After a long and rather headline filled offseason, Week One kicked off with a bang with several upsets and several really great performances. We took a look around the league and wanted to highlight a few of the top scouting storylines along with some other notes.
By Matt and Mike Vahey
Buffalo’s Defense Stifles
Buffalo has been a bit of an afterthought in the AFC East, with New England and Miami owning most of the headlines this off-season. However, in week one, they put out a memo to the rest of the league: we’re for real.
They bullied the colts, creating problems for Andrew Luck all game, forcing him to make bad throws along with essentially nullifying the colts run game. Most impressive, is that they did this without Marcel Dareus who was sitting out due to suspension. The defense did many things to disrupt the game in his absence and all of which seemed to work.
For the Bills, it all starts up front with an elite defensive line. They, coupled with well-designed blitzes, put constant pressure on Andrew Luck. The Bills exposed the Colts biggest weakness on offense, their offensive line. Consistently putting pressure from all angles. Their linebackers also flashed ability, led by Nigel Bradham.
However, on this day, the defensive backfield was particularly impressive in the win over the Colts. Rookie Ronald Darby was targeted early on, to some success, but he settled down and flashed the ability that made him a top 50 pick, intercepting Luck on a well-timed jump. On the other side, Stephon Gilmore showed the Bills some reasons why they spent a high draft pick on him as well as he flashed some signs of dominance, breaking up 4 passes and putting that first round talent on display.
In Rex Ryan lead defense, strong corners are needed as he employs a lot of man-to-man coverage, a scheme which helped make Revis and “Revis Island” a household name. If Darby continues to improve and Gilmore solidifies himself as a number one shutdown corner, this defense could be the best in the league by year’s end.
Mariota Impresses in Debut
I’m sure you’ve heard by now the day Marcus Mariota had, finishing with more touchdowns (4) than incompletions (3), and the trouncing he gave his fellow rookie Jameis Winston (all of which was in three quarters worth of work). It was the kind of day that gives fans, and the city, a glimmer of hope for their future despite the other holes that remain on their roster. Mariota made the most of his opportunities, while limiting his mistakes, the sort of thing he became known for at Oregon.
Mariota showed great poise, sound accuracy, and great command of his huddle on the day along with a lightning quick release that will suit him well at this level. This was highlighted by his 52 yard touchdown strike to Kendall Wright. After a play action fake, he made a quick decision and got the ball out of his hands for his receiver to make a play. It was a play that frankly mimicked his offense at Oregon, a run fake out of the shotgun and a quick throw to his first read. Simple and yet effective.
Mariota was deadly from the shotgun on the day, but Mariota also worked out from under center, with better results than expected. While he was 10 for 10 from out of the shotgun, the knocks about not playing in a “Pro” system may have been a bit unfounded as he showed a level of comfort that may not have been expected. His touchdown to Bishop Sankey came from under Center, with a designed rollout to utilize his elite foot speed at the position, and again get the ball into playmakers hands.
What’s more, his pocket presence looked sound, stepping up to avoid the rush and not bailing out to run. He hung in the pocket and made sound decisions throughout the game. He showed great pocket awareness and body control, understanding when pressure was in his face and he would have to change his release accordingly. Credit Coach Whisenhunt for the gameplan, they limited his exposure (16 passes on the day) and put him in spots to succeed. While a lot of that can be attributed to the lopsided play in the game, the Titans mixed in familiar elements of the zone-read for Mariota to ease his adjustment to the NFL.
The game, however, may need to be taken with a grain of salt as they got up early, which allowed the Titans not overly expose their prized QB, which cannot be said for the Bucs and their QB. Mariota won the day in the battle of 1 vs 2, but it was just a small step for him in his development in the pro game.
Other Scouting Notes
- Despite all the off-field drama, stress, and non-football related issues, Tom Brady looked masterful in his Week 1 matchup against the Steelers (and it seemed he needed to be in order to win the game). Brady is seemingly an ageless wonder, making quick decisions and getting the ball out of his hands to help a young offensive line in front of him. Despite his age, he is still accurate and has enough arm strength to make throws down the field. Everyone knew he would come out strong with the offseason he just had.
