Winners and Losers of NFL Week 1

This week the NFL season kicked off with a bang. We saw great players return to their old form, rookies put themselves on the map, and some teams that simply did not show. Here are my "Winners and Losers" of Week 1 as well as my predictions for this year:

Winners:
Seawhawks: After losing veteran leadership this off season, many questioned if the Seahawks could have the same fire they had last year and avoid a "championship hangover". All doubts were put to rest with Seattles impressive 36-16 win over the Packers. Marshawn Lynch looked unstoppable while Russel Wilson was efficient off play action and did not make any mistakes similar to last years postseason. The defense once again looked good all around, forcing 2 turnovers and three sacks. Look for Seattle to roll to a number one seed once again.

Steelers: Though the defense stumbled in the second half, the Steelers offense looked like a force to be reckoned with in their opener. Ben Roethilsberger looked sharp throwing 23 for 34 for 365 yards and a touchdown. Antonio Brown seemed to make up for the loss of Emmanuel Sanders with a solid game and Leveon Bell probably played one of the best games of his young career rushing fr 109 yards and a touchdown. Look for the Steelers to keep things interesting in the AFC North.

Falcons: After a disappointing season last year, the Falcons put on a show against their rival ,The Saints. Matt Ryan threw for a record 448 yards and linked up with key players such as Julio Jones, Roddy White, Harry Douglas and Devon Hester. The defense looked solid considering they were up against Drew Brees and the rest of the Saints offense, and they forced a huge turnover in overtime that led to a Matt Bryant field goal that sealed a victory.  

Dolphins: A lot of pressure was put of Joe Philbin and the Dolphins coming into the season after last years locker room issues and late season collapse. Many said Philbin could be on the hot seat if he does not produce this season. Up against the Patriots as well as a 20-10 halftime deficit, things were not looking good. The Dolphins battled back despite playing thee backup linebackers and pulled off a 33-20 win. The win showed the Dolphins ability to compete with one of The AFCs finest and shows they have a chance in the weak AFC East division. Look for players like Ryan Tannehill and Knowshon Moreno who had big games today to have big roles in their season this year.


Losers:

Ravens: The Ravens have their hands full with off-the-field issues today after the Ray Rice incident escalated today, but they have plenty of work to do on the field this season after a disappointing Week 1. After winning the Superbowl in 2012, the Ravens have become a one-dimensional offense which features Joe Flacco throwing around 40-60 times a game and a banged up defense. The Ravens failed to score in the first half against the Bengals and Andy Dalton exposed a depleted secondary with a 77-yard touchdown to AJ Green late to seal the win. It might be too early to give up on this resilient Ravens squad, but with a tough schedule early this season, off the field distractions, and a tough AFC North division, it will be tough for The Ravens this year if they play like they did on Sunday.

Chiefs: The Chiefs were widely considered the surprise team in 2013, but faded towards the end of the year which led to them bowing out in the Wild Card round due to a second half collapse. The Chiefs offense last year was a methodical one that controlled the clock and put up points and the defense forced a ton of turnovers and held teams to very few points and yards. On Sunday, they looked flat in all phases of the game. Star running back Jamaal Charles only got 7 carries for 19 yards. (It is beyond me why he did not get the ball more.) Alex Smith did not look particular strong without Dwayne Bowe, throwing for only 202 yards and 1 touchdown. Jack Locker took advantage of that is missing Brandon Flowers from last year. The front seven that was so dominant last year only amassed four tackles for losses the whole game. The Chiefs are very talented and can easily turn things around, but losing by so much to an average team like the Titans could make it challenging to compete in a competitive AFC.

Bears: Despite having a great offense once again, The Bears failed to execute when it counted against the Bills and took the loss in overtime. The knock on The Bears over the last two seasons has been their defense not making big plays when it matters to keep them in important games. This was the case once again vs The Bills. The once top tier Bears defense gave up 193 rush yards and only forced one Bills turnover, despite facing a turnover prone EJ Manuel. It was The Bears who could not hold onto the ball, for Jay Cutler threw two critical picks in the game as well as one fumble. We all know how great The Bears offense can be with weapons like Forte, Marshall, Jeffrey etc, but if the defense continues to struggle in big moments and find themselves behind other strong NFC North teams in the division race.





Predictions:
      NFC:                                                      AFC:
            1st Seed) Seahawks                                1st Seed: Broncos                            
            2nd Seed) Packers                                  2nd Seed:Bengals
            3rd Seed) Falcons                                   3rd Seed: Colts
            4th Seed) Eagles                                     4th Seed: Patriots
            5th Seed) Saints                                      5th Seed: Texans 
            6th Seed) 49ers                                       6th Seed: Dolphins



Wild Card Round:
Falcons over 49ers                    
Saints over Eagles
Colts over Dolphins
Patriots over Texans

Divisional Round:
Seahawks over Saints
Packers over Falcons
Broncos over Patriots
Colts over Bengals

Championship Round:
Seahawks over Packers
Colts over Broncos

Super Bowl: Seahawks: 37 Colts: 24

Feel free to submit your league predictions as well as any other feedback . Thanks for reading!