Week 1 Open Discussion Thread

Packers offense looks horrific on their first two drives.

Oh my god. This nation-wide obsession with the double-doink is so dumb. It conveniently removes the blame from Nagy and the offense, though.

Holy hell. Needing a timeout to start a quarter.

The Packers are lucky the Bears don’t have a better quarterback, or they’d be down three scores by now.

Ok the packers came to life in the 2nd quarter.

Just once in my life, can the Bears have an offense that doesn’t suck? I’m not asking for a good offense...just one that doesn’t squander the defense.

Bears winning the special teams / field position game

Bears LT Leno is getting really good jumps on the snap. I can't believe he's not ahead of the ball, but he's going to be hard to beat if he keeps it up

LaFleur to Michell Tafoya: “We have to run the ball more.” Pretty much the last thing an analytics-inclined fan wants to hear their coach say..

So when the Bears heard they were hosting the season opener in honour of the 100th year anniversary, did they think that meant they were supposed to pull out the playbook from 100 years ago?

I know, that's unfair. The actual playbook from 100 years ago calls for a wing sweep on 3rd and 10, rather than throw the ball 2 yards downfield to a man in blanket coverage.

...how did LaFleur get this job again???

Does FO not have all the play-by-play they need to calculate DVOA for 1985? I guess we're going to have to wait another year at least?

Good lord that playcall on 3rd and inches was awful. Just have Trubisky sneak it!

Passing up a 51-yard FG try, on a night when wind is not a factor, to go for it on 4th and 10. Nagy is approaching Trestman levels of inexplicable decisions here.

Potential Loser League team name: "LOL J.K. Scott"

I'm loving the wide angle shots on this drive, when they're keeping the QB and a lot of the secondary in the frame.

I don't like how they're switching back and forth between angles though. One play the camera is behind the offense, the next play it's behind the defense, then behind the offense but from a higher vantage point…

Following their soporific Super Bowl, the league was looking for something better than this narcotic effort to start the new season.

The Bears are down 7, on the GB 22, there's almost 3 minutes to go, they have all 3 timeouts … and they're in hurry up. Are they worried they won't leave Rodgers enough time to beat them in regulation if they don't play hurry up? Or is this some sort of advanced tactics where they're planning on winning with 2 FGs??

So which of these statements is true?

1. The Packers defense is really good.
2. The Bears offence is really bad.
3. The predictive power of week 1 results is close to zero.

An away win against a division favorite is pretty big. If it is followed up with a home win against the other division favorite, Pack will be pretty damn happy.

judging Lafleur-Rodgers after no pre-season snaps against one of the best defensive teams in league on the road is folly.. they didn't turn ball over.

Packers played well on defense-- but Nagy playcalling and Trubitsky execution were both substandard. Many tougher tests coming for Pettine and Co.

I am superglad McCarthy's not the coach anymore-- wish it happened a year or two earlier

Bears hold the Packers to 10 points and yet lose at home because they wasted opportunities to move the ball.
Trubisky missed throws the same he did the past two seasons. No improvement there. Pathetic.

I have a new phone and am wondering if there's still a slack group or has it become a discord group?

I think virtually everyone expects Mahomes to take a step back this year, but it won't be happening in the first two minutes of the season. Sammy Watkins turns a first down on third and three into a long TD.

I'm pretty happy with the early games in my area: KC@JAX and ATL@MIN. I'll try to enjoy them, because the afternoon NY/DAL is going to be a snoozer. I enjoy watching Aikman call Cowboys games about as much as I enjoy getting a concussion.

On KC's second drive Mahomes tries a no look pass on third down in the red zone for no real reason. The ball sails way high over an open Kelce's head. Definitely an unforced error.

Falcons: run a reverse

Thom Brennaman: "we've got a double reverse!"

Looking forward to see if the Browns are for real.
How will the Steelers manage and will Tomlun have learned anything?
AB in Boston.
Really looking forward to the Chargers schemes on defense.

Based on early returns of the Ravens game, it appears Happy has learned how to putt.

Is Foles hurt, or is Jacksonville just wasting possessions?

McCaffery reminds me of RBs in Madden the last time I played, doesn't get one inch after being touched.

Obviously still a great player but leaves a lot of yards on the table.

Inconsistent refereeing. Matt Ryan claps his hands for the snap, but there's no call. Instead the Vikings get called for offsides! Ridiculous.

Myles Jack is losing his mind.

Case Keenum tearing it up in Washington!

Yikes. Browns LT Greg Robinson is ejected for a completely unnecessary kick to the head of a Titans player. I mean, all kicks to the head are unnecessary, but this one was in retaliation for getting knocked over in a routine scrum.

Bills @ Jets is a good contest for those missing the Loser League. 4 turnovers for the Jets, leading to only 6 points (missed PAT after a pick-6).

A whole lot going on at halftime in KC-Jacksonville. Foles is out and someone with the bizarre name of Gardner Minshew II has completed the first nine passes of his career in replacement. Tyreek Hill is also out and Mahomes has an ankle injury that has him limping. Mahomes has 313 passing yards and the Chiefs repeatedly being held to FGs means the game is close enough that he has a strong chance to go over 500. Plus Myles Jack has been ejected.

Actually a pretty crappy set of first halves today. Chiefs-Jags probably the most entertaining game so far based on what I’ve seen on Red Zone.

10 penalties for 107 yards for Cleveland at the half. Some appalling indiscipline in there, but also a couple of nonsense PI calls going against them at crucial moments.

