NFL Week 1 winners, losers, MVP, LVP, Studs, duds and more.

Now that the NFL has kicked off check out all the highlights, lowlights, and everything in between in Week 1 in the NFL.

  

Top Headlines:

(1) Brady - Gronk combo destroys Steelers
Brady shook off the deflategate accusations, lack of preseason work and all of his haters to perform and throw 4 TD's (3 to Gronk) tefeat the Steelers. Brady for MVP this season?
Hmmm....

(2) Cowboys, Romo, escape with big W over Giants
With no DeMarco Murray this season, another year of disappointment of not reaching Super Bowl & a division rival in week 1, it looked as if Cowboys would let the G-Men  grab a big road W. But a brain fart by Coach Coughlin and a Eli Manning

incompletion  set the stage for a clutch Romo comeback, hitting his main man Witten for a TD in the final seconds,  alleviating a big injury to Dez and avoiding the dreaded 0-1 start.
Romo was magical & looks as ready as ever to maybe get them Boys to the next level.

(3) Mariotta outshines Jameis in rookie QB duel, Titans roll 
In a matchup which featured the top 2 QBs in college last year, Mariotta threw 3 TDs in the first quarter alone, as the Titans defeated Tampa Bay.
While most people think Winston is the better rookie QB, Mariotta proved he will be someone to be reckoned with. And I'm sure he's not too thrilled he lost that Heisman Trophy to Jameis last year.
One up for Marcus in the pros...Stay tuned.


WK 1 OVERHYPE MACHINE AWARD GOES TO: 

EAGLES -  Granted the Eagles have a lot of new pieces, but after the first half? 20-3?
Where's the high powered offense?

DeMarco Murray stats: 8 rushes, 9 yards, 2 TDs

While the Eagles did get it rolling in the second half, it still remains to be seen if Bradford can stay healthy and if the other pieces will fit. If so? Eagles should be flying high by mid-season.
If not?
Chip Kelly could be on the waiver wire.

COLTS -   The Colts were the "Trendy" pick for the Super Bowl adding Gore, Andre Johnson, and others, solidifying their chances to get to the Super Bowl.  

However the Colts got blitzed by the Bills and their stingy D and rejuvenated O. Indy was shut out in the first half and dominated overall. Will be interesting to see how they bounce back.


SURPRISE SQUADS OF THE WEEK

BENGALS -  The Bengals despite having Super Bowl talent on the roster, have been known to not play up to their capabilities.  Well, with a healthy

Tyler Eifert and a seasoned D? A near shutout of the Raiders, a near flawless first half and a legion of "WhoDey" fans who feel this could- & should be the breakout year of the Bengals.

CHIEFS -  KC picked off new Texans QB Brian Hoyer on the first play and never looked back, scoring 26 at the half.. With a healthy Jamaal Charles and a more comfy and relaxed Alex Smith?
Could be a banner year for the Chiefs.

49ers -   After a tumultuous off with  the departure of their coach,  players being suspended, a legend going to other teams, and everything in between, it looks like the 49ers we're going to be headed for a rough season. but with a revamped defense, a quarterback who looks comfortable in the pocket for once, and a new running back in the fold with Carlos Hyde, it could become a good season for San Fran.


MVPs of Week 1 -

BRADY and GRONK -   The dynamic duo once again proved that when healthy, there is no better combo in the NFL.  both are on the early watch for MVP.

Tony Romo -   With his star  receiver injured, Romo led the Cowboys to an amazing drive late in the game to capture the first victory of the season over the Giants. not to mention that he leads the league and come back drives over the last 5 years. this could be Romo's banner year, as he looked as cool and calm as ever in directing the Cowboys to a huge win.

J.J. Watt -  Although Watts Texans team lost, the top Defensive player in the League did what he does best.
Dominate.

LVP (Least Valuable Players) of the week: 

LUCK - Colts   Luck was harassed all day by the Bills, and racked up a couple INTs en route to being shut out in the first half.. This from the front runner for preseason MVP?

BRIAN HOYER - Texans   Hoyer, after winning the job with a nice preseason, unloaded a INT on the games first play, setting the tone for a KC smacking of the Texans. Hoyer was replaced by Mallet, and won't start in game 2.
Talk about a rough start to a season.

BYRON MAXWELL - EAGLES     Maxwell, who left the Legion of boom and signed a youth contract with Philly, was torched by top wide receiver Julio Jones over and over and over again. Maxwell was brought to Philly to be a shutdown corner. If he can't get it done? The Eagles will be hurting.



