Across the NFL on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, teams looked to bark a statement to their fan bases. The first game is always a tremendous opportunity to show your fans either a new edge you have this year, or continued success from the previous one. A win ignites some initial interest in the team, especially one that comes with some style points. Even a loss can sometimes provide some positive light (at least if you're in Carolina).
But then there is the other side of the coin, one of disappointment. Fans who have waited all offseason to see what their team has to offer come away with a new sense of worry. Some of them root for teams who made it to the playoffs last year, teams that ended up looking nothing like that playoff form. Questions for the season already begin to linger and you just hope your team can shake off some initial struggles.
With all of that being said, let's examine the proud statements and the worried ones.
Loud and Proud: We're Here
Baltimore Ravens - There was no other team that was looking for a larger statement win to begin the season than the Baltimore Ravens. They were handed their most hated rival on opening day in their own stadium, and when that rival is a team that has ended your playoff run twice in the past three years (along with other numerous heartbreaking losses), you want to shake them. The Ravens did not shake the Steeler monkey off of their monkey; they flipped it off and put their talons on its throat. Baltimore dominated this game from the start, as Ray Rice gashed the vaunted Steelers' run defense and Joe Flacco fired three touchdown passes. Perhaps the most impressive feat was the play of the new offensive line, who only allowed one sack to the feared rush of James Harrison, Lamarr Woodley, and Lawrence Timmons.
Actually, that can't be right. The Ravens' defense pulled off the best performance in this game. When you force the Raven Killer, Ben Roethilsberger, himself to turn the ball over five times, along with two other turnovers by Rashard Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore, you deserve a heap of praise. Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata proved why they are some of the top defensive players in the league, while Ray Lewis and Ed Reed continued to be ageless wonders. New defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano turned up the heat on Pittsburgh and never let up, as Big Ben looked rattled for the first time in a while. In fact, Pittsburgh in general looked rattled, which is something nobody is accustomed to seeing. But we'll get to their issues later. Bottom line: This was the perfect start for the new Baltimore Ravens.
Buffalo Bills - In what was by far the most surprising performance of the day, the Bills came out and decimated the Kansas City Chiefs in the always raucous Arrowhead Stadium. This team, who has had so much trouble finding their quarterback to rely on, was led by a man who began to stake his claim last season and only strengthened his hold on it yesterday: Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick is a vastly underrated quarterback who, in my opinion, always plays with something to prove. Whether it's the doubts of playing in the NFL after playing in the Ivy League or the ones that came with some struggles in Cincinnati, this guy has a chip on his shoulder. After a 23 touchdown and 15 interception season last year, he absolutely lit up the Chiefs, throwing four touchdowns in dominant fashion.
Buffalo actually came to play on defense as well, making Cassel and his offense look extremely disorganized. For an offense that features some distinct weapons, like Dwayne Bowe and Jamaal Charles, Kansas City was simply overpowered by the Bills. They turned the ball over three times, as Buffalo forced two fumbles and picked Cassel off once. It may only be one game, but one like this provides a glimmer of hope to one of the NFL's most loyal, yet lately tortured, fan bases.
Chicago Bears - It seems like you would've never known the Bears made it to the NFC Championship game last season. They took a great deal of a beating after so much success, but if you watched their game against Atlanta at all yesterday, you now know that the Bears are a legitimate NFC contender. Their biggest question, the offensive line, performed rather well, keeping Jay Cutler upright and letting him stand in the pocket and fire that laser of his. Matt Forte was bouncing off of Falcon defenders and the once criticized Cowboy Roy Williams made some very nice catches in tough spots.
The real story though was just how much the Bears defense dominated Matt Ryan. Julius Peppers and his crew were relentless, constantly laying crunching blows on the Ryan. They were breaking his ice, if you will (never been a fan of that nickname). The lasting image I have was when Matty was simply sandwiched between Peppers and another defender, and then slammed to the ground with vicious force. It was symbolic of the whole day for the Falcons, as it seemed like their finesse had been worn out and beaten by what looked like the Maulers of the Midway. Da Bears are well on their way to challenging the Packers for NFC North supremacy.
Detroit Lions - Speaking of the NFC North, there has been plenty of buzz about the Detroit Lions in the offseason. With a healthy Matthew Stafford, the always amazing Calvin Johnson, the intimidating Ndamukong Suh, and supporting stars Brandon Pettigrew and Jahvid Best, many think the Lions can finally chase a playoff berth. But some mistakes by the Lions may have struck some of their hopefuls with concern.
