NFL Week 2 Preview
Chicago at New Orleans 1:00 p.m. (EST)
There were surprises in week 1. It was no surprise that the Saints and Packers would conduct a shootout in Lambeau. But it was a huge surprise that the Bears took on last year’s number one seed in the NFC and made them look like the Falcons of old.
How they match up:
Bears D vs. Saints O
No one doubts the Bears defense. Although they were much better against the run than they were against Atlanta’s Matt Ryan led passing game. Their best attribute was their opportunistic defense. Two fumbles and an interception led to their dominance.
The Saints put up 34 points against Green Bay. Their problem was that they were a step behind the Super Bowl Champs. One can’t doubt their ability to throw the ball. Drew Brees threw for 419 yards and 3 TD’s in the opener. And that was against a defense that was at times dominant in 2010.
The Bears ability to stop the run may not mean much against as skilled a passing team as New Orleans. And the Superdome is a fast track.
Saints D vs. Bears O
Jay Cutler had questions to answer about his toughness. It was much colder when he went exercise bike on his teammates in the NFL title game, but last Sunday, Cutler showed poise, toughness and the Bears showed great togetherness in their dominating win over the Falcons.
Jay was sacked 5 times by the Falcons. That he kept getting up was plenty good news for Bears fans. That he threw for over 300 yards and took advantage of Falcon mistakes was illustration that the Cutler everyone loves didn’t leave Chicago.
Since the Saints have been of championship caliber, they’ve been able to score points in innovative ways. They can stay with anyone in a fast paced, up and down style game. But if they’re going back to the promised land, they are likely to need a better defense than the one they’ve shown so far in 2011.
The good news for the Saints is that few teams are as efficient offensively as the one that beat them in the opener.
Who to pick???
The question in this game will be can the Bears keep pace with the Saints? Or maybe the question is can the Saints defense make enough stops for the offense to pull away from the Bears? But what you really want is answers. Buy this winning NFL pick for only $20.00
Tampa Bay at Minnesota 1:00 p.m. (EST)
The Bucs were caught in a hurricane from Detroit. The Lions haven’t had this much hope since the diamond of the same name spent time at the museum. For Minnesota, they were caught and passed by a team suffering from recurring big dreams.
How they match up:
Bucs D vs. Vikings O
Tampa Bay is attempting to get back to those days of a strong defense, with a hopefully better offense than they had when they won the Super Bowl. Against a Lions offense that is trying to erase decades of futility, Tampa surrendered over 100 yards on the ground and nearly 400 yards through the air. There were mistakes on both sides but the Lions made the Bucs D look not so good.
The Vikes were able to put points on the board. But, after Percy Harvin’s opening kickoff return for a touchdown, there wasn’t much to fly home about. Donovan McNabb just didn’t help. 39 yards, a TD and and int. The Bucs don’t have to put up much of a defensive fight if Minnesota can’t do better than that. The Vikes had just 10 first downs against the Chargers.
Raheem Morris proclaimed that his Tampa Bay Bucs would win the championship this season. A positive attitude is a powerful thing, but this will be very important for the Bucs to show they can play D at the most important times. For Minnesota, McNabb needs a few more yards than 39 to even reach the term ineffective.
Vikings D vs. Bucs O
Had the Vikes had an answer for Mike Tolbert, they may have been able to hold on to their lead against the Chargers. Tolbert was the definition of a cannonball with the skin in his hands. Minnesota just couldn’t bring him down. Tampa doesn’t have a Tolbert type. In fact Josh Freeman was their leading rusher.
But then, rushing the ball was not the true goal of Tampa Bay. Freeman threw for 259, a touchdown and an int, but he couldn’t finish the drive at the end of the game. Freeman did spread the ball around and that should trouble the Vikings. The Tampa Bay offense must do a better job overall if they’re going to execute Morris’ dream.
Minnesota has to be encouraged with their ability to keep the Chargers at arms length throughout last week’s opener. And Tampa doesn’t send fear through most defenses cores.
Who to pick???
So, then, will the Vikings take advantage of their home field and improve enough offensively to keep Tampa at “Bay”? Or will this be the first game of a memorable Buccaneer season? You can find the rest of the story behind this curtain…Buy this winning NFL pick for only $20.00
San Diego at New England 4:15 p.m. (EST)
All the Chargers have to do is change their September. No team picks it up late better than San Diego. But no team starts worse than SD. The Patriots have either won a championship or been close seemingly every year. They have the best coach and may have a handful of other best at their positions in today’s league. But this is one of the AFC’s best matchups in any year.
