Week 1 Recap

The first week of the 2014 regular season is officially behind us, and the action didn't disappoint -- unless your team lost. I'm going to recap some of the things from the opening week that stood out to me the most.

1) Remember: We're only one week into the season, and it's a long season. So, don't overreact -- although that part is pretty much inevitable -- to what transpired in Week 1. There's still a lot of games left to play.
2) The Patriots' offensive line is a glaring weakness. What I saw in the New England's Week 1 loss against the Dolphins was an offensive line that was abused by Miami's front four. Led by Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon, the Dolphins' defensive line applied constant pressure on Tom Brady and the Patriots' offensive line looked like worse than it's looked it years. As the season continues, I expect this unit to begin to mesh and improve. Because if they don't, it hurts the Pats' chances of making a deep playoff run.
3) J.J. Watt is worth every penny. The Houston Texans signed defensive end J.J. Watt to a 6-year contract extension worth $100 million, the largest contract ever signed by a defensive player. And, like he's done since he entered the league in 2011, he showed the world why he deserves to be the highest paid defender in the game. He was active throughout the game versus Washington, recording one sack, one pass defended and also recovered a fumble. He is a once in a generation kind of player.
4) Injuries abound. Just one week in and already several key players have been lost for the season. Some of the players include: Derrick Johnson and Mike DeVito (KC), Robert Mathis and Cam Johnson (IND), Zach Brown (TEN), Danell Ellerbe (MIA), Nick Hardwick (SD), Evan Mathis and Allen Barbre (PHI), and Mike Jenkins (TB).
5) Josh McCown is a journeyman. Josh McCown did a great job with the Chicago Bears last season when he was called upon after Jay Cutler got hurt. He played exceptionally well and looked like a starting caliber quarterback. But, it was a fluke. In my opinion the 35-year-old is a backup quarterback. The talent and weapons on this Buccaneers' offense are just as legitimate as the ones he played with in Chicago last season. Am I judging him too quickly, considering it's just one game into the season? Perhaps. Only time will tell.
6) The Jaguars have a bright future. An up and coming team with good mix young talent and veteran leadership, led by a General Manager and Head Coach who are moving them in the right direction. And in last Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, it showed. The up-tempo Eagles' offense was stifled by the Jaguars' defense for a while, but Philly came back to win by a two touchdown margin. Jacksonville's performance showed reason for their fans to be excited, though.

*Stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference
*Injury news courtesy of CBS Sports