It was exactly what NFL fans were hoping for during Week 1. Overtime games. Wild endings. And plenty of standout individual performances. At this point, we can’t wait for Week 2.
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No contest had a crazier finish than the Broncos and the Bengals in Cincinnati. Instead of knocking down a sideline pass late in the game, cornerback Leon Hall deflected a Kyle Orton pass as he dove for an interception. So when the ball deflected into the air, Denver receiver Brandon Stokley was, of course, right there to catch it — Murphy’s Law going completely and totally wrong. Stokley raced 87 yards for a stunning touchdown with 11 seconds to play and the Broncos held on to win the game, 12-7.
That was an insane turn of events. But it took something that bizarre to overshadow Pittsburgh receiver Hines Ward actually fumbling the football in a critical situation on Thursday night against Tennessee. Instead of setting up the game-wining field goal inside the 5-yard line, Ward’s first fumble since 2006 sent the game into overtime, where the Steelers won it anyway — thanks in part to a pair of receptions by Ward.
Those games masked some spectacular individual efforts in Week 1. Saints quarterback Drew Brees tossed six touchdown passes in his team’s 45-27 victory over Detroit, tying a New Orleans franchise record in the process. Add in 358 passing yards and you can consider that one of the all-time great days in fantasy football history.
But Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson had a pretty good day himself with three touchdowns on 180 rushing yards. He also caught a pass for 18 yards as the Vikings beat Cleveland, 34-20.
And we can’t leave out the wide receivers. Indianapolis receiver Reggie Wayne played a huge role in his team’s 14-12 win over Jacksonville. Wayne caught 10 passes from quarterback Peyton Manning for 162 yards. That was just six yards shy of his personal best (168) during a nine-year career. Only twice has Wayne caught more passes in a game. It was yet another dominant performance in a week filled with them.
