The first week of the NFL Season is always one of the funnest and hardest to predict because as much as you think you know, its a brand new season and anything can happen. Today's opener was full of those moments:
-ATL RB Michael Turner breaks franchise rushing record in 1st game gaining 220 yards and scoring twice.
-ATL rookie QB Matt Ryan throws a TD on his first career NFL pass.
-Atlanta wins its first game under new coach Mike Smith.
-Rookie QB's Ryan and Baltimore's Joe Flacco win their first NFL games.
-The Carolina Panthers go into San Diego and pull an upset on a last second TD pass from Jake Delhomme to TE Dante Rosario.
-TOM BRADY gets injured, potentially seriously. (talk about ruining your Fantasy season!)
-Jacksonville falls flat on their face against Tennessee, losing 17-10.
-Buffalo rolls over Seattle.
-Pittsburgh RB Willie Parker scores 3 TDs in one game after scoring 2 all of last season.
-Brett Favre actually suits up for the NY Jets, and throws 2 TDs and wins the game.
Craziness! Anyway on to the college recaps and the NFC North battle between the Vikings and Packers tomorrow night.
-#1/#2 NDSU 50 - CCSU -14
This game was over in the first quarter as NDSU put up 27 pts in the opening frame and took a 43-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Tyler Roehl didn't get the 200 yards and 3 TDs I predicted as he left the game in the 1st quarter with an ankle injury, but on his 4 attempts before that he racked up 100 yds, and 3 backup RBs who got significant playing time picked up the slack to say the least as NDSU as a team rushed for 379 yards and 3 scores. Pat Baschall had 14 att for a career high 117 yards and a score, and redshirt freshman's Matt Voigtlander and D.J. McNorton contributed 10 carries for 89 yards, and 12 carries for 40 yards and 2 TD's respectively.
QB Nick Mertens was again efficient completing 15 of 23 passes for 189 yards and 3 TD connections, 2 of which to TE Jeremiah Wurzbacher, and another to WR Jordan Schultenover.
The Defense held C-Con RB James Mallory relatively in check as he broke no big plays but did end the day with 117 yards on 17 carries as the backups got much of the playing time for NDSU in the second half.
extra note: WR/RB/KR and team sparkplug Shamen Washington's 76 yard kickoff return in the third quarter is early NDSU and college football play of the year candidate even though he didn't make it into the endzone. Radio announcer had it right when he screamed "Shamen Washington is SUPERMAN!" WOW. If you can find a replay of it, watch and be amazed.
Go Herd!
-UMN GOLDEN GOPHERS 42 - BG FALCONS 17
Never have I been happier to miss so badly on a prediction as the Gophers showed a large improvement as an entire team in running away with this game on the road in Bowling Green, Ohio.
MIN QB Adam Webber was mega-efficient in completing 21 of 25 passes for 233 yards and 3 TDs, and WR Eric Decker contributed a TD as both a runner and a receiver for an offense that found its groove in the fourth quarter.
Biggest story from this game was the improved play of the defense that limited BG QB Tyler Sheehan to 261 yards on 44 pass attempts (compared to 388 last year) and forced 5 turnovers, including a whopping 4 fumble recoveries.
The Gopher's gained a big shot of confidence after their play in the second half and lets hope this team shows up every week the rest of this season. Hopefully this is a springboard game for Coach Tim Brewster and his program.
Go Gophers!
-"ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?" MONDAY NIGHT MAYHEM, VIKINGS-PACKERS
I don't know what to say about this game, I can see a rout by either team or a defensive slugfest that is won on a last second field goal. It could also be a very ugly game for both teams on offense.
But in the end what sways my prediction is the fact that Green Bays defensive and offensive fronts have been marred with injuries, as all indications are there will be backups starting at 3 spots along the offensive line, including Chad Clifton's important T spot that would be matched up against Viking DE Jared Allen, and DE's Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and Jeremy Thompson have been limited in practice, limiting their options along the D-line. RB Ryan Grant also hasn't gotten any work this preseason and has been hampered by a hamstring pull. All these elements add up to a good NFC team putting it's JV squad on the field in the opener.
Tarvaris Jackson's knee injury does scare me although his teammates have said he's been moving around fine in practice. One thing with Jackson though, is it seems he needs to be at or extremely close to 100 percent to be effective. That will be something to watch in this game. Adrian Peterson will do enough in the Minnesota running game to give them some balance, and somebody on the WR core makes a big play to get the Vikes some points.
I think the story of this game will be the Purple People Eaters causing fits for QB Aaron Rodgers in his first start at Lambeau Field. As mentioned above the Green Bay O-Line is suffering from the injury bug and backups could be starting at the T, G, and C spots. This is not a good thing for a team facing last years #1 rushing defense and star-studded defensive line that includes All-Pros Jared Allen and the 'Williams Wall' of Kevin and Pat. Pat Williams has spoken often about how this defense wants to get back at RB Ryan Grant for being the only RB to post a 100 yard game against them last year and the rest of the D is on the same level in regards to this. They are also motivated to make the Lambeau Boo Birds that have been present in the preseason come out for Favre-supplanter Aaron Rodgers in his NFL starting debut.
Turnovers are the difference in this game, and whoever comes out on top in that category wins this close game on Monday Night Football. My gut tells me the Vikings force more due to Green Bays injury issues and they pull out a victory on the road to open their 2008 season. But this game definitely could go either way and I'm split exactly 50-50 on this prediction.
Minnesota Vikings 24 - Green Bay Packers 17.
Skol Vikings! 'Til next time...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment