5 Observations From The NFL This Sunday

Football is finally back and in full swing. It's an amazing thing to have the NFL playing real games that matter. This Sunday there were a lot of storylines going into the weekend some of which met expectations while others created even more questions. This is what makes the NFL the best sport in the United States.

Week one has created some big-time stories which have the possibility to keep unfolding throughout the whole year. These are my 5 observations of the first Sunday in the NFL.

Aaron Rodgers is the most important QB in the NFL

Chicago Bears v Green Bay Packers

Every single Packers and NFL fan held their collective breath when Aaron Rodgers went down grabbing at his knee. Losing a star on opening Sunday is never something anyone wants to see especially when it's Aaron Rodgers.

When he went down and backup QB Deshone Kizer came in, the complexity of not just the game but the entire season for the Green Bay Packers changed. Then Aaron Rodgers came back in the second half and off to the races he went.

Rodgers took over the game and there was no stopping him until they won that game. Aaron Rodgers going down would have ended Green Bay's season and now the hopes are that he is healthy enough to play all 16 games.

The Browns are not to be taken lightly

Pittsburgh Steelers v Cleveland Browns

After the appearance on Hard Knocks, the Browns surprisingly felt like an up-and-coming team after a dismal 0 and 16 year last year. The game was played in some rough conditions due to the heavy downpour.

Cleveland's defence almost pulled off the win causing 6 turnovers. Myles Garret is proving he is going to be a force to be reckoned with. In addition, number 4 overall pick Denzel Ward intercepted Ben Roethlisberger twice. The Cleveland defence did a really nice job against a team with a lot of weapons on the outside.

The offence, on the other hand, struggled for most of the day. Tyrod Taylor made some nice throws, especially the touchdown pass to Josh Gordon to tie the game but still struggled to make any real noise against the Steelers defence.

Cleveland managed to get the game to overtime and even had a chance to win but the Browns stepped up their game and got the game-winning field goal blocked. This was a fun game and the Browns aren't a going to be a team that should be overlooked because they have some very good talent.

Dallas Offense is going to struggle

Dallas Cowboys v Carolina Panthers

The Carolina defence is the real deal but all the focus is going to be on Dallas' offence. Dak Prescott struggled mightily yesterday, especially on the stat line.

But if you watch the game there was a more evident problem. The offence line misses Travis Fredrick. The all-pro center was truly missed in creating space in the run game and change protections to keep Dak upright. The offences play calling also left much to be desired.

Ezekiel Elliot only ran the ball 15 times. When the Cowboys were successful they ran the ball a lot behind that monstrous offence line and if they want to repeat that success they need to follow that philosophy. On the bright side, the Cowboys defence was very good, managing to hold Carolina to 16 points. So the game yesterday was not a total downer.

Qb's Succeeding in new places

San Francisco 49ers v Minnesota Vikings

We start with the free agent QB of the offseason: Kirk Cousins. He might have found the perfect situation for himself in Minnesota. When he was with Washington it was Kirk Cousins or bust; now with the Vikings, not so much.

He has solid weapons and a ferocious defence to take off a lot of that pressure. Cousins in his regular season debut was solid as a rock with 20 of 36 for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns. If the Vikings can have that quarterback play for the year, they have a chance to contend for the NFC title game again.

San Francisco 49ers v Minnesota Vikings

In the same game, Jimmy Garoppolo was not as sharp as he was during the end of last year. Don't heed the stat line but he did his best to keep his team in the game but also missed out on some key throws. Jimmy G isn't going to win every game but he played on the road against a very good Vikings team.

Washington Redskins v Arizona Cardinals

Alex Smith was typical Alex Smith; super solid and led the Redskins to a win over Arizona. Alex Smith has been a solid Quarterback for a long time but never gets the love he should.

The question remains that if he's ever going to win a Super Bowl. He's always been very solid when he gets coaching regardless of where he has had to play. Smith's stat line was 21 of 30 for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Redskins looked very good and Alex Smith is going to make the Redskins a surprise team in the NFC.

Kansas City Chiefs v Los Angeles Chargers

Could this be the start of something special in Kansas City? Pat Mahomes looked sharp as sharp as he possibly could in what is really his debut. He had a spectacular throw to Tyreek Hill on a little slant which Hill took to the house for the first of 4 touchdowns on the day.

The offence looked really sharp and Pat Mahomes played very well. If this continues, this offence will be a treat to watch for the whole year.

Khalil Mack is worth every penny

Chicago Bears v Green Bay Packers

Earlier I talked about Aaron Rodgers. On the other side of the ball we saw the new monster of the Midway, Khalil Mack. The Oakland Raiders gave away Khalil Mack for two first round picks and some other draft capital and last night it didn't look like two firsts were enough.

During the first half, Mack looked like a man on a mission. When Aaron Rodgers went down and Kizer took over, Khalil Mack took that half over. He had a sack and interception and a touchdown in the first half. Even though the Bears lost the game the Bears found a monster they didn't have before the season.