Thoughts on week 1 so far...

[cdumler7]

It's a game of matchups cd.. Of course you want to put the smaller speed Cooks on the slower 6-3 Smith..
Then you have a HOF QB like Brees throwing the rock, $$$$ all day!! Don't ya worry about Smith cd, he will be alright.. How did you like the clutch Carr taking that victory from the Saints??

Well not as much as I liked watching the Raiders so called "great" defense get rocked for 500 yards and 34 points. Brees is a great QB for sure but they have a terrible OL and average running game yet they just ripped right through that Raiders defense. So far all that money spent to revamp that defense hasn't been put to good use. Yes week 1 but we saw these struggles in the preseason as well. They have a long ways to go before being recognized among the great defenses. That offense better be ready to put up big numbers every week and they won't be going against what most would consider is the worst defense in the NFL the Saints every week.

 

[Wamu]

As a Browns fan the season was officially over when their 1st preseason game kicked off. Now it's just 16 more weeks of that team tripping over their own 2 feet. On the plus side though...the Cleveland Clowns should be in line for yet another top 5 pick. They have been the best worst team in all of the NFL since '99. Hey...@ least their good @ something, right?

 

[Rockinkuwait]

Oh I agree. I wasn't meaning by my post that McDaniels is a bad OC. I actually agree that he is one of the best. Players talked about all the time when he was our HC that no team was more prepared and ran a more complicated and diverse system than the Broncos. His ability with the X's and O's was never the problem. It was his ability to relate to players and actually know the best way to push them towards greatness. All he did was push them completely away where they stopped listening to him. But yeah as an OC one of the best.

Some guys in this league that just seems to be the case. The sooner they can figure that out the better. Wade took a while to get that figured out as he wanted to win as a HC. McDaniels I'm sure at some point will become HC again and see how he does round 2. Most coaches today have that 1st one fail miserably. The best coaches in the league seem to be the ones that learn from that firing in what all they did wrong and grow as a coach. Saw it this past year with Kubiak in he did things that I never saw in him before. Heck week 1 starting out the game in 4-wide/shotgun to catch the Panthers off guard. He usually sticks with his scheme and expects to win with the run setting up the pass. It worked great until the RB fumbled.

Well I thought Kubiak might have been on that road too early in Houston.

And no problem rehiring a retread great coordinator/bad head coach as you say. Bill Belichick was that when NE got him. Just make sure you've got the stuff in place to help him with what caused his failure the first time.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Giants will win the East after a 4-0 start rather easily

Jameis Winston will step into a legit top flight QB, they will upset Arizona this week, and widespread panic over the Cards will commence

Chuck Pagano being employed as an NFL head coach, should upset all the people in this forum who are more qualified

Kirk Cousins was a flash and the Skins will turn to Colt McCoy by week 6

Seattle will reel off to an 8-0 start now that people are worried about them

Ryan Tannehill is as awful as it gets

 

[cdumler7]

Well I thought Kubiak might have been on that road too early in Houston.

And no problem rehiring a retread great coordinator/bad head coach as you say. Bill Belichick was that when NE got him. Just make sure you've got the stuff in place to help him with what caused his failure the first time.

Right which is why I said you have to find the coach who has actually learned from his errors. These coaches and players have huge egos so breaking through to the idea that they can improve and learn from their mistakes is not always the easiest thing. That is part of what I love about Kubiak is he does seemed to have learned from his mistakes and is working hard to learn even more every year. He comments all the time about all that he learned when he was the OC for the Ravens. He loved coaching their and the way the organization from top to bottom had incredible communication where they were on the same page. I think he would have stayed there if any other team but the Broncos had called. He has a great working relationship with the Broncos FO though so it makes it easy to sit down and discuss the direction of the team.

 

[cdumler7]

As a Browns fan the season was officially over when their 1st preseason game kicked off. Now it's just 16 more weeks of that team tripping over their own 2 feet. On the plus side though...the Cleveland Clowns should be in line for yet another top 5 pick. They have been the best worst team in all of the NFL since '99. Hey...@ least their good @ something, right?

