Reviewing Last Week's Picks
Jets (+11) over PATRIOTS (CORRECT = 1-0)
Chargers (+7) over EAGLES (CORRECT = 2-0)
RAVENS (-7) over Browns (CORRECT = 3-0)
TEXANS (-9) over Titans (WRONG = 3-1)
Panthers (-3) over BILLS (WRONG = 3-2)
FALCONS (-5.5) over RAMS (CORRECT = 4-2)
Vikings (+6) over BEARS (CORRECT = 5-2)
Dolphins (+3) over COLTS (CORRECT = 6-2)
CHIEFS (-3) over COWBOYS (WRONG = 6-3)
PACKERS (-7.5) over REDSKINS (CORRECT = 7-3)
RAIDERS (-6) over Jaguars (CORRECT = 8-3)
Saints (-4) over BUCCANEERS (WRONG = 8-4)
CARDINALS (+2.5) over Lions (CORRECT = 9-4)
Broncos (-4) over GIANTS (CORRECT = 10-4)
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) over 49ers (CORRECT = 11-4)
Steelers (+6.5) over BENGALS (WRONG = 11-5)
Week 2: 11-5
Year-to-Date: 20-12
Power Rankings
32.) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2 = 11-47)
Blaine Gabbert, Chad Henne, it doesn't matter really. The Jaguars are just a bad football team. I guess their defense has some pride, because they have at least h**eld opponents under 30 (though that probably ends this week with a little trip to Seattle) in both games. In one sense I feel bad for the Jaguars, who don't have any immediate relief in the draft coming (I'm not a huge fan of Teddy Bridgewater, but I've been wrong before).
31.) Washington Redskins (0-2 = 47-71)
30.) Cleveland Browns (0-2 = 16-37)
Same old Browns. They do everything right on defense against Baltimore, but only put up six points against a team that gave up 49 the week before. The Browns defense is still solid and will keep them from being blown out all too often, but when your QB options are either a potentially hurt Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell, it won't matter in the win column. The one saving grace is that the AFC North may be in a down period (like every AFC Division, for that matter).
29.) Oakland Raiders (1-1 = 36-50)
Yeah, I'm giving them little credit for beating the worst team in football. Whatever credit goes away when you realize that the passing offense once again did nothing and now they take their run-based offense into Denver and the league's best rush defense (among the other things they are the best in the league at) on Monday Night. Just to say this: that line can't get high enough.
28.) Minnesota Vikings (0-2 = 54-65)
Tough break for the Vikings who could have won that game, but then again their offense was mediocre for the second straight game. Christian Ponder telegraphed that pass so bad I thought it was Jay Cutler throwing it. It was nice to see Jared Allen with a strip sack, playing like it was 2009 all over again. Too bad these days in Minnesota they wish they had Brett Favre back.
27.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2 = 31-34)
I'm probably slamming the Buccaneers too hard, because they were winning both games with 59:56 gone, but lost both on walk-off field goals. That said, Josh Freeman looks terrible and they are close to redoing basically the exact same mutiny they had at the end of Raheem Morris's tenure. That defense still plays really hard, and whoever replaces Greg Schiano will have a lot to work with on that side of the ball, but they need to sort out that QB situation. With the ridiculous depth at QB in the league, teams without a legitimate QB are just screwed week in, week out.
26.) New York Jets (1-1 = 28-30)
Couldn't they throw me a bone and win that game against New England? Couldn't they just do me a solid for once (other than that time when they did win that game in New England in January, 2011)? That defense is still good enough to beat any average offense (and New England without any for Tom Brady to throw to qualifies), but their offense just can't keep making terrible mistakes. It's not all on Geno either. Receivers run bad routes, drop passes, fumble for no apparent reason. The Jets could be 2-0, instead, they embark on the toughest part of their schedule (outside of this coming week), and are probably a handful of weeks away from Rex Ryan potentially being fired.
25.) Carolina Panthers (0-2 = 30-36)
Let's just erase the fact that I picked them to not only win the division, but make the NFC Championship Game. Let's just forget that. How can a team be so ridiculously terrible at playing in close games time and time again. If DeAngelo Williams doesn't fumble against Seatttle, they likely win in Week 1, and if they just go for it on 4th and 1, or if the refs don't call a mysterious DPI penalty on the last drive, they win in Week 2. I was so close to being vindicated for one of my ballsier predictions.
24.) Buffalo Bills (1-1 = 45-46)
Lost in the DPI is that EJ Manuel had another effective game, and more and more it looks like Doug Marrone actually knows what he is doing and that hiring a middling college coach wasn't such a 'Bills' like idea after all. That was a beautiful play on the game winning touchdown, worthy of a game winning touchdown. If anything, the Bills are exciting to watch again. Of course, in this wacky, every-game-is-close season, there are only a handful of teams that aren't exciting to watch.
23.) Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2 = 19-36)
The Pittsburgh Steelers have given up just 18 points per game. That is the good news. The bad news is they've scored just 19 points total in two games. I won't put this on Roethlisberger. His o-line sucks once again, he has the worst Running Back By Committee ever established, and the Steelers let another good WR walk (following the footsteps of Plaxico, Nate Washington, Santonio Holmes). They are a mess. I can't believe I picked them to go 12-4 and make the AFC Title Game (thank God for the Broncos, my only good preseason pick). Of course, in the AFC they probably aren't out of it, but that game hosting Chicago becomes awfully important now.
