Week 1 games could be wild
To help kick off the NFL’S opening week, the two best teams in the NFC, Green Bay and Seattle — sorry, Atlanta, but that Super Bowl meltdown is too fresh — meet at Lambeau Field.
The season got going Thursday when Kansas City stunned New England 42-27 in their opener.
Alex Smith threw two long touchdown passes and rookie Kareem Hunt, after fumbling on his first NFL carry, scored three times for the visiting Chiefs.
Coming off their sensational Super Bowl rally to a fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy, the Patriots faded badly in the second half.
The opener between the Buccaneers and Dolphins that was scheduled for Sunday was postponed by the NFL until Nov. 19 because of Hurricane Irma.
Nowhere in a medical dictionary is the term “Super Bowl malaise.” No matter: It exists.
Will the Falcons fall victim to it? They insist not.
An offense that can beat up on anyone, particularly with running back Devonta Freeman ready to go, makes Atlanta dangerous. A defense that was somewhat suspect before it fell apart against the Patriots adds plenty of mystery to the Falcons’ chances.
The prime-time spotlight will shine on Adrian Peterson’s return to Minneapolis. He’s not even the top running back in the Big Easy, with Mark Ingram holding that role. But Peterson will be the focal point against a Minnesota defense that needs more consistency.
In Dallas, much of the buildup to this game against the Giants has been about Ezekiel Elliott. With his six-game suspension for violating the NFL’S conduct policy upheld by arbitrator Harold Henderson, then blocked on Friday by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant, last season’s leading rusher likely will be eligible to play the entire season.
The Giants tend to play well at Dallas, going 5-3 in mammoth AT&T Stadium.
Many folks point to the Titans as a team to watch, and with the Raiders’ Derek Carr healthy, we know the Raiders are a contender. So this sets up as the best opening matchup in the AFC.
The glory days are well behind the Ravens now, and they haven’t seen the postseason since 2014 after a great run under John Harbaugh.
Cincinnati’s Marvin Lewis has the second-longest tenure among NFL head coaches, behind Bill Belichick, at 14 seasons and counting. He also has the ignominious distinction of an 0-7 playoff mark, which is unprecedented.
In Cleveland, one of the NFL’S best (if recently lopsided) rivalries is renewed. The Steelers seem primed for a run toward a seventh Lombardi Trophy, though there is at least some concern that star Le’veon Bell only reported this week.
That malaise referred to with the Falcons hit the Panthers hard last year. So did injuries. If Cam Newton returns to his MVP form and the defense is stout, Carolina will be a factor.
While San Francisco won’t push the top two in the NFC West, new coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have brought an aggressive approach that, in time, should pay off.