Opening week has come to a close, and it surely rocked the entire foundation of the league in many ways. Reigning MVP Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury, Brett Favre got a “W” for the Jets and NOT the Packers, the Bears upset the Colts on Sunday Night Football, giving them their first opening day lose since 2004, and Aaron Rodgers got his first win as a starter against the Vikings.
This is the first of 17 blogs that will appear throughout the entire 2008 NFL season. How will this work? Well, I’ll be looking at the best and worst quarterback, running back, receiver, defensive player, special teamer, and rookie each week. I will also give awards for the best and worst games of the week.
The Best of Week 1
Best QB: Donovan McNabb - Even without starting wide-outs Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown, McNabb put on a heck of an air show, throwing for 361 yards and 3 touchdowns against a pathetic Rams defense to lead the Eagles to a 38-3 rout.
Best RB: Michael Turner - There were a lot of great rushers in week 1, including Willie Parker’s strong performance, but Turner’s takes the cake. His 220 rushing yards was good enough to make Falcons’ history, and he also punched in 2 scores in Atlanta’s 34-21 win over Detroit.
Best WR: Randy Moss - This was a tough one, but I picked Moss because he had to step-up in the absence of Tom Brady and help backup QB Matt Cassell get the 17-10 victory over Kansas City. Also, catching 6 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown helps.
Best Defensive Player: Lance Briggs - There were some pretty good defensive performances in week 1, but Briggs was a ball hawk on Sunday night. Not only did he have 8 tackles, but he also returned a fumble 21 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter to help put away the Colts in the Bears’ 29-13 win in Indianapolis.
Best Special Teamer: Roscoe Parrish - Parrish’s 63 yard punt return for a touchdown didn’t just put points on the board, but it also gave the Bills a 14-0 second-quarter lead on the way to a 34-10 romp over Seattle.
Best Rookie: Matt Forte - Before I explain, I must give props to quarterbacks Ryan Flacco and Matt Ryan on solid performances and victories in their NFL debuts. However, Forte’s debut included 123 rushing yards and a 50-yard touchdown run in primetime against the Colts.
Best Game of the Week: Carolina Panthers @ San Diego Chargers - The Panthers had themselves a bit of a statement game. Sure, they won on the final play of the game, but they made the Chargers look flat in all facets of their game. To go on the road against a Super Bowl favorite and win is huge for the Panthers in a must-win season.
The Worst of Week 1
Worst QB: Vince Young - I think everyone and their mother was high on Young when he came out of Texas, but he hasn’t quite gotten his accuracy and efficiency down, as he was only 12 of 22 for 110 yards and two interceptions in a performance that saw him get booed by his own fans at home. On top of that, Young sprained his left knee in the fourth quarter and will be out at least a game, and possibly more. But, on the bright side, Tennessee picked up the 17-10 win over division rival Jacksonville.
Worst RB: Steven Jackson - Jackson had a horrible outing against a swarming Eagle’s defense. 40 yards rushing on 14 carries? That’s not the type of performance that warrants up to $49.3 million. Unfortunately, it won’t get easier against a tenacious New York Giants defense next week.
Worst WR: Braylon Edwards/Chad Ocho Cinco - Both standout receivers were on offenses that couldn’t move the ball to save their lives Sunday. Edwards finished his day with only 2 receptions for 14 yards while Ocho Cinco finished with only 1 reception for 22 yards.
Worst Defensive Player: Anyone from the St. Louis Rams. Seriously, this was a collective effort. They couldn’t stop the Eagles at all on Sunday. Hopefully, they try to at least step-up against the Giants next week.
Worst Special Teamer: Devin Hester - Yes, I’m crazy. It pains me to say that Hester was the worst special teamer this week all thanks to one play. He tried stalling in the endzone to shake the Colts special teams and break off a touchdown return, but it worked to no avail. He was stopped by Melvin Bullitt at the 3-yard line. However, had that play worked, you can bet Hester would have been the Best Special Teamer for Week 1.
Worst Rookie: I’m feeling generous today. Since there were enough solid rookie performances in week 1, I’ll pass on this on for now.
Worst Game of the Week: Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders - This was lopsided from the start. The Broncos gave an old-fashioned beat down to the young Raiders to the tune of a 41-14 scoreline. Jay Cutler threw for 299 yards and 2 touchdowns, rookie receiver Eddie Royal took the place of Brandon Marshall by catching 9 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown, and Denver’s defense held Oakland scoreless until the fourth quarter. It was a yawn fest for anyone that wasn’t a Broncos fan.
