The Tuesday Evening Punter

Down goes Brady! Down goes Merriman! Who’s next? Week 1 was plagued with injuries, and filled with upsets, surprises, and impressive starts for some rookies. As the season kicks back off, so does the Punter. Check out Week 1′s Stars of the Week and more in this weeks edition of the Tuesday Evening Punter.

QB: Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles
McNabb looked healthier than ever on Sunday, helping lead the Eagles to a 38-3 blowout win over the Rams. Donovan completed 21 of his 33 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

RB: Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
On Sunday, Michael Turner was officially out of LT’s shadow. And boy did he look like the man he shadowed for all those years in San Diego. In his first game with the Falcons, Turner rushed for 220 yards on 22 carries while reaching the end zone two times in a Falcons win over the Detroit Lions, 34-21.

WR: Eddie Royal, Denver Broncos
With Brandon Marshall out due to a one game suspension, someone had to step up. And that someone was rookie wide receiver Eddie Royal. Royal caught 9 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown in the huge 41-14 Broncos win over the Raiders on Monday night in Oakland.

Defense: James Harrison, OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Harrison was all over the place on Sunday, recording nine tackles, three sacks, and forcing a fumble in the Steelers dominant win 38-17 win over the Houston Texans.

Other News:
-The Giants began their quest to repeat as Super Bowl Champions with a 16-7 win over the Redskins on Thursday night. Eli didn’t impress like he did in the playoffs, but he rushed for the only Giants touchdown, and led them to a victory.
-Rookie Joe Flacco got his first career win as the Ravens beat the Bengals 17-10. Flacco’s day was highlighted by his 38 yard touchdown run which helped lead Baltimore to the win.
-The Buffalo Bills handed out a beating to the Seattle Seahawks as they won 34-10. The Seahawks defense looked non-existent on Sunday, and they are going to have to bounce back in order to win the NFC West this season.
-Brett Favre and the Jets beat the man he replaced Chad Pennington and the Dolphins 20-14. Favre threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns in the win for the Jets.
-The Patriots were able to hold onto a win by defeating the Chiefs 17-10 despite a fourth quarter scare by Kansas City. Despite getting the win, New England lost their starting quarterback Tom Brady for the remainder of the season as he will be having surgery on his knee. That means that Matt Cassel, who played the majority of Sunday’s game, will be the starting quarterback for the remainder of the year.
-New Orleans was able to hold onto to a 24-20 win over NFC South rival Tampa Bay on Sunday. The Saints, led by Reggie Bush’s 163 total yards and Drew Brees’ three touchdown passes got the win.
-The Titans were able to knock off the Jaguars 17-10, but they too, as the Patriots, lost their starting quarterback. Vince Young is expected to miss 2-4 weeks.
-The Cowboys handed the Browns a 28-10 loss led by Marion Barber’s two touchdown runs in his first game as the premiere back in Dallas.
-In the biggest upset of the weekend, the Panthers snuck by the Chargers 26-24 thanks to the game winning touchdown pass from Jake Delhomme to second year tight end Dante Rosario.
-The Cardinals beat the 49ers 23-13 in a yawner.
-Another big surprise this weekend came when the Bears sent a message to the Colts with a 29-13 win in Indianapolis on Sunday night. The Bears offense was lead by rookie running back Matt Forte, who rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown in his career debut.
-And last but not least, the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay began on a positive note as the Packers beat the Vikings 24-19 on Monday night.

Week 2 What to Watch For:

1) Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys:
This Monday night game could be a great game between these two rivals. And with both teams coming off of great performances, things should get interesting down in Dallas.

2) New England Patriots vs. New York Jets
The Jets finally have their chance to take the AFC East from the Patriots, and winning this game would be a huge step towards accomplishing that goal. Matt Cassel will be making his first career start, while Brett Favre will be making his debut in New York.

3) Indianapolis Colts vs. Minnesota Vikings
This game is a must-win for both teams who suffered losses in week one. For the Colts, Peyton Manning had got to become the leader he has been. And for the Vikings, Tavaris Jackson needs to complete passes in order for them to win because Adrian Peterson can’t do it all himself. Should be an interesting game in Minnesota.