Week One Wrap-Up

In Week One of the NFL season, we saw some blowouts, and we saw some close, hard-fought battles. There was excitement, disappointment, confidence building, set-backs, winning and losing.

Fortunately, for half of the league, they enter Week Two 1-0 looking to stay undefeated. Unfortunately, for the other half of the league, 0-2 is staring them right in the face.

In the modern era, only about 12% of teams who go 0-2 end up making the playoffs. That number skyrockets to about 40% when teams start the season 1-1. So even though going 0-2 isn't the end of the world, it very well could be the beginning of the end.

Here are my Top 5 things we learned from Week One:

#5: No Super Bowl Hangover for the Green Bay Packers.

 
- The Packers came out on Thursday night and played a good game against a playoff-caliber team in the Saints. The Packers started where they left off last year, coming out fast and strong, scoring 21 points in the first quarter. Rookie Randall Cobb looked very good in his first game as a Packer. Aaron Rodgers connected on passes to nine different receivers. Look the big things out of the Packers this year.

#4: The Ravens are a dominant force, and the Steelers are the ones with a Super Bowl hangover.

- The Ravens welcomed the Steelers in with open arms and an empty stomach. As soon as that first whistle blew, it was a feeding frenzy for the Ravens, and the Steelers were on the menu. Over the past few years, this rivalry has been one of the closest and most hard-fought. Not this week, the Ravens had no intentions of keeping the game to within three points, it was all domination, all day. On the other end of this lopsided victory was last years AFC Champions. Even though they didn't win the Super Bowl, they had a hangover from it. No need to panic in Pittsburgh though, the Ravens are a good team;
right the ship this weekend against Seattle.

#3: Colts are nothing with Manning.

- Since Manning started his first game over a decade ago, we haven't seen the Colts without him at the helm. And after one week, I don't want to see it again. The Colts looked terrible against divisional foe Houston on Sunday. Kerry Collins isn't to blame for the loss either, he had a very short time to learn the entire Indianapolis playbook, a playbook in which Collins said was different than any other playbook he has gone through. The Colts have Pro Bowl caliber players on the roster, but without Manning leading the way, people in Indianapolis are in for a very long season.

#2: The new Kick-off spot didn't have the effect most thought.

- Kicking off from the 35 instead of the 30 has been one of the biggest controversies during the preseason. It was thought that by moving the ball forward (for safety reasons) was going to lead to more touchbacks and force teams to settle with starting at their own 20-yard-line. In Week One we saw both sides of the argument. On the one hand, the number of touchbacks during the week tripled compared to last year. Almost half of all kickoffs resulted in a touchback. On the other hand, three players returned kickoffs for a touchdown in the first week, which ties the NFL record for Week One. Percy Harvin of the Vikings, Ted Ginn Jr. of the 49ers and Randall Cobb of the Packers all returned kickoffs for touchdowns in Week One.

#1: Through thick and thin, lockout and tragedy, America loves football, and supports the NFL.

- Perhaps the best story of the entire weekend was the patriotism shown by the entire country. On the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, America delivered perhaps the best visual of the weekend. At the opening game of the season, the Saints and Packers, the entire crowd held up colored signs to create the American flag in the stands. It was a beautiful showing, and quite possibly the best I have ever seen. It just goes to show that even with adversity, America and Americans can push through and fight. It truly is, America the Beautiful. Additionally, after a long summer of the NFL lockout, Week One was a big win the the NFL. The fans still showed up and supported their respective teams. Put one in the win column for our entire country.



-Sal LaFata

I'm Back; And So Is Football!

After a long summer of working, vacationing, and studying, I am back in East Lansing and ready to start up my blog again.

As you all know, during the summer the NFL went through a few headlines of their own. But at the end of the day, and the end of the off season, football is back and everyone is happy.

The NFL lockout definitely was the top story of the summer, but luckily it is over and both sides came to an agreement. As soon as the lockout was lifted, free agency made its own headlines. With teams averaging around 45 signed players each, everyone was very active in the free agent market trying to fill their teams for training camp.

