The NFL has returned, in the form of a sixteen-game weekend that has been spread from Thursday to Monday night. It isn't easy to keep tabs on every one of the games being played in the league on Kickoff Weekend, but we are here to help summarize all that has gone down while highlighting a number of unique statistical leaders. We will showcase a pair of innovative statistical systems called the Field Impact Counter (individual performance formula) and Trench Counter (team efficiency formula), both created by RealGM executive editor Chris Reina. Explanations of both are listed after this week?s recaps. Thursday Night N.Y. Giants 16, Washington 7 Trench Counter: NYG +3.8, WSH -3.8 The defending-champion New York Giants cooled down after looking terrific in the first quarter but still had more than enough to defeat the Washington Redskins on Thursday night. Eli Manning, who ran in New York?s first score of the game on a one-yard scramble, finished the game 19-for-35 with 216 yards and an interception. Jason Campbell wasn?t much better for the Redskins, going 15-for-27 with 133 yards and one touchdown, a twelve-yard connection with Santana Moss late in the second quarter. Brandon Jacobs helped the Giants control the game with 116 rushing yards while Plaxico Burress finished the season-opener with ten receptions for 133 yards. Game FIC Scores Eli Manning, NYG ? 39 Jason Campbell, WSH ? 28 Plaxico Burress, NYG ? 82 Antwaan Randle El, WSH ? 47 Brandon Jacobs, NYG ? 46 Clinton Portis, WSH ? 35 Chris Cooley, WSH ? 5 Kevin Boss, NYG ? 0 Sunday: Tennessee 17, Jacksonville 10 Trench Counter: TEN +14.6, JAX -14.6 The Tennessee Titans held off the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday thanks in large part to a tremendous effort by their defense. The Titans sacked David Garrard seven times, grabbed two interceptions, and forced one fumble in their 17-10 win at home. Rookie Chris Johnson ran for 93 yards for Tennessee while LenDale White notched 40 yards and reached the end zone in the fourth quarter to help put Jacksonville away. Garrard, who threw just three interceptions in all of 2007, struggled mightily. He went 23-for-35 with 215 yards, one touchdown, and the two aforementioned picks. The Jaguars managed just 33 rushing yards after finishing last season as one of the league?s strongest running attacks. Vince Young struggled even more than Garrard did, going 12-for-22 with 110 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions but was lucky enough to get a strong showing from his supporting cast. Young left the game in the fourth with an injury. Game FIC Scores David Garrard, JAX ? 38 Vince Young, TEN ? 23 Matt Jones, JAX ? 50 Justin Gage, TEN ? 16 Chris Johnson, TEN ? 62 Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX ? 26 Bo Scaife, TEN ? 62 Marcedes Lewis, JAX ? 19 Pittsburgh 38, Houston 17 Trench Counter: PIT +11.5, HOU -11.5 The Pittsburgh Steelers scored early and often on Sunday against the Houston Texans, kicking off the 2008 season with a very strong offensive showing. Willie Parker rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns, and Ben Roethlisberger hooked up with Hines Wards for 76 yards and a pair of trips to the end zone. Roethlisberger went 13-for-14 with 137 yards and two scores. The Texans scored fourteen points in the fourth quarter to make the score look respectable, with Matt Schaub accounting for both scores. Schaub, who went 25-for-33 with 202 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, hit Kevin Walter for a fourteen-yard strike early in the fourth and then added a four-yard touchdown run with a little more than a minute remaining. Game FIC Scores Ben Roethlisberger, PIT ? 46 Matt Schaub, HOU ? 47 Hines Ward, PIT ? 58 Andre Johnson, HOU ? 74 Willie Parker, PIT ? 67 Steve Slaton, HOU ? 17 Owen Daniels, HOU ? 22 Heath Miller, PIT ? 