2016 NFL Week 1

[Butter]

National TV games:

Carolina v. Denver - Thursday night
Giants v. Dallas - Sunday late game
New England v. Arizona - Sunday night

Pittsburgh v. Washington
Los Angeles v. San Francisco - Monday night doubleheader

The season is almost here at last!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Really fired up for the season. KC's division is REALLY bad and the first half of the schedule is weak. Would love to see them jump out to an early lead in the division and stay healthy.

[JeeberD]

It'll be interesting to see how Dak performs in a real game. I'm sure Garrett will go run-heavy with Zeke and Morris to keep the pressure off him. Of course, we'll need the defense to make a few stops in order to properly utilize that game plan...

[Honolulu_Blue]

The Lions will most likely suck and be horrible again!

Despite spending a good number of high picks: 3 1sts and 2 3rds in the offensive line, they have no shown the ability to run block. At all. I don't have a ton of faith in their pass blocking either.

Their running backs are Ameer Abdullah, who fumbles, a lot, Theo "Chronicles of" Riddick, who is really just a receiver who lines up as a running back, Zach Zenner, from South Dakota State, and rookie Dwayne Washington, who is pretty fast, but also has a fumbling issue.

This means they'll need to rely on the passing game with consistently inconsistent and sporadic Stafford and no Calvin Johnson to bail them out. Also, Eric Ebron is not very good.

The defensive line apparently has a lot of depth, but not a ton of talent after good, but very old Ngata and very good Ziggy Ansah.

Levy was a great linebacker that one year, got hurt, and hasn't really played since. The rest of the linebackers are average to pretty bad.

Darius Slay is a good corner and Glover Quinn a decent safety, but the rest of the secondary is completely unproven. It's a bunch of special teams type guys and young players who haven't really done much.

Yeah, it'll be another long year as a Lions fan. I'm pretty much used to it by now. At least Michigan is finally turning things around!

[albionmoonlight]

Not feeling good about the Saints this year.

Best thing going for them in week one is that expectations are low and the Raiders have been hearing great things about themselves all offseason.

If the Saints can come out early, I could see some momentum carrying them to a win.

But I think that the Raiders will beat them.

[sabotai]

Excited to see how the new Giants defense looks in a real game.

Not at all excited nor optimistic about their offensive line.

[wustin]

Oh man Arizona's defense is gonna tear up Garappolo.

[Chief Rum]

Rams.

LA Rams.

Nuff said.

[Travis]

Oh the Seahawks this year, where to start. Offensive line has been a roller coaster this offseason and I'm curious where it'll end up. There's some reason for optimism, at least everywhere other than LT right now but until they face regular season game planning and play calling I'm hedging by bets.

Lynch retiring and Rawls coming off an injury was a concern, but with Michael apparently figuring out how to be a pro and getting Collins and Prosise in the draft, this may still end up being the strength of the team.

Baldwin will return to earth a bit compared to the second half of last season but the sky is the limit for Lockett. The pass/run ratio may shift a bit this year towards the passing game, especially if Graham can come back at even 80% of what he was in the past. Lots of weapons and ways they can force the defense to reveal coverages, especially when Prosise is on the field. Could be a fun group to watch this year.

Defensively, the pass rush from the outside should be good but unless they can find somebody to reliably push the pocket from the middle, teams that can be patient and dink and dunk their way down the field will still eat them up. The secondary is probably as strong as it's been since the Super Bowl year and I'm curious to see how they treat the WLB spot as the loss of Irvin hurts but it seems like they're moving away from using that spot in the traditional sense.

If Wilson can be even (like Graham) 80% of what he was over the second half of last season, this may end up switching from a defense oriented team to one known for their offense. It seems really odd to write that, but the potential is there. The balance and quick strike ability they may have there this year could end up taking a lot of pressure and field time off the defense, which could make them even that much better. I'd love to see this defensive group playing with a lead more often than not and what sorts of numbers they could put up if opposing teams have to be more predictable in catch up mode.

AZ benefits from a Bradyless Patriots team and getting the Vikings early on but I still like the Seahawks chances to win the division. Last year really exemplified how important home field advantage is in the playoffs and I'm pretty confident that they can get one of the top 2 seeds.

Go Hawks!

[Dodgerchick]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Rams.

LA Rams.

Nuff said.

Not a Rams fan... yet.. maybe, but I'm excited for football in L.A.!

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Really fired up for the season. KC's division is REALLY bad and the first half of the schedule is weak. Would love to see them jump out to an early lead in the division and stay healthy.