Based on their play calling, the Jags coaching staff clearly don’t trust their rookie quarterback yet. But based on the way he’s playing, maybe they should. Especially if they want any prayer of winning this game, as they haven’t proven capable of stopping the Chiefs yet (other than the Red Zone).

the bills got a jets td wiped off the board by challenging and receiving an offensive pass interference against the jets, only to give up the td 2 plays later anyway

The Browns are playing like the Jerry Granville era Oilers and Falcons....continuously shooting themselves in the foot with penalties....because they seem to be trying to prove how tough they are.

Seeing Jerome Bettis on that Geico commercial is making me worry about his cardiovascular health.

Based in part on the book and KUBIAK I stole Watkins and Hollywood Brown in our fantasy league action...and left them on the bench in lieu of Westbrook

So Julio signs the biggest contract...and has 3 catches for 18 yards to show for it

CBS switches to Jets-Bills. James Brown tells us the Jets are leading 16-10, literally as the Bills score a long go ahead TD. I haven't been watching this game, but I know the Jets D had four turnovers in the first half so Buffalo leading this game is shocking.

Bills lose the turnover battle 4-0 but win the game. It's actually crazier than that since they gave up a safety, which essentially functions as a 5th turnover.

Road teams are 6-2 so far this week.

Is Miami this bad or are the Ravens and Jackson in particular this good?

Also, gotta love the FO skepticism on the Browns, who got blown out by TENNESSEE at HOME in one of the most undisciplined, sloppy performances ever. I don't know how they quantified overconfidence as the Browns' Achilles heel, but that absolutely was a big problem contributing to this loss. This was not the right head coach for this team, and with all these volatile personalities, it get could ugly quick.

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1. Gurley looks pretty healthy.

2. Sammy Watkins has picked things up in KC.

2a. Couldn't help laughing at Fox trying to hype DAL-NYG.

3. Kerryon Johnson looks healthy.

4. Liking TJ Hockenson so far.

The Giants are every bit as pathetic as anticipated. Barkley broke an early run, but otherwise it's the usual steady diet of Eli dumpoffs and failed completions. And Dak Prescott is doing as he pleases against a defense built to stop the run. Fun times.

I'm really liking the ability to challenge PI so far...hasn't been overdone by the coaches, one bad call did get overturned. We will see for this Seahawks challenge

I don't wish to alarm anyone, but Devin Funchess just did something good.

(specifically, caught a well-covered pass for a 1st on 4th down, then dragged the CB about 5 yards upfield and out of bounds)

UPDATE: And now he's hurt.

TJ Hockenson is the star of the game for the Lions today.

On the other hand, the O-line has looked pretty ragged.

The Colts hadn't looked terribly impressive, but were at least able to keep the Chargers from blowing the game open on the several occasions that they threatened to do so. And just now they staged a pretty impressive drive (aided by Funchess' aforementioned good-doing), capped with a 2-pt. conversion right up the gut by Mack. The Chargers will have a chance to drive for a GW FG, but it's been a very solid performance by a team essentially starting its backup QB against a tough opponent on the road.

UPDATE: Overtime! Colts lined up in a sort of awesomely goofy formation, essentially making a big rectangle with 3 guys on each sideline to force Rivers to throw over the middle. Instead, he out-galaxy-brained everyone by trying to scramble up the massively open field himself, but was a half-second late getting out of bounds and the clock expired without a real attempt to score.

UPDATE 2: That was pretty quick. Chargers got the ball to start overtime, marched it right up the field, and ran it in for the game-winning score. Incidentally, their rushing attack has been just fine without Gordon. I'm all for guys trying to get as much money as they can while they can, but man oh man do I ever not want my team to spend non-negligible cap space on an RB.

Wow, this Cards-Lions game is wild. Arizona trying to do what the Bills did earlier in the day and follow up being awful on offense all day by scoring on each drive late.

Wow, Kyler Murray looks small on the field! Nice drive to tie it, this game seems like it was a thousand times more interesting than the Aikman special.

I think the question we all will have for the Audible is does anyone on the FO staff think any game result against Miami is going to be usable this year? ;p

With 11 seconds left in OT, deep in their own territory, the Lions opt to pass. The Cardinals defender has it in his hands for a pick but just doesn't catch it. What I don't understand is why Detroit decided to do anything there. It's more likely something terrible happens and you lose there.

Pats looking sharp on O, D and special teams early. Great TD run by Gordon and other receivers look good - embarrassment of riches at at a position that was a weakness a month ago. Rothburger with a lot of dump offs and running game stiffed. Brady looking pretty quick and accurate. I think the test for him will be 8 or 10 games down the schedule when the aches and pains are mounting.

This fucking game. I keep rooting against one team, then remembering I don't like the other team either.

This is so depressing, they don't even have AB and they already look like the best team in the league

On the second TD drive, Pats bamboozled them with play action. Dorsett ran Gronk route down seam for TD.

Never learn from mistakes. Never try to exploit own strengths vs opponent weakness. No situational awareness.

2 Minute Warning. 4th and 1. Try to draw Belichick team offside. Fail. Timeout, and a 5Wide pass on 4th and 1

You can't make this up.

FG is useless and stupid. Why?

Um..yer down by 20 points and your kicking a fg from fourth and goal at the 1?

How does anyone get that open in the NFL? He Dorsett had so much time to think, I was sure he'd freeze and drop it. That Tomlin FG looking even better about now.

... all the linemen except the center." Was an actual call by the ref. He's not wrong.

Pats don't play any teams that made the playoffs last year. Or look like they will make the playoffs this year.

So the Saints get screwed out of 10 seconds at the end of the half, because the refs decided to review a play? That is absolutely insane! How can there be any justification for this rule?