It sure is a treat to have football back. The hacked up offseason helped make it extra sweet. Maybe it was all planned that way. I think that the NFL is making a mistake in it's ever expanding opening week. Starting on Thursday is just wrong. Playing two Monday night games is simply ridiculous. Is having sixteen opening nights next? Focusing on two teams each night for the first half of September. Pump the breaks Roger!
For Vikings fans the weekend started with a splash. Spectacular runningback Adrian Peterson signed a six year contract extension. Awesome news. Unfortunately the game against the San Diego Chargers was less than awesome. You visit the Vikings message boards and you'd think that the Minnesota football world is coming to an end. It certainly wasn't that bad. The Chargers were expected to destroy the Vikings. Instead, they had a real battle. The Chargers needed a fourth quarter comeback to win 24-17. The Vikings defeat can be found in two numbers. 16 carries for Peterson and 39 TOTAL yards passing. Peterson should always have at least 25 touches. It should only take one play to hit 39 yards passing. The Vikings offense did nothing in the second half. This obviously cut into the number of carries for Peterson. The offense simply failed to convert the few third down opportunities that they had. The defense actually played well. They were just on the field way too much thanks to their own offense. It certainly wasn't the desired outcome but it was far from the disaster of the purple chicken littles.
I spent most of the morning watching the Tampa Bay-Detroit game. There were several intriguing early matchups but this one grabbed my curiosity. Two young teams on the rise. They also just happened to be the Vikings next two opponents, but of course that mattered little. The Lions played great. The Buccaneers didn't. It was still a one touchdown game. If Detroit can get their running game going and keep QB Matthew Stafford healthy, they are going to be tough.
Chicago beating Atlanta 30-12 was a real shock. The Falcons didn't even score an offensive touchdown. For a team with legitimate Super Bowl dreams, this was a terrible start.
Another team with similar championship dreams is the Steelers. They must still be in August mode. There is no explanation for a 35-7 loss to the division rival Ravens. The Steelers did a lot of talking to and about the Ravens leading into the season and this game. The Ravens just prepared and played football. The Steelers may want to rethink some things.
Another game that was a real surprise was the Chiefs-Bills. Even in down years for the Chiefs, Kansas City is a brutal place to play. They frequently win there and they rarely get taken apart. The Bills beating the Chiefs 41-7 in Kansas City is a mystery.
It was a great weekend of football, not counting the Vikings loss. Even in that setback there was some promise. Next week is bad news for the Buccaneers. Welcome back football. It's great to see you.
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