Well April should be fun as a Browns fan though with all those draft picks. That is your month.

 

[Rockinkuwait]

Yup just two that week, probably would have been 3 if Emmitt wasn't holding out for his new deal. lol

Passing has always been more risk/more reward. As the risk falls off, the desire to be run heavy outside of great team situations (ie. Minny now) falls as well.

 

[Wamu]

Well April should be fun as a Browns fan though with all those draft picks. That is your month.

The Browns are the fools of the NFL & they celebrate that fact every April 1st.

 

[redseat]

Good point but most corners got torched this week so far. I think it is time to start giving him safety help out there more regularly. Sucks if that doesn't turn around with his contract there.

Sad thing is, this is all on him. He wants to be "alone" and I am sure he is barking to be alone...

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

Well not as much as I liked watching the Raiders so called "great" defense get rocked for 500 yards and 34 points. Brees is a great QB for sure but they have a terrible OL and average running game yet they just ripped right through that Raiders defense. So far all that money spent to revamp that defense hasn't been put to good use. Yes week 1 but we saw these struggles in the preseason as well. They have a long ways to go before being recognized among the great defenses. That offense better be ready to put up big numbers every week and they won't be going against what most would consider is the worst defense in the NFL the Saints every week.

That same Saint team rocked the Panthers for what?? 40 or so last year?? When Brees and that Offense is clicking, they rockin everybody.. It is what it is..
And true cd, our D needs to GEL, alot of new moving parts man.. It will take some time.. Shoot man KC just got rocked by the Bolts, i think they better worry about their D as well??

The Saints are better than what people think man.. Their D played good.. Carr and Coop was just better!!

 

[cdumler7]

That same Saint team rocked the Panthers for what?? 40 or so last year?? When Brees and that Offense is clicking, they rockin everybody.. It is what it is..
And true cd, our D needs to GEL, alot of new moving parts man.. It will take some time.. Shoot man KC just got rocked by the Bolts, i think they better worry about their D as well??

The Saints are better than what people think man.. Their D played good.. Carr and Coop was just better!!

You and I have a different definition of what a good defense looks like then. When you give up 35 points in a game you did not look good as a defense. They had some moments early on where they shut down the Raiders but good defenses know how to play for 4 quarters. Again this is week 1 so every team has plenty of time to improve. And usually week 1 is one of the craziest weeks for upsets so we start seeing teams come back to the norm in week 2. This will be the bigger week in my opinion for a lot of teams to either prove they belong or show that week 1 was a fluke.

KC I had said a while ago that their defense was going to take a bit of a step back this year. Smith gone who was a perfect fit for their scheme they run and Houston possibly out till week 10 or later would be hard to continue at the level they were before. Probably more than anything with them I just expect a bit of inconsistency. Good one week and then struggle the next. Heck that is what I expect with the Broncos offense this year. They have a lot of new moving pieces so there will be some bad weeks. Hopefully the Broncos defense can continue to dominate to help counter some of that.

Really though the AFC West is what we thought it was going to be in a pretty tight race most likely to the end. The head to head match ups will be huge this year.

 

[mcnabb7542]

Good thing he plays them twice a year!

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

You and I have a different definition of what a good defense looks like then. When you give up 35 points in a game you did not look good as a defense. They had some moments early on where they shut down the Raiders but good defenses know how to play for 4 quarters. Again this is week 1 so every team has plenty of time to improve. And usually week 1 is one of the craziest weeks for upsets so we start seeing teams come back to the norm in week 2. This will be the bigger week in my opinion for a lot of teams to either prove they belong or show that week 1 was a fluke.

KC I had said a while ago that their defense was going to take a bit of a step back this year. Smith gone who was a perfect fit for their scheme they run and Houston possibly out till week 10 or later would be hard to continue at the level they were before. Probably more than anything with them I just expect a bit of inconsistency. Good one week and then struggle the next. Heck that is what I expect with the Broncos offense this year. They have a lot of new moving pieces so there will be some bad weeks. Hopefully the Broncos defense can continue to dominate to help counter some of that.

