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NFL Week 1 review and Week 2 preview

7 News Sport Journalist Adrian Arciuli reviews Week 1 of the NFL and looks ahead to Week 2.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 20 – MINNESOTA VIKINGS 3

Let’s start with the big one - Jarryd Hayne’s regular season debut for the San Francisco 49ers against the Minnesota Vikings.

If the Melbourne Cup is the race that stops the nation, this was the game that stopped the nation at midday on September 15, 2015.

With three minutes and 32 seconds left in the first quarter it was Hayne’s time to shine.

Vikings punter Jeff Locke kicks from his own end zone – it’s a high punt and as the ball flies through the air in windy conditions we’re all hoping Hayne catches it cleanly. Instead he fumbles and the Vikings recover the ball.

Like many of us across Australia, I feel for Hayne and hope he gets a chance to redeem himself. With Reggie Bush suffering a calf injury in the first quarter, Hayne was fortunate to make amends with more game time than expected.

The former Eels star bounced back from his early mistake to finish with a solid stat-line of 4 rushes for 13 yards and 1 reception for 7 yards. More importantly, there were a number of times where Hayne provided great pass-protection for quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

In the fourth quarter on a 2nd and 20 passing play, Hayne picked up the blitz and put a great block on Vikings defensive end Scott Crichton.

It provided the time for Kaepernick to throw a pass downfield to tight end Vernon Davis.

It was a solid start for Hayne and with Bush once again struggling with an injury, Hayne is set to play an increased role in the offence in coming weeks. First choice running back Carlos Hyde was unstoppable, rushing for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns on 26 carries.

Hyde celebrates with QB Colin Kaepernick. Image: Getty
Hyde celebrates with QB Colin Kaepernick. Image: Getty

The 49ers defence got after Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater sacking him five times. Minnesota never got going on both sides of the ball and will look to bounce back against division rivals Detroit on Monday morning.

ATLANTA FALCONS 26 – PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 24

It was the perfect start for the Falcons under new coach Dan Quinn.

Wide receiver Julio Jones was unplayable for most of the night, catching 9 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns.

Jones burned Philadelphia’s new big-money cornerback, Byron Maxwell, on several occasions.

The Eagles’ running game never found its rhythm and it was a mixed night for quarterback Sam Bradford. He threw for 336 yards, a touchdown and 2 interceptions.

Philadelphia had a chance to win the game with two minutes left on the clock, but Cody Parkey missed a 44-yard field goal that would have given them a 1-point lead.

DALLAS COWBOYS 27 – NEW YORK GIANTS 26

The Giants would surely like a do-over on their last drive of the game.

They led by three points and had the ball on the Cowboys’ 1 yard line, with Dallas out of timeouts.

Instead of running it they tried a play-action pass and quarterback Eli Manning threw the ball away, stopping the clock. New York kicked a field goal leaving 1 minute and 34 seconds on the clock for Dallas to win the game.

Quarterback Tony Romo led the Cowboys down the field and threw a game-winning 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jason Witten with seven seconds left.

The win came at a big cost for the Cowboys though, with star wide receiver Dez Bryant out for 4-6 weeks with a foot injury.

Aussie Brad Wing had a solid punting debut for the Giants, with his longest effort travelling 63 yards.

DENVER BRONCOS 19 – BALTIMORE RAVENS 13

It was a defensive battle at Mile High Stadium with both offences failing to score a touchdown.

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning only threw for 175 yards while Joe Flacco threw 50 yards less for the Ravens.

Baltimore will be without star outside linebacker Terrell Suggs for the rest of the season after he suffered a torn Achilles tendon.

CINCINNATI BENGALS 33 – OAKLAND RAIDERS 13

A comfortable win for the Bengals – they were in control from start to finish against the Raiders.

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Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert was quarterback Andy Dalton’s go-to target. Eifert finished with nine receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns.

Oakland lost quarterback Derek Carr to a hand injury but it isn’t considered serious.

TENNESSEE TITANS 42 – TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 14

In the battle of the top two quarterbacks from this year’s draft, the Titans’ Marcus Mariota completely outplayed Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston.

Mariota became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw four or more touchdowns in his first regular season game.

