Silverman: Opener A Bad Barometer; We'll Learn More About Giants, Jets This Week
By Steve Silverman
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A win over the Cleveland Browns does not make a season, nor does a loss to the Dallas Cowboys break one.
The tendency in the NFL is to put added importance on the opener because there are "only" 16 games played in a season, and if you win impressively or blow a game you should have won, observers tend to jump to vigorous conclusions.
Those conclusions are almost always wrong. Last year, the New England Patriots lost their opener to the Miami Dolphins because of a blocked punt. Yet, the Patriots eventually shook off that defeat, won the division and ultimately the Super Bowl, and their special teams play was among the best in the league.
The Dolphins ended up 8-8 and finished out of the playoffs, and their special teams play was among the worst in the league.
Jumping to early conclusions is not the right way to go.
While Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin both had awful brain cramps at the end of the game against the Cowboys, the defense scored one touchdown and set up another before crumbling on the final Tony Romo drive.
The Giants made plays on defense, something they never did last year. It's something for Giants fans to hold on to, and it's a reason to feel good about the early part of the season and upcoming games against Atlanta, Washington, Buffalo and San Francisco.
The Falcons, Bills and Niners all opened eyes with their season-opening wins at home, but which of those teams will be standing at the end of the season? Maybe the Bills, but the Falcons and Niners will fade.
The longer Ryan Fitzpatrick remains in the lineup, the better off the Jets will be. Eventually, Geno Smith's broken jaw will heal and Todd Bowles will have a decision to make. He's a first-year head coach who established himself as a top candidate last year because he built a nasty defense with the Arizona Cardinals.
If he remains true to his roots and wants to help his defense, he will keep Fitzpatrick in the lineup instead of a turnover machine like Smith. It will be the key decision Bowles makes in his first year as head coach.
That won't happen until the Jets get back from their Week 4 trip to London after playing the Dolphins. Smith should be available after the Jets' bye week when they host the woeful Redskins in Week 6.
Unless Fitzpatrick falls on his face over the next three games, Bowles should not make that change.
NFL observers are giving high marks to Atlanta rookie head coach Dan Quinn for the way the Falcons performed against Chip Kelly's Eagles on Monday night.
They did play well and they have Julio Jones, who is going to try to torment the Giants this week with his speed and big-play ability. The Falcons also played an impressive game on defense for the first 30 minutes.
However, by pressuring Matt Ryan early, the Giants and other upcoming opponents can turn the Falcons' quarterback into melted Swiss cheese. The Falcons are still on the small side on defense, and they can get pushed around by a bigger and stronger team. Hustle and will are great characteristics, but when the other side can wear you down with weight and strength for 60 minutes, it's not going to look good at the end of the fourth quarter.
The Giants have no guarantees, but they are not likely to make the same type of end-of-game mistakes that cost them at Dallas.
The Jets have a much tougher assignment when they go to Indianapolis on Monday night. The Colts were embarrassed by Rex Ryan's defense, and there is significant heat on head coach Chuck Pagano.
Many expect the Colts to rule the AFC by the time the season is over, and great teams know how to respond after getting handled on the road. This will be a great test for Bowles, because the Jets are going to have to overcome an angry and talented team on its home field in front of a national audience.
If the Jets stay close or find a way to win this game, it will be quite a statement. If the game is over by the midway point of the third quarter, it will show just how much Bowles has to learn about being a head coach.
So, the first week of the season was interesting. However, the second week is much more important when it comes to learning just what kind of football seasons both New York teams are going to have.
Follow Steve on Twitter at @ProFootballBoy
