MoeJackson

It feels good to write the sentence “opening night” and have it be about the NFL. It means that we have twenty-two (22!) Sundays that will feature at least one professional football game on our television. As much I want to discuss Sunday’s massive 1pm (ET) slate, let’s have some manners and leave the main course until after the appetizer. And by appetizer, i’m clearly referring to last night’s opening game that squared off with the Packers in Seattle. One thing is for sure: the Seahawks are still in their championship form. After a fairly balanced first half, the Seahawks dominated the Packers in the 3rd quarter, putting the game out of reach and taking home the first win of the NFL season. Quick shout out to Ariana Grande, who looked pretty cute and did a nice job singing the national anthem before the game. But we’re here to talk about football and we got some solid football last night. At least, if you’re talking to Seattle fans, who probably were anxious to see their team’s championship banner go up before starting their back-to-back campaign. Remember when “experts” like myself were picking the Packers as a possible contender for the best team in the NFC? Well, the Seahawks quickly reminded everyone why they’re the big boys on the block. Seattle played big boy football, smashing the ball through the tackles with an impressive game by Marshawn Lynch (110 yds, 2 TDs) from start to finish. Let’s also remember that Percy Harvin, the x-factor of all x-factors, combined for 100 yards in a barrage of impressive running and passing plays. It’s just a shame that we’re all thinking the same thing about Harvin when we’re watching him play and hoping that this is the year he stays healthy.

With all of the praise for the offense, let’s not forget that Seattle prides itself with their defense and as the game went on, the better the defense looked. I thought that once the Seahawks forced a Packers safety, the game was over and it was only a matter of time before the game was out of reach. Even with Rodgers making some nice plays and putting together a couple of nice drives, the Packers’ offense never looked comfortable. Green Bay put themselves in too many 3rd and long situations that are nearly impossible to complete when you’re playing in Seattle. So what’s the Packers gameplan heading forward into the season? Well, for one they must improve their defense overall. The Seahawks were able to execute their plays with almost no resistance at all. There’s also wondering how serious Eddy Lacy’s exit in the 3rd quarter (concussion) will affect him and the Packers running game heading forward. And the Seahawks, well, just more of the same in all honesty. A couple of pretty big games coming up as they head into San Diego in week 2 and then get Denver at home the following week.

Alright, now let’s get ready for main course. For those who are wondering, yes, get the NFL’s Red Zone channel and just leave it on there for your entire Sunday afternoon. Unless you want to focus on your team’s game specifically. Luckily for me, the Cowboys aren’t going to disappoint me until later on in the day, so i’m just focused on the red zone action for the ten (10!) game slate in the 1 pm (ET) slot. Plenty of good games too. The Saints in Atlanta should feature plenty of points and big plays. The Bengals in Baltimore is a nice divisional rivalry that could help decide a tie-breaker at the end of the season. The Redskins in Houston is exciting to think about solely just to see RG3 against the Texans’ pass rush. The Patriots in Miami always seems to have some of weird play or breakout performance. Because for whatever silly reason, CBS is choosing to show the US Open instead of football. Their loss. We’ll be enjoying the 49ers in Dallas, a game that could go in a hundred different directions and the Panthers in Tampa Bay, a game that is impossible to predict. Things wrap up with the Colts in Denver, for what could be a super-early playoff match preview. Can Peyton Manning duplicate last season’s historic-level season? Can Andrew Luck out-Andrew Luck himself? Grab a seat, grab a cold drink and ignore your responsibilities for a little white. The NFL is back and the first Sunday is always the sweetest. Good luck to everyone’s team this season but as always, go Cowboys!