Aaron Rodgers is NFLs Michael Jordan Cowboys in big trouble

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Aaron Rodgers is NFL's Michael Jordan; Cowboys in big trouble Published: Sep 10, 2018 at 06:37 AM Contributing Columnist Ah, Week 1 ... After flapping our gums all offseason in anticipation of a fresh, new NFL campaign, we finally got to sink our teeth into a full day of profe sional football. Predictably, decisive reactions are flowing, takes are hot off the pre ses. Yes, I think the will be fine. Yes, I think should start for the . No, I don't think the are going anywhere. OK, enough with the quick-hitters -- let's dive a little deeper into nine prominent developments. With the first Sunday of the 2018 season in the books, here's my annual Week 1 fact or fiction: 1) Aaron Rodgers is the Michael Jordan of the NFL. That is , and it is an absolute fact. Remember: When I wrote that piece back in January of 2017, following the ' thrilling , I offered the following explanation: Rodgers is the most talented QB to ever play football. I've said it for years. And on Sunday night, we were all witne ses to a heroic, special, vintage Rodgers masterpiece. Like Jordan routinely did on the hardwood, Rodgers made America's collective jaw drop in . An hour into Sunday night's contest, it certainly didn't look like Rodgers would own Week 1. Matt Nagy's held a 10-0 lead, with the creative offense inspiring wonder and the Khalil Mack-infused defense giving the Pack fits. Oh, and did I mention Rodgers needed to be carted off the field? Yes, an apparent knee injury to the two-time MVP had the NFL world shaken to its core. After mi sing much of last season with a broken collarbone, Rodgers appeared to suffer another major injury. Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth were all of us: stunned and basically eulogizing the star quarterback. Then Rodgers jogged back onto the field after halftime. And although the trailed 20-0 when No. 12 got the ball again with just over nine minutes remaining in the third quarter, it was just good to see one of the game's best players out on the field again, having apparently avoided another devastating setback. But Rodgers isn't a kind of guy. Hobbling around on a gimpy left leg, he led Green Bay all the way back for a 24-23 win in Lambeau that no football fan will soon forget. That fourth quarter was absolutely magical. The . The to put the Pack in busine s. that allowed to scoot 75 yards for what would wind up as the game-winning score. Here are Rodgers' fourth-quarter numbers: 9 for 12 for 212 yards (17.7 yards per attempt!) and three touchdowns. Wow indeed. Rodgers is a special player who provides mesmerizing performances on the game's biggest stages. Rodgers is Jordan-esque. 2) Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will sizzle all year. Oh, this is a fact. An undeniable fact. Mahomes led Kansas Blank Jersey City to , throwing four touchdown pa ses and further demonstrating that he's undoubtedly one of the league's most exciting young players. Anyone who thinks this is a Week 1 overreaction just isn't paying attention. This is why Andy Reid traded up for Mahomes in the 2017 . This is why the agreed to trade in January even though the QB had just posted a career year while leading K.C. to a division title. I talked about Mahomes as a dark-horse MVP candidate all offseason, so this isn't a hot take. The second-year signal-caller is a rare talent. His arm, smarts and overall playmaking ability are off the charts. He has a feel -- and the pedigree. His dad was a Major League Baseball pitcher for more than a decade. Mahomes has been around this life and gets it. Remember how hot a name he became in the pre-draft proce s? That was for good reason. The are loaded on offense. I mentioned above that Mahomes is "one of the league's most exciting young players." Well, Hill is making a case as THE most exciting NFL player Ivan Nova Jersey -- period. He returned -- because of course he did -- and finished the day with seven catches for 169 yards and two more scores. Every time this guy touches the ball, it's must-see TV. Reid is a superb offensive coach. This is going to be fun, all season long. 3) The Browns' tie was a succe s. Stop. This is fiction. I know this team went 0-16 last year. But Cleveland has legit talent, and the outplayed Pittsburgh on Sunday. They forced six turnovers -- SIX! -- while only giving the ball away once. A five-turnover edge just to equal a win. Hue Jackson settling for a 43-yard field goal at the end of overtime was the wrong move -- even before it was blocked. Try to make a play, and at least get the kicker closer in inclement weather. was amazing. scored a touchdown. -- not playing for the -- on Sunday. This is a game you need to win. Raise the bar, Brownies. 