It was a long time coming, and for some of us, we're still waiting.
It was feast of famine for the JFL in Week 1. Eight teams scored more than 100 points, and three of those teams — Houserville, World of Noise and the Jammers — were the hard-luck losers in those matchups.
Whereas new franchise Jawz Attack used 83.7 points to push aside the lackluster Slackers.
It was a poor week for quarterbacks and top-tier RBs, other than Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Chris Johnson.
The rest was either so-so or not-so-good.
But that's how it is in Week 1.
Six teams have to lose, six teams have to win.
It's a horrible feeling to lose Week 1, but all the pains of such a start can easily be healed by a 1-1 mark after Week 2.
For the entire Week 1 recap, CLICK HERE to download the PDF version of the first edition of JFL Weekly. I hope you guys enjoy. I plan to use this for recaps each week, if all goes to plan.
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Now, for the rest of my Week 1 NFL rants.
Let's start in Tampa Bay where the Cleveland Browns flopped.
What is Mangini thinking?
After a horrible start in 2009, he was surely going to be fired. That was the feeling at about Thanksgiving, but Mangini changed his game plan, used the run game and pounded the Browns to a few surprise wins at the end of the season.
Optimism grew and his job was saved.
Running the ball saved his job.
So what does he do Week 1 against one of 2009's worst run defenses?
He throws. He throws some more. And then some more.
And this was while the Browns were winning!
When they did run, he used a fullback, Peyton Hillis, and not Jerome Harrison who went nuts in the final four games when he was actually given the rock. He carried just nine times Sunday, breaking one of those for 42 yards. Why would you not use this weapon?
It just boggles my mind.
Just as Lovie Smith blew my mind by not kicking a go-ahead field goal with the ball on the 1. Trailing late in the game, the Bears picked up a fumble at the 1 and failed on three straight Matt Forte runs to score. So on fourth down, Smith chooses to go to Forte again.
Again they failed and the boos rained down.
Fortunately for Lovie, the Bears came back and won, but they shouldn't have after Megatron scored an unbelievable touchdown that was not.
That's a rule change that has to change. What Calvin Johnson did is equal to several touchdowns I've seen where the player catches the TD pass and immediately spikes the ball. Johnson controlled it longer than some of those celebrating players, yet still was penalized because when he got up off the ground, it came out of his hands.
I've never liked the NFL rule for was constitutes a reception and common sense needs to be applied to these decisions.
Hopefully this changes soon. Because the Lions have a 21-game road losing streak that should have ended at 20.
Speaking of change, the NFL also needs to do away with this Monday Night Doubleheader on ESPN to start the season. It's 1:10 a.m. and the Chargers are still trying to tie the game.
It's not even like this game is on the West Coast either. It's in Kansas City where it is just 12:10 a.m.
That's just bad marketing.
Then again, I'm watching it. ... So I guess it's working in some cases.
Moving on, I expected some upsets in Week 1. I predicted the Texans over the Colts and I thought the Skins would beat the Boys, but never in a million years would I have expected a flop by the 49ers in Seattle.
What the heck happened there.
I didn't get to see the game, but 1-for-15 on third downs is absolutely pitiful. Alex Smith made great strides at the end of 2009 and to lay an egg in the opener like that is awful. He blamed it on the offensive coordinator taking too long to get plays into him, but at some point, Smith has to rally his guys and take charge. It's what Manning would do. And it's what Smith, as a No. 1 pick, must learn to do.
If he doesn't, the heavily favored division winners will fail to do just that.
Besides. I don't hear Sam Bradford complaining in St. Louis.
It was feast of famine for the JFL in Week 1. Eight teams scored more than 100 points, and three of those teams — Houserville, World of Noise and the Jammers — were the hard-luck losers in those matchups.
Whereas new franchise Jawz Attack used 83.7 points to push aside the lackluster Slackers.
It was a poor week for quarterbacks and top-tier RBs, other than Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Chris Johnson.
The rest was either so-so or not-so-good.
But that's how it is in Week 1.
Six teams have to lose, six teams have to win.
It's a horrible feeling to lose Week 1, but all the pains of such a start can easily be healed by a 1-1 mark after Week 2.
For the entire Week 1 recap, CLICK HERE to download the PDF version of the first edition of JFL Weekly. I hope you guys enjoy. I plan to use this for recaps each week, if all goes to plan.
_________________________
Now, for the rest of my Week 1 NFL rants.
Let's start in Tampa Bay where the Cleveland Browns flopped.
What is Mangini thinking?
After a horrible start in 2009, he was surely going to be fired. That was the feeling at about Thanksgiving, but Mangini changed his game plan, used the run game and pounded the Browns to a few surprise wins at the end of the season.
Optimism grew and his job was saved.
Running the ball saved his job.
So what does he do Week 1 against one of 2009's worst run defenses?
He throws. He throws some more. And then some more.
And this was while the Browns were winning!
When they did run, he used a fullback, Peyton Hillis, and not Jerome Harrison who went nuts in the final four games when he was actually given the rock. He carried just nine times Sunday, breaking one of those for 42 yards. Why would you not use this weapon?
It just boggles my mind.
Just as Lovie Smith blew my mind by not kicking a go-ahead field goal with the ball on the 1. Trailing late in the game, the Bears picked up a fumble at the 1 and failed on three straight Matt Forte runs to score. So on fourth down, Smith chooses to go to Forte again.
Again they failed and the boos rained down.
Fortunately for Lovie, the Bears came back and won, but they shouldn't have after Megatron scored an unbelievable touchdown that was not.
That's a rule change that has to change. What Calvin Johnson did is equal to several touchdowns I've seen where the player catches the TD pass and immediately spikes the ball. Johnson controlled it longer than some of those celebrating players, yet still was penalized because when he got up off the ground, it came out of his hands.
I've never liked the NFL rule for was constitutes a reception and common sense needs to be applied to these decisions.
Hopefully this changes soon. Because the Lions have a 21-game road losing streak that should have ended at 20.
Speaking of change, the NFL also needs to do away with this Monday Night Doubleheader on ESPN to start the season. It's 1:10 a.m. and the Chargers are still trying to tie the game.
It's not even like this game is on the West Coast either. It's in Kansas City where it is just 12:10 a.m.
That's just bad marketing.
Then again, I'm watching it. ... So I guess it's working in some cases.
Moving on, I expected some upsets in Week 1. I predicted the Texans over the Colts and I thought the Skins would beat the Boys, but never in a million years would I have expected a flop by the 49ers in Seattle.
What the heck happened there.
I didn't get to see the game, but 1-for-15 on third downs is absolutely pitiful. Alex Smith made great strides at the end of 2009 and to lay an egg in the opener like that is awful. He blamed it on the offensive coordinator taking too long to get plays into him, but at some point, Smith has to rally his guys and take charge. It's what Manning would do. And it's what Smith, as a No. 1 pick, must learn to do.
If he doesn't, the heavily favored division winners will fail to do just that.
Besides. I don't hear Sam Bradford complaining in St. Louis.
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