22.) Philadelphia Eagles (1-1 = 63-50)
Well, two weeks in an Chip Kelly is leading the 3rd highest scoring team in the NFL, the team that leads the league in yards per play. So why do I have them this low? Well, for one, if the Chargers don't fumble on back-to-back possessions inside the Eagles red zone in the 1st Half, this game isn't even close, and they still can't play defense. They never had a practice with live tackling in training camp and it shows. The best moment was when they left Eddie Royal wide open on a three-man rush. Something that is hard to do in Madden.
21.) Indianapolis Colts (1-1 = 41-41)
I never liked the hiring of Pep Hamilton. I thought it was a move made by Irsay, thinking he can outsmart everyone by getting Andrew Luck's old college coordinator to coach him. Well, this offense doesn't play to Luck's skills at all. Andrew Luck is Ben Roethlisberger, with the potential to be even better. Just as Roethlisberger has been neutered in Todd Haley's offense, Luck is neutered. I hope to hell the Pep era fails just so they can replace him with someone good.
20.) St. Louis Rams (1-1 = 51-55)
Is it strange that through two weeks the real problem in St. Louis has been their defense? Their D-Line has been good but not great, and their corners are getting torched a little too much. It is still early, and the NFC should be a blood-bath all year, but with the best defense in the NFL, another top-five defense, and another borderline top-10 defense (Arizona) in the same division, the Rams better figure out how to get close to that level. It is nice to see Sam Bradford finally play to his level.
19.) Tennessee Titans (1-1 = 40-39)
I'm stunned at Tennessee right now. Until their inevitable late collapse, they had totally dismantled the Texans offense. This was the worst scoring defense in the NFL last year. They were awful defensively, and weren't much better in 2011. Then, without making any huge moves outside of getting known Patriots killer (which isn't Aaron Hernandez, a known Patriots' killer) Bernard Pollard, they have become a good unit all of a sudden. There's something strange brewing in the AFC, where so far the South and West are the two best divisions in the conference.
18.) New York Giants (0-2 = 54-77)
As bad as my Panthers NFC Championship Loss prediction was, it is even worse since the team I picked to knock them off in that game was the Giants. Of course, they meet in Week 3 both 0-2. The loser of that game is gone. That said, the Giants are just half a game back, with a light schedule coming up. Even their second half schedule this year is better than in years past. I'm not giving up yet. In 2007, they started 0-2, and those losses were a shootout in Dallas (35-45), and a blowout home loss to an aging legend at QB (13-35 to the Favre-led Packers), and they won the Super Bowl. One can hope?
17.) Dallas Cowboys (1-1 = 52-48)
Is there anything more Cowboys-ish than for Romo to go 30-42 for 298 yards with a TD and no picks and somehow have the team score just 16 points. I lambasted the Cowboys back in my 2009 Playoffs Preview for being terrible at converting yardage into points, and over the years they haven't gotten any better at it. I have never seen a team that can put up pretty yards each week and still somehow end the season scoring less than 400 points.
16.) Arizona Cardinals (1-1 = 49-48)
I don't know why I have them so high, but I'll just say this: neither Seattle or San Francisco is going to go into Arizona this year and win by more than 10. That place is damn tough to play in, and has been that way since 2007. Even in the lean years (2010-11), the Cardinals were good for some great home performances. That defense is still awfully good, and that they could come back against a good Lions team without Larry Fitzgerald speaks volumes to how well Carson Palmer has fit into the Cardinals. There's a reason I thought they were Super Bowl contenders in 2012 had they gotten Peyton Manning. They got Palmer a year later, and while that is quite a downgrade, he's still good enough to make them a really fun team.
15.) Baltimore Ravens (1-1 = 41-55)
That was a classic 2010 Ravens win: a slow, plodding effort against a middling team ending in a more convincing win than it should have been. They were in control all along it seemed. It was nice to see Stokley and Clark look slightly better this time around. I worry about Ray Rice's injury and I still don't think Flacco has nearly enough to score a lot of points consistently, but it was nice to see that defense rebound greatly after that embarrassing 49 points allowed effort from week 1.
14.) San Diego Chargers (1-1 = 61-61)
For someone who hated everything about Philip Rivers from 2007-2009, I can't believe I am about to say this, but it brings me a lot of joy to see Philip Rivers play awesome once again. He was so good in that game. He answered every jab the Eagles threw at him with two of his own. The Chargers probably should have scored 40+ points (two red zone fumbles will do that to you), and he threw for over 400 yards with missing his main receiver for most of the game. Now, the Eagles defense is pathetic, but I still think Rivers was never as bad as his 2012 made it out to seem. There is life in San Diego yet.
13.) Detroit Lions (1-1 = 55-49)
I think people are wildly overreacting to the Lions loss in Arizona. As I said before, Arizona is not an easy place to play. They have a really good defense. Now, the Lions scored just 14 points on offense, which isn't great, but Calvin got into the action. The Reggie Bush injury scares me, but the Lions still played a pretty good game defensively. No team goes 16-0, teams lose games, including often to average teams on the road. That is all that was.
12.) Miami Dolphins (2-0 = 47-30)
There's a lot to like in Miami right now. Their run game showed life, their defense continues to play at a really high level, Mike Wallace made some plays, and Ryan Tannehill has definitely gotten better in Year 2. Of course, the best part is that they are 2-0, and both games are on the road. I'm sure no one more than them is upset that the Patriots are somehow sitting at 2-0, but the Dolphins have a chance at winning the division. It would help their cause if Amendola and Gronk stay out, but they aren't going away.
