The Day After Yesterday! Week 1 9/9/13

[Cookie Icer]

It's that time of year again! After a year in Japan and not able to watch much football, I'm back with a vengeance, and an all new season to sink my teeth into. I need my fix and I got it!

1. Sloppy Sloppy Football- Week 1 of the regular season has always been rough around the edges. It seems like league etiquette to rest starters as much as possible to limit injuries during the preseason, and after Mark Sanchez got injured in the 4th quarter of a preseason game this notion was made very clear as people seemed to tear Rex Ryan apart. But after week 1 I noticed a lot of sloppy play from some of our top teams and players. This is the down side to resting and limiting starters in the preseason, they are not used to putting in a whole 4 quarters worth of play, so they either get tired, or haven't fully knocked off the off season rust. Sure many players and teams played at an all pro level, but the level of mistakes across the board, in general seemed higher than normal. None more apparent than the Cowboys vs. Giants game, where the G-men committed 6 turnovers, tied for most in a game in the last 25 years. But I know in a few weeks more players and teams will get in the flow of the game and play better. But more than once did I hear from people in the room, that this was some pretty sloppy play.

2. Kaepernick vs. Mathews- Before the realignment of 2002, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were in the NFC central, a huge rivalry developed between Packers quarterback Brett Favre, and Tampa's DT Warren Sapp. It was brutal, it was gritty, these two guys hated but respected each other, and whenever they played they did whatever they could to talk smack and show the other up, later the two would actually become good friends. We may be seeing the next Favre/Sapp rivalry in Kaep and Mathews. Last season the 49ers defeated the Packers twice, the second time, the divisional round where Colin put up 181 rushing yards, and NFL record by a QB, and the 49ers ended the Packers season the way it began. All off season the Packers made it no secret they went out of their way to learn how to stop the read option, in their attempt to halt Kaepernick. Words were spoken, mostly by Mathews, that he was going after Kaep, and will take his hits when he can. And today's 49ers vs. Packers game brought the heat and intensity of a playoff game. While the Pack was successful in stopping the read option and limited Kaep to just 20 rushing yards, Colin still found ways to beat Green Bay with 417 passing yards and 3 TD's. Mathews got a few sacks on Colin, a few hits (Some out of bounds) smack talking was had, and you know what, I loved every minute of it. It's almost a shame these two teams aren't in the same division so we can see Kaep vs. Mathews more often. Maybe they will meet in the playoffs, They will play again next season, but this rivalry could build up to something greater, and more memorable for years to come.

3. E.J. Manuel and Geno Smith- I'll be honest, I do not have high hopes for either Geno Smith or E.J. Manuel, mostly due to the teams they are on. Both the Bills and Jets have been the laughing stock of the AFC East, and were on the road to nowhere. I went on record that these two teams would be in the running for first overall draft pick in next years draft. And while I cannot say my mind has changed, and I still believe they will falter down the line, I must confess they had more impressive opening day performances than I was expecting. Geno Smith, after having a forgettable preseason led the Jets to an 18-17 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, going 24 for 38 and 256 yards. 1 TD and 1 INT for an 80.6 QB rating. Nothing stellar or Jaw dropping, but for a rookie with a lot of question marks around him, it's not a bad start, a good outing to help build his confidence. His draft and divisional counterpart E.J. Manuel fared better in what almost was the upset of the day as the Bills dropped a heartbreaking 23-21 loss to the Patriots. But E.J. still put up a 105.5 QB rating, completing 18 of 27 passes and 2 TDs. It's still WAAAY to early to admit I was wrong about these two, it's just one game, but for today I was wrong about these two young QB's. We shall see if they can develop and evolve into franchise quarterbacks, or if they are destined to fail as I think they will.

4. Fantasy ups and downs- This is my first year playing Fantasy Football in over 10 years. I made some great decisions that made me look like a genius, and some not so good choices. This week my Fantasy Hero is Anquan Boldin. 13 receptions for 208 yards and a TD, he was my highest scorer of the day! My biggest mistake. Benching Wes Welker in favor of Dez Bryant. Welker dazzled with 9 catches for 67 yards and 2 TDs. And while I was right that the Cowboys would beat the Giants, I envisioned Dez would have a career night, instead he netted a bismal 2 fantasy points with 4 receptions and 22 yards. I may make Fantasy a permanent addition to 'The Day After Yesterday' but for today, I thought I would share my greatest move, and biggest mistake.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK!

OFFENSE- Peyton Manning: You all saw this one coming. But how could I have gone with anyone else? Last years runner up to league MVP lit up the Ravens defense with a record tying 7 TD passes. Peyton looked scary good Thursday.

DEFENSE- Panthers Defense: The Seahawks went into this season as the general favorite to win the superbowl, and an overall favorite to beat the snot out of Carolina. And while Wilson still had a great day, and the Seahawks still won. Lots of credit goes to the Panthers defense for completely shutting down Marshawn Lynch, and holding Seattle to just 12 points.  

