50 Most Important Things We Learned from the NFL's Week 1

For the most part, Week 1 of the NFL season has come to an end, with the only remaining games being the two Monday night games, New England in Miami and Oakland in Denver. 

As the first week comes to an end, there have been several things that we can take from this week moving forward into the next. 

Here are the top 50 things that we learned from the NFL's Week 1. 

There Is No Question That the NFL Is a Passing League

Well, maybe we already knew this, but the NFL's first week was filled with passing, and the sport is obviously a quarterback-driven league. 

For an example, take a look at this year's very first game Thursday night, New Orleans and Green Bay—it was a shootout between Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.

The two quarterbacks combined for an incredible 731 total passing yards. 

Joe Flacco Can Beat Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers

For the first time, Joe Flacco outperformed Ben Roethlisberger and led his Baltimore Ravens to an impressive 35-7 beating of the Steelers. 

Flacco threw for an amazing three touchdowns while Big Ben was simply awful as he was intercepted three times. 

The Detroit Lions Are for Real

The Detroit Lions started off on the right foot Sunday as they beat up on a relatively solid football team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Detroit held onto the victory by holding onto the ball for nearly 13 more minutes than the Bucs as they won 27-20. 

Buffalo Is Talented Enough To Win a Few Games

The Buffalo Bills were the biggest shockers this weekend as they dominated the Kansas City Chiefs 41-7 at Arrowhead Stadium. 

Buffalo went an impressive 7-of-13 on third downs while holding KC to only 3-for-13. 

Ryan Fitzpatrick Can Score Points

Ryan Fitzpatrick was a major part in Buffalo's thrashing of the Chiefs as he tossed four touchdowns.

Along with his four touchdowns, Fitzpatrick went 17-of-25, posting a solid 133.0 quarterback rating. 

Jay Cutler and the Bears Can Compete for the NFC North

Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears had a very impressive home showing against the Atlanta Falcons as they won by a score of 30-12. 

Cutler threw for 312 yards while completing 68.8 percent of his passes while tossing two touchdowns. 

The Atlanta Falcons May Have Some Problems

Scoring touchdowns and pass defense are two of the biggest problems for the Atlanta Falcons moving forward. 

Surprisingly, Atlanta accumulated 276 total passing yards and 110 total rushing yards but were only able to score 12 points—something's very wrong. 

Ben Roethlisberger Needs To Take Better Care of the Ball

Big Ben was simply awful Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens as he threw three interceptions. If the Steelers want to make another run to the Super Bowl, Roethlisberger is going to have to take better care of the football. 

Fred Jackson Is a Legitimate Lead-Running Back

How do these stats look to you? 112 yards on 20 carries—pretty impressive, right? 

Fred Jackson was very effective for the Buffalo Bills Sunday against the Chiefs and could help the Bills have plenty of upsets in 2011. 

Michael Turner Was Effective in Limited Time

On just 10 carries for the Falcons, Michael Turner managed to fun for 100 total yards—not too shabby, right? 

However, Turner and the Falcons were unable to score points against the Chicago Bears Sunday. 

Sam Bradford Could Have Nerve Damage in His Throwing Hand

Sam Bradford left Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles late in the four quarter after pending back a few fingers on his throwing hand on a defensive linemen's hand.

According to reports, Bradford's x-rays came back negative but could have nerve damage in his fingers. 

Steven Jackson Left Sunday's Game with a Right Quad Injury

Steven Jackson did not play in the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles as he suffered a right quad injury. 

However, Jackson's injury does not appear to be serious but was a major factor in the Rams falling in defeat against the Eagles. 

Baltimore's Defense Are Ball Hawks

The Baltimore Ravens needed big plays to take down the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, and that's what they got from their defense.

Baltimore forced seven turnovers Sunday against the Steelers—the most turnovers for a Steelers team since 1995. 

The Colts Are in Big Trouble

The Indianapolis Colts need Peyton Manning, and from now until he returns, they're going to lose a lot of games.

The Colts were absolutely awful against the Houston Texans Sunday as they scored only one touchdown while losing 34-7. 

Matthew Stafford Is Ready To Put Up a Lot of Points

Matthew Stafford shined in the team's 27-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

The Lions quarterback tossed three touchdowns while going 24-of-33 for 305 yards. 

If healthy, Stafford will be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. 

Ray Rice Ran Down Pittsburgh's Throat

The Baltimore Ravens did what they do best against the Steelers Sunday, and that's run the ball down the opposing team's throat.

Ray Rice ran for 107 yards on 19 carries as the Ravens accumulated 170 total rushing yards. 

The Philadelphia Eagles Looked Like a Dream Team against the Rams

Granted, the St. Louis Rams are a young football team, but the Philadelphia Eagles simply dominated them Sunday in St. Louis, 31-13. 

The Eagles were lights out on third downs as they held the Rams to completing only two of their 12 third-down conversions. 