Really though the AFC West is what we thought it was going to be in a pretty tight race most likely to the end. The head to head match ups will be huge this year.

Relax man.. 15 games to go, a lot can happen..

I agree the AFCW will come down to the last few games.. And like i said the the Bolts will be in the mix.. Although losing Allen is a pretty big blow for them..

And truth be told it will be tight for every team in the league.. It looks evenly matched across the board..

 

[BigKen]

Another observation: Do the Pats collect shifty white WRs? They are like the new Celtics in terms of finding and playing a high percentage of pretty good white guys.

The black ones can't hack it. ie: Ochocinco, Aaron Dobson, Chad Johnson, etc. etc. In all honesty, more than one has said that Tom Brady's expectations are beyond anything they've ever encountered.

 

[cdumler7]

Relax man.. 15 games to go, a lot can happen..

I agree the AFCW will come down to the last few games.. And like i said the the Bolts will be in the mix.. Although losing Allen is a pretty big blow for them..

And truth be told it will be tight for every team in the league.. It looks evenly matched across the board..

I am plenty relaxed. I just don't agree with your assessments on that Saints game. They had a couple of spurts of good defensive play but all in all you can't call that a great defensive performance when they give up that many points and especially big plays.

I also don't agree the Chargers will be in the mix. Especially now after losing Allen. Once he went out their offense completely fell apart and that defense is pretty easy to dink and dunk against. They are just too many players away from being a good team and are unfortunately for them in a tough division.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

I am plenty relaxed. I just don't agree with your assessments on that Saints game. They had a couple of spurts of good defensive play but all in all you can't call that a great defensive performance when they give up that many points and especially big plays.

I also don't agree the Chargers will be in the mix. Especially now after losing Allen. Once he went out their offense completely fell apart and that defense is pretty easy to dink and dunk against. They are just too many players away from being a good team and are unfortunately for them in a tough division.

Yes. Raiders D is awful, and the Chargers will be the same team as last year, and its unfortunate....That team doesn't lose past Sunday if Allen doesn't go down...Between his production, and the obvious mental blow to that team, they could have been 1-0 with a great division win, and would have been pumped for a turnaround season....Now you have to think every player in the lockeroom feels like last season all over again

 

[idahoraiderfan33]

I am plenty relaxed. I just don't agree with your assessments on that Saints game. They had a couple of spurts of good defensive play but all in all you can't call that a great defensive performance when they give up that many points and especially big plays.

I also don't agree the Chargers will be in the mix. Especially now after losing Allen. Once he went out their offense completely fell apart and that defense is pretty easy to dink and dunk against. They are just too many players away from being a good team and are unfortunately for them in a tough division.

You don't have to agree with me, that's the great thing about these kind of boards.. You have an opinion and i have one.. Ain't that just badazz dude??

Anyways cd.. Losing Allen hurts them no doubt!! They still have Rivers so they will always have a chance..
Again, i still think they will be in the mix, but losing Allen is a set back for sure..

 

[Great Dayne]

Teams that are out of it based on 1 week only
Rams
Browns
Bears
Saints
Chargers
Colts

Surprising teams
TB
Phins
Jags
Texans

Elite Teams
Pats
Pack
Broncos
Steelers
Hawks

Disappointing Teams
Panthers
Cards
Bills
Falcons
Saints

Basically the NFC South

 

[Fountain City Blues]

in Run Defense they look worse than last year however... Granted Steelers OL had there way all night (with the exception of the first drive)

You mean the Chargers O-line, if so I'd contend it was a more even fight once Chris Jones got more snaps and adjustments were made in the 2nd half.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I wish. As of this preseason, they were working on an extensions for Fisher and GM Snead.

I honestly don't understand how Fisher is still a coach in the NFL... The man has made a career of teams that "tread water". He is 165-150-1 (52%) in his career as a head coach.

To put that into perspective... He has only had 6 seasons where his teams have finished ABOVE .500 out of the 20 seasons that he has coached...