had an average over 10 yards on the day! Way too much for a defense I am expecting to carry this team to the Super Bowl.
On special teams, Boswell hit all 3 extra points in what was a somewhat boring day for him. Jordan Berry averaged almost 46 yards a punt which helped the defense out with field position. The highlight of the Steelers special teams was their ability to keep the electric Jabrill Peppers in check all day and not let him swing the momentum back in the Browns favor.
For Cleveland this game was a great opportunity for them to come out and give their fans some much needed reassurance that they can still compete and play at a high level with other teams in the league. The player everyone was looking to for this type of inspiration was rookie starting QB Deshone Kizer. Even though theBrowns lost I thought Kizer looked very poised and mature for being a rookie. Finishing 20/30 with 222 yards with a TD and an interception is a pretty strong start, especially considering where the Browns were at last year. With new weapons around him and a motivated Isaiah Crowell who is in a contract year and looking to give the Browns (and other teams) a reason to pay him next year. Kizer was able to push the ball downfield out of many different sets including hitting new TE David Njoku twice. Corey Coleman led the way at WR and looked like he was continuing to progress into the player many people believe he can be. The one low point on offense for the Browns was their offensive line play. There were multiple plays were they failed to slide and pick up a blitz or they just simply were outmatched and were beat in one on one matchups. If it were me, I would be giving Crowell and Duke Johnson Jr. a stay call to keep them in for protection or keep Njoku in to protect backside to allow Kizer to showcase more of the positive flashes we saw on Sunday.
The Cleveland defense took a big step forward in this game after having a disappointing year last year. The mid year addition of Jaime Collins last year as well as the addition of Jabrill Peppers at the backend of their defense has really helped this unit out. While they were able to keep Le'veon Bell and James Connor in check of front, they were only able to record one sack and Antonio Brown ran all over the secondary. The lack of pressure on Big Ben was due mainly in part to the great play of the Pittsburgh offensive line as the defensive coordinator for the Browns, Gregg Williams, who is known for his defensive schemes, wasn't able to come with anything that caused confusion up front.
On special teams the Browns were decent all around except for the blocked punt to start of the game which really put them in a hole. Peppers was effective on returns even though there wasn't much of the "flash" most people were expecting from him. When Colquitt had adequate protection, he averaged just over 48 yards a punt which is all you can ask for out of punter when it comes to controlling field position.
MVP: Antonio Brown - While this should be a given every week, the guy just continues to impress. He is athletic, runs incredibly accurate routes, and has a natural ability to find the open space and go get the football. Great performance all around from Mr. Brown.
Highlight Play: Has to be the blocked punt in the first quarter. Coming right through the middle of the line, the long snapper did absolutely nothing to slow down Tyler Matakevich who had a clean release and did a great job keeping his hands down and diving at the block point.
Final: Steelers 21 Browns 18
Saints at Vikings
What a start for Minnesota! The much anticipated homecoming for Adrian "AD" Peterson never lived up to the hype with Peterson rarely seeing touches. The Minnesota offense had a whole new look for most of the game after it settled in. Utilizing many different formations on offense including tight formations like Pro and Slot I as well as spreading out into Doubles and Trey allowed the offense to execute a variety of plays. The most eye-opening difference that was seen in the first half was Sam Bradford's ability to push the ball downfield to Diggs and Thielen on deep 15 yard digs and deep crossing routes. The offensive line play was also visibly improved which allowed for Bradford to make some of those throws. It may take Bradford a few games to get used to his new protection but once he does this offense could be dangerous. The running game could still use work as there were too many 2nd and 3rd downs with 8+ yards to go, however, all of this happened and I haven't even mentioned Dalvin Cook's premiere. The rookie had a solid night, showing bursts of speed both inside and outside while being very solid in pass protection. He did drop a pass which is supposed to be one of his strengths but I will chalk that up to a simple mistake that will be corrected.
The defense picked up where it left off at the beginning of last season. The defensive line was stout and put a lot of pressure on Brees all night while holding all 3 Saints RBs in check. Kendricks and Barr are both playing this year with a chip on their shoulders after last year's disappointing campaign. With the D Line playing as well as they were, the LBs were free to roam and make plays, which they did. The DBs were solid as well and fit great into the defensive scheme the Vikings employ. In the past the Vikings were notorious for sitting in a Tampa 2 or other cover 2 defense that didn't utilize the skilled defenders we had on defense. While Mike Zimmer still utilizes the Tampa 2, he also employs more Zero coverage as well as 2 under which are both primarily man coverages. With Xavier Rhodes as a standout corner and hopeful that Trae Waynes or Mackenzie Alexander can step up and take the #2 spot, Zimmer has built up confidence to trust his corners. Having Harrison Smith and a somewhat improved Andrew Sendejo helps too.
Special teams played a big role in this one too. McKinnon had some efficient kick returns with on bad one, and Sherels was his normal self, giving the Vikings offense great field position on punt returns. Kai Forbath was just ok since he missed ANOTHER extra point. He has been solid on FGs but the missed extra points really bother me. I wouldn't mind signing someone else if he misses another one.
The Saints on the other hand, just couldn't get anything going on offense. The loss of Brandin Cooks in the trade with New Engalnd really seemed to play a big factor. The normal route combinations and downfield plays we are all used to seeing from the Saints seemed to be gone for most of the night. The Saints deployed all 3 of their RBs differently with Peterson starting the game with a couple of failed rushing attempts, Ingram playing sparingly and not making much of an impact, and Kamara, looking like the best of the 3, making most of his damage in the passing game. Most of the formations were spread with 3 or 4 receivers, including journeyman TE Coby Fleener, which is very typical of the Saints offense under Sean Payton. Unfortunately, they were never able to take much advantage of the Vikings young secondary.
On defense, I actually thought the Saints played better than they looked. While they gave up 29 (should have been 30) points to a Vikings offense with a lot of questions coming in, there were some good signs as well. Rookie Alex Anzalone (Who I mentioned in my preview) had a solid game playing from the outside, making some great plays in the run game and covering well for the most part. The front 4 were also solid for the most part, stopping the Vikings rushing attack when given the opportunity. Unfortunately for them, they didn't receive much help from the LBs in filling gaps and making plays. It also didn't help that the secondary couldn't cover anyone all night. CB De'Vante Harris really struggled all night trying to cover any of the Vikings receivers. For the most part it looked like the Saints were sitting back in a cover 2 or 4 while sprinkling a little man coverage in there as well. Usually this leads to shorter under routes but the Saints secondary seemed unable to contain the receivers around them.
Special Teams was a lone bright spot for the Saints. Kicker Will Lutz made all 4 FGs he attempted (even though they weren't exactly long attempts) and punter Thomas Morestead was effective. Their kick coverage could be better as well given the Vikings average starting field position.
MVP: Stefon Diggs - Those Randy Moss cleats on the night he is inducted into the Vikings Ring of Honor almost was enough on their own, however, Diggs showed he has continued to progress and is working his way into the conversation of best WRs in the league.
Bold Prediction: I was so close on this! Even I thought this was a stretch but only allowing 1 sack (even to a front 4 like the Saints') is a great accomplishment and a great step forward.
Highlight Play: This has to be Stefon Diggs' 2nd TD catch. His ability to go up and get the ball while still controlling his body and getting his feet in bounds was incredibly impressive.
Final: Vikings 29-19
