RealGM Analysis
The NFL began Week 1 of the 2012 season with the return of Peyton Manning, five rookie quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' offense made human by the 49ers and close wins by the Eagles and Lions in games they were expected to dominate.
NFC
• The Ted Thompson - Green Bay Packers
‘Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was merely human rather than otherwordly, and too often was forced to run for cover, eventually being sacked three times. Cedric Benson, who was supposed to add spark to the run game, instead was constantly ground into the turf. Five offensive penalites affected the rhythm.
‘It led to the Packers being outgained by a 49ers offense that allegedly was inferior to the tune of 377 yards to 324.’
(via Mike Woods/The Post-Crescent of Appleton)
• The Phil Emery - Chicago Bears
‘For whatever my money is worth, Tim Jennings has to be the MVP on the defensive side, for a defense that allowed only 14 points in a very non-optimal situation (hampered Urlacher, Tillman leaving early). Jennings had two interceptions and played a key role in the third, and none of them were exactly cheapies. On both, Donnie Avery was sent driving straight down the field on a fly pattern - Jennings said after the game that he baited Luck into throwing to the "open" Avery, which he ran down the field with no problem and jumped high to catch the ball, perfectly done. On the tip for Conte's pick, coming to the pass, he reached for it, but tipped it high enough for Conte to grab it and keep running.’
(via Steven Schweickert/Windy City Gridiron)
• The Martin Mayhew - Detroit Lions
‘The defensive line got consistent pressure on St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford, tallying three sacks and seven quarterback hits. The linebackers came up, filled their gaps, and shut down Steven Jackson's running lanes all day. Finally, the secondary didn't get beat for any long passes.’
• The Rick Spielman - Minnesota Vikings
‘The Vikings' 2012 draft class came out with a strong debut as well. Matt Kalil was solid in both the run and the pass game on Sunday, and Harrison Smith made a couple of big plays as well. Did Smith get beat a couple of times? Maybe he did. He also had an absolutely huge pass break-up on third-and-two for Jacksonville in overtime on what proved to be the Jaguars' second-to-last play. Josh Robinson threw in four tackles and looked pretty good in coverage as well.
‘And Blair Walsh. Man alive, Blair Walsh. In his first NFL game, the guy comes into the game with four seconds left on the clock and drills a field goal from 55 yards that looked like it would have been good from 65, at least.’
(via Christopher Gates/Daily Norseman)
• The Jerry Jones - Dallas Cowboys
‘DeMarcus Ware may be one of the best pass rushers in the game, but it's starting to become Sean Lee’s defense in Dallas. Lee filled up the stat sheet with 12 tackles (10 solo) and one forced fumble. Lee was in mid-season form last night, flying around the field and making tackle after tackle
‘He set the tone early when he blasted rookie running back David Wilson. On Wilson's second career carry in the NFL, he displayed his fumbling issues that plagued him while at Virginia Tech. The fumble was a play that began to tilt the game into the Cowboys' favor.’
(via Archie Barberio/Blogging The Boys)
• The Jerry Reese - New York Giants
‘Martellus Bennett’s Giants debut wasn't too shabby. He had four catches for 40 yards and a late touchdown. He was unable to haul in one third-down pass from Eli Manning, but otherwise showed he can be the tight end threat and red zone option the Giants were hoping for.’
• The Howie Roseman - Philadelphia Eagles
‘Can (Michael) Vick be given the "Tim Tebow" treatment? Vick was bad for most of the game, but did what it took at the end to win the game. He was lucky, but the result was still a "W." So why is he in "Didn’t Like" section? Because Vick has been in the league too long to be making the kind of throws and mistakes he did, and have it all wiped away with one drive. I expect a big year out of Vick, and am willing to give rust part of the blame for his bad game. But seeing Vick continue to force things when they are not there is a sign that he will never learn.’
(via Eliot Shorr Parks/Bleeding Green Nation)
• The Bruce Allen - Washington Redskins
'What's changed about the Redskins with the arrival of Griffin? How about everything? The feeling this team has about its quarterback right now can be summed up in many different words. Faith. Confidence. Hope. Pride. Excitement. But every single one of them is an upgrade over what they felt about their quarterbacks last year. Or the year before that. Or the year before that. And no offense to Rex Campbell or John Beck or 2010 Donovan McNabb or Jason Campbell, but this is what it looks like to have a real NFL quarterback taking snaps for your team. It makes your pregame meal taste better, the artificial turf under your feet seem greener. When you don't have a quarterback in the NFL, life is week-to-week misery. When you do, everything feels that much better.’
(via Dan Graziano/ESPN)
• The Trent Baalke - San Francisco 49ers
‘While first-team All-Pro Patrick Willis watched more from the sideline than he's ever been while healthy in the NFL, fellow first-team All-Pro NaVorro Bowman had a strong performance.
