NFL Week 1 - Game Previews
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These are some of the games that I find interesting this week, opening week of NFL 07. It's finally here!
Let the games begin...
New England Patriots at New York Jets
Sunday, Sept. 9, 2007 (1:00 ET on CBS)
Things to know before watching the game: It is no secret that the New England Patriots and the New York Jets do not like each other. They are division rivals, plus an old relationship between the two coaches adds to the tension. The Patriots coach Bill Belichick (who really needs to work on his game day appearance in my opinion, check out the hooded sweatshirt with cutoff sleaves that he always wears) and the Jets coach Eric Mangini used to get along well when they coached together for the Patriots, winning 3 super bowls. Belichick was obviously the head coach and Mangini was a defensive coach. Now they face each other as opponents and the two do not fake trying to be friends. Every time they come together after the game there’s an awkward moment – it’s just to be expected now.
The Patriots have the stud QB Tom Brady, who we all know can win any game. Enough said there, the Jets will need to get pressure on him ASAP. The Patriots also have running back Laurence Maroney who was excellent last year in his rookie year and will be carrying the load on his own this year. The big thing to watch will be Tom Brady’s new targets, Randy Moss and Dante Stallworth, two great experienced wide receivers who are new this year on the Patriots.
The Jets will have to play very very well this week to beat the Patriots. They will need to score a lot of points. They will probably be looking to establish their running game early in the game with RBs Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. QB Chad Pennington has shown he is capable of producing, especially when the running game is going well. One good thing for the Jets is that the Patriots have lost a few key defensive players (Seymour and Harrison), and they should be able to use this to their advantage.
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday, Sept. 9, 2007 (1:00 ET on CBS)
Things to know before watching the game: These two teams are in the same division and both desperately need to win this game. Last year Jacksonville beat Tennessee first then Tennessee beat Jacksonville later in the season, both teams ended the season with 8 wins and 8 losses. Both teams go into this game with questionable positions and disputed offseason changes. This is a game that could set the momentum of the year for each of these teams.
The Titans had a magical second half of last year’s season as their elusive QB Vince Young helped them find ways to win games. The Jaguars have a good defense, and they play tough against Vince Young. Vince will need his running backs (LenDale White has been named starter even though Chris Brown will still play too) and wide receivers to step up in order to be productive against this defense. I’d just like to throw out there to watch for the Titans tight end Bo Scaife to have a break out season, starting with this game on Sunday. Also the Titans defense looked really good during the preseason games and could be a factor in this game.
The Jaguars announced huge news this week that they dropped their main QB Byron Leftwich leaving the starting position to David Garrard. So Garrard will be coming into this game with something to prove. The biggest threat on Jacksonville’s offense is their running game. They have 2 good running backs, veteran Fred Taylor and 2 nd year star Maurice Jones-Drew. The Titans were not very good last year against the run, so this could be the advantage point for the Jaguars if they are able to get these two weapons in use early.
Chicago Bears at San Diego Chargers
Sunday, Sept. 9, 2007 (4:15 ET on Fox)
Things to know before watching the game: This game features two of the top defenses in the league and is a potential Super Bowl preview. The Chicago Bears got to taste the Super Bowl last year, but a win would have been much sweeter for them. Needless to say, they feel they have a chance at getting back there this year. The Chargers have similar goals. Running back LaDainian Tomlinson has said that getting a super bowl ring is his only goal this year. This should be a good game between 2 teams opening very hopeful seasons.
The Bears QB Rex Grossman is still looking to prove that he has matured as a passer, coming off inconsistent preseason performances. This guy either looks great or horrible, so which will it be on Sunday? Last season showed that even if he looks horrible, the Bears can still find a way to win. The Bears will be leaning heavy on running back Cedric Benson who is replacing star RB Thomas Jones (who rushed for 1,200 yards the past 2 seasons but is now a NY Jet). Someone to watch will be Devin Hester (who was a defensive back last year known for making kick return touchdowns look easy). This year they have moved Devin Hester to wide receiver, which should be interesting to watch.
The Chargers have an explosive offense, which will be challenged early by the stingy defense of the Bears. Going against the tough pass defense of the Bears provides the perfect opportunity for QB Phillip Rivers to show whether or not he has continued elevating his game and is ready to make a Super Bowl run. The Chargers have the best running back in the NFL, LaDainian Tomlinson, who will be stepping into a game for the first time this year (he doesn’t play preseason and with his record-breaking stats who can blame him). Last year the Chargers only lost 2 games, but their head coach (Marty Schottenheimer) was still fired. These people mean business – Super Bowl or bust. The new coach Norv Turner has some big shoes to fill with high expectations to meet, starting this week.
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals
Monday, Sept. 10, 2007 (7:00 ET on ESPN)
Things to know before watching the game: This match-up has become a very good rivalry, between 2 teams in a very good division. Last year when these teams played each other twice, the home team won each game. So does this give the Bengals the advantage?
The Ravens will need to have good production running the ball during this game in order to control the clock and keep the explosive offense of the Bengals off the field. Cincinnati's defense is known for being weak in the middle so the Ravens running back Willis McGahee will see plenty of opportunity for attack. QB Steve McNair is a conservative passer who is more likely to throw safe short balls rather than long balls, which may be good for this game since the Bengals defense is prone to create turnovers.
The Bengals running back Rudi Johnson may find it a little difficult to run the ball against the Ravens defense. Plus some have said that Rudi Johnson is beginning to show signs of aging. But if the Bengals are forced to pass, it should be ok since they have such an accurate QB Carson Palmer and two great wide receivers Chad Johnson (known for his big mouth and end zone dances) and TJ Houshmandzadeh (known for his long last name). Look for the Bengals to use their stars to exploit a Raven defensive weakness in the big-name defensive back Samari Rolle, who has been nursing an ankle injury (plus his skills have faded over time). Samari might have some trouble defending the speed and catching-abilities of Johnson and Houshmandzadeh. The Bengals will be using a lot of no-huddle offense to keep the Ravens defense off-balance, but they will need to find a way to escape the powerful defensive pass rush of the Ravens.
by LadyD from www.ladydsports.com (the sports site for women)
