The football season got off to an exciting start last weekend. Chip Kelly’s Eagles gave us a glimpse of what his offense is going to look like. Larry Fitzgerald caught eight passes from a quarterback who was able to actually get the ball within his zip code once in awhile. And Anthony Maggio kept fantasy footballers informed with updated rankings right through Sunday’s kickoffs. It was a good start to the season.
Our pick segment didn’t go so well, at least for me. Two of our other three pickers beat me this week, with Tony and Anthony both nailing the Eagles upset over Washington on Monday night. Maggio also stood alone in taking Chicago to beat Cincinnati and New Orleans to beat Atlanta. So that duo tied at 11-5. I did hit 10 while contributing writer Rich Larson struggled to a 7-9 mark in week one. So the standings go like this:
Wow. Went to bed after the Chargers took a 28-7 lead over the Texans. Thought the game was over and I was tired from a long day of work. Woke up this morning to find that Houston came back to win in the last second.
Gotta love the NFL.
It’s a familiar refrain for Chargers fans too. Last season was destroyed for San Diego by last minute comeback losses – with one of the 2012 defeats coming at the hands of then-Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy – who last night experienced the other side of the result in his first game as Chargers head coach.
Still – even with the disappointing conclusion, the Chargers looked like they have at least the potential to be more than I thought they would this season. There is talent there. They just have to figure out how to avoid the last minute meltdowns. Easier said than done, I guess, even with a new coach.
I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this excited for football. It’s been at least since … last year.
There are a number of huge storylines out there as the season starts for real. Here are seven I’m watching.
Just how good is Tom Brady? – Almost 90 percent of his completions in 2012 went to players who will not be active in week one. Zach Sudfeld and Kenbrell Thompkins are next in line. So is Danny Amendola. But Tom Brady is advancing in age. Can he still take a collection of relative newcomers to the Promised Land? Here’s guessing this team starts transitioning toward a more balanced attack, as Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen are among the best and most proven talents on offense. (more…)
Broncos fans have to be encouraged by the performance of Peyton Manning and the Denver offense, particularly in the second half of the opener Thursday night. Manning joined rare company in having thrown for seven touchdowns in a game – only five others have accomplished that feat.
I don’t think much should be drawn on the second-half collapse as far as Baltimore is concerned. They’re generally a fundamentally sound team and they appeared to run into a buzz saw last night. The Ravens have work to do, but that is still a talented team that will win a fair number of games before it is said and done.
But Manning is currently on pace to throw for 112 touchdowns on the season. That’s obviously an unattainable number. But a year more recovered from his neck injury, Manning looks like he’s got a shot to compete for the league MVP award again this season — he finished second to Adrian Peterson — who is chasing his own (probably) unattainable goal of 2500 yards rushing this season in Minnesota.
So what are your reactions to Manning’s start? And how many touchdowns do you think he will end up with this season? Share your thoughts in the comment below and vote in the poll as well.
Here we are, folks. Kickoff for opening night is a mere two days away. It seems like just yesterday we were watching the lights go out in the Superdome while Baltimore was taking down San Francisco to win a second Vince Lombardi trophy … well, okay. Not like yesterday. Let’s be honest. Life just isn’t the same during the offseason – it feels like an eternity since the last real football was played.
But that ends soon.
This is the third year in a row we’ll be doing a season’s worth of picks. Last year we invited some guest bloggers to join us. This year, we’ve got some new faces joining the Zoneblitz team. You’ve been reading Anthony Maggio’s fantasy football advice here now for a couple months. Rich Larson contributed to our season previews. Both will also be making weekly picks.
To review, I’ve gotten the best of my brother two years running. In 2011, I came on strong in week 17, going 12-4 to hold off Tony, who finished 10-6. So I went 172-84 for the season and he went 169-87. Last year we slid just a bit. Tony dropped to 161-94-1. He did lead the picks competition through week 16, but a 27-5 run in the last two weeks allowed me to overtake him with a 166-89-1 mark.
Overall, I’d say we haven’t embarrassed ourselves too badly at picking these games. I’ve hit at a 66.1 percent clip while Tony has been correct 64.6 percent of the time. We’ll see if the new guys can keep pace with us. (more…)
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