The first week of the NFL regular season is always interesting due to the unknowns and uncertainty ahead of the openers. Coaches have kept their best players on the sidelines and utilized vanilla tactics throughout the preseason to keep their opponents guessing during their preparations. With Week 1 serving as the ultimate reveal of how teams will deploy their stars and utilize various tactics to tip the scales in their direction, my weekly film review enables me to identify a handful of players who deserve kudos for their work in Week 1.
Here are five guys who deserve gold stars for their play in the season openers:
Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
It could be a long year for New York Giants’ fans, with Barkley thriving as a multi-faceted threat in Philly. The two-time Pro Bowler amassed 132 scrimmage yards and scored three touchdowns in his debut with his former rival. He displayed his trademark balance and body control and burst with the ball in his hands while also exhibiting the grittiness to rumble between the tackles on downhill runs. Barkley’s big-play potential from the backfield adds a dimension to an offense loaded with electric playmakers on the perimeter. With new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore spending extra hours in the lab coming up with creative schemes to get the ball into the hands of the seventh-year pro as a runner or receiver out of the backfield.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The former No. 1 overall pick was nearly flawless in a dominant performance against the Commanders. Mayfield completed 80 percent of his passes while passing for 289 yards and four scores. The veteran picked apart the Commanders with surgical precision, distributing the ball to seven pass catchers. With Mayfield honing in on Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Rachaad White (the trio combined for 19 receptions, 219 yards, and three scores) to spark the effort, opponents must deal with the Buccaneers’ sizzling quarterback and dangerous “Big…
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Publish date : 2024-09-12 17:41:33
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