11.) Kansas City Chiefs (2-0 = 45-18)
Do you know who the 2013 Chiefs remind me of? The 2011 San Francisco 49ers, the first Jim Harbaugh team that gameplanned their way to 13-3 behind a mistake-free Alex Smith (just 10 turnovers as a team) and a dominant defense. That was another great game from the Chiefs defense (how good is Dontari Poe?), and another mistake free game from Smith. If they can go to Philly and win a game that they are built to win (they are the perfect team to ball control the fuck out of the Eagles), then I think this Chiefs team is close to a lock for the playoffs (and Andy Reid is a lock for his 2nd Coach of the Year award).
10.) New Orleans Saints (2-0 = 39-31)
They could easily be 0-2 if Matt Ryan completes one of three passes or if the Buccaneers hit a field goal, but the Saints are sitting nicely at 2-0 with two divisional wins. It should be a little concerning that they have scored under 20 points per game (their offensive level through two games is actually DOWN from last year), but the Rob Ryan defense has worked splendidly so far. They get Arizona next week, and I could see that game going any number of directions.
9.) Houston Texans (2-0 = 61-52)
Yes, the Texans have had to come back down from 21 and 8 to win their two games, but their defense has actually played quite well. They had awful field position and red zone luck against San Diego, and they only gave up 17 points on defense to Tennessee. I'm still concerned that they've needed to resort to such ridiculous measures to beat San Diego and Tennessee, but they are still the class of the AFC South. Their next few games will tell us a lot, as they get Baltimore, San Francisco and Seattle in a four week span.
8.) New England Patriots (2-0 = 36-31)
How is this team 2-0? Tom Brady has completed 53% of his passes, for a passer rating under 75. This is worse than Brady in 2006 for all intents and purposes. Yet here they are, with a game against the winless Bucs to come. Of course, would I be shocked if the Bucs control this passing offense that will be without Vereen and Amendola once again? No, but I can't imagine Josh Freeman doing great either. I can already see it, the Pats win 23-14 and everyone rights stories about the 3-0 Pats, led by their defense for the first time since 2006 due to good games against two rookies and Josh Freeman, heading to Atlanta as a trendy upset pick, and then have Matt Ryan rip them apart. I can't wait.
7.) Chicago Bears (2-0 = 55-51)
That was a Bears game, alright. Devin Hester was ridiculous. Jay Cutler was awful at times. Jay Cutler was also brilliant at times. I don't know what to make of the Bears so far. The Marc Trestman offense is working on its face, as Cutler's only been sacked once against two good pass rushes, but the run game is not there and Alshon Jefferey is still among the league's biggest teases. Of course, if they still maintain their Lovie Smith-era level of defense and Special Teams, it won't matter.
6.) Atlanta Falcons (1-1 = 48-47)
Nice to see a return to form for Matt Ryan, who casually threw for 374 yards with Roddy White again a decoy. Julio Jones is just an incredible player, so amazing to watch. Also, I liked their pickup of Osi, and I like it more even now. The Falcons have a nice game coming up against the Dolphins to go out and make a statement that they won't be up and down all year, and personally, I think they do it.
5.) Cincinnati Bengals (1-1 = 41-34)
The league's new title holder of 'best roster outside of QB', the Bengals took care of business Monday Night. To take them serious at the end of the day, they needed to win that game, to avoid an 0-2 start, to place an 0-2 start on Pittsburgh, and to show up in a primetime game (just look at their performance in their SNF game hosting Pittsburgh last year). They accomplished all three. Andy Dalton still needs to get better, but that division is eminently winnable, and with the Texans and Patriots starting out a lackadaisical 2-0, so is a 1st Round Bye.
4.) San Francisco 49ers (1-1 = 37-57)
It is weird ranking a team that has been outscored by 20 points through two games 4th, but that was basically an unwinnable game. They were also gobsmacked last year in Seattle (a 42-13 loss in December), and then rolled off three straight wins and went to the Super Bowl. One thing to worry about is that in a game where Anquan Boldin didn't go wild, Kaepernick looked awful. His second and third pick were about as bad as I've seen him read a defense. He still ran nicely, but he too isn't exactly as good of a pocket passer as people seem to believe.
3.) Green Bay Packers (1-1 = 66-54)
I've never seen anyone get hot like Aaron Rodgers. Maybe Peyton in his prime, or Kurt Warner, or Tom Brady back in 2007. Of course, I expect Rodgers to look way more mortal against a great Bengals defense in Week 3, but those Rodgers performances are special. I was happy to see McCarthy keep throwing it after getting that huge lead, a nice change from previous years. What pleases me most about the Packers is their defense had a good game (forget the garbage yards, they dominated the Redskins passing game). If their defense keeps this up, and the NFC West teams hammer each other, they can steal the #1 seed.
2.) Seattle Seahawks (2-0 = 41-10)
The Seahawks were so good that Russell Wilson could have a terrible game (8/19, looking lost at times) and they could still win by 26. Sure, some of it was fortunate field position and some timely penalties extending drives, but that was a demolition. More than anything, though, I was happy to see defense being played so well (by both teams, really), and this was without Brandon Browner, Chris Clemons or Bruce Irvin. Just a fantastic effort by the most fun defense to watch in the NFL. With the Jaguars next, they could have a ridiculously low points allowed total after three games.
1.) Denver Broncos (2-0 = 90-50)
Who else? They just beat the last two Super Bowl Champions 90-50, and that was with playing a sometimes sloppy, sometimes lazy first half in both games and giving up late scores to make the games seem somewhat close. Peyton looks as sharp as ever, and that offense just keeps going. Drops don't faze them. Fumbles don't faze them. Nothing fazes them. Their pass rush was silent after a great Week 1, but their secondary made up for it in spades. No team is deeper in the secondary than Denver, and no team has a better rush defense. That is a nice combination, after all.
