Man, does it feel good to start the 2020 NFL season with a signature victory.
The Washington Football team was tested early, but they found a way to win. It was 17-7 at halftime, and things were looking rough for the ol’ burgundy and gold. Haskins looked shaky at times during the first half but managed to keep things steady and went into the second half more poised. The key for me was that he did not turn the ball over and made smart plays when needed. Scott Turner called a solid game in the second half, which made a difference in the final outcome. Nevertheless, the run game seems questionable still… maybe we pulled the trigger on Adrian Peterson too soon? we will see…
The defense was spectacular, especially the defensive front. Ryan Kerrigan seemed loosed and played well, becoming the all-time sack leader in team history. He seems to be at the perfect spot, surrounded by all these young talents. The pass rush overall looked furious, and it was coming from all over the place. Chase Young and Montez Sweat are a force to be reckoned with. This season is all about establishing a dominant defense that will set the pace for the future.
There is an evident and drastic difference between Jay Gruden and Ron Rivera.
Rivera seems to command complete respect from his players. This team showed guts and swagger, which I have not seen since the Marty Schottenheimer team of 2001 and the Joe Gibbs 2.0 team.
Still feels hard to call them the Washington Football Team, but that is what they are……for now—excited about this young football team.
Bring on Kyler Murray next week!!
WFT 27 — EAGLES 17
….and for the rest of the league:
CHIEFS 34 —TEXANS 20:
Clyde Edwards-Helaire seems to be the real deal, and Kansas City and Pat Mahomes look like early SuperBowl favorites. Houston got in a hole early in the game, and they did not have enough in their arsenal to mount a comeback. Everyone will be watching what goes down with this Houston team, and Bill O’Brien’s future as the Head Coach depends on the Texans making a deep run in the playoffs.
BEARS 27 — LIONS 17:
After struggling for the first 3 quarters, Trubisky threw 3 TDs in the 4th quarter to quiet the calls for Nick Foles to replace him. Detroit had this game almost wrapped up, and for some strange reason, they decided to switch defensive schemes, which allowed Chicago to get things going offensively. These 2 teams will be fun to watch this season.
SAINTS 34 — BUCCANEERS 23:
Tom Brady did not look as bad as some of the talking heads have claimed. I watched this entire game, and there were many drops, misreads, and bad protection. Tampa Bay will be better as the season progresses. New Orleans looked good, but I’m still not sold on them.
SEAHAWKS 38 — FALCONS 25:
Russell Wilson was on fire, throwing 4 TDs: 2 in the 1st quarter, and 2 in the 3rd quarter with zero interceptions. Atlanta could not get their best playmakers like Julio Jones or Todd Gurley involved as much, and it cost them.
BILLS 27 — JETS 17:
Josh Allen had himself an excellent season opener throwing for 2 TDs and running for another. The Jets fell behind early — they finally got their offense going in the 3rd and 4th quarters, but it wasn’t enough.
PACKERS 43 —VIKINGS 34:
Aaron Rodgers had himself a monster day with 4 TDs and made a subtle statement to those who think he might be in decline. Minnesota got caught napping and fell behind. The Vikings are better than what they showed in the first half of this game.
PATRIOTS 21 — DOLPHINS 11:
Cam Newton looked renewed and inspired, and Miami did not. Although, I expect the second year for the Dolphins under Brian Flores to be more competitive than the previous season.
RAIDERS 34 — PANTHERS 30:
The Las Vegas Raiders are looking like contenders. The entire AFC West seems to be one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL. Carolina, without Cam Newton, seems to be a pretty dynamic team still.
JAGUARS 27 — COLTS 20:
Gardner Minshew threw 3 TDs and seemed to have picked things up right from where he left off last season. On the other hand, Phillip Rivers did not change his ways from his days as a Charger and threw for over 300 yards and 2 interceptions. The colts need to establish a running game and limit the air game from Rivers.
RAVENS 38 — BROWNS 6:
Lamar Jackson is, without a doubt, the most dynamic player in the NFL, and Baltimore is poised to make some noise this season. The Browns are just pathetic, and its only a matter of time until Baker Mayfield gets benched.
CHARGERS 16 — BENGALS 13:
Tyrod Taylor was effective in his debut as a charger, and although he did not score any TDs, he did not create any costly mistakes like his predecessor would have. Cincinnati might be the surprise team this season.
CARDINALS 24 — 49ERS 20:
Jimmy G struggled in parts of this game, and I think this season will be a referendum on him. Kyler Murray has an excellent weapon in Deandre Hopkins, and they seem to be on the same page already.
RAMS 20 — COWBOYS 17:
Jared Goff was productive and more effective than Prescott. Dallas always gets hyped up by the media, but they are way overrated. The Rams are still an enigma, and next week they play Philly, which will be an interesting game to get a better sense of who they are.
TITANS 16 — BRONCOS 14:
The kicking game was the storyline here, where Stephen Gostkowski missed every single field goal attempt and even an extra point, but he made the final kick of the game count, and that was all Tennesse needed to secure the win. Denver seems to be building around Drew Lock, and they might be a few pieces away from contention in the AFC West.
STEELERS 26 — GIANTS 16:
Pittsburgh’s defense was solid, their running game was effective, and Big Ben threw 3 TDs with zero interceptions to put away the feisty Giants and spoil Joe Judge’s Head Coaching debut.
Rod Rioja 