Some teams did better than others. The Eagles, or the "Dream Team" as newly acquired backup QB Vince Young stated, made a big splash in the free agency pool. New England also made some big moves in free agency.

As the preseason came, so did expectations for each and every team. Some have expectations of repeating as Champions, some have expectations of making it back to the promise land of Super Bowl Sunday, some have expectations of making the playoffs, and some just have expectations of building off terrible previous seasons.

Two teams went undefeated in the preseason, the Detroit Lions and the St. Louis Rams. Both teams are coming off of improved years after being bottom dwellers in years prior. Both teams also have high hopes for the regular season.

Three teams didn't win a preseason game: the Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders, and Kansas City Chiefs.

As teams like the Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions have shown in recent years, a preseason doesn't necessarily portray what will happen in the regular season exactly, but it definitely isn't a good thing for the defending number-one seed in the NFC to be going 0-4 in the preseason.

When all is said and done, football is back, and that's all that really matters. No more worrying about what to do all day Sunday or on Monday nights. Just sit back, relax, grab some snacks, and watch your favorite team fight for a playoff spot, I know that's what I'll be doing.

-Sal LaFata

Mr. Irrelevant Chosen

The title "Mr. Irrelevant" is given to the final pick of the NFL Draft each year. The title was created in 1976, when former NFL receiver Paul Salata founded "Irrelevant Week" in Newport Beach, California.

Salata announces the final pick of the NFL draft each year, and during the summer after the draft, the new Mr. Irrelevant and his family are invited to spend a week in Newport. While in Newport, Mr Irrelevant gets to enjoy a golf tournament, a regatta, a roast giving advice to the new draftee, and a ceremony awarding him the Lowsman Trophy, which is a trophy that mimics the Heisman, but the player on the trophy is fumbling a football.

This year, that pick went to the Houston Texans, and with it they chose Cheta Ozougwu, a defensive lineman from Rice.

Ozougwu is 6'2'', 247 pounds, and did 26 reps on the bench at the combine. He also ran a 4.89 forty yard dash and had a 34.5 inch vertical jump.

Last years Mr. Irrelevant, Tim Toone of the Detroit Lions, was placed on the practice squad's injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury on October 7. He was re-signed to a future contract on January 5 of this year.

-Sal LaFata

NFL Draft Round One

- The Houston Texans selected J.J. Watt from Wisconsin with the eleventh overall pick of the draft.

- The Minnesota Vikings selected Christian Ponder from Florida State with the twelfth pick of the draft.

- The Detroit Lions selected Nick Fairley from Auburn with the thirteenth pick of the draft.

- The St. Louis Rams selected Robert Quinn from North Carolina with the fourteenth pick of the draft.

- The Miami Dolphins selected Mike Pouncey from Florida with the fifteenth pick of the draft.

- The Washington Redskins selected Ryan Kerrigan from Purdue with the sixteenth pick of the draft.

- The New England Patriots selected Nate Solder from Colorado with the seventeenth pick of the draft.

- The San Diego Chargers selected Corey Liuget from Illinois with the eighteenth pick of the draft.

- The New York Giants selected Prince Amukamara from Nebraska with the nineteenth pick of the draft.

- The Tampa Bay Bucs selected Adrian Clayborn from Iowa with the twentieth pick of the draft.

- The Cleveland Browns selected Phil Taylor from Baylor with the twenty first pick of the draft.

- The Indianapolis Colts selected Anthony Castonzo from Boston College with the twenty second pick of the draft.

- The Philadelphia Eagles selected Danny Watkins from Baylor with the twenty third pick of the draft.

- The New Orleans Saints selected Cameron Jordan from Cal with the twenty fourth pick of the draft.

- The Seattle Seahawks selected James Carpenter from Alabama with the twenty fifth pick of the draft.

- The Kansas City Chiefs selected Jon Baldwin from Pittsburgh with the twenty sixth pick of the draft.