Postseason Projections (Why not do these right after Week 2?)
AFC
1.) Denver Broncos (14-2)
2.) Cincinnati Bengals (12-4)
3.) New England Patriots (11-5)
4.) Houston Texans (11-5)
5.) Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
6.) Miami Dolphins (10-6)
NFC
1.) Seattle Seahawks (13-3)
2.) Atlanta Falcons (12-4)
3.) Green Bay Packers (12-4) [why not pick a random one]
4.) New York Giants (9-7)
5.) Detroit Lions (10-6)
6.) San Francisco 49ers (10-6)
Ranking Next Week's Games
16.) Cleveland Browns (0-2) @ Minnesota Vikings (0-2) (1:00 - CBS)
15.) Buffalo Bills (1-1) @ New York Jets (1-1) (4:25 - CBS)
The "Two Bad Teams Playing Each Other" division. If anyone has this as their Sunday doubleheader (and I don't think that is possible), I truly feel sorry for them. I guess the Bills and Jets are marginally interesting, but really all the winner gets is a leg up to being the 3rd place team in the AFC East.
14.) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) @ Seattle Seahawks (2-0) (4:25 - CBS)
13.) Oakland Raiders (1-1) @ Denver Broncos (2-0) (MNF)
The "Let's Just Remember Who The Road Teams Were When The Home Team Wins By 30" division. Seattle will probably come close to shutting out Jacksonville, and come close to some sort of record for fewest points allowed through three games (13 is the current record, set by the 2001 Packers and 2004 Seahawks). The Broncos get to play another boring night game where Manning looks like Peyton Manning and the world realizes that Terrelle Pryor isn't as exciting when playing teams outside the AFC South.
12.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2) @ New England Patriots (2-0) (1:00 - FOX)
11.) San Diego Chargers (1-1) @ Tennessee Titans (1-1) (1:00 - CBS)
10.) Detroit Lions (1-1) @ Washington Redskins (0-2) (1:00 - FOX)
9.) Indianapolis Colts (1-1) @ San Francisco 49ers (1-1) (4:25 - CBS)
The "You'll Talk Yourself Into Them Being Fun, But They Won't" division... and yes, I'm including the Lions @ Redskins in there, because the Lions front will come close to ruining RGIII's other knee (and I hope they don't because I like watching a healthy RGIII). The Colts are walking into a bloodbath in San Francisco against an angry 49ers team. The Buccaneers could be entering something similar. The Chargers and Titans are both surprises so far, but I can't imagine the two teams that combined for one of the most boring playoff games of the last 10 years playing an exciting game here.
8.) Arizona Cardinals (1-1) @ New Orleans Saints (2-0) (1:00 - FOX)
7.) Houston Texans (2-0) @ Baltimore Ravens (1-1) (1:00 - CBS)
6.) St. Louis Rams (1-1) @ Dallas Cowboys (1-1) (1:00 - FOX)
The "Sneaky Fun Games That You Didn't Expect" division. The Texans and Ravens have started slowly (well, for the Texans, a slow 2-0), but should play a fun little game in Baltimore. The other one is the more intriguing one for me. I don't know why, but I like the matchup from the Cardinals perspective. Brees is still a little careless with the ball, and that Cardinals team will make them pay. I'm not saying they are going to go into the Superdome and win, but they'll give the Saints a run. As for the Rams, I think their defense can also give the Cowboys some problems up front, and it will be interesting to see if Bradford can take his good play to the biggest stadium in the country.
5.) New York Giants (0-2) @ Carolina Panthers (0-2) (1:00 - FOX)
4.) Chicago Bears (2-0) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2) (SNF)
The "Desperation Is Usually a Good Thing" division. Because it is the NFC, one teams season is probably ending in that first game. I guess the Giants could start 0-3, finish 9-4, and steal the NFC East, but the Panthers need a win to have any shot at the NFC South. A fun little do-or-die Week 3 game right there. The Bears are one of the more surprising 2-0 teams, and the Steelers among the most surprising 0-2 teams. The Steelers looked lifeless again, and honestly, if they don't beat the Bears, they should fire Todd Haley on the field after the game.
3.) Atlanta Falcons (1-1) @ Miami Dolphins (2-0) (4:05 - FOX)
The "Prove Yourself" Division, as Miami gets their first chance this season against a good team. Winning in Indianapolis is nice (only one other team has done it against Andrew Luck), but beating the Falcons in Miami would be a bigger signal to the NFL, along with the Patriots, that they could actually make a run at the AFC East.
2.) Green Bay Packers (1-1) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) (1:00 - FOX)
The "Offense vs. Defense" Game, one of the few potential Super Bowl Previews' we have had during these first three weeks. The Bengals took care of business against Pittsburgh, and now gets the other Super Bowl team from 2010 in their building. The last time Aaron Rodgers played the Bengals, he was sacked 8 times in a lifeless loss in Lambeau Field. That was a different Bengals team completely, this is a scarier one. Their defense will test Rodgers in a way that is the polar opposite of what the Redskins did. Should be fun.
1.) Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) @ Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) (TNF)
The "Revenge of the Ried' Game. Few Thursday Night games ever turn out good, but a few have over the years. No one seems to remember a great game played by the, at the time, 9-2 Ravens and 9-2 Falcons back in 2010, or even the Jets win in New England with Favre in 2008, or the Redskins first of four straight wins in the aftermath of Sean Taylor's death in 2007, or the Colts, at the time, keeping perfection alive against the Jaguars in 2009, or Tebow's miracle win over the Jets in 2011, or even the first 49ers/Seahawks game in the modern rivalry last year. What I'm saying is there usually is a good game or two each year, why not this one?
