In what hopes to be a semi-regular post, I will attempt to highlight some random facts from around the league after Sunday's games weekly. Note: Subject to change after Monday games.
- In week 3, the Vikings, Packers, Bears and Lions all won. That's the first time all 4 teams from the NFC North won on the same weekend since Week 10 in 2005.
- Seven teams are 3-0. If Dallas beats Carolina tomorrow, seven teams will be 0-3. By Comparison, after week 3 last season there were five teams that were 3-0, and five teams that were 0-3. Slowly losing parity in the NFL.
- Pittsburgh, the defending Super Bowl champions, are 1-2. They are the first champions to start 1-2 the following year since 2006, when the Pittsburgh Steelers, of all teams, started off in similar fashion.
- Bengals DE Antwan Odom has 7 sacks (all recorded in his first two weeks). Last year's leader in sacks, DeMarcus Ware, had 3 sacks after his first 3 weeks. He ended up with 20 total.
- The Tennessee Titans had the best record in the regular season last year, going 13-3. They started off this season going 0-3. The last team to have the best record in the NFL one year, and lose their first 3 games the following year was the 2001-'02 Rams. They went 14-2 (and lost in the Super Bowl) in 2001, and started 0-5 in 2002.
- After week 3, three of the four AFC divisions have teams with records of 3-0, 2-1, 1-2, and 0-3. The only divisional tie? Houston and Jacksonville (AFC South) are both 1-2.
Random Facts: Week 3
Labels: NFL |
NFL Rundown - Week 3
|This column written while listening to Battle Without Honor or Humanity on loop.
Week 2 Recap
| Chris | Adam |
| Most Surprising Team: Houston. After their dismal start against the Jets, nothing could be more surprising than putting up 34 points on a pretty decent Tennessee defense. Matt Schaub's passer rating was more than 70 points better in their week 2 win than in their week 1 loss. 70. | Most Surprising Team: Cincinnati. I had written them off already. Losing to Denver the way they did, coupled with going to Lambeau Field in their second game makes for a terrible start to the season. The Bengals surprised me and the rest of sports nation with a good win last Sunday. |
| Most Disappointing Team: It's close - the Patriots were awfully flat in week 2 as well - but the Steelers losing to the Bears, who had just endured not only a phenomenally bad game from Jay Cutler but also the loss of defensive team captain Brian Urlacher, wasn't very defending-champion-like. Neither were the 2 missed field goals. | Most Disappointing Team: Kansas City. We all know they're not a great team. But any time you hold the opposing QB to under 30% passing, you should win the game. Plain and simple. Losing a game like that, and going 0-2, means Chiefs fans can't wait for the Jayhawks to tip off. |
| Offensive Player of the Week: Generally speaking, if you heard the words "284 yards and 3 TDs", you'd assume they were about a quarterback's great day passing the ball. But those are the combined rushing and receiving yards of Chris Johnson. Think about it. Yeah. | Offensive Player of the Week: Chris Johnson. This guy is, in a word, unstoppable. When he hits the open field, there's no catching him. 284 total yards and 3 TDs against any team in the NFL, regardless of their skill, is enough to warrant OPW honors. |
| Defensive Player of the Week: Antwan Odom. Damn, dude. I mean... damn. That was downright Derrick Thomas-esque. Just because it's fun to exrapolate, Odom is on pace for 56 sacks this season. | Defensive Player of the Week: Antwan Odom. 5 sacks? For one guy? In ONE game? Nearly unprecedented. He couldn't be stopped, by any player, or couple of players. One more week like this, and he's a lock for the Pro Bowl. |
Top 10:
1. New York Giants (2-0) - They struggled against the Cowboys ground game, but beating a fired-up team in their brand new billion dollar stadium is nothing to scoff at, regardless of how you earn it.
2. New Orleans Saints (2-0) - Week 1 was against the league doormat, and I didn't even have the Saints in my top 10 last week. Look where they are now, after manhandling a pretty good Philadelphia defense.
3. New York Jets (2-0) - The Jets are to defense what the Saints are to offense. Only the Broncos have allowed fewer points - and the Broncos didn't have to play Tom Brady and Randy Moss.
4. Atlanta Falcons (2-0) - The Falcons don't really stand out in any particular statistical category. They're winning by forcing turnovers, keeping the ball safe, not committing penalties, and converting on third and fourth down.
5. Indianapolis Colts (2-0) - The question at hand is whether their run defense is really that bad, or whether they just couldn't handle the wildcat. I'm betting that it's more of the latter than the former.
6. Baltimore Ravens (2-0) - Another team I didn't have in my top 10 last week. That the Ravens have scored the second most points in the NFL through 2 weeks is slightly perturbing.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) - Disappointing loss aside, they still have a strong defense, even in the absence of Troy Polamalu. If the offense can get it together at all, they'll be a good team. If they can't, they'll lose a lot of these 17-14 or 13-10 games.
8. San Francisco 49ers (2-0) - They're above the Vikings because they've at least played a legitimate, albeit injured, team in the Cardinals. Shaun Hill is vastly underrated.
