I love the NFL and I don't care who knows it.
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who → love → it
As sad as I am to see summer coming to an end, I couldn't be more excited that the best league on the planet is back and in full swing.
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league → see → swing
As you might imagine, I have some thoughts about the first Sunday of the NFL season.
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I → imagine → season
Below, you will find my biggest takeaway from each game.
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you → find → game
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.
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page → contain → partners
If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.
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News → sign → wager
This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.
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that → create → newsroom
Yes, the Bucs scored 27 points.
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Bucs → score → points
But that total is misleading: Tampa Bay’s defense scored on a pick-six, and the offense’s final touchdown came against a prevent defense with Cincinnati leading by two scores.
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Cincinnati → score → scores
The Bengals held Tampa Bay to 282 yards and forced four turnovers.
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Bengals → hold → turnovers
If the defense is legit and Burrow stays healthy (he was sacked just once, another major positive), Cincinnati is extremely dangerous.
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Cincinnati → stay → ?
There’s no reason for Detroit to panic over a near-historic second-half collapse because the Saints might actually be good.
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Saints → ’ → collapse
Obviously, blowing a 21-0 second-half lead is less than ideal.
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blowing → blow → lead
But Tyler Shough threw for 410 yards, Chris Olave played out of his mind and New Orleans erased that deficit despite committing three turnovers.
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Orleans → throw → turnovers
Detroit still ran for 165 yards, sacked Shough five times and stopped the potential game-winning 2-point conversion.
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Detroit → run → conversion
The Lions' secondary is a concern, but that comeback probably says more about New Orleans than it does about Detroit.
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it → say → Detroit
It’s going to be a long year in Tennessee.
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It → go → Tennessee
Tennessee was outgained 367-195 at home by a Jets team starting Geno Smith at quarterback.
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Tennessee → outgaine → quarterback
The Titans had 112 yards through three quarters, and Cam Ward’s only touchdown came in garbage time.
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touchdown → have → time
Robert Saleh inherited a bad roster, but neither side of the ball offered much reason for optimism.
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side → inherit → optimism
The Jets might be better than expected, but Tennessee still looks like one of the worst teams in football.
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Tennessee → expect → football
Derrick Henry continues to defy all laws of physics, gravity and aging in the NFL.
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Henry → continue → NFL
Henry is 32 years old, plays the most punishing position in football and just ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns.
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Henry → play → yards
His second score moved him past Marcus Allen into third place on the NFL’s all-time rushing touchdown list, behind only LaDainian Tomlinson and Emmitt Smith.
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score → move → Tomlinson
Baltimore gained 506 yards and simply overpowered Indianapolis whenever it wanted.
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it → gain → Indianapolis
At some point Henry has to slow down.
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Henry → have → point
Well, one team had to win this game, but neither should be excited about their performance.
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neither → have → performance
Neither offense produced more than 264 yards or 13 points; T.J. Watt supplied Pittsburgh's second touchdown with a pick-six.
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Watt → produce → six
The Falcons at least have the excuse that the two quarterbacks who were expected to start games this season, Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr., missed the game with injuries.
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who → have → injuries
The Steelers got the win, but the offense was basically at full strength and didn't look impressive at all.
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offense → get → strength
I don't know how either fan base can feel good about this one.
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base → know → one
The Bears offense is definitely going to be good, but temper expectations after a clear outlier performance.
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offense → go → performance
Caleb Williams accounted for four touchdowns, and the Bears had two 100-yard rushers.
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Bears → account → rushers
D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai combined for 224 yards on the ground and four scores.
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Swift → combine → ground
That’s absurd production, regardless of opponent.
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That → ’ → opponent
This was the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history, so anyone expecting the Bears to regularly post 50+ points is overreacting to a historic performance.
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Bears → score → performance
Still, Ben Johnson has too many weapons for this offense not to finish among the NFL’s best.
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offense → have → NFL
Deshaun Watson has no business being a starting NFL quarterback.
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Watson → have → business
It feels like Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is determined to get some value from the worst trade in NFL history, but it's a lost cause.
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it → feel → history
As a businessman, Haslam should understand the concept of a "sunk cost."
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Haslam → understand → cost
…and 34 more, not listed.
