Games I watched (some of):
Lions 21-20 Chiefs
I wasn't as impressed with the vaunted Lions offense as the cool kids keep telling me I should be, but they were effective enough against the Chiefs on the road and that's not bad. As for the Chiefs, I can't help thinking their offense might struggle this year (okay, I'll admit it: I have the Chiefs not making the playoffs....yeah, yeah, I'm that guy) and without Travis Kelce--well, whadda you know?--they did struggle. Mahomes is still gonna be great but the cupboard isn't as full as it has been in recent years, not sure he'll be able to do it all himself. Oh, and the Chiefs were missing their best defender, too, so perhaps the sky isn't falling quite that fast, it could well be when they get their best offensive player and best defensive player back, maybe...decent chance that they'll be better. As for the Lions, hey, good W in what is I presume the toughest game on their schedule, so off to a good start.
Bengals 3-24 Browns
The game reports and highlights might not focus how rainy it was all through the first half, when both offenses looked fucking awful. The Browns were able to move the ball in the 2nd half, whereas the Bengals just never got going. The Bengals offensive woes were a perfect storm of bad weather, wrong game plan and going up against a really good pass rush. I have the Bengals in the Super Bowl and I'm not worried, they a slow starting team, I expect them to be just fine by October. As for the Browns, well, QB Deshaun Watson is arguably the most intriguing risk/reward QB in your fantasy draft, but I'm all in on the Browns; I think Watson is going to be good and he will make the offense roll and I think the defense is gonna be real good. I expect both of these teams to go deep in the playoffs and I don't think this week means much of anything.
Niners 30-7 Steelers
I was extremely impressed with the Niners on both sides of the ball, I have them in the Final Four, I'm expecting them to be good, but I was expecting a tougher contest in Pittsburgh and they dismantled the Steelers. The Steelers never got any offense going--not sure whether they suck or were just up against a tough D--but the Steeler defense looked fine (and still gave up 30 points). I know it's foolish to overreact to Week 1, but if you're still having second thoughts about Brock Purdy....well, I'm not, that dude can play and he is the right guy for this offense, I'm expecting the Niners to be good. As for the Steelers, the D is gonna be fine, not sure about that offense, though.
Cowboys 40-0 Giants
Whoa, whoa, settle down. Yes, the Cowboys are probably better than the Giants but I'd say it is unlikely that the Cowboys are this good or that the Giants are this bad. The Cowboys looked good, played hard, had the right game plan and they got all the breaks; the Giants looked tentative, sloppy and were supremely unlucky. This is just one game, people, don't get carried away.
Bills 16-22 (OT) Jets
Kudos to the Jets defense, but let's be honest: Josh Allen straight sucked in this game. All three interceptions were terrible decisions on his part and fumbling the ball in the 4th quarter in NYJ FG position? Hmmmm....not good, man, not good for the leader of the team. But the Bills always struggle @ the Jets and even though the NYJ shiny new toy, Aaron Rodgers, got hurt instantly (and looks to be out for an extended period), well, the NYJ defense is still really good (and, honestly, I didn't think their offense would be that good even with Rodgers) and it'll keep them in games (just like last year). I think Buffalo is going to be fine, Josh Allen will have better days (he certainly won't have too many worse than this!) and I think they'll win more than they lose. As for the Jets, I wasn't in on them even with Rodgers, so going back to Zack Wilson isn't exciting but I don't think it makes them much worse.
The rest of the slate
Panthers 10-24 Falcons
The Panthers might be the worst team in the league (and I wasn't in on Bryce Young even at Alabama, I sure ain't in on him with Carolina!); the Falcons offense looks like one of the funnest in the league, it'd be cool to see them pile up some W's.
Jags 31-21 Colts
Yeah, that looks about right. The Jags should be pretty good this year and struggling on the road in a division game isn't the end of the world. As for the Colts, well, their rookie QB looks like a helluva player, but I doubt that'll translate to wins any time soon.
Bucs 20-17 Vikings
Hmmmmm.....what's up here? I think the Vikings are going to be pretty good and I think the Bucs are going to be kinda awful, so why did the Bucs win at Minnesota? I have no idea.
Titans 15-16 Saints
I suspect these two teams are similar: good on defense, pretty good on special teams, not bad on offense but weird at QB. The fact that these two dueled to a virtual draw suggests to me that I was right.
Cards 16-20 Commanders
Kinda thought the Commanders would be better at home against a team that doesn't even look like its trying to win. Are the Cards better than we think or are the Commanders still a slopfest?
Texans 9-25 Ravens
Yeah, that's about right.
Packers 38-20 Bears
Yeah, that's about right. I think the Packers might be okay with Jordan Love. As for the Bears, I like Fields, I want to like him more, but I have no faith in the Bears as a team right now and I suspect they'll be pretty bad--even if Fields takes a step forward.
Raider 17-16 Broncos
Yeah, that's about right. The Broncos should get better as the season goes on, the Raiders should be up and down (winning games they should lose, losing games they should win).
Eagles 25-20 Patriots
I suspect this game was closer than you think. The Eagles are solid on both sides of the ball but they've got a target on their backs they didn't have last year. The Pats never suck but they'll still be led by defense until they find the right QB (is Mac Davis the right guy? I dunno, but probably not).
Dolphins 36-34 Chargers
Looks like a fun game. If the Dolphins can stay healthy, they can pile up points; but if they have even an inkling of trouble, they could get sideways in a hurry. The Chargers are the Chargers, man: even when they're great they'll figure out ways to lose games.
Rams 30-13 Seahawks
Hmmmmm.....I kinda thought the Rams were gunning for the #1 pick, but they might actually be better than I would've thought them capable. In my pre-season picks, I had the Seahwks being pretty bad--like so bad I immediately suspected I had unnecessarily lowered them, but after this result, maybe not. Maybe they'll just revert back to being the bad team they were supposed to be last year.
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