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“NFL-Looking Back”

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Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books. Randon thoughts from here-there-everywhere.

THE STADIUM…Empty seats, 6-tarps on different parts of the stadium, lots of fans weaqring Chiefs red in the yard-doesn’t look like Team Spanos, so called ‘1st Family of Football’ has made much progress in battle for LA.

NOT SO SPECIAL…..Bolts special teams-same old disaster. Someone needs to explain to me why George Stewart is held in such high regard as the special teams coach. A mess all last year, and more of same opening day this year, responsible for another loss. Pick one…missed field goal….fumbled punt at 7-yard line…..2-kickoffs from out of end zone that never got beyond the 10-yard line…and Travis Benjamin giving ground on a punt and losing yardage.

D-FENSE…No pass rush, no Joey Bosa-Corey Liuget vs Chiefs, so this will be a challenge for a couple of more weeks. Thank goodness they play the Bills in Buffalo, where the infamous kid QB-Nathan Peterman awaits, the high pick who has thrown 7-interceptions in 4-quarters of starts in his brief career. The alternative is Wyoming rookie high draft pick Josh Allen, who struggled all preseason.

GARBAGE TIME….Yes Philip Rivers threw for (424Y) but much of that was in catch-up heave the blal down the field mode. The stats don’t mean much if you cannot win.

DROPS-DROPS…More of the same. 3rd year wide out Tyrell Williams drops a 34-yard wide open TD pass. Benjamin has two, both wide open, go off his fingers. Same old-same old like last year.

ALL EVERYTHING…Melvin Gordon is so good. A (166-yard) all purpose day catch and run. He might wind up with Le’Veon Bell type numbers, some 300-plus touches this year.

DO EVERYTHING…Adam Ekeler is pretty dynamic. Run tough inside…catch balls and make lots of yards. A bigger version of Danny Woodhead, a tougher version on Ronnie Harmon. What a find.

MIA OFFENSE…Antonio Gates caught a couple of passes, but not for much yardage. The down the field dynamic they had a year ago, with Hunter Henry and Gates is gone, which means those 75-receptions from last fall, will have to be caught by someone else. Mike Williams and the tandem at running back.

BIG MIKE….We know what Keenan Allen can do, but was suprised not more targets for last year’s first round pick Mike Williams. He has to become the strong number 2-guy on the Rivers pass route tree.

TOP PICK-FINE PLAYER….Derwin James was lots of places making plays in his first game. Size-speed-toughness. Got beat once, came back and made up space in a big pass deflection in the end zone, and a cross the field sprint to go get a ball carrier.

WAITING…Uchenna Nwosu, the ex-USC Trojan, had a good preseason, really active, but disappeared in the KC opener-no big plays. The guy he’s trying to take a job from, LB-Kyle Emanuel, was seen out there on the field, as fullback Mike Cox leaked out an caught a huge back-breaking touchdown pass in the game.

DINGED UP…Joe Barksdale didn’t get thru the 2nd quarter, leaving with a knee injury. The teaqm will have to rush to get Forrest Lamp ready to play at guard, so journeyman Mike Schofield, can move to right tackle in emergency. Always wondered if they would miss veteran warrior Matt Slauson or former starter Spencer Pulley, both let go in the offseason. Guess we’ll find out soon enough if anyone else gets hurt.

BEST IN THE BUSINESS…Impressed with the power display at center from Mike Pouncey, the ex-Miami Dophins. Passed blocked well, ran block some, but you could tell what a diference in demeanour in that offensive front. :

NEW LOOK…The Chargers went back to their first ever logo, from their AFL-season in Los Angeles, using a shield, a Charger horse, and a lightning bolt as the logo at midfield. Looked good, but it was an AFL like crowd too, just (25,000) or so they had for opening day.

DID YOU KNOW…Chargers have only 7-home games this year at Stub Hub Center. 1-home game becomes the international game in London. And they’ve lost a critical home game they could have won with the Chiefs loss.

DID YOU ALSO KNOW….Charges have now lost 9-times in a row to Kansas City?

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