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Opening games

Champions aren't crowned in Week 1

Let’s not overreact to what we’re seeing. One week does not a season make. Some players and teams that underachieved in Week 1 will come around, and some of the early superstars will tail off. Happens every year.

Here the scores from the openers last year (with the home teams in all caps).

Picking through the scores, you’ll see plenty of instances of instances where what you got in Week 1 wasn’t really very indicative of what you saw the rest of the season.

Tennessee, most notably, with Marcus Mariota shredding the Bucs, did not become an offensive juggernaut. The Bucs scored only 14 points in that first game but came around nicely.

The Panthers and Jaguars were in a low-scoring game (with one of Carolina’s touchdowns coming on an interception return by Josh Norman). Both of the offenses in that game ended up being a lot better than what they showed in that opener.

Washington and Oakland couldn’t get over the 13-point barrier, but both of those offenses ended up being good.

San Francisco, oddly, also had the No. 1 defense after Week 1 last year, giving up only 3 points to Minnesota. But the 49ers ended up ranking 29th in total defense. The Vikings, meanwhile, rebounded to win the NFC North. Adrian Peterson, who ran for only 31 yards in that opener (just like this year) wasn’t finished after all.

Too early to panic. Nothing wrong with thoroughly looking into some of the overachievers from the first games, but let’s also keep in mind what we observed last year, in the offseason, and in the preseason games.

Week 1 Last Season
WinnerLoser
NEW ENGLAND 28Pittsburgh 21
BUFFALO 27Indianapolis 14
Green Bay 31CHICAGO 23
Kansas City 27HOUSTON 20
Carolina 20JACKSONVILLE 9
NEW YORK JETS 31Cleveland 10
ST. LOUIS 34Seattle 31 (OT)
Miami 17WASHINGTON 10
ARIZONA 31New Orleans 19
SAN DIEGO 33Detroit 28
DENVER 19Baltimore 13
Cincinnati 33OAKLAND 13
Tennessee 42TAMPA BAY 14
DALLAS 27New York Giants 26
ATLANTA 26Philadelphia 24
SAN FRANCISCO 20Minnesota 3

—Ian Allan

5 Reader Comments:

david hogshire

Plymouth, MN
2016-09-13T20:56:59Z
When Luck was healthy he liked both Fleener and Allen. With Fleener gone it looks like Doyle is next guy up. Was the first game a fluke or do you think Luck will continue tolook for both Allen and Doyle. I don't expect two touchdowns for either TE on a regular basis but can see multiple games with multiple tight end touchdowns in Indy's future. Any thoughts?

NICK FRITZ

Minneapolis, MN
2016-09-14T03:44:04Z
I'm officially worried about Rivers. Do you guys see Garoppolo as a better option over the next 3 weeks?
Might consider going that route and hope to swing a trade with one of my backs when I get L.Bell back in week 4.

ANDY RICHARDSON

Port Chester, NY
2016-09-14T11:47:33Z
Rivers plays Jacksonville, Indianapolis and New Orleans the next three weeks. He will definitely be ranked higher than Garoppolo and most other QBs in those matchups.

Matt Mumford

Tillamook, OR
2016-09-14T14:53:12Z
Chargers were on the way to beating the Chiefs when Keenan went down. That seemed to suck fhe life out of that team. Hopefully they'll rebound. Was surprised Inman didn't play better. Rivers will get somebody else going.

BEN HOGEVOLL

Siletz, OR
2016-09-14T15:44:20Z
You get L.Bell back in two weeks from Sunday
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