Best team in Week 1 - BENGALS
Worst team in Week 1 - VIKINGS

State bound Trotwood, Thurgood, changes culture of Dayton High School Football

Brandon McKinney throwing with future QB

       Last summer SportsEffectLive.com attended former C-J standout and current Indianapolis Colt Brandon McKinney's 7 on 7 passing camp (located at Trotwood Madison high school) in which there were 6 teams in attendance, all getting ready for the season; As we talked with one of the Trotwood coaches, they felt like that Thurgood wasn't quite on Trotwood's level, which may have been one of the reasons that the two schools didn't play this season.  As they competed in the summer drills, it was a heated series and Thurgood had stopped the Rams, which in turn gave them the ball. As it turns out, maybe they were one of the ONLY TEAMS who could have competed with the Rams this season.

          Thurgood Marshall has gone where no Dayton City League team has gone before; landing in the D-III State Semifinals. Behind a incredible running game (led by Denzel Norvell and Vayante Copeland), a very good coaching staff and a underrated defense the Cougars have become a major force. Last year the Cougars was a cinderella team as they made the playoffs, beat a precocious Alter squad (who was undefeated) and almost got to state last year (losing to Springfield Shawnee after leading at half 13-0); this year, as the players said: This was revenge. 
      
         And sweet revenge it was as the Cougars would beat the brakes off of Athens 60-21. There would be no comebacks this season as Thurgood amassed over 650 - yes, that's right - 650 offensive yards, while holding Athens to 230 yards. And with it, the Cougars have cemented their place in dayton history, as not only the first city team to get this far, but looking to build on a possible legacy if they can pull out a state title. Which leads us to the Trotwood Madison Rams...

   

  

Israel Green goin' ham

Trotwood, coming off a dramatic D-II State Championship last year,  looked overmatched, out of sync, and frustrated in their season opener against a mighty opponent in their first week on ESPN; Then injuries occurred, which forced them to look into a young QB to run the show...They lost another game early in the season to fall to 1-2. It looked like the Rams would flounder and maybe not even get back to the playoffs. After that, the coaches started to see the Ram football they had been accustomed to throughout the last half decade. The young QB (Messiah DeWeaver), called the "Black Tom Brady" by Coach Douglass, starts to develop; new guys fill into their roles; and the vets started to kick into top form.  After barely squeaking into the playoffs on a Week 10 win, Senior RB Isreal Green began the charge like he did last year, running roughshod over any opponent. Rams hit their groove, got their swag back, with a little more drama nevertheless, and got back to the State Semifinals for the 3rd season in a row.
       
       Coach Maruice Douglass, who said earlier in the season that "Some new guys would have to step up" did a masterful job of coaching his guys up, keeping them focused, and not letting the bottom fall out when they started out 1-2. Now the Rams are literally two wins away from repeating as champions and starting the chants as a DYNASTY really in the making. With a rushing game that has been invigorated and a QB that has been making better and better decisions it will be left up to the defense, which has Mike McCray Jr. (Michigan bound) leading the stable of Rams who make it happen, this could once again be "RAM Nation" as they head into the Semis as the favorite.

        Just a few years ago, if anybody said that City League Football was State worthy, you prolly would've laughed. Playoffs? Ok. State bound? Just don't happen. But with Thurgood Coach Earl White instilling a running game unparalled to any school in Ohio, its time to recognize that good City League teams can compete with ANYBODY. It was always a myth, a running joke, that City Schools weren't smart enough, weren't capable enough of competing with the big schools. Funny, all it took was a couple changes here or there, a dedicated group of young men, a solid game plan, and the skys the limit.

    Whether they like it or not, the ONLY team capable of playing with the mighty Rams is the Thurgood Marshall Cougars. And that, my friends, is no joke.

How sweet would it be to see both teams bring home the title?  Maybe we just might see that rivalry renewed next year.



Follow us on twitter @ TheSportsEffect
                     Facebook: SportsEffectLive.com FanPage/Sports Show

TOP 10 JUICIEST NFL Storylines; 5 - 10 & NFL Season Predictions

 Wassup peoples!!! With the NFL jumping off today with the Cowboys taking on the Champion New York Giants, its clear that the big boys are ready for some football...AND WE ARE TOO!!..With that being said, there are some UNBELIEVEABLE storylines this season for the NFL... So we decided at SportsEffectLive.com  to bring you the: SELIVE TOP 10 JUICIEST STORYLINES in the NFL this season.....
ENJOY!!!

(1)  Will the GIANTS REPEAT?

