The first week of the NFL season is now in the books and it did not disappoint. Teams like the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens proved they were worthy of all the off-season hype that surrounded their teams, while others like the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions stumbled, but won, in their opening games. With that being said, there were a few moments that stood out above all else in the opening week of the 2012 NFL Season:
Peyton Manning's stellar debut in Denver
When Peyton Manning decided to sign with Denver in the offseason, speculation began about whether or not Manning was fully recovered from his neck injury that cost him all of last season. Well, the future Hall-of-Famer silenced all of his doubters. Manning threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns, helping Denver to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-19 on Sunday night. The Broncos now head to Atlanta to face the Falcons on Monday Night Football.
Robert Griffin III dominates in 1st NFL game
The Washington Redskins mortgaged their future to draft Robert Griffin III in this year's NFL Draft (they traded three first-round draft picks and one second), and RGIII paid off big time in his first game. Facing the New Orleans Saints, he provided the highlight of the week, hitting WR Pierre Garcon for an 88-yard touchdown pass (see below). He finished the game with 320 yards passing and two touchdown passes, but most importantly no turnovers and a win.
The 49ers prove they are the team to beat in the NFC
Every season there is a team that jumps in standings from one year to the next, and last year that was the 49ers. Many times those teams fall back down the standings the following season, but the Niners don't look like they are going to let that happen. The team dominated the vaunted Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, solidifying themselves as the top team in the NFC in the early season. San Francisco was just a couple plays from going to the Super Bowl last season, so they hope to take the next step in 2012 and their Week 1 performance was a good start.
What was the highlight of Week 1 in the NFL season for you?