'Bowman led the 49ers with 11 tackles and baited Rodgers into a critical fourth-quarter interception..
‘The Packers had just 10 possessions, including three drives in which the 49ers held them without a first down. The Packers averaged 35 points per game last season.’
(via Matt Maiocco/Comcast Bay Area)
• The John Schneider - Seattle Seahawks
‘The Seattle Seahawks' euphoria over Russell Wilson, so urgent that it required relegating $19.5 million free agent Matt Flynn to the bench in Week 1, didn't reveal itself in the game plan Sunday.
‘That was odd..
‘For most of the day, Wilson got the rookie game plan. For most of the day, the Seahawks might as well have had Tarvaris Jackson at the controls (Jackson, since traded to Buffalo, finished 2011 with zero touchdowns, six interceptions and nine sacks in the final two minutes of halves).
‘Wilson showed he could handle the Cardinals' pressure by connecting with Sidney Rice early from an empty set, but too frequently the Seahawks played as though protecting a rookie in his first start. Where the staff had raised the hurdle each time Wilson cleared one during preseason, they appeared reluctant to do so in this game.’
• The Rod Graves - Arizona Cardinals
‘The Cardinals defense was a main reason for the win. Ray Horton's Defense managed to control the Russel Wilson-led offense, keeping them to 5-16 on 3rd Downs, a main factor in the win. Wilson managed to go 18-34 for 153 yards in his rookie debut game, although Adrian Wilson welcomed the rookie to the NFL by intercepting him at the very end of the 1st Half. LB Paris Lenon had a dominating performance, sacking Wilson twice, with fellow LB Daryl Washington bringing one in too. In a game that was marred by a shake offense, the defense managed to keep the team in the game.’
(via Skii/Revenge of the Birds)
• The Les Snead - St. Louis Rams
‘It was a tale of two halves for Sam Bradford as well. He was out of sync with his offense through the first two quarters. Worse, he panicked with Ndamukong Suh honing in on him and got sacked. Two of his sacks were on him. In the second half, he was making three step drops quickly and decisively. He was pressured way too often early on, and the Rodger Saffold injury is a huge concern.’
(via Ryan Van Bibber/Turf Show Times)
• The Thomas Dimitroff - Atlanta Falcons
‘Matt Ryan was money throughout, his receivers were just fantastic and Dirk Koetter called a nice game. There were a handful of bad throws and missed opportunities and the ground game was pretty meh, but the passing game was everything we so fervently wished for this off-season. Defenses across the NFL are going to have a nightmarish time trying to contain Julio Jones and Roddy White..
‘What can you say about Julio Jones? He reeled in six catches for 108 yards (18 yard average) and two touchdowns, showing truly game-changing speed, agility, hands and situational awareness. I said during the open game thread yesterday that he might reel in 20 touchdowns this season, and as crazy as that sounds, would you bet against him?’
(via Dave Choate/The Falcoholic)
• The Marty Hurney - Carolina Panthers
‘The offensive line has to be the biggest disappointment as they got abused all day. Rookie LG Amini Silatolu seemed to stand out the most as Gerald McCoy ran over him constantly. The running game was seriously non-existent as the Panthers only ran for...check this out: 10 total yards. Yes, I said that right...10 total yards FOR THE ENTIRE GAME!
'QB Cam Newton didn't help his case for avoiding the sophomore slump. Newton went 23 of 33 for 303 yards, TD and 2 INTs which actually sounds much better than it was. His INTs were both the result of bad decisions to through the ball.’
(via Jaxon/Cat Scratch Reader)
• The Mickey Loomis - New Orleans Saints
‘Credit the Redskins for having a good game plan to get Robert Griffin III comfortable with a lot of short, quick passes and screen passes early. And credit Griffin for being immensely talented and so cool under pressure in his first game. But blame the Saints for getting so little pressure on the rookie throughout the day.
‘The few times the Saints hit Griffin came via blitzes from the secondary. The defensive line rarely pushed the pocket or broke through into the backfield, even when Griffin wasn't releasing the ball early.
‘That was the biggest concern with the Saints last season, and it remains the biggest concern this year. They've got to find a way to generate pressure with their four-man rush, and we didn't see it Sunday.’
(via Mike Triplett/The Times-Picayune)
• The Mark Dominik - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
‘The Bucs managed 130 rushing yards on a whopping 36 runs, and just 128 yards passing on 24 attempts. Those low totals belie an efficient and turnover-free offense, as Josh Freeman became a true game manager. With Vincent Jackson bringing a new dimension to the team's offense and Mike Williams looking more like his 2010 self, the quarterback played it safe. There were no forced passes, and Freeman took two sacks rather than attempting a risky throw on third down.
