So the first Sunday of the 2014 season has come and gone. Hopes have been dashed, and others have been given new life. Some teams which haven’t been able to find any finishing power showed some new chops (I’m looking at you, Detroit Lions) while others showed that expectations can sometimes be a dangerous game (yes, I’m talking about the Patriots). The 49ers surprised a lot of football fans with a very impressive defensive outing missing their top two linebackers and with several questions going into their game sunday. The Dolphins put on a hell of a performance to topple the AFC East favorite Patriots squad who simply looked gassed and without an answer for the running game of Knowshon Moreno. The Broncos looked tougher on defense, but their offense showed signs of regression late in the game, even with a stellar performance from the young Emmanuel Sanders. The Seahawks showed no signs of a Super Bowl hangover, cruising past a Packers team just happy to have Aaron Rodgers back and healthy. Cam Newton had to sit out the first game of his professional career, but fortunately the Panthers still have one of the best defenses in the league an a respectable backup option. And as the dust settles, 5 of teams still have an unhindered path toward the Jackman, while the other five teams will start the year with an added obstacle in their course to ultimate victory. But it’s still early, and with 12 weeks left before the playoffs, its still very much anyone’s game.
Wicked Sweet Facts You Might Not Have Known
- Knowshon Moreno has rushed for 572 yards since week 11 of last season. 357 of those yards were against the Patriots.
- Tom Brady had a QBR of just over 2 in the second half of the Dolphins game. Yes, I did mean 2.
- Speaking of the Patriots, last time they lost a season opener was in 2003. They also won the Super Bowl that year.
- Eli Manning never completed more than two passes in a row this Sunday versus the Lions.
- In week 1 there were 223 penalties accepted. The only times there have been more penalties in a single week of football in the last 5 years were week 3 of both the 2012 and 2010 seasons.
- Not a single starting quarterback in the NFL on week one was a BCS champion.
List came out a little early this week, and shorter than last week, but hey, now you’re 6 knowledge bits smarter. Check back here every Wednesday for your weekly dose of some supa smaht and wicked sweet factoids.