Which Teams Are In Trouble After Week 1?
Added on Sep 11, 2012 by Scott in
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Opening week of an NFL season is never a good barometer to measure what a team will look like by season’s end. However, laying an egg in Week 1 can carry over for a few more games, which can be crippling to those franchises with playoff aspirations. A handful of teams with hopes of making a run in 2012 need to pick up their play in Week 2 or face the arduous task of rebounding from an 0-2 start.
New Orleans Saints – Getting carved up at home by a rookie quarterback should serve as a wake up call for the beleaguered Saints. The defense was atrocious, the running game nonexistent and even Drew Brees appeared erratic. A trip to face the equally flat Panthers could be the cure for what ails the Cajuns.
Carolina Panthers – Speaking of Cam’s Cats, yikes! Ten yards rushing? Why again did they pay DeAngelo Williams, Johnathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert all that cash? The Bucs run defense can’t be that stifling. At least Brandon LaFell made some plays opposite ol’ reliable Steve Smith.
Buffalo Bills – A trendy pick to earn a playoff spot, the Bills were downright awful on Sunday in getting crushed 48-28 by the rival Jets. The same Jets offense that looked anemic all summer suddenly could do no wrong against a supposed dominant Buffalo defense. Also worrisome — Ryan Fitzpatrick picked up where he left off in 2011 by tossing three interceptions.
Green Bay Packers – No reason for cheeseheads to panic just yet, because the Niners are a pretty stacked team, especially on defense. That said, the Packers woeful rush attack is going to be their undoing. Aaron Rodgers is great, but he didn’t do it alone in 2010.
Pittsburgh Steelers – The good news is the Steelers don’t face Peyton Manning every week. The bad news is their defense looked mortal in Mile High Stadium, and the lack of a run game is a concern. The return of a healthy Rashard Mendenhall will help.
Oakland Raiders – Fantasy owners will be giddy that Darren McFadden caught 13 passes for 86 yards in losing to the Chargers. Too bad fantasy isn’t reality. Carson Palmer checking down every other play won’t yield many points most weeks. The Raiders pee-wee league offense needs to go, now.
