NEWSLETTER
Week 1 was fantastic, especially for Bears fans. I had the dual TV setup and a ridiculous spread of food and watched eight-plus hours of football—all on my and my wife’s anniversary. I strongly recommend you all get yourselves a significant other that’ll watch eight hours of football with you on your anniversary and enjoy it.
Still, week one wasn’t great for everyone, especially kickers.
Rough Day For Kickers
There must have been something in the water. But only in the water bottles that kickers were drinking on Sunday. The Jaguars, Colts, Texans, Steelers, and Bengals each had a kicker miss a field goal in the early window on Sunday (and, of course, the Bears missed a couple of PATs, but I think that’s what happens when you’re playing football in a hurricane).
Rodrigo Blankenship missed a 42-yard game-winner in overtime of the Texans-Colts game. Evan McPherson, who was as clutch as anyone during the Bengals’ run to the Super Bowl last season, missed a 29-yarder in overtime that had no chance.
That was after McPherson had an extra point try blocked by Minkah Fitzpatrick with zeros on the clock in regulation that would have avoided overtime altogether.
McPherson wasn’t alone in this contest. Chris Boswell doinked a 55-yarder that would have won the game for Pittsburgh in overtime.
The best kicker of the day might have been a non-kicker! After Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker injured himself on a kickoff in the Chiefs-Cardinals game, safety Justin Reid took over as the kicker and drilled an extra point attempt.
Titans’ kicker Randy Bullock also missed a potential game-winner on Sunday:
It was an UGLY afternoon for kickers in the NFL.
Cowboys’ Disastrous Week 1
The Sunday Night Football crew mentioned that Dan Prescott told them he wanted to beat Tom Brady at least once before Brady retires. Well, he’d better hope he decides to play another season. Brady and the Bucs dominated Dallas from the jump, running the ball down their throat with Leonard Fournette, and nailed their shots through the air when they had to.
Brady wasn’t incredible, but he did execute when he needed to, and for as bad as Dallas’ offense was last night, it wasn’t that often. Brady completed 18-of-27 passes for 212 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
Prescott completed 14-of-29 passes for 134 yards and an interception in the losing effort before he left the game in the fourth quarter with a hand injury, which is where things get really bad for the Cowboys.
Prescott was diagnosed with an injury in the joint above the right thumb. After the game, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters that Prescott’s injury would require surgery.
The Cowboys also lost safety Jayron Kearse to a sprained MCL in the loss to Tampa Bay:
What an ugly start for the Cowboys (for whom I don’t feel bad at all).
Super Bowl Hangover?
The reigning Super Bowl champions are winless after one week of the new NFL season, with both teams losing in a pretty embarrassing fashion. The Bills thumped Matthew Stafford and the Rams on Thursday night. Stafford was intercepted three times while Josh Allen three for 297 yards and two touchdowns as the Bills beat the Rams 31-10 in their building.
Still, the Bengals’ season-opening loss might have been worse despite the closer score. Joe Burrow turned the ball over five times (four interceptions, one fumble) and was sacked seven times on Sunday.
The Steelers are so mediocre (at best) that the Bengals still had multiple chances to win this stinker! Evan McPherson had a game-winning extra point attempt blocked and botched a game-winning field goal attempt, and Money Mitch Trubisky got his first win as QB1 in Pittsburgh.
