NFL Week 1: Monday Night Game Wrapup

Baltimore vs. Cincinnati

Steve McNair - 20/34, 203 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 1/0, 3 FL. A disasterous game for McNair who not only turned the ball over 4 times, but he also overthrew numerous open WRs during the game. He shouldn't be anywhere near a starting lineup right now, but he's a lower end QB2 as he'll have better days.

Carson Palmer - 20/32, 194 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 3/0. A solid performance against the elite Baltimore defense. Palmer mostly took what the defense gave him, although he definitely turned in a poor 2nd half. Still, this is what you get from an elite QB against an elite D...solid production that won't hurt your team whatsoever.

Willis McGahee - 19/77, 3/34. A solid effort from McGahee. Many people were worried when Musa Smith stole a rushing TD early in the game, but McGahee was in there on the final drive, although he only received 2 carries out of the 7 plays inside the 5 that Baltimore had in the closing minutes of the game. Billick has to be to blame here, although McGahee isn't known for his short yardage proficiency. Baltimore raved about his redzone work in the preseason, but he was stuffed on both goalline carries this game. Hopefully this won't be a problem.

Rudi Johnson - 18/50, 3/26, 1 FL. About what owners should have expected against the Baltimore D. It's a shame he didn't get a chance to score to save his day, and he coughed up what would have been a key fumble had Baltimore not stalled near the goalline to end the game. He should rebound next week, so no worries here. It was nice to see him a bit more involved in the passing game.

Derrick Mason - 7/76. Mason did a great job finding open spots and moving the chains. He is what he is at this point in his career, a solid possession receiver. He's a steady WR4.

Mark Clayton - 0/0. He was targeted twice, including once in the endzone, but Demetrius Williams saw more of the field than Clayton did throughout the game. I'm not sure what's going on here, but perhaps his ankle was sore and it prevented him from playing like he usually does. Keep an eye to see if he practices this week.

Todd Heap - 4/29. Heap had a TD to tie the game in the closing minutes, but was flagged for a bullshit pass interference call. This was definitely not a good week for TEs not named Gates and Witten, but thus is the nature of the position. Heap remains a solid TE1.

Chad Johnson - 5/95, 1 TD. Unfortunately this was his stat line at halftime. Baltimore clamped down on the passing game in the 2nd half and CJ didn't manage another catch. He still burned Samari Rolle for a 39 yard TD and doned a beige "HOF" jacket on the sideline as his celebration. Pretty clever given the limitations.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh - 9/50, 1 TD. Housh did an excellent job of taking what the Baltimore defense gave him, and he put up a great line in PPR leagues. Housh remains an excellent WR2.

Arizona vs. San Francisco

Matt Leinart - 14/28, 102 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 6/35. This was just a flatout ugly game on both sides. Two normally mediocre defenses put forth a good effort. Leinart was on the run most of the game, and his WRs weren't getting open for him. Let's hope Wisenhunt and Grimm get this straightened out for next week.

Alex Smith - 15/31, 126 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 3/36, 1 FL. Much like Leinart above, he encountered some protection problems, and he also lost a TD thanks to a Darrell Jackson drop. Smith remains a QB2 with upside, but the offensive play calling has to take better advantage of the skill players around him for them to succeed.

Edgerrin James - 26/92, 2/20, 1 TD. Edge had a great first half with 11 carries for 56 yards, but the SF defense clamped down on him after halftime and he didn't even manage 2.0 YPC during the 2nd half. Run blocking continues to be a problem, and Edge never regained the speed he possessed prior to his torn ACL years ago. The blocking should get better with improved talent and coaching, but Edge remains a RB2 without much upside.

Frank Gore - 18/55, 1/21, 1 TD. Gore also struggled in this game to find running room after a solid 1st half. Worth noting here is the 2 drops he had as his broken hand appears to be less than 100%, but he'll be much better going forward.

Larry Fitzgerald - 3/20. Arizona needs to go back to the drawing board and learn how to use Fitzgerald and Boldin properly. Fitzgerald is at his best in jumpball situations down the field, but Arizona just didn't have enough time to throw it deep. They must fix this in order for Fitzgerald to have WR1 value like he was drafted. I'm a bit worried about his production here, but it's only week 1.

Anquan Boldin - 4/22, 1/14, 1 TD. Thanks to his late TD, Boldin turned in a decent outing. Read above, but Boldin is at his best after the catch. Utilizing him on screens and hitting him on slants and patterns that allow him some space to work with will benefit him the best.

Darrell Jackson - 4/36. He dropped a TD pass, and all in all he was very overrated heading into the season. He was a force when healthy on Seattle, but the health of his toe remains a question, and his signature drops continue to be a problem. He's a weak WR3 until he proves otherwise, but he will improve as Smith gains chemistry with him.

Arnaz Battle - 5/60. Battle quietly continues to be the best WR on the 49ers. He's not a speedster and won't light up the scoreboard, but he's a steady WR who Smith can count on to make the catch. He's not a bad guy to stash as your WR5, depending on your roster.

Vernon Davis - 2/4. Well, at least he got his worst game of the season out of the way early. SF needs to utilize him like San Diego does with Gates...he's easily the most talented receiving option the 49ers have. Let's hope that starts next week, but Wisenhunt barely used the TE in his offense in Pittsburgh. That's something I didn't consider when drafting him in all of my leagues.