Khalil Mack is good at football. Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books and what a wild one it was! We saw all sorts of great, and not so great, action. Whether your team won or lost (or tied if you’re a Browns or Steelers fan), I think everyone is generally excited that the NFL is back in session. Well, maybe there are a few exceptions. Anyway, here’s the first installment of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly:
The Good
-Jets’ rookie Sam Darnold became the youngest quarterback to start an NFL season opener since the merger. It started off the worst way possible with a pick six on his first throw. He proceeded to go 16 for his next 20 for 198 yards and two touchdowns. But more than that, he looked the part. Most rookie quarterbacks tend to look frazzled at some points. Darnold looked more composed than his counterpart Matt Stafford of the Lions who is a nine-year vet.
-The Bears’ Khalil Mack tried to earn every penny of his estimated $90 million dollars that is guaranteed in his new deal in his first game! Mack not only had a pick six, but he also got a strip sack in which he recovered the fumble himself. He took control of the game by forcing the Packers to account for him by changing their blocking scheme. No matter what they did, Mack did what he wanted.
-Tyreek Hill almost single-handedly won that game for the Chiefs with his performance. He totaled seven catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns, one of which went for 58 yards. Throw in his 91-yard punt return for touchdown, and he’s off o a great start.
The Bad
-The Saints and Bucs decided to play seven on seven ball Sunday with a final score of 48-40. The quarterbacks combined for 856 yards passing and seven touchdowns through the air. It was a 25-letter alphabet kind of game because there was no D anywhere in sight.
-The Cleveland Browns broke their losing streak…with a tie. Even though they were a plus five in the turnover department against the Steelers, they still only managed a tie. Ties like this are worse than having to kiss that one aunt at the family reunion that smokes, drinks coffee, and generally has an aversion to toothpaste.
-The Panthers beat the Cowboys 16-8. The two teams combined for 284 yards passing, which I believe is a shade more than what Ryan Fitzpatrick had against the Saints in the first half! This game epitomizes what early season football is like when starters barely play in preseason and nobody is in rhythm.
The Ugly
-Nathan Peterman’s start for the Bills was bad. Not as bad as his first start last season (five picks in the first half), but it was still historically bad. Peterman was 5/18 for 24 yards and two picks with a zero passer rating. 2006 was the last time an NFL quarterback had done that (Joey Harrington).
-Texans coach Bill O’Brien used the line “that’s not my job” when answering a question as to why he didn’t use a timeout to possibly force the booth to look at a potential non-catch before halftime. Excuse me?!? EVERYTHING is YOUR job as an NFL head coach! Giving excuses like that pisses me off and makes me realize some coaches don’t value the fact that there are only 32 of these jobs IN THE WORLD!
-There was a rash of unfortunate injuries this week. I felt badly for Falcons safety Keanu Neal, Patriots running back Jeremy Hill, and Titans tight end Delanie Walker. These guys are gone for the season, and all were expected to be huge keys for their teams’ success this season.
I, like many of you, am happy that football is back. Sure, the ancillary things that are politicized to no end draw attention to and away from the game. However, at its core, this game captivates a larger audience than any other major pro sport in this country. As much as it divides, it also brings people together. Here’s to another football season under way.
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Isaac Paredes has been a steady force in the middle of the Astros’ order, but a tweaked hamstring suffered during Thursday’s win over the White Sox may force Houston to recalibrate, again.
If Paredes misses time, the most logical shuffle would see Jose Altuve sliding back to second base, with Mauricio Dubón stepping in at third. It’s a reasonable patch. But internally, there’s also some intrigue around whether Cam Smith—currently thriving in right field—could slide back to his original position on the infield. The idea isn’t without merit; Smith is the club’s best offensive option at third in Paredes’ absence. But defensively, it’s hard to justify moving him right now. Smith made several standout plays in the Chicago series, reinforcing just how important his glove has become to the Astros’ outfield defense. One thing is for sure, the Astros can't afford to play both Dubon and Brendon Rodgers in the infield regularly. The offense would take a huge hit.
Timing, however, might be on Houston’s side. The next stretch of games features the Twins, Athletics, and Angels—three teams the Astros can beat even while navigating lineup instability. It helps that Yainer Diaz and Christian Walker are showing signs of life at the plate. Diaz, in particular, has been red-hot, posting an OPS north of 1.200 over the past week. Walker is batting over .300 during that same span, giving the Astros enough firepower to survive short-term turbulence.
Elsewhere, the outfield presents its own set of choices. Jacob Melton has shown enough in the field to warrant a serious look as Chas McCormick’s replacement when he returns from injury. He’s still searching for consistency at the plate, batting under .200 in his first 10 big league games. But his arm and left-handed bat give manager Joe Espada a little more lineup flexibility—especially with Yordan Alvarez still out and the offense skewing right-handed.
For now, the Astros have room to adjust. But if Paredes ends up missing significant time, they’ll need more than just a few temporary solutions to keep their momentum going.
There's so much more to cover! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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