9. Minnesota Vikings (2-0) - The utter lack of a passing game thus far has to be a concern - what happens when Peterson has a bad day? Big game this weekend.
10. New England Patriots (1-1) - They have to start to click at some point. Right? If they don't, they might enter their bye at 3-4, with Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, and Tennessee over their next 4 weeks.
Week 3 Picks:
| Chris | Adam | |
| Cleveland @ Baltimore | Baltimore | Baltimore |
| Tennessee @ N.Y. Jets | N.Y. Jets | Tennessee |
| N.Y. Giants @ Tampa Bay | N.Y. Giants | N.Y. Giants |
| Green Bay @ St. Louis | Green Bay | Green Bay |
| Washington @ Detroit | Washington | Washington |
| Jacksonville @ Houston | Houston | Houston |
| San Francisco @ Minnesota | San Francisco | San Francisco |
| Kansas City @ Philadelphia | Kansas City | Philadelphia |
| Atlanta @ New England | Atlanta | New England |
| New Orleans @ Buffalo | New Orleans | Buffalo |
| Chicago @ Seattle | Chicago | Chicago |
| Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh |
| Miami @ San Diego | San Diego | Miami |
| Denver @ Oakland | Oakland | Denver |
| Indianapolis @ Arizona | Indianapolis | Indianapolis |
| Carolina @ Dallas | Dallas | Dallas |
| Week #2 | 10-6 | 11-5 |
| Overall | 23-9 | 21-11 |
NFL Rundown - Week 2
|This column being written while watching Starship Troopers. This columnist is currently wishing TNT hadn't edited out the juicy parts (and by that I mean the gratuitous shots of Dina Meyer's modest-but-attractive bosom).
Week 1 Recap
Most Surprising Team: Seattle Seahawks
Sure, Seattle was playing the woeful Rams, but it was the way that the Seahawks (4-12 last season) manhandled St. Louis that was surprising. Particularly impressive was Julius Jones' 117 yards and a TD, his first 100 yard game since week 3 of last season, also against the Rams. Honorable mentions go to San Francisco (beating last year's NFC Champion Cardinals) and both Buffalo and Oakland (showing serious moxie against the heavily favored Patriots and Chargers).
Most Disappointing Team: Houston Texans
The Texans were a trendy preseason pick to make the playoffs, but they laid an egg against a Jets team starting a rookie QB in Mark Sanchez. Steve Slaton had his second worst game as a pro, and the Texans were doubled up by the Jets in first downs and yards. Dishonorable mention goes to the Panthers, who were pounded by the Eagles.
Offensive Player of the Week: QB Drew Brees, Saints
He threw six touchdown passes. Who cares if it was against the Lions? That doesn't happen every day. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, during their record breaking seasons, only did it once each. He spread the ball around, too, as 5 different receivers scored.
Defensive Player of the Week: DE Osi Umenyiora
The NFL gave the award to his teammate Justin Tuck, but it's Umenyiora, who had the play of the game by stripping Washington QB Jason Campbell and returning the ball 37 yards for a TD in his first game back after missing all of the 2008 season, who deserves the recognition here.
Top 10:
(as a matter of policy, at least for this week, you have to have won - there's 16 undefeated teams right now, and none of the 0-1 teams deserve to rank above 7 of them)
1. Pittsburgh (1-0) - The defending champs didn't exactly win in convincing fashion, but they faced a tougher opponent than their main competitors in the AFC.
2. New York Giants (1-0) - They're still working out the kinks in their offense, but the play of the receiving corps against Washington was encouraging. Still, if defense wins championships, the Giants are a serious contender.
3. New England (1-0) - They took a while to get going, but when it came to crunch time, Tom Brady got in his groove. Ben Watson's clutch catches have to be encouraging.
4. Philadelphia (1-0) - The Eagles absolutely manhandled the Panthers, but they lost McNabb for a couple of weeks in the process. Still, the biggest weakness this team seems to have right now is the fragility of its skill position players.
5. Indianapolis (1-0) - Given their history against the Jaguars, it's hard to penalize the Colts too much for not blowing out Jacksonville. Despite the absence of Bob Sanders and Ed Johnson, the Colts defense was surprisingly stout.
6. Minnesota (1-0) - It's damn hard for a team to be a Super Bowl contender by relying almost entirely on their running game. Just ask the 90s Lions. But there haven't been many running backs like Adrian Peterson - perhaps there has never been one.
7. Atlanta (1-0) - Matt Ryan showed that his outstanding rookie season wasn't just a fluke, and so far he's got a good thing going with new TE (and future Hall of Famer) Tony Gonzalez.
8. Green Bay (1-0) - The offense was inconsistent early, but Rodgers came through with a big play at the end. The defense's transition to the 3-4 seems to have been as smooth as anyone could have anticipated.
9. New York Jets (1-0) - What a debut for Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan. This weekend they'll have one of his biggest tests of their season against the Patriots.
10. San Diego (1-0) - It wasn't pretty, especially against one of the most inept franchises in the NFL, but in the end they played clutch football and came out ahead. Like the Steelers, Patriots, and Colts, they know how to win football games.
