I don’t know if I have a word that properly captures the energy of last night’s game. It was a but sloppy, fairly slow, and did not crown the winner most people expected. That, mixed with the fact that it was the first NFL game played since February, and it becomes a lot more challenging to have rational takeaways from the game. So why even bother? Here are some overreactions to the first NFL game of the season.
Jahmyr Gibbs is a Bust
Jahmyr Gibbs looked awesome on the field last night. He broke tackles, caught a few passes, and even made some nice blocks. Yet he was significantly outplayed by the veteran, David Montgomery. The Lions have seen Gibbs practice for a while now, and they know who the better players are. This means that Gibbs performance from last night is almost definitely a fluke. It was probably the best game he will ever have.
Mahomes is the Problem on Offense
People want to point out the fact that they have a weak wide receiver room, and that Travis Kelce didn’t play. I’d instead point out that Mahomes completed passes to eleven people last night. That means he has eleven quality receivers. Most teams don’t have that many. Maybe this is a sign that Patrick Mahomes has been carried by the Kansas City offense for too long.
Kadarius Toney is a System Receiver
Kadarius Toney doesn’t suck. Let’s look at his track record since entering the league:
- He was drafted in the first round by the Giants, and sucked.
- He was traded to the Chiefs, and only sucked a little bit.
- Eric Bienemy leaves the Chiefs, and Toney sucks again.
Are you following my timeline here? Other than with his first, and second teams, Toney has never really had a shot. He had a pretty good Super Bowl in case you forgot. Maybe Toney isn’t the problem here. Maybe Andy Reid’s system is failing him.
The Lions Best Player is Josh Reynolds
Amon-Ra St. Brown had some nice plays, and a touchdown. Jared Goff also couldn’t find him on what would’ve been another touchdown. That being said, the Lions passing attack was defined by Josh Reynolds last night. Josh Reynolds had four catches for eighty yards, and was a consistent threat with the ball in his hands. All fantasy managers should be dropping Amon-Ra for Josh Reynolds ASAP.
Jared Goff>Matt Stafford
The Lions have the best record in the league with Jared Goff under center. I can’t imagine they would trade that success for Matt Stafford just because he is more accomplished, experienced, and talented.
Brian Branch is the Best Rookie DB Ever
After an impressive debut, Brian Branch is on pace for 51 tackles, 17 interceptions, and 17 defensive touchdowns. If that’s not the most impressive season by a rookie defensive back we’ve ever seen, I don’t know what is.
