By Danny Cox
Week one of the 2013 NFL season brought about some upsets, great performances, and lots of injuries. There were a number of players banged up in the opening weekend, and it was especially painful for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Reggie Bush (Credit, Leon Halip/Getty Images)
Reggie Bush Shines in Lions Debut, but Banged up at Day’s End
Reggie Bush is now with his third NFL team, but he may have finally found a place to make himself at home. In his opening game with the Detroit Lions, Bush finished with 101 yards receiving on four catches and also rushed 21 times for 91 yards.
Still, the day took its toll on the speedster.
Bush came out of the victory over the Minnesota Vikings with a dislocated left thumb and suffered a pulled groin. Both injuries happened early in the first quarter, but Bush stayed in for the remainder of the game. Bush said the thumb was facing the wrong direction, but the trainers popped it back in and taped it up.
Mike Wallace Already Unhappy in Miami
Wide receiver Mike Wallace signed a $60 million deal with the Miami Dolphins during the offseason, and expected to be a primary target for quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The Dolphins ended up with a 23-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns, but Wallace isn’t happy about it.
Wallace was targeted five times by Tannehill, but he had only one reception for 15 yards on the day. Once the game was over, reporters tried to talk to Wallace, but all he would say was that he didn’t feel like talking and to “Ask Coach” about the game plan.
Tannehill said that Wallace was double-teamed by the Browns for the majority of the game, and that was why he went to other receivers. Brandon Gibson finished with seven receptions for 77 yards and Brian Hartline had nine receptions for 114 yards.
Pittsburgh Loses Two Big-Time Players for the Entire Season
The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t start off the season well as they lost 16-9 to the Tennessee Titans in an ugly game at Heinz Field. Much worse than the loss though, is that the Steelers lost two key players for the rest of the season.
Starting center Maurkice Pouncey suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee. Linebacker Larry Foote suffered a ruptured bicep later in the game. While not yet confirmed, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said about the season ending prognoses, “I would assume so but that’s an assumption at this point.”
Injuries decimated the Steelers last year, and it seems like the same could happen now. Once Pouncey was out, the Titans sacked Ben Roethlisberger five times and stifled the Steelers offense from doing much at all.
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Danny Cox knows a little something about the NFL, whether it means letting you know what penalty will come from the flag just thrown on the field or quickly spouting off who the Chicago Bears drafted in the first round of the 1987 draft (Jim Harbaugh). He plans on bringing you the best news, previews, recaps, and anything else that may come along with the exciting world of the National Football League. Danny is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
