2021 NFL: Week 1

The ending was almost guaranteed. You knew what was coming and I knew what was coming.

The Buccaneers and Cowboys had given us quite a show on the first night of the NFL regular season. It was a back and forth affair and Dallas drove down the field late in the fourth quarter and kicked a go-ahead field goal with 1:24 left remaining. Then the camera panned to the Tampa sideline and focused on one player: Tom Brady. And the man with seven Super Bowl rings flashed that trademark scowl.

It’s over.

Up until that point, it hadn’t been the night the Buccaneers had hoped for. They turned the ball over four times. They racked up a ton of penalty yards. They had drops and other untimely mistakes, including a Chris Godwin fumble in the fourth quarter that could have been fatal for another team.

But those teams don’t have Tom Brady. The 1:24 on the clock left was a lifetime in his hands. And he ended up doing what we’ve seen countless times. Brady got the ball with just one timeout remaining and with under a minute to go, they were forced to use their final one to avoid a 10-second runoff thanks to a false start penalty.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

No big deal.

A few plays later, he hit Godwin inside the Dallas 20. And a few plays after that, the winning field goal sailed through the uprights. We’ve seen this movie over and over again. Just another chapter in the endless and somewhat annoying legacy of the greatest quarterback to ever play this game. Final: Buccaneers 31, Cowboys 29.

Now, if you’re a Dallas fan today, you’re probably sticking your chest out a little bit and you can’t be blamed for doing so. The most anxiety-inducing question hovering over the franchise was answered on Thursday. Dak Prescott not only looked like he’s recovered from his devastating leg injury, the shoulder issue that kept him out of almost all of training camp didn’t appear to be an issue. He threw for 403 yards and 3 touchdowns with a 101.4 passer rating. Eight different receivers caught passes with Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb topping 100 yards each.

And that defense that was historically putrid last season? Yes, they gave up more than 30 points, but for a first game on the road against the defending champions, they held their own and stopped the run. They are not the first defense (or the last) to fall victim to Brady’s late-game nonsense.

And finally, bravo to the NFL. Opening night games can be hit or miss. This one was entertaining.

SEASON PREDICTIONS

I joined my Baltimore Sports and Life colleague Chris Stoner on the Sports Tonight podcast to preview the 2021 season. You can hear all of my assuredly wildly inaccurate prognostications here. Store that to mercilessly mock me in January.

But here are the highlights.

NFL MVP: Tom Brady

I waffled on this question during the podcast. The homer in me wants to pick Matthew Stafford and the overwhelming betting favorite is Patrick Mahomes. But I’m going with the wily veteran here to hoist the fourth trophy of his career.

It’s true that Tampa returned all 22 starters from last season. But as you saw on Thursday night, Tampa did have a couple injuries in the secondary and god forbid, that could be a theme as we go further into the season. The Buccaneers’ running game seems a bit questionable. But as long as Brady is under center, this team will be just fine.

And quite frankly, I’m rooting for him. Can you imagine a 44-year-old quarterback winning MVP? For some reason, I find that quite inspiring. And I’m sure it has nothing to do with my escalating age.

Offensive ROY: Mac Jones

Despite coming off a national championship season at Alabama, Jones was the afterthought of the five quarterbacks taken in the first round of the draft. Trevor Lawrence, Trey Lance and Zach Wilson were grabbing all the sexy headlines. People pooh-poohed Mac’s inability to run, his not special arm. The nation rated his future with a collective “meh.”

A few months later, Jones not just grabbed the starting job in New England, he did at the expense of a former MVP, who is now out there looking for work (more on him later). And he did that under Bill Belichick, a coach who can be demanding, to say the least. That has to count for something.

He’s going to have a lot of competition. Not just from the other quarterbacks, but from guys like Steelers running back Najee Harris and Falcons TE Kyle Pitts. But give me Jones to set himself apart from the pack.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Titans at Chiefs

Kansas City is still the best team the conference has to offer. There’s no reason to believe that has changed. So, if they’re getting playoff home games — and I believe they will — they will be playing for a spot in the Super Bowl.

