Joe's Final Drive: Week 1

Week one of the NFL is in the books, with plenty of upsets and last-minute finales. Here are the games that grabbed my attention over the first NFL weekend. Overreactions begin!

(1-0) New England Patriots 38
(0-1) Cincinnati Bengals 24 

Don't let the final score fool you, this one was over in the third quarter when it was 31-3. That Patriot offense came in and blew the doors off the vaunted Bengal defense, led by Tom Brady and his favorite target, the miraculously-healthy Wes Welker. What was the biggest surprise however, was the play of New England's defense. Holding the Bengal offense in check is a strong start for a young unit. For the Bengals, let's keep an eye on T.O. and Ocho if they start to lose. Drama!

(AP Photo) Blow-up in three...two...one. 

(1-0) New York Giants 31
(0-1) Carolina Panthers 18

Well Eli Manning threw three touchdowns... but he also threw three interceptions. Lucky for him Panthers starter Matt Moore threw only one TD and three picks, looking like the late-round pick he is. While their rushing stats weren't great, the Giants stuck with the run, handing it to Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs 32 times. Also, if you hadn't noticed, Giants WR Hakeem Nicks is a red zone beast. Catching three touchdowns out of only four receptions proves it. 

(1-0) Pittsburgh Steelers 15
(0-1) Atlanta Falcons 9

It has to be extremely disappointing that the Falcons couldn't take advantage of Big Ben's absence on Sunday. Keeping up with the Saints will be no easy task. While the Falcons were one-dimensional through the air, the Steelers found great balance on offense, throwing 26 times and rushing 31. Dennis Dixon only threw one interception on the day, instilling Mike Tomlin with a bit of confidence in the young quarterback's ability and decision-making. They just need to go 2-2 in these first four games, and Dixon has them halfway to happy hour.

(1-0) Jacksonville Jaguars 24
(0-1) Denver Broncos 17

Okay, Tim Tebow has played in an NFL game. Can we shut up about him now? His two yards rushing doesn't exactly scream "start me!" The Bronco defense made David Garrard look like a decent quarterback. That's hard to accomplish. Moving on...

(1-0) Houston Texans 34
(0-1) Indianapolis Colts 24 

The shocker of the weekend. While I'm not convinced at all that this means the Texans can take the division, it's nice for them to finally beat a team they've played twice a year since the franchise began. Other teams can learn from their strategy too. Just dominate the Colts with the run and you have a chance. Getting into a shootout with Peyton Manning is not advised. (I mean, the guy/robot did throw for 433 yards and 3 touchdowns.)

 
AP Photo

(1-0) Green Bay Packers 27
(0-1) Philadelphia Eagles 20

Could this have been a worse game for the Eagles? They lose fullback Leonard Weaver for the season, lost linebacker Stewart Bradlet and starting QB Kevin Kolb to concussions and have the faint beginnings of a quarterback controversy thanks to Michael Vick, who came in and wowed the crowd with his thought-lost running ability. Green Bay gets a tough win without playing near its best, which reminds them they're not in the Super Bowl yet. Rodgers will look much better as the season goes on.

(1-0) Seattle Seahawks 31
(0-1) San Francisco 49ers 6

For a team thought to run rampant over the NFC West, the Niners could not have had a worse start. Alex Smith looked like his sucky self, tossing two picks amidst the two sacks and 11 QB hits he took. Frank Gore was shut down by a young Seahawk defense that wasn't perceived to be overly physical. With his group of young receivers and solid offensive line, Matt Hasselbeck just needs to find the open target. That he can do. It was a great first win for Pete Carroll's team.

AP Photo 

(1-0) Washington Redskins 13
(0-1) Dallas Cowboys 7

Two huge mistakes cost the Cowboys this win. A Tashard Choice fumble on a half-ending play that should never have been called led to the Redskins' only touchdown and an Alex Barron holding penalty on what would have been a game-ending touchdown pass from Tony Romo ensured the 'Boys started 0-1. When you don't give up an offensive touchdown but you can't manage two score 14 points, you're in trouble. Donovan McNabb looked fairly mediocre in his 'Skins debut, but he didn't turn the ball over and got the win. That's what matters.

(1-0) Baltimore Ravens 10
(0-1) New York Jets 9

So I guess the Jets forgot to bring an offense with them this season. When you have twice as many penalty yards as passing yards, that's a problem. Mark Sanchez did not look like even an average NFL QB. Let's see how much talk we hear out of New York this week. Baltimore held tough despite multiple turnovers and found a way to win, which is what Super Bowl-hopeful teams do.

(1-0) Kansas City Chiefs 21
(0-1) San Diego Chargers 14

In typical Chargers fashion, they stumble early in the season against a lesser opponent. No one can tell me with a straight face they won't win the AFC West, but at least it'll be interesting early on. The Chiefs aren't going to be mistaken for for the Patriots any time soon (unless you look at the coaching staff, GM, or roster), but this was a fantastic win to start the year. After getting up 21-7 they played to not lose instead of going for the win, but they held tough against multiple Charger rallies. 

Week one in the books! Happy football day!