‘Still, it was Doug Martin who carried the offense, as the rookie provided consistency and the ability to close out a game. With 95 yards on the ground, the running back was a big part of the game's offense - and no other back had more than 3 carries. The second-most frequent rusher? Quarterback Josh Freeman, who scrambled for a couple of first downs and had a few quarterback sneaks to add to his totals.'
AFC
• The Bill Belichick - New England Patriots
'The Patriots' top three draft picks were all spent on the defensive side of the ball, and all three of those picks showed up with big plays on Sunday. Tavon Wilson came up big in coverage on several occasions, and had an acrobatic first half interception on a deep Jake Locker throw. Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower combined on a strip-sack and fumble return for a touchdown.'
(via Greg Knopping/Pats Pulpit)
• The Mike Tannenbaum - New York Jets
‘In the first game of the most critical season of his career, Sanchez delivered a masterly performance, presiding over an offense that would be hard-pressed to equal the efficiency and consistency it revealed Sunday. After managing only 31 points and a touchdown in the preseason, the Jets scored on five consecutive possessions against Buffalo, converted 71 percent (10 of 14) of their third downs and did not allow a sack. Sanchez carved up the Bills’ secondary as comfortably as he has dealt with Tim Tebow’s arrival, completing passes to eight receivers, including four each to the rookie Stephen Hill and Jeremy Kerley, who combined to score the Jets’ first four touchdowns.’
(via Ben Shpigel/New York Times)
• The Buddy Nix - Buffalo Bills
‘Mario Williams didn't exactly light the world on fire in his Buffalo Bills on Sunday, contributing just one tackle and one quarterback hit during the team's 48-28 road loss to the New York Jets. Matched up against a right tackle making his second pro start in Austin Howard, Williams was a non-factor throughout the game.
‘Any time a player doesn't perform to lofty expectations, fans are going to be peeved. That problem is exacerbated when a player makes excuses in the media, and that's precisely what Williams did after the game, ripping into the replacement officials for ignoring his protestations over the way Howard was blocking him.’
(via Brian Galliford/Buffalo Rumblings)
• The Jeff Ireland - Miami Dolphins
‘Obviously, the biggest let down was rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill's interceptions. Looking at the stat line, it really looked like Tannehill had no control and was just throwing the ball to Texans players left, right, and center. But, it really was not like that. The blame for the interceptions really falls on Tannehill locking on to a receiver too early, and the offensive line not being able to lock a defensive lineman down, keeping him from batting the ball.’
(via Kevin Nogle/The Phinsider)
• The Kevin Colbert - Pittsburgh Steelers
'In a game plan clearly geared toward establishing the run - which had been the buzz throughout the offseason - Dwyer was the running back who clearly outrushed the others. Isaac Redman averaged an appalling 1.8 yards per carry (11 rushes, 20 yards), while Dwyer banged out 43 yards on nine carries.
'Dwyer's best run was called off on a holding penalty on wide receiver Mike Wallace, but even with that, he would have still gained 10 yards or so. His lower body strength was impressive, often being very close to the ground but still managing to plow ahead for additional yardage. It was an outstanding season debut for Dwyer, and clearly, he'll be in the running for at least another nine carries next week.'
(via Neal Coolong/Behind the Steel Curtain)
• The Ozzie Newsome - Baltimore Ravens
‘The Bengals offensive line is strong at the tackle positions with left tackle Andrew Whitworth and right tackle Andre Smith but they have a rookie right guard and could be weakest up the middle. The middle of the line is exactly where the Ravens hope to start their pass rush in 2012. Baltimore will count on inside pass rushers like Haloti Ngata and Pernell McPhee and a mixture of disguised blitz packages to try and confuse the Bengals offensive line, using players from the secondary on blitzes such as Bernard Pollard.’
(via Baltimore Beat Down)
• The Mike Brown - Cincinnati Bengals
‘The question remains if Cincinnati is finally ready to compete with the league’s elite. Many media outsiders have lauded the Bengals with praise for quietly building a contender of their own by retaining a crack-team of top-notch coaching and discovering and polishing the ruby-studded Andy Dalton at quarterback. These writers and pundits also consider Mike Zimmer’s defense to be fortified with proven talent, pointing to strong showings in 2009 and again in ’11. And while all these kind words are nice, if the Bengals are unable to step it up against other playoff teams, it’s all just talk.’
(via CincyJungle)
• The Tom Heckert - Cleveland Browns
‘I understand that a quarterback can look like a rookie, but Brandon Weeden was worse than that against the Eagles. In a game in which he did not face a ton of pressure, he missed several open receivers badly and finished the game 12-of-35 for 118 yards and 4 interceptions. Richardson was not very effective running the ball, having 19 carries for 39 yards, but it was Weeden's turnovers that prevented Cleveland from coming away with a win in Week 1.’
