Fans were treated to a double dose of Monday Night Football in Week 1, and the Pittsburgh Steelers put on quite a show in the first game of the night.
Week 1 of the 2016 NFL season came to a close on Monday night, as there was a double-feature for Monday Night Football.
In the opener, the Pittsburgh Steelers dismantled the Washington Redskins thanks to a huge games from Antonio Brown and DeAngelo Williams. The two combined for nearly 300 yards of offense and four touchdowns, leading the Steelers to a 38-16 victory.
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In the nightcap, all eyes were on San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick during the national anthem. Kaepernick has made a point to not stand during the anthem, and in the team’s regular season opener, he was joined by teammate Eric Reid. The 49ers got off to a fast start against the Los Angeles Rams, as Carlos Hyde scored a rushing touchdown in the first quarter.
Bad news for Robert Griffin III fans, as he is headed to the IR. Griffin injured his shoulder during the Cleveland Browns’ Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and now he will be out for an extended period of time with a fractured bone in his left shoulder.
The team will now turn to Josh McCown to lead the way for at least the next eight weeks. Hopefully for Browns fans, the team does not place a call to Johnny Manziel. Kidding. Kidding.
Staying with the quarterback, Seattle Seahawks signal-caller Russell Wilson is dealing with a bum ankle, though he expects to play on Sunday. The ankle was injured when Ndamukong Suh stepped on it.
Wilson led the Seahawks to a late touchdown to beat the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, but the offense looked stagnant throughout. The Seahawks only have rookie Trevone Boykin on their roster, so losing Wilson would be devastating to their offense.
The New England Patriots had no business beating the Arizona Cardinals on the road on Sunday night, but that is exactly what they did. Playing without quarterback Tom Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski, and two starting tackles, the Pats went into the desert and beat one of the best teams in the league.
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Brady, who is serving a four-game suspension because of his role in Deflategate, liked what he saw from his team. He thought current starter Jimmy Garoppolo played well, and it was a fun game to watch.