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Week 1

Posted on September 15th, 2006 in regular season by JANET ||

I’ve never been a real big fan of Week 1 in the NFL. Don’t get me wrong, I’m ecstatic that football has returned. It’s just that, well, it’s so damn hard to figure out anything after just one week’s worth of games.

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. In Week 1 the diamonds are still buried deep in the rough and the turds still have a hint of shine on them. Everyone who doesn’t root for Green Bay still has hope after Week 1, regardless of how well their team did. Analysts are able to spin any outcome, regardless of how lopsided it was, as a big win or just a simple fluke. No matter what anyone says, after Week 1 none of us know anything.

This lack of knowledge isn’t going to stop me from running my mouth off, however.

I must admit that I am encouraged by the run defense put up by Cincinnati at Arrowhead. Loyal readers know this was my primary problem with the 2005 Bengals team, and now, maybe, just maybe, we’re starting to see a defense that can help take this team somewhere. They certainly showed some life in Week 1.

I say the following knowing full well that I am spitting in the eye of karma. Fates bedamned, I’m about to say something stupid. Please don’t blame me if we go 1-15 this year.

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The Cincinnati Bengals are a legitimate Super Bowl threat.

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No, I’m not kidding. This Bengals team is one of the handful of teams that in 2006 have a serious chance of winning the Super Bowl. This team is that good.

However, before any of us can begin booking airfare for Miami there are two questions this team as to answer for all of us. The first, and most obvious, is that Carson Palmer must be healthy and able to play at the same level he did last year.

Duh.

The second problem is what I ranted and raved about last year. We need a defense. It doesn’t have to be the caliber of the Ravens circa 2000 (or 2006 if what they did against Tampa Bay holds true, see above RE: Week 1), but it needs to be able to stop people and not force the offense to put 40+ on the board every week. We get a defense that can do that, paired with an offense capable of laying 35 or more on another team as if it’s an afterthought, and there won’t be many teams, if any, that can compete.

Who would have thought we’d be saying that five years ago?

So after Week 1 I’m encouraged, but I’m guarding against my hope. You never know when another Kimo is going to come lumbering across the line like a wounded walrus.

Speaking of injured quarterbacks…

Trent Green. Damn. That was a shot.

Was it a cheap shot? No, I don’t think it was cheap. Was it a penalty, however?

Maybe the NFL is right, and the hit wasn’t a penalty. Geathers couldn’t stop himself, and was pushed from behind by a Chief player. That’s probably true.

Still though, when a quarterback slides feet-first, giving himself up, he is untouchable. That is an unalterable rule of football. Failure to follow it leads to what we saw happen to Trent Green on Sunday.

A flag should have been thrown.

Week 1

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