Opening week of NFL season a snoozer

It was a strictly ho-hum opening week in the NFL, with dull games and bad play, which I suspect is something we might expect in this “new” era which allegedly has provided fans with a new level of excitement. The Manning brothers did combined for 912 yards passing and 11 TD passes, which I suppose is some kind of record; but since I find both personally irritating if not offensive, I won’t waste any more time on them, Here are the games I did find "interesting" from Week One. 

Jets 18  Buccaneers 17

As I’ve stated before, I’m no fan of the way things went down that enabled Geno Smith to acquire the Jets’ starting quarterback job. But like EJ Manuel and Terrelle Pryor he played just well enough to give fans “hope,” at least for another game. He was also well on his way to joining those two in losing his first game against a Tampa Bay team that was only on life support because Smith made his rookie mistakes at inopportune times. When the Buccaneers’ offense finally showed some life late in the game and kicked the apparent game-winning field goal, I felt the Jets’ organization and fans got exactly what they deserved. But I didn’t count on was the kind of boneheaded play that drives one beyond the realm of sanity. 

With 15 seconds left in the game and no timeouts, Smith ran out of the pocket for ten yards to the Tampa Bay 45 yard line with just two seconds remaining, too far for a field goal try and only time for one desperation heave. Only one problem: The Buc’s Lavonte David lost his marbles and shoved Smith just as he was stepping out of bounds, drawing a personal foul penalty that put the ball on the 30 yard line, and Nick Folk booted a 48 yard field goal for the impossible Jets’ win. Personally, I think that the hit that enabled Smith to be the starting quarterback was more “foul” than David’s, and Smith’s histrionic flop-job would make an NBA player proud. But give Smith credit— he did the only thing left for him to do, and the ref’s bought it hook, line and sinker.

Seahawks 12  Panthers 7

I don’t care what local sports radio and fans say, this was a stinker of a win for the Seahawks and the dullest game of the day. If not for a secondary brain cramp, the Panthers would have “eked out” a 7-6 victory, which is only just more impressive than a 3-2 win, or 2-0. This game was so mind-numbing that I got it into my head that it would be interesting to dig up some historical fun-facts. According the Pro Football Reference, there have been a total of 73 professional football games in which the score was 0-0, the last time in 1943 between the New York Giants and the Detroit Lions. There have been 59 games in which the score was 3-0, the last one in 2007 when the Steelers beat the Dolphins. Rarer still is the 2-0 score, of which there are only 5 recorded instances; the last time the only score was a safety was in 1938 when the Bears beat the Packers. But only twice has there been a score of 3-2; in 1921 the Daytona Triangles beat the Cleveland Indians by that score, and in 1926, when the Chicago Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Oh right, the game. Wilson threw for 320 yards, but as was often the case until late in the season last year, such “production” was more show than substance. Needless-to-say, I’m not as “bullish” on the Seahawks as many people seem to be. 

Titans 16  Steelers 9

Who would have thunk it? Two teams that came out of preseason with question marks instead of numbers on their jerseys, and playing the opener like they were trying to give away the game and nobody wanted to take the fetid thing. Barely 400 yards of total offense between the two of them, with the Titans averaging 3.6 yards per play, and the “mighty” Steelers only 3.7 yards in front of their home crowd.  The Titans are not going anywhere this year, so the question is whether the Rothlisberger Era is nearing its end. He has only played one full season in his career, and only twice has he passed for more than 4,000 yards. During the best years of his tenure, the Steelers had a more than adequate running game and a dominating defense. Rothlisberger is not the kind of quarterback who can carry a team on his shoulders all by himself, no matter how big they are. 

Eagles 33  Redskins 27

Former Oregon coach Chip Kelly unleashed his mile-a-minute offense, and for at least a half it looked unstoppable. Save for a few miscues the score could have been 40-0 at halftime, which was typical for his Oregon teams. But there is reason to doubt that the Eagles can keep this up; they clearly ran out of gas in the second half. Michael Vick was efficient save for those turnovers, but after he hobbled off the field in the second half, it is obvious, as always, he is only as good as his health is. The question may be, sooner or later, if Nick Foles can function in the spread offense. But that may be moot point because Foles is molasses slow, certainly a lot slower than Matt Barkley. I frankly am mystified that Kelly thinks that Barkley can run his kind of offense; Geno Smith probably would have been a better “fit.” There is a reason why teams don’t use offensive schemes like the no-huddle every series, even when opponents seem to be unable to stop it; it wears out older players, unlike in the college game where the best programs are deep with teenage talent they can run out at will. I’d be surprised if the Eagles can keep this up for more than a half-season.

49ers 34  Packers 28

I have to admit that as a Packer fan, I’m of two minds concerning head coach Mike McCarthy. By all accounts he prepares the team well for games, but once they get on the field, sometimes you wonder if he really knows what he is doing. He’s like a staff officer who is excellent at administrative tasks, but as a commander in the field he’s somewhat less competent. I understand that Aaron Rodgers was often under “duress” much of the game, especially on third down. But he was burning the 49ers’ pass defense on first and second down in first half. So why, after the 49ers scored on the opening drive of the second half to take a 21-14 lead, do you continue to try to “establish” a running game deep inside your own territory when it has failed you up to that point? Two running plays that netted a total of two yards, and then on an obvious passing down the 49ers’ defense again flusters Rodgers, forcing a quick three and out, putting Colin Kaepernick and company right back in business. 

Still, despite what the pundits were saying postgame, the Packers’ did a good job of bending but not completing breaking, and the Packers were in a good position to win the game and might have done so had it not been for head-scratching coaching decisions and the failure to stop the 49ers on a fourth-and-2 play late. As an aside, I wish that if Clay Mathews was going to do something to deliberately draw a personal foul penalty, I wish he would have done it right--like making sure that Kaepernick would have to make his arrogant postgame comments through a wired jaw.