The sky is falling throughout the league after Week 1, but be careful before you write off a good team after one lackluster game. These five teams will be better than lots of folks think after opening weekend setbacks.
New England Patriots
The Vegas line on Sunday's Pats-Jets game shifted 11 points when Tom Brady went down. Is one player on the best team in the NFL really worth 11 points? Not when Bill Belichick is the coach. Brady's injury may even reinvigorate the NFL's evil genius and fire up the Patriots.
New England will go back to its roots, winning 2001-style. The Pats will win a lot of games with what seems like smoke and mirrors. This season will prove the system is bigger than one player in Foxboro.
Washington Redskins
The Redskins were a disaster last Thursday and were still sort of in the game late in the fourth quarter against the defending champions. But the Redskins have had a lot of ugly games in the Daniel Snyder era. When you count them out, all of a sudden they go on a roll and start beating good teams.
Players will get more accustomed to coach Jim Zorn’s system as the season goes on and the Washington should have a good running game if its older O-line can hold on. The defense was iffy against the Giants, but also needs time to adjust to new coordinator Greg Blache.
Indianapolis Colts
Who was that playing quarterback for the Colts on Sunday night? It certainly wasn't Peyton Manning. He should show up in the next couple of weeks. Manning missed the entire preseason because of an infected bursa sac and the offensive line is banged up. Then he had to face a Bears defense most people had forgotten about, but is still able to create a lot of pressure on a quarterback.
These issues will linger early in the season, but Indianapolis has enough talent and continuity on offense to recover. Manning will get back into his rythym and see the field much better moving forward.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars' vaunted running game disappeared in Week 1 while David Garrard was sacked seven times and threw two picks. The Titans' defense shut down Jacksonville's offense in last year's season opener as well, but the Jags recovered quickly.
Jacksonville lost its two starting guards, but Jags fans hope interior linemen are replaceable in the short term. They face a string of tough defenses to start the season, but if they can get their Week 7 bye with a 3-3 record, they'll be poised to make a second-half run.
Seattle Seahawks
Don't judge the Seahawks by how they do against an AFC team -- especially if that game is on the East Coast, where Seattle rarely plays well. The 'Hawks looked completely uninspired in their 34-10 loss to the Bills, but who needs inspiration when you're in the NFC West? The Week 1 disaster should be enough of a wake-up call. Mike Holmgren will figure out a way to protect Matt Hasselbeck and Seattle will finish 8-8 or 9-7 to once again capture the worst division in the NFL.
Damaris Lewis
Chelsey Buhler
Did You See That?
Manny Being Manny
Comments (28) Add A Comment
DEFINITELY write off the Raiders...Kiffen to be fired before/at mid-season...you heard it here first.
wvchessguy
Williamson , WV
Total Comments (2)
Uh, you're like the four-thousandth place I've heard it.
Christian Thoma
Total Comments (662)
What was belichick's record with the pats pre-brady?
bdufrene
Hattiesburg, MS
Total Comments (2)
5-13
fantasticfavre
Tuscaloosa , AL
Total Comments (3)
Okay, sorry, then you heard it 4001st time here.
Getting whipped at home by the Broncos, not a harbinger of better things to come. Al, please, oh please, retire and hire a competent coach on your way out, will ya?
wvchessguy
Williamson , WV
Total Comments (2)
I agree with you on all counts man..good blog.
Harry Callahan
Total Comments (9817)
Yeah, hardly an orignial prediction. They were never counted on to begin with. But with specific inside knowledge like that, you could work for ESPN!
RaiderDave
Dublin, CA
Total Comments (507)
I'm amazed how the Vikings were labelled 'busts' after one poor throw at the end of the game. It isn't easy to win in Lambeau field, let alone on monday night. The Packers are a good team and Minnesota had a shot to win it in the end. I think Minnesota is still very much a contender this season.
mientke16
Yuma , AZ
Total Comments (4)
Do the Redskins play Detroit-free win
shiprock520
Apache Junction , AZ
Total Comments (413)
watch out for brady next year. he will b fine. he prepares better then anyone. cassell will be real good this year. he has been waiting 4 a long time. 13-3 watch u heard it here.
101smp
Chelsea , MA
Total Comments (5)
Yet another instance of the mainstream media giving the Bills less-than-zero respect... how can you talk about the egg the Seahawks laid in week 1 and NOT EVEN MENTION the name of the team that crushed them with an aggressive and exotic defense, and brilliant special teams play? Oh yeah, I know how: By not giving a crap about an up-and-coming team just because they are in a small market. Bah!!
jaysweet
Rochester , NY
Total Comments (451)
By not giving a crap about an up-and-coming team just because they are in a small market. Bah!!