I actually think the AFC West is fairly good. I could easily see 3 top 10 defenses in that group. I also think your final 5 games are going to be easier than your first 5. I think the division is a toss up. You guys certainly have a group who could win it.

[Thomkal]

well I like my beloved Cards chances against NE a lot more than I did when Brady was not suspended Was worried how terrible they were in the preseason-and they cut the guy who lead them to their only victory. (now on Chicago's practice squad.) They are only going with Palmer and Stanton, they better hope they don't get the Palmer from the playoffs.

[Butter]

Bengals fans! I'm expecting another 10-6 ish type season. Dalton has lost some weapons, but the offense still looked really good in the preseason. We'll see how it translates... The Bengals have a rough opening to the season that'll tell us a lot. We should pretty much know what's happening after six weeks.

[Julio Riddols]

Originally Posted by Butter

Bengals fans! I'm expecting another 10-6 ish type season. Dalton has lost some weapons, but the offense still looked really good in the preseason. We'll see how it translates... The Bengals have a rough opening to the season that'll tell us a lot. We should pretty much know what's happening after six weeks.

I think they will be 4-2 after 6 weeks and finish strong. The team has played like the kind of group that has some unfinished business, and I haven't seen them as sharp as they have been in the preseason. I think there is some added excitement in the young WR corps, where I actually think Boyd and LaFell are an upgrade over Sanu and Jones.

The key worries I have are at the CB position, where they need to stay healthy, and the offensive line, which needs to be more consistent this year. I'm pretty excited about the rest of the team though, I think this is the best LB group they have put on the field in the Dalton era, and the return game should be better this year with someone other than Brandon Tate back there. I get the vibe that Ken Zampese is a good offensive coordinator off of what I have seen so far, but I hope he doesn't begin to show predictability as the season wears on.

Dalton is probably as confident and comfortable as he has been and McCarron is backing him up, and I think they can win with either of them under center. I don't think they will take much of a step back if they take a step back at all. 12-4 is a possibility if injuries don't decimate any one position.

[chesapeake]

Originally Posted by Travis

Offensive line has been a roller coaster this offseason and I'm curious where it'll end up. There's some reason for optimism, at least everywhere other than LT right now but until they face regular season game planning and play calling I'm hedging by bets.

This is why they won't win the division. Last year's mediocre o-line had two of its better guys replaced with less skill and experience. I know they think that Tom Cable can work miracles with repurposed defensive linemen, duct tape and a little bit of rubber tubing, but the two preseason games I saw still showed that the #1 o-line still cannot convert 3rd and 1. Now, I know that will improve somewhat because Russell Wilson was absolutely forbidden from keeping the ball on the read option play in the pre-season, regardless of how many green acres the defense was giving him. But I don't think it will improve enough to allow them to sustain the 4th q drives they need to close out games against good teams with leads.

I also worry about the protection Wilson will get from the left side. Russell Okung may have been hurt a lot, but he was a competent LT when he was in there. I'm worried that Wilson gets splattered all over the pavement with this new bunch. His elusiveness and durability have masked a lot of weaknesses since he became a Seahawk.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

I think they will be 4-2 after 6 weeks and finish strong. The team has played like the kind of group that has some unfinished business, and I haven't seen them as sharp as they have been in the preseason. I think there is some added excitement in the young WR corps, where I actually think Boyd and LaFell are an upgrade over Sanu and Jones.

The key worries I have are at the CB position, where they need to stay healthy, and the offensive line, which needs to be more consistent this year. I'm pretty excited about the rest of the team though, I think this is the best LB group they have put on the field in the Dalton era, and the return game should be better this year with someone other than Brandon Tate back there. I get the vibe that Ken Zampese is a good offensive coordinator off of what I have seen so far, but I hope he doesn't begin to show predictability as the season wears on.

Dalton is probably as confident and comfortable as he has been and McCarron is backing him up, and I think they can win with either of them under center. I don't think they will take much of a step back if they take a step back at all. 12-4 is a possibility if injuries don't decimate any one position.

My worry is how much scrutiny Burfict and Jones and others will be under this season. The Steelers game was ridiculous and deserved punishment but I can see legit tackle by either leading to discipline. I am excited though which has me a bit worried since I usually am really pessimistic and end up surprised.

