It Has Begun - NFL Week 1

[Glengoyne]

So I started the wrong bronco receiver named Thomas tonight.

[ColtCrazy]

Like seeing Dallas Clark doing well (except for the drop, but he did bail them out on that drive earlier). One of my favorite Colts ever. Stand up guy, donated for many years to our school's auction.

[cuervo72]

Well, that drop wasn't great.

[Danny]

Montee ball fantasy owners not happy right now

[Lathum]

Ouch Dallas Clark.

[TroyF]

and he tries to make up for last years boneheaded play. That was a textbook hit. It shows how you can hit hard and still be clean in this league.

[ColtCrazy]

Originally Posted by TroyF

and he tries to make up for last years boneheaded play. That was a textbook hit. It shows how you can hit hard and still be clean in this league.

Be surprised if we see Clark after that hit. His bell was rung.

What is scary is how Denver may look in 4-5 weeks once all these guys get their rhythm going. Could rival Manning's weapons in 2004/05.

[BishopMVP]

Speaking of hits... anyone think that earlier hit on Trindon Holliday shouldn't have been a penalty? It looked bad because Holliday weighs 155, but I don't think he'd actually stepped out yet.

[Suicane75]

Yeah, if Thomas, J. becomes a guy other teams have to seriously account for, that passing game is going to be deadly.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by ColtCrazy

Be surprised if we see Clark after that hit. His bell was rung.

What is scary is how Denver may look in 4-5 weeks once all these guys get their rhythm going. Could rival Manning's weapons in 2004/05.

You add Julius Thomas, who isn't just a threat at TE, but a deep threat, and this offense goes from great to potentially historically great. Ball will get carries and I believe he'll play well. Hillman is great used in spurts. Moreno can catch and run out of the backfield. Then you get to D. Thomas, Decker, and Welker? I mean, it gets truly frightening.

The Donkies had 67 yards on their first three drives, zero points.

They have 255 yards and five TD's on their last six drives.

Manning is 15-19 with 5TD passes in those drives.

The offense could be pretty damned special.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Speaking of hits... anyone think that earlier hit on Trindon Holliday shouldn't have been a penalty? It looked bad because Holliday weighs 155, but I don't think he'd actually stepped out yet.

I thought he stepped out, but I didn't rewind and look at it frame by frame.

When a guy has given up and slowed down, you simply are not going to get that call a lot of the time if you take a shot.

[bhlloy]

I tend to agree - the Ravens really should have paid Boldin. They have a couple of nice deep threats but they are sorely lacking the guy who can get open for Flacco or make a bail out catch. Of course, it would have looked better with Pitta but still.

[TroyF]

That's the type of shot I believe deserves suspension every bit as much as the helmet to helmet hits. It was not necessary and clearly cheap. It's fine to give a guy like that 15 yards, but if you truly want to make the game safer, you sit guys who do that. I don't care if it's a Broncos, Raven, Raider or college player. That type of behavior should be punished harshly.

[ColtCrazy]

Originally Posted by TroyF

You add Julius Thomas, who isn't just a threat at TE, but a deep threat, and this offense goes from great to potentially historically great. Ball will get carries and I believe he'll play well. Hillman is great used in spurts. Moreno can catch and run out of the backfield. Then you get to D. Thomas, Decker, and Welker? I mean, it gets truly frightening.

The Donkies had 67 yards on their first three drives, zero points.

They have 255 yards and five TD's on their last six drives.

Manning is 15-19 with 5TD passes in those drives.

The offense could be pretty damned special.

It could very well be. And it's early to get excited, but this could be an incredible team. I remember the 2004 Colts when Manning had 49 TDs. Harrison, Wayne, and Stokley all had 1000 yes and 10 TDs at least. After that, Clark was still young, Pollard was okay. Edgerrin was in his prime, but Denver has incredible depth in the backfield. This Broncos team is probably deeper.

This might solve my indecisiveness on who to play in Madden 25. I was wanting to move the Jags to London, but wow. This team is going to be fun to watch.

And this is only the first game. Damn I've missed football.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

I tend to agree - the Ravens really should have paid Boldin. They have a couple of nice deep threats but they are sorely lacking the guy who can get open for Flacco or make a bail out catch. Of course, it would have looked better with Pitta but still.

The Broncos are playing without their two cornerbacks. They are without their best pass rusher. Dallas Clark has not been horrible tonight, so I think he's replaced Pitta just fine.

If Boldin means that much to the team, they were in serious trouble to begin with. If there is anything wrong, I'd say it's Jones being out. That said, Flacco should be torching this defense. They can't run the ball, which is not Flacco's fault. They can't throw the ball, which is.

