That was the score of Buffalo’s win over New England in the opening game of the 2003 season. It was also the score of the final 2003 regular season game between the two AFC East rivals, with the eventual Super Bowl Champion Patriots on the winning side. Translation: Snap judgments after Week One don’t mean much. However, some performances are reason for concern in going forward. How big of an issue is Jacksonville’s make-shift offensive line that allowed the mobile David Garrard to be sacked seven times going to be? Are the Colts as Charmin-soft up the middle with Ed Johnson and Keyunta Dawson as they looked against the Bears? Did San Diego really lose only their 2nd regular season home game since December 2005 to the Panthers? Like I said, there’s no reason for panic, but plenty of reason for concern.
Let’s start with the Colts, who played their worst regular season game since Jacksonville ran for about 6,000 yards against them in a 44-17 loss during the nightmarish December of 2006. Even with the unveiling of a brand-new $700 million dollar stadium and the return of seemingly healthy superstars like Peyton Manning, Dwight Freeney, Marvin Harrison, and Bob Sanders, they Colts was generally lifeless. In fact, the team looked more like the Colts of past July and Augusts then they did of the September/October Colts of the past three seasons. I know Peyton was rusty, the offensive line was banged up, and this is an improved Bears team. However there is never an excuse for playing without emotion, especially considering the circumstances, and the Colts looked more lifeless than the 2008 Yankees.
Kyle Orton and the Bears offense had an easy time moving the ball against Indy
You can blame Tony Dungy’s vanilla gameplan (I use the term "gameplan" loosely) but I think Sunday’s 29-13 embarrassment was on the veteran players for not helping their younger teammates get up for an important opening game. Besides Robert Mathis, and perhaps Reggie Wayne, I didn’t see any fire from the Colts. For the first time in this current run (2003-present), they looked like they thought they would win just by showing up. That’s not the Colts that I’ve seen over the most successful regular season run in franchise history.
The good news for Indy is that they didn’t lose their franchise player to a season-ending injury, and the rest of the supposed “contenders” stunk up the joint. The lone exception was Pittsburgh’s pounding of the destined-for-last-place Texans. For the first time since pre-2004, a Boston sports franchise encountered some bad luck as the Patriots lost Tom Brady for the year. I hear some experts saying that the Patriots will still win 12-13 games. I wonder if those people were watching the Patriots sans Brady survive against the worst team in the NFL (Kansas City) at home. The schedule is cake, but the Patriots will still be lucky to win nine games with perhaps the league’s worst backup in Matt Cassel.
Things could've gone a lot worse for Colts fans in Week One...
Jacksonville was without backup tackle Richard Collier, and lost starting guards Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams for an extended period of time in their 17-10 opening loss. Remember that just last year the Jags were gutted for 282 rushing yards against the same Titans team in a 13-10 Week 1 setback. But, they still allowed Kerry Collins to engineer a game-winning drive and were unable to take advantage of a woeful performance by Vince Young. That being said, a road loss to a division opponent is a little less disconcerting than a home loss to team expected to finish in third-place in the NFC North. San Diego looked underprepared, but didn’t have the glaring weaknesses that were on display by both the Colts and Jaguars
Do the opening week performances of Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and San Diego mean that those three teams won’t make the postseason? Of course not. But, it could mean that the gap between the two Conferences is closing. After all, both Indy and San Diego lost at home to middle-tier NFC teams while last year’s playoff teams Dallas, New York, and Green Bay were all impressive in their debuts. The only thing this year’s debut weekend proved was that the era of “the top four teams in the AFC being light years better than anyone in the NFC” has officially ended.
SHOOTING THE REST OF THE SPORTS WORLD:
Swish: Roger Federer
Monday’s U.S. Open Final might have been the most important win of Federer’s career. The Grand Slam title will get rid of the vultures circling around Federer’s career, which before the Open was reportedly dead. Federer looked far from finished on Monday, in a vintage 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 win in which he looked every bit as dominant as his last five trips to Flushing. The victory was Federer’s 13th Grand Slam title, as he became the first man since Bill Tilden in the 1920s to claim five straight Open championships. Federer is just one Grand Slam title away for Pete Sampras’ record 14, and it still looks like he’ll easily surpass that.
