NFL: The Day After

Oh, can’t you see the morning after.  It’s waiting right outside the storm.  Why don’t we cross the bridge together and find a place that’s safe and warm?  -Maureen McGovern

Public Service Announcement:  Ok, here we go!  That sure was fun, wasn’t it?  More fun than a barrel of monkeys.  More fun than you can shake a stick at.  More fun than a clown on fire.  You follow me?   Well stop following me or I’ll have you arrested!  I kid.  Follow me after the jump and let’s see what happened yesterday.     

• Retired.  Not retired.  For three years now we’ve been hearing this jibber jabber.  For three years now,  Brett Favre has won on opening day.  For three years now,  Brett Favre has won on opening day with three different teams.  Following opening-day victories for the Packers in 2007 and the Jets in 2008, Favre became the first quarterback in NFL history to start and win season openers for three different teams in three consecutive seasons.
• Pete Carrol said Mark Sanchez ”should’ve stayed at USC for another year.”  Pete Carrol said Mark Sanchez could’ve used “one more year of running a team to fully prepare himself and become the very best he could be before going to the NFL.”   He looked pretty darned good to me.  Yesterday, Sanchez passed for 272 yards in the Jets’ 24-7 win at Houston.  That was the second-highest passing-yardage total ever recorded by a rookie in a season opener.  The record is 302 yards, set by Peyton Manning in 1998.
• Speaking of six-five, 230-pound quarterbacks with laser rocket arms, Peyton Manning passed for 301 yards in the Colts’ 14-12 win over the Jaguars.  It was Manning’s first 300-yard game on opening day since that aforementioned NFL debut in 1998.  Just so you know, passing yards in a season opener is one of the Manning family records that Archie holds.  The senior Manning passed for 348 yards in the final opening-day start of his career (for the Oilers in 1983).
• Tony Gonzalez caught five passes for 73 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons’ 19-7 win over the Dolphins.  That’s quite an upgrade from last season.  Last season, Atlanta’s tight ends made only 19 receptions, an NFL low (only two for TDs).
• They call him All Day for a reason.  All day, Adrian Peterson ran roughshod over the Cleveland Browns.  No run more impressive than his 64-yard rumble bumble stumble in the fourth quarter.  That was his sixth career rushing touchdown of 50 yards or longer.  In two seasons plus one game, Peterson has already matched the career total of 50-yard TD runs by Emmitt Smith, the all-time rushing-TD leader, and LaDainian Tomlinson, who ranks second to Smith.  Peterson has equaled the combined total of 50-yard TD runs by Marcus Allen (2) and Walter Payton (4), who rank third and fourth in overall rushing TDs. 
• Chin up Stevie, there’s hope for you yet.  Here’s a consolation prize for Steve Spagnuolo, whose Rams were beaten 28-0 by the Seahawks in his debut as an NFL head coach.  Among the coaches whose teams were shut out in their first NFL game were Jimmy Johnson and Hall-of-Famers Greasy Neale and Weeb Ewbank.
• Drew Breezey.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.  Easy like a Sunday morning afternoon.  Easy like an NFL record six touchdown passes in a season opener.  Easy like leading the Saints to a 45-27 win over the Lions.  Easy like making fantasy football owners all over this great nation of ours look good for taking him so early.  But don’t pat yourselves too hard just yet.  The Saints don’t play the Lions every week.
• Jaguars rookie Derek Cox had a debut to remember.  Jaguars rookie Derek Cox intercepted Peyton Manning in the end zone to end the Colts’ first drive of the game.  Some notable players who picked off a pass from a future Hall of Famer in their NFL debut: Champ Bailey vs. Troy Aikman (1999), Lem Barney vs. Bart Starr (1967), Ken Houston vs. Len Dawson (1967).
• Jake Delhomme picked up right where he left off.  Get it?  Picked.  Ha ha ha!  Last seen, Jake threw five interceptions in the Panthers’ playoff loss to the Cardinals.  He was picked off four times again yesterday.  Only two other players in NFL history posted back-to-back games of four or more INTs- one in a playoff loss, the other to open the following season.  Only George Blanda for the Houston Oilers (1962-1963) andonly Scott Mitchell for the Lions (1995-1996).  Historically bad.
• He’s my quarterback man!  Now he’s a bunch of folks’ quarterback.  Tony Romo threw three long touchdown passes – to Miles Austin (42 yards), Roy Williams (66), and Patrick Crayton (80)- in the Cowboys’ 34-21 win at Tampa.  Only one other Cowboys QB ever threw three TD passes of 40 yards or longer in the same game: Craig Morton, to Lance Rentzel (86), Bob Hayes (40) and Lance Rentzel (56) against the Eagles in 1970.

And, in case you live in a cave or some such thing, the play of the day:

Peace out homies.  Six two and Even!

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