Jets (+11) over PATRIOTS (CORRECT = 1-0)
Chargers (+7) over EAGLES (CORRECT = 2-0)
RAVENS (-7) over Browns (CORRECT = 3-0)
TEXANS (-9) over Titans (WRONG = 3-1)
Panthers (-3) over BILLS (WRONG = 3-2)
FALCONS (-5.5) over RAMS (CORRECT = 4-2)
Vikings (+6) over BEARS (CORRECT = 5-2)
Dolphins (+3) over COLTS (CORRECT = 6-2)
CHIEFS (-3) over COWBOYS (WRONG = 6-3)
PACKERS (-7.5) over REDSKINS (CORRECT = 7-3)
RAIDERS (-6) over Jaguars (CORRECT = 8-3)
Saints (-4) over BUCCANEERS (WRONG = 8-4)
CARDINALS (+2.5) over Lions (CORRECT = 9-4)
Broncos (-4) over GIANTS (CORRECT = 10-4)
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) over 49ers (CORRECT = 11-4)
Steelers (+6.5) over BENGALS (WRONG = 11-5)
Week 2: 11-5
Year-to-Date: 20-12
Power Rankings
32.) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2 = 11-47)
Blaine Gabbert, Chad Henne, it doesn't matter really. The Jaguars are just a bad football team. I guess their defense has some pride, because they have at least h**eld opponents under 30 (though that probably ends this week with a little trip to Seattle) in both games. In one sense I feel bad for the Jaguars, who don't have any immediate relief in the draft coming (I'm not a huge fan of Teddy Bridgewater, but I've been wrong before).
31.) Washington Redskins (0-2 = 47-71)
There actually haven't been too many awful teams through two weeks (and few dominant teams, there have been a ridiculous number of competitive games overall), but the Redskins have been as bad as any. Garbage Time stats aside (and that is a meaningful sentence, since the Redskins have been as prolific in garbage time as Carson Palmer was last year), the Redskins have basically been dominated like no team in the NFL. They were down 7-26 at the half of one game and 0-24 in the other. RGIII is clearly hurt and is clearly not a great pocket passer, at least this gimpy version isn't.
Same old Browns. They do everything right on defense against Baltimore, but only put up six points against a team that gave up 49 the week before. The Browns defense is still solid and will keep them from being blown out all too often, but when your QB options are either a potentially hurt Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell, it won't matter in the win column. The one saving grace is that the AFC North may be in a down period (like every AFC Division, for that matter).
29.) Oakland Raiders (1-1 = 36-50)
Yeah, I'm giving them little credit for beating the worst team in football. Whatever credit goes away when you realize that the passing offense once again did nothing and now they take their run-based offense into Denver and the league's best rush defense (among the other things they are the best in the league at) on Monday Night. Just to say this: that line can't get high enough.
28.) Minnesota Vikings (0-2 = 54-65)
Tough break for the Vikings who could have won that game, but then again their offense was mediocre for the second straight game. Christian Ponder telegraphed that pass so bad I thought it was Jay Cutler throwing it. It was nice to see Jared Allen with a strip sack, playing like it was 2009 all over again. Too bad these days in Minnesota they wish they had Brett Favre back.
27.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2 = 31-34)
I'm probably slamming the Buccaneers too hard, because they were winning both games with 59:56 gone, but lost both on walk-off field goals. That said, Josh Freeman looks terrible and they are close to redoing basically the exact same mutiny they had at the end of Raheem Morris's tenure. That defense still plays really hard, and whoever replaces Greg Schiano will have a lot to work with on that side of the ball, but they need to sort out that QB situation. With the ridiculous depth at QB in the league, teams without a legitimate QB are just screwed week in, week out.
26.) New York Jets (1-1 = 28-30)
Couldn't they throw me a bone and win that game against New England? Couldn't they just do me a solid for once (other than that time when they did win that game in New England in January, 2011)? That defense is still good enough to beat any average offense (and New England without any for Tom Brady to throw to qualifies), but their offense just can't keep making terrible mistakes. It's not all on Geno either. Receivers run bad routes, drop passes, fumble for no apparent reason. The Jets could be 2-0, instead, they embark on the toughest part of their schedule (outside of this coming week), and are probably a handful of weeks away from Rex Ryan potentially being fired.
25.) Carolina Panthers (0-2 = 30-36)
Let's just erase the fact that I picked them to not only win the division, but make the NFC Championship Game. Let's just forget that. How can a team be so ridiculously terrible at playing in close games time and time again. If DeAngelo Williams doesn't fumble against Seatttle, they likely win in Week 1, and if they just go for it on 4th and 1, or if the refs don't call a mysterious DPI penalty on the last drive, they win in Week 2. I was so close to being vindicated for one of my ballsier predictions.
24.) Buffalo Bills (1-1 = 45-46)
Lost in the DPI is that EJ Manuel had another effective game, and more and more it looks like Doug Marrone actually knows what he is doing and that hiring a middling college coach wasn't such a 'Bills' like idea after all. That was a beautiful play on the game winning touchdown, worthy of a game winning touchdown. If anything, the Bills are exciting to watch again. Of course, in this wacky, every-game-is-close season, there are only a handful of teams that aren't exciting to watch.
