NFL Roundup: Week 1

Some observations, comments and opinions about Sunday's NFL games.

Pittsburgh 28, Miami 17
The Steelers aren't flashy, they just win with basic, no-nonsense football. A stout defense, short passes and a power running game. Willie Parker was impressive in the opener, but can he keep it up for a whole season? Daunte Culpepper has turned into an interception machine.

Atlanta 20, Carolina 6
How bad does Carolina miss Steve Smith? It was pretty obvious right from opening kickoff. A lackluster effort by Carolina with very little being done on offense. The Falcons weren't all that astounding either, except for Warrick Dunn and his 132 yards.

New England 20, Buffalo 17
Is there any wide receivers out there reading this? Call Bill Belichick, he needs you know. Nice return by Rodney Harrison (nine tackles) after missing last season. Rookie RB Lawrence Maroney (86 yards) had a nice day.

New Orleans 19, Cleveland 14
Big debut for Reggie Bush (141 total yards) and the return of Deuce McAllister (90 yards) gives the Saints an exciting 1-2 punch. The Browns lost Joe Jurevicius from 4-6 weeks due to broken ribs.

Seattle 9, Detroit 6
Ugly game of the day, neither team played all that well. Nice game for Lion defense, but where was Mike Martz and his vaunted offensive attack? The Seahawks looked lackluster, especially Shaun Alexander, but managed to pull out the win.

New York Jets 23, Tennessee 16
Nice return for Chad Pennington (24-of-33, 319 yards, two touchdowns), but New York defense blew a 16-point lead. Head coach Eric Mangini won of only two new coaches to win on Sunday. (The other was St. Louis coach Scott Linehan).

Cincinnati 23, Kansas City 10
Did somebody get the name of that truck that flattened Trent Green. What a vicious hit. It was clean though and Green has a helluva headache, but he should be okay. Carson Palmer didn't put up gaudy numbers, but was efficient in his return from an ACL injury. Rudi Johnson ran hard and the defense looked impressive.

St. Louis 18, Broncos 10
Ram fans have to be happy that the team looks like it finally has a defense that can stop people. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett had his troops flying around the field. The Rams D forced five turnovers and collected four sacks. The offense struggled (0-for-5 in the red zone), but Jeff Wilkins set a team record with six field goals. On a down note for St. Louis, center Andy McCollum, who has started 97 straight games for the Rams, injured his knee and it looks like he'll be lost for the season.

Baltimore 27, Tampa Bay 0
The most impressive win of the day. The Ravens defense was dominant and Steve McNair directed the team with efficiency. This team is my surprise pick for 2006. If the defense is back to its old tricks, McNair could take this team deep into the playoffs.

Philadelphia 24, Houston 10
Donovan McNabb looked like his old self (314 yards, three touchdowns) and Donte Stallworth made quit a first impression with six receptions for 141 yards and one TD. Brian Westbrook had a good, all-around game as well.

Jacksonville 24, Dallas 17
T.O. did alright in his Cowboy debut, but Drew Bledsoe struggled. Byron Leftwich looked good as the Jags came alive late in the game for the victory. DE Reggie Hayward suffered a season-ending injury when he ruptured his Achilles Tendon.

Chicago 26, Green Bay 0
Very balanced attack by the Bears and the defense picked up where it left off last season. Rex Grossman looked good and the 361 yards by the Chicago offense has fans excited. Are the Packers really that bad? Ahman Green did have a nice return with 110 yards rushing.

Arizona 34, San Francisco 27
Just like I expected. The Cardinals offense can do wonders, but the defense is still suspect and giving up 27 points and over 300 yards of offense to a young 49er group, doesn't let Dennis Green rest any easier. Kurt Warner looked like his old Ram days, while Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are the younger version of Issac Bruce and Torry Holt.

Indianapolis 26, New York Giants 21
Peyton gets past Eli, but both teams looked strong and should be legitimate playoff contenders. The running game, or lack thereof is a concern for the Colts and Eli has to cut down on his turnovers.

Week one is almost behind us and usually the first week or two are feel-out weeks. By week three, the good teams start to break from the pack and that's when you get a feel for how the season will go down. But overall, the Rams, Bears, Ravens and Bengals were the most impressive teams during week one. But we still have Minnesota-Washington and Oakland-San Diego tonight.

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