NFL: 10 Things We Learned in Week 1

With the first weekend of football over, the new NFL season is officially underway.

As with any, this year's first week of football brought many surprises. It was a culmination of many behind-the-scene off-season preparation and activity. 

Additionally, this is the time many new faces are truly unveiled for the first time. Rookies play in their first regular season games, and free agents find their niche on their new teams.

After a thrilling first week of football, here are ten things we have (or at least I have) learned.

Peyton Manning IS the Colts

As the old saying goes, "you don't know what you have until you lose it."

That was the case with the Colts on Sunday. The Colts came in Week One with a fairly typical Colt roster, without any major turnover from previous years. But there was one major caveat: they were without Peyton Manning.

The Colts went on to get manhandled by the Houston Texans, who jumped to a 34-0 first half lead.

How valuable was Manning to the team? Without his fast release, the offensive line was exposed terribly. Without his accurate arm, the receivers weren't able to catch any balls.

Manning's absence even uncovered flaws in the defense. Typically, when playing against Manning, teams have to play from behind, and throw the ball often. However, when Houston established a comfortable lead, they were content to pound the ball, and the Colts' miserable run defense was wildly exposed.

We don't know when Peyton Manning will be back, but the Colts definitely should hope it is soon. No player is more important to his team than Peyton Manning.

Cam Newton Is for Real

Cam Newton broke the record for the most yards thrown by a rookie in his Week One debut. In fact, he shattered the record; the previous high was 346 yards, thrown by Otto Graham in 1950. Newton threw for 422 yards.

This is the same Newton that was hailed by Bo Jackson as the most gifted quarterback in the league in terms of tangibles. Here's some of what Jackson had to say about Newton, via profootballtalk.nbcsports.com:

“When you speak of Cam Newton, I’ll put it to you just like this: He has the arm strength and power of Dan Marino and John Elway combined,” Jackson said. “He is quicker than Michael Vick, faster than Michael Vick. And he will run over you with the power of a Jerome Bettis, Bo Jackson, Earl Campbell. That’s the kind of guy he is.”

Even though Newton ran for a touchdown, his running ability has yet to be fully unleashed. And with the way he looks like he's progressing as a passer, it appears as if the Panthers have a very bright future ahead of them.

It now creates an interesting storyline: every NFC South team has a good quarterback. This will be the most competitive division in the next few years.

Houston Has a Really Good Offensive Line

It seems as if every running back in Houston is really good. Maybe they all are. Or maybe there's another explanation for it: Houston has an unbelievably good run-blocking offensive line.

It started with Slaton two years ago. Then Arian Foster went ballistic last year. On Sunday, with Foster out, backups Ben Tate and Derrick Ward ran for a total of 155 yards, averaging over 4.4 yards per carry.

And it's also the consistency the offensive line plays with. I noticed it last year, being an Arian Foster fantasy owner. Aside from two games that were anomalies, Foster was amazingly and consistently productive, breaking the 100 yard plateau eight times.

Houston's great offensive line play really hasn't been a secret, but it's easy to forget. Sunday, though, reinforced the fact that Houston has a really, really good offensive line.

Mark Sanchez Is the Fourth Best Quarterback in the AFC East

It really hasn't occurred to most people that Sanchez is the fourth best quarterback in the AFC East.

There was some evidence behind it last year, with statistics showing the absurd amount of dropped interceptions opposing defenses had against Sanchez, but that wasn't sufficient.

It's just been one week, but this week it was pretty obvious that Sanchez was outplayed by his fellow AFC East starting quarterbacks.

That's not to say Sanchez had a terrible game. But it was clear he wasn't exactly willing his team to a win over the Cowboys...Tony Romo probably played a larger role in doing that.

But then, consider the Bill's 41-7 dismantling of the Chiefs. And then there was Monday Night's Game, where Tom Brady blew up for 517 passing yards and four touchdowns while Chad Henne contributed 416 passing yards, two touchdowns, 59 yards rushing, and a rushing touchdown.

Both quarterbacks were clearly in charge, leading both their teams to the very last minute.

In fact, a case (although an unsubstantial one) could be made that Sanchez is the fifth best quarterback in the division; there's this guy named Brian Hoyer sitting on New England's bench.

