For me, there’s no event on the sporting calendar more exciting than the first weekend of the NFL season. Partly that’s because I’ve been to England games at European Championships, to cup finals, to live baseball/basketball/ice hockey and atmosphere wise, nothing comes close to being inside FedEx Field on opening day of last year and hearing 90,000 braying fans roar on their Skins. (My Fins lost, but it was still incredible.) More importantly, it’s because in no other sport does the opening game mean so much. Lose your first baseball game of the season and you have 161 more to put things right. In English football’s Premiership, that magic number is 37.
In the NFL, it’s 15.
A win to begin their season has a team’s fans dreaming of Play-Offs, Championships, and Super Bowls, even in a quarterbackless city like Chicago. A defeat means you’re already on the backfoot and need to turn things around quickly. It’s why sports psychology plays such a huge role in American football, and why scouts and coaches take so much time to investigate a college player’s mindset before the annual NFL draft. Can they stand the instant, must-win pressure of the big league? Sometimes not, and that’s why even first round picks can amount to zip.
And what did we learn from 2008’s opening weekend?
That anyone can win the Super Bowl this year, particularly with Tom Brady knee-knacked. Don’t write the Pats off yet though; Bill Belicheck ALWAYS has a plan. Usually an underhand but successful one. Pennsylvania might be the next best bet to supply a Super Bowl team – Philly and Pittsburgh both looked sensational. Brett Favre starred for a dangerous Jets team against a much-improved Miami (yay! Except for the result), Jason Witten and Tony Romo had all sorts of fun against a Cleveland side who aren’t going to live up to the expectations they set themselves last year, and hell, Aaron Rodgers can play, can’t he? Get Green Bay near the top of that contenders list.
That being without Jeff Saturday and with a ring-rusty Peyton Manning isn’t conducive to success down Indianapolis way. The Colts better shape up, sharpish.
That the Giants still deserve the title of best team in the NFL. For now. And Brandon Jacobs? Wow.
That DeAngelo Hall, formerly an Atlanta Falcons cornerback with a ludicrously overinflated view of his own value, is now an Oakland Raiders cornerback with a ludicrously overinflated view of his own value.
Oh, and that the Raiders still absolutely suck.
That rookie running backs are the hot commodity right now. Felix Jones, Chris Johnson, Matt Forte – the boys done good.
That Eddie Royal is a little livewire, Jay Cutler a potential star, and the Denver Broncos a real dark horse. (SWIDT?)
That Seattle really, REALLY need some special teamers.
That the Bills don’t.
That Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco have some skillzzzz. Great to see the two rookies win in week one. Unless you live in Michigan or Cinci.
That the Redskins are, right now, the most overrated side in the NFL. Their playcalling, time management, commitment and execution was laughable in NY. Those 90,000 fans I mentioned earlier deserve better when the Saints come to visit this Sunday.
Bring on week two and (pleeeeease) a Miami victory in the desert.
2 comments:
Easy on the Bears and Kyle Orton. We won! And the dream is still alive! Let me dream for another week or so!!
And as the Skins proved against the Skins and Cardinals, they're not such a bad team after all...
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