Maybe if you could get O.J. to go to one of the games. Oh wait, what he did in Vegas will make him stay in Vegas
shiprock520
Apache Junction , AZ
Total Comments (413)
Anybody can work for ESpin, I mean the Home Depot Network. Is Lou Holtz drunk every Saturday. I think he has lost his mind. They don't do any honest commentary anymore, just political based on what their "alumni" tell them to. The are kind of like CNN being the Clinton News Network.
NEA Boss Hog
Total Comments (1)
The Patriots should benefit greatly from their surprisingly easy schedule (considering they played in the SB last year). So assuming Cassel learned a thing or two in his 4 years backing up Brady (and his years backing up Palmer and Leinart) they should be fine and win between 9 and 11 games... If the reason he hasn't started in nine years is more because of his talents, and not that he was backing up 3 great QBs in a row, then the Patriots are in trouble this year.
Also, as a Pats fan, I hate to admit it, but he is right about the colts. Peyton not playing in the preseason hurt their timing (being a finess offense, that is key), so starting either next week or week 3... they should start playing up to their potential... unless the center replacing Saturday lets them down big time.
Chris Engelhard
Jamestown, RI
Total Comments (1)
Note to Al Davis: Fire Kiffin and retire. Let the next GM and coach start fresh without your 1965 input. Also, DeAngelo Hall needs to put up AND shut up.
HypeRaider
Total Comments (7)
Wow must be tough to pick the obvious choices, with the exception of Washington, though they did make the playoffs last year....terrible blog.
Lizzard
San Diego, CA
Total Comments (42)
I though you said one of the picks would surprise us? These are all teams that were either considered playoff locks or contenders headed into the season.
dudezer47
Austin, TX
Total Comments (2)
It should be interesting to see what the outcomes of this week's games do to the predictions for many teams (but remember, there is still a ton of games to be played)...NE will not have the usual "cakewalk" thru the AFC East this year (this true, even if Brady was playing). Buffalo and NYJ look improved and Miami can only be better than last year (even when a bad team, they seem to match up well with the Pats). I was surprised by the lopsided loss that the Browns had hung on them by the C'boys last week, or were the expectations unreasonable? We should get a good idea of how good (or bad) they are after the Steelers visit. Based upon the "surprisingly" effective O-line play last week, would have to consider them an early prospect to make the playoffs....Speaking of the 'Boys, this should be a good game with Philly this week. Keen observation re Peyton Manning's play on previous post, he will improve as the season wears on. Jacksonville's O-line situation may be their undoing this year (Guard/Center/Guard OUT), I don't see them catching Indy. San Diego and Denver look to be battling it out for the AFC West at this point ( KC/OAK don't appear to be in the same league ). Dark horse out of the NFC......Panthers. If not for a 4th Q letdown by their D, they beat SD handily and pretty much controlled things until 10min to go in the game. NFC Central is a toss up ( can't believe the Lions play so badly with the talent they have ). Same goes for the NFC West...any one of those teams could win it, but least likely SF. Sorry for the rambling nature of the post, but wanted to not leave out anybody for consideration. Now that I mention it, didn't comment on the "re-appearance" of Reggie Bush in NO ( he was a difference maker in that game ) as well as Brees play. NO/Carolina in a dogfight at this point, TB/ATL still look a few pieces of the puzzle short...There, I think that about covers it for now. But it's still WAY EARLY to be crowning anyone as the undisputed king of the hill......LOTS of great football to be played yet..............wait and see.
IRONMAN
Total Comments (111)
Gintfan is a dope spitting nothing but sour grapes. He didn't even know that a previous column, listing big week one injuries, had them listed from the most recent, going backward over the years. He complained that Vinnie T was listed behind Brady. He/she should pay more attention. He/she is obviously obsessed with the recent (and I do mean recent) dominance of New England teams. I have great respect for what the Giants did last year but I think that everyone (almost) would agree that back in late November the Giants were all but written off for the year and that their surprising run to close the season and through the playoffs would have drawn huge odds in Vegas. I feel bad for him/her that the one Superbowl win will be the last end of season victory party he/she will celebrate for quite some time. BTW, I am both a Patriots fan and a Giants fan (AFC/NFC respectively).
NAFSTAP
Spanish Fork, UT
Total Comments (6)
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