Five Unfair Assumptions From NFL Week 1

Amidst the excitement of NFL Week 1, fans all over the country wasted no time jumping to conclusions.  While some of Sunday's action may serve as a preview for what this season has in store for us, much of what transpired isn't worth panicking about.  I have outlined 5 story lines from the opening week that will quickly be put to rest as the season rolls on...

Jay Cutler is a not as good as advertised and will struggle in Chicago

Whooaaa...not so fast.  Not only did Cutler have tremendous individual pressure going into last night's tilt with Green Bay, he was facing one of the league's stronger defenses and he was playing in one of the league's toughest road environments.  

The guy was clearly rattled in the first half, but if it wasn't for the interception at the end of the game, his second half performance was actually very good.  Cutler led 3 scoring drives in the second half after settling down, hooking up nicely with Earl Bennett, Devin Hester, and Desmond Clark on multiple occasions.  

With Cutler being the competitor that he is, he'll see last night as a wake-up call and move forward with better decision-making.  His abilities far surpass what the Bears have had at the quarterback position for at least two decades, so if he uses his head more and stops throwing across his body, fans in Chicago will be worshipping him within a few weeks.

Brett Favre is good for 34 points every week  

It's amazing what having Superman in the backfield can do for a quarterback's reputation following a game.  Adrian Peterson carried the otherwise-mediocre Vikings offense on his back, scoring 3 TDs and gaining just under 200 total yards.  

Favre was uninspiring to say the least, throwing for a little over 100 yards on 21 attempts.  He displayed solid decision-making and played smart overall, but he didn't do anything in the game that Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels wouldn't be able to do.  

I'm not saying Favre played poorly or that he won't be able to lead them to wins, but I wouldn't expect him to personally have a part in scoring that many points (34) week in and week out.  Again, it's quite the luxury to hand the ball off to All Day.  

The Saints are going to be unstoppable this year

There is no doubt that the Saints offense will put up some points this season.  Drew Brees will do his best to convince people that the Saints are the "Greatest Show on What Used To Be Turf."  

But New Orleans' defense struggled against an inexperienced Detroit offense.  They were able to grab three interceptions from rookie Matthew Stafford, but the Lions were able to move the ball efficiently for the better part of the game.  

I think the Saints will be a very good team this year, but they WON'T be unstoppable. You can't expect 6 TD passes from Brees each week, so they have to patch up that defense if they're going to be successful.  

The Browns should re-evaluate the QB situation after an up-and-down performance by Brady Quinn.

If Eric Mangini knows what is good for his team, then he'll understand that Brady Quinn needs some time to settle in as the definite #1 quarterback.  What Quinn should receive is a vote of confidence from his coaches and teammates because the Browns can't afford to have their young quarterback thinking that a mistake might cost him his starting spot.

Quinn also isn't working in the most glamorous conditions.  The Browns have mediocre receivers, who in Week 1, dropped some passes.  And he isn't going to get a ton of support from the running game either.  

But if the Browns allow Quinn some time to settle into his starting position without him being concerned about getting replaced, then I believe they'll start to see a quarterback far superior to Derek Anderson.  

The Colts aren't as good as they've been in past years.

Yes, they struggled mightily against a Jaguars team that many people think won't win 6 games.  But the Colts do this every year.  The Colts often times get off to slow starts, but they are champions when it comes to digging themselves out of a ditch.  

They emerged 3-4 last season after the first 7 games, but they were able to rip off 9 straight wins to finish 12-4.  

The Colts also tend to find themselves in close games quite frequently, but Peyton Manning has always displayed the ability to flip on a switch at the end of the game and get the job done.  So I wouldn't pass judgement on this year's team just because of a speculative first game against the lowly Jags.  The Colts are just as good as they've been in the past.  Trust me.