NFL Week One Recap!

Oh baby, welcome back to MOKB's weekly recap of all that was in the NFL. We'll cross-reference with some indie tunes as usual. I'll try not to burn out in Week 13 or 14 like I did last year. I've been training and eating better, so I feel good about it.

New Orleans 10 at Indianapolis 41

What a way to kick it all off! OK, I'm partial to the Colts of course, but how good did they look?! I mean, the defense was equally as amazing as the offense - against the highest producing offense in the entire league last year. The Saints were just awful. Coach Sean Payton exercised a terrible, nonaggressive game plan that only got worse as they got further and further down in the second half of the game. I felt bad for Saints cornerback, Jason David, for about 2 minutes and then I was over it. Reggie Wayne used and abused him. He was thrown at 9 times, the Colts caught 7 for over 140 yards and three touchdowns.

Matt & Kim - Yea Yeah

Denver 15 at Buffalo 14

Jason Elam missed a 43-yard field goal attempt that would have won the game, but got another chance on their ensuing drive, and with the seconds flying off the clock, nailed a 42-yarder to win the game for the Broncos as time expired. For the Broncos, Jay Cutler passed for over 300 yards, a TD and a pick. Travis Henry found his momentum late and rushed for well over 100 yards. Bills rookie running back Marshawn Lynch ran for 90 yards and a touchdown.

The sadness in this game is that Bills' tight end Kevin Everett was gravely injured, had to have two vertebrae removed and may now be paralyzed. MOKB sends thoughts and prayers out to his friends and family.

Eef Barzelay - The Ballad Of Bitter Honey

Philadelphia 13 at Green Bay 16

Favre tied John Elway for the most wins ever by a starting quarterback. Favre may also break the records for most careet passing yards and career touchdowns this year. He'll also break the record for most career interceptions. Favre eeked out a couple hundred passing yards, an interception, but no touchdowns. He owes this victory to rookie kicker Mason Crosby. Crosby hit a 42-yarder with just a couple seconds remaining. Donovan McNabb was just ok in his return from injury. One touchdown and one interception to go with just over 185 passing yards.

Turbo Fruits - Pockets Full of Thistles

Kansas City 3 at Houston 20

Good to see the Texans get a win early. Mario Williams certainly looked like a number one overall draft pick in this game. Two sacks and a fumble recovered and returned for a touchdown. In Matt Schaub's first game as Houston's new QB, he didn't do anything too fancy and he didn't do anything too stupid. A touchdown and an interception to go with 220 passing yards. The Chiefs fumbled a lot and threw a couple interceptions to stifle an already unsteady offense.

Texans DT Amobi Okoye (out of Louisville!) became youngest NFL player, since the start of the common AFL-NFL draft in 1967, to start an NFL game - at 20 years and 91 days old.

Taken By Trees - Lost And Found

New England 38 at New York (AFC) 14

I have a feeling we might be seeing a lot more of the combo we saw in this game. Randy Moss and Tom Brady lit the Jets up! 180+ yards and TD for Moss. Pats return man, Ellis Hobbs registered the first 108-yard TD kickoff return in NFL history. Chad Pennington's leg got all bent up and it looks like he'll miss at least one start next week.

The big hoopla though surrounded the Pats getting caught sticking a camera man on the Jets sideline to steal coaching signs. If found guilty of the crime, the Pats face a hefty fine and possibly the loss of a draft pick.

Laurie Anderson - From The Air (Dan The Automator Remix)

Pittsburgh 34 at Cleveland 7

Well, Big Ben got out to a fast start this season. A career high of four touchdown passes! Willie Parker rushed for over 100 yards. Santonio Holmes is looking more and more like a star in the making and Hines Ward is as steady as every. Cleveland is looking more and more like it will be another excruiatingly long season full of losses like this one. I hope the Browns turn it around because words like "hapless", "embarrassing" and "inept" are in every description of this team. Quarterback Charlie Frye was benched before the first half was even over. Safe to say his confidence is out for the season.

The Deadly Syndrome - The Winter In You

Miami 13 at Washington 16

This was an ugly, yet somewhat exciting game between two noncontenders. Clinton Portis was surrounded by question marks since he missed the entire preseason with a knee injury, but he came out and put it on Miami with 98 yards and touchdown. New 'Skin Antwaan Randle-El caught five passes for 162 yards. Jason Campbell threw for 200+ yards, but managed to get picked twice and had no touchdowns. Despite the interceptions, many analysts were impressed with Campbell's arm, poise and decision making. Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham hit three field goals, including a 39-yarder to win the game in overtime.

Axe Riverboy - Carry On

Tennessee 13 at Jacksonville 10

Vince Young looked pretty bad, but he still got the win, and this was a division game. Don't underestimate the added pressure due to that fact. Most would pick the Jags over the Titans in this division, so no matter how he got it done, he and his team got it done. In 2004 Titans running back Chris Brown looked like a world-beater. Injuries sent him spiraling and into irrelevance. He had a re-coming out party in this game. Brown stomped out 175 yards on just 19 carries.

Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew were highly ineffective and David Garrard probably had some Jaguar fans wondering if the Jags made the right choice letting Leftwich go.

Enon - Mirror On You

Atlanta 3 at Minnesota 24

Yeah, no matter how good you though Joey might have looked in the preseason, I guess I need to remind you that it was the preseason. No viable attack against a team that was one of the Falcons better chances to get a win this season. Adrian Peterson took his first steps to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors...over 100 yards rushing and a 60-yard TD reception. Minnesota coasted to a win and this is a good way to start building confidence for this young offense.