18 Philadelphia 38, St. Louis 3 Trench Counter: PHI +25.7, STL -25.7 Donovan McNabb looked young and rejuvenated against the St. Louis Rams, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to an impressive victory in Week One. Without Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis, McNabb made two career backups and a rookie receiver look like Pro Bowlers. McNabb finished the day 21-for-33 with 361 yards and three touchdowns. Brian Westbrook, who finished 2007 as the NFL?s leading yard-gainer from scrimmage, had 91 rushing yards and two scores (one on a one-yard pass from McNabb). The Eagles enjoyed three one-hundred yard performances from their stable of receivers, with DeSean Jackson (106), Greg Lewis (104), and Hank Baskett (102) all topping the mark. The St. Louis offense looked even more confused than the defense, managing just eight first downs and 166 total yards. Steven Jackson tallied just 40 rushing yards, and Marc Bulger was 14-for-26 with 158 yards in the loss. McNabb went untouched, as the Eagles didn?t surrender a single sack. Meanwhile, Philadelphia got to Bulger four times. Game FIC Scores Donovan McNabb, PHI ? 81 Marc Bulger, STL ? 24 DeSean Jackson, PHI ? 63 Dante Hall, STL ? 11 Brian Westbrook, PHI ? 41 Steven Jackson, STL ? 28 Randy McMichael, STL ? 47 L.J. Smith, PHI ? 33 New Orleans 24, Tampa Bay 20 Trench Counter: NO +4.3, TB -4.3 It was a close battle all afternoon, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers couldn?t keep Drew Brees under wraps as he led the New Orleans Saints to a key interdivisional victory. Brees tallied 343 yards and three touchdowns (along with an interception) while going 23-for-32 on the day. Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush combined for 103 rushing yards while Bush added 102 receiving yards and a touchdown against Tampa Bay. Jeff Garcia wasn?t the reason the Buccaneers lost, but he wasn?t able to lead them to victory, either. He went 24-for-41 with 221 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. Earnest Graham enjoyed a nice afternoon, running for 91 yards on just ten attempts, but Jon Gruden opted to attack through the air despite Graham?s effectiveness. Game FIC Scores Drew Brees, NO ? 72 Jeff Garcia, TB ? 45 Joey Galloway, TB ? 36 Marques Colston, NO ? 17 Reggie Bush, NO ? 88 Earnest Graham, TB ? 55 Jeremy Shockey, NO ? 36 Alex Smith, TB ? 14 New England 17, Kansas City 10 Trench Counter: NE +2.2, KC -2.2 The New England Patriots watched the entire crowd hold its collective breath in the first quarter on Sunday, as the reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady hobbled off the field with a knee injury. Luckily for the Patriots, Matt Cassel was able to step in and play respectably, and the lowly Kansas City Chiefs were in town. Cassel went 13-for-18 with 152 yards and a touchdown, helping lead New England to a victory in a much closer game than was expected. Randy Moss caught six passes for 116 yards and one touchdown, helping the offense transition smoothly from Brady to Cassel. Brodie Croyle left with a shoulder injury, leaving the Chiefs to put Damon Huard behind center. Huard went 8-for-12 with 118 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Larry Johnson tallied 74 yards on the ground for Kansas City while Sammy Morris and Laurence Maroney combined for 104 rushing yards and a score. Game FIC Scores Matt Cassel, NE ? 36 Brodie Croyle, KC ? 16 Randy Moss, NE ? 67 Dwayne Bowe, KC ? 38 Sammy Morris, NE ? 47 Larry Johnson, KC ? 27 Tony Gonzalez, KC ? 38 David Thomas, NE ? 15 N.Y. Jets 20, Miami 17 Trench Counter: NYJ +7.6, MIA -7.6 It wasn?t an overwhelming victory, but fans of the New York Jets got exactly what they wanted out of Brett Favre on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Favre threw for just 194 yards but was 15-for-22 and connected for two touchdowns. Chad Pennington looked good against his former team, going 26-for-43 with 251 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. The difference, however, was on the ground. Thomas Jones tallied 101 yards and a score for the Jets while the combination of Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown managed just 47 rushing yards. Favre put the Jets on the board with a 56-yard touchdown pass to Jerricho Cotchery in the first quarter, but Pennington answered with a 5-yard strike to Anthony Fasano to tie the game and keep it close throughout. Game FIC Scores Brett Favre, NYJ ? 