As much as optimism is a rite of passage entering the NFL’s opening week each year, so, too, is the rampant overreaction to the results from Week 1 in the days after.
The Seahawks have moved on seamlessly with Geno Smith having replaced Russell Wilson at quarterback.
Smith has been a backup most of his career for a reason. He’s not an elite quarterback. Though he had a strong game against the Broncos, I’m not a believer that he can be trusted as an every-week starter — though he does have some terrific skill-position talent in receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, and tight end Noah Fant.
The Packers, don’t forget, lost 38-3 to the Saints in Week 1 last season and went on to win the division with 13 victories. I trust Rodgers a lot more than I do Minnestoa quarterback Kirk Cousins despite the fact that the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson might emerge as the best receiver in the league this season. Mitch Trubisky is the long-term answer at quarterback for the Steelers.
Despite the Steelers’ opening win, there are still live Over/Under bets on how many games it’ll be before Trubisky is replaced by first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett. The Steelers beat the Bengals largely because their defense forced five turnovers. The Bengals are in trouble after their loss to Pittsburgh. Yes, Joe Burrow was intercepted a career-high four times. Even after those turnovers, he threw a game-tying TD pass in the final seconds of regulation, but kicker Evan McPherson’s extra point was blocked, sending the contest to overtime. Remember Burrow is coming off a disjointed summer that included an appendectomy, so a slow start is not completely unexpected.