Will he become the ELI-TE one?

      Before last season started Eli Manning was asked if he was an "ELITE" Quarterback.Without hesitation, in his normal calm voice, he said "YES" and explained why he felt that way. It was a classic moment as you could hear the snickering and laughing from the pundits, experts, and other teams about the comment; Most people thought the Giants beating the undefeated Pats in 2008 was a fluke; Not anymore as Manning led the Giants to another Super Bowl victory over Tom-terrific and the Pats again last season. With all the snickering gone, can ELI move his way to becoming the ELITE QB in the NFL this year? Another Super Bowl, and you have to put em up there...But questions remain for the Champs; Will Victor Cruz have a another great season after doing everything but become mayor of New York?..What running back will step up? And what will become of the injured, depleted secondary?




(2)  Who will be the QB of the JETS come crunch time?
    When the Cult that is Tim Tebow landed in New York after being urshered out the door from Denver, you could feel Sanchize cringe with excitement....After having a down season, now he has to deal with the "BLESSED ONE" smiling in his face and secretly wantin to have his job? And on top of that, the 1st team offense directed a total of - 0 touchdowns - in the preseason? The odds are stacked against Sanchez, but don't bet against him. Hey Eva Longoria is bettin with him as they have started datin. So why not us? Although the pressure is high, look for Sanchez to have his best season of his career. You heard it here first.


(3) Which Packers team will show up this season?
    The Packers absolutely steamrolled the competition in the regular season last season, lookin like a shoo-in for another Super Bowl appearance. However, after a 15-1 regular season, the Packs highly touted offense sputtered against the aggressive Giants, and the D had waaay too many lapses, leaving the cheeseheads with a bad taste in their mouth. This season will be interesting in the fact that when the Pack won the Super Bowl, they were 9-7 and under the radar; Theres no doubt that the Packers could win it all; question is, can they play with the pressure of being a "Favorite" and not the "underdog" in the playoffs? Remains to be seen...



(4) Can Bengals change their CULTURE this season? 
    The Bengals did a bang up job in the draft last season, getting the steal in the draft in pro bowl rookie QB Andy Dalton and drafting the next superstar at WR in A.J. Green; That duo led them to a suprising playoff appearance, and a lot of hope for the future. However one thing that hasn't changed in Cincy is the culture of winning; usually when the Bengals win one season, they lose the next. Check the records. You have to go back to the Ickey Woods, Boomer days in the late 80's - early 90's to find two winning seasons in a row; in order for the Bengals to become a team with a WINNING CULTURE they must find a way to get back to the playoffs. They have the talent, and Coach Marvin Lewis did a great job last season, but this is THE SEASON that could define the careers of Dalton, Green, and Marvin Lewis.

(5) The PEYTON MANNING EFFECT
   Last year Peyton Manning got to watch his team, the Indinapolis Colts, lose so much that he heard the Andrew Luck rumors...Would he be the first pick? Would Peyton and Luck be on the same team? Who would start?..And the later the season played, the more and more obvious it became, that the Colts would be in rebuild mode; Would Peyton want to be a part of that? Well, as it turns out, Peyton, and his shaky neck, was let go in Indy, and after a little courting from teams all over, Manning decided that he would take his talents to the Mile High Club in Denver. Now with Manning running the show with a team who beat the Steelers last playoffs and a guy in the front office who will let him do his thing (John Elway), this season has a all-or-nothing feel to it. Will Peyton make it through the season? Will he be rusty from a full season layoff? Can the Broncos get to the Super Bowl? Will they regret getting rid of Tim Tebow?


(6) Which Rookie QB will fare the best?
    Leapfrogging off of Andrew Luck, this season there will be 5 Rookie QB's  that will be starting in week 1; This hasn't happened since the 60's; When the draft was made, there was a good chance that there would be 2 starters (Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III) coming into Wk 1; But with the Dolphins and Browns liking their two rookies (Tanneyhill in Miami and 28 yr-old Weeden in Cleveland) they moved up the ladder pretty quickly. Add in a suprise player in Russell Wilson in Seattle, who outplayed Matt Flynn, and now you have a youth movement at the position. Which QB will be hurt first? Who will lead their team to a playoff run? Which QB will be benched first?


