Week 1 provided many impressive performances from individuals and teams. The goal of this article is to provide the best of the best, the Pro-Bowlers, if it was based solely on week one.
Quarterback: Quarterback of the week goes to Carson Palmer. After suffering a season ending injury last year that resulted in a stagnant Cardinals offense, Palmer returned behind center and delivered a great performance against New Orleans at home. Palmer threw for 307 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. He posted a 122.8 QBR and it was great to see him back on the field.
Runner Up: Tom Brady
Running back: Many thought the Monday night game was boring, but Carlos Hyde emerged from the game looking like an elite NFL back. With 168 yards on 26 attempts, Hyde looked unstoppable. He also added two touchdowns, including one that resulted from a great spin move and cut back to the other side. Hyde’s vision and ability to hit the hole were on full display, and the 49ers rushing attack looked like it was back to normal in the opener.
Runner Up: Dion Lewis
Running back: Former Bears Head Coach Marc Trestman was always kind to Matt Forte’s stats, but new coach John Fox seems to want to get Forte plenty of touches as well. Forte kept Chicago in the opener against Green Bay with 141 yards rushing as well as 25 yards receiving. He scored a touchdown and is clearly a team leader on the field.
Runner Up: Chris Ivory
Wide receiver: Julio Jones looked unstoppable in the first half against Philadelphia, posting 97 yards and two touchdowns. Many believe Jones is the top receiver in the NFL this year and he showed us why. Sure, he had a quieter second half (one catch for 44 yards) but he still finished with 141 yards total. Expect a big year from the Atlanta wide receiver.
Runner Up: DeAndre Hopkins
Wide receiver: Keenan Allen was up and down last year, but seems to have reestablished that elite connection he had with quarterback Philip Rivers in his rookie year. Allen led all receivers in week one with 15 receptions for 166 yards in a winning effort against Detroit. Allen is a great route-runner and proved it again on Sunday.
Runner Up: Antonio Brown
Tight end: Week one featured many elite tight end performances, but the award goes to Rob Gronkowski. Every Steeler knew the ball was going to Gronkowski, yet he still scored three touchdowns and had 94 yards receiving. Gronk is an elite weapon with an elite quarterback, a lethal combination for any opposing defense.
Runner Up: Tyler Eifert
Offensive line: The best offensive line performance of the week goes to San Francisco. A unit that lost plenty of starters in the offseason to various reasons simply dominated on Monday night. They were mean, created giant holes for Hyde inside and outside (he averaged 6.5 yards per carry) and gave Kaepernick a nice pocket to make reads. Sure, it is only week one, but the 49ers looked like a different team than in 2014.
Runner Up: Pittsburg offensive line
Defense: The Buffalo defense wins the award this week due to their stellar performance on Sunday against one of the best offenses against the NFL. Constant blitzing forced Luck to go 26/49 for 243. He threw touchdowns in garbage time after being down 24-0 and also threw two interceptions. Buffalo dominated the field position game and Luck crossed midfield for the first time in the second quarter.
Runner Up: Denver defense
Kicker: Matt Bryant wins kicker of the week award for going 4-4 on field goal attempts as well as 2-2 on extra points. Bryant his three field goals from 40-49 yards, showing that he is also automatic from inside 50.
Runner Up: Josh Brown
