Finally, some football

Okay, as promised, some football talk. My reflections on Week 1:

#1. E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles! Okay, so I'm horribly biased, and it was against the Rams, who don't look all that much improved from the team that earned the #2 pick in the draft last season, but the Eagles haven't looked that good in all phases of the game since their Super Bowl year. McNabb looked very healthy and very sharp. Jeff's Offensive ROY pick looked very good through one week. I have a hard time believing that, given his size and the typical struggles of rookie wideouts, DeSean Jackson is going to put up big time receiving numbers all year. However, he is a gamebreaking talent as a return man, something the Eagles have not had for a long time.

#2. My pick for the team to hold next year's #1 overall draft pick did not look so shrewd on Sunday, as the Falcons rolled over the Lions. I don't think the Falcons are going to be that good - quite frankly maybe the Lions were the right pick for #1 overall - but they did put together a nice game, and for at least one week it looks like the Michael Turner acquisition will pay big dividends.

#3. How did it take me until #3 to address the Brady injury? Well, mainly because I just don't care that much. I didn't take Brady in any of my fantasy leagues (not because I wouldn't have, I just either drafted too early (#1 in one league) or too late (#9 in another), or he wasn't available (he was a keeper in my 3rd league)), and I'm just not all that concerned about the Patriots at this point in the season. Clearly, it's significant, and if I was rooting for a team in the AFC East, like my co-contributor's Bills, I'd be ecstatic (about the improvement of my team's chances, that is, no one should be rooting for an injury). As it is, I'm taking a very wait and see approach on the Patriots. My opinion is that, while Brady is clearly an excellent QB, since the Patriots added Randy Moss, it would only take an OK quarterback to make them legitmate contenders. The question is, is Matt Cassell OK, less than OK, or, like the last backup the Pats had to bring in due to an early season injury (Brady), is he way better than OK? I'm guessing somewhere between the first two, and the fact that the Pats auditioned Chris Simms suggests they agree with me. Regardless, I think I'd still honestly be surprised if the Pats aren't at least playoff contenders.

#4. He wasn't Brett Favre, but Aaron Rodgers was efficient and very competant against what is supposed to be a very good Vikings defense. I know the rap against Jeff Tedford coached quarterbacks, but there's something else that those quarterbacks all had in common - they were all immediately, or almost immediately, thrown into the mix on BAD teams. Rodgers has had 3 years to get used to life in the NFL, and he steps into a quality team that can protect him and offers him solid playmakers. Don't get me wrong, I'm not predicting Pro Bowl just yet, but I think there's a good chance that Rodgers can make it in the NFL.

#5. Brett Favre is, well, still Brett Favre.

#6. The Raiders are, well, still the Raiders.

#7. The Titans' defense is still good enough to make up for the fact that Vince Young is their quarterback, or at least was.

#8. My Offensive ROY pick (Matt Forte) had a great Week 1 as well, which is nice, because he is on two of my fantasy teams, and my running back situations will be horrid if he turns out to be the 2nd coming of Cedric Benson.