Arian Foster Could Miss Week 2

Arian Foster missed Houston's opener against the Indianapolis Colts due to his hamstring and could miss Week 2, according to reports. 

Reggie Wayne Still Can Flourish without Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning or no Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne is still going to produce.

Wayne was arguably the only bright spot in Indy's embarrassing defeat against the Texans, as he reeled in seven passes for 106 yards and one touchdown. 

Michael Vick Was Unstoppable

Michael Vick scored two total touchdowns against the Rams Sunday as he passed for 187 and ran for 98 yards. 

Vick is definitely a playmaker. 

Vick Was Very Good, but Is Reverting Back to His Atlanta Days

Michael Vick may have scored points and led his team to victory, but he completed only 43.8 percent of his passes while running 10 times.

Vick cannot be a run-first quarterback. If he is, the Eagles will not make a deep playoff run. 

Luke McCown Can Win Football Games

When the Jacksonville Jaguars cut David Garrard, a lot of people may thought Blaine Gabbert was going to start—well, they were wrong.

Luke McCown is now the starter for the Jags and looked very sharp against the Titans in the team's victory as he completed 70.8 percent of his passes. 

The Cincinnati Bengals Are Not That Bad

Many believed that the Cincinnati Bengals were going to be absolutely awful this season but started off 2011 with a victory against the Cleveland Browns.

The Bengals were able to score points as they took out the Browns 27-17.

LeSean McCoy Is an Elite Running Back

LeSean McCoy is arguably Philadelphia's best offensive player—yes, that's right, better than Michael Vick. 

McCoy was simply unstoppable against the Rams as he ran for 122 yards, ran for one touchdown and caught two passes for one score.

There's no question that McCoy is a playmaker. 

Andy Dalton Is Probable for Week 2

Andy Dalton left Sunday's game with an injured right wrist, but the results of his x-ray came back negative.

According to reports, Dalton is probable for Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers. 

Kerry Collins Isn't All That Bad

The Colts may have been destroyed, but it wasn't all Kerry Collins' fault.

Collins completed 16 of his 31 attempts while tossing one touchdown and accumulating 197 yards. However, the Colts simply revolved around Peyton Manning and cannot win without him. 

Matt Hasselbeck Still Has Something Left in the Tank

Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks may have believed that Matt Hasselbeck had nothing left in the tank, but he looked very sharp in his Tennessee Titans debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Hasselbeck completed 21 of his 34 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns but did throw one interception.  

Chris Johnson Looks Very Rusty

I hope that Chris Johnson's new contract is worth it, as he held out all of the preseason and training camp—and it showed Sunday against the Jaguars.

CJ2K ran for only 24 yards on only nine carries. 

Aaron Rodgers Is an MVP Candidate

Aaron Rodgers is without a question an MVP candidate for 2011, and Thursday night, he proved it.

Rodgers threw 312 yards and threw three touchdowns while completing an incredible 77.1 percent of his passes on his way to leading the Packers over the Saints. 

The Saints Need Help Defensively

The Green Bay Packers may have gave up 34 points, but it's not as bad as allowing 42 points. Thursday night, the Saints could not stop Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

The Saints need to improve going forward if they want to make a deep playoff run. 

Roy Williams Was Effective until He Left with an Injury

After being virtually invisible throughout the preseason, Roy Williams finally showed up against the Atlanta Falcons making four receptions for 55 yards.

However, Williams left the game with a groin injury. 

Julio Jones Looks Like a Seasoned Veteran

In Julio Jones' debut with the Atlanta Falcons, he was rather impressive.

The rookie out of Alabama reeled in five balls for 71 yards, however he did not score a touchdown. Scoring touchdowns was a huge problem for the Falcons Sunday afternoon. 

Philip Rivers Is a Gunslinger

Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers may have won 24-17 over the Minnesota Vikings, but Rivers was intercepted twice.

Despite being picked off twice, Rivers completed 68.8 percent of his passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns. 

Minnesota Needs To Give Adrian Peterson the Ball More

In my opinion, if Adrian Peterson got more than 16 times against the San Diego Chargers, the Vikings could have won. 

Peterson ran for 98 yards and average 6.1 per-carry in the team's 24-17 loss in San Diego. 

The Washington Redskins Can Compete in the NFC East

I am sure that everyone in the NFL world thought NFL Network's Michael Lombardi was crazy for picking the Washington Redskins to win the NFC East. However, Rex Grossman and the 'Skins proved it is possible with their 28-14 victory over the New York Giants. 

Wouldn't that be something? 

Cam Newton Looks Like the Real Deal

Welcome to the NFL, Cam Newton—so far, so good. 

The Carolina Panthers may have fell short against the Arizona Cardinals, losing by a score of 28-27, but the rookie out of Auburn was phenomenal.

