Each week during the 2019 NFL season, four familiar faces from the British media and broadcasting landscape will debate the big talking points from the United States.
Introducing The Panel
Jason Bell -Former NFL defensive back with the Houston Texans and New York Giants and analyst for the BBC's The NFL Show.
Will Gavin -Talksport presenter and host of "The Gridiron Show" podcast network for Gridiron Magazine.
Nat Coombs -Host of ESPN's The Nat Coombs show offering four episodes per week on the NFL and host of the NFL show on talkSPORT 2
Neil Reynolds -Host of Host of the Sky Sports' NFL coverage, editor of the London gameday magazines and host of the Inside the Huddle podcast.
What was the most pleasant surprise of Week 1?
JB:Dak Prescott looked in total command of that Dallas Cowboys offense with 405 passing yards, four touchdowns and a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3 in their 35-17 cruise to victory. But the play calling by new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was also superb, albeit against a New York Giants team that looks like it will really struggle on the defensive side of the ball.
WG:Two offenses stood out - Dak Prescott's first game under Kellen Moore promised some great things to come but it was the Bengals and Andy Dalton under new head coach Zac Taylor who surprised me the most. There were classic Bengals errors that cost them the game, having out-gained the Seahawks by 200 yards. They probably should have won but there were signs that this team will be fun to watch this year, ahead of their trip to London.
NC:Delanie Walker channeling his inner Denny Green was the cherry on top of an impressive Titans performance that reminded many of us - big on the Browns and not so much on Tennessee during the preseason - that this league regularly calls our bluff. It's a big year for Marcus Mariota and he's started it looking sharp. Also a special mention for the Eagles' DeSean Jackson, bringing it like it's 2010.
NR:I have the benefit of going last here, so there is still time for me to squeeze in some Monday Night Football action. So I'm going to say I was pleasantly surprised to see the Oakland Raiders win, putting a stressful week - and few months - behind them. I was pleased that Derek Carr had a good game against the Broncos because I still feel he is a very good quarterback and he looked razor sharp during camp. I was also quite surprised how well Kyler Murray bounced back after such a rough start against Detroit.
Which player or team was your biggest disappointment?
JB:My biggest disappointment was Adam Vinatieri as he missed two field goals and an extra point for Indianapolis in a game they tied up at 24-24 before losing to a touchdown in overtime. Vinatieri never misses but he did on Sunday and it wound up hurting his team badly in a close loss. I didn't see that coming.
WG:The Bears. I have never been convinced by Mitchell Trubisky, but I was at Halas Hall ahead of the opener and bought into the rhetoric that a second full offseason with Matt Nagy would see a step forward. Some credit goes to the young Packers D, but Trubisky looked like a rabbit in the headlights and missed a lot of open throws. And the play calling from Nagy - completely abandoning the run after falling behind - was truly dreadful.
NC:I'm disappointed for Nick Foles and the Jacksonville Jaguars having such a wretchedly unlucky start. I thought the Atlanta Falcons were going to give the Minnesota Vikings more of a fight and both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Bears were slugging it out for the "contending team with the most uninspiring offense" award. I think Da' Bears edged it.
NR:This came as no surprise, but I was disappointed to see just how bad the Miami Dolphins were in their 59-10 loss to Baltimore. I get it and I respect the football side of it - rip it up and start again because nothing has been working and a franchise quarterback is required. But this resembled a high school team. No wonder Miami led the NFL in signing players from the Alliance of American Football. How they can sell season tickets to fans (there were not many, to be fair) with a straight face is beyond me.
Do the Patriots even need Antonio Brown?
JB:Of course they need Antonio Brown. You can never have enough stars in the NFL and even though New England looked mightily impressive in beating Pittsburgh 33-3 on Sunday Night Football, they are only going to get stronger through the addition of such an elite and consistently-dangerous receiver.
WG:The Patriots defense has held two of the best offenses in football to six points in their last eight quarters. And speaking to players after their dominant win over the Steelers they clearly believe they're already talented enough to win this year (assuming they "do their job"). Barring Gronk's retirement, the team got more talented in every phase this offseason. So they probably don't NEED AB to win title number seven, but why let someone else get better, right?
NC:The moment Antonio Brown was announced as a Patriot, it was inevitable that Philip Dorsett would virtually match his entire touchdown productivity during his time in New England in just one game. The narrative has gone from concern about targets for Brady following the immediate aftermath of Gronk retiring, to the Pats having one of the toughest-looking receiving corps in the NFL. Miami must be terrified of facing them next week!
NR:Miami should be terrified of playing everybody! New England don't need AB because their defense is even better than last year and they showed they can live without him on Sunday night. But their now-outstanding receiver room is built on shaky foundations. So there is some security in grabbing two receivers who could boom or bust. Josh Gordon has been in and out of rehab in recent years and we know all about Brown. They don't NEED him, but imagine if he and Gordon play to full potential all year? The Pats will be playing in the final game of the year... again!
What went wrong in Cleveland?
JB:Cleveland's offensive line is where it went wrong as they allowed five sacks and multiple pressures and is the problem that could undo this team all season long. They have star names on offense but it all starts up front. Let's see if Baker Mayfield will adjust his game and get rid of the ball quicker. He needs to make better decisions.
WG:Delanie Walker channeling Dennis Green may have been premature claiming the Browns were "who we thought they were" but the problems they faced on Sunday were the same questions we had coming into the year. How would a first-year head coach handle a young team and would they regret not investing on the offensive line? Five sacks and three interceptions indicated that good defenses will be able to get to Baker Mayfield. But discipline was an even bigger problem with 18 penalties for 182 yards. Seeing how Freddie Kitchens' side reacts on Monday against the Jets will be incredibly telling.
NC:Let's not overreact over one game. I still think they contend, but in no particular order... better protection for Baker (five sacks), improved discipline (18 penalties and it's never a good sign when a player is ejected for kicking an opponent in the head) and most importantly, less talk and more action from QB1.
NR:I agree with all of the above. The offensive line woes affected Baker physically and mentally and the lack of discipline was shocking. I think this team was too amped up. I was out in Ohio during the summer and the atmosphere at Browns camp was electric. I can only imagine what it was like in that stadium as Week 1 opened. This is a talented group of alpha males and I think their heads went just a little bit amid all of the excitement. That was a reminder that this team needs to learn the art of winning consistently. And quickly.