23.) Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2 = 19-36)
The Pittsburgh Steelers have given up just 18 points per game. That is the good news. The bad news is they've scored just 19 points total in two games. I won't put this on Roethlisberger. His o-line sucks once again, he has the worst Running Back By Committee ever established, and the Steelers let another good WR walk (following the footsteps of Plaxico, Nate Washington, Santonio Holmes). They are a mess. I can't believe I picked them to go 12-4 and make the AFC Title Game (thank God for the Broncos, my only good preseason pick). Of course, in the AFC they probably aren't out of it, but that game hosting Chicago becomes awfully important now.
22.) Philadelphia Eagles (1-1 = 63-50)
Well, two weeks in an Chip Kelly is leading the 3rd highest scoring team in the NFL, the team that leads the league in yards per play. So why do I have them this low? Well, for one, if the Chargers don't fumble on back-to-back possessions inside the Eagles red zone in the 1st Half, this game isn't even close, and they still can't play defense. They never had a practice with live tackling in training camp and it shows. The best moment was when they left Eddie Royal wide open on a three-man rush. Something that is hard to do in Madden.
21.) Indianapolis Colts (1-1 = 41-41)
I never liked the hiring of Pep Hamilton. I thought it was a move made by Irsay, thinking he can outsmart everyone by getting Andrew Luck's old college coordinator to coach him. Well, this offense doesn't play to Luck's skills at all. Andrew Luck is Ben Roethlisberger, with the potential to be even better. Just as Roethlisberger has been neutered in Todd Haley's offense, Luck is neutered. I hope to hell the Pep era fails just so they can replace him with someone good.
20.) St. Louis Rams (1-1 = 51-55)
Is it strange that through two weeks the real problem in St. Louis has been their defense? Their D-Line has been good but not great, and their corners are getting torched a little too much. It is still early, and the NFC should be a blood-bath all year, but with the best defense in the NFL, another top-five defense, and another borderline top-10 defense (Arizona) in the same division, the Rams better figure out how to get close to that level. It is nice to see Sam Bradford finally play to his level.
19.) Tennessee Titans (1-1 = 40-39)
I'm stunned at Tennessee right now. Until their inevitable late collapse, they had totally dismantled the Texans offense. This was the worst scoring defense in the NFL last year. They were awful defensively, and weren't much better in 2011. Then, without making any huge moves outside of getting known Patriots killer (which isn't Aaron Hernandez, a known Patriots' killer) Bernard Pollard, they have become a good unit all of a sudden. There's something strange brewing in the AFC, where so far the South and West are the two best divisions in the conference.
18.) New York Giants (0-2 = 54-77)
As bad as my Panthers NFC Championship Loss prediction was, it is even worse since the team I picked to knock them off in that game was the Giants. Of course, they meet in Week 3 both 0-2. The loser of that game is gone. That said, the Giants are just half a game back, with a light schedule coming up. Even their second half schedule this year is better than in years past. I'm not giving up yet. In 2007, they started 0-2, and those losses were a shootout in Dallas (35-45), and a blowout home loss to an aging legend at QB (13-35 to the Favre-led Packers), and they won the Super Bowl. One can hope?
17.) Dallas Cowboys (1-1 = 52-48)
Is there anything more Cowboys-ish than for Romo to go 30-42 for 298 yards with a TD and no picks and somehow have the team score just 16 points. I lambasted the Cowboys back in my 2009 Playoffs Preview for being terrible at converting yardage into points, and over the years they haven't gotten any better at it. I have never seen a team that can put up pretty yards each week and still somehow end the season scoring less than 400 points.
16.) Arizona Cardinals (1-1 = 49-48)
I don't know why I have them so high, but I'll just say this: neither Seattle or San Francisco is going to go into Arizona this year and win by more than 10. That place is damn tough to play in, and has been that way since 2007. Even in the lean years (2010-11), the Cardinals were good for some great home performances. That defense is still awfully good, and that they could come back against a good Lions team without Larry Fitzgerald speaks volumes to how well Carson Palmer has fit into the Cardinals. There's a reason I thought they were Super Bowl contenders in 2012 had they gotten Peyton Manning. They got Palmer a year later, and while that is quite a downgrade, he's still good enough to make them a really fun team.
15.) Baltimore Ravens (1-1 = 41-55)
That was a classic 2010 Ravens win: a slow, plodding effort against a middling team ending in a more convincing win than it should have been. They were in control all along it seemed. It was nice to see Stokley and Clark look slightly better this time around. I worry about Ray Rice's injury and I still don't think Flacco has nearly enough to score a lot of points consistently, but it was nice to see that defense rebound greatly after that embarrassing 49 points allowed effort from week 1.
14.) San Diego Chargers (1-1 = 61-61)
For someone who hated everything about Philip Rivers from 2007-2009, I can't believe I am about to say this, but it brings me a lot of joy to see Philip Rivers play awesome once again. He was so good in that game. He answered every jab the Eagles threw at him with two of his own. The Chargers probably should have scored 40+ points (two red zone fumbles will do that to you), and he threw for over 400 yards with missing his main receiver for most of the game. Now, the Eagles defense is pathetic, but I still think Rivers was never as bad as his 2012 made it out to seem. There is life in San Diego yet.
13.) Detroit Lions (1-1 = 55-49)
I think people are wildly overreacting to the Lions loss in Arizona. As I said before, Arizona is not an easy place to play. They have a really good defense. Now, the Lions scored just 14 points on offense, which isn't great, but Calvin got into the action. The Reggie Bush injury scares me, but the Lions still played a pretty good game defensively. No team goes 16-0, teams lose games, including often to average teams on the road. That is all that was.