Newton went 24-of-37, tying a record rookie for 422 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown while throwing only one interception. 

Donovan McNabb's Career Could Be over

You have to be crazy if you don't believe that Donovan McNabb is the reason why the Minnesota Vikings lost against the San Diego Chargers Sunday afternoon. Stating that he was awful is a major understatement; words could not describe how poor McNabb played.

McNabb threw for only 39 yards while completing seven of his 15 passes and throwing one touchdown and one interception. 

When is the Christian Ponder era going to start? 

Tony Romo Choked Yet Again

With the game tied at 24 with only 59 seconds left in the game and the Dallas Cowboys had the ball and had a chance of winning the game, Tony Romo simply threw the game away. 

Guess who intercepted Romo? Darrelle Revis. Why in the world would Romo even think of throwing it to his side? 

Revis returned the ball for 20 yards, setting up Nick Folk to kick the game-winning field goal. 

There's No Quarterback Controversy in Washington

Believe it or not, Rex Grossman looked very sharp in his debut as the Washington Redskins starter in their 28-14 win over the New York Giants.

Grossman completed 21 of his 34 passes for a solid 305 yards and two touchdowns. 

Kevin Kolb Is a Perfect Fit in Arizona

So far, so good for Kevin Kolb in Arizona. He is 1-0 as the Cardinals starting quarterback after the team's 28-21 victory over Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.

Kolb played very well as he went 18-of-27 for 309 yards and two touchdowns. On a side note, Kolb was able to find Larry Fitzgerald three times for a total of 62 yards. 

Mark Sanchez Fails To Complete 60 Percent of His Passes

The New York Jets may have won in dramatic fashion on Sunday Night Football, but Mark Sanchez failed to complete 60 percent of his passes. The third-year quarterback completed 59.1 percent of them going for 335 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

All offseason, I have been preaching that Sanchez needs to complete 60 percent or higher for the Jets to be success. Granted, the Jets were practically handed this game thanks to Tony Romo. 

Ted Ginn Jr. Is a Special Teams Threat

Ted Ginn Jr. come out of Ohio State being projected as a real special teams asset, and Sunday afternoon he was a key part in San Francisco's 33-17 win over their division rival the Seattle Seahawks.

Ginn scored two twice—one on a kick return and one on a punt return.

If I'm playing San Francisco this season, I am kicking the ball away from Ginn. 

Colt McCoy Has Come Back Down to Earth

Entering 2011, many had high expectations on Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy, especially after his stellar preseason. However, it appears that McCoy still has a lot to learn and might not be able to lead the Browns to many victories this season.

Against the projected last-place Cincinnati Bengals, McCoy completed only 19 of his 40 passes for 213 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. 

Jon Beason Could Be out for a Long Time

All-Pro linebacker Jon Beason and the Carolina Panthers are in a "dire" situation according to head coach Ron Rivera. 

Beason left Sunday's game against the Cardinals with a left ankle injury. 

Could it be that the Carolina Panthers and Beason rushed back too quickly after having surgery on his Achilles? 

The New York Jets Struggled To Run the Football

The New York Jets running game did not look good against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night as they accumulated only 45 total yards on the ground.

Shonn Greene struggled tremendously, as he averaged only 2.6 yards-per-carry. 

Steve Smith Still Has a Lot Left in the Tank

It appears that Cam Newton wants to get the ball in Steve Smith's hands as much as possible, and it has worked big time.

Smith reeled in eight balls Sunday afternoon in Arizona for a total of 178 yards and two touchdowns.

Cedric Benson Is Going To Be a Workhorse for the Bengals

One of the biggest reasons why Cincinnati was successful Sunday against Cleveland is because they were able to run the ball effectively, mostly thanks to Cedric Benson.

Benson got the ball 25 times and racked up 121 yards on the ground while scoring once.

If Cincinnati wants to win a few games this year, then they're going to have to establish the run every single game. 

Alex Smith Is the Quarterback in San Francisco

In Jim Harbaugh's debut in San Francisco, his quarterback, Alex Smith, played very well. 

Smith completed 15 of his 20 passes for 124 yards while running the ball seven times for 22 yards and one score.

Granted, Smith's numbers were not flashy, but he was able to manage the game and lead the 49ers to victory. 

Plaxico Burress Is in Great Shape and Ready To Be Effective

Plaxico Burress looked like the same Plax that he was a few years ago as a New York Giant—he was simply dominant and very effective.

Burress caught four balls in his Jets debut and his first regular game since prison and accumulated 72 yards and scored one touchdown. 

The New Orleans Saints Have No Interest in Randy Moss

As the New Orleans Saints found out that they're going to be without Marques Colston for a long time due to his broken collarbone, rumors started to swirl regarding the Saints having interest and possibly working out retired wide receiver Randy Moss.

Saints general manger, Mickey Loomis, stomped those rumors Sunday according to ESPN Insider Adam Scheftler.