Federer put the last nine months behind him with an easy US Open victory
Brick: Notre Dame
With 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter and San Diego State with a First and Goal from the Irish 4-yard line, I mentally accepted the reality that Notre Dame was about to lose to a team that lost to Cal-Poly seven days ago. In those 45 or so seconds, I began drafting a letter in my head to University Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick:
Dear Mr. Swarbrick,
First off, let me apologize in advance for any foul language I may use in this letter. My word choice is merely a representation of my frustration level with the current coaching staff and the current state of the once-proud Notre Dame football program.
I was willing to give Charlie Weis and the Irish a mulligan after a season that was more self-destructive than a drunk Lindsay Lohan with car keys in her hand. I could live with embarrassing losses to Michigan, USC, and even <expletive> Navy. But, I can’t put up with a loss to a <expletive> team that just gave up 263 rushing yards to California Polytechnical State University. I don’t even know what Polytechnical means, but I know enough about them to know that they <expletive> suck.
The talent is there, but the play-calling is pathetic and the emotion is non-existent. I thought a lightening of the schedule was supposed to help this team, not hurt it. If Notre Dame loses this game, you should cancel the football program and Charlie Weis should reimburse every single person that actually paid money to see this sorry excuse for a <expletive> game. I mean the fact that… Wait… Fumble?!? FUMBLE! Oh, thank you!! Thank you, God!!!
You got lucky.
Sincerely,
Derek Schultz
Notre Dame Football fan since conception
P.S. I still like you more than Kevin White.
ND's narrow escape didn't exactly make me excited for the rest of '08
Air Ball: Carson Palmer and Vince Young
At least Carson Palmer didn’t get hurt, that’s about the only good thing that happened to either of these Quarterbacks. Palmer completed just 10 of 25 passes, was sacked twice and picked off once in Cincinnati’s ugly 17-10 loss at Baltimore. Without looking it up, I’m assuming that Palmer’s QB rating of 35.3 was a career-worst. Though this Bengals team has playmakers, they have 4-12 written all over them. That team seems to genuinely dislike each other. As for Young, I’m starting to think that he’s never going to amount to anything in this league. VY was booed loudly after throwing two interceptions before leaving with a leg injury. Until a run-first Quarterback wins a Super Bowl, I’ll never buy into the hype.
Swish: Scott Dixon
The defending IndyCar champ made it two in a row after securing the points championship with a photo 2nd place finish in Sunday’s race at Chicagoland. It looked like it would be a boring finish, as Dixon held a 78-point lead with three races to go, but Helio Castroneves gave Dixon all he could handle, as the Champ didn’t clinch until the final lap of the final race. Also, a swish has to go to team owner Chip Ganassi. Not only did he capture another points championship, he also landed Dario Franchitti, who will be making his return after a failed run on the NASCAR circuit. Look for the two Target Chip Ganassi cars to be strong once again in ’09.
Brick: Lucas Oil Stadium
I was there to see the opening game of the beautiful, new, eventual home of the Super Bowl. Though the brickwork, the big window, and other areas are aesthetically pleasing, the game-experience itself was not. The RCA Dome was a dump, but that place got really, really loud. I’m willing to give the Stadium a break because it is A) much larger, B) had an open roof, and C) there was nothing for the Colts faithful to cheer about on Sunday night. I know Indy played like crap, but the mass exodus to the parking lot after Chicago’s touchdown put the Bears up two possessions with nine minutes to go was disheartening. Normally, nine minutes for the Colts offense is an eternity, and their fans should know that better than anybody. Also, Bill Polian and Jim Irsay should take a trip to FedEx Field (Washington, DC), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) or Arrowhead Stadium. Do the ushers at those venues tell the fans to sit down? Get real. Such a statement would put an usher’s life in danger in a place like Philly. This isn’t freakin’ baseball, this is NFL FOOTBALL. Let the fans that want to stand, stand – and make the rest of the fans do the same, especially on third downs and big defensive situations. The Colts new home is useless if the fans don’t, or aren’t allowed to, make it into a homefield advantage.
Air Ball: The Big East
In Week One, it was the ACC that looked like the worst BCS Conference in the country. That was until Big East favorite West Virginia mustered just three points in a 21-point pasting by East Carolina. Couple that with UConn needing overtime to beat Temple, Pitt’s loss to Bowling Green, Louisville’s two-point offensive explosion in their loss to Kentucky, Rutgers lopsided home loss to Fresno State, and Syracuse cementing themselves as perhaps the worst college football team in history, and ta-da! You have the 2008 Big East football season! If South Florida falls to Kansas, don’t be surprised if a repeat of 2004 takes place. There could be a four-loss Big East team playing in a BCS bowl this season.
