Week 1 in the NFL is always unpredictable. We have no clue how good any defense will be at stopping the run versus the pass. We don’t know how prolific or “high-octane” these offenses are going to be. Also, some players just flat-out don’t perform that well in their opener.
Below are some that had sub-par production in week 1, but will bounce back in a big way, in NFL week 2.
Jamaal Charles
One of the top backs last year, Charles was supposed to do well against the Titans, but apparently the guys from Tennessee didn’t get the message. The Titans held Charles to a meager 19 rushing yards on seven attempts and four receptions for 15 yards.
With his longest rush only going six yards, it was apparent Charles couldn’t be his usual explosive self. There was no room to run, no lanes to burst through, no juking a player in the secondary and waltzing into the endzone.
In Week 2, he’ll have a much easier time of things. The Kansas City Chiefs travel to the Mile High City to take on Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. Charles has excelled against Denver as of late. He has averaged 126 yards per game on the ground in their last seven contests, including the monster 262-yardage game in Denver in 2009.
Eddie Lacy
Lacy is another running back that had a bad game, but this time against a legendary defense. Last week, Lacy faced the Superbowl champion Seattle Seahawks and he was only able to muster 12 carries for 34 yards for a truly horrible 2.8 yards per carry average. His longest rush was 15 yards but he and the team just couldn’t keep any momentum on offense.
In Week 2, the Packers host the New York Jets. The Jets’ run defense wasn’t really tested last week as they played against an older Maurice Jones-Drew for part of the game before he suffered an injury. Plus it’s the Oakland Raiders in 2014 with rookie Derek Carr making his first NFL start, what are they going to do? Run the ball. What are the Jets going to do to counter it? Stack the box. It’s a no-win scenario for Oakland. Too easy for the Jets.
They’ll get a real test as Lacy takes them on. He is a much better back than MJD and has real talent. He’ll have a big game.
Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers can’t wait to slice a team up with his precision passing. In the first two weeks, the Packers go from the facing the best secondary in 2013 (Seattle), to the 22nd passing defense last year in the Jets.
Because Rodgers will be able to march down the field for touchdown after touchdown this week with relative ease, look for his receivers (Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb) to also have good days this Sunday.
LeSean McCoy
McCoy is a beast. He led the NFL in rushing yards in 2013, which is why his 74 yards on 21 carries and 41 yards on six receptions were a disappointment. On top of that, the Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t a terrible defense. The Philadelphia Eagles were down 17-0 at halftime and had to come back. Darren Sproles’ great production caused Chip Kelly and the Eagles to not need McCoy once they got up big. No need to have him get injured, right?
In week two, he’ll have a big bounce back game as Philadelphia faces the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football. Last season, Indy was the 26th best run defense and they just gave up 102 yards on the ground to the Broncos last week. In a fast-tempo game, McCoy will be able to run all over the Colts on the way to a bounce back game.
Rob Gronkowski
Gronk sure got bailed out by the touchdown, otherwise people would be talking about his lackluster first game. Only four receptions on 11 targets (that’s really bad) for 40 total yards, 18 of which came on one play. If you take that one out, he had three receptions on ten targets for a miserable 22 yards. Not exactly superstar status.
He’ll turn it around in week two as the New England Patriots travel to Minnesota to play out in the cold tundra. We probably aren’t going to see Tom Brady lose two games in a row, and Gronkowski is going to help Brady avoid that outcome. I’d say more than 100 yards receiving and at least one (probably two) touchdowns.