NFL’s Winners and Losers of Week 1

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After a crazy week 1 of NFL football it is now time for everyone to make their snap decisions and decide which teams are total busts and which teams are going to the superbowl. I am not going to go that route but lets talk about some of the biggest winners and losers coming out of week 1.
LOSERS
Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers – After an off-season that felt more like a High School summer break between the stud Quarterback and his cheerleader girlfriend squabbling the entire time only to get back together by the time school started. Only the stud Quarterback came back looking like Frank Gallahger from Shameless and looked like shit in week 1 and the Cheerleader is questioning whether the break-up sex was worth it in the long run. After all the cheerleader has had her eyes on the new Freshman QB waiting in the wings for a couple years now, but thought the old stud was her meal ticket to the glory she once knew. We will see how this train wreck of a situation plays out. Rodgers is the reigning MVP for a reason and will remember how to play football. Unfortunately for the fans in Wisconsin the back and forth behind the scenes will be more entertaining than the product on the field.
Urban Meyer – If history told us anything, it’s that Urban Meyer looks due to fake a health scare and leave the team he is coaching for greener pastures. That’s his M/O right? Everything looks good for a while and once Urban realizes he isn’t the coach of a team he has total control of and has no chance of success he gets sick and retires and pops up in a better situation then he was previously in. It’s just happening a lot quicker than usual in Jacksonville. Even before he coached his 1st regular season game for the Jaguars there was reports that he is losing the locker room and treating grown ass men making millions of dollars like they were college players. You don’t have tell tell pro athletes to “hydrate and hustle”. It’s Chip Kelley making sure everyones pee is clear enough for his own hydration wishes all over again. Just because these guys are good college coaches it does not mean they will have success at the pro level. He should fake an illness, and take that nice shining job opening in Southern California and coach the Trojans next year.
Cleveland Browns – 17 YEARS! The Cleveland Browns have now not one a week 1 regular season NFL game for 17 years. 0-16-1 And for that reason they are losers. They had a 9 point lead late in the 3rd quarter until Mahomes and Hill do what they do best, the Browns Punter forgot how to catch the snap and the offense was non existent the rest of the way. I think the Browns should be really good this year and beating the back 2 back defending AFC champs would have been a big statement to start the season. Unfortunately the gods had to remind everyone that this is Cleveland, and even though the expectations are finally high around there and they look like a real football team that can compete week in and week out, but Cleveland does not win in week 1.
WINNERS
Arizona Cardinals – Now that Kyler Murray has a full year under his belt and he built his connection D-Hop the expections around Arizona coming into the year were high. After key off-season additions like JJ Watt and AJ Green the expectations were even higher. And then they went out and dominated the Titans and won 38-13. Kyler Murray picked up right where he left off and had 5 total td’s and the connection with Hopkins looks unstoppable. The addition of JJ is already proving to be fruitful as the D-line looked great with Chandler Jones tallying up 5 sacks alone. He’s on pace for 85 sacks for the year, and I’ll have to check the stats but I think that would be a record.
Philadelphia Eagles – The NFC East STUNK last year. And coming into this season Philly was predicted to be the worst team in the division. They came into week one with low expectations, new Head coach in Nick Sirianni, Hurts as the firm #1 and a lot of new players and rookies in key positions. But after coming out and beating Atlanta 32-6, Hurts with 3 TD’s with one going to thier 1st round pick (and Heisman winner) DeVonta Smith. They looked like a completely new team and they could take the division. Week 2 will give us a much better picture when they face the 49ers on Sunday at home.
Mac Jones – I did not say Mac Jones and the Patriots. Strictly Mac Jones, the rookie QB making his 1st NFL start with the best franchise in the history of the NFL and being the next guy after Tom Brady and bring this team back to the promised land. Any rookie QB making their debut is gonna have pressure but there seemed to be more around Mac Jones all pre-season. He won out the biggest QB battle of the summer and the Patriots are his team now. And even though the team lost Mac Jones made a statement with his accuracy and poise in the pocket, while taking the team down the field late in the 4th to try to take the lead. Harris eventually fumbled at the 10 yard line and that was the game. But Jones looked great going 29-39 for 281 yards and touchdown. All of the “big 5” rookie QB’s got playing time in week 1 with Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Jones starting and Mac was the highest graded rookie QB according to PFF. He’ll face another division opponent this week when the Pats take on the Jets.