JVZ's Insights --- Week One

What a weekend it was...

From the thriller Thursday night in Pittsburgh, all the way through Aaron Rodgers beautiful TD pass to Greg Jennings Sunday Night.

But with great football sometimes comes great heartache.

Let's take a look at the Week One Matchups.

Pittsburgh 13, Tennessee 10 (OT)
- Honestly, how scary is the Roethlisberger-to-Holmes connection now. Jeez. The Steelers seem to be straying away from the run abit, but it may have had something to do with the lackluster pass rush from the Titans.
- Pretty much what we expected from the Steelers D. They shut down every facet of the Titans attack. I did like the play of Kerry Collins for the most part, but they obviously need the running game to work if they hope to win any games.
Next Week: Pit @ Chi, Hou @ Ten
Atlanta 19, Miami 7
- Atlanta appears to be the real deal. Matt Ryan played great, and the defence shut down the Wildphins. They may have to worry about Michael Turner, as he didn't do much against aan average Miami D.
- On the flip side, the Phins need to play better on offence. They won't sneak up on anyone this year, and there is a good chance they won't repeat as division champs.
Next Week: Car @ Atl, Ind @ Mia (Mon)
Baltimore 38, Kansas City 24
- Baltimore looked great on offence. Joe Flacco is the real deal, as is new starting RB Ray Rice. They have to worry about the defence, because giving up this many points to Kansas City without their star QB is troublesome.
- Kansas City probably didn't think they a solid QB option in Brodie Croyle, but he made a claim for the job with this performance. It's a shame that he won't get another oppourtunity to show himself, as Matt Cassell is expected back soon.
Next Week: Bal @ San, Oak @ KC
Philadelphia 38, Carolina 10
- Uh oh. It appears Donovan McNabb has a cracked rib. Could this be the end of his era in Philly? Well, Kevin Kolb will likely start next week. But don't fret Eagles fans, the defence played amazing. And you still have Brian Westbrook (for now).
- Uh oh again. Jake Delhomme has 9 INTs in his last two starts. Not good for Panthers fans. He better get that turned around quick or the playoffs will be a distant memory for this squad. Matt Moore to the rescue!?
Next Week: NO @ Phi, Car @ Atl
Denver 12, Cincinnati 7
- Talk about thrilling victories. The Broncos go down 7-6 with just over a minute left, just to watch Brandon Stokley steal the win with that amazing catch and run. But, the Broncs have to be worried about the running game, as no one stood out on the ground.
- If this is a healthy Carson Palmer, the Bungels are in trouble. Benson looked good, but they need more from the passing game. Unfortunate break for the defence, as they played well for 58 minutes, and got the tip on the TD pass. Another bad break for a team that doesn't get many good ones.
Next Week: Cle @ Den, Cin @ GB
Minnesota 34, Cleveland 20
- Good news for Minny. Brett Favre looked good. AP look amazing. The defence stifled the Browns attack (not saying much). The real test is to see if they can get this much of a performance against an NFL team.
- Cleveland is in trouble. Brady Quinn was pedestrian, and Jamal Lewis gets a bit older every week. The defence couldn't stop the run, and let Brett get into a rhythm. They made some progress by scoring an offensive TD in the fourth. Stay ready Derek Anderson.
Next Week: Min @ Det, Cle @ Den
NY Jets 24, Houston 7
- Mark Sanchez looks like the real deal. Thomas Jones continues to run wild, and the defence stifled the potent Houston offence. If they can make a statement against New England next week, this team will be considered a contender.
- Houston played terrible. If that's Matt Schaub, they will be regretting the Rosenfels deal. Steve Slaton and Andre Johnson were no factors as well. The defence played OK, but they should have easily handled the rookie QB.
Next Week: NE @ NYJ, Hou @ Ten
Indianapolis 14, Jacksonville 12
- Not a great showing from the Indy offence, and now they have to play without Anthony Gonzalez. The defence did a great job against the pass, but MJD had a solid day. They may have to get Marvin Harrison on the phone soon.
- The Jags did a decent job running the ball, but the positive of this game was the play of the defence. They kept them in the game. They shut down Peyton Manning, and that has to be a plus for a team that has to find an identity.
Next Week: Ind @ Mia (Mon), Ari @ Jac
