Cold Open
It will be very difficult for new coaches in new organizations to succeed early this season knowing they did not have the same time to prepare with a team or preseason games to feel their roster's true potential. That may be the case for Mike McCarthy in Dallas, despite the fact he is a Super Bowl-winning coach.
Unless, of course, it isn't.
Every new head coach lost in Week 1 except Ron Rivera. All can lean on the excuses I laid out. However, after watching Sunday Night Football, one thing is already clear: Mike McCarthy's problems will be his own undoing. Trying desperately to show Jerry Jones he is not Jason Garrett, Iron Mike decided to run the ball on 3rd-and-6 and then go for it on 4th-and-2 from inside Rams territory with 11 minutes still on the clock, down three. The problem here, of course, is not recognizing it is fine to be aggressive, but the Cowboys weren't playing Patrick Mahomes where every possession matters. They had bottled up the Rams offense to just 20 points in the game. Of course the decision bit Dallas in the rump, and they are already 0-1.
Chasing ghosts is a good way to fumble a season away. This could be a Week 1 overreaction, but early tones of alarm bells have to at least be rumbling in Dallas already.
Ten Yard Gain
1-Bad coaching was a theme in Week 1, and had Mike McCarthy not been the opponent on Sunday night, Sean McVay may have some serious explaining to do. Looking to ice the game away and needing just a first down with 3rd-and-2 in front of them, McVay ran a pitch to the right side. For an offensive innovator that had the league catch up to him a year ago, this was exactly the kind of bone-headed decision that we had hoped McVay would get past in 2020, but perhaps he is out of tricks.
2-Old quarterbacks looked old. Philip Rivers and Tom Brady lost while Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger won. Big Ben had the best numbers of the four, and if you just looked at stats, you may not think twice. The truth is I would not be shocked if in 16 weeks we are discussing the end of all four careers, leaving a gaping hole in the usual top-10 grouping of NFL quarterbacks.
3-Don't be planning another Duck Boat parade for the Patriots just yet. Cam Newton rushed for two touchdowns and more yards than any Patriots QB ever had in a single game. The defense held up their end of the bargain, too. They were prepared thanks to Bill Belichick and perhaps thanks to a Dolphins team some overrated coming into the season. The idea the Pats are still great is very much still in question, and it will begin to be answered on the road in Seattle.
4-Baker Mayfield or Odell Beckham Jr, one will be the first to go in Cleveland. Kevin Stefanski already openly discussing a disconnect that he needs to get to the bottom of should open eyes. Odell says he is about winning; the Browns want to be about that but cannot. The Baker Mayfield bravado isn't as bold when he can't move the ball and looks overmatched. If the Browns continue to tank, Trevor Lawrence becomes in play. However, getting there may involve trading Odell before the deadline passes. Either way, the early returns after one Week are that this Browns hype machine is on the fast lane to derailment again.
5-Michael Thomas missing weeks with a high ankle sprain will create some serious issued for the New Orleans Saints. The Saints leaned on Alvin Kamara in Week 1 and will have to do much of the same going forward. If Thomas is not there for safeties to key in on and Drew Brees can't sling it downfield like he used to, Kamara battling eight in the box becomes something to watch. New Orleans’ defense, though, made plays and tilted the field versus Brady and the Bucs. They have a next-man-up mentality, and for this kind of injury, it may have to be a next-unit-up mentality.
6-Super Bowl-loss hangovers are real, and the 49ers look very much like they are next up in that list. Deebo Samuel is hurt; now George Kittle is, too. Raheem Mostert was the 49ers’ most productive offensive player in Week 1. That isn't a recipe for success in what may be the hardest division in football. Luckily for San Francisco, they get the NFL's second version of a bye week by playing the Jets on Sunday, but beyond that this is going to be a very challenging season for Kyle Shanahan to coach his way through.
7-Deshaun Watson will continue to be held back by Bill O'Brien until further notice. D.A. and myself this week ranked who we think are the top-five quarterbacks in football. After Mahomes, Lamar, Wilson, and Rodgers, the race for fifth is interesting, It should be Watson, but as we saw Thursday night, he can't elevate the Texans, but how much of that is about Bill O’Brien's incompetence?
8-Joe Judge was the subject of many jokes in the national media during the month of August. The Giants came out and ultimately were overmatched by a ferocious Steelers defense. But the Giants were in the game in the fourth quarter mainly because they didn't take dumb penalties, something Joe Judge pounded home in camp. The bar is low for the Giants, that we understand, but as a fan, that is as refreshing a loss as they have had in a long time.
9-There is an old saying when a player makes a costly mistake in a loss: "We win as a team we lose as a team." Yeah that may sound nice, but how could D'Andre Swift show his face in the Lions’ locker room following their loss to the Bears? Sure, the defense collapsed in blowing a big lead, but when you are wide open in the end zone for a game-winning touchdown and the ball is put perfectly in your hands, you have to come down with it. Moments like those make me question the criticism Matt Stafford gets over time.
10-The Aaron Rodgers middle finger tour has begun. Four touchdowns, being so far superior to Kirk Cousins on the field that it is laughable. Maybe drafting Jordan Love was great by default. The Packers already have one huge division win and look like a well-oiled machine that will be difficult to upend in 2020.
Five Games to Chew On
My Picks
A nice 2-1 week gets us cooking and away we go. For Week 2:
Football Food of the Week
It is time to get fat. I mean real fat. This suggestion comes to us from Dave in Mechanicsburg (@3RiverRenegade on Twitter.) Look, is Dave Rachel Ray? That he is not. Do you want him catering your daughter's Sweet 16? I wouldn't suggest it. But can the man break out a frying pan and make your arteries cringe? You betcha.
He gives us Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls. This is seemingly easy, purchase Steak Ums or some flat flank steak, peppers, onions, and the cheese of your liking. You will also need Egg Roll wraps.
Take a pan or skillet and cook up the steak, the chopped onions and peppers. Sizzle them together like you would any classic cheese steak. When cooked, evenly distribute your steak, peppers, onions mixture on the egg roll wraps. Throw the cheese on top of the cooked steak mixture, wrap up the egg roll wrap, and then fry those bad boys in a pan. That is a lot of fried goodness, but the cheesesteak flavor should pop with a crispy coated edge of egg rolls. Dave has something here and you should have some of it, too.
Thanks for reading. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @MrazCBS.