Best:
Philadelphia Eagles 2nd Half Offense
When the Eagles came out of halftime in their opening game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they were facing a 17-0 deficit. Things didn't look too good for the Eagles. Then the light switch came on. Philadelphia turned it on, scoring 34 points, while piling up 291 total yards and didn't turn the ball over at all.
Worst:
Philadelphia Eagles 1st Half Offense
This is what made the Eagles second half of the ball game so impressive. Not only did they somehow manage to fall behind 17-0 to one of the worst teams in the league, on paper, in the Jaguars, but they did so in somewhat epic fashion. The offense was just horrible to start off the game. They gained 129 total yards on offense, couldn't score a single point, and oh yeah managed to turn the football over three times, all from Nick Foles fumbling twice and getting picked off once. With as bad as the team looked in the first half, it made their second half performance just that much better by comparison.
Best:
Buffalo Bills Run Defense
Just last season, the Buffalo Bills had one of the worst running defenses in all of the league. In fact the Bills run defense was the 5th worst in the entire league a season ago, allowing on average 128.9 yards per game to opposing running backs. To make matters worse, they had to start off against one of the top tandoms in the league in Chicago. But the Bills managed to hold Forte and Carey to a total of 86 yards on the ground, a noted improvement from last season.
Worst:
Oakland Raiders Running Game
In most cases, the running game in football is supposed to be able to take pressure off the starting quarterback, especially if he happens to be a rookie quarterback in his debut. That didn't happen in this case. now granted the Raiders went up against the Jets, who last season had the 3rd best rushing defense in all of football, allowing just 88.2 yards per game on the ground. But still its sad that Maurice Jones-Drew, Darren McFadden and Marcel Reece combined for 26 yards on 14 carries against the Jets. Sorry but that really can't happen in this game.
Best:
Derek Anderson, Quarterback Carolina Panthers
Now I know that Anderson didn't have the best statistical week for a Quarterback this week, consider this. The Panthers number one QB, Cam Newton, missed his first ever NFL start due to a rib injury, which forced the Panthers to go with Anderson in the first place. Anderson hadn't won a game as an NFL starter in almost four years. But that still didn't stop him from going 24 of 34 for 230 yards and two touchdowns. He played an efficent game, playing almost mistake free football. He threw a bad pass that if Dashon Goldson had hung on to a would-be fourth-quarter interception that might have allowed Tampa Bay to complete a comeback from a 17-0 deficit. Still he was able to step in and lead the Panthers to a win.
Worst:
Tony Romo, Quarterback Dallas Cowboys
It seems like I've had to say this quite often lately when it comes to the Cowboys franchise QB. It’s not like he can afford to be picked off three times under normal circumstances. But given the state of the Dallas defense — as evidenced by Sunday’s performance vs. the 49ers — the Cowboys aren’t going anywhere but the top of the draft if their $108 million quarterback doesn’t play better. Romo had a rough outing, and if he doesn't get it together then its going to be a long year for the Cowboys
Best:
Matt Ryan, Quarterback Atlanta Falcons
Matty Ice was back to form in week one in the Falcons thrilling victory over the Saints in overtime. Ryan was the top individual performer of the weekend, among quarterbacks at least, throwing for 448 yards and three touchdowns. Ryan was brilliant from the pocket, shredding a Rob Ryan defense that finished fourth in the league a year ago in opponent’s yards per game. The Saints gave up just more than 300 yards per game last year, and the Falcons gained 568 yards on Sunday. The Falcons trailed at two separate points in the fourth quarter and Ryan led them down the field to score twice. He was that good this weekend.
Worst:
Alex Smith, Quarterback Kansas City Chiefs
All offseason long, Smith wanted a new contract from the Chiefs. Kansas City gave him what he asked for. Alex Smith wanted a new contract this offseason, and the Chiefs gave him one, to the tune of $76-million. You would think a player making that much money would show up on opening day. Well that didn't happen for Smith against the Titans. Kansas City’s offense was stagnant all day long against a defense that wasn’t supposed to be all that great, and Smith struggled to move the ball through the air. Smith completed 19 passes for 202 yards, but he threw three interceptions which ruined any chance at a Kansas City comeback. The whole Chiefs offensive game plan was baffling, including Andy Reid’s decision to only give Jamaal Charles seven carries, but Smith was the worst of the group.
Best:
Miami Dolphins Defense
Miami pitched a second-half shutout against the Patriots, holding them to 67 yards and five first downs over the final two quarters while taking the ball away twice. Assist to the 89-degree South Florida temperature and 61% humidity.
Worst:
Jadeveon Clowney, Defensive End Houston Texans
This isn't exactly the worst performance of the weekend, it's more a case of bad luck for Clowney. He logged one tackle in his NFL debut, but that was about it. Why? well he ended up with a torn meniscus in his knee trying to make a tackle, which will cause him to miss at least a month. Talk about a bad break.
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