He completed 13 out of 16 passes for 209 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Things did not start well for Jameis Winston. Source: Getty
Things did not start well for Jameis Winston. Source: Getty

It was a debut to forget for number one pick Jameis Winston – his first NFL pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.

With a shaky offensive line protecting him, Winston will find it tough going in his rookie season, but will have star wide receiver Mike Evans back from a hamstring injury in the coming weeks.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 33 – DETROIT LIONS 28

It was a stunning comeback from the Chargers who trailed 21-3 midway through the second quarter.

San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers was instrumental, throwing for 404 yards and two touchdowns.

Keenan Allen had a massive 15 catches for 166 yards for the Chargers. Calvin ‘Megatron’ Johnson had a quiet game for the Lions, only registering 2 catches for 39 yards.

ARIZONA CARDINALS 31 – NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 19

With quarterback Carson Palmer injury free and at the helm of the offence, the Cardinals will once again be one of the teams to beat in the NFC this season.

35 year-old Palmer threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns, boasting a 14-2 winning record in his last 16 games.

Arizona running back Andre Ellington suffered a knee injury and will be out for up to three weeks.

ST LOUIS RAMS 34 – SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 31

One of the biggest upsets of Week 1, as the Rams stunned last year’s Super Bowl runners-up.

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The Seahawks need to sort out safety Kam Chancellor’s contract situation quickly, as he was sorely missed in this game.

The Rams defence was all over Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, sacking him six times.

St Louis was struggling after giving up an 11-point lead. But in his first game at quarterback for the Rams, Nick Foles rallied his side. Foles threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Lance Kendricks in the final minute to force the game to overtime.

After a botched kick-off from Seattle, Greg Zuerlein booted a 37-yard field goal to give the Rams the lead, before they stopped the Seahawks on 4th and 1 to seal victory.

CAROLINA PANTHERS 20 – JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 9

It was a solid win for the two-time defending NFC South champions in a game that could have proved tricky.

Carolina only scored one touchdown on offence and it will be interesting to see if they can move the ball downfield without wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin this season.

The Panthers will be hoping middle linebacker Luke Kuechly is right to play against Houston, after he missed the second half with a concussion.

MIAMI DOLPHINS 17 – WASHINGTON REDSKINS 10

Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry showed why many people are tipping him to have a breakout second season in the NFL.

With the scores locked at 10-all early in the fourth quarter, Landry returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown, which turned out to be the match-winning play.

Washington dominated time in possession and amassed 93 more yards on offence than Miami, but two turnovers by quarterback Kirk Cousins proved costly.

BUFFALO BILLS 27 – INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 14

The fact the Bills beat the Colts wasn’t as shocking as the manner in which they achieved the result.

Buffalo’s defence dominated the Colts’ high-powered offence, making life difficult for quarterback Andrew Luck. He threw two interceptions.

Tyrod Taylor looked solid in his first NFL start at quarterback and was helped by the Bills’ excellent running game.

NEW YORK JETS 31 – CLEVELAND BROWNS 10

The Jets took advantage of five takeaways to smash the Browns by 21 points.

Johnny Manziel came in at quarterback for Cleveland after Josh McCown was injured in the first quarter attempting a gutsy dive for the end zone.

Manziel was a bright spot in an otherwise poor day for Cleveland. Source: Getty
Manziel was a bright spot in an otherwise poor day for Cleveland. Source: Getty

Manziel made a great start throwing a 54-yard bomb for Travis Benjamin to score, but it was all downhill from there as he turned the ball over 3 times.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw touchdown passes to receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, with the Jets showing great signs on both sides of the ball.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 27 – HOUSTON TEXANS 20

The Chiefs got out to a big lead early and held on to claim a crucial road win.

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Alex Smith threw 3 first half touchdowns as the Texans struggled on offence without star running back Arian Foster.

Brian Hoyer started at quarterback for Houston before Ryan Mallett eventually replaced him.

GREEN BAY PACKERS 31 – CHICAGO BEARS 23

Wide receiver James Jones returned to Green Bay with a bang, catching two touchdown passes from quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The Bears gave it their all, but every time they got close the Packers had an answer.

Green Bay will look to avenge their heartbreaking NFC title game loss to Seattle, when they face the Seahawks on Monday morning.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 28 – PITTSBURGH STEELERS 21

Three weeks ago, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was going to miss the game due to suspension.