Emma Pollock - Adrenaline

Carolina 27 at St. Louis 13

Boy, how good did Carolina and Jake Delhomme look?! How bad did the Rams offense and Stephen Jackson look?! DeShawn Foster and DeAngelo Williams presented a potent tag-team of a running game and Delhomme hit his two primary recievers for three TDs through the air. Foster and Williams both need to hold on to the ball better. Each fumbled once. Stephen Jackson, though, fumbled twice and only gained 58 yards. Steve Smith had a 68-yard touchdown catch to put the Panthers up for good. The worst loss for the Rams was Orlando Pace. He's going to be out for the season and weakens an already shaky o-line. The Rams had solid tackles with Pace, but some trouble in the middle of the line. This loss could spell doom for the fragile Bulger and Jackson's ability to run the rock.

The Alarmists - Light As Smoke

Chicago 3 at San Diego 14

Rex Grossman paid the price for the Bears letting Thomas Jones go. Cedric Benson was dreadful in his blitz pickups and Grossman got nailed more than a few times. Bears D did a pretty decent job handling the San Diego offense and L.T., but their offense mounted no viable threat and two scores were more than enough to send last year's Super Bowl runners-up packing. Right now, I'd say the Bears would beat the Saints again if they rematched, but it's only game one of the season. Really, both of those team's losses just back up my thought that the Super Bowl winner will easily come from the AFC again this year.

Gringo Star - No Reason

Detroit 36 at Oakland 21

Honestly, neither of these cellar dwellars looked bad. The Lions put up 36 points and rallied late to win. That's the kind of culture change I was talking about. The Lions didn't roll over once they got down after blowing a big lead. They dug deep and made the comeback. The Raiders showed a lot of heart obviously too. They were down early, but battled to the endand even took the lead in the fourth quarter. Josh McCown completed 75% of his passes for over 300 yards, but he did throw a pick and give up a fumble. LaMont Jordan accounted for 159 total yards of offense. The Lions got big games from Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson, but they also got a big day from wide reciever Shaun McDonald, who caught the go-ahead game-winner. Good news for the Raiders today - they finally signed JaMarcus Russell.

Matt & Kim - Silver Tiles

Tampa Bay 6 at Seattle 20

The two main components of Seattle's offensive success did exactly what they were supposed to do on Sunday. Alexander rushed for over 100 yards. Hasslebeck threw TDs and no picks. For Tampa Bay, Cadillac Williams suffered a rib injury and had to be removed. Jeff Garcia was roughed up, sacked three times and knocked down many others. With those two sidelined and struggling, there really wasn't much of a Tampa Bay offense to speak of. The Bucs are going to struggle to score points all year. I gotta think they may contend for next year's number one draft pick as well.

Sunset Rubdown - Winged/Wicked Things

New York (NFC) 35 at Dallas 45

I kinda thought this might be a defensive struggle, but boy was I wrong. Both Tony Romo and Eli Manning threw for over 300 yards and each threw four touchdown passes! Romo also ran one in. T.O. racked up 87 yards and two TDs, but Plaxico Burress outshined him with 144 yards recieving and 3 TDs. The Giants suffered a big loss when Brandon Jacobs went down with a knee injury, but his backup, Derrick Ward, filled the void. Ward rushed for 89 yards and grabbed a touchdown catch. Even worse, Osi Umenyiora suffered a knee injury. Even even worse, Eli Manning went out in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury and is now out for at least a month. Jacobs and Umenyiora were both able to walk off the field withough help, but the losses of these key components for the Giants going forward could mean hard times approaching.

The real question is...Will former University of Kentucky quarterback, Jared Lorenzen - the Pilsbury Throwboy, the Hefty Lefty, the Round Mound Of Touchdown - now start at QB for the Giants?! Wow.

Phantom Family Halo - Lady Blue

Baltimore 20 at Cincinnati 27

Man, turnovers were the story of this game. The Ravens turned it over three times on three consecutive drives to start the game, I think. Ray Lewis tore his tricep on one of the games early plays, lighting up T.J. Housh in the process. Lewis, the warrior that he is, stayed in the game and racked up over ten tackles. Ed Reed busted out an awesome punt return for a touchdown to put the Ravens on top early in the fourth quarter. Then Robert Geathers intercepted a floater from Steve McNair and ran it back to the 20 yard line. Baltimore challenged, and it was a contraversial intercept, but there wasn't clear visual evidence to overturn it. Carson to Housh for six on a beautiful swing pass ended the drive and turnover in points for the Bengals. Bengals stop Ravens on ensuing drive, but then Rudi coughs up the ball when they get it back! Oui. Backup QB Kyle Boller then came in for the Ravens and threw a TD pass to Todd Heap. It was called pass interference on Heap, a bad call, and thus nullified. Cincy was then called with a defensive hold on the ensuing play. So, Boller gets another chance, but threw an interception, on another attempt to Heap, to give the Bengals the game.

Steve McNair was overthrowing balls all night, and I was not suprised he was pulled - even though it was actually for a groin injury. I gotta tell you, neither Boller nor McNair is not going to take this team to the promise land. Sure, it's possible they'll make the playoffs again, but I guarantee that will be the end of their run.

Cheyenne - The Whale

Arizona 17 at San Francisco 20

Leinart started the game by throwing an interception and ended the next series quickly with terrible throws. Frank Gore got the 49ers out to an early lead. It all ended up tied at tens at the half. Neither of these two young QBs looked very good in the first half or most of the second really. Smith's late scoring drive was well done though. With more consistant play from him, it looks like the 49ers may have a chance of upending Seattle or at least finishing a close second.

The Features - Me & The Skirts


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