- The Baltimore Ravens selected Jimmy Smith from Colorado with the twenty seventh pick of the draft.

- The New Orleans Saints selected Mark Ingram from Alabama with the twenty eighth pick of the draft.

- The Chicago Bears selected Gabe Carimi from Wisconsin with the twenty ninth pick of the draft.

- The New York Jets selected Muhammad Wilkerson from Temple with the thirtieth pick of the draft.

- The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Cameron Heyward from Ohio State with the thirty first pick of the draft.

- The Green Bay Packers selected Derek Sherrod from Mississippi State with the final pick of the first round.

Watch the second round tomorrow at 6:00.

-Sal LaFata

Rounding out the Top Ten

 

The Atlanta Falcons traded up to the number six spot and selected Julio Jones. Jones is a 6'3'' 220 pound receiver from Alabama. He is a big and strong receiver who can break tackles and who runs hard. He has had some injury problems in the past, but had a successful year last year after coming back from injury.


The San Francisco 49ers selected Aldon Smith with the seventh overall pick. Smith is a 6'4'' 263 pound sophomore who played defensive end for Missouri. During his two year career, Smith had 108 tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception. Smith could potentially play outside linebacker for the 49ers.

The Tennessee Titans selected Jake Locker with the eighth overall pick. Locker is a  6'3'' 231 pound senior quarterback who could have potentially gone number one overall last year if he had gone to the draft. During his senior year, Locker threw for2,265 yards and 17 touchdowns. Throughout his career, Locker threw for 7,639 yards and 53 touchdowns.

The Dallas Cowboys selected Tyron Smith with the ninth overall pick. Smith is a 6'5'' 307 pound offensive lineman. He is a very good athlete who is able to get to the second level. Smith could potentially end up playing left tackle for the Cowboys. This is the first time since 1981 that the Cowboys selected an offensive lineman in the first round.

Rounding out the top ten, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Blaine Gabbert. In his junior year, Gabbert threw for 3,186 yards and 16 touchdowns. During his career, he threw for 6,822 yards and 40 touchdowns. He is 6'5'' and 234 pounds and has a strong quick arm. Gabbert should be on the bench for his first year or two, behind David Garrard, unless Garrard gets traded now.

-Sal LaFata

Rounding out the Top Five

At number four, the Cincinnati Bengals have selected A.J. Green out of Georgia.

Green is a 6'4'' 211 pound receiver who was the leader of the Bulldog offense. Green had 57 receptions for 848 yards and 9 touchdowns his senior year. During his career, Green accumulated166 receptions for 2,619 and 23 touchdowns.

Green is a big receiver with outstanding hands and no fear. He will certainly have an impact for the Bengal offense.

This could be used as an incentive for Carson Palmer to return to the team.

At number five, the Arizona Cardinals have selected Patrick Peterson from LSU.

Peterson was the leader of a strong Tiger defense.During his junior year, Peterson had 42 tackles and 4 interceptions.

Peterson stands at 6'0'' and weighs in at 219 pounds. He was the number one prospect according to Mel Kiper Jr.

He is a shut-down corner who should definitely star in the NFL.  He is a very fast guy who is extremely athletic.

 -Sal LaFata

With the Third Pick in the NFL Draft...

The Buffalo Bills have selected Marcell Dareus from Alabama.

Dareus is a defensive lineman from the University of Alabama. He is 6'3'' and weighs in at 319 pounds.

He was named the defensive MVP of the BCS National Championship Game in January 2010. Dareus  recorded 11 sacks and more than 60 tackles during his final two seasons at Alabama, and earned third-team AP All-American honors following the 2010 season.

Dareus follows in Ndamukong Suh's footsteps, being the second defensive tackled selected number two overall  in a row.

Dareus is a big strong lineman who will be sure to cause trouble for opposing offenses. He should be able to come in an make an instant impact for the Bills, whose defense was terrible last season.

-Sal LaFata