Pittsburgh wished that was still the case as Brady torched their defence throwing 4 touchdowns, 3 of them to tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The Steelers moved the ball well but couldn’t capitalise when they had good field position.

Aussie punter Jordan Berry was only called into action twice for Pittsburgh, with his two punts going[1] 50 and 37 yards respectively.

WEEK 2

FRIDAY MORNING

DENVER BRONCOS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

How will Denver quarterback Peyton Manning bounce back after a disappointing outing against the Ravens?

The Chiefs defence led by outside linebacker Justin Houston will look to make it a difficult night for Manning.

Tip - Chiefs by 7

MONDAY MORNING

HOUSTON TEXANS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS

The Texans defence should return to its intimidating best against the Panthers.

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton’s options are limited and Houston’s defensive line should neutralise Carolina’s running game.

Tip – Texans by 3

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS

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We could have an NFL first with Jarryd Hayne likely to catch a punt from fellow Aussie Jordan Berry.

Hayne’s playing time could be impacted with rookie Mike Davis to be one of the three active running backs.

The Steelers’ offence won’t make the same mistakes they did against the Patriots and should put up plenty of points despite the 49ers impressive defensive outing against the Vikings.

Tip – Steelers by 10

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

The Saints should easily account for the Buccaneers and record their first win of the season.
Tip – Saints by 14

DETROIT LIONS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS

A crucial early season NFC North divisional showdown.

The Vikings offensive line must do a better job protecting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

Adrian Peterson should lift after a lackluster performance in the season opener.

Tip – Vikings by 2

ARIZONA CARDINALS AT CHICAGO BEARS

If the Bears can improve their red-zone offence they are a big chance against the Cardinals.

Arizona will be without Andre Ellington but they shouldn’t have a problem moving the ball downfield.

Tip – Cardinals by 6

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT BUFFALO BILLS

Tom Brady has a 23-3 record against Buffalo but this Bills team will be out to prove they’ll challenge New England for the AFC East title this season.

The Bills defence will look to make a statement against one of the NFL’s best offences.

Tip – Patriots by 3

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS

The Chargers and Bengals have the potential to score plenty of points.

Both offences put up more than 30 points in Week 1 and I expect this to be a high-scoring affair.

Tip – Bengals by 3

TENNESSEE TITANS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS

The Browns must improve their run defence and find a way to shutdown Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Tennessee will be hoping Mariota’s blistering debut isn’t just a flash in the pan.

Titans tight end Delanie Walker is in doubt with a hand injury.

Tip – Titans by 10

ATLANTA FALCONS AT NEW YORK GIANTS

The Giants will be kicking themselves for not beating the Cowboys.

New York will need to shutdown Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones if they are to be a chance of claiming a first win of the season.

Both sides are evenly matched and it promises to be an intriguing encounter.

Tip – Giants by 3

MIAMI DOLPHINS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

The Dolphins just got the job done against the Redskins but should take their game to another level against the Jaguars.

Miami’s defence should create plenty of turnovers.

Tip – Dolphins by 17

BALTIMORE RAVENS AT OAKLAND RAIDERS

The Ravens offence must improve against the Raiders to prove why many experts have predicted them to make Super Bowl 50.

Tip – Ravens by 10

DALLAS COWBOYS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

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With Dez Bryant out, the Cowboys will need wide receiver Terrance Williams to step up.

The Eagles ground game wasn’t good enough against the Falcons but I think Philadelphia running back DeMarco Murray will come back to haunt his former club.

Tip – Eagles by 7

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS at GREEN BAY PACKERS

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The Packers can prove why they’re favorites to win this year’s Super Bowl by beating the Seahawks.

It won’t be panic stations for Seattle if they fall to 0-2 but questions will be asked of their defence if Green Bay put up plenty of points.

Tip – Packers by 7

TUESDAY MORNING

NEW YORK JETS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

The Colts offence was below par in Week 1 and it doesn’t get any easier for quarterback Andrew Luck against the Jets.

T.Y. Hilton is likely to be out with a knee injury.

Indianapolis come up against a Jets defence that will bring a lot blitzes.

The Jets offence will need to be firing and it will be a big test for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Tip – Colts by 6

WEEK 1 TIPPING RESULTS – 11 OUT OF 16