I just hope the Broncos don't get complacent here. The defense is still weak. Flacco has big plays in him. This game is not over yet.

[bhlloy]

They can't throw the ball because they have nobody who can get open on those intermediate routes. 2 deep guys is not that hard to take away if you can't hit the 10-15 yard routes and run the ball.

And yah, I think Boldin means a lot more to them seeing as he more than doubled Jones' production last year and was massive in the playoffs. It's a huge hole for them to fill, even if Jones was on the field.

[ColtCrazy]

No amount of money will keep me from the Broncos-Colts game this year….although I can imagine some crazy money is going to be thrown around for tix.

I would agree that Denver's D is suspect. The tackling was awful early and really only changed once the Ravens lost Jones and Oher. They have the potential to improve since they are missing some of their best players.

[TroyF]

Well, scratch my concerns. They don't have a prayer of stopping this team.

374 yards and 6 TD's. . . with over 300 yards of that and all the TD's in just under 2 quarters. Damn.

And the Decker/Thomas combo have five combined catches. Nice win, doesn't make up for Moore being an idiot last year, but I'll take what I can get.

[ColtCrazy]

Bad Flacco! Bad.

[Abe Sargent]

Well that's a thumping continuing

[PilotMan]

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

[ColtCrazy]

Followed by the revenge of the Plaxico play. hahaha

[Julio Riddols]

People with the Denver D scream.

[britrock88]

wut? just stopped watching.

[mckerney]

wat wut?

[Logan]

He so obviously dropped that ball early I can't comprehend how Michaels/Collinsworth didn't notice it right away. Sucks that the Denver player got hurt trying to pick up the ball in the end zone, but good job by Stokley not giving up on the play.

[TroyF]

Ugh, Broncos fans not in fantasy are pissed. Woodyard is critical this year. That would be a very bad injury.

It goes from 49-17 to 42-24 and now we have to keep the starting offense out there. Just a horrible football play. I like the kid and how he plays, I'm glad we had a large lead when he did it.

Still, silly and stupid. A play you just cannot make.

[ColtCrazy]

I hate when teams take their foot of the gas. 8 minutes. 3 scores. Not impossible.

[TroyF]

Did Collinsworth really just say that it was a few minutes away from one TD making it a one score game?

Ummm, it's not one score, it's three. I understand it's not a game again because of the screw up, but this isn't exactly nail biting time either. Not yet anyway.

[TroyF]

GAME OVER

[ColtCrazy]

SEVEN TDS! And it doesn't even feel like it. Amazing performance by Manning.

And somehow, Damaryius Thomas has me a "quiet" 36 fantasy points.

[Julio Riddols]

Holy shitballs. Manning with a team like this might throw 60 TDs.

[Danny]

This Manning guy isn't bad

[Suicane75]

They should go for 8, fuck it.

[Danny]

Manning has the best receiving corps he has ever had this year.

[PilotMan]

How would you like to be the WR who played and didn't catch a TD pass the night he threw 7?

[Danny]

Looks like Decker will be the forgotten man

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

How would you like to be the WR who played and didn't catch a TD pass the night he threw 7?

for my fantasy team.

[Kodos]

Go for eight!

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

Holy shitballs. Manning with a team like this might throw 60 TDs.

Seriously. This could be pretty scary this year.

[ColtCrazy]

Glancing through my fantasy league….people that started someone from Denver scored a total of 152 points tonight (Manning had 65 alone)

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Danny

Looks like Decker will be the forgotten man

Decker had some drops tonight. He was targeted 7 times. I think Decker will have a couple of monster games. If you have a choice of who to go man on, do you pick either Thomas or Welker? I think you make Decker beat you.

Nice start for the Donkies. Very good offense.

[Vince, Pt. II]

So, sitting Peyton for Kaepernick was a bad idea.

[korme]

Thursday's opener has pretty much already wrapped up 3 of the 6 games in my league.

[Ronnie Dobbs3]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Go for eight!

I didn't see any "running up the score" haranguing this morning. I must have been looking in the wrong places.

[Butter]

Someone in one of my leagues is from Colorado, and like half her team is Broncos. Glad I didn't play her this week.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs3

I didn't see any "running up the score" haranguing this morning. I must have been looking in the wrong places.

I was joking. If I was coaching, Peyton would have been on the sideline at that point.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

So, sitting Peyton for Kaepernick was a bad idea.

Always.

[Kodos]

Besides, as Collinsworth astutely observed, the Ravens were one TD away from making it a one-score game at that point.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by Kodos

I was joking. If I was coaching, Peyton would have been on the sideline at that point.

Two score game with 4:30 left? Zero chance I ever have Peyton on the sideline in that situation.