For fantasy owners, it was probably an easy call to tuck Steve Smith on the bench in week one, as expectations were minimal for rookie starting quarterback Cam Newton and the upside for Smith seemed to be limited.  That proved to be a big mistake, however, as Smith and Newton got a connection going early and Smith ended up having one of the biggest fantasy days of the weekend.  In the process, Newton threw for more than 400 yards in his debut and Smith finished with eight catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns, causing fantasy owners to scratch their heads and wish they could go back to before the beginning of the weekend.

The game not only gave fantasy owners some wins if they had the courage to play Smith but it changes around the entire outlook of 2011.  Though Smith was considered to be in a tough situation, it’s clear that Newton is further in his progression than anyone would have thought.  Even if the Cardinals defense wasn’t quite the biggest test in the league, it’s still impressive to see Newton take to the road in his first career game and spin the football all over the field.  For now, Smith looks like a must-start once again, even if you should still expect some big-time struggles from time to time because of the inexperience at the quarterback position.  Either way, so far so good.

To get NFL tickets, head to StubHub.com