42 Chad Pennington, MIA ? 55 Jerricho Cotchery, NYJ ? 51 Greg Camarillo, MIA ? 24 Thomas Jones, NYJ ? 43 Ronnie Brown, MIA ? 26 Anthony Fasano, MIA ? 59 Chris Baker, NYJ ? 20 Buffalo 34, Seattle 10 Trench Counter: BUF +11.3, SEA -11.3 Trent Edwards managed a great game for the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in their blowout victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Edwards, who went 18-for-30 with 215 yards and a touchdown, handed off to Marshawn Lynch eighteen times for 76 yards and a score of his own. Punter Brian Moorman added to Buffalo?s attack, throwing a 19-yard pass for a touchdown to defensive end Ryan Denney near the end of the third quarter on a fake field goal attempt. Roscoe Parrish joined the Bills? scoring binge, as well, taking a punt back 63 yards for a touchdown. Matt Hasselbeck looked confused early and often against Buffalo?s defense, going 17-for-41 with just 190 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. Nate Burleson caught five passes from Hasselbeck for 60 yards and a score, but the Seahawks would love to have a do-over on this one. In addition to an embarrassing loss, both Burleson and running back Maurice Morris left the game with injuries. Game FIC Scores Trent Edwards, BUF ? 43 Matt Hasselbeck, SEA ? 30 Lee Evans, BUF ? 59 Nate Burleson, SEA ? 44 Marshawn Lynch, BUF ? 41 Julius Jones, SEA ? 22 Robert Royal, BUF ? 38 John Carlson, SEA ? 33 Baltimore 17, Cincinnati 10 Trench Counter: BAL +10.1, CIN -10.1 Rookie quarterback Joe Flacco didn?t light up the scoreboard, but he did help lead the Baltimore Ravens to a big win over the Cincinnati Bengals to start the season. Flacco, who went 15-for-29 with 129 passing yards, didn?t throw a touchdown but did break a 38-yard run at the end of the third quarter to give the Ravens a 17-3 lead heading into the fourth. Le?Ron McClain and rookie Ray Rice combined to run for 150 yards on more than forty attempts as Baltimore stuck to the ground. Receiver Mark Clayton, who caught three passes for 21 yards from Flacco, rushed once for 42 yards in the first quarter, reaching the end zone to put the Ravens on the board. Cornerback Johnathan Joseph scored Cincinnati?s lone touchdown, returning a fumble 65 yards early in the fourth. Carson Palmer went 10-for-25 with a mere 99 yards and an interception. Chris Perry, starting in place of the recently-released Rudi Johnson, ran eighteen times but tallied just 37 yards. Game FIC Scores Joe Flacco, BAL ? 45 Carson Palmer, CIN ? 17 Derrick Mason, BAL ? 30 T.J. Houshmandzadeh, CIN ? 27 Le?Ron McClain, BAL ? 46 Chris Perry, CIN ? -1 Reggie Kelley, CIN ? 10 Todd Heap, BAL ? -2 Atlanta 34, Detroit 17 Trench Counter: ATL +11.3, DET -11.3 Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan began his day with a bang and ended it with a victory in the Atlanta Falcons? dominant win over the Detroit Lions. Ryan, on the first pass of his NFL career, hooked up with Michael Jenkins for a 62-yard touchdown. Ryan finished the day 9-for-13 with 161 passing yards while running back Michael Turner stole the show. After playing second fiddle to LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego for the last four years, Turner broke out for a franchise-record 220 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Jerious Norwood added to the fun, as well, notching 93 yards and a score of his own. Atlanta tallied 318 rushing yards while holding Detroit to just 62. Jon Kitna was decent, going 24-for-33 with 262 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Second-year receiver Calvin Johnson caught seven passes for 107 yards while Roy Williams reached the end zone on a 21-yard strike in the second quarter. Game FIC Scores Jon Kitna, DET ? 57 Matt Ryan, ATL ? 27 Calvin Johnson, DET ? 65 Michael Jenkins, ATL ? 38 Michael Turner, ATL ? 113 Kevin Smith, DET ? 37 Ben Hartsock, ATL ? 11 Dan Campbell, DET ? 