But Sid, the Titans? Yes, the Titans. I was very impressed with their offseason moves, specifically the addition of Julio Jones. With an already dominant running game, they now have a true deep threat that will keep teams off balance. I think that puts them ahead of the Browns right now and with all the injuries that have suddenly befallen the Ravens (more on that later), the one other team standing in their way is the Bills and who knows, they may not have to face them.

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Rams at Buccaneers

Homer alert! Homer alert! You know what? I don’t care. I’m drinking the Kool-Aid. I believe that with Stafford under center, Sean McVay’s offense will hit the stratosphere. And while I’m a bit worried about L.A’s depth issues on defense, this team is still strong enough to win the division and make a deep playoff run.

It also doesn’t take a genius to pick Tampa to get this far. Tom Brady, Bruce Arians, stout defense, good special teams. This isn’t rocket science.

SUPER BOWL: Chiefs vs. Buccaneers

Again, these are the two best teams in the NFL and that should not be in dispute. Barring injuries or a few unfortunate bounces, prepare yourselves for a February rematch.

And I always say, never bet against Tom Brady.

Winner: Buccaneers.

WHAT’S THE CHATTER?

Brutality in Baltimore: Remember the 2020 49ers? The team that was decimated by injuries and had their season derailed? We’re in Week 1 and the Ravens might be this year’s version. They didn’t just lose running back J.K. Dobbins in a preseason game, their Thursday practice was stopped when running back Gus Edwards and cornerback Marcus Peters went down with season-ending knee injuries.

And that’s on top of several injuries to other players of varying degree of severity. Not to mention Lamar Jackson’s positive COVID-19 test in July. This is not looking good. Let’s hope this isn’t just the beginning.

He’s not totally wrong: Cam Newton released a video where he remarked about his surprising departure from the Patriots. He brushed off speculation that his COVID protocol snafu had anything to do with being released. He also said he would have been fine being the backup behind Mac Jones. However, he said Jones would have been uncomfortable having Newton in the background.

“Mac Jones didn’t beat me out. But I would have been a distraction,” Cam said.

I agree that Newton would have been a distraction. But Mac did beat him out.

High Wattage: I believe the Watts have beaten out the Gronkowskis for best NFL family. Yes, it’s true that Rob Gronkowski has the championship rings, but J.J. Watt is a future Hall of Famer and now his brother T.J. has just landed a $112 million contract with the Steelers. Thanksgiving must be a pleasant time in that household.

APPOINTMENT VIEWING FOR WEEK 1

Truth be told, I think every game in the first week of the season is worth a watch, but let’s pick some highlights.

Steelers at Bills: I besmirched Buffalo’s chances at making the AFC Championship Game. Their quest to make me look dumb starts here and they can make quite statement with a home win over Pittsburgh.

49ers at Lions: San Francisco is coming off an injury-marred mess of a season. I have every reason to believe the 49ers will brush that off and return to their 2019 form, but this game isn’t a slam dunk. I can’t wait to see what Jared Goff — who I still like — looks like in his new home.

Cardinals at Titans: Arizona loaded up this offseason but will they have enough to get to the playoffs? I don’t think so, but let’s see how they look against the Titans team that I’m very high on.

Seahawks at Colts: It seems like people are sleeping on Seattle, even though the Seahawks won the NFC West with a 12-4 record in 2020. And Carson Wentz is expected to be ready to go on Sunday. Grab your popcorn.

Browns at Chiefs: Now, this has some sizzle! A playoff rematch. And while I picked Kansas City to reach the Super Bowl, this game will be a lot bigger for Cleveland. You heard it here first: Browns win in an upset.

Dolphins at Patriots: Miami has a stacked roster and a question mark at quarterback. Tua has a lot to prove because after all, if the Dolphins had confidence in him, they wouldn’t have gone sniffing a trade for Deshaun Watson, who is radioactive right now.

Packers at Saints: Aaron Rodgers is coming off a complicated offseason. New Orleans is beginning a new era without Drew Brees. What’s going to happen?

Bears at Rams: Andy Dalton is going to get thrown to the wolves in Los Angeles. And we finally get to see the newfangled Rams offense.

Ravens at Raiders: What’s left of Baltimore’s offense starts off in Sin City. In front of a full crowd. Bring it.