Plenty of Week 1 Highs and Lows
There were some surprises and some not-so-surprises in the first week of the NFL season. The Patriots, on paper at least, have a loaded offense, but we didn't see any of it during preseason. RB Laurence Maroney was limited coming off shoulder surgery, the offensive line was up and down, and WR Randy Moss didn't play at all with a hamstring problem.
What to expect in the opener? This offense is as good as advertised as they pummeled the Jets, 38-14. Moss was sensational with nine catches for 183 yards and a touchdown. It will be interesting to watch QB Tom Brady put up some sizzling numbers this season as for the first time in his career he has dazzling No. 1 wideouts in Moss and Dante Stallworth, not to mention sparkplug slot receiver Wes Welker.
For fantasy players, if you have a chance to grab Welker, do it. With all the double-teams Moss is going to see, Welker should have a productive year. He had 6 catches for 61 yards and a TD in the opener.
At the other end of the spectrum is the Kansas City Chiefs. What the heck is Herm Edwards doing? The guy inherits a team that was in the Top 3 in offense for several years, then goes about unloading guys like Dante Hall and QB Trent Green because he wants to transform them into a power running team.
The offense had 219 total yards in the opener, 3 points and 4 turnovers. RB Larry Johnson, who had had 1,789 yards and 17 TDs last season, was held to 43 yards on 10 carries. Johnson set a league record last season with 416 rushing attempts. Note to Herm: Don't you think the opposition knows what's coming? If you don't, go back and watch your playoff loss to the Colts: The most unimaginative game plan in the history of postseason football, negating a terrific defensive effort.
"The Texans didn't blitz a lot," QB Damon Huard said. "They played a lot of man coverage, and they were able to stop us. If you can stop the run and make us a one-dimensional team, you're going to win the game." Larry Johnson put it a little differently: "This offense is going to be a project. We need to grow some balls." The Chiefs are 9-19 SU, 9-18-1 ATS their last 28 road games and play at Chicago this week. Think the offense will bust out?
Carolina was impressive in the opener, a 27-13 win at St. Louis. The Panthers have made some changes for this season. Coach John Fox loves the ground game, but the Panthers have a new offensive coordinator in Jeff Davidson. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In a zone-blocking scheme, linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The system features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Players liked the new offense in preseason, and they looked sharp in the opener, with 387 yards in the win at the Rams. The offense had 186 yards rushing, 201 passing.
Quick running backs DeAngelo Williams (62 yards) and DeShaun Foster (94) were strong and are better suited to zone blocking schemes than to pound away between the tackles.
Do you think Bobby Petrino is scoreboard watching? The guys Petrino left behind in Louisville are averaging 65 points per game. His new team, the Atlanta Falcons, was held to a field goal in a 24-3 loss at Minnesota. QB Joey Harrington had no TDs and 2 interceptions. On Atlanta's first drive, Harrington was intercepted by defensive tackle Kevin Williams, who jumped into the passing lane of a pattern being run by tight end Alge Crumpler. Williams, all 311 pounds of him, raced 54 yards into the end zone to give Minnesota a 7-0 lead.
Harrington was sacked six times, sometimes because he didn't unload the ball when blitzes were obviously on their way, other times because receivers didn't get open and other times because of protection failures. "I thought he did some good things but he was inconsistent," Petrino said of Harrington. Translated that means, "I can't wait to draft Brian Brohm next April."
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