To say the least my Monday Night predictions were spot on. New England came away with a 14 point victory as predicted and Oakland won a tight decision on the road. I may be getting the hang of this thing... Here is what I learned from last nights games...
NE 38 MIA 24 - Tom Brady's ears were ringing when I talked about Cam Newton's debut game throwing more than Brady's career high. TB12 tossed for 517 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Patriots offense looks to continue to target their deep tight end depth with Wes Welker, Deion Branch and Chad Ochocinco as ancillary threats. Despite a very strong effort by the NE offense, Chad Henneand the Phins looked impressive against a no-name and no-impact player Patriot defense. Hennetossed for 416 yards, many to a banged up Brandon Marshall who limped off the field in the last few seconds of the game. With impressive efforts by AFC East offenses this weekend, the Patriots aren't a shoe-in to win the division. Their defense needs a stronger pass rush and Albert Haynesworth was a near non-factor. Miami is looking at another 3rd place finish and most likely the end to the Tony Sparano tenure.
OAK 23 DEN 20 - The Oakland Raider Denver Bronco rivalry is one of the most historic but least talked about in the league while the Steelers and Ravers are getting most of the buzz. This AFC West battle featured a couple of new coaches in John Fox and Hugh Jackson. Plagued by penalities, this game featured blood and brutality as was the case in the 80s and 90s. Rookie first round draft pickVon Miller helped the Broncos get on the board early with a forced fumble in Oakland opening drive. From that point on, despite an excellent effort by the Denver special teams unit, Oaklands running game set the tone and tempo with Darren McFadden rushing for 150 yards. Jason Campbellmanaged the game effectiviley but wasn't spectacular. We are all looking forward to seeing Terrell Pryor in week 7. Chants for Tim Tebow rang throughout Mile High towards the end of the game brought on by Kyle Orton's lack of accuracy and a ghost strip lost fumble. Thick Leg Janikowski'sFG late in 2nd quarter tied for the longest in NFL history slicing though the thin air in Denver.
Games to watch in Week 2:
CHI (1-0) at NO (0-1) - Can the Chicago D ground the Saints like they did with the Falcons?
SD (1-0) at NE (1-0) - Even money line high powered offenses face off at Foxboro.
PHI (1-0) at ATL (0-1) - The Dream team is on the road against Matty Ice who look to rebound from a week 1 loss.
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