(7)  What will become of the Saints?
   The Saints were the darlings of the league just three seasons ago, when they upset the Colts in the Super Bowl; Since then, the Who Dat nation have been under the microscope of Roger Goodell and the League for having bounties on players (such as Brett Favre and other players, supposedly). Goodell put the pimp hand down on the Saints, removing their coaches, players, and anybody else involved in the alleged scandal. While there have looong been rumors that coaches and players give money for hard hits or injuries, Goodell felt like the Saints would be "put on blast" for what they did. So now, with a interim coach taking over, still fighting the NFL about the suspensions put on the coaches and players. Can Brees become the ULTIMATE QB and lead his team - on and off the court - to the playoffs?


(8) Is Cowboys, Chargers, running out of time?
    The Cowboys and Chargers have been two of the most talked about teams in the last five years in referring to Super Bowl talent and aspirations. While the Chargers have been closer than the Cowboys in those times, neither team have been able to grasp that moment in order to get to that elusive Super Bowl. The Chargers, led by Phillip Rivers, had a tough season last year. Now with guys getting older, and Rivers entering a crucial time in his career, is it do or die time for the Chargers and coach Norv Turner, who has more lives than Sylvester the Cat. And the Cowboys, who have top level talent, just haven't been able to get over the hump. However, with two new CB's, a budding RB, and Jerry being Jerry, could this be the season that Romo gets the 'Boys to the promiseland?


(9)  Miami Valley Local Lookout

   Just like in Baskeball, there are a load of guys playing in the NFL from the Miami Valley such as A.J. Hawk, Nick Mangold,  Mike Nugent, Jake Ballard, Will Allen, Brandon McKinney, Brandon Saine, and Kurt Coleman just to name a few. With newcomers such as Jerel Worthy (Packers) Michael Shaw (Redskins) trying to get into the league with the current crop of players already established, the Miami Valley continues to show why some of the best Football is played in Ohio, specifially Dayton. Worthy looks to be a star in the making in Green Bay, while Shaw will have to find a way to get on the field. One things is for certain; these guys keep the door swinging wide open for the next group of players to succeed.

(10) Here is SportsEffectLive.com NFL Picks for the 2012-2013 Season

MVP: Aaron Rodgers, Packers  - Rodgers won't have as great as a season as he had last year (45 TD's, 6 INT), but he will be very close. And the Pack will want to get rid of that stinging loss in the Playoffs last season.

Defensive Player of Year:  Patrick Willis, 49ers  - Willis will lead the best Defense in the NFL to another Super Bowl worthy year, as look for the Niners LB to put up incredible numbers this season.

ROOKIE of the YEAR: Russell Wilson, Seahawks - I know this is a stretch with Luck and RG3 out there, but Wilson has played in a pro setting before, and I think with the players he has around him, that he will have a magical season.

Most Underrated AFC Team: Bengals - Although the Bengals did make the playoffs, they have all the tools to reach the AFC Championship game.

Most Underrated NFC Team: Panthers - The Panthers made some good offseason moves, and with Cam Newton running the show, the skys the limit.

AFC Championship -  Ravens    - Texans 
NFC Championship - Cowboys  - Packers

Super Bowl   - Ravens   vs  Cowboys
Champion:    - Cowboys





FOLLOW US ON TWITTER and FACEBOOK  

Twitter : @thesportseffect    or  @Selive Pickem
Facebook: SportsEffectLive.com FANPAGE

NFL Quarterly Awards: Are the Lions forreal? Bengals need to unload Palmer

       After Week 5 in the NFL, there were only 2 undefeated teams (Detroit, Green Bay) and 2 winless teams (Colts, Rams) with teams all in between; There had been records set by rookie QB's (Cam Newton) as well as veterans (Tom Brady); and now that were a quarter through the league, its time to give out the NFL 1st Quarter Awards, courtesy of SELive....
 

MVP:  Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Mega-tron (Calvin Johnson);
 Pick: Im going with ARod; Even though Brady set records early, Brees is having a record -like season, and Mega-tron is leading the Lions resurgence tying records for TD's (9) while bringin Motown back, Aaron Rodgers is on a mission. He wants another ring, he wants a MVP, and he wants 16-0. Rodgers has been in EVERY possible situation in his career, from being the next great behind a great (Favre) to playing with half a offensive roster, to fumbling away the chance 2 seasons ago, only to rise up. Seems like he's going for THAT SPECIAL Season, that every GREAT QB has once or twice in his career. Like Hulk Hogan said on SportsCenter, "He wears the championship belt well" and Im sure he'd like to do his signature belt grab one or two more times in his career.

