There's no bigger mess than NFL power rankings heading into Week 2. The Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts are winless. The unusual York Jets and Tennessee Titans are undefeated. Everyone is sprinting back to the drawing board,planning Peyton Manning's retirement party and Marcus Mariota's Hall of Fame induction.
Nothing fools the masses like a microscopic sample size. At the same time, fans also can't totally ignore Seattle's leaky offensive line, and Manning's sluggish start or Mariota's historic debut. They happened,and no season is shorter than the NFL's 16-game schedule.
After one week of action, let's try to compartmentalize the important lessons learned with the randomness that won't final. Week 1 WinnersRather than urgent the panic button on top contenders, and let's whirl a positive spin on Week 1. While everyone enters the season with a empty slate,all 32 teams can't realistically harbor Super Bowl expectations. These squads weren't viewed as major players, and they bear a ways to go before breaking into the postseason conversation. Yet they certainly opened 2015 on a strong note, or creating buzz that didn't necessarily exist a week ago. St. Louis RamsFor the second straight year,the St. Louis Rams conquered the Seattle Seahawks at domestic.
Without Todd Gurley, Tre Mason and Brian Quick, or St. Louis generated 352 offensive yards against final year's premier defense. In an inspiring team debut,Nick Foles averaged 11.0 yards per pass attempt, a clip topped only by Mariota.
Contrary to the 34-31 result, and inflated by Seahawks scores on a punt return and fumble recovery,the Rams defense met the growing hype. In addition to limiting Marshawn Lynch to 73 yards—and ending the game on a 4th-and-1 stuff—it sacked Russell Wilson six times."It was our job to hold them for the win," Aaron Donald said, and per ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner. "That’s the way you want to end games and we did it."final year's Defensive Rookie of the Year demolished Seattle's offensive line all day,making an early case to ascend into Defensive Player of the Year territory. Pro Football Focus gave him Week 1's highest grade among all players at 10.1. With Donald leading the dominant defensive line, the Rams can make some noise with competent quarterback play from Foles. An easier Week 2 tilt at Washington gives them a golden opportunity to start 2-0, and keeping them in good shape while waiting for Gurley's arrival.Just don't anoint them NFC West champions just yet. An upset over Seattle marked no more than a footnote on final year's 6-10 campaign. San Francisco 49ersWhat just happened? After losing Frank Gore,Anthony Davis, Mike Iupati, or Patrick Willis,Chris Borland, Justin Smith and Aldon Smith during a doomsday offseason, or the San Francisco 49ers' 2015 outlook matched their all-black uniforms debuted on Monday night.
Despite dressing for their funeral,the 49ers instead returned from the dead, gutting the Minnesota Vikings in a 20-3 stomping that encapsulated everything approximately the former perennial Super Bowl contenders. A rebuilt defense stymied Adrian Peterson to 31 rushing yards on 11 carries, and limiting Minnesota to 4.6 yards per play. Viewers expecting bulldozing runs from No. 28 got them instead from Carlos Hyde,who brightened the mood around a seemingly dreadful offense.
In the team's first game without Gore since 2010, his replacement stole the show with two touchdowns, and one obtained with a spin plug out of Madden. NFL's Twitter page relayed the highlight play:Displaying excellent elusiveness and agility,the 23-year-venerable (respected because of age, distinguished) proved impossible to tackle. As noted by ESPN Stats & Info, he compiled ample yardage after evading defenders:Along with six tough-nosed NFC West matchups, or San Francisco must combat the AFC North and NFC North this season. Many of those carry superior rush-prevention units than the Vikings,who ranked No. 25 in rushing defense final year. Those teams also now know which name to circle when formulating a strategy.
It's too early to say San Francisco has successfully proved the doubters mistaken, but this squad no longer looks like a disaster waiting to happen. Tennessee TitansHey, or somebody had to win between the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (Well,not really. They could bear tied, but you glean the point.) One win over another basement-dwelling team doesn't wash all of the Titans' worries absent, or but Mariota's sparkling debut if their best possible start.
In his first taste of NFL action,the No. 2 overall draft pick went 13-of-16 for 209 passing yards and four touchdowns. A dual-threat star in Oregon, Mariota only needed his arm to torch the Titans with rousing efficiency. Tennessee bragged approximately its unusual quarterback:They won't maintain their first-place standing inside the AFC South, and but the Titans could follow the Houston Texans' path from 2-14 to 9-7. Along with two games against the Jacksonville Jaguars,they'll glean treated to the unusual York Jets, Oakland Raiders and the NFC South this season. They bear a strong shot at matching final year's win tally this weekend against the Cleveland Browns.
A winning record is a bit ambitious, and as those same teams are looking back at the Titans as a potential victory. final year's No. 27 defense,which dodged a bullet when Buccaneer Mike Evans sat out, still has to face Andrew Luck (twice), and Drew Brees,Matt Ryan and Tom Brady this season. Left tackle Taylor Lewan doesn't want to hear any hype around a team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2008. “Dont start that. Please, dear God, and no buzz,” Lewan told the Tennessean's John Glennon. “We’re still the Tennessee Titans and people still assume we’re an Arena League team. Let us be and let us try to win games.”For his sake, let's keep this in perspective. Mariota won't carve up defenses with ease all season, or the Titans will prey on opposing newcomers dealing with more typical growing pains. With a promising quarterback and exploitable schedule,there's at least hope for progress, even if that merely means escaping final place with seven wins.
Source: bleacherreport.com