Stars in week one of the 2010 season opener
The much anticipated 2010 weekend season opener has lived up to the hype and has been marked by spectacular plays from a few players, worthy of mentioning. Here are the NFL’s best performances in week
one.
Arian Foster runs wild
It didn’t take long for Texans running-back Arian Foster to make a name for himself. His spectacular season debut not only put Houston’s dreary running game on the map and on the radar of opposing teams,
but he also solidified his spot on the team’s rotation.
Foster, who rushed for a team-record 231 yards and scored three touchdowns, was on the practice squad last season. He did manage to see some playing time and rushed for a total of 257 yards in all of last
season.
Foster ran for 89 yards more than any other running-back in week one, with Tennessee Titans’ Chris Johnson in second with 142 rushing yards. The Texans needed every yard from Foster to have a chance to
upset the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Understanding that, the best way to beat Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning is to have him on the sidelines, Houston stuck with running game and eventually wore down their opponents late in the game.
“We had to have patience,” Foster said. “It didn’t feel like I was going to be able to get going early, but you keep pounding and pounding, and they start getting a little tired and we start getting a
little tired. It’s a test of wills.”
Mike Vick returns to his old form
Michael Vick showed on Sunday that he is still a dynamic player and has been every bit as good during his days with the Atlanta Falcons, if not better. Vick came in the game after Kevin Kolb sustained
a concussion in the second quarter, and infused the Eagles’ offence with new life after a horrendous start.
Vick resembled his former self and made extended plays with his legs, keeping his eyes down field, trying to locate open receivers. He passed for 175 yards and ran for huge gains as he finished the game
with over 100 yards rushing. Although Kolb got the start, Vick asserted himself and took charge on the offence despite the loss to Green Bay.
"I feel like if I had been out there for four quarters, maybe we would've had a chance to win the game," Vick said.
Peyton Manning throws for over 400 yards
There’s a reason why Peyton Manning is considered by many to be the league’s best quarterback. He can do it all and he makes it look very easy. Manning finished Sunday’s contest completing 40 of 57 passes
for 433 yards and three touchdowns. Manning has a lot of options at the receiving position and uses all of his weapons.
After week one, Manning leads all quarterbacks in passing yards and was the only one to throw over 400 yards. His team fell behind early against the Texans which forced him to throw many attempts, but
who else would you rather have chuck the ball down-field to your receivers?
Hakeem Nicks hauls in three TDs
Hakeem Nicks was a huge factor in the New York Giants winning their first game in their new Meadowlands Stadium. He caught three touchdown passes from Eli Manning and the Carolina Panthers didn’t find
a way to contain him.
After a slow start, the Giants started rolling and got Nicks involved in the passing game, which proved to pay dividends. They rode him in the second half and he came up big for New York. "It was a whole
new half, and all the errors we made were out the window," said Nicks. “We just wanted to go out there and click."
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