NFL Week 1 thread -- Where we learn the meaning of Vão pássaros

Agreed. Maybe give a little credit to the competition. The Steelers officially ended up with only two sacks, but that doesn't tell the full story. Penalties wiped out two strip sacks by Watt. They constantly pressured Cousins. They hit him as he threw multiple times, which played a big part in both interceptions. They blew a coverage on his one touchdown, but otherwise did a good job in the secondary. The Steelers improved their back seven in the offseason and it showed, especially getting more athletic at inside linebacker.

Cousins also didn't play much in preseason, so it is probably going to take him a few games to get back up to full speed. That and the opponent were a recipe for a tough day. That said, if I'm the Falcons, I would be worried about his recovery form the torn Achilles. He didn't look comfortable or mobile. He is normally a quarterback who prefers being under center, but he was almost always in the Pistol formation yesterday. They better hope he just needs a little time to shake off the rust or that is going to be a disastrous contract.

 

I think it was Olson they demoted, and he's a hell of a lot better than Brady.

 

Brady the color guy just doesn't sound like a guy with seven SB rings. Sounds like a ham and egger who should be partnered with whatever game Chris Meyers is working. And he makes too many excuses for players when they screw up.

 

For decades I've watched 99% of televised sports with the sound off. What have I missed?

 

The field mikes pick up some great stuff, the line calls, the sound of a foot hitting the ball, crowd noise. The announcers? Not much. Graphics pretty much tell the story.

 

Fields takes too many sacks. This has always been part of his game. I doubt he is going to improve much in that area.

 

ESPN had a show with coaches breaking down film during the game. That was interesting TV, but you’re right, outside of that it’s not all that insightful.

 

Dennis Erickson was Jan Stenerud's holder at Montana State.

 

Nah, it's just one of the things you learn when you cover an Erickson-coached team. He had great stories and was a pretty good guy to work with. No Mike Riley, but then again, who is?

 

It is far easier for me to be “in the moment” with just a radio call than if I am watching a televised game on mute. I don’t begrudge anyone who does it the other way, but I have to have audio to truly capture my attention. The typical sports bar setup doesn’t work if I’m trying to follow a game.