Just like that, another season opener has come and gone for the NFL.
It’s too early to determine who is the MVP, what team will breakout as a contender, and who is the future of their respective position. As such, “hot takes”, or takes that overreact, usually come out at this time.
Five Hot Takes From Week One
Below, I’ve provided five of my own hot takes, which I’ll counter against below.
1: “Carson Wentz Is The Future Of The Philadelphia Eagles.”
Let’s not get carried away here. Wentz had a solid game against the Cleveland Browns in week one, throwing for 275 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-10 victory, but the amount of pressure he faced was minimal, and in one instance, ran out of a clean pocket when throwing the ball away. The Browns defense was terrible as well, allowing easy gains all day long.
Wentz did have two great touchdown throws, but I would like to see him against better defenses before anointing him as the Eagles savior.
2: “Cam Newton‘s weakness is the Denver defense.”
This take may have a point when it comes to Newton’s statistics in his last two games against the Broncos (48.6 completion percentage for 459 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions), but it misses what’s really causing it; the pass protection and receivers.
In the Super Bowl, Newton actually played well against the number one defense. He had plenty of splash plays and his accuracy early on was better than you might think. But His receivers dropped crucial passes in key moments, and his offensive line failed to protect him when needed.
In the season opener, Newton had a couple of big plays brought back by penalties on the offensive line, and again witnessed key drops from his receivers and poor pass protection. In the first half of the game, he was on fire, but the second half limited his production because of the errors around him.
3: “The 49ers Look Improved.”
Now, obviously, I’m not against fans being happy that their team won in a 28-0 shutout of the Los Angeles Rams in their first game back. But people saying San Francisco looks better need to look harder.
The Rams were a trainwreck on Monday Night. The pass protection was bad, Case Keenum‘s accuracy and decision making were bad, and the receivers did not offer much help either. Even the defense looked strangely off tempo, considering the quality talent the unit usually has.
It’s a confidence booster, but let’s wait before citing improvements.
4. “The Green Bay Packers look dominant again.”
The game against the Jaguars was hardly something I would call “dominant.” It was really Aaron Rodgers dominating and carrying the team, while Jordy Nelson and Eddie Lacy looked improved. Otherwise, the receivers still couldn’t catch, and the play calling looked a little conservative, allowing Jacksonville back into the game.
Green Bay is a good team, but not a great team, and they’ll need Rodgers to continue masking the flaws they have, as well as Lacy to keep up his efficiency and Nelson to keep up his health.
5: “Matthew Stafford Is Taking The Next Step.”
Like with Wentz, let’s not get carried away here. He played a good game against the Colts, throwing for three touchdowns and leading the game winning drive, but much of his production came from the short passing game the Lions run.
This is the same guy that struggled throwing downfield and had accuracy issues throwing short. He’s definitely played well since coordinator Jim Bob Cooter took over, but I think it’s too early, and his past suggests he has to earn that trust.
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