RealGM's Week 1 Rundown

[penguinz0]

RealGM's Week 1 Rundown

11th September, 2011 - 9:32 pm

Andrew Perna/RealGM.com - Rookies ruled Week 1 of the 2011 NFL season with Randall Cobb, Ryan Kerrigan and Cam Newton all enjoying exceptional debuts.

 

Green Bay 42, New Orleans 34

Trench Counter: Packers +1.7, Saints -1.7

 

The New Orleans Saints (0-1) will certainly miss Marques Colston (collar bone) in the next few weeks, but the wide receiver’s first-quarter fumble on Thursday night was a turning point in their loss to the Green Bay Packers (1-0). The turnover allowed Aaron Rodgers, who threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns, to lead the Packers to an early 14-0 lead in the first game of the 2011 season.

 

Drew Brees was no slouch, totaling 419 yards and three scores of his own, but New Orleans was engaged in an uphill battle for the remainder of the game even though they had a chance to force overtime on their final drive. Green Bay’s James Starks was the game’s leading rusher with 57 yards and touchdown, while Devery Henderson of New Orleans led all receivers with six catches for 100 yards and a score.

 

Philadelphia 31, St. Louis 13

Trench Counter: Eagles +3.7, Rams -3.7

 

In a game that was close statistically, the Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) ran away from the St. Louis Rams (0-1), who were beset by injuries. Steven Jackson gave the Rams a 7-0 lead on the team’s first offensive play of the season, but left soon after with a left leg injury. As the game progressed, St. Louis also lost wide receiver Danny Amendola (elbow) and quarterback Sam Bradford (hand).

 

Cadillac Williams (91 yards on 19 carries) filled in nicely for Jackson, but the Eagles dominated with 237 total rushing yards and a sparkling 7.6 per carry average. LeSean McCoy led the way with 15 touches for 122 yards and a touchdown. Michael Vick, who threw for 187 yards and two scores, added 98 yards on the ground.

Chicago 30, Atlanta 12

Trench Counter: Bears +1.4, Falcons -1.4

 

The Atlanta Falcons (0-1) moved the ball well, but three turnovers (two fumbles and an interception) doomed one of the favorites in the NFC against the sharp Chicago Bears (1-0). The Falcons turned the ball over on consecutive possessions in the first quarter and Jay Cutler, who passed for 312 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, was accurate on 69% of his pass attempts.

 

Michael Turner tallied 100 yards on just 10 touches, helping Atlanta average 7.9 yards per carry against Chicago’s average of 3.3, but turnovers proved to be the difference. Matt Forte was an all-around star for the Bears, rushing for 68 yards and catching five passes for 90 yards and a touchdown.

 

Cincinnati 27, Cleveland 17

Trench Counter: Bengals +10.7, Browns -10.7

 

The Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) needed two quarterbacks, but they were able to outlast the Cleveland Browns (0-1) thanks to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. Bruce Gradkowski found rookie A.J. Green for a 41-yard scoring strike with 4:28 left to give the Bengals a 20-17 lead after fellow freshman Andy Dalton went down with a wrist injury. Cedric Benson then locked up the victory with a 39-yard scamper with 1:49 left in regulation.

 

Browns quarterback Colt McCoy threw an interception when the game’s outcome was already determined as his team was hampered by inefficiency on third down. Cleveland punted eight times as they were just 4-for-15 facing third down at home. Benson was the game’s offensive star, rushing for 121 yards and a score on 25 carries.

 

Buffalo 41, Kansas City 7

Trench Counter: Bills +13.3, Chiefs -13.3

 

The Buffalo Bills (1-0) dominated the Kansas City Chiefs (0-1) in nearly every facet of the game at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs averaged just 2.9 yards per pass as Matt Cassel played through a rib injury, but they did average a very good 6.0 yards per rush (18 attempts). No receiver had more than 26 yards in the game and star Dwyane Bowe caught just two passes for 17 yards despite eight targets.

 

Both teams were well-disciplined; Buffalo was penalized five times for just 30 yards. Kansas City was whistled just one for three yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed four touchdown passes for the Bills, with two coming in the first quarter and another pair coming in the third.

 

Detroit 27, Tampa Bay 20

Trench Counter: Lions +11, Buccaneers -11

 

Josh Freeman nearly led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) to overtime, but the Detroit Lions (1-0) proved to be too efficient offensively on Sunday afternoon. Matt Stafford threw for 305 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, averaging 9.2 yards per pass. Calvin Johnson, who hauled in six passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns, was his main target, while Jahvid Best paced the offensive with 72 rushing yards.

 

Detroit held Tampa Bay in check on the ground, holding the Buccaneers’ running backs to just 30 yards on 12 carries. Freeman, who had 26 rushing yards, was the team’s leading rusher. Before a pair of Stafford touchdown passes in the second quarter, Tampa Bay grabbed the momentum on a 28-yard interception return for a touchdown by Aqib Talib midway through the first period.

Jacksonville 16, Tennessee 14

Trench Counter: Jaguars +4.8, Titans -4.8

 

The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) edged the Tennessee Titans (0-1) in a hotly-contested game. The Jaguars jumped out to a 13-0 lead and held on despite two second-half connections between Matt Hasselbeck and Kenny Britt. The Titans struggled on third down, going 4-for-11, while Jacksonville had a 50% success rate.

 

Hasselbeck, who had 263 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 21-for-34 passing, played well in his debut with Tennessee, but Luke McCown did just enough (175 yards on 24 attempts) to put Maurice Jones-Drew (97 yards and a score) in control of Jacksonville’s offense. Britt was the game’s leading receiver with five catchers for 136 yards and two scores.