ROOKIE of the Year: Cam Newton (Panthers), Andy Dalton (Bengals), A.J. Green (Bengals): Julio Jones (Falcons) Von Miller (Broncos)
  Pick: Im going with Newton. Andy Dalton has taken the Bengals where Carson Palmer hasn't in over 3 years; a winning record (3-2), a never say die mentality, and has shown remarkable presence and poise early in the year. A.J Green has been in one word- special. He makes all the catches, and has consistently given Dalton that outside threat, in which nobody has been able to guard him. He's averaging 80 yards a game and leads all rookies with 3 TD's; Julio Jones has been good to the Falcons, but no TD's and a 2-3 record doesn't help. Broncos LB Von Miller has started off amazingly fast, with 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and will be a lock for Def Rookie of Year; And even though Newton and the Panthers has only won 1 game, he has lost to the Patriots, Packers, and Saints, which has 3 of the top MVP QB's in the race. Newton has passed for 7 TD's and ran for 5 more, and has reinvigorated the Carolina franchise. He will only get better, as crazy as that sounds; and when he does, watch out NFL.

Defensive Player of the Year:  Ndamakong Suh (Lions), Jared Allen (Vikings), Rey Maualuaga (Bengals), Clay Matthews (Packers) , DeMarcus Ware (Cowboys)
  Result: Jared Allen looks like the front-runner right now, but watch out for Matthews, Suh, and Ware coming down the stretch. Allen has 8 sacks and a INT so far, but the Vikings are jus now winning their first game. If not for the anemic team play in the second half, he would be the clear favorite. Suh doesnt have the numbers yet, but his play sets the tone for the Lions D, which has been resurrected, to say the least; Ware has been very good, with 5 sacks in four games, and has been all over the field for the much improved Cowboys D. And Maualuaga has been the leader of the #1 Defense in all of the NFL, which is something. All of these players except Allen are young studs, who can change the game and will ramp their games up. Should be a great finish.

 Best Team: Lions, Packers, Pats, Bills, 49ers, Saints
   Pick: Packers right now are easily the top pick in this one. Although  the Lions are the feel-good story and the Bills are the Darlings of the East, The Packers are the most COMPLETE team in the NFL. They have Arod, with a plethora of offensive weapons; their Defense is almost as good, with Matthews, Woodson, Raji, and more ready to make big plays. Add a level of calm after winning the Super Bowl? We got a 15-1 record on our hands, and a possible dynasty in the making. Dont sleep on the Saints, who was a play or two away from beating the Champs in the first game of the season.

Worst Team: Rams, Colts

 Pick: As much as I want to pick the Colts (0-5), the Rams (0-4) haven't done anything this year to not merit this position. We all know why the Colts are in this position; Were not sure what the Rams can do to get out of this position. They have taken 2 steps back, when this was supposed to be a breakout year. Question really is, who will win a game first?

Surprise Team; Lions, Bills, 49ers, Bengals
  Pick: The Lions (5-0) get the nod, although the Bills and 49ers have been playing as well as the Lions. Detroit has won 13 games straight (counting last season and preseason); The Bills (4-1) showed that they were forreal with a bounceback win against the Eagles, while the 49ers (4-1) wiped up the Bucs to prove that they are no fluke. Bengals have won more games already (3) than most experts picked they would win ALL SEASON.  Question is, can all of these teams keep it up and get to the playoffs?
Biggest Dissapointment: Eagles, Colts, Vikings, Falcons

 Pick: I gotta go with the Eagles, with the Vikings and Falcons nipping on their heels. The Eagles looked amazing on paper; QB coming off great year, losing to the Champs, adding a shutdown corner,a good WR and a good DLine, but losing their Defensive Coordinator (Jim Johnson RIP) has really hurt the Eagles, along with the added pressure and silly mistakes. The Vikings added McNabb, start fast but faded in the 1st 4 games, finally getting a W last week, while the Falcons are 2-3, struggling,  and was once the favorites to make it to the Super Bowl.

Coach on the Hot Seat: Andy Reid (Eagles), Jack Del Rio (Jags), Tony Sparano (Dolphins)
  Pick: I have to go with Sparano of the Dolphins. Sparano was already flaming for parts of last year, and when you have to rest your job in the hands of Chad Henne, I'd assume that will stay hot. Now that he's hurt, what does he do? I say trade for Carson Palmer and try that. Hes got weapons, but has went from Wildcat to battlecry in less than one season. Andy Reid is flaming on right now since he put together this team, not to mention his defensive coordiator promotion, but hes done too much to get axed (we think); Del Rio is using Gabbert to save him another season. As Gabbert goes, so does Del Rio.

Who are your picks for the SELive Quarterly Report?   COMMENTS are Welcome
www.sportseffectlive.com