How they match up:
Chargers D vs. Patriots O
If you take away the Vikings’ opening kickoff return for a touchdown, the Chargers win with relative ease. After all they did hold McNabb to under 50 yards passing. But wait, the SD kick coverage is always bad. If they can get anywhere near the defense they played against Minnesota, they may have a chance to beat the Pats in Foxboro.
But, Tom Brady is by far the best player in the league. He does very well when the defense doesn’t pressure. Miami is still feeling the knives cut through their heart. There isn’t a defense that Brady can’t slice to bits. If they’re able to get time for Tom, he may set records for yardage by the first weekend in December.
Likely the best news for San Diego is that there won’t be snow or ice on the Foxboro surface. The “experts” seemed to think that this is the Chargers’ year. And they’re battling the team that is always the team to beat in the NFL. Miami’s defense might not be the best, but Brady made them look like the worst.
Patriots D vs. Chargers O
There are questions about the Pats defense. Afterall, they couldn’t shake the Dolphins until late in the second half in their opener. Not sure, but the answer seems to be, “who cares?” Miami was aggressive in coming after the Pats D. Still, they came up with just enough to keep the Dolphins in the victim seat, even when playing in their own end zone.
No offense is quite as solid as New England’s, but surely the Chargers are in the conversation. Phillips Rivers did what was needed for his team to catch and beat the Vikes in week 1. If Rivers can avoid the big turnover, San Diego should be able to keep pace with NE.
The Patriots defense is hoping to show the rest of the league that they can contribute to this team’s success. San Diego’s thoughts are that they can take these guys. It’s the Pats offense that rules, not their D.
Who to pick???
This game is a question of determination. Will the Patriots say no to a team that is likely to challenge for the AFC title before all is said and done? Or will the Chargers learn from the Dolphins errors and come after Tom Brady with a vengeance? Buy this winning NFL pick for only $20.00
Houston at Miami 4:15 p.m. (EST)
Many would like to know, if not now, when for the Houston Texans. Not as much for where they are, but since their main competitors, the Indy Colts are in disarray. Not that the Jags or Titans might not have something to say about the division, but the Texans think this is their year. The Dolphins have already fallen behind the hated Patriots, but they pushed ‘em, made ‘em work for it. Not that that’s much, but this is a huge game for a team that hopes they made some strides toward joining the playoff field.
How they match up:
Texans D vs. Dolphins O
There wasn‘t much for the defense to do in their opener with the Colts. But, they came through anyway. Fumble recoveries from Kerry Collins, the Peyton Manning not-alike, helped make this a runaway early. The Colts didn’t score until half way through the fourth quarter. Hard to be too critical of a team that led by 34 points at the half.
The Dolphins kept pace with what may be the best offense in the league for a good long while in Monday’s game. Had they been able to score from the one in the fourth, who knows, but they will have a potentially better defense to pick apart on Sunday. Chad Henne seemed energized by a more aggressive approach on offense.
A few years back, the Texans drafted DE Mario Williams to taunt the opposing offenses. He’s playing to that #1 pick billing. But, the Dolphins have found more weapons than the experts thought they had. They’re finally moving the ball.
Dolphins D vs. Texans O
So, if you can’t stop the Patriots, does that say anything about your defense? There will be plenty of defenses on the scrap heap at the end of the Patriots’ season. But, after that first game of the season, surely the Dolphins understand how important it is to get pressure on the opposition quarterback. Matt Schaub isn’t Brady, but Miami will have to pull off some plays or the Dolphin defense will be wondering if it’s just them.
The Texans didn’t rip up the Colts. They didn’t have to. They scored early and often from short distances and with all aspects of the offense. Ben Tate rushed for over 100 yards and Schaub threw for a modest 220.but, one shouldn’t just blame a poor effort from the colts. Credit is due for the team that’s been getting pre season approval for a few years now.
While this may not be New England, Houston is efficient if nothing else. It would be in Miami’s favor if they can turn the Texans over a few times to stay with the energized bunch from Houston.
Who to pick???
