NFL Preseason 2013: What We Learned from Week 1

Now that every club in the NFL has a preseason game under its belt, what exactly can we ascertain from what we saw?

Unfortunately, there is not a lot to go on when it comes to drawing conclusions.

So after one week of action and one Hall of Fame Game, here are some observations following all 32 teams’ first action of 2013.

Are we putting anyone in the playoffs? Are we ready to award the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft?

Remember, it’s just one game for the vast majority of teams here, so there’s not tremendous spice here.

Hence, take these thoughts with a grain or two of salt.

The Dallas Cowboys Defense May Be Pretty Good

Mediocre was a kind way to describe the Dallas Cowboys defense in 2012.

Injuries were certainly a major factor a season ago. But it was the way the year ended under now former defensive coordinator Rob Ryan that was most disturbing.

Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris ran for 200 yards against the Cowboys seven days after New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees riddled Dallas for 446 yards through the air. Dallas entered the final two weeks of the season with an 8-6 record but lost both of those games.

A year ago, the Cowboys ranked 19th in the NFL in total yards allowed, including 22nd against the run. They were also near the bottom of the league in points allowed (400).

But enter longtime defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. While we all know you can’t read too much into the preseason, it’s worth noting that the Cowboys have not allowed a touchdown in the first half of their first two games this summer.

There is talent up front led by defensive end DeMarcus Ware, as well as at linebacker with promising Bruce Carter and middle man Sean Lee. The latter two hope to rebound after injury-shortened seasons in 2012. Cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne are a very effective duo.

The Dallas defense is far from perfect, but all signs indicate that it certainly bears watching...for all the right reasons.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' Offensive Line Still Needs Some Time

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off one of their most disappointing seasons in recent years, losing five of their last seven games to finish 8-8. It was an erratic year for one of the league’s most consistent franchises.

That inconsistency reared its ugly head again over the weekend. Against the New York Giants on Saturday night, Pittsburgh’s offense never reached the end zone in an 18-13 loss. Pittsburgh’s longest play from scrimmage in the game was a mere 14 yards.

All evening, the Steelers offense looked far from comfortable and never really established much of anything in terms of rhythm. It seemed like a lot of that was because Giants defensive linemen such as Cullen Jenkins and rookie defensive end Damontre Moore figured it was more fun to spend time in the Pittsburgh backfield rather than hang out with their own teammates.

There are a lot of high picks on the Steelers offensive front. Perennial Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey and second-year guard David DeCastro are former first-round selections. Tackles Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams were once second-round picks. Former undrafted free agent Ramon Foster rounds out the starting five.

Keeping this quintet together in 2012 proved to be an exercise in futility. While it’s early, it looks like quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and company may be getting plenty of exercise if this unit doesn’t work out.

It Will Be an Entertaining Season in Philadelphia

Following a 3-1 start last season, the Philadelphia Eagles looked like a team that was picking up where it left off in 2011.

Unfortunately, it was. But the Birds opted to play like the team that opened 4-8 rather than the club that closed the year with four straight wins. The Eagles' 4-12 campaign proved to be the swan song for head coach Andy Reid.

Enter Chip Kelly, who helped make the Oregon Ducks a recent national power. He brings his intriguing offensive designs to the City of Brotherly Love.

But did the new Eagles head coach leave his defense in the Pacific Northwest? It certainly looked like it when his team allowed 248 yards rushing in a 31-22 loss to the New England Patriots. Newcomers such as cornerback Cary Williams, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens, were certainly not pleased.

The Eagles come off a season in which they allowed a franchise-record 444 points. If Kelly’s made-over defense doesn’t gel in 2013, that mark could be in jeopardy.

Even with a season-ending injury to wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, you have to figure that Philadelphia’s offense will get the job done. Whether the defense opts to stop the opposition in 2013 is a different story indeed.

There’s Hope for the New York Jets Offense

Rex Ryan’s New York Jets came up short on the scoreboard on Friday night in the Motor City, but things may work out better than expected in the long run.

After a dismal start by quarterback Mark Sanchez, he and the team settled down and got back to what they used to do best during Ryan’s first two seasons with the clubs in 2009 and 2010—pounding the rock and giving their quarterbacks options.

When it was all said and done, Sanchez (10-of-13) and rookie Geno Smith (6-of-7) combined to complete 16 of 20 throws, neither was sacked AND Sanchez rebounded to throw a touchdown pass. The Jets finished with just 37 yards rushing on 16 carries, but nine of those attempts belonged to Bilal Powell, and most of his work was done early in the game.