12.) Miami Dolphins (2-0 = 47-30)
There's a lot to like in Miami right now. Their run game showed life, their defense continues to play at a really high level, Mike Wallace made some plays, and Ryan Tannehill has definitely gotten better in Year 2. Of course, the best part is that they are 2-0, and both games are on the road. I'm sure no one more than them is upset that the Patriots are somehow sitting at 2-0, but the Dolphins have a chance at winning the division. It would help their cause if Amendola and Gronk stay out, but they aren't going away.
11.) Kansas City Chiefs (2-0 = 45-18)
Do you know who the 2013 Chiefs remind me of? The 2011 San Francisco 49ers, the first Jim Harbaugh team that gameplanned their way to 13-3 behind a mistake-free Alex Smith (just 10 turnovers as a team) and a dominant defense. That was another great game from the Chiefs defense (how good is Dontari Poe?), and another mistake free game from Smith. If they can go to Philly and win a game that they are built to win (they are the perfect team to ball control the fuck out of the Eagles), then I think this Chiefs team is close to a lock for the playoffs (and Andy Reid is a lock for his 2nd Coach of the Year award).
10.) New Orleans Saints (2-0 = 39-31)
They could easily be 0-2 if Matt Ryan completes one of three passes or if the Buccaneers hit a field goal, but the Saints are sitting nicely at 2-0 with two divisional wins. It should be a little concerning that they have scored under 20 points per game (their offensive level through two games is actually DOWN from last year), but the Rob Ryan defense has worked splendidly so far. They get Arizona next week, and I could see that game going any number of directions.
9.) Houston Texans (2-0 = 61-52)
Yes, the Texans have had to come back down from 21 and 8 to win their two games, but their defense has actually played quite well. They had awful field position and red zone luck against San Diego, and they only gave up 17 points on defense to Tennessee. I'm still concerned that they've needed to resort to such ridiculous measures to beat San Diego and Tennessee, but they are still the class of the AFC South. Their next few games will tell us a lot, as they get Baltimore, San Francisco and Seattle in a four week span.
8.) New England Patriots (2-0 = 36-31)
How is this team 2-0? Tom Brady has completed 53% of his passes, for a passer rating under 75. This is worse than Brady in 2006 for all intents and purposes. Yet here they are, with a game against the winless Bucs to come. Of course, would I be shocked if the Bucs control this passing offense that will be without Vereen and Amendola once again? No, but I can't imagine Josh Freeman doing great either. I can already see it, the Pats win 23-14 and everyone rights stories about the 3-0 Pats, led by their defense for the first time since 2006 due to good games against two rookies and Josh Freeman, heading to Atlanta as a trendy upset pick, and then have Matt Ryan rip them apart. I can't wait.
7.) Chicago Bears (2-0 = 55-51)
That was a Bears game, alright. Devin Hester was ridiculous. Jay Cutler was awful at times. Jay Cutler was also brilliant at times. I don't know what to make of the Bears so far. The Marc Trestman offense is working on its face, as Cutler's only been sacked once against two good pass rushes, but the run game is not there and Alshon Jefferey is still among the league's biggest teases. Of course, if they still maintain their Lovie Smith-era level of defense and Special Teams, it won't matter.
6.) Atlanta Falcons (1-1 = 48-47)
Nice to see a return to form for Matt Ryan, who casually threw for 374 yards with Roddy White again a decoy. Julio Jones is just an incredible player, so amazing to watch. Also, I liked their pickup of Osi, and I like it more even now. The Falcons have a nice game coming up against the Dolphins to go out and make a statement that they won't be up and down all year, and personally, I think they do it.
5.) Cincinnati Bengals (1-1 = 41-34)
The league's new title holder of 'best roster outside of QB', the Bengals took care of business Monday Night. To take them serious at the end of the day, they needed to win that game, to avoid an 0-2 start, to place an 0-2 start on Pittsburgh, and to show up in a primetime game (just look at their performance in their SNF game hosting Pittsburgh last year). They accomplished all three. Andy Dalton still needs to get better, but that division is eminently winnable, and with the Texans and Patriots starting out a lackadaisical 2-0, so is a 1st Round Bye.
4.) San Francisco 49ers (1-1 = 37-57)
It is weird ranking a team that has been outscored by 20 points through two games 4th, but that was basically an unwinnable game. They were also gobsmacked last year in Seattle (a 42-13 loss in December), and then rolled off three straight wins and went to the Super Bowl. One thing to worry about is that in a game where Anquan Boldin didn't go wild, Kaepernick looked awful. His second and third pick were about as bad as I've seen him read a defense. He still ran nicely, but he too isn't exactly as good of a pocket passer as people seem to believe.
3.) Green Bay Packers (1-1 = 66-54)
I've never seen anyone get hot like Aaron Rodgers. Maybe Peyton in his prime, or Kurt Warner, or Tom Brady back in 2007. Of course, I expect Rodgers to look way more mortal against a great Bengals defense in Week 3, but those Rodgers performances are special. I was happy to see McCarthy keep throwing it after getting that huge lead, a nice change from previous years. What pleases me most about the Packers is their defense had a good game (forget the garbage yards, they dominated the Redskins passing game). If their defense keeps this up, and the NFC West teams hammer each other, they can steal the #1 seed.
2.) Seattle Seahawks (2-0 = 41-10)
The Seahawks were so good that Russell Wilson could have a terrible game (8/19, looking lost at times) and they could still win by 26. Sure, some of it was fortunate field position and some timely penalties extending drives, but that was a demolition. More than anything, though, I was happy to see defense being played so well (by both teams, really), and this was without Brandon Browner, Chris Clemons or Bruce Irvin. Just a fantastic effort by the most fun defense to watch in the NFL. With the Jaguars next, they could have a ridiculously low points allowed total after three games.