New Orleans 45, Detroit 27
- Drew Brees had 6 TDs....ridiculous. He already has an edge in the MVP voting. The running game is in good hands with Mike Bell, Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. One worry is the play of the defence. Yes, they had 3 INTs, but this is Detroit....come on.
- The Lions kept it close for a while, but could not find an answer for Brees. They got a good look at Matthew Stafford playing under pressure, and it didn`t look too good. But, Kevin smith ran well. The defence will have to improve greatly or they may not win a game this year either.
Next Week: NO @ Phi, Min @ Det
Dallas 34, Tampa Bay 21
- The Cowboys proved they can get offence without Terrell Owens. Tony Romo looked solid, and the running game was there to back him up. They had better shore up that run defence though with the Giants on tap for next week.
- I'd be willing to bet that nobody thought Cadillac would run wild like that. Wow, that signing of Derrick Ward looks irrelevant now. They have to be worried about the play of the D, as they allowed way to many big plays.
Next Week: NYG @ Dal, TB @ Buf
San Francisco 20, Arizona 16
- Imagine what Shaun Hill could do with Michael Crabtree. All Hill does is win. And this is a huge upset of last year's division champs. The defence really surprised a lot of people, shutting down one of the better passing attacks in the league.
- What happened to this offence? Kurt Warner was not effective, and that brought down stud WRs Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. Also, the running game continued to be enemic. The D had a pretty good showing.
Next Week: Sea @ SF, Ari @ Jac
NY Giants 24, Washington 17
- The Giants looked fairly average in week one, which is pretty much what I expected. The running game looked good, but losing Danny Ware will hurt. The defence did a good job when it had to, and clearly Osi Umenyiora has a massive impact on how the team plays.
- The Skins are in trouble if they can't get Jason Campbell going. I realize nobody wants him, but come on. Did he even throw the ball in the first quarter? Oh well, the defence was greatly improved. Albert Haynesworth looked like he was still motivated. We'll see how long that lasts.
Next Week: NYG @ Dal, Stl @ Was
Seattle 28, St Louis 0
- Despite the turnovers, the Seahawks managed to run away with this one. Julius Jones finally looks like he is motivated, and that is clearly a boost for this team. Also, that defence still looks very good. Getting Patrick Kerney back is a big boost.
- Yuck. St Louis may finally break the streak. By this I mean, they will get the #1 overall pick next year, as opposed to the #2 slot they have occupied in back-to-back drafts.
Next Week: Sea @ SF, Stl @ Was
Green Bay 21, Chicago 15
- A shaky performance from Aaron Rodgers turned out good in the end. How wide open was Greg Jennings. Wow. And the transition to the 3-4 looks like it was just what the Pack needed. They abused Jay Cutler, and got 4 INTs for their efforts.
- Chicago certainly didn't live up to the hype in week one. If that is what they got from Cutler, they better hope for a mulligan. The defence played well overall, but again....Why was Jennings that open? Figures, Cutler stinks, and Orton throws a game-winning TD.
Next Week: Cin @ GB, Pit @ Chi
New England 25, Buffalo 24
- It seemed like the Pats didn't wake up until the fourth quarter. We saw this from the Cowboys last year. Pats fans better hope Brady gets more comfortable in the pocket, or they could be in trouble against better Ds. Also, letting the Bills make it interesting is a scary thought for that D.
- The TO train may start rolling if another loss and two catch performance comes around. For the most part, the Bills dominated the game, despite the time-of-possession ratio. They need to focus on their defence in the red zone, as it became a problem late in the game.
Next Week: NE @ NYJ, TB @ Buf
San Diego 24, Oakland 20
- Seeing LT fumble was bad news, and seeing Darren Sproles succeed was bad for LT fans. The offence needs to get going, as that performance was underwhelming. The defence did a good job at confusing JaMarcus Russell.
- Props to the dysfunctional Raid-uhs. They kept this game closer than it should have been, despite the turnovers from Russell and the RBs. The defence played very well, but was unable to get a stop when they needed it. The special teams is a concern as well.

Updated Power Rankings on the way...