These rookies are for real – Julio Jones looked great in his NFL debut, flashing his superior athleticism with three first downs and 55 total yards. He should be heavily involved in that potent Falcons offense from Week 1. The only receiver taken ahead of Jones in the draft, A.J. Green, should also excel this year, as he is clearly the Bengals' No. 1 target (four catches, 29 yards against Detroit), however rookie quarterback Andy Dalton may struggle to connect with him at times and take advantage of the talent that he clearly possesses. Mark Ingram and Daniel Thomas both struggled at times to get things going on the ground, but they will have opportunities to produce and displayed the skills to do so, each with a big play. Ingram, on his first trip to the red zone, ripped through the line and pirouetted past a safety for a 14-yard touchdown. Thomas, showing similar burst and balance, turned a one-yard dump-off into a 25-yard pickup. Watch out for these young guns on draft day and don't be afraid to take a chance.
Tim Hightower and Rex Grossman looked like starters – With Ryan Torain and John Beck both out with injury Hightower and Grossman took advantage with very promising performances against the Steelers' first-string defense. Hightower flashed good vision and burst, and will be a draft-day steal playing in a Mike Shanahan rush attack. Grossman meanwhile was in complete command of the offense, hitting numerous targets all over the field. He will not only end up the starter in Washington, but he will also gain fantasy relevance this season.
Matt Stafford was nearly perfect – It is tantalizing to think of what might be if Stafford can stay upright for a full season. With good field position, Stafford was able to gash the Bengals for 71 yards and two touchdowns while missing on only one of his seven passes. His chemistry with superstar Calvin Johnson was very apparent on a gorgeous touchdown connection and will leave many fantasy owners crossing their fingers on draft day.
Matt Ryan shook off a slow start to finish strong – Ryan couldn't connect on his first four throws but rebounded to hit on his next six, including a 20-yard rope he put into the gut of Harry Douglas for a touchdown. With the addition of Jones, Ryan is poised to take the next step into the fantasy elite.
Chiefs didn't show up at all – No Jamaal Charles, no Dwayne Bowe and Matt Cassel threw all of zero passes while fumbling away a snap. It appeared that no starter received more than a couple series at most, and the entire team looked very flat and unprepared, getting shellacked 25-0 by the Bucs.
The Bengals are once again the Bungals – They let the Lions score on their first possession in less than four minutes, then promptly fumbled the kickoff back to Detroit, let them score on fourth down, and then threw a pick on their very first play from scrimmage. I like Dalton and Green and they both have a ton of potential, but for this year, they will once again be a miserable bunch of Bungals.
Lee Evans was traded to the Ravens – The Ravens badly needed a veteran to take the pressure off the development of their two rookie wideouts Torrey Smith and Tandon Doss. The Bills got a fourth-round pick in return and can now get their deep crop of young receivers more experience. So in theory it's a win-win deal. Though if Evans can regain anything close to his 2006 form, it's a Ravens win, hands down. For fantasyland, Evans stock goes way up considering Joe Flacco's great deep ball, and the Bills have a great sleeper in David Nelson who should step up as their No. 2 option.
Plaxico Burress will miss preseason opener Monday night – The Jets announced that they will rest Burress' sprained ankle until at least the middle of next week, meaning that he will not make his new New York debut on Monday night against the Texans. Obviously the Jets will need his 6-foot-5 services during the regular season, so it's wise to rest him, but at the same time, he hasn't played football in more than two years. Fantasy owners may just have to roll the dice on Burress without seeing him play, or let someone else draft him, which I would strongly advise.