News » Week 1 Week 1 of the 2018 NFL season is finally in the books, and b

The Baker’s Dozen: Fitzmagic Brett Favre Jersey 2019 , Browns’ tie, and more takes fromoy was it a wild one. We saw some awesome things (the Saints lost!) and some less-than-awesome things (that Falcons performance was utterly forgettable). Even though it’s only Week 1—and I really should caution you not to read too much into what has happened thus far—there were plenty of interesting developments that are worth monitoring.That’s why I’m bringing you the inaugural edition of my new weekly column: The Baker’s Dozen. I’ll be rounding up all the biggest and best storylines from every week of NFL action, and delivering them to you in the the form of hot and fresh takes. Check back every Tuesday for the latest edition. But for now, let’s overreact to Week 1!FITZMAGIC IS BACK, BABYMaybe the Bucs won’t be as bad as we all think? Maybe Fitzpatrick is the future at QB for Tampa Bay, not Jameis Winston?Yeah, the answer to both of those questions is probably no. Week 1 is weird. The Bucs legitimately have the talent at WR and TE to be a high-level offense, but they just can’t seem to ever get out of their own way. So while we appreciate Tampa’s ability to hand the Saints a home divisional loss, I don’t think this game is representative of the Bucs in 2018. Don’t forget, the Bucs’ defense allowed 40 points and a heap of yards, too.The Saints defense looks like a trainwreck once againIf we’re talking about how surprising the Bucs’ offense was, we have to talk about how abysmal the Saints’ defense looked. The pass rush was virtually nonexistent. Lattimore and the entire secondary struggled mightily. Predictably, the LBs were bad. The Saints exploded in 2017 on the back of a crazy strong rookie class—that class might be coming back to earth a bit in 2018.The only proven pass rusher on the Saints right now is Cameron Jordan—Alex Okafor is coming off a serious injury, and Marcus Davenport (the guy they spent two firsts on) has been a ghost thus far. We’ll see if there’s any improvement as the season goes on.Andrew Luck is back, and looks goodOne of the best stories in the NFL this season is Andrew Luck returning from injury. He’s a fun QB, and he alone makes any games involving the Colts watchable. Luck couldn’t quite lift the Colts over the Bengals on Sunday—Indianapolis still has one of the worst rosters in the NFL—but his performance was very encouraging. He made some nice plays and spread the ball around effectively. Can he ever be the Andrew Luck of old again? Only time will tell.Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t infallibleThere was a ton of hype surrounding the 49ers this offseason. Many had them pegged as a wild card favorite, with others going even further and declaring them one of the premier offenses in the NFL just waiting to arrive. They could very well end up a wild card team when it’s all said and done, but they looked quite mediocre against a quality defense in the Vikings.The offense scored less than 20 points and Garoppolo looked like a mortal man after finishing 2017 on a ridiculous pace. I’m very interested to see how the team responds, but it’s clear that the defense is still a work in progress.The Bills are awfulThey consciously decided to start Nathan Peterman—the architect of that 5 INT half in 2017. No other comment needed, although they did also lose 47-3.The Texans might have been anointed too soonDeshaun Watson was incredible in 2017 Black Brett Favre Jersey , but almost anyone could’ve told you that he was unlikely to repeat that feat in 2018. That didn’t stop people from anointing the Texans as one of the AFC’s best, with Houston even tying Jacksonville in Super Bowl odds at one point during the offseason.That was ridiculous, which means this Week 1 result shouldn’t surprise anyone. New England controlled the game early with the Texans rallying late, but Houston still has a lot of work to do before they should be considered an AFC contender.The Browns ended their losing streak in the most Browns way possibleWell, at least they aren’t going 0-16 in 2018. The Browns ended their ridiculously long losing streak with a 21-21 tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland had a chance to win the game in overtime with a relatively short field goal, but it was blocked with only seconds left in the game. There was no other way this could have ended, I suppose.At any rate, the Browns are clearly more talented than they’ve been in years past. Tyrod Taylor is a quality option at QB, and they have the makings of a serviceable defense at worst.Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense are awesomeIt’s only Week 1, of course, but the Chiefs look like they won’t miss a beat in their transition from Alex Smith—who put together an MVP-caliber season in 2017—to second-year QB Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes and WR/human joystick Tyreek Hill seem to have an instant connection, and the rest of the offense is loaded with weapons. There are going to be some ups and downs with Mahomes this year, but it’s going to be exciting to watch. Particularly with the state of their defense, which could be in contention for the worst in the NFL in 2018.The Chargers should be better than thisYes, Joey Bosa was out, but the Chargers’ defense was supposed to be one of the NFL’s premier units. Maybe it’s just Week 1 against what could be a great offense, but Los Angeles struggled all day on the defensive side. Even strong games from the Chargers’ offensive stars—players like Philip Rivers, Melvin Gordon, and Keenan Allen—weren’t enough to overcome those defensive issues.Adrian Peterson has found the fountain of youth, also the Cardinals are badFor a guy that was a street free agent as of a few weeks ago, Adrian Peterson looks like one of the NFL’s premier RBs again. His game isn’t perfectly adapted to the NFL anymore Steve Bartkowski Jersey 2019 , but when paired with an electric receiver like Chris Thompson, it’s an ideal one-two punch. In other news, the Cardinals look like one of the weakest teams in the league. That was pretty easy to predict based on their roster, but it seems clear that any excitement surrounding Sam Bradford has all but completely dissipated.The Panthers may have lost two key offensive startersCarolina narrowly defeated the Cowboys—who looked pretty darn awful offensively—on Sunday. In doing so, however, they may have lost two of their best offensive players. RT Darryl Williams, one of the few proven players on that offensive line, will need another surgery on his knee and is out “indefinitely”. TE Greg Olsen, who usually operates as the Panthers’ de facto #1 receiver, re-broke the foot he injured last year and will miss “a significant chunk of time”. That’s going to be hard to overcome for a team that was already having significant issues on offense.Green Bay saw their season flash before their eyes, and still managed a miraculous comebackFor awhile, it looked as if Chicago was about to do something incredible. The Bears were up 20-0 over the Packers at one point during Sunday night’s game, and Aaron Rodgers had left the field with a knee injury. Rodgers managed to return after halftime, however, and by then the Bears had simply run out of tricks. Green Bay completed a masterful comeback captained by a one-legged Rodgers, which had to be devastating for Bears’ fans. Still, Chicago should be legitimately excited about Khalil Mack and what appears to be a very good defense.The Jets scored 48 (!!) points on the Lions, who looked dreadfulThere were a lot of 40-burgers in Week 1, but none was more surprising than the one dropped on the Lions. OK, maybe the Saints...but we’re biased. Detroit’s defense was always viewed with a bit of suspicion, but the offense was poised to be one of the best in the league—if the running game could ever get off the ground. Well Black Steve Bartkowski Jersey , the defense was pretty awful, but the offense ended up being just as bad. Matthew Stafford had one of his worst performances ever, tossing an incredible 4 INTs in a blowout loss. Matt Patricia has certainly not gotten off to a very positive start in Detroit.That’s all for this inaugural edition of The Baker’s Dozen. A lot happened this week, but we’ve still got 15 more weeks to go in the 2018 NFL season. What are some interesting things you observed this week? Any takes of your own you’d like to share? Are the Saints back to being trash? After Twitter decided that the Falcons have the NFL’s best WR in Julio Jones, it’s worth taking a closer look at the Falcons’ WR corps as a whole. Does Atlanta possess the league’s best WR group heading into 2019?" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteThe Falcoholican Atlanta Falcons communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsLibraryFalconsOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Library FalcFans Podcast on The FalcoholicContact The FalcoholicFalcons StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Falcons NewsYahoo Falcons Team PageYahoo Falcons ReportYahoo Falcons Depth ChartYahoo Falcons TransactionsYahoo Falcons PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Do the Falcons have the NFL’s best WR corps?New,32commentsAfter Twitter decided that the Falcons have the NFL’s best WR in Julio Jones, it’s worth taking a closer look at the Falcons’ WR corps as a whole. Does Atlanta possess the league’s best WR group heading into 2019?EDTShareTweetShareShareDo the Falcons have the NFL’s best WR corps?Jason Getz-USA TODAY SportsThere’s been a lot of healthy (and not so healthy) debate on Twitter recently about whether or not the Falcons have the NFL’s best WR in Julio Jones. After much deliberation, it was decided by NFL fans that Julio was indeed the best—followed very closely by Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins.With that knowledge in our pocket, what about the claim that the Falcons’ might have the best WR corps in the NFL altogether? SB Nation’s Christian D’Andrea put the Falcons at the top of his WR corps power rankings, and here was his justification:It’s an interesting question to ponder. Many Falcons fans, myself included, felt that Atlanta’s WR corps was certainly up there in terms of power relative to the rest of the league. I don’t think anyone could argue that the Falcons’ receivers