Hello all,
This post will differ a bit from what I normally share on this blog, but with some spare time on my hands (rare for a Wednesday, but my truck is currently in the shop)... I shall share a few of my own insights and reflections on this past weekend's slate of NFL games. I'll call it "NFL 2019, Reflecting On Week One"
Just a couple things to get out in the open first. I've been a follower of the National Football League since 1990 (minus the 2016 season, in which I "sat out" to protest Tom Brady's suspension, and didn't watch a single snap of any of the games)... and I call myself a fan of the New England Patriots (my favorite team since 2009) as well as the Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers (secondary favorites going all the way back to the early 90s).
By the way, don't expect me to post one of these every week. I happen to have some down time today, but am normally working 60-70 hours Monday through Friday. Anyway, here goes. A few thoughts on week one, with my own personal "power rankings" posted at the end of this article (my current top 5 and bottom 5) Enjoy!
1. I'm literally laughing out loud at the Cleveland Browns! Ever since I got written a bogus ticket on the Ohio Turnpike in June (another story altogether I won't get into here), I've been very much anti-Ohio (not that I was ever much endeared to the round-at-both-ends-high-in-the-middle-state to begin with) and so seeing the over-hyped "Super Bowl bound" Browns get blown out, at home (in front of their own beer-bottle-tossing fans) was delightful. Awesome. Joyful. Most excellent and praiseworthy. But seriously, I never bought into the preseason hype and in a way, I was waiting for this moment. The Browns quite literally ARE who I thought they were! They were 0-16 just two years ago, and they haven't made the playoffs in something like 247 years! Matter of fact, the last time the Browns were relevant at all... they were coached by some guy (you might have heard his name) called Bill Belichick. I expect Cleveland to lose many more games this season and I will eagerly look forward to each and every number they add to that column on the right hand side... and laugh with jubilation each and every time!
2. I was happy to see the Cincinnati Bengals lose too, but disappointed it wasn't a blowout.
3. The Patriots don't even need Antonio Brown. They did just fine without him on Sunday night. Some people are projecting the Pats to finish with another 16-0 season. Tempering expectations, I think they will lose a game or two. And as a fan personally, I'd rather that they lose those games in the regular season, not in the playoffs! As long as they don't lose to the Giants (they play on October 10th)... then it's all good.
4. Aaron Rodgers is back and better than ever! The quarterback who carried me to a fantasy football league championship in 2011 is 1-0! He guided the Green Bay offense to 10 points! Okay so he and the Packers offense didn't do much against the Bears' top defense on the opening game Thursday, but Green Bay's defense kept them in the game and their O did just have enough to win. Expect a strong bounce back year in 2019 for GB.
5. We had another tie game this weekend. Seriously?!? I hate tie games! Hello, you play to win the game!!!
6. Couple teams that didn't make the playoffs last year that I really think are worth watching and I wouldn't be surprised if they made a run this season... the 49ers and the Bills. If San Francisco can stay healthy (especially at the QB position) I think they can challenge for a wild-card spot (taking the division from the defending NFC champs is a bit of a stretch) Buffalo just made the playoffs two seasons ago on the heels of their defense, the growth and progress of their young QB in his second year will be the difference. Much like the 49ers, I don't expect them to take the division, but a wild card is not out of reach here.
Okay, finally... my own personal "power rankings" where I'll rate what I see as the top 5 teams after week one, and also the bottom 5. Starting with the top...
1. New England Patriots
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. Los Angeles Rams
4. Baltimore Ravens
5. Dallas Cowboys (it hurts to put them here, but they honestly appear to be the real deal in 2019)
Now, the bottom 5. Counting backward, with #32 being the worst...
32. Detroit Lions (that's not a mistake, I really do have them rated lower than Miami)
31. Arizona Cardinals (that's not a mistake, I really do have them rated lower than Miami, tie games tend to have that effect on me, psychologically)
30. Miami Dolphins (hey, at least they didn't tie!)
29. New York Giants
28. Denver Broncos (it was a tough choice here which came down to choosing between Denver, Tampa Bay, Cleveland, and Washington... if the four, the Broncos lost to the Raiders so here they are... the other three lost to teams that could at least be relevant this season, and I just couldn't bring myself to put the Redskins on this list)
Thanks for reading!