The supposed best team in the Big East was punched in the mouth by the Pirates
The Shots Fantasy Update:
Plax On, Plax Off def. Unnamed Team, 81-67
Win is a win is a win, but it didn’t come pretty in the opening week of Fantasy football. I was saved by great performances from my two starting RBs in Marion Barber (24 points) and Thomas Jones (19 points). But, there were plenty of clunkers on my team, including Torry Holt (catch, 9 yards), Chris Perry (37 yards, fumble), and Todd Heap (catch, 5 yards, fumble). I like my team, but I don’t like that I had to pick Barber and Tony Romo with my first two selections. Hopefully, those two only have 14 pretty good fantasy performances.
Take a bow Plax, your namesake was a Week One winner
Robinson Cano & Co. II, #1 seed! (in Consolation bracket)
My team had a bye last week after clinching the prestigious top-seed in the loser’s bracket of my Fantasy Baseball league. Finishing strong could be dividends for next year, so I haven’t given up yet. It’s the fifth straight year that I have failed to score a podium finish in a PUBLIC league. I’m like the Kansas City Royals of Fantasy Baseball. Ugh.
Fantasy NASCAR, 244 point week – still in 7th place
I’m expecting a similar middle-of-the-pack finish ala my Fantasy Baseball team. I’m now 400+ points behind my roommate for first place and 98 points out of 6th. Good week for my A and C groups (Denny Hamlin and David Reutimann) who combined for 190 points. But, my two B Group drivers (David Ragan and Ryan Newman) combined for a measly 54. At this point, I'm merely playing out the season.
Chuckie Three Stick-Up, 39 points out of 3rd to last place
This is the fourth straight week that I have had a winner in my starting lineup as Camilo Villegas (15-under) netted me a whopping 82 Fantasy points. I actually only shaved 12 points off my deficit because the person I’m chasing for 3rd to last place had 3rd place finisher Anthony Kim (12-under, 61 pts). Two weeks left to make up 39 points –it’s do-able.
The Shots What to Watch this week:
Tampa Bay at Boston, through Wednesday
The slumping Rays have lost their once-suffocating grip on the AL East and entering Monday, had just a 1 1/2 game lead over the 2nd place Sox. Boston has been flying under the radar since dealing Manny Ramirez, but if they end up taking the division, watch out come October.
Like the smell in my living room after Taco Bell, the Sox are lingering (again)
Kansas at South Florida, Friday
If I had told you at the beginning of last season that in 2008 South Florida vs. Kansas would be a matchup between Top 20 teams, how hard would you have laughed at me? This non-conference showdown between the Jayhawks and Bulls is a battle between two of the most underrated quarterbacks in the country in Kansas’ Todd Reesing and USF’s Matt Grothe. South Florida looks like they may be the new favorite in the bad Big East.
Ohio State at USC, Saturday
This game looked a lot better before Ohio State’s underwhelming performance against Ohio. I usually give Jim Tressel the benefit of the doubt in these big games, but with Chris Wells banged-up and the Buckeyes on the road, this one could get ugly. An Ohio State win wouldn’t totally shock me, but a 10-14 point SC win seems to be the most likely scenario.
Colts at Vikings, Sunday
This has bad news written all over it for Indianapolis. The Vikings are like the Bears 2.0 – they have a great rushing offense (Adrian Peterson) and by far the best run defense in the entire NFL. It sounds unfathomable, but the Colts could actually start a season 0-2. Let’s just hope Bob Lamey is able to make it through these tough times.
The Shots YouTube Clips this week:
Sports related -
Monday was the ten-year anniversary of Mark McGwire’s record-breaking 62nd home run. It’s a bittersweet memory for me – a historical moment that has been forever tarnished by performance-enhancing drugs. I’ll always remember where I was the exact moment when this happened (actually studying for a High School Chem test in my living room in Connecticut), but that doesn’t change the fact that McGwire’s “record” homer is nothing but a farce.
Non-sports related -
Honestly, is there a big loser alive than this guy? God, Metallica sucks.
The Shots Chick Pick this week: Sarah Palin
NOTE: The selection of Sarah Palin to The Shots Chick Pick of the Week is not an endorsement for John McCain or the Republican party (though it doesn't hurt). Anyone else think she looks like the teacher chick from Varsity Blues?
See you next week.
Listen to Derek as he hosts the Xtra Large Lunch, every weekday from noon to 1 PM on XL 950!
