In Week 1, we saw a lot of surprises. Some players and teams failed to live up to their offseason hype. Others came from nowhere and had terrific opening weeks. We predict which are contenders and which are pretenders.
Contenders:
Steelers
T.J. Watt had a historic debut and Le’Veon Bell ran for 32 yards as the Steelers squeaked by the Browns. Whether it was rust or Cleveland playing surprisingly well, I think that the Steelers will be just fine. Antonio Brown had an incredible game, and as long as Ben can stay healthy and play well on the road, this could be the year that they finally beat the Patriots. Some of the credit goes to the Browns, though…
Browns
Just for the record, by me putting the Browns on the “Contenders” list, it doesn’t mean that I expect the Browns to have a winning record. It means that I expect the Browns to win more than three games. They played surprisingly well against a Super Bowl contender, thanks to their rookie quarterback out of Notre Dame, DeShone Kizer. In an easy schedule, don’t be surprised if the Browns win some games.
Chiefs
Kareem Hunt: 148 rushing yards and 98 receiving yards in his NFL debut. Wow. This guy is gonna be good.
Pretenders:
Jaguars
Leonard Fournette had a nice debut, but his stats will be diminished by his team. The Jaguars were a fluke in Week 1. His offensive line is terrible, and teams will adjust to Jacksonville’s run-based offense. If Fournette wants to have any success, the Jaguars will need a better quarterback.
Giants
In Week 1, the Giants scored three points against a below-average Cowboys defense. They need to improve their offense. Brandon Marshall won’t help if Eli Manning regresses. And the run game? Forget about it. Their offense is letting their defense down, and don’t expect that to change.
I definitely agree about the Giants!
Was wondering when I would see another post? Maybe we can sign you up as a reporter for Sports Illustrated? ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Love it! Want to see more!
I hope your comments about the Giants are on the pessimistic side.
Hey,
This is Big Bob.
That was a great recap of the early NFL action!
I agree with your contenders and presenters list.
I’ll be looking for your updates
This is amazing! Your depth of knowledge and insight is way ahead of your time! I can’t wait till you’re on ESPN!
This is my first time reading your blog and I am impressed! Can’t wait to keep following and see how the season turns out. Great job!
Sadly, I agree with your comments about the Giants. They don’t look like a playoff team this season.
I.l think steelers need to wake up.
I agree. Their offense needs to start scoring in the red zone.
Can’t say the same about the steelers
Since the G-men have nothing to play for, maybe you should root for the steelers
Since the G-men have nothing to play for, maybe you should start rooting for the steelers
At least we can hate the Giants together