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The Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott had a tough time in a loss to Carolina. (AP Photo / Mike McCarn)
The first Sunday of the 2018 NFL season is over and there is a lot to digest.
The first game since the league shortened by 10 minutes last season revealed something about the Cleveland Browns, who are not terrible, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who need the Veon Bell. at Bell. Aaron Rodgers confirmed how ridiculously strong he was with another dose of quarterback magic for the Green Bay Packers who overcame Khalil Mack's defensive dominance in his Chicago Bears debut.
[How great was that by Aaron Rodgers? Absurdly great]
And there was more, much more.
The first Monday of the NFL regular season is naturally the most important reaction day of the sports calendar. Radical conclusions about a team or a player can not usually be drawn after a match, at least wrongly. But sometimes, this game can serve as an announcement of what will happen. The trick is to find out who is who.
Here is a quick attempt to distinguish teams (and their fans) who should rightly bother at this point and those who should not.
Teams with legitimate reasons to worry …
Buffalo Bills: Why, exactly, were the Bills so eager to get rid of quarterback Tyrod Taylor during the off season? They were a playoff team last season with Taylor. Now, after sending him to Cleveland, they seem to be messy. The Bills gave up the temporary starter, AJ McCarron, even before the season arrived and he transferred it to Oakland. They continue to give Nathan Peterman a chance to start, and it continues badly. Peterman was not five fewer steals, as he was last season Sunday in Baltimore. But it was bad, because the Bills were found without a first run in the first half of the game to defeat 47-3. Award-winning rookie Josh Allen made his NFL debut in Peterman's relief. Allen is seen by few as ready to play now, but the Bills may have no choice but to turn to him as a starter.
Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott's suspension may not have been all that happened with the Cowboys last season, after all. Elliott is back. But tight end Jason Witten retired and the Cowboys opted out of receiver Dez Bryant, and quarterback Dak Prescott could not get the attack Sunday in Carolina. The Cowboys scored only in the fourth quarter. When they had a late chance to tie the match with a touchdown and a two-point conversion, Prescott lost a fumble and the Cowboys lost, 16-8. They could not move their racing game. Their offensive line struggled. They do not have a wide receiver that scares a defender. This attack may not be enough to bring the Cowboys back to the playoffs.
Tennessee Titans: The loss in Miami during the marathon delayed by the weather was bad enough. But the defeat of quarterback Marcus Mariota, left tackle Taylor Lewan and tight winger Delanie Walker for the injured was disastrous for the Titans, who are coming out of a playoff season but still have the freshman head coach at Mike Vrabel's. Mariota launched two interceptions and came out of the game with a weakened right arm. Lewan suffered a concussion during a return of interception. Walker was taken off the field on a wagon with a right leg injury that could end his season. AFC South is not a joke these days and the Titans can not afford to fall too far behind.
Carolina Panthers: Yes, the Panthers beat the Cowboys. And yes, quarterback Cam Newton is assured that the attack has done enough to win. But tight end Greg Olsen left the game in the first period and spent the second half on crutches on the sidelines with his right foot in a shoe. It's the foot that Olsen broke last season. The Carolina attack is just not the same without Olsen, a revolutionary player who creates nightmares of confrontation for a defense. It is unlikely that the Panthers can keep pace with the heavyweights of the NFC without Olsen being healthy and productive.
Arizona Cardinals: Has it ever been a good idea for a team to entrust their fortunes to quarterback Sam Bradford? Sunday's home defeat by the Washington Redskins did not work very well. If this continues, it will not be long before the season is reduced to a countdown before the team turns to rookie Josh Rosen and begins to look to the future.
Oakland Raiders: An NFL team rarely has a worse day without playing a game. The Raiders do not open the season until their Monday night meeting with the Los Angeles Rams. But their decision to trade Mack with the Bears, who seemed unwise at the time of the deal's conclusion, was even worse by the time Mack finished dominating the Green Bay offense over the course of the day. from the first half of Sunday night. It was a defensive performance as dominant as possible, at least for half. The two preliminary choices the Raiders made in Mack's trade might prove useful in the future. In the meantime, Mack is doing everything in his power to highlight what the Raiders will miss in this season's defense.
Green Bay Packers: Rodgers was great Sunday night, coming back to the field in the second half after coming out in a basket following a knee injury in the first half. He made three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter as the Packers overcame a 20-0 second-period deficit to beat the Bears, 24-23. Rodgers then swore to play this weekend against the Minnesota Vikings. But his knee did not seem to really ring Sunday night, prompting some observers to say it was too risky for the Packers to put him back on the field in the second half against Mack and the tough defense of Chicago. This proved unfounded, as the Packers adjusted their offensive approach and Rodgers quickly pulled the ball out of the hand. But all this shows how Rodgers is indispensable for the Packers. They are just not very good without him. And if his knee is not correct, another season could unfold quickly.
Teams that can R-E-L-A-X a little longer …
New Orleans Saints: The saints flourished last season because of their balance. They ran the ball well. They defended well. They did not have to rely solely on quarterback Drew Brees. All this seemed like a distant memory Sunday. Brees threw 439 yards and three touchdowns. But the Saints did not run the ball. They did not play the defense of sound. And they were invaded by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 48-40. For the moment, this can be considered an aberration. The saints still have the players on the list to replicate the versatility of last season. But they must return quickly to this formula.
Pittsburgh Steelers: It now seems worrying that Steelers players are frustrated with Bell's decision not to report to the team last week. Sunday's performance in Cleveland was far from what a team with aspirations for the Super Bowl expected. But Bell will eventually show up. He and his teammates will probably put their differences aside and move forward. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will play much better than he did in his outing against the Browns. The Steelers know how to endure a difficult time or two en route to a successful season.
[They’re not the same, old Browns. Not quite, at least]
Los Angeles Chargers: They were the fashionable choice to win AFC West, so Sunday's home defeat by the Kansas City Chiefs is considered a significant disappointment. The foot injury that kept Joey Bosa out of the game for his first game is worrying. But the Chargers rebounded after a bad start last season to fight. They'd better be careful not to leave the hole early in the season as they dig for themselves this time around.
New York Giants: The Giants gave Eli Manning a chance of success at the end of their career by retaking Saquon Barkley, second overall, rather than replacing Manning with a quarterback, before convincing Odell Beckham Jr. Now it's up to Manning to produce. The results were mixed in Sunday's loss to Jacksonville Jaguars. Barkley's long touchdown has strengthened his confidence. Beckham was productive. The defense showed signs of improvement. But Manning was not great and the offensive line had its problems. For the moment, this can be attributed to the Jacksonville defense. Manning deserves the benefit of the doubt. But a lot depends on the presence of good football, and he needs to get things done in the next few weeks.
Learn more about NFL Week 1:
Kenny Stills, Dolphins, kneels at the national anthem
They are not the same Browns. And the Steelers need Le'Veon Bell in the field.
Six fantastic footballs to replace Leonard Fournette of Jaguars
Andrew Luck reveals that the 2016 snowboard accident also damaged the shoulder
President Trump and Colin Kaepernick tweet about the national anthem protests on the first NFL Sunday
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