Big Dave Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 10 NFL teams that must win in Week 1 Posted: September 1, 2008 Sure we lost in Week 1, but it's only the first game, right? Heck, we've got a whole 16 more weeks to get this season to our liking. Not quite. Although it's good for NFL teams to have that kind of optimism -- it did wonders for the eventual Super Bowl-champion New York Giants after they looked bad in losing their first two games of last season -- what happens in Week 1 is important for most playoff-hopeful teams. Over the past six seasons, since the NFL adopted its current eight-division format, 68 percent of teams that won in Week 1 of the regular season (49 of 72) went on to qualify for the playoffs. So roughly, about 10 of every 16 losers of Week 1 games watch their playoff chances being reduced to bleak. As you might expect, most of the teams that rebound from Week 1 losses and do go on to make the postseason are very good teams that just happen to draw other playoff-caliber teams to open the season. Although the league's elite, such as the Patriots, Chargers and Colts all want to make sure they win, too, it's the second tier of division and wild-card hopefuls who have much at stake to set the tone for the rest of their seasons. Here are 10 such NFL teams that would most benefit from a Week 1 victory: 1. New York Jets. Never has there been so much pressure on a 4-12 team to turn things around quickly and make the playoffs, at the least as a wild card. That just comes with acquiring one of history's greatest quarterbacks in the league's biggest media market. It's not that Brett Favre needs to lead the Jets to a season-opening win for their own benefit, it's also that they just can't lose to this opponent. Even though it's on the road, New York can't afford a loss to the rival Dolphins, in an AFC East division game, to a team that finished 1-15 last season and most notably, is now led on the field by the man Favre replaced, Chad Pennington. http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=452254 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade Green Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 No urgency for the fish to win in week 1, everybody that actually matters already knows they aint going no where. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faba Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 If we want to be a playoff team yes we must win this first game against a team we should beat.-simple right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryno the Jet Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=452254 Couldn't agree more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJ Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Good news for the Miami fans - the crummy Phish can lose Sunday and 13 more times and still finish the season doing twice as well as they did last season. Chad's all lined up for some more greatness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GangGreen Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=452254 We could win this game with our practice squad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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