[Vince, Pt. II]

The 49ers should be laughably bad. We'll see some decent defensive play at some (very few) points, but they're going to be on the field way too much for it to remain consistent.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by chesapeake

This is why they won't win the division. Last year's mediocre o-line had two of its better guys replaced with less skill and experience. I know they think that Tom Cable can work miracles with repurposed defensive linemen, duct tape and a little bit of rubber tubing, but the two preseason games I saw still showed that the #1 o-line still cannot convert 3rd and 1. Now, I know that will improve somewhat because Russell Wilson was absolutely forbidden from keeping the ball on the read option play in the pre-season, regardless of how many green acres the defense was giving him. But I don't think it will improve enough to allow them to sustain the 4th q drives they need to close out games against good teams with leads.

I also worry about the protection Wilson will get from the left side. Russell Okung may have been hurt a lot, but he was a competent LT when he was in there. I'm worried that Wilson gets splattered all over the pavement with this new bunch. His elusiveness and durability have masked a lot of weaknesses since he became a Seahawk.

Honestly, I think the offensive line for game 1 is better than what the Seahawks had during the first half of last season, but the key will be to continue with the quicker passing game they had in the second half of last season.

I don't doubt that the middle of the line will be able to do well in the running game. Pass protection will be where they need to prove it more than anything. That said, essentially trading Lewis (a league average center at best), Sweezey (I think starting on PUP) and Okung (who wasn't reliable to play consistently) for Ifedi, Glowinski and Sowell is a +2/-1 situation. Sowell is a step down, but a temporary one as I'm guessing that they either draft a LT type next year, eventually move Gilliam over from RT or put Odhiambo there once he's got some more experience. They do have some options there.

So yeah, they need to prove it, but I honestly doubt this line can be as bad as the line was the first half of last season. Playing to try and minimize their current weaknesses will be big, but if they can run the ball effectively, that'll also go a long ways towards making pass pro a bit easier too as they won't be in obvious passing situations as often.

Another possible factor for them is the role that Prosise will play. The guess among those that write about the team is that he'll probably do a lot of motioning on 3rd down and try to force the defense to tip their hand on coverage type. Either going from empty set to a 1 back set or starting in the backfield and moving out to a receiver spot, he's hopefully going to be a legit enough weapon that changing the look of the offense that much will make the D shift as well which is hopefully all Wilson needs to read things correctly.

In the end, we won't know for sure until probably midseason, but I really do like their guard combination now. I think Gilliam has a lot of potential and I'm really curious to see how Britt does in the middle. If those 4 can hold their own then it's easy enough to give Sowell help and in the current world of the NFL, that'd probably give them a middle to top half of the league level O Line.

[SteveMax58]

Originally Posted by sabotai

Excited to see how the new Giants defense looks in a real game.

Not at all excited nor optimistic about their offensive line.

Yeah same here...on both.

Its disturbing to me that every preseason the Oline is just terrible. 3 yd gains look like it takes more effort than they can give for 60 minutes (or their share of it).

Excited to see Eli with ODB, Shephard, and whatever we can get from Cruz. But honestly, if we're going anywhere this year...its got to be the defense becoming a top 10 unit. Not just better than 32nd.

[Julio Riddols]

Originally Posted by panerd

My worry is how much scrutiny Burfict and Jones and others will be under this season. The Steelers game was ridiculous and deserved punishment but I can see legit tackle by either leading to discipline. I am excited though which has me a bit worried since I usually am really pessimistic and end up surprised.

I hear you on that, hopefully reputation penalties won't be too bad this year.. I get the feeling that Burfict and Jeremy Hill are both taking what happened at the end of last season and building off of it in the right way.. It's just a matter of how long that mindset holds if either of them falter. I would imagine a potential meltdown could be in the cards, but I think last season the team got a taste of getting over the hump and this year they aren't going to let it get away from them.

[Travis]

Welp, so much for all of that discussion. Ifedi suffered a high ankle sprain in practice yesterday and is out for weeks. No word yet on how the line will look going forward but they went with the rookie at center and moved Britt to RG for the rest of practice. Rumors today that Britt will likely stay at center and Webb will slot in at guard.

And Jahri Evans signed back with the Saints so they can't try to snag him back either.

Here's hoping they can get something solid figured out before facing Suh and Co.

[Suicane75]

I think I'm talking myself into the Eagles being competent. The D will probably not be good numbers wise but I think they have the sort of D that can create big plays and maybe steal a couple of games with turnovers. Wentz isn't going to be asked to do too much and as long Matthews stays healthy I think we'll be able to run adequately which will help alleviate pressure on Carson. I'm not too worried about the Cowboys, that D is still awful. The Giants are the same. Essentially I think all 4 teams in the division are faulty enough that it wouldn't surprise me to see any team win 10 games or lose 10 games.