If Miami has a chance to keep pace with the Patriots, they‘ve got to have a win in this one. With New England playing another playoff contender, they may have a bit of an open door on this day. For Houston, they got off to a good start. They‘ve mastered .500. In games like this, they need to step up to the next level. So, who gets on the escalator? Buy this winning NFL pick for only $20.00
Philadelphia at Atlanta 8:25 p.m. est. (EST)
The dream team beat one of the up and coming teams in week one and are ready for last year’s up and coming young team. The Falcons were the top seed in the NFC a year ago. They looked like anything but in their first game in Chicago. Are the Eagles that good? Are the Falcons that bad?
How they match up:
Eagles D vs. Falcons O
The Eagle defense scored a touchdown and did well enough in pressure situations to stave off the young Rams. It wasn’t total humiliation. The Rams did rush for well over 100 yards, but the D didn’t need to do much more than hold down the fort while the Michael Vick led offense put the game out of reach.
There isn’t much good one could assign to the Falcons offense. Surely the Bears defense is good, but the Falcons were one of the most efficient teams offensively a year ago. Matt Ryan and Michael Turner fumbled to help the Bears. The Falcons had decent numbers, but the one on the scoreboard said otherwise.
Philadelphia’s defense has always been a strength. They’re still finding their way, but they can be opportunistic. No one knows why the Falcon team that impressed everyone a year ago didn’t make the trip to Chicago. A home opener may be what the doctor ordered for Atlanta.
Falcons D vs. Eagles O
Atlanta got to Jay Cutler five times in the opener. On their list of highlights, that’s likely number one. Getting to Michael Vick is an entirely different animal. Philly’s O line is their question mark, so if Atlanta is going to keep Vick from dictating, they’ve got to corral him. This is a return to his old stomping grounds for Vick. The Falcons would like to make him a part of the grounds.
It’s not entirely the Michael Vick show on offense for the Eagles. In fact, several of his throws were caught by the spectacular WR, DeShaun Jackson. And the running game was strong with LaShaun McCoy. Those three players made enough plays to keep the Eagles an arms length ahead of St. Louis.
If the Eagles are indeed the dream team, the venue shouldn’t matter. The Falcons hope venue is the most important thing. It will be interesting to hear the former home of Vick receive their former hero. The Falcons need to have a lot more energy than they had in Chicago
Who to pick???
There were a few teams who didn’t really show up on opening day. Inexplicably, the Falcons were one of them. Was last year a fluke? Was last week a fluke? And for the other birds, will they come through two big tests on the road? The bus is boarding…Buy this winning NFL pick for only $20.00
St. Louis at New York Giants 8:35 p.m. (EST)
That team that the dream team beat is back. They need their parts. Stephen Jackson hurt his quad and Sam Bradford had a finger problem. And the Giants are likely to get booed right out of the Meadowlands if they start 0-2.
How they match up:
Rams D vs. Giants O
If you look closely at some of the Philly catches against the Rams’ defense, you’ll notice that coverage was there. It might be important for the Rams’ defensive coaches to credit where credit was earned and emphasize staying the course. Of course, the Eagles did get a bunch of big plays while being vulnerable to the run.
Questions of Eli Manning’s value at quarterback continue to be asked. Eli was able to move the Giants, but at the most key times, Washington came up with plays to stop the Giants. The Giants don’t have great receivers, their running backs are average and Eli is not moving ahead of the quarterback pack.
The Giants looked like they were doing well offensively a week ago. And they scored 14. The Rams D has to avoid giving up the big play. A few turnovers wouldn’t hurt.
Giants D vs. Rams O
All of the Giants’ ills can’t be blamed on their defense. They rushed for 75 yards, so it was up to the defense to keep the game within reach. And if the Washington D hadn’t haunted the O, the outcome in DC may have been different. This defense needs to make the occasional big play.
The Rams can take solace in that their opponent this week is not the Eagles. Although this Giant defense isn’t bad. It would be nice to have Stephen Jackson in the backfield and it is imperative to have Sam Bradford under center. The Rams will need to have all their pieces in place to win in the Meadowlands on Monday night.
A second loss in a row to start this season will start more grumblings than a dirty water dog at the stadium concession stand for the Giants. There must be a sense of urgency for the Giants. The Rams are an up and coming team looking for signature wins. This would surely be one.
Who to pick???
Back in the day, the Rams were a staple on Monday night. It‘s been a while since they were on the big stage. The pressure is on for the Giants. Will this be a breakthrough game, or will it be a season saver? Wanna find out?…Buy this winning NFL pick for only $20.00
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