On The Couch: NFL Week 1

Jeremy Shockey is badly limping after every play. He does this every game, no? And there's a TD catch one play after he hobbled off the field. Is Jeremy a drama queen?

John Madden: "It's always started with the running game with the Colts." Huh? Didn't Peyton Manning throw 50 TD passes a couple of years ago? Madden used to be cool but the game has passed him by. Passing offense and defense wins games and champioships. Period.

Dungy says Addai is 40/60 splitting carries with Dominic Rhodes, who just got into the endzone. I figured Addai would get all short-yardage and goal-line action. Still, I like Addai long-term in '06. He finished off one run really nicely and showed nice hands and awareness on a circle route, not your typical RB dumpoff.

The over/under on Jerious Norwood caries is 150 and I'm going over because the Falcons are going to run Dunn into the ground. They're treating him like they treat Vick; they don't care if either gets hurt because the backups excite (Schaub for Vick).

Mike Bell owners, don't fret. When your guy is out there on fourth and one from the minus-31 in the second quarter and converts, he has the coach's trust.

Chad Pennington, welcome back. It's funny with Culpepper and Pennington. Daunte was viewed as a guy to get becasue he's looking good. But he'll never run the way he did again and that was a big part of his real and fantasy game. What did Chad lose? Arm strength? He never had that to begin with. Heck, I'll root for both to recover, but Pennington, as he's showing, was as good a bad bet to get back to peak form as Daunte.

Vince Young in the QB rotation is smart. Players have to play. Give him a package and let him master it in practice each week. It almost worked against the Jets. I still maintain Young will be great. It cracks me up that Merrill Hoge trashes him after praising "Sick Vick" for years. We KNOW Vick can't throw the football.

Phil Simms says the three-step drop has been mastered by the defenses, who understand how to disrupt the timing and get their arms up to tip a lot of passes. Maybe he's defending his son. I have to check into tipped passes stats. Then, I have to get a life.

Jake Plummer, the one-night stand in Denver.

Tatum Bell's fumble is ominous and won't be forgotten by Shanny, who always looks for a reason to cut Tatum's PT.

Willis McGahee says he's healthy for the first time since his knee surgery and really looks like he can fly now. Very quick on a pass vs. New England, where he split the secondary.

Jim Haslett has 68 blitzes in the game plan versus the Broncos? Context would be nice. But this sounds like an awful lot. I think every one of them is working.

Chiefs first red zone possession of 2006 (the Herm Edwards Era): a run on third and five. Stuffed. Boo!!!!!