[chesapeake]

Originally Posted by Travis

Welp, so much for all of that discussion. Ifedi suffered a high ankle sprain in practice yesterday and is out for weeks. No word yet on how the line will look going forward but they went with the rookie at center and moved Britt to RG for the rest of practice. Rumors today that Britt will likely stay at center and Webb will slot in at guard.

And Jahri Evans signed back with the Saints so they can't try to snag him back either.

Here's hoping they can get something solid figured out before facing Suh and Co.

And this is the second problem that comes from long term underinvestment in the o-line: uncertain depth.

This team looks to me a lot like last year's team. I think they'll struggle out of the gate as they piece together another offensive line and try to find a running game and then settle in and make the playoffs as a wild card again. I'd feel a little bit better about the season if they didn't consistently suck grapes when they play the Rams.

[Julio Riddols]

Am I weird for thinking Carolina and the over is a good bet tonight?

[Vince, Pt. II]

Carolina no, the over...maybe a little.

[Julio Riddols]

Yeah, decided to just go straight up and pick Carolina to win.. These opening week games are unpredictable. I do think Carolina can put up 30 though.

[claphamsa]

while no one cares what i think...i find people who massacre the national anthem much much much more offensive than someone sitting. it is the national anthem, not an extemporaneous piece to show your range, sing it right or shut the fuck up.

[bhlloy]

Nice to see the Broncos center goes to the same hairdresser as Mark Davis

[hollmt]

Originally Posted by claphamsa

while no one cares what i think...i find people who massacre the national anthem much much much more offensive than someone sitting. it is the national anthem, not an extemporaneous piece to show your range, sing it right or shut the fuck up.

I care. I thought the same thing. She butchered the anthem and often lots of people do because the think they will add their little spin to it. Just sing the song.

[Suicane75]

The very last thing you want to do if you're a Broncos RB is fumble the ball on the first drive of the year.

[EagleFan]

Not sure why Carolina was complaining there. They let the defender get back onside before moving. They were actually lucky to not get a penalty. Guess that is 1st week rust. Thought lineman were taught to jump once the defender encroaches to force the call... not wait until he is back onside.

[EagleFan]

Wasn't that hands to the face on the guy that was blocking Miller?

[Suicane75]

That hit on Benjamin...I'm not gonna say dirty, I'm just gonna say that I don't think I've ever seen a defender in that position come in at that angle to make the tackle.

[bhlloy]

Complete joke of a spot. The refereeing has been very one way traffic tonight in general.

[bhlloy]

Not sure what Rivera is doing taking a timeout there. Surely you can get in FG range with 3 minutes left and being able to stop the clock 3 times. All he's doing is making it more likely that Denver gets a shot at the end

[Fidatelo]

God I love Von Miller.

[jbergey22]

Siemian is going to fit in nicely on this team. Looks with some experience will be a nice game manager. Quit release and seems intelligent. With his strong defense behind him he should do fine. Sure wishing I had CJ Anderson on a couple of teams.

[MrBug708]

Gotta be an ejection

[bhlloy]

And a suspension. How fucking stupid is that

[MrBug708]

Geez...offsetting

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by Galaril

Completed horseshit calls first the hands to thee fast and that bs later hit. Thee NFL completely trying to hand it to Pithers

Maybe don't post when you are shitfaced. That was one of the most blatant cheap shot helmet to helmet hits I have ever seen.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Galaril

What for what.

He led with his helmet IMO and made helmet to helmet contact.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Galaril

Completed horseshit calls first the hands to thee fast and that bs later hit. Thee NFL completely trying to hand it to Pithers

What? I'm a Broncos fan but those were both clearly penalties and completely unnecessary to take.

[MrBug708]

Hands to face was legit, but I dont think a no call would have been terrible either and was surprised they called it. The hit? C'mon, James Harrison was impressed with that

[bhlloy]

Yeah. I thought the hands to the face was ticky tacky but c'mon. The late hit was Burfict on Brown stupid and dirty

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by Galaril

Don't agree but this is the internet so we have folks agreeing with Trump so.....

Both were by the book calls.

[wustin]

who picked the broncos to beat the panthers?

i did

[Kodos]

Call 'em the Cam Killers!

[MrBug708]

you could measure the time it takes Carolina to break the huddle on a sun dial.

nice 2-minute drill guys.

[jbergey22]

Cam will be happy to have this game out of the way. Denver just beats him up.