Insights from Week 1 in the NFL

Week 1 in the NFL was exciting for some and anti-climatic for others. Especially troubling was the number of grave injuries that occurred in first week of the NFL season. NY Giants RB Brandon Jacobs sprained his MCL only 6 plays into the season and will be lost for 3-5 weeks. Rams OT Orlando Pace is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Dolphins SS Yeremiah Bell suffered a season-ending achilles injury. And, most scary of all, Bills TE Kevin Everett dislocated his neck and may never walk again! In training camp, there had been an emphasis on reducing playing time to avoid injuries. Well, having a player get injured in the first game of the season doesn't appear to be much better. Perhaps some of the injuries may have been avoided with more game-time preparation? Unfortunately for those players, there is no way to know....

Here are the rest of my insights on Week 1 in the NFL:

• The Chicago Bears Defense is a mauling, indestructable force that has all-star defenders at every position. Had it not been for a trick play by LaDanian Tomlinson and an inopportune fumble by Bears RB Adrian Peterson, the Bears would have blanked the high-powered offense of the San Diego Chargers. The Bears defense punished the Chargers and had 3 men tackling anyone who had the ball. It was remeniscient of John Thompson's Georgetown basketball defense of the 1980's where Patrick Ewing and others would punish anyone who entered the lane with three tacklers because the official could only call a foul on one player. Look for low scoring Bears games the rest of the season.

• Randy Moss is back, but without the ratio. With 9 catches and 183 yards, Randy Moss returned triumphantly to the NFL scene. However, unlike Moss' earlier stints in Minnesota and Oakland, he is not expected to be the star. Tom Brady completed passes to 7 different receivers. Apparently, Moss seems content in his new role and may indeed have an incredible comeback season

• The Cleveland Browns are, once again, a mess. They do not have a QB, and the only one with potential is the rookie Quinn who management intends to ease into the lineup. Alot of puff pieces on Jamal Lewis and the new O-Line did not help matters much. After a 34-7 shellacking by the Steelers, the Browns will be lucky to match their win total of 5 from last season

• The Kansas City Chiefs are the Cleveland Browns, but in a nicer city.

• Adrian Peterson: Hello, Mr. Rookie of the Year.

• The Detroit Lions' offense is so good that their #4 receiver, Shaun McDonald, led the team in receptions and yards. With their 4 wide receiver sets, it's anyone's guess who will be the top receiver from week to week.

• The New York Giants will not have a problem putting up points this season. Manning seems like he can throw a TD pass to Plaxico Burress any time he wants. The problem is that the Giants defense gave up 45 points last night. With Strahan missing training camp and Kiwanuka playing out of position, the Giants will likely need to score at least 30 points every game this season just to break even.

• Chad Pennington is a warrior. The man hobbled his way around the field to complete as many passes as he could. Nevertheless, the Jets fans cheered when his backup entered the game. New York usually lauds its warriors. Sorry Chad, no Willis Reed treatment for you.