NFL Week 2 Wrap-up

This week, we saw some teams take a step forward, some take a step back, and others just stood there.

Forward, to Victory!:
New York Jets

After a Week 1 beating of the Houston Texans, many wondered if the Jets were that good, or the Texans were that overrated. Well, the Jets held the Pats to 9 points, and no TDs in Week 2, while the Texans put up 34 on the Titans, making Matt Schaub look like a mid-'90s Brett Favre in the process. The Jets haven't allowed an offensive touchdown in all 8 quarters of play this year.

Denver Broncos

After barely coming away with the win against Cincinnati in Week 1, Denver had to take on Cleveland to attempt the Ohio Sweep. Last week, Denver's rushing game only totaled 75 yards on 20 plays. This week, Corel Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno had 75 yards each, as the rushing attack stepped up its game. With QB Kyle Orton's stats staying largely the same(with the exception of increased attempts leading to decreased completion percentage), Denver finished up with a 27-6 win.

Backwards, ho!:
New England Patriots

The Pats D looked about the same this week as they did last, allowing only 1 TD and 3 field goals. But their offense sputtered for much of the game, only coming up with three field goals of their own. The loss breaks Tom Brady's win streak. It is also the first time the Pats haven't had an offensive TD since December 10, 2006, and they haven't been 0-3 in the red zone since October 26, 2003. And after throwing for almost 400 yards in Week 1, Brady barely passed 200 this week, completing less than 50% of his passes.

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle had high hopes this season, with their major injuries from last year healed and the addition of WR TJ Houshmandzadeh. But one hit at the end of the second quarter and QB Matt Hasselbeck was down for the count, his game ended on a three yard run to the 49ers 1. With the Seattle defense pretty much getting out of the way of Frank Gore(207 rushing yards, 2 TDs), backup QB Seneca Wallace, bless his heart, just couldn't do it alone. He scored on his first play, but couldn't put up any points in the second half.

Same Old Song & Dance:
Pittsburgh Steelers

In Week 1, the Steelers held Tennessee to 10 points, but could only put up 13 of their own. This week , against a Bears D without Brian Urlacher, the Steelers could only manage 14 points, but not for lack of trying. Kicker Jeff Reed's two missed field goals spelled doom for a Steelers offense that hasn't looked as good as expected this year. Sure, their stats may have looked better than they did last week, but stats don't always tell the whole story.

New Orleans Saints

You guys have scored 93 total points, 45 against a poor Lions D, and 48 against a good Eagles D. But you also allowed over 20 points in both of those games, including 391 passing yards by Eagles backup Kevin Kolb. As the old saying goes, "Offense puts asses in the seats, but defense wins championships." Over the next two weeks, you have a surging Bills offense followed by a Jets D that hasn't given up a TD. If the D doesn't improve, will the O still be able to carry the day?

Injuries:
Troy Williamson, WR, Jaguars: out for the season with a torn labrum
Louis Leonard, DT, Panther: out for the season with a broken ankle

Brad Butler, RT, Bills: out for the season with a knee injury
Randy Thomas, RG, Redskins: out for the season with a torn right triceps

Robert Gallery, RG, Raiders: out 4-6 weeks with a broken leg

Marion Barber, RB, Cowboys: status unsure with a quad injury

Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seahawks: status unsure with a fractured rib

Fantasy Studs:

1. Philip Rivers. 436 yards and 2 TDs is good, even with 2 INTs


2. Frank Gore. 207 rushing yards would be good enough. Add on 2 TDs and 39 receving yards and I can honestly say I've seen fantasy teams put up less points than Gore did here.


3. The Dallas Cowboys cage dancers. Yeah, I said it.

Fantasy Duds:

1. Greg Jennings. Zero. Zero everything. No yards, no catches, no nothing.


2. JaMarcus Russel. 7/24, 109 yards from the Raiders franchise QB. Just soak that in a little.


3. Tom Brady. Less than 50% passing, 216 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT in a big game against a division rival. We've come to expect more than that from you, Tom.

Week 2 Picks:
Straight up: 9-7, 23-9
ATS: 9-7, 20-12
o/u: 6-10, 14-18

Questions for Week 3:
How much will we see Michael Vick?

Most people assume Donovan McNabb will still be out this week. While Andy Reid has already said Kevin Kolb will be his starter if McNabb can't go, Vick is expected to get some playing time. Even without Vick, the Eagles attempted the Wildcat formation, and its perfectly suited for Vick's abilities. But after missing two more weeks right after coming in and getting used to the system, will Vick be ready to go this week? And if he is, will he be effective?

Can Matt Hasselbeck play?

Hasselbeck, like McNabb, has a fractured rib. Its not known how serious either injury is, as rib injuries can be tricky to treat and handle. Coming off a season in which he played in only 7 games and was largely ineffective in those games, Hasselbeck has more to prove. Backup Seneca Wallce has looked good when asked to start, but no one seems to think he is the answer for what Seattle needs. So who gets the nod for Seattle? And if its Hasselbeck, how effective con he be?

Will Tom Brady get his mojo back?

Watching the Jets-Patriots game, I was struck by one thing that no one else seemed to pick up on: Tom Brady's sideline demeanor. Brady has for a long time been the Patriots rock, the guy they can get behind and trust to lead them to victory. But watching him on the sideline, I didn't see that any more. Instead what I saw was a player who had lost his confidence. Gone was the confident smile. Gone was the "Don't worry, we'll get the ball back and score" attitude. What I saw instead was a goy who was unsure of himself. He wasn't smiling. He wasn't joking around with teammates. And it showed on the field. Can Brady get that attitude back? Or are the Pats doomed to have more games like this one this year?