Jason Pierre-Paul Is Really Good

The Giants have a knack for developing stud defensive ends. Just look at Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, and Mathias Kiwanuka.

Well, there's a new name to add to the list: 2010 first round pick Jason Pierre-Paul. Pierre-Paul showed a ton of promise last year, but he was simply unbelievable against the Redskins.

How do I know this? I happen to own the chap in my fantasy football league.

Digressions aside, Pierre-Paul had six tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. This is with Umenyiora and Tuck both not playing and, by all reports, constantly being double-teamed by Redskin's defensive linemen.

This is another defensive end success story for the Giants. Pierre-Paul was hailed as a raw and talented specimen with off-the-charts physical attributes coming out of South Florida, and it appears the Giants have succeeded in harnessing his major potential.

It's safe to say Pierre-Paul will have his playing time even when Umenyiora and Tuck return.

Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth Are Not Looking Like the Next Randy Mosses

Back in July, when the Patriots acquired Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth via trades, many called it a stroke of genius. Apparently, these guys were going to be Bill Belichick's next reclamation projects.

They fit the bill; they had come from bad teams, had a few down years, and were known to be character problems. Surely, Belichick would re-cultivate them to become the old stars that they were, like he did with Randy Moss and Corey Dillon?

As of Week One in the season (early, I know), this "stroke of genius" isn't looking too good. Watching whatever little I could last night without ESPN, it seems as if Haynesworth did not appear to play too well and never really collapsed the pocket like he did with Tennessee. He did, however, draw a few holding calls.

Ochocinco, on the other hand, was pretty terrible. He played 18 snaps (via Mike Reiss at ESPNBoston.com), and of the 517 yards Brady threw for, Ochocinco caught a whopping 14 of them. He also had a careless penalty that erased a forty yard catch by Rob Gronkowski.

Fortunately for these two guys, many positive things came out of the game for the Patriots, and their own play may have been overlooked. They'll try to be more productive before the media starts making a big deal out of it.

There Are Some Really Good Young Receivers

There are some really talented young receivers out there. Troubled, perhaps, but immensely talented.

Take Kenny Britt. With Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback, Britt came out of the first game with five catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns. This is the same talented Britt that exploded for 225 yards and three touchdowns last year against the Eagles. He had some run-ins with the law this offseason, but with a good quarterback, this guy could be amazing.

Another example is Hakeem Nicks. Despite being hobbled by an injured hand and Eli Manning playing fairly poorly, Nicks racked up seven catches for 122 yards.

Finally, there was Dez Bryant. Another controversial receiver, Bryant showed signs of being unstoppable against the Jets. Sure, after Revis began covering him, he did disappear a bit, but nonetheless he made many tough catches that just make you say "wow."

When fantasy football players look to find the next Andre Johnson, these are some of the young players in the league that have to be considered.

The Bears Are Not Going Down Yet

The Chicago Bears were a popular pick to fall flat on their faces this year. And the reasoning was pretty obvious. They lack a top tier quarterback, have a pretty poor offense as a whole (in terms of talent), and simply aren't a really flashy team. They rarely dominate.

But something about this team allows them to win. Their defense is still strong. They have a great special teams unit, led by speedster Devin Hester. And their offense is good enough.

Many, including myself, counted out the Bears (to be honest, I did expect them to lose, but I wasn't surprised when they didn't). They responded with a 30-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons, the team with the best record in the NFC last year.

The Bears played like they were here to stay.

We'll see if that continues, against what is shaping up to be one of the best divisions in football. As for now, the Bears will continue being the team that comes into football games as underdogs, stubbornly battles for a few quarters, and then somehow comes out with a win while everyone is still wondering how they did it.

Steelers Are on That Superbowl Hangover

On Sunday, nothing went right for the Steelers.

In a game that many were anticipating to be the best of the week, the Steelers didn't hold up their end of the bargain and disappointed immensely.

The Steelers lost 35-7 to the Ravens, and looked completely dominated throughout. When I was watching, I was thinking the Steelers were going to come back; I mean, wasn't it like 21-7 last year in the playoffs at halftime, and the same thing happened? They were supposed to be a resilient, mentally tough team, right?

