The NFL season is finally here, and the first week of games has already seen a flurry of overreactions. Here are four major reactions that have been dominating headlines this week.
After Week 1 of the NFL season, there were 4 major overreactions. The first was when the Patriots lost to the Chiefs. The second was when the Eagles beat the Falcons. The third was when the Steelers lost to the Browns. And finally, there was a fourth overreaction when all 32 teams had a bad week for some reason. Read more in detail here: when does the nfl season start.
The first week of the NFL season was full of excitement and unexpected outcomes. This isn’t the NBA, where there are 81 games left after opening day; instead, this new 17-game schedule has just 16 games left. Despite the NFL’s shorter schedule, there is still plenty of time for clubs to recover from a 0-1 start.
Here are four overreactions to the NFL season’s first week.
Overreaction #1: Jalen Hurts may be the franchise quarterback for the Eagles.
Throughout the summer, there were many concerns about whether Jalen Hurts could make the transition from backup quarterback to the person you build your team around in the NFL. Hurts didn’t have the most spectacular rookie season, but he was playing for the Eagles, who were at times the league’s worst disaster. While Hurts was looking for playing time, the Eagles were debating whether or not to bench Carson Wentz, which created an atmosphere that wasn’t conducive to a rookie’s success.
Hurts’ skill appeared to be there all along; it was just a question of putting it all together and being able to lead an attack. Hurts also need a coach and a system designed just for him. The Eagles reinforced their faith in him by selecting wide receiver DeVonta Smith with the 10th overall selection and center Landon Dickerson with the 37th overall pick in the draft. Before moving on, the Eagles want to make this work with Hurts, or at the very least give it their all.
In the opening game of the NFL season, Hurts looked better than he has in the past, and his statistics reflected that. He threw three touchdowns while completing 27 of his 35 attempts against the Atlanta Falcons. His passer rating of 126.4 was a career best, indicating that he was ready to start. Hurts was in “full charge” of the offense after game one, according to head coach Nick Sirianni, which is a positive indication for everyone.
Overreaction #2: Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins era is still a disaster.
Any Vikings fan would have told you a number of things before the team’s collapse in Cincinnati on Sunday.
First and foremost, the Cousins period has not gone as planned, which is not good. He was meant to be the last link in a Super Bowl puzzle. Basically, Matthew Stafford seems to be working out for the Rams. They would also have informed you that this is the year the Vikings have been preparing for. Mike Zimmer has his defense in place, Kirk Cousins has his weapons, and the offensive line is improving. The Vikings, unfortunately, are still the Vikings.
Minnesota arrived in Cincinnati with the expectation of a simple victory against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. After all, the Bengals are unlikely to make the playoffs. Zimmer, Cousins, and the rest of the Vikings should have had an easier time, but it was a disgraceful performance. The Bengals triumphed 27-24 in overtime, making the game seem more competitive than it was. Vikings supporters expected their team to win by a large margin.
So, where did things go wrong? Joe Mixon gained 127 yards on the ground against a team designed to stop the run, enabling Joe Burrow and the passing game to really open up the offense. Kirk Cousins put up some impressive numbers, but he was sacked or pressed much too frequently, either because his offensive line is still a mess or because he can’t escape pressure. The disparity in the pocket between Stafford and Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins is mind-boggling. Overall, Minnesota’s performance was more of the same in a season when they badly need things to go their way or individuals would lose their jobs.
Overreaction #3: The Rams have the last piece in their Super Bowl puzzle.
Remember how the Vikings squad we just discussed felt Kirk Cousins was the missing piece? The Los Angeles Rams adopted a similar approach this summer, but with Matthew Stafford as quarterback, it’s going to work out well. The Rams boast a top-five defense and a top-ten offensive line, as well as some of the finest weapons in the league. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods are an underappreciated receiving combination, and the weapons they’re surrounded by complement them well. This squad was being held back by Jared Goff, but we’ve all seen what Matthew Stafford can accomplish on Sunday Night Football.
Sean McVay has finally found his man. Instead of being a student, he now has a quarterback partner. McVay didn’t succeed in developing Jared Goff into a top quarterback, but it shouldn’t be used against him too harshly. Some men just aren’t very good. Now he has Matthew Stafford, one of the best quarterbacks of the past ten years who was trapped in Detroit. It will be ideal for everyone if he had some excellent weapons, a fantastic offensive line, a great defense, and a head coach that adores him. This has a good chance of being picked up by the Rams.
Overreaction #4: The Cardinals are one of the top teams in the National Football Conference.
The Arizona Cardinals are in year three of Kyler Murray’s career, and this is going to be the year they finally break through. The Cardinals finished 5-10-1 in Murray’s first season, then 8-8 the next year. The Cardinals are unlikely to follow such a clear route to success, where every year goes exactly as you’d anticipate from a rebuild, but they’ll do it. Murray is one of the league’s finest young quarterbacks. At any given time, he’ll go all over the defenders, and his arm is rapidly turning into one of the finest.
In their Week 1 NFL debut, the Cardinals’ defense played about as well as they could have wanted. Chandler Jones was the star, with five sacks to his credit and a strong start against the run. J.J. Watt lined up on the other side of him, and although his name won’t appear in the box score, his presence was palpable. A.J. Brown and Julio Jones were kept in check by the secondary, while Derrick Henry never got going. This Titans offense is considered as one of the greatest in the NFL, but after Week 1, that may not be the case.
Arizona has been preparing for this squad for a long time. Both DeAndre Hopkins and J.J. Watt were acquired in large deals to complete both sides of the ball, and both moves are paying off. After two disappointing seasons, Kyler Murray and head coach Kliff Kingsbury are in their third year together, and this year might be a make-or-break year. The Cardinals are expected to have a successful season in the NFL.
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