Thursday, 10th September
Tennesse @ Pittsburgh, 10-13
This was a tight, tight game and the Titans can walk out of Heinz Field with their heads held high. Well, maybe apart from Rob Bironas. Chris Johnson lit it up a couple of times, as did the Ben/Santonio connection. But the real stars were both defensive units, certainly against the run.

Anyway, we both called this one correctly.

Sunday, 13th September
Jacksonville @ Indiana, 12-14
Well, we thought that this would be a close game and so it proved! Jones-Drew looked good as the focal point of the Jags attack, and the Colts did enough but will need to show us more if we’re going to believe in them this year.

Detroit @ New Orleans, 27-45
Drew Brees put on another passing clinic, completing 6 TD passes to 5 receivers. Matt Stafford wasn’t quite as impressive, but did get the Lions moving when the running game was shut down. On the plus side, the Lions did put up 27 points which is more than in any game last year. There were signs, but there’s still work to do.

Philadelphia @ Carolina, 38-10
Well damn… I have Carolina as a long-term pick for the Superbowl (article coming soon) and a lock for the NFC South. The Eagles just owned them though, in what ended up being a very one sided affair.

Dallas @ Tampa Bay, 34-21
Dallas are off and running and Tampa Bay could be better than people thought: those are the headlines from this game. Whether the Cowboys can still perform when the pressure is on, and if the Buccaneers can develop further are the stories to watch.

New York Jets @ Houston, 24-7
Another one that we called wrong. The Jets came to play and really turned it on. Mark Sanchez had a great debut and Steve Slaton couldn’t get going on the ground. They have some tough games on their schedule, but have made a strong start.

Kansas City @ Baltimore, 24-38
With over 500 yards (just) of total offense, it was easy to forget this was the Ravens who usually have the defense to rely on. They dominated time of possession, controlled the clock and kept the ball moving. The final score is flattering though, and the Chiefs can take a lot of positives from the performance, including an apparent return to form of Cadillac Williams.

Denver @ Cincinatti, 12-7
With not long at all to go, I was patting myself on the head. Then came that 87 yard score, one of the flukiest catches I’ve seen. Whilst I’m pleased for Stokley, I was gutted for the Bengals who gave a dogged performance all around to stay in the game and take a late lead.

Minnesota @ Cleveland, 34-20
Favre did enough here, mainly handing off to Adrian Peterson who ran wild. The Vikings got Percy Harvin involved too, who looks like an exciting rookie to watch.
Quinn was steady in his NFL debut and spread the ball about well. The Browns were well and truly in this game in the first half, but trailed off disappointingly.

Miami @ Atlanta, 7-19
One word can sum up the Dolphins’ performance: ouch. The Falcons owned them all over the place, and the Dolphins didn’t help themselves with a number of mistakes. The highlight for them was probably Greg Camarillo’s catch with his legs.

The Falcons looked good all across the board. They’re a team I’ve not picked for the post-season and if they keep playing like this, I’ll be eating humble pie come January.

Washington @ New York Giants, 17-23
The Giants defensive line wreaked havoc with the ‘Skins, and though Washington didn’t play badly they were always behind and playing catchup here. The Giants offense did enough in the air to help their formidable running game, though have lost first round rookie Hakeem Nicks with a ankle injury.

San Francisco @ Arizona, 20-16
Post-Superbowl hangover? At this point, who knows. It is, however, going to be difficult for the Cardinals to repeat last year’s success. As the reigning NFC champions, they’re wearing a target; they can be planned for, strategies made to keep the receivers in check and Kurt Warner on the back foot and the defence can be beaten.
The 49ers played a good game here.

St. Louis @ Seattle, 0-28
A sequence of plays just before half-time summed up the Rams perfectly. They block a field goal attempt, and then return it for a touchdown. Oh wait, no they don’t: 12 men on the field penalty against them. Worse, the 5 yard penalty gives the Seahawks a first down. Worse still, Matt Hasselbeck passes to Nate Burleson for a TD to complete a miserable passage of play.

Chicago @ Green Bay, 15-21
So Bears fans… how’s that quarterback upgrade working out?

When Cutler was good, he was great last night: precise passes and making it happen. However, he can count himself lucky that they were even in the game after his 3 interceptions in the first half. Neither team looked spectacular, but both looked good in spells here.

Worse news for Chicago is that Brian Urlacher is out for the season after having surgery on his wrist. How the Bears can play without him is something to watch in the next few weeks.

Monday, 14th September
Buffalo @ New England, 24-25
Coming from behind to sneak a win wasn’t in the script, but was as good a way as any for the Patriots to start the season, announcing: Come and play, we’ll still beat you. With just over two minutes to play and needing two scores, that’s what they got.

Other than a fumble that handed the ball back to the Pats between those two scores, the Bills did little wrong and looked strong again. They started well last season before tailing off. With the Bills playing this well, and the Jets winning, the AFC East is shaping up to be hotly contested this season.

San Diego @ Oakland, 24-20
We all pick on the Raiders, but this was a good showing from them. Like with the Patriots-Bills game, this took a late scoring drive from the favourites to secure the win: Darren Sproles rushing in with just 18 seconds left.

JaMarcus Russell had a quarterback rating of just 47.6, but kept the ball moving and other than the breakdown on the final drive, they played well. This loss will hurt.

Summary
So a very impressive 13 of 16 for Graham, and a less impressive 11 for Andrew and Chloe.

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