By Zach Jacovini
Staff Writer
After the conclusion of the highly anticipated Bills versus Jets game on Monday Night Football, week one of the 2022-2023 NFL season will be officially wrapped up. The first week of the season always tends to be an outlier when it comes to the NFL, and this year was no different.
Defenses ruled the gridiron this past week, with many elite quarterbacks and offenses putting up below-average numbers. Quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Justin Fields who are used to filling the stat sheet were stifled by their opponents defense, leaving fans with much to be desired.
However, as mentioned earlier, week one of the NFL season tends to be flukey, causing many fans to overreact. Here are several topics that fans are focused on after week one and my take on whether they should be categorized as an overreaction or fair reaction.
Deshaun Watson’s win against the Bengals points to a resurgent season
Take: Overreaction
As pleasing as it was for many football fans to see Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson play one of his best games in a while, fans should be cautious in their hope in the once elite quarterback. This past Sunday, Sept. 10, Deshaun Watson’s Browns defeated their rival Cincinnati Bengals, 24-3. Due to the blowout nature of the Browns’ win against not only one of their biggest rivals, but one of the best teams in the entire conference. Many fans are beginning to predict a resurgent year from Watson and the Browns.
However, when the analytics are brought into play, it is revealed Watson actually had a subpar afternoon of football, and while he should certainly be given credit for securing a tough win, he clearly was not the biggest reason behind his team's success on Sunday.
Against the Bengals, Watson threw for a meager 154 yards, completing 55.2% of his 29 passes (16-29) and throwing for both one touchdown and interception. Watson was more effective on the ground, taking advantage of his mobility as he ran five times for 45 yards and a touchdown.
While Watson’s performance may have been slightly better than his numbers suggest, these lacking passing statistics look eerily similar to last season, which Watson would definitely like to forget. Expect the Browns to continue to be a decent team this year, but until Watson can elevate his ceiling as a passer, the Browns have no path towards Super Bowl contention.
The Philadelphia Eagles are concerningly thin at the Linebacker position
Take: NOT AN Overreaction
While the Philadelphia Eagles emerged victorious in their game against the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon, they sustained multiple injuries to key defensive players, leaving concern especially for the linebacker position before their upcoming game against the Vikings on Thursday Night Football.
On Sunday, the Eagles lost both starting linebacker Nakobe Dean and starting cornerback James Bradberry. While both these injuries are massive blows to a staunch Eagles defense, perhaps the more concerning loss of the two is losing Nakobe Dean to a foot injury. As the signal caller for the Eagles defense, Dean plays a massive role in making sure every defensive player on the team is lined up in the right spots.
Without Dean’s intelligence and talent, the Eagles could be weaker as a unit, making them more susceptible to passes in the middle of the field. Expect the Eagles to replace Dean with linebacker Christian Elliss. While Elliss has made heads turn at the Eagles camp this offseason, he lacks experience, and ultimately, we will have to wait till the Eagles matchup against the Vikings to see if Elliss will be capable of replacing Dean for a short length of time.
The New York Giants will finish the season with double-digit losses
Take: NOT AN Overreaction
On Sunday Night Football, in front of a sold out crowd of emphatic, blue-wearing New York faithful, the New York Giants put out an absolute stinker, losing to their archrival Dallas Cowboys by a score of 40-0.
The game fell apart for the Giants early in the first quarter, as Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas blocked a Graham Gano field goal attempt and returned it all the way for a touchdown, giving the Cowboys an early six-to-zero lead. More Giants mistakes and turnovers continued to be a theme throughout the game, as Giants quarterback Daniel Jones turned the ball over three times, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble.
The Cowboys also sacked Jones seven times, and this staunch defensive effort from the Cowboys did not give the Giants any room to breathe. While it could be said that this is just one loss, concerning themes emerged from the games that likely tell of a grim future for New York.
Daniel Jones struggled badly, and after being paid a massive new deal this past offseason, it is fair to begin to wonder whether the Giants would have been better off going in another direction. New York's offensive line also left much to be desired, giving up seven sacks total and providing Jones little to no time to throw almost every drop back. It remains to be seen what this season has in store for the Giants, but one thing is sure: they look all the part of a team in contention for a top ten draft pick.