Are we ready to anoint the Jets the greatest show at MetLife Stadium? There are still some question marks when it comes to who will be catching the ball. Still, the additions of guards Willie Colon and Stephen Peterman give the offensive line a little oomph. That’s certainly a decent start for an offense given up for dead months ago.

The Baltimore Ravens Still Have a Lot of Good Football Players

There were two things that seemed very evident a few weeks after the Baltimore Ravens captured Super Bowl XLVII...at least in some people’s opinions.

The first was quarterback Joe Flacco, despite a terrific postseason and Super Bowl MVP award, just got overpaid.

The second was the mass exodus of talent (blamed partially on Flacco’s new contract) would make it extremely difficult for John Harbaugh’s team to repeat as NFL champions.

While some will still debate the first part, it’s safe to assume the team still has what it takes to get back to the playoffs in 2013. The Ravens’ 44-16 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t secure a postseason berth, but it showed that offseason additions such as defensive lineman Chris Canty and outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil will fit in just fine on the team’s revamped defense.

On Sunday, general manager Ozzie Newsome added a pair of pass-catchers with Super Bowl rings in wide receiver Brandon Stokley and tight end Dallas Clark, according to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. Those additions hope to offset the recent loss of tight end Dennis Pitta, out for the season with a hip injury.

Still feel sorry for the Ravens?

The Buffalo Bills Will Be More Physical on Defense

It remains to be seen if the Buffalo Bills are going to have a successful season in 2013. The team has not reached the playoffs since 1999, the longest active streak of futility in the NFL.

While the offense and former Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick took the brunt of criticism in recent seasons, the Buffalo defense has been an even bigger issue for a longer period of time.

After one preseason game, fixing that unit also remains an issue for another time. But at the very least, this group figures to make its presence felt.

Now under the guidance of defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, the Bills were throwing their bodies around in the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts. Some solid gang tackling led to a fumble by Colts tight end Coby Fleener, and the defense’s physical play led to several key plays.

As we know, moving up in the AFC East hasn’t been easy for this team. Buffalo has finished dead last in the division each of the last five seasons. But it seems like we’ll be hearing from this defense this season in a resounding way.

Chris Johnson Will Be Chris Johnson Again

On Thursday night vs. the Washington Redskins, Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson got exactly two carries on the evening.

Both attempts came in the first quarter. The first resulted in a two-yard gain. The second went for 58 yards and a touchdown.

The evening was over for Johnson. Now we’ll once again have to wait and see if the former Pro Bowler can ever recapture that 2009 form when he ran for 2,006 yards.

While Johnson has still been a 1,000-yard runner since, it’s worth noting that the Titans have not gained at least 2,006 yards rushing as a team in each of the last three seasons. While the productive runner remains a big-play threat, we haven’t seen it on a week-by-week basis in recent years.

However, the club bolstered its offensive line with the signing of left guard Andy Levitre (Buffalo Bills) and the first-round selection of right guard Chance Warmack. The addition of tight end Delanie Walker in terms of blocking can’t be overlooked as well.

Who knows just how far Johnson and the Titans could go in 2013?

It Could Be a Long Year in San Diego

Winning the AFC West was once a given for the San Diego Chargers.

Now winning is far from a given for this once-talented team.

New head coach Mike McCoy couldn’t have liked what he saw in a 31-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Thursday night.

The Bolts didn’t score a touchdown until the fourth quarter. The San Diego defense didn’t record any sacks, and the team didn’t force a takeaway. The club looked somewhat lifeless and appeared slow compared to the very talented Seahawks.

It’s also been a rough 2013 for Chargers linebackers, as Melvin Ingram and Jonas Mouton went down with knee injuries in May. We won’t be seeing rookie Manti Te’o for a week or so either.

It’s foolish to write off a team after one preseason loss. But the Chargers may be on some people’s radar in that regard.

Same Things We Learned in Week 1 Preseason 2012…and 2011…and 2010

For those of you who still have a tough time getting a hold of what the NFL preseason actually means, here are a few reminders.

Final results and statistics don’t wind up meaning a lot in the long run. As of late, we have had our share of teams that have gone winless in the summer yet reached the postseason, the latest example being the 2011 Atlanta Falcons.

We have also seen teams like the 2012 Philadelphia Eagles finish 4-0 in the preseason and 4-12 when it counted.

Still, it’s not a bad thing to win all your games during the summer. Under the current playoff format, dating back to 1990, more than half (25 of 47) of the clubs that did not lose a game during the preseason went on to reach the playoffs.

Still, if you have plans on winning a Lombardi Trophy, it may be wise to win at least one of these “meaningless” games. Only one team, the 1982 Washington Redskins, has gone winless in the preseason and gone on to win the Super Bowl. And that was during a strike-shortened, nine-game season.