The NFL season started this past weekend amidst controversy regarding regarding the decision to overturn Tom Brady’s four-game suspension.
Brady is now able to play the first four games of the season. In the first game of 2015 the New England Patriots faced the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Pittsburgh Steelers already having lost a few games. Dick LeBeau, who was the Steelers’ defensive coordinator for ten years, resigned after the end of last season. Defensive end Brett Keisel was released in the offseason and strong safety Troy Polamalu retired after 11 years with the Steelers. On the offensive side, Steelers’ offensive star, running back Le’Veon Bell was suspended and could not play the game. The Steelers defense had a terrible day and was a major factor in the defeat. The defense was unable to cover tight end Rob Gronkowski who had a spectacular night with three touchdowns and 94 yards. Quarterback Tom Brady also had a stellar night with four touchdown passes, 288 yards, and a 78.1 completion percentage.
On Sunday the Seattle Seahawks played against the Saint Louis Rams at Saint Louis. In the last game at St. Louis the Seahawks suffered a tough loss against the Rams, who used multiple trick plays, including a fake punt return. The Seahawks came to the game with an improved offense, with tight end Jimmy Graham and rookie wide receiver Tyler Lockett. On defense, however, the Seahawks were missing strong safety Kam Chancellor, who is holding out for a new contract, and Byron Maxwell, who left the team in the offseason. The Rams were clearly better defensively. The Rams’ defensive line started to put pressure on Russell Wilson from the outset, and by the end they had sacked Wilson six times. Rams’ defensive tackle Aaron Donald performed well, with two sacks and three tackles for a loss. The Seahawks’ offensive line could not do much to break the Rams’ powerful defensive line. Marshawn Lynch had 18 carries for 73 yards and had four receptions for another 34 yards. Wilson struggled under the pressure the Rams were putting on him. He was intercepted once, but he was able to find tight end Jimmy Graham for a touchdown. The Seahawks came back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter, but the Rams tied the game and took it into overtime. The Rams scored a field goal in the first possession of the game and stopped the Seahawks on the 43 yard line on a fourth-and-one play.
In other games from Week One, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears at Chicago 31-23. Aaron Rodgers threw for three touchdowns and 189 yards, while Browns QB Jay Cutler could barely complete 50 percent of his passes. He did however throw for 225 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Jay Cutler now has one interception in every game played against the Packers. On Sunday Night football, Tony Romo led the Dallas Cowboys to a late win against the New York Giants. The Cowboys had three turnovers that the Giants converted in 17 points. Late in the game, the Cowboys had a minute and a half left on the clock to score a win. The Cowboys were down 26-20, but in that minute and a half Tony Romo led a drive for the winning touchdown.