4) The Steelers are better without Le'Veon Bell. Oh, come on. No chance. This is fiction. Bell's a star. I know produced in a major way (31 rushes for 135 and two touchdowns; five catches for 57 yards), but he also had a crucial lost fumble. And he's also -- i.e., , one of the best NFL running backs of this decade. This was a cla sic distraction. Back in February, I was screaming that Pittsburgh should either lock up Bell on a long-term deal or let him go. You had to know this contract imbroglio was po sible. The spent last week ... and then blew a 14-point lead in Cleveland. There's a correlation. And Pittsburgh cannot be a threat without Bell. It's that simple. 5) Dallas will be fine. Nah. This is fiction. The line -- with -- is ordinary. Jason Witten is in the booth. The receiving corps is pedestrian -- at best. But none of that is my biggest i sue here ... I think that's Jason Garrett. Why didn't touch the ball more than 18 times in ? Zeke is everything to this team. Everyone knows it -- well, everyone except for the coaching staff, apparently. The ' offense could only manage 232 total yards and converted just two of its 11 third-down attempts. Everything looked so basic and predictable. Just ask Dez Bryant: Its kind of cool calling out all of the signals and knowing which route players are about run Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) 6) Seattle is in major trouble. This is definitely a fact. Seattle dropped its opener in Denver, , and there is indeed cause for concern. Sure, the have the great , who racked up three sacks, but this offensive line is brutal regardle s. The knee injury is a major concern. And the ' defense barely resembles the fierce unit from prior years. Perhaps some thought there would be and Pete Carroll magic in 2018. But losing to a pedestrian (at best) Denver team in a game where turned back into a pumpkin is a harbinger of things to come. 7) Jimmy Garoppolo is in major trouble. This is hot garbage, let alone complete fiction. OK, so was the worst start of Jimmy G's young career. He completed le s than half of his pa ses, threw three picks and took three sacks. He was uncharacteristically off target. Let's be fair, though: I think the have the best defense in the NFC, and playing in the raucous atmosphere of U.S. Bank Stadium is no easy task. Garoppolo is great. I'm still comfortable saying that, especially with Kyle Shanahan manning the controls. Now, the rest of San Francisco's roster remains a work in progre s. But the last player I worry about is Garoppolo. 8) Ryan Fitzpatrick is the Bucs' QB -- even when Jameis Winston returns. Look, if he continues to play well, this is a fact. Heck, general manager Jason Licht before the season even started. Yes, I'm absolutely, positively stunned by Tampa Bay storming New Orleans and . I thought Fitzpatrick had no chance and would sink a team that doesn't get enough attention for its overall talent. With Winston suspended, Tampa had no shot, right? Wrong! I still can't believe what we witne sed, but Fitzpatrick piled up 417 pa sing yards and five total touchdowns. With zero picks! Talk about Fitzmagic ... defensive end called it like he saw it: I'm not a believer in Fitz. I have plenty of reservations about his staying power as a 35-year-old QB1. But you can't deny his transcendence on Sunday. Tampa has good players on both sides of the ball. If the Bucs are 2-1 in a couple weeks, well ... If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 9) The Saints' defense will be a liability all year. Remember when New Orleans got smoked the first two weeks of the season last year? Let's not overreact -- this is fiction. Now, I'm not as high on the as some other members of the media elite. But the talent in NOLA is too plentiful. being suspended impacted both sides of the ball on Sunday. And most especially, credit Tampa. It was stunning, but the Bucs earned it. Tampa has an excellent receiving corps, and it clicked spectacularly on Sunday. Give credit. Don't panic. All-Pro DE called New Orleans' defensive performance Yes, that's the correct response when you give up 529 yards. And the lack of pa s-rushing talent beyond Jordan is a concern. (Where was first-round pick on Bill Melton Jersey Sunday?) But I expect Dennis Allen to get this unit back on the right track sooner than later. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
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