Unbelievable Game
Yesterday’s “NFL Kickoff Special” on NBC couldn’t have been scripted any better by the two past Super Bowl Champions. There was a kickoff returned for a touchdown by a rookie, a punt returned by the new guy for a touchdown, plenty of scoring, two really good quarterbacks on display, hard hitting, and fantasy owners drooling the entire evening.
Rodgers and Brees are Elite
If you missed the game last evening, you truly missed out on watching two of the best quarterbacks in the business pick there way through secondaries that were simply overwhelmed. Both Aaron and Drew were already in mid-season form as the two passed for a combined 700+ yards, six tds, and no interceptions.
Outside of Brady, Manning, and Rivers, there is no one else on the planet that has the skill sets possessed by these two QBs.
Cobb Turns Two Mistakes into Two TDs
Rookie Randall Cobb from the U of K, had himself quite the evening as well. From returning a kick 108 yards to paydirt to recording his first TD reception, the former Wildcat standout definitely turned some heads.
Ironically, both his scores came on mistakes on his part. First of all, you should never return a kick that has been booted 8 yards deep into your endzone. On any other given day or play, he may have been stopped at the 10-yard line. And on his touchdown grab, Cobb actually ran the wrong route according to Rodgers. Luckily, Rodgers was able to read where Cobb was headed and hit him with a perfect pass.
But hey, you can’t really argue against a guy who scores twice in his first-ever NFL game, can you?
What Lockout Hangover?
For those of you worried that the NFL and its quality of play may have taken a hit due to the lockout…well, one thing is for sure, the elite teams of the league haven’t seemed to miss a beat. Sure rookies such as Cam Newton and Andy Dalton may be completely lost come Sunday, but who isn’t as a rookie quarterback starting their first game?
The biggest worry with the lockout may be the amount of injuries that start piling up in the first few weeks of the 2011 campaign. With less time to get back in shape and football-ready, don’t be surprised if guys start going down left and right. After all, plenty of players have already gone down in the preseason and during much-shortened training camps.
What’s On Tap Sunday
Looking ahead, there are some juicy match ups slated for Week 1 of the NFL 2011 season. The rival Steelers and Ravens will go at it in Baltimore in a game that will feature plenty of trash talking…as always. Also, the Falcons and Bears will tussle in Chi-town as two of last year’s NFC playoff teams go head-to-head. It will be interesting to see if Jay Cutler’s improved mechanics and footwork will make a difference this season.
Perhaps the most emotional game of the evening will come between the Jets and the Cowboys. America’s team will play in the heartland of the Meadowlands, in primetime, against Rex Ryan’s Jets on the 10th anniversary of September 11. Ryan has already said that he and his team are deeply honored to host this highly emotional game. Expect to see many tributes to the 9/11 attacks during the game as the sports world commemorates and remembers the terrorist attacks which struck NYC just 10 years ago.