 

Baltimore 35, Pittsburgh 7

Trench Counter: Ravens +19.4, Steelers -19.4

 

The Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1) committed an unspeakable seven turnovers in an embarrassing Week 1 loss to the rival Baltimore Ravens (1-0). Ben Roethlisberger threw for 280 yards and a touchdown, but threw three interceptions and also lost a pair of fumbles. Pittsburgh running back Rashard Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore also each lost a fumble.

 

Baltimore’s offense didn’t have to be too sharp to win, but Joe Flacco was on point and Ray Rice rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Flacco threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns on 29 attempts, with Anquan Boldin, Ed Dickson and Rice each catching a scoring pass. The Ravens had just 73 more total yards than the Steelers, but the home team scored three more touchdowns.

 

Houston 34, Indianapolis 7

Trench Counter: Texans +13.2, Colts -13.2

 

The Houston Texans (1-0) dealt the Indianapolis Colts (0-1) a blow of reality in their first game without Peyton Manning in 13 years. The Texans scored 17 points in the first quarter and held the Colts scoreless until the 9:17 mark of the fourth quarter when Kerry Collins found Reggie Wayne for a 6-yard touchdown. Houston dominated the game offensively, gaining 11 more first downs and averaging 9.0 yards per pass.

 

Even without reigning rushing leader Arian Foster (hamstring), Houston ran for 167 yards thanks to strong efforts by Ben Tate (116 yards and a touchdown) and Derrick Ward (39 yards and a score). Collins didn’t throw an interception, but he lost a pair of fumbles, which stalled early drives. Houston’s defense, now led by Wade Phillips, sacked Collins three times.

 

Arizona 28, Carolina 21

Trench Counter: Cardinals -1.6, Panthers +1.6

 

Cam Newton registered a historic debut performance, but the Carolina Panthers (0-1) still lost to the Arizona Cardinals (1-0). Newton threw for 422 yards, tying Matthew Stafford’s rookie single-game record and breaking Peyton Manning’s mark for passing yards by a rookie in Week 1. Newton, who rushed for 18 yards and a score, threw for a pair of scores and tossed an interception. Steve Smith, who requested a trade in the offseason, caught eight balls for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

 

Kevin Kolb had a great debut with the Cardinals, going 18-for-27 with 309 yards and two touchdown passes. He lost a fumble, but Carolina punted on the next possession. The Cardinals scored a touchdown after a Newton interception in the third quarter. The Panthers had a chance to tie the game in the final minutes, but Newton overthrew a number of receivers.

 

San Diego 24, Minnesota 17

Trench Counter: Chargers +16.8, Vikings -16.8

 

The Minnesota Vikings (0-1) jumped out to a 17-7 lead, but an inept passing attack doomed them against the San Diego Chargers (1-0). Michael Jenkins caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Donovan McNabb in the second quarter for Minnesota’s only offensive touchdown. McNabb went 7-for-15 for 39 yards, erasing the effectiveness of Adrian Peterson’s 98 yards and their 159 team total.

 

San Diego was far from perfect, especially with lingering issues on special teams, but Philip Rivers was just good enough. He had 335 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions on 48 attempts. Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert combined for 80 yards and three total touchdowns. The Chargers punted just three times.

San Francisco 33, Seattle 17

Trench Counter: 49ers +5.1, Seahawks -5.1

 

Ted Ginn Jr. almost single-handedly led the San Francisco 49ers (1-0) to a win over the Seattle Seahawks (0-1) with a pair of touchdown returns in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. With San Francisco leading 19-17, Ginn returned a kickoff 102 yards for a score and he added a 55-yard punt return touchdown less than a minute later. Alex Smith ran in for a score and went 15-for-20 with 124 yards in the win.

 

Tarvaris Jackson had an uncomfortable debut with Seattle, getting sacked five times and completing just 21 of his 37 attempts. He threw two touchdowns, but threw an interception and lost two fumbles. The 49ers didn’t commit a single turnover, allowing them to recover from a 1-for-12 performance on third down.

 

Washington 28, N.Y. Giants 14

Trench Counter: Redskins +5.5, Giants -5.5

 

With the game knotted at 14 in the third quarter, rookie Ryan Kerrigan returned an interception nine yards for a touchdown to give the Washington Redskins (1-0) the momentum against the New York Giants (0-1) at FedEx Field. Rex Grossman outshined Eli Manning just a few days after he was named Washington’s starting quarterback. He went 21-for-34 with 305 yards and two touchdowns, while Tim Hightower helped move the chains with 72 yards and a score.

 

Manning went 18-for-32 with 268 yards and an interception and New York’s ground game wasn’t able to pick him up. The Redskins averaged a paltry 2.8 yards per game, but the Giants’ 3.8 average was especially disappointing because of their passing inefficiency. Hakeem Nicks was the game’s leading receiver with seven catches for 122 yards, including a 68-yard connection with Manning

 

Read more: http://football.realgm.com/src_wiretap_arc.../#ixzz1XhWKkzQa

 

Colts, Steelers got slapped. Cleveland almost had it and go Eagles! lol

[Father Justin]

Eagles Fan? Born and Raised in New Jersey so my parents Supported them, However....

 

RAIDERS #1

RAIDERS #1

RAIDERS #1

[8loodyarch3r]

Da Bears

[wcking179-]

romo is cursed :(