Week 2 is done and overall we have seen some very good football the first couple weeks of the season. There have been some good competitive games, some great individual performances, and some great last minute drives.
After going 12-4 in my week one picks I came back to earth and went 8-8 this week which is still OK for me. There were a few suprises this week and I think we can see which teams should contend for playoff spots and who will struggle this year.
Here are some snap judgements based on what we saw in Week 2:
1. The Baltimore Ravens could be juggernaut. For years the Ravens have relied almost soley on their defense but now they have an offense that can put a lot of points on the board. They have scored 69 points thru the first two weeks and they don’t show any signs of slowing down. Their defense has given up 50 points though. But Ray Lewis showed he is still one of the most explosive defenders in the game when he anihilated Darren Sproles in the backfield at the end of the game.
2. Can the New Orleans offense be stopped? Drew Brees is on fire and New Orleans could break the record for most points scored in a season. Brees has a QB rating of 132.9 thru the first two weeks. If their defense can just be average this team could make a very deep playoff run.
3. Injuries are having a big impact this season. Every team has to fight injuries every year but it seems there are a lot of top level players standing on the sideline every week. It also seems that in every game there are a couple plays where someone gets knocked loopy. Carson Palmer recently said he thinks it won’t be long until someone gets killed on the field. While that is a tragic thought I think it is true. With players getting bigger, faster, and stronger the collisions are getting more and more violent. I am not sure what can be done to avert a tragedy like this but a team’s depth is more and more important.
4. Teams that could be better than expected: Cincinnatti Bengals, NY Jets, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos. All 4 of those teams have played good the first couple weeks and while they all might not be in the playoff hunt at the end of the season they could all win more games than I expected.
5. Teams that could be worse than expected: Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers. Some of these teams will probably still end up making the playoffs but I don’t think we have a 12 win team in the bunch. They have all shown vulnerabilities early this year and aren’t as good as they were last year.
6. AFC Playoff predictions based on the first two weeks: NY Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, Houston Texans, New England Patriots. I think the Ravens are the top of the list here and are looking like a Super Bowl team right now.
7. NFC Playoff predictions based on the first two weeks: New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys. I still think Seattle will win the west even after their dismal performance on Sunday. Take away the two long runs by Gore and the Seahawks were OK.
Top Performing Quarterbacks |
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| #1. Drew Brees. 3 more TDs for Brees. He is throwing the ball more accurately than any other QB in the league right now and Dan Marino’s passing yards record could be shattered this year if Brees can keep it up. Very good start for Brees | #2. Matt Schaub. 4 TDs and 357 yards in a comeback win against the Panthers. When healthy Schaub is a great QB and if he can stay on the field and if the Texans can get the running game going the Texans will win a lot of games. | #3 Eli Manning. Eli Manning put up 330 yards and 2 TDs on Sunday. He is doing a great job finding his young receivers and not having a “go to” guy isn’t hurting so far. He still has a way to go to catch his brother but he is earning his paycheck. |
Top Performing Running Backs |
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| #1. Chris Johnson. Chris Johnson had 197 yards rushing, 87 receiving, and scored 3 times. Rarely will a RB put up numbers like that in a loss. He might be the only bright spot for the Titans this season. | #2. Frank Gore. With runs of 79 and 80 yards Gore became the first RB to have 2 runs of more than 75 yards since Barry Sanders. For the Niners to win this year he will have to have more great games like he did in week 2. | #3 Ronnie Brown. With 136 yards on 24 carries Ronnie Brown helped the Miami Dolphins hold the ball for more than 45 minutes. The Dolphins didn’t get the win but that is one of the most impressive time of possesion numbers ever. |
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