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And so it begins. Week 1 of the 2015-2016 NFL season has come and gone, and league-wide the theme seemed to be injuries. Luckily for our Red Raiders, everyone that entered their game healthy left that way. Let's look at who made an impact for their team this week.
Danny Amendola
Entering the season, due to some injuries in the receiving corps of the Patriots, Amendola started the season opposite Edelman as the #2 receiver for He Who Must Not Be Named to throw to. However, with Gronkowski having a stellar game, Danny was not targeted much, only having 2 balls come his way. He was able to catch 2 of those, one for 18 yards, and another for 6 to bring his week 1 total to 24 receiving yards in a 28-21 win over the Steelers. Next week, the Patriots travel west to take on the mighty Buffalo Bills, Sunday at noon on CBS.
Bradley Marquez
Marquez survived the Ram's cuts so he could help them on special teams. He was credited with 1 solo tackle, but his big moment came in overtime. The Seahawks tried to surprise St. Louis with an onside kick, but Bradley put himself in a great position and caught the ball perfectly. This led the Rams to go ahead in overtime, and win 34-31. Rams coach Jeff Fisher was on Rich Eisen's show Monday morning and when asked about the play, he praised Marquez' ability to put himself in a great position, and said that his hands were a reason for making the team. Next week, Marquez, fellow Red Raider Cody Davis, and the rest of the Rams travel to DC to take on the Redskins.
Michael Crabtree
The most popular Red Raider in the past several years, Crabtree played his first game in the silver and black for Oakland. Unfortunately for the Raiders, they weren't able to do much against the Bengals, losing 33-13. Crabtree was targeted the 2nd most times of any Oakland receiver, with 8, just below potential rookie sensation Amari Cooper who had 9. Crabtree had 5 catches for 37 yards, his longest being 11 yards. Oakland's starting QB David Carr left the game in the 2nd quarter with a hand injury, and backup Matt McGloin didn't have too much more luck. Hopefully Crabtree will have a more successful game when Oakland welcomes in Baltimore next week.
There are a few Red Raiders playing on the offensive line in the league, and most sites using advanced stats start reporting after week 2, so we'll look deeper into them next week.