The Football Diner Big Top 5
Week 1 Rookie Performers
by Jody Jamieson
11/9/2008
 
The first week of the NFL season is always an exciting time as a fan. That goes without saying. The excitement for those making their very first appearance must be matched by the nerves. The class of 2008 made a real impression on the NFL in Week 1, and in the return of Top Fives, we'll look at 5 of my favourite rookie performances from the weekend.
 
5. Davone Bess - Dolphins wide receiver
 
So looking at the stats sheet Bess hardly lit up the league in Week 1. 1 catch for 8 yards is hardly going to get him to Canton anytime soon. but for a rookie receiver who was undrafted out of Hawaii, the fact that Bess even made the team was impressive. The fact that he saw a lot of playing time in Week 1 was a testament to how well he performed in the lead up to the opener with the Jets. Undrafted rookies playing in Week 1 are normally restricted to kickers, punters and full backs.
 
Bess looked fairly good returning the opening kick-off, and I thought that would be the limit of his touches. He made a nice catch underneath for his 8 yards, and then when he got into the game he ran some decent routes. True, he struggled to get much separation, but he's done a great job to get here and I was a fan of his in college. I hope he sticks in Miami.
 
4. Dwight Lowery - Jets cornerback
 
Drafted in the 4th round out of San Diego State, Lowery wasn't really high on the radar among many of the promising rookies taken this past April. If his debut against the Dolphins is the sign of things to come this guy could become a fine football player. In all honesty Lowery wasn't a guy I was at all familiar with, but early in the game he was covering Ted Ginn Jr and looked like a veteran, getting his back hand on the receivers back, without impeding him, and then making the break-up with the front hand. Very impressive. In the second half he really came into his own.
 
Sure, he got beat on David Martin's touchdown pass, but he made two great plays on third and fourth down deep in Jets territory to start the 4th quarter. He looked really good in coverage, and his technique was outstanding. With second year corner Darrelle Revis on one side, Lowery may be a great complement.
 
3. Matt Forte - Bears running back
 
The Bears suck. Their quarterbacks suck. Their running game sucks. Their receivers suck. Their offensive line sucks. Their defense doesn't suck, but it's a shadow of it's former self. Well, that was what a lot of people thought going into the new season. I wasn't impressed with them and worried that they were going to be terrible. However their defense was the 2006 Bears revisited, their line managed to keep the Colts at bay, and the great performance of a rookie running back helped the Bears cement a huge upset win in Lucas Oil Stadium's first ever game.
 
The biggest thing that Matt Forte did in my mind was make Indianapolis respect the run enough to make life easier for Kyle Orton. Orton managed the game and didn't make any big mistakes. Cedric Benson was so inept last year that it made Rex Grossman's life that much harder. Forte set a record for most rushing yards in a Bears debut, and if he can keep it up, the neck-bearded one might have a competent season, and maybe the Bears can make a run at winning the division.
 
2. Matt Ryan - Falcons quarterback
 
I've never liked to see signal callers thrown out there in Week 1 of their rookie year. The growing pains can sometimes be pretty painful to watch. But when your first NFL pass goes for a 62 yard touchdown, then maybe the signs are pretty good. People will naturally get carried away after a nice opening day for Ryan, and if the likely growing pains surface over the next few weeks, at least we've seen that Ryan has ability. 9 of 13 for 161 yards with the TD and no INT's is a great first day for the 3rd pick of the 2008 Draft.
 
Ryan really looked like a leader out there. He managed the clock well, and generally was a massive plus for the Arthur Blank and the Falcons fans, who deserve some success. They showed signs of a vertical passing game in Atlanta and while I still have my worries that there will be troubles to come, Ryan showed that he has the potential to be a very good quarterback in the NFL, and hopefully for Falcons fans it will banish the memories of Michael Vick's summer of 2007.
 
1. Eddie Royal - Broncos wide receiver
 
OK, well this was going to be DeSean Jackson, who had a great day on his Eagles debut with 6 catches for 106 yards against the Rams. In a way Jackson and Royal had a similar Week 1 impact. Both second round picks who slipped perhaps due to their size. Both were expected to be kick returners in Week 1 .Their respective QB's lost their favourite targets (Kevin Curtis to injury, Brandon Marshall to stupidity) and both guys came in and did a wonderful job. The big difference was that while Jackson made a couple of nice sideline grabs and looked impressive. Eddie Royal spent the night absolutely torching DeAngelo Hall.
 
Royal looked tremendous. Oakland did look terrible mind you, but Hall has pedigree, and he was getting so badly burned he ended up giving away two stupid personal foul penalties on Royal. Panthers fans will remember something similar last year when Hall played for the Falcons. Royal had 9 catches for 146 yards and a score (best performance of any receiver in Week 1) and looked great. What I liked most about him though was how smart he was. You saw a Johnny Lee Higgins end around go horribly wrong for the Raiders and he took a major loss. Royal was given a wide receiver pass play, but when he saw there was nothing open he threw the ball away. Also when returning a kick late in the game with the score embarrasing, he came out of the endzone and took a knee.
 
I was hugely impressed.
 
Random Thoughts
 
One guy who really struggled in his first NFL start was #1 overall pick Jake Long. Long couldn't get a lot of push in the running game, and conceded a couple of stupid penalties when he got beat in the passing game. At Michigan Long was known for mowing over defensive ends and paving the clearest road possible for Mike Hart to run the football. There's plenty of time for him obviously, but it wasn't a great start.
 
Staying with this game, and while all the hype was about Brett Favre, the QB who made way for him had a great day on the other side. Chad Pennington may lack a bit of arm strength, but the touch on some of his passes was beautiful. I was highly impressed and I think he's a great fit in Marinoland. With Trent Green, Cleo Lemon and Jon Beck looking poor last year, at least Pennington will come and solidify a massive problem position for the Dolphins.
 
I know there is always rust in Week 1. And while Peyton Manning looked rusty with a lack of a Training Camp, I'm sure he'll be fine when he gets some practice reps with his teammates. However last year's play-off hero Eli Manning looked rusty as anything to me. He looked far more of a leader than he did this time last year, which is a great positive for the Giants. However, on another night he could have thrown 3 or 4 picks and cost his team the game. He was lucky the Redskins defensive backs had hands of stone. Eli will have to improve over the next few weeks to banish the ghost of Eli-past.
 
And Finally...
 
I touched on it a little before, but how terrible did Oakland look on Monday night? They made some big money signings in the off-season - although overspending in the eyes of many - but still looked like the same indisciplined rabble they have been the last few years. It was a sad night for Raider fans as the hated Denver Broncos came in and just absolutely crushed them on their own field.
 
It was a sad, sad performance from a once great franchise who have become a sorry mess the last few years. The in fighting can't help. When the owner doesn't want the head coach, and the head coach doesn't want his defensive co-ordinator, yet they're all still working together, then don't be surprised if it's a mess. On the field they lacked heart, direction, organsiation and discipline. With the addition of DeAngelo Hall I thought they would have an excellent secondary. Hall was woeful and took stupid penalites due to his lack of control.
 
I've always found Radier fans a little strange, but from a television standpoint, there's nothing quite like watching the crowd when the Raiders are winning at home. Last night was a sad night for a Raiders franchise that has been in the toilet for the past few years, and right now is showing no signs of getting out.