Week 1 of the 2012 NFL season is in the books, and while there is still a ton of football to be played, there were some definite things to pick up on in the opening games to pay attention to. Some were good, some were potential red flags.
Here are a few things that I noticed that could be important for some teams throughout the course of the 2012 NFL Season.
1. Green Bay’s Defense Needs To Step Up
Ok, so we already knew this from last season. But quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ offense will need some support from their defense in big games like the one they played in Week 1 against San Francisco, a team they could see down the road in the postseason. Rodgers is arguably the best quarterback in the NFL, but even he can’t be perfect all the time. The defense will have to shoulder some of the responsibility if Green Bay is going to make another run at a Super Bowl championship.
2. If Joe Flacco Plays Anything Like He Did Sunday In Week 1 For The Whole Season, Baltimore Will Win The Super Bowl.
You heard it here first. Or maybe you didn’t. But regardless, if Flacco plays like he did against Cincinnati, or close to it, you might as well start engraving ‘Baltimore Ravens’ on the Lombardi Trophy for Super Bowl XLVII. And even without Terrell Suggs, Baltimore’s defense still looks as good as ever, despite the aging of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Reed was in vintage form in Week 1, returning an interception for a touchdown. It’s still a long way to go yet, but Baltimore has to feel very confident in Flacco right now.
3. How About That Jets Offense?
Forget scoring just one touchdown in four preseason games, the New York Jets put up 48 points in Week 1 on the Buffalo Bills, the most points scored by any team in Week 1. Sure, they had a special teams score and a defensive score, but quarterback Mark Sanchez looked very sharp on most of his throws, which has to inspire head coach Rex Ryan. Tim Tebow even got in on some action, though just about all of the offensive damage was done by Sanchez in the traditional set.
4. Rookie Quarterback Debuts
The NFL rookie quarterbacks went 1-4 in Week 1 of the NFL season, with Robert Griffin III and Washington getting the lone win. Griffin looked very impressive, though he wasn’t the only one. Even in a loss, the rookies did a lot of good things. Only one of the teams with a rookie quarterback was playing a home, which definitely makes it tough. But guys like Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck did a lot of good things in their outings. Ryan Tannehill and Brandon Weeden certainly struggled more, but the potential is still there. It will be fun to watch the progression of these players throughout the season.