NFL Betting: Week 1 Roundup
The 2010 NFL season’s first Sunday is in the books and it was eventful. We saw injuries galore, some upsets and a few outstanding performances.
Let’s have a brief look at every game.
LOOKING FOR THE BEST NFL PICKS ON THE INTERNET? WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK —–>
NFL Betting – Week One Wagering Review
Titans 38, Raiders 13
This just in: Chris Johnson is still Chris Johnson. He ran for 142 yards, highlighted by a 76-yard run. So far, so good for Vince Young under center; he completed 76.5 per cent of his passes and didn’t throw an interception. Jason Campbell was shaky in his debut for the Raiders but Darren McFadden was a bright spot, totalling 150 yards.
New York Giants 31, Panthers 18
Hakeem Nicks was instrumental in helping the Giants christen their new stadium, catching three touchdown passes from Eli Manning. The Matt Moore era started ugly, as the Panthers pivot went down with a concussion. Does this mean it’s already Jimmy Clausen time?
Texans 34, Colts 24
You know Arian Foster had a monster game when Peyton Manning threw for 433 yards and didn’t get the headlines. Foster, the Texans’ new feature back, ran for 231 yards and three scores as the Texans finally conquered their division rivals.
Jaguars 24, Broncos 17
The Tim Tebow era began with two carries for two yards. It may be a while before he sees the field regularly. Maurice Jones-Drew didn’t set the world on fire but Jags fans have to be happy with his 23 carries, which should quiet concerns about his knee.
Steelers 15, Falcons 9
Yuck. Two solid teams almost produced the dud of the week, but Rashard Mendenhall saved the day with his exciting touchdown run in overtime. He’s my pick to lead the NFL in carries this season. 
Dolphins 15, Bills 10
The Bills are bad. Very, very bad. Their horrific offensive line opened up no holes in the running game and their run defense predictably had trouble against Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, who combined for 127 yards.
Bears 19, Lions 14
This was arguably Sunday’s most talked about game. First off, the Mike Martz experiment passed its first test. Jay Cutler made some mistakes as usual but racked up yardage and Matt Forte looked every bit the part of Marshall Faulk 2.0, totalling 201 yards. Second, Lions fans had their hearts broken twofold. Matthew Stafford went down with a potentially serious shoulder injury and the referees robbed Detroit of a win when they called a clear-cut Calvin Johnson touchdown catch an incompletion in the dying seconds.
Patriots 38, Bengals 24
Car accidents can’t stop Tom Brady, who picked apart the Bengals defense and threw for three scores. ACL surgery apparently can’t stop Wes Welker; he caught two of Brady’s touchdown passes. Too bad Randy Moss had to put a damper on the win by calling out Pats management for not extending his contract (though I tend to side with Randy in the debate overall).
Buccaneers 17, Browns 14
The game no one watched was a predictable yawner. Jake Delhomme is still Jake Delhomme; we’re a game into the season and he already has more picks than TD passes.
Seahawks 31, 49ers 6
Many betting sharps saw the 49ers as the lock of the week! Oops. Seattle rode a throwback performance from Matt Hasselbeck to rout San Fran. Mike Singletary had some choice words for Alex Smith and Michael Crabtree after this one.
Packers 27, Eagles 20
This was World War III. Philly’s casualties included Jason Peters (knee), Jamaal Jackson (torn bicep, out for season), Leonard Weaver (torn ACL, out for season) and, most notably, Kevin Kolb, who missed the second half with a concussion. He was brutal before getting his bell rung, too. Michael Vick played very well in his stead, sparking a potential quarterback controversy.
Cardinals 17, Rams 13
The Cardinals certainly didn’t make it look easy. Derek Anderson overthrew guys all day; you could see the frustration on Larry Fitzgerald’s face. Sam Bradford wasn’t perfect in his NFL debut but he looked like a bona fide pro and almost drove the Rams to victory in the fourth quarter.
Redskins 13, Cowboys 7
Wasn’t Dallas a popular Super Bowl pick? The Cowboys were missing something on Sunday night, possibly on the coaching side, as they abandoned the running game inexplicably. The box score is bizarre. Leading Redskins rusher Clinton Portis averaged just 3.5 yards per carry and Donovan McNabb completed 46.9 per cent of his passes for 171 yards yet these guys won.
