NFL Week 1 Thoughts

Chicago at San Diego

The pressure is on Rex Grossman from the start.  Grossman remains a solid prospect at quarterback due to his physical tools and ability to make things happen on the field.  But the Bears need consistency from the quarterback position this season.  And that remains a question with Grossman.  He still makes too many erratic decisions with the ball. 

Expect Lovie Smith to be under more pressure this season to insert Brian Griese into the lineup.  But inside the organization, it’s not as simple.  While Griese provides a veteran presence and understands how to make better decisions with the football, his inferior physical tools would put some limitations on the Bears’ offense.  And another factor that plays into a potential decision to make a quarterback change – Griese has never made it through a 16-game season due to durability problems. 

If the Bears would hand the keys to Griese too soon and he goes down with an injury, how does Grossman feel knowing the coaches lack confidence in his ability to lead this team. 

The San Diego defense should provide Grossman with a good test on Sunday.  Ted Cottrell will try to force Grossman to rush his decisions with the ball with a lot of pressure upfield.  That could provide the Chargers’ secondary an opportunity to create turnovers.  And don’t be surprised to see the secondary make more plays this season.  Quentin Jammer has become a playmaker.  Drayton Florence is poised to create more turnovers this season.  And the coaches are excited about the potential of Antonio Cromartie.  Clinton Hart and Marlon McCree are upgradeable at both safety spots, but they possess the ball skills to make plays.

Carolina at St. Louis

John Fox loves to build around strong defense, but the Panthers enter the season with concerns about their play at safety – especially in deep coverage.  Carolina enters the season with three strong-safety types expecting most of the snaps.   

Former Bear Chris Harris was brought aboard to strengthen their numbers at safety, but finds himself replacing retired Mike Minter.  Harris loves to hit, but misses a lot of tackles and plays without much discipline against the pass.  Deke Cooper has graded as a fringe player the past few years.  He generally tackles well, but has limitations against the pass.  And the Panthers just added Marquand Manuel to compete for playing time.  Manual was cut by Green Bay last week after getting exposed badly in coverage last season and failing to fit into the chemistry of the Packers’ defense.  Not many inside the Packers’ organization were sad to see Manual depart.  Manual provides some value in the box against the run to cover most of his limitations. 

 

Look for the Rams to exploit these limitations downfield.  Marc Bulger is coming off a tremendous season and now has some new weapons with Drew Bennett and tight end Randy McMichael.  Although Bennett is slowed by a quad injury, Bulger should have a productive day breaking in his added weapons by attacking the deep zones of the Carolina secondary. 

 

 

Pittsburgh at Cleveland

 

Brady Quinn represents the future in Cleveland, but I understand the organization’s careful approach towards inserting him in the starting lineup.  The Browns will allow the rest of their offensive personnel settle into stability and Quinn will have an opportunity to watch how opposing defenses attack their offense.  That’s usually the best option rather than rushing most quarterbacks onto the field. 

 

Although the Browns have to balance their decision to win games against the development of their potential franchise quarterback, I believe we’ll see Quinn on the field sooner than later.

 

Charlie Frye likely faces a struggle against an aggressive Pittsburgh defense.  Frye is tough and moves around well, which serves the Browns well early in the season against some brutal defensive units.  But to be competitive right now, Frye must show he can protect the ball and put in it spots for his receivers to make plays.

 

One interesting matchup to watch will be Steelers’ cornerback Ike Taylor against Braylon Edwards.  Taylor is coming off a subpar 2006 season after a promising start early in his career.  But Taylor has regained his confidence under Mike Tomlin and has played well throughout the off-season.  Taylor is a natural athlete who isn’t afraid to play aggressively in tight coverage.  Edwards must prove he can catch the ball more consistency, but his blend of speed and physical skills should present a strong test for Taylor. 

 

 

Tennessee at Jacksonville

 

The Titans face a strong initial test against a dynamic Jacksonville ground game.  One of the top priorities for Jim Schwartz’s defense this season is establishing a stronger presence against the run. 

 

That prompted the addition of former Cowboy Ryan Fowler.  Fowler never got much of an opportunity to play in the base defense in Dallas, but possess intriguing size and strength at the point of attack.  Fowler plays aggressively, but is smart enough to execute his assignments.  The Titans expect Fowler to provide more consistency from the middle linebacker position where Stephen Tulloch missed too many tackles last season.

 

But to provide a solid foundation against the run, the Titans need more consistency from their defensive tackles.  When Albert Haynesworth plays at a high level, he can be disruptive and elevate the entire front seven.  Unfortunately, Haynesworth hasn’t proven to be dependable with his approach to the game.  Veteran Corey Simon is also trying to put his career back on track after a washout season with a mysterious ailment with Indianapolis last season.  When healthy and motivated, Simon has the strength to shut down run lanes inside. 

 

 

Miami at Washington

 

Cam Cameron took a very strong approach during training camp of making his veterans earn their starting roles.  And they’ll rely heavily on a few of these veterans to deliver on Sunday.  Cameron could struggle to find a rhythm with his passing attack against what is expected to be a strong secondary within Gregg Williams’ defense. 

 

Cameron must establish a strong ground game.  The Redskins struggled against the run last season, but their front seven is determined to bounce back this season.  Cornelius Griffin has a chip on his shoulder after injuries ravaged his play last season.  London Fletcher brings a strong veteran presence at linebacker after coming over from Buffalo.  And I like the physical skills and aggressiveness of Rocky McIntosh flanking Fletcher on the weakside. 

 

Hudson Houck again has his work cut out for him with a Miami offensive line that is short on talent, although rookie Samson Satele flashes intriguing physical skills in the pivot.  But expect Houck to overcome these challenges by molding this group into a respectable group as the season progresses.  Houck is one of the few line coaches who can craft together a serviceable unit with limited personnel.

 

Ronnie Brown is expected to see a lot of time, but don’t be surprised if Cameron gives Jesse Chatman sees a decent number of snaps to spell Brown.  Brown has responded favorably to Cameron challenging his approach to the game.    But Cameron also has Chatman to provide good pop inside – especially inside the redzone.  Chatman is a very underrated runner who fizzled in San Diego after coaches tired of his erratic approach to the game, but he’s been recommitted to football and could become an strong contributor as the season progresses.  

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