(via Chris Pokorny/Dawgs By Nature)
• The Rick Smith - Houston Texans
‘The offense needs great things from more than Johnson and Schaub. Even though Arian Foster ran for two touchdowns, the running game was stuffed in embarrassing fashion by the Dolphins, who limited the Texans to 2.4 yards on 35 carries.
‘We’re talking about a running game that ranked second in the NFL last season. The run blockers must improve because a 3.4-yard average isn’t going to cut it when the Texans go on the road and play the Jacksonville Jaguars in their second game.’
(via John McClain/Houston Chronicle)
• The Ryan Grigson - Indianapolis Colts
‘Andrew Luck couldn’t help but be narrow-minded when it came to his individual play. All he could see was the bad -- the turnovers and loss -- but his teammates, opponents and both head coaches saw the whole picture, which they believe included some good, too.
'To go with his three interceptions and a fumble, Luck completed 23-of-45 passes for 309 yards and a touchdown, guided the Colts into the red zone four times against an experienced Bears’ defense and was noticeably more comfortable as the game progressed.’
(via Scott Powers/ESPN)
• The Gene Smith - Jacksonville Jaguars
‘Blaine Gabbert seemed in control of the offense for most of the game.
‘Starting fresh after finishing last year with a league-worst 65.4 passer rating, he looked more comfortable in the pocket to start his sophomore season and didn't force any throws. Gabbert completed passes to nine different receivers and converted 8 of 15 times on third and fourth down in regulation.
‘But he also missed Justin Blackmon in the end zone early, dropped a snap in the third quarter that led to a Vikings touchdown, and his fourth-down overthrow to end the game wasn't even close.’
(via Associated Press)
• The Ruston Webster - Tennessee Titans
‘On the offensive side of the ball we witnessed a lot of good things, mainly from our quarterback. From pre-game, you could tell this was Jake Lockers team to lead and he looked extremely sharp early. Besides a few that got away from him, there were not many bad balls today. However he did have an early interception caused by a tip-drill on a deep ball to Nate Washington. Locker followed that by a fumble later in the game. He did bounce back with an amazing touchdown throw to Nate while being tackled. Locker was injured late in the 3rd while tackling a Patriot defender on a fumble recovery that was overturned soon after and replaced by Matt Hasselbeck. To his credit, Hasselbeck who didn't miss a beat as he moved us down the field and set up for a field goal. Locker finished the game 23/32 for 229 yards with a touchdown, an interception, and a fumble.’
• The Reggie McKenzie - Oakland Raiders
‘If anyone in the NFL has reason to be fidgety this season, it is Mark Davis. He is symbolically stepping into the void created by the death of his legendary father, Al Davis, last October. Al Davis for nearly 50 years was a towering figure, and he personified the uniquely identifiable brand that is the Raiders.
‘Yet Reggie McKenzie might have more reason to be concerned, as Davis has been very open about maintaining distance from the football operation, leaving the details to Reggie. He effectively replaces Al Davis as franchise boss, selecting the roster, coordinating scouting/personnel and serving as architect.’
(via Monte Poole/San Jose Mercury News)
• The John Elway - Denver Broncos
‘Same ole' Peyton Manning. As Broncos fans we have seen this plenty of times. Peyton Manning masterfully orchestrating an offense that an opposing defense can't stop - no matter what it does. Yes, Broncos Country knows it all too well. Pittsburgh Steelers fans, however, have had plenty of success against Manning, going back to 2005 when the Steelers shocked the Indianapolis Colts on their way to winning Super Bowl XL.
‘Tonight, however, Peyton Manning put the Steelers, the AFC and all of the NFL on notice that he is back and might be better than ever. After a slow start, Manning used his patented no-huddle offense, along with a quick-strike touchdown to Demaryius Thomas, to beat the Steelers 31-19.’
(via John Bena/Mile High Report)
• The Scott Pioli - Kansas City Chiefs
‘The run blocking wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. I know they rushed the ball for over 100 yards, and yes, Jamaal Charles is back and looked good, but most of his yards were gained because he’s the man, not because the offensive line was pushing around an undersized Atlanta front seven. Charles lost yards on several carries because there was just nothing between the tackles and it was too late for him to bounce it outside with any success. Peyton Hillis looked a lot like Thomas Jones (just with a lot more fight in him) because of the lack of running lanes. I REALLY hope the Chiefs can run between the tackles with more success as the season goes on. I for one think they may need to sign a true fullback.’
(via Lyle Graversen/Arrowhead Addict)
• The A.J. Smith - San Diego Chargers
'Even in a down season, Philip Rivers’ late surge gave him respectable end-of-year numbers. He ranked 11th in my QB rating system in 2011 after finishing 1st or 2nd each of the prior three years. Over the last four years, Rivers trails only Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers in ANY/A. It’s the same story over the last three years and over the last two years. He’s an elite quarterback, and gives San Diego a chance to win every game they play.'
(via Chase Stuart/FootballPerspective)