aren’t top-5 at worst, particularly when examining the entire depth chart. Keep in mind, this rating only encompasses WR—not TE or RB—though with an ascending Austin Hooper and returning Devonta Freeman, Atlanta is probably up there in that ranking as well.Let’s take a quick look at the projected WR depth chart for the Falcons to see how they stack up against the rest of the NFL.WR1: Julio JonesAs we’ve just established, Julio Jones is the best WR in football. Having the best WR in the league as your WR1 already gives you a significant leg up on the competition.WR2: Calvin RidleyRidley has perhaps the most potential of any WR2 heading into the 2019 season, coming off an electric 2018 that saw him post a ridiculous 10 TDs. The scary part is, Ridley was still adjusting to the game and had his fair share of mistakes. In his second year, Ridley is primed for another excellent season. and Julio as the NFL’s best duo.WR3: Mohamed SanuWith Ridley ascending, that bumps veteran Mohamed Sanu down to the WR3 spot—which is just fine in my eyes. Sanu is a big, imposing Chris Lindstrom Atlanta Falcons Jersey , and physical possession receiver with YAC potential. Add to that his consistent production over his tenure in Atlanta and his value as a gadget QB and you have one of the NFL’s best—and most proven—WR3s.WR4: Justin HardyJustin Hardy returned to Atlanta on a one-year deal after his rookie contract expired, making him the expected WR4. Hardy never quite lived up to the hype of the WR with the most catches in NCAA history, but he’s been at worst a solid possession guy with plus ability in the red zone.WR5: Russell GageAt this point is where you start to veer off into the unknown for most WR corps. A Day 3 pick in 2018, Gage was very raw as a receiver coming into the NFL—and there was even the possibility of Gage cross-training at CB during OTAs and training camp. Gage managed to stick as the final WR due to his special teams acumen and athletic upside, but didn’t get many opportunities in 2018. It’s hard to say if he’ll make an impact this season, but Quinn did single Gage out as a player that’s made a significant jump from his rookie year.WR6: Marcus GreenThis year’s final draft selection, Marcus Green was initially called a RB by Dimitroff. That was later changed to WR, but the truth is that Green is more of an all-purpose player. Green is a tremendous athlete, but small, making him a potential weapon in the slot and on gadget plays. He’s also taken plenty of carries out of the backfield, and was an elite returner in college. I’m not sure how much he’ll do on offense this year, but he’s the odds-on favorite to win the return job.The strength of this group is clearly the top-3, though Hardy is a reliable if uninspiring WR4 option. Here are the teams that I view as their top competition:Cleveland Browns (OBJ, Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway, Rashard Higgins)Los Angeles Rams (Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Josh Reynolds)Philadelphia Eagles (Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Nelson Agholor 2019 Chris Lindstrom Jersey , J.J. Arcega-Whiteside)Minnesota Vikings (Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, Laquon Treadwell)Cleveland has a lot of star power at the top in OBJ, but Landry is overrated in my opinion and Callaway—while exciting—was incredibly volatile in 2018. Higgins is an upgrade over Hardy, but not enough to tip the scales in the Browns’ favor.The Rams have an impressive four-deep group, but they lack the star power at the top. Cooks is a productive WR1 and is great at what he does, but lacks the versatility of a true star like Jones or OBJ. Woods is among the best WR2s in the league—I’d still give him the edge over Ridley. Kupp is a hyper-productive possession player who is probably an upgrade over Sanu. I’m still not sure how good Josh Reynolds really is, so I’d put him in the “reliable WR4” range similar to Hardy.The Eagles have a potentially excellent four-deep WR corps. While Alshon Jeffery isn’t among the ranks of the elite WR1s, he’s still capable of putting up serious numbers. DeSean Jackson is getting up there in age, but he’s still one of the most dangerous deep receivers in the NFL. The big questions come with Nelson Agholor and rookie J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. Can Agholor get back to his productive ways this year? Can Arcega-Whiteside deliver on his potential in year 1? If so, this group will challenge for the best in the NFL.The Vikings are obviously up there because of the best WR duo in the league. It’s hard to beat the potential of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs as your top two guys. However, after those two there just isn’t a lot there for Minnesota. Laquon Treadwell has continued to disappoint, and unless someone deeper on the depth chart makes a big leap, this WR corps as a whole can’t make the claim for the top spot.Comparing Atlanta’s receivers with these four teams, I can agree that the Falcons have a strong claim to have the NFL’s best WR corps heading into 2019. What do you think, Falcons fans? Do you agree, or would you give another team that title this season?