10 Arizona 27, San Francisco 17 Trench Counter: ARI +1.2, SF -1.2 Kurt Warner outplayed J.T. O?Sullivan as the Arizona Cardinals downed the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in a battle of teams that entered the season with uncertain quarterback situations. Warner, who went 19-for-30 with 197 yards and a touchdown, received helped from Edgerrin James, who tallied 100 rushing yards. O?Sullivan, was 14-for-20 with 195 yards and an interception and got support from Frank Gore, who rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown. Arizona?s backup running back Tim Hightower, a rookie out of Richmond, made the difference. He reached the end zone late in the third quarter on a two-yard run near the goal line. He finished with 13 yards on eight carries. Larry Fitzgerald was on the receiving end of Warner?s touchdown, and fellow top receiver Anquan Boldin finished with 82 receiving yards on eight catches in the win. Game FIC Scores Kurt Warner, ARI ? 34 J.T. O?Sullivan, SF ? 31 Anquan Boldin, ARI ? 55 Bryant Johnson, SF ? 29 Frank Gore, SF ? 71 Edgerrin James, ARI ? 29 Vernon Davis, SF ? 31 Leonard Pope, ARI ? 4 Carolina 26, San Diego 24 Trench Counter: CAR +1.8, SD -1.8 Not only did the Carolina Panthers upset the San Diego Chargers on Sunday afternoon, but they did so in dramatic fashion. After Philip Rivers found Vincent Jackson in the end zone to give the Chargers a five-point lead with a little more than two minutes receiving, Jake Delhomme marched the Panthers downfield to setup a thrilling ending. As time expired, Delhomme hit Dante Rosario with a 14-yard bullet pass to win the game for Carolina. Delhomme finished the day 23-for-41, with 247 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Rivers posted 217 yards and three touchdowns on 17-for-27 passing. LaDainian Tomlinson had 97 yards while DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined for 139 yards on the ground. The Panthers' defense allowed 24 points but scored seven of their own on a 31-yard fumble return by Chris Gamble. Game FIC Scores Philip Rivers, SD ? 54 Jake Delhomme, CAR ? 50 Chris Chambers, SD ? 29 Dwayne Jarrett, CAR ? 22 LaDainian Tomlinson, SD ? 44 DeAngelo Williams, CAR ? 32 Dante Rosario, CAR ? 65 Antonio Gates, SD ? 38 Dallas 28, Cleveland 10 Trench Counter: DAL +15.3, CLE -15.3 The Cleveland Browns were on the cusp of the playoffs last winter but struggled out of the gate in 2008 after losing to the Dallas Cowboys in grand fashion on Sunday. Tony Romo went 24-for-32 with 320 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Derek Anderson wasn?t nearly as good, going 11-for-24 with 114 yards and a touchdown. Marion Barber (who left with bruised ribs) and rookie Felix Jones combined to dominate on the ground, combining for 142 yards and three scores. Jamal Lewis rushed for 62 yards as the Browns struggled to get going on offense. Kellen Winslow had 47 yards and a score for Cleveland while Braylon Edwards tallied just 14 receiving yards in the season-opener. Three receivers had more than eighty yards for the Cowboys, with Jason Witten (96), Terrell Owens (87, and a score), and Patrick Crayton (82) all excelling through the air. Game FIC Scores Tony Romo, DAL ? 67 Derek Anderson, CLE ? 31 Terrell Owens, DAL ? 58 Braylon Edwards, CLE ? 7 Marion Barber, DAL ? 55 Jamal Lewis, CLE ? 28 Jason Witten, DAL ? 60 Kellen Winslow, CLE ? 37 Chicago 29, Indianapolis 13 Trench Counter: CHI +3.1, IND -3.1 The Chicago Bears made a statement on Sunday, knocking off the Indianapolis Colts on the night they opened up the brand-new Lucas Oil Stadium. Peyton Manning, taking the field in game action for the first time since the 2007 playoffs, went 30-for-49 with 257 yards and one touchdown, as the Colts struggled to get the running game going against Chicago?s defense. Joseph Addai ran just twelve times, for 44 yards, before leaving the game with a head injury in the fourth quarter. Rookie running back Matt Forte helped steal the show for the Bears, running for 123 yards and a touchdown in the team?s victory. Kyle Orton was steady, going 13-for-21 with 150 yards, completing a number of key passes to help move the chains. Reggie Wayne led Indianapolis with 86 yards and a touchdown, with tight ends Desmond Clark and Greg Olson leading Chicago with 82 receiving yards. The Bears? defense bothered the Colts all night long, tackling Addai in the end zone for a safety and returning a fumble 21 yards (Lance Briggs) for a touchdown. A knee injury to tight end Dallas Clark, who left in the first half, hampered Manning?s passing attack. Game FIC Scores Reggie Wayne, IND ? 