5 HOT SPORTS TAKES From NFL Week One
One week down, sixteen to go. If the NFL offseason hasn't cornered the market on football hyperbole, instant reaction from week one gives it a run for the money. Every team is either undefeated or winless, freeing fans, management, and media to lose their minds over WHAT THIS REALLY MEANS for the rest of season. In all likelihood, these opening week performances will be forgotten a month from now - but that's no reason to hide the children from the following RAD TAKES THAT ARE TOTALLY NOT AN OVEREACTION AFTER ONE GAME.
1. The Seahawks Are Still Really Good, Especially At Home
Seattle's vaunted defense was faced with a tough test right out of the gate, facing a Green Bay offense led by a quarterback with arguably the highest trade value in the league - and they didn't disappoint. Aaron Rodgers threw for under 200 yards and faced pressure all night on the way to a 36-16 blowout at the hands of the Seahawks. Aside from the defense picking up right where they left off, the offense looked sharp. Marshawn Lynch looked spry, Percy Harvin was healthy, and even Ricardo Lockette (who?) was able to get in on the action. After one week, the Seahawks look primed to repeat as champs.
2. Denver, Too
The defending AFC Champs only got better in the offseason, and it showed. They beat down the Colts in a game that was only marginally interesting because Andrew Luck is a superhuman freak. Peyton Manning did Peyton Manning things (which means frequently throwing to a wide-open tight end), the Broncos jumped out to a decisive margin, and then fiddled their way through the rest of the game. Denver faces a tough schedule this year, but there still just aren't many teams that are going to be able to match them score-for-score.
3. The NFC East Is The Worst Division In Football
Three of the four teams in the division were embarrassed on Sunday. Dallas was finished against the 49ers all of three minutes into the first quarter, Washington got stomped on by Houston's defense, and the Giants all but failed to show up for their Monday Nighter in Detroit. Even Philadelphia, the "class" of the division, found themselves in a 17-0 hole to freaking Jacksonville before waking up and scoring 34 unanswered points for the win. Total for the weekend: 1-3 record, -26 point differential.
4. The NFC South Will Come Right Down To The Wire
The Saints and Falcons played the most exciting game of the weekend, with Matt Ryan throwing for nearly 500 yards to lead the Falcons to an overtime win. Meanwhile, last year's division winner, Carolina, earned a win in Tampa despite being without the services of Cam Newton. Even Tampa Bay should improve in their first year under Lovie Smith. Look for these teams to beat each other up throughout the course of the season, bringing the race for the division right down to the wire - and possibly leaving all but one team on the outside looking in.
5. Tom Coughlin Might Not Make It Through The Season
The Giants looked thoroughly outmatched on Monday Night in Detroit. Eli Manning through two interceptions, the running game was nonexistent, and the defense couldn't stop anybody. They looked like the most disinterested team in the worst division in football. New York has been teetering on the brink of collapse for a couple of seasons, and the 68-year-old Coughlin has been the first guy mentioned in the "is it time for him to retire?" discussions for the better part of three years. The Giants made some changes to their coaching staff in the offseason in an attempt to throw the fans off the scent of their odorous roster, but none of it took in week one. If things don't turn around, look for Coughlin to accept the golden handshake midseason.