2) The Cowboys blew out the Giants on their own field
In the aforementioned preseason predictions, I have Dallas winning the NFC East and New York missing the playoffs. But, man … 40-0?!! I do not think that the gap between these two divisions enemies that wide.
In Sunday night’s first game of the season, the Cowboys stormed MetLife Stadium and posted the biggest shutout in franchise history. That was a nationally televised beatdown. And while the final score certainly surprised me, the good effort from Dallas did not. This roster is stacked, and Mike McCarthy is getting his team ready to rock. Big shoutout to defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and special teams coordinator John Fassel, too, because their respective units accounted for the Cowboys’ first two touchdowns.
With the overall team effort, Dak Prescott and the offense weren’t asked to do much. Still, I admire Tony Pollard’s ability to run with authority. The 26-year-old running back’s 2022 campaign ended with a broken leg in Dallas’ Divisional Round loss to San Francisco. Eight months later, he carried the ball 14 times for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, the Cowboys absolutely wrecked shop, racking up seven sacks and three takeaways while allowing just 63 net passing yards. Micah Parsons is a force of nature, and Stephon Gilmore has made an immediate impact on his new team.
Look, Dallas is no stranger to hyperbole. “America’s Team” is always overhyped. But after Sunday night’s road show, the Cowboys deserve their flowers — and they’ll keep going. Unlike many Dallas outfits of the past, this is not a paper tiger.
3) Jordan rules Chicago
Full disclosure: I AM INTO Green Bay’s decision to trade Jordan Love in the 2020 NFL Draft. My complaint is well-documented: Aaron Rodgers could have led the Packers back to a Super Bowl if the team used that pick with some help at receiver in the form of Tee Higgins or Michael Pittman Jr. But that’s in hindsight, and Love deserves credit in the here and now.
This was supposed to be the game where Chicago reasserted itself in the NFL’s most historic rivalry, with the Bears finally having a quarterback advantage after three decades of torture from Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. However, Love seems to have inherited the ownership of the Bears from his predecessors. In his first game as a full-time starter in Green Bay, the 24-year-old threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns, with no turnovers and a sparkling 123.2 passer rating. A model of toughness and efficiency on third/fourth down, Love led the Packers to a quick 38-20 victory at rival Soldier Field. Meanwhile, Justin Fields committed two turnovers, including a back-breaking pick-six. The third-year pro couldn’t get anything going downfield and failed to capitalize on his new weapon, DJ Moore (two catches for 25 yards).
Green Bay came to Chicago as an underdog and left with a ninth straight win over the Bears. In the previous 27 installments of this series, the Packers are 24-3. At what point do we stop calling it a rivalry?