NFL 2011: 5 Teams That Should Be Really Worried After Week 1

Making sweeping generalizations after Week 1 in the NFL is often frowned upon, especially in 2011 when the league is recovering after a summer-long lockout and results are inevitably skewed because of the lack of preparation.

But some things happened this past weekend that are too convincing to overlook.  In Week 1, these five teams experienced losses so troubling that a fan can't help but think there will be repercussions for the rest of the season.

New York Giants: Lost to the Washington Redskins, 28-14

Big Blue did not look good at all against Washington, a team that they have owned in the past.  

The Giants probably had the worst offseason of any team, as their summer was riddled with poor personnel decisions and multiple significant injuries. Everything came to a head in a wholly uninspiring loss against a team that finished a tumultuous 6-10 the year prior.

No, the Giants didn't have Justin Tuck and had countless injuries on both sides of the ball.  But football is nothing if not a team sport and the G-Men still had their starting quarterback and dominant running game. Against a Redskins defense that finished 31st in the league in 2010, the Giants should have run wild.

But this is not the same Giants team we've seen in the past few years. They are vulnerable. They are not confident. They seem to think that they are better than they really are.

The Giants' decline has been slow and painful since their Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots, and it appears that the Giants will have an uphill climb in 2011.  

They didn't just look bad, they looked like a team that doesn't feel like putting in the effort needed to win.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Lost to the Baltimore Ravens, 35-7

The Steelers are a unique case.  

They don't necessarily need to be worried about their season; I think that they'll recover nicely and make the playoffs once again.  But there is one thing that the Steelers need to be really concerned about, and there's nothing they can do about it now.

The Baltimore Ravens.

For all we know, the Steelers just had a bad day and are still the superior team in the NFL's best rivalry. We don't know for sure, but what we do know is that the Ravens are now a supremely confident team.  To most people, all the Ravens needed to do was actually beat the Steelers to finally get over the hump.

Well, bad news Pittsburgh: You got crushed.  Watch out, because while you may still be a good team, there is a team a few miles down I-95 that knows it can beat you.

Minnesota Vikings: Lost to the San Diego Chargers, 24-17

Preseason pundits routinely seemed to put the Vikings at the cellar of the NFC North, saying that there was no way they could compete with the likes of the Packers, the Bears and the up-and-coming Lions.  

So, if they were essentially predicted to fail—and fail they did—why should they be more concerned than any other team might be?

I'll throw out a stat for you: 39. As in 39 yards that newly-acquired quarterback Donovan McNabb threw for on seven completions in a full game of action. The Vikings have offensive and defensive talent, but it seems they've picked up the Washington version of McNabb and not his superb Philadelphia self.

One start does not a failed season make, but McNabb's performance was horrid enough to give all Vikings fans pause.

The Vikings can't run the ball on every play and their defense can't score three touchdowns a game. McNabb must step up or it's going to be a long winter in Minny.

Kansas City Chiefs: Lost to the Buffalo Bills, 41-7

The Buffalo Bills are better than last year. Maybe it's not very surprising that they beat up on the Kansas City Chiefs. But that's not the point.

The point is that the Chiefs should have seen this coming.

In their last three games (including last year's disconcerting home playoff loss to the Ravens), the Chiefs have been outscored by a combined 102-14.  No, that is not a typo.  

And I know that the preseason indicates nothing, but the record shows that the Chiefs went 0-4 and showed about as much punch as a baby in a boxing ring.

The defense also lost star safety Eric Berry for the rest of the season. The already suspect unit will be under even more duress to support an offense that is inexplicably bad considering all of the weapons it has.

The Chiefs need to solve their problems fast or another playoff berth could be out of reach. 

Indianapolis Colts: Lost to the Houston Texans, 34-7

Well, this is a no-brainer. I'll spare you the details but the big idea is that the Colts aren't a very good team.  

And no, it's not premature to say that because the Colts have been a very mediocre team for the last couple of seasons, ever since they won the Super Bowl.

Why have they won?  Because they had the only player in the NFL who could mask every last deficiency. 

But with Peyton Manning out for an indefinite amount of time, the Colts' true colors will shine through. This team is not good.  Peyton Manning is great.  Historically great.  

Only Peyton Manning could make the Colts a contender and with Kerry Collins under center, the Colts are going to have an utterly hopeless season.

If Manning is really out for the season, a new era could soon be dawning in Indianapolis.