- One of the more impressive aspects on the Patriots win was how they were able to do so with being so depleted on the offensive line. Bryan Stork and Ryan Wendell were both out and undrafted rookie David Andrews got the start at center, with Tre Jackson starting at right guard. While the results weren’t perfect, they filled in admirably and can build off this.
- In the wake of headset gate, the offensive line for the Steelers did a serviceable job keeping Big Ben upright; however, Cody Wallace had a tough night in his first start in place of the injured Maurkice Pouncey. Wallace struggled in pass pro picking up blitzes and holding up at the point of attack. He also struggled at the second level, where his lack of athleticism was exposed. Despite his deficiencies, Wallace may be one of the hardest working and grittiest players in the NFL. He grinds and plays to the whistle, which a lot can be said for.
- While the Dolphins struggled on Sunday as a whole, a few things stood out. First, Jarvis Landry needs to be the full time return specialist; he’s too good with the ball in his hands (yes he is a valuable piece of their offense, he can just be a game changer as we saw). Second, Reshad Jones looks primed for his first Pro-Bowl. He was all over the field and really played downhill, bringing the boom on several occasions. Jones has good range and great instincts, he’s been overlooked for two seasons now, but this could be his coming out party this season.
- There have been some whispers about when Bishop Sankey will put it together. Sunday was a good step in proving that his time may be now. He showed some elusiveness, pass catching ability, and grit between the tackles that gave a glimpse of what he could be as the team’s number 1 back. With rookie David Cobb on IR, this was Sankey’s time to put a firm hold on the job, and so far so good.
- In Big D, there may be some concern over what will be this season after their last second win over the Giants Sunday night, or it could be said that the Giants lost that game over the Cowboys winning. Dez Bryant broke his foot and there are whispers that the original prognosis of 4-6 weeks may be a more optimistic view. The run game did not look to be where it was in 2014 and Tony Romo may be asked to be more of a playmaker than in 2014 where he averaged 29 attempts a game.
- Johnny Manziel’s first appearance of the season was, in a word, lackluster. He was intercepted and lost two fumbles during the game and did not look comfortable at all during the game. The run game was nowhere to be found, and the seemingly strong point of the offense, the offensive line, allowed 3 sacks and they only averaged 3.7 yards per carry. The Browns need to do a lot of work for next week, and depending on McCown’s status with his concussion, Manziel will need to improve vastly for this team to be successful.
Top 10 Power Rankings
- New England Patriots
Until they prove otherwise, the defending champs are the team to beat. Tom Brady is as focused as ever.
- Green Bay Packers
Though it took a bit, the offense rolled in the opener. It helps when you have the best QB on the planet.
- Dallas Cowboys
Dallas stole one this week from the Giants. That being said, Randle was serviceable behind a still dominant offensive line.
- Seattle Seahawks
Something seems off with the Seahawks this year. That could be mitigated with the return of Chancellor, whenever that may be.
- Indianapolis Colts
Not sure what’s more troubling, how soft the defense STILL looks, or the porous play of the offensive line. Luck is good, but he can’t do it on his own.
- Denver Broncos
As Peyton Manning said, the offense is still a “Work in Progress”. The offensive line will need some time to come together.
- Cincinnati Bengals
They cruise past the Raiders…Don’t get the banners out just yet; they’re still lead by Andy Dalton.
- Philadelphia Eagles
As of this writing, the Eagles had yet to play. The biggest question, will the plan of mad scientist Chip Kelly work out?
- Arizona Cardinals
This team looks so much better with Caron Palmer under center. The loss of Andre Ellington could hurt if he has to sit an extended period of time.
- Buffalo Bills
Was anything as impressive as their defense stifling Andrew Luck? Maybe Tyrod Taylor’s surprisingly consistent play.
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