63 Matt Forte, CHI ? 61 Peyton Manning, IND ? 55 Marvin Harrison, IND ? 45 Anthony Gonzalez, IND ? 33 Kyle Orton, CHI ? 31 Joseph Addai, IND ? 17 Green Bay 24, Minnesota 19 Trench Counter: GB -2.7, MIN +2.7 Aaron Rodgers enjoyed a successful debut as the starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers on Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings, as he led his team to an impressive win at home. Rodgers, who went 18-for-22 with 178 passing yards and a touchdown, ran for 35 yards and reached the end zone on foot as well. Ryan Grant helped balance the offense against the Vikings? stiff defense, running twelve times for 92 yards. Minnesota made a late charge, but safety Atari Bigby ended the rally by intercepting Tarvaris Jackson with less than a minute left on the clock. Jackson went 16-for-35 with 178 yards, one touchdown and the one interception. Adrian Peterson continued his hot streak, running for 103 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Minnesota?s defense, among the best units in the league last season, wasn?t able to disturb Rodgers at Lambeau Field. The Vikings failed to record a sack, while newly-signed defense end Jared Allen failed to make a difference in the team?s season-opener. Already leading 10-6, Green Bay took control of the game when cornerback Will Blackmon returned a punt 76 yards for a score in the third quarter. Rodgers appears to have nice chemistry with receiver Greg Jennings, as the two hooked up five times for 91 yards, including a 56-yard strike that put the Packers in scoring position early in the second quarter. Game FIC Scores Tarvaris Jackson, MIN ? 60 Aaron Rodgers, GB ? 59 Greg Jennings, GB ? 54 Adrian Peterson, MIN ? 48 Ryan Grant, GB ? 37 Bernard Berrian, MIN ? 23 Denver 41, Oakland 14 Trench Counter: DEN +25.1, OAK -25.1 Jay Cutler got the Denver Broncos off on the right foot against the Oakland Raiders on Monday night, connecting with rookie Eddie Royal for a 26-yard touchdown just a few minutes into the game. Cutler finished the night 16-for-24 with 299 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Royal tallied 146 yards and a score on nine receptions. Denver's Andre Hall rushed for 61 yards in the victory, and Michael Pittman reached the end zone twice on seven carries (13 yards). JaMarcus Russell struggled in the first half, thanks to some dropped passes by his receivers, by rallied in the second half to finish with 180 yards and two touchdowns on 17-for-26 passing. Justin Fargas contributed 97 yards, and rookie Darren McFadden had 46 yards on nine carries. Game FIC Scores Eddie Royal, DEN ? 94 Jay Cutler, DEN ? 64 JaMarcus Russell, OAK ? 43 Justin Fargas, OAK ? 38 Darren McFadden, OAK ? 23 Trench Counter The scoreboard is where games are officially won and lost, but they are largely decided by the team that wins the battles of yards per pass, yards per carry, penalty yards lost, first downs and turnovers. For this reason, RealGM executive editor Chris Reina created the following formula called the ?Trench Counter? to look at which team truly controls the game: (2x Yards per pass) + (2x Yards per carry) + (.5 First downs) - (Penalty yards/10) - (2.5 Turnovers) - (Opposing Team's Trench Counter) Field Impact Counter We use the FIC to rank players in terms of their individual performance and use that ranking to determine their Reina Value, which gauges how well they are playing in relation to their cap hit. Quarterbacks: Their FIC rewards completions, yards, touchdowns, first downs and the ability to run the ball, while interceptions, sacks and incomplete passes hurt their score. Running Backs: Yards per carry, touchdowns, first downs and receptions out of the backfield are all duly rewarded, while fumbles hurt their score. Wide Receivers: Receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns and first downs contribute to a high score.