Instead, the Steelers fell apart. And the time they chose to fall apart couldn't have been much worse.

Right after a Superbowl appearance. Right when people are calling their defense old. Right after an offseason troubled by a Rashard Mendenhall tweet and a James Harrison magazine article.

The Steelers, though, as their fans love to chant, do best when they're being doubted. We'll see if that comes into effect. As for now, it appears that the Superbowl Hangover has hit the Steelers.

The Packers Are Not in a Superbowl Hangover

After the Packers won the Superbowl last year, many thought they would suffer from the notorious Superbowl Hangover, where teams who participate in the previous year's Superbowl decline in the following year.

Well, if the Packers did suffer from it, they sure didn't show it. In fact, they looked as sharp, if not sharper, than they ever were before.

Aaron Rodgers was his typical unflappable self as he led the Packer's offense to a 42-34 win over the Saints. The offense also unveiled two new toys for Rodgers to play with: the finally healthy Jermichael Finley and impressive rookie Randall Cobbs.

The Packers defense also came out strong. B.J. Raji, after his emergence in last year's playoffs, was dominant against the Saints offensive linemen, often winning battles against All-Pro guards Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans. Clay Matthews was a terror off the edge. And the best trio of cornerbacks in the NFL (Tramon Williams, Charles Woodson, and Sam Shields) did not let down (the 34 points were largely due to Drew Brees just being Drew Brees).

If the rest of the league thought the Pack would cool off, they were just rudely awoken.

Three Things That Didnt Surprise Me

1. The Chiefs were dominated by the Bills

• The Bills were a highly competitive team last year, especially towards the end of the year. They're a smart and wily team, led by genius quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and foxy coach Chan Gailey. The Chiefs, meanwhile, were actually sloping downwards towards last year's end.

2. The Dolphins came out competitive.

• This is a team that always has a lot of success against the Patriots (think wildcat in 2008). Furthermore, their new offensive coordinator was instrumental in helping the Browns beat the Patriots last year. He is also a former Patriots assistant. Finally, the Dolphins had a lot to prove and really nothing much to lose. That mindset was obvious in the way Henne played yesterday.

3. The Panthers were much better than expected.

• They were never as bad as their record made them out to be last year. Their defense was actually quite good, with Charles Johnson, a top five linebacking corps, and solid defensive backs. Their offense had a great running game and a fairly good offensive line. I guess all the worst things just happened at once last year, but really, in terms of talent, the Panthers weren't all as bad as they were made out to be. And now, with a franchise quarterback, this team really has a chance to play well.

Three Predictions for Next Week

1. The Patriots lose to the Chargers.

• I'm a Patriots fan, but the Patriots tend to do poorly when too much optimism is in the air. That's the case right now, and this Chargers team could sneak up big against the Patriots. Additionally, Rivers is an elite quarterback and the Chargers always seem good as underdogs or when the world is against them (they always beat Manning, they usually come back at the last second to win the AFC West).

2. Several "good" teams start the season off 0-2.

• Major candidates are the Steelers, Falcons, Saints, and Tampa Bay. This is the time of the season when "old" good teams fall flat and new good teams rise up. Last year in this position were the Cowboys and Vikings.

3. Dolphins fall apart against the Texans after a competitive Week One.

• The Dolphins looked like they put all their energy in to the Week One game, and I would have to imagine they'll be too exhausted mentally and physically to adequately compete against the Texans. I really do think the Texans are slightly overrated, but they should breeze through another week after the Dolphins went all out. It also doesn't help that the Dolphins will be coming off a short week.

Conclusion

One game down, 15 more to go. 16 teams are undefeated right now and 16 teams are out of the running for an undefeated season.

So if your team won last week, it might feel good to know that your team, as small as the chances are, could be undefeated this year.

Of course, many more things will happen in Week Two that will gradually define the season. Michael Vick will be returning to the Falcons. A few fantasy football stars will break out. Brett Favre will return.

Well, the last one probably won't happen, but that Colts situation is looking pretty dire at this point...

Anyways, there's a long NFL season still to be played. That's something to look forward to.