With the arrival of a new NFL season, it's inevitable that Sunday of Week 1 will be packed with stunning results.
How about these two? The Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts, who have combined to represent the AFC in five of the past six Super Bowls, both played like perennial doormats in opening 2011 with blowout losses to division rivals.
Although the Steelers lost a little worse ? 35-7 at Baltimore, thanks to seven turnovers ? the Colts, who fell 34-7 at Houston, are the ones who need to worry about falling from the ranks of conference contenders.
In a typically intense physical matchup with the Ravens, the Steelers got punched in the mouth. The first big blows came from new left tackle Bryant McKinnie and the Ravens' revamped line, which helped running backs Ray Rice and Ricky Williams pop through holes. Then it was Terrell Suggs (three sacks) and the defense's turn, as their pressure overwhelmed Ben Roethlisberger, forcing him to give up the ball five times (three interceptions, two fumbles).
Pittsburgh usually plays the role of aggressor, but Baltimore is one team that won?t be intimidated. The Steelers came away humbled. But with their veteran core under coach Mike Tomlin, they have the mental mettle to rebound from getting knocked down hard. They clearly weren't ready to play their rivals on the road. But next week, look for them to take out their frustrations on the Seahawks in Week 2 at Heinz Field.
The same can't be said for the Colts, who may be ready to enter free-fall status when the Steelers visit Indianapolis in Week 3. The team was obviously unsettled about the loss of QB Peyton Manning, who is out indefinitely with his neck injury, but his teammates didn?t give replacement Kerry Collins much of a chance to succeed.
It was disturbing to see the Colts? offensive line collapse against Mario Williams and the Texans? new-look 3-4 defense. Manning was able to mask the line problems because of his brilliant footwork and quick release, neither of which Collins has.
Then there's the old bugaboo: run defense. Last season in Week 1, Arian Foster rolled to 231 yards rushing against the Colts. Without Foster (hamstring) a year later, backups Ben Tate, Derrick Ward and Steve Slaton combined for 167. Without Manning around to control the ball ? and the game ? the Colts' smallish defense will continue to wear down. To have any hope of finishing .500, they need to find a physical identity without Manning ? and fast.
Here's a quick check of the pulse of two other defending division champs who were also dominated in Week 1:
Atlanta Falcons (lost 30-12 at Chicago). On the surface, Atlanta ? behind Matt Ryan (319 yards) and Michael Turner (100) ? moved the ball well against a tough Bears defense. Like the Steelers, though, they looked unprepared on the road, and their mistakes ? three giveaways, five sacks allowed ? resulted from uncharacteristic lapses. The Falcons? offensive line was overwhelmed, with end Julius Peppers leading the Chicago charge. The Falcons need to correct things fast, with a potential shootout against Michael Vick's Eagles looming in Week 2 at Atlanta.
Kansas City Chiefs (lost 41-7 at home to Buffalo). There's no way the Chiefs, with their running prowess, should get dismantled by the Bills at Arrowhead Stadium. But Buffalo, with strong performances by Ryan Fitzpatrick (four TD passes) and Fred Jackson (112 yards rushing), had the more efficient offense. The Chiefs, meanwhile, continued their sputtering ways from the preseason. Considering this looked like the easiest game on their schedule, it's a sign that their discombobulation will continue.
7-on-7 dazzling debuts
Cam Newton, QB, Panthers. Newton (24-for-37, 422 yards, two TDs, one interception) had the best-ever debut for a rookie passer and stamped it with some good running (8 for 18 yards, one TD) at Arizona. The only thing missing was a come-from-behind victory. Will he do it again against the Super Bowl champion Packers in Week 2?
Kevin Kolb, QB, Cardinals. Kolb (18-for-27, 309 yards, 2 TDs) also awoke a sleeping passing game from '10 with a winning performance opposite Newton in his first game for Arizona. He has immediately brought needed legitimacy to the Cards' offense.
Patrick Peterson, CB, Cardinals. Newton exploited Peterson in coverage, leading to a big day for Steve Smith. But the rookie speedster from LSU had the last laugh in scoring what became the game-winning TD on a spectacular 89-yard punt return.
Jim Harbaugh, coach, 49ers. One shouldn't expect many pretty wins by San Francisco. But in true Harbaugh style, his team came out with a gritty performance in his first game as an NFL coach. The 49ers leaned on defense and special teams (hello Ted Ginn!) to get the job done vs. Seattle.
A.J. Green, WR, Bengals. Green had only one catch against the Browns, but the rookie made it count. Showing his great speed, he caught a 41-yard TD pass from backup QB Bruce Gradkowski that put Cincinnati ahead for good in the fourth quarter of a 27-17 win.
Ryan Kerrigan, OLB, Redskins. Kerrigan, the talented rookie edge pass rusher out of Purdue, delivered with a 9-yard interception return against Eli Manning to put Washington ahead to stay in the third quarter.
Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Titans. Hass did pretty well (21-for-34, 263 yards, two TDs) in a loss to Jacksonville, despite getting little help from Chris Johnson and the running game. One thing is for sure: He?s going to enjoy throwing to Kenny Britt.
Key injuries
James Harrison, OLB, Steelers (knee). He was already bothered by a bad back in the preseason, so there is reason to worry after the 33-year-old left the Ravens game late.
Steven Jackson, RB, Rams (quadriceps). Jackson is 28 and in his eighth season, so this injury increases concerns about his durability as a workhorse. St. Louis, however, should be happy with how well Cadillac Williams carried a big running/receiving load.
Jon Beason, MLB, Panthers (ankle). It didn't look good when he was carted off the field at Arizona, and the Panthers? already-suspect interior run defense would take a big hit without him.
Eric Berry, S, Chiefs (knee). There is concern the second-year playmaker might need to miss significant time. Without him, the Kansas City secondary was shredded by a less-than-flashy Bills passing game.
Quick hits
-- Titans WR Kenny Britt (5 catches, 136 yards, two TDs), Bengals RB Cedric Benson (25 carries, 121 yards TD) and Buccaneers CB Aqib Talib (28-yard interception return TD) all had notable off-field troubles during the offseason, but it didn't keep them from making an impact on the field for the first game of '11.
-- Florida and Florida State, which are looking good early in the college season, always get big home crowds. In the NFL, Tampa Bay was supported by a lot of empty seats against Detroit, and the short-term attendance outlooks aren't much better for Jacksonville and Miami. In SEC and ACC country, the football buck stretches only so much.
-- Chargers fans probably said "here we go again" when the Vikings' Percy Harvin returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. But for a change, San Diego rebounded nicely from a slow start?thanks to great defense against Donovan McNabb and Adrian Peterson. Expect the Bolts to go wire-to-wire in the AFC West this season.
-- Although the Redskins might be on to something with QB Rex Grossman and RB Tim Hightower as their top offensive skill starters, the secret to their success is another strong offensive line built by the Shanahans.
-- If it weren't for the support of young stars Hakeem Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw, Eli Manning (18-for-32, 268 yards, one interception) would have looked even shakier at Washington. He must improve his consistency or the Giants will struggle to stay out of the NFC East basement.
soccer news news read sports news read football news read cricket news
No comments:
Post a Comment