The first Sunday of the 2013 NFL season was as whacky and unpredictable as I can ever remember.
The play was as sloppy as it gets (did anyone see the Giants-Cowboys game?), and few teams outside of the San Francisco 49ers came out firing on all cylinders.
Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts barely hung on to beat the lowly Oakland Raiders at home, while the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans pulled out improbable victories over highly-favoured opponents.
The leading rusher of the day was Raiders’ quarterback Terrelle Pryor and the Titans won in Pittsburgh, despite only throwing for just 125 yards.
It was that kind of day.
With that mind, here are our 10 biggest takeaways from Week 1:
Ravens blew it with Boldin trade
We understand the logic: The Ravens didn’t value the aging receiver at his $6-million price tag, but trading Anquan Boldin to San Francisco looks like a major gaffe right now. With tight end Dennis Pitta and Jacoby Jones out, the Ravens are left without any intermediate options in their passing game – Dallas Clark and Brandon Stokley look completely washed up – and Boldin was the NFL’s most dominant player (208 yards and a touchdown) on Sunday. Acquiring Boldin for a sixth-round pick looks like an absolute steal for San Francisco.
Reggie Bush found the perfect offence
We haven’t seen Reggie Bush dominate a game like that since his days at USC. Bush was supposed to have these kind of electric performances when the Saints chose him second-overall back in 2006, but he’s finally found the offensive scheme that fits his skill set, racking up 101 receiving yards, 90 rushing yards and a touchdown in his Lions debut. With Calvin Johnson getting all the attention on the outside, expect Bush to continue to light it up in Detroit.
Quarterbacks on the hot seat struggle again
We knew it was going to a make-or-break year for Brandon Weeden, Christian Ponder and Josh Freeman. The three young quarterbacks didn’t do much to help their cases with putrid showings in Week 1, combining for seven interceptions. These former first-round picks could find themselves holding a clipboard for another team next season if they don’t start showing some legitimate progress. Not surprisingly, the three combined for an 0-3 record on Sunday.
What were you thinking, Lavonte David?
As mentioned above with Freeman, it was an ugly game for the Bucs but they appeared to have locked up the win over the Jets until a boneheaded penalty by Lavonte David. While Jets quarterback Geno Smith was running out of bounds just past midfield in the final 10 seconds of the game David shoved Smith to the ground late, and while the call was a bit ticky-tack, it was an unnecessary penalty for him to take. David gave the Jets a free 15 yards, putting them into field goal range for the game-winning kick. Now David will be in the news for all the wrong reasons.
The Steelers decline is real
Many thought Pittsburgh’s 8-8 season in 2012 was an anomaly, but the Steelers have a flawed roster that doesn’t look ready to contend. The Steelers have done a poor job in the draft and managing the salary cap in recent seasons, and the lack of talent throughout the roster is evident. The defence, despite playing well, is aging and the offensive line looks like a complete mess now that all-pro centre Maurkice Pouncey will miss the rest of the season. It could be another ugly year for Big Ben and the black and gold.
Danny Amendola is the new Welker for Brady
Watching Wes Welker score twice in his Denver debut couldn’t have been comforting for Patriots fans, but Tom Brady has already found his successor in Danny Amendola. The free-agent addition looked like a carbon copy of Welker, pulling in 10 catches for 104 yards on 14 targets in a tight victory over Buffalo. Brady didn’t have the same chemistry with undrafted rookies Zach Sudfeld and Kenbrell Thomkins, so whenever he needed a critical play, he turned to Amendola, who came up clutch in his first game.
Marc Trestman is already making his mark in Chicago
We’ve all seen that shot of Jay Cutler pouting or yelling at his offensive lineman, but that may change now that Trestman is running the show in Chicago. For the first time in years, the Bears’ offensive line actually looks like strength, not allowing a single sack against a formidable Bengals pass rush and giving Cutler the time to go through his progressions in the passing game. The additions of left tackle Jermon Bushrod and rookie right guard Kyle Long will make a major difference for Trestman, Cutler and the Bears.
Colin Kaepernick could be an MVP candidate
Colin Kaepernick was the most impressive quarterback of the day by a large margin. He didn’t need any read-option or gadget plays and did the majority of his work from the pocket in his dismantling of the Packers’ defence. Kaepernick was able to find Boldin and Vernon Davis open down the field and threw for an impressive 412 yards without much help from the running game. Kaepernick is already elite at throwing on the run and if he can put on a similar performance from the pocket next week in Seattle, the 49ers could have a legitimate MVP candidate on their hands.
What the heck was going on with the Giants?
Remember when people used to say Eli was the superiour Manning? Well, that seems laughable now. While Eli’s stat line may look impressive in some areas, he and his offence looked disastrous throughout their loss to Dallas. David Wilson couldn’t hold onto the ball and Manning turned into Tony Romo with three turnovers and a number of head-scratching decisions. The Giants turned the ball over six times in total, putting together one of the worst games of the Tom Coughlin era. They better get it figured out quickly with brother Peyton coming to New York next Sunday.
What happened to C.J. Spiller?
There was a lot to like about the Bills’ performance in the season opener. They competed and attacked on defence and EJ Manuel showed glimpses of greatness. But star running back C.J. Spiller was mostly ineffective. Maybe the Pats’ run defence is much-improved but Spiller didn’t look very explosive in the open field and the team struggled to find a use for their best weapon. After all the off-season hype, Spiller finished with just 41 yards on 17 carries while Fred Jackson ran for 67. Doug Marrone needs to find a better way to get Spiller involved in the new offence.