Stafford put the Lions down by a touchdown when he was intercepted by Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib, who then took it to the end zone. Even the Lions had control of the game, they continued to make mistakes to try and keep the Bucs in the game. The old Lions would have let the game slip away, and Josh Freeman would have another comeback to add to his history. Perhaps these new Lions finally get it though, as when you can make so many costly penalties and give up long kickoff returns, and still come out with a win, you know you may have a good team. Winning ugly may never be the most popular, but it is most certainly a sign of a team who looks to contend. Start the motors of expectation in the Motor City.
Wow We're Worried
Pittsburgh Steelers - In my estimate, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be absolutely fine. They played an immensely motivated Raven team in their home opener, which just adds on to the difficulty, as Baltimore is already one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. But I'm sorry, you just don't see the Steelers get absolutely manhandled like they did yesterday. And that must rise at least a little bit of concern.
For one, that was the worst game I've seen Ben Roethilsberger play in a while. He never looked comfortable and seemed to be shaken by Baltimore's constant pressure. Just when you thought he was coming to form by doing a trademark sack escape, he disappointed with terrible throws on the run, two of which ended up in the hands of Ed Reed. Big Ben has dealt with a subpar offensive line for years, but could this be the year where he really can't take it anymore?
The biggest cause of worry for any Steeler fan though should really be how slow the Steelers looked yesterday. Many praised Pittsburgh for sticking with their same core on both sides of the ball, as they did not bring in many new faces. Having said that, they have one of the oldest rosters in the league, which may tell some that they could use an infusion of youth and speed. They had no burst off of the ball and were immediately blown off of the line, which in turn, completely tore down their physical mindset. It put them in a shocked and beaten state.
Look, the Steelers are one of those teams that I'm sure will not let a performance like yesterday's happen again. But since we only have one game to go off of, it does not look like the defending AFC champs will just waltz through with superiority.
Kansas City Chiefs - I'm going to go ahead and give the Chiefs the award for most embarrassing home opener. First game in Arrowhead against the Buffalo Bills coming off of a momentous playoff season and you lay an absolute egg? Ouch. Kansas City was never even in this game, as the BILLS dominated every aspect of it.
What was really concerning for many Chiefs fans was the inability of the offense to move on Buffalo. The Chiefs have talented players on the offensive side of the ball, with Dwayne Bowe, Jamaal Charles, and Steve Breaston. But when those guys are simply not bringing it, then you will be beaten. And truly, one of those three does not come to play every week: Dwayne Bowe.
I watched a play in which Bowe was coming across the middle on a quick slant. He ran his route, saw a defender coming towards him to hit him, saw the pass, and just put his hands out to hit the ball. Not to catch it, but simply stick his hands out there and then walk back to the huddle. Bowe wanted no part of the hit or even the game a this point. It was a legitimate wuss move. That play in itself explains to me why I will never consider Dwayne Bowe an elite receiver in the NFL. His toughness is not there and he simply does not give 100% on every play. He drops easy passes and then hauls in ridiculous ones, which shows no consistency whatsoever.
Matt Cassel did nothing to silence any doubters either. He only threw for 119 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, while averaging just 3.3 yards a throw. If Kansas City is going to take the AFC West again, the first step is Matt Cassel making more plays, while finding a way to get Jamaal Charles the ball more. Until that happens, the favorites are in San Diego.
Atlanta Falcons - I think Matt Ryan has come to an interesting road block in his career. After a disappointing performance against Green Bay last year, many expected Ryan to come out firing against Chicago, especially with new weapon Julio Jones and the rest of the offense. The complete opposite happened: Chicago obliterated Ryan. He threw 47 passes, but threw no touchdowns and one interception.
Part of the blame goes to the offensive line, as Ryan did hit the ground five times for sacks. But this was not the performance that he needed, along with the rest of the Falcons. They generated no pass rush and got torched by Jay Cutler. This was the number one seed in the NFC last year, but they really looked like a non-playoff team. In what was a disappointing day for the NFC South, their leaders really did fail the most.
Tony Romo - Yes, I'm giving Romo his own section. The Cowboys actually played a great game against the Jets, and I never like to place blame solely on a quarterback, but in this situation, I think Romo blew it. If someone can explain to me the logic behind lobbing a lame duck pass anywhere near Darrelle Revis in the final minutes of a game, when you could take your team down the field for the win, then maybe I will change my mind. Combine that with a fumble inside of the five yard line, and he continued his trend of not coming up in the clutch.
Romo is a great guy and has improved as a vocal leader. But I cannot put him anywhere near the elite status that fans hope for him to be. The guy has won one playoff game in his career and really does not have a defining moment so far. Maybe it will come soon enough, but right now, Romo has much to prove.
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