[Sincerely Metalhead]

First, when Cookie Icer makes his analysis for week one, football is truly back! Second, I have to say this, I LIKE E.J. Manuel with the Bills. He's better than Fitzpatrick, and he did give the Pats a hell of a run. He passed all over that defense! Not a bad runner either. Geno Smith is just a train wreck right now. Maybe with time, he gets better, but who knows?
I also have to say, I think the surprise team of the season, by what I saw yesterday, is going to be the Chiefs. They finally have a few pieces of the puzzle being fit into place and I honestly believe that they will make playoffs as a wildcard and possibly make it to the AFC Championship game. Do they win? Doubtful, but don't sleep on KC this year.
The surprise FLOP team this year? Guess what? THERE'S TWO!!! First, the Pats. When your team struggles against a Bills team, that while they are getting better they are still not good, and barely win, that's bad news. Plus, Brady has lost two of his favorite targets. Brady is good, but that team is going to struggle. Oh, and that defense looks like a word that rhymes with pits.
The other flop team? The Falcons! Now, I'm not saying they're going to stink up the division, but I do think they are not going to be that same playoff team from last season. Sorry, Tony, it just wasn't meant to be.
With all that said, FOOTBALL IS BACK!!!  

[Sincerely Metalhead]

Oh, Wes Welker, Vernon Davis, and Anquan Boldin single handily won my game for me! Thanks for nothing, Eli...EXCEPT FOR 68 POINTS!!!  

[Cookie Icer]

Silver Ace Revolver

First, when Cookie Icer makes his analysis for week one, football is truly back! Second, I have to say this, I LIKE E.J. Manuel with the Bills. He's better than Fitzpatrick, and he did give the Pats a hell of a run. He passed all over that defense! Not a bad runner either. Geno Smith is just a train wreck right now. Maybe with time, he gets better, but who knows?
I also have to say, I think the surprise team of the season, by what I saw yesterday, is going to be the Chiefs. They finally have a few pieces of the puzzle being fit into place and I honestly believe that they will make playoffs as a wildcard and possibly make it to the AFC Championship game. Do they win? Doubtful, but don't sleep on KC this year.
The surprise FLOP team this year? Guess what? THERE'S TWO!!! First, the Pats. When your team struggles against a Bills team, that while they are getting better they are still not good, and barely win, that's bad news. Plus, Brady has lost two of his favorite targets. Brady is good, but that team is going to struggle. Oh, and that defense looks like a word that rhymes with pits.
The other flop team? The Falcons! Now, I'm not saying they're going to stink up the division, but I do think they are not going to be that same playoff team from last season. Sorry, Tony, it just wasn't meant to be.
With all that said, FOOTBALL IS BACK!!!

Thank you very much for the kind words, nothing I love more than talking about Football. Geno Smith, yeah, I agree that he is a "Train Wreck" waiting to happen, he played better than I was expecting on Sunday, but one win (A win handed over on a silver platter due to a foolish personal fowl in the final seconds) does not mean he is the answer to the Jets problems, that franchise just needs to be blown up and rebuilt from the ground up. E.J. Manuel was more impressive, I'm still on the fence with him, but I think there is more upside with Manuel than Geno right now.

For KC, there was no where to go but up, after week 1 they have already won half of the games they won last year. Just remember that Andy Reid took over a terrible Eagles team and made them immediate contenders in the first season. And Alex Smith is showing he doesn't need Jim Harbaugh to be successful, I think they will be competitive and in the running for a wildcard spot, but will come up short. The Bengals are still my sleeper pick of the year, but yeah, don't turn your back on the Chiefs, and sooner rather than later they will be a top AFC team.

As for the Patriots and Falcons, even though New England won, they were an empty shell of the team they were before. I love referring to them as the old toothless lion, still demanding a lot of respect, don't take them easily cause they can still fight, but they are not that great of a team anymore. I believe they will still make the playoffs, but they will need a miracle to make it back to the AFC championship game. Atlanta, I think they will sneak into the playoffs as a wildcard at best, but yeah, I would bet against them returning to the NFC championship game.

With all of that being said, Oh thank God Football is back! It's the most wonderful time of the year!  

[Sincerely Metalhead]

Once again, the Pats are a flop this year. They BARELY edged the Jets Thursday night. Brady was not even that impressive. It will be a loooong year, New England fans.  

[Cookie Icer]

Silver Ace Revolver

Once again, the Pats are a flop this year. They BARELY edged the Jets Thursday night. Brady was not even that impressive. It will be a loooong year, New England fans.

Agreed, they beat the Bills and Jets by a combined 5 points, and it took 4 turnovers for them to beat the Jets by 3. I might have to re-evaluate my decision to predict that the Pats would win the AFC East.  

[Sincerely Metalhead]

Cookie Icer

Silver Ace Revolver

Once again, the Pats are a flop this year. They BARELY edged the Jets Thursday night. Brady was not even that impressive. It will be a loooong year, New England fans.

Agreed, they beat the Bills and Jets by a combined 5 points, and it took 4 turnovers for them to beat the Jets by 3. I might have to re-evaluate my decision to predict that the Pats would win the AFC East.

Those Fins...I gotta admit though, I miss the pissed off dolphin with the helmet on.