Week 2 Predictions:
-Texans at Titans - I actually think the Texans will bounce back and make it respectable this week. They'll still be no match for a Titans team that feels like it could have beaten the defending champs in week 1.
-Saints at Eagles - This is based on the fairly safe assumption that Donovan McNabb doesn't play. Despite any opinions to the contrary by disgruntled Eagles fans, the team does perform much better with their franchise QB.
-Cardinals at Jaguars - The Jaguars are another team that feels like they could have beaten one of the best teams in the league last week. The Cardinals seem to be back to being a middling team.
-Raiders at Chiefs - If the Chiefs have Cassel they have a legitimate shot at winning this one, but he's still very questionable.
-Bengals at Packers - There is something seriously wrong with the Bengals offense, and I'm not entirely sure what it is.
-Vikings at Lions - Judging from their week 1 performances, this could end up being an epic beatdown.
-Rams at Redskins - I believe that St. Louis is better than they showed in week 1 against the Seahawks, but I still can't see them beating any of the NFC East teams.
-Patriots at Jets - This is my upset special of the week. I like the attitude and swagger that Rex Ryan has brought to the Jets, and Kerry Rhodes, unlike Anthony Smith, can back up his talk with his play.
-Panthers at Falcons - If Jake Delhomme can't pull it together, he won't be long for Carolina. He'll put together a respectable performance this weekend, but the Falcons are too good a team.
-Buccaneers at Bills - The amount of media coverage of Owens after week 1 was absurd given how innocuous his comments were. The guy could say he prefers Coke to Pepsi and ESPN would say it's causing a rift in the locker room.
-Seahawks at 49ers - Both teams were impressive in week 1, but I can't help feel like San Francisco is going to go on a run.
-Ravens at Chargers - No Tomlinson? No problem. Darren Sproles has been more effective for a while now.
-Steelers at Bears - The Bears are hurting right now, having lost Urlacher for the season and having endured a stinker of a first game by their new QB. I don't know what the cure for what ails them is, but it sure as hell isn't playing the Steelers.
-Browns at Broncos - The Broncos got lucky in week 1. I still don't like them as a team. I don't like the Browns much either, but not with the same depressing abandon.
-Giants at Cowboys - What better way to open their new stadium than with a game against the hated Giants? How about opening it against a team that won't pressure Tony Romo, run all over their defense, and beat them? Just saying.
-Colts at Dolphins - Since 2005, the Colts are 7-1 against the AFC East, with their lone loss coming by just 4 points to the 2007 Patriots. The return of Ed Johnson should help a defense that was solid against the Jaguars in week 1.
Week 1 Injury Report
Labels: Injury report, NFL |Every week I will make a post of the 10 most devastating injuries around the NFL, and week 1 sure did make for a good week to start on. Let's dive right in.
10. Bo Scaife - TE - Tennessee Titans: Uncertain for week 2 - Knee
Scaife is a big target, and one of Collins' favorites. If he can't go, expect a better week from Crumpler and/or Gage.
9. LaDanian Tomlinson - RB - San Diego Chargers: Uncertain for week 2 - Ankle
LT rolled the ankle late in the game, but should probably see some time in week 2. If you have Sproles on your fantasy team, he may be a decent match-up vs. Seattle.
8. Pisa Tinoisomoa - LB - Chicago Bears: Out 4-6 weeks - Knee
The lesser of the two LB's the Bears lost in week 1, Pisa can still be a brute when healthy. His presence will be missed.
7. Paul Posluszny - LB - Buffalo Bills: Out Indefinitely - Broken Arm
Posluszny will be missed by a team that nearly upset the Patriots in week 1. The Bills don't have a solid option to back him up with.
6. Hakeem Nicks - WR - New York Giants: Out 2-3 weeks - Foot
Nicks could still have a solid season, but this injury opens the doorway for fellow rookie Ramses Barden, who will help the Giants in the Red Zone.
5. Jerod Mayo - LB - New England Patriots: Out Indefinitely - Foot
This is the 2nd year in a row the Patriots lost their best player on one side of the ball during the first game. They should rebound, though, and Belichick says Mayo will play again this season.
4. Anthony Gonzalez - WR - Indianapolis Colts: Out Indefinitely - Knee
The strangest injury of the group, Gonzalez will be missed on a team that is trying to find a replacement to Marvin Harrison. Peyton Manning is sobbing, somewhere.
3. Donovan McNabb - QB - Philadelphia Eagles: Out 1-3 weeks - Ribs
Possibly out the shortest amount of time, but causes one of the biggest impacts. With McNabb out, Philly has already brought in QB Jeff Garcia...again...
2. Troy Polamalu - S - Pittsburgh Steelers: Out 3-5 weeks - Knee
Most weeks, this would be the biggest injury. Losing Troy hurts this team's secondary big time. Stupid Madden curse.
1. Brian Urlacher - LB - Chicago Bears: Out for Season - Broken Wrist
The biggest blow to a franchise searching for answers as it is, losing Urlacher for the season (along w/ Tinoisamoa for a while) sets this defense back.
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