1.) Denver Broncos (2-0 = 90-50)
Who else? They just beat the last two Super Bowl Champions 90-50, and that was with playing a sometimes sloppy, sometimes lazy first half in both games and giving up late scores to make the games seem somewhat close. Peyton looks as sharp as ever, and that offense just keeps going. Drops don't faze them. Fumbles don't faze them. Nothing fazes them. Their pass rush was silent after a great Week 1, but their secondary made up for it in spades. No team is deeper in the secondary than Denver, and no team has a better rush defense. That is a nice combination, after all.
Postseason Projections (Why not do these right after Week 2?)
AFC
1.) Denver Broncos (14-2)
2.) Cincinnati Bengals (12-4)
3.) New England Patriots (11-5)
4.) Houston Texans (11-5)
5.) Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
6.) Miami Dolphins (10-6)
NFC
1.) Seattle Seahawks (13-3)
2.) Atlanta Falcons (12-4)
3.) Green Bay Packers (12-4) [why not pick a random one]
4.) New York Giants (9-7)
5.) Detroit Lions (10-6)
6.) San Francisco 49ers (10-6)
Ranking Next Week's Games
16.) Cleveland Browns (0-2) @ Minnesota Vikings (0-2) (1:00 - CBS)
15.) Buffalo Bills (1-1) @ New York Jets (1-1) (4:25 - CBS)
The "Two Bad Teams Playing Each Other" division. If anyone has this as their Sunday doubleheader (and I don't think that is possible), I truly feel sorry for them. I guess the Bills and Jets are marginally interesting, but really all the winner gets is a leg up to being the 3rd place team in the AFC East.
14.) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) @ Seattle Seahawks (2-0) (4:25 - CBS)
13.) Oakland Raiders (1-1) @ Denver Broncos (2-0) (MNF)
The "Let's Just Remember Who The Road Teams Were When The Home Team Wins By 30" division. Seattle will probably come close to shutting out Jacksonville, and come close to some sort of record for fewest points allowed through three games (13 is the current record, set by the 2001 Packers and 2004 Seahawks). The Broncos get to play another boring night game where Manning looks like Peyton Manning and the world realizes that Terrelle Pryor isn't as exciting when playing teams outside the AFC South.
12.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2) @ New England Patriots (2-0) (1:00 - FOX)
11.) San Diego Chargers (1-1) @ Tennessee Titans (1-1) (1:00 - CBS)
10.) Detroit Lions (1-1) @ Washington Redskins (0-2) (1:00 - FOX)
9.) Indianapolis Colts (1-1) @ San Francisco 49ers (1-1) (4:25 - CBS)
The "You'll Talk Yourself Into Them Being Fun, But They Won't" division... and yes, I'm including the Lions @ Redskins in there, because the Lions front will come close to ruining RGIII's other knee (and I hope they don't because I like watching a healthy RGIII). The Colts are walking into a bloodbath in San Francisco against an angry 49ers team. The Buccaneers could be entering something similar. The Chargers and Titans are both surprises so far, but I can't imagine the two teams that combined for one of the most boring playoff games of the last 10 years playing an exciting game here.
8.) Arizona Cardinals (1-1) @ New Orleans Saints (2-0) (1:00 - FOX)
7.) Houston Texans (2-0) @ Baltimore Ravens (1-1) (1:00 - CBS)
6.) St. Louis Rams (1-1) @ Dallas Cowboys (1-1) (1:00 - FOX)
5.) New York Giants (0-2) @ Carolina Panthers (0-2) (1:00 - FOX)
4.) Chicago Bears (2-0) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2) (SNF)
The "Desperation Is Usually a Good Thing" division. Because it is the NFC, one teams season is probably ending in that first game. I guess the Giants could start 0-3, finish 9-4, and steal the NFC East, but the Panthers need a win to have any shot at the NFC South. A fun little do-or-die Week 3 game right there. The Bears are one of the more surprising 2-0 teams, and the Steelers among the most surprising 0-2 teams. The Steelers looked lifeless again, and honestly, if they don't beat the Bears, they should fire Todd Haley on the field after the game.
3.) Atlanta Falcons (1-1) @ Miami Dolphins (2-0) (4:05 - FOX)
The "Prove Yourself" Division, as Miami gets their first chance this season against a good team. Winning in Indianapolis is nice (only one other team has done it against Andrew Luck), but beating the Falcons in Miami would be a bigger signal to the NFL, along with the Patriots, that they could actually make a run at the AFC East.
2.) Green Bay Packers (1-1) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) (1:00 - FOX)
The "Offense vs. Defense" Game, one of the few potential Super Bowl Previews' we have had during these first three weeks. The Bengals took care of business against Pittsburgh, and now gets the other Super Bowl team from 2010 in their building. The last time Aaron Rodgers played the Bengals, he was sacked 8 times in a lifeless loss in Lambeau Field. That was a different Bengals team completely, this is a scarier one. Their defense will test Rodgers in a way that is the polar opposite of what the Redskins did. Should be fun.
1.) Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) @ Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) (TNF)
The "Revenge of the Ried' Game. Few Thursday Night games ever turn out good, but a few have over the years. No one seems to remember a great game played by the, at the time, 9-2 Ravens and 9-2 Falcons back in 2010, or even the Jets win in New England with Favre in 2008, or the Redskins first of four straight wins in the aftermath of Sean Taylor's death in 2007, or the Colts, at the time, keeping perfection alive against the Jaguars in 2009, or Tebow's miracle win over the Jets in 2011, or even the first 49ers/Seahawks game in the modern rivalry last year. What I'm saying is there usually is a good game or two each year, why not this one?
