Tattoo Designs for Life:Dolphin

Hashmarks: Week 2 in Review

Week 2 in the NFL saw some rebounds, some falls from grace, and plenty of surprises. Teams expected to dominate are 0-2, and teams expected to be rebuilding are leading their divisions. There's a reason people say NFL stands for Not For Long. Success one week can easily turn into failure the next week, and vice versa. Here are some of the biggest stories from Week 2:

Contenders fall to 0-2

The Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys were two of the most talented teams heading into this season. Although the Vikings had to work hard to get QB Brett Favre to return to the team, overall they were both poised for strong playoff runs again. However, both teams are reeling after being dealt narrow losses to the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears, respectively. Favre threw 3 INTs against Miami, who stuffed RB Adrian Peterson at the goal line to seal a 14-10 win. Bears QB Jay Cutler threw for 277 yards and 3 TDs in leading them to a 27-20 victory. Disturbingly, both losses were at home, where the teams traditionally dominate (the Vikings were 8-0 at home last season, the Cowboys 6-2). The Cowboys turned the ball over 3 times and got away from the run yet again, with QB Tony Romo attempting 51 passes. The Vikings, on the other hand, are desperately in need of better chemistry between Favre and the receivers. Both teams have the talent to turn their seasons around, but it is very difficult to recover from a 0-2 start.

Surprises at 2-0

Eight teams are off to a 2-0 start this season; with the exceptions of the Saints and Packers however, all of them are unexpected. The above-mentioned Dolphins have allowed just 20 points so far this season. The Steelers defense has been similarly stifling in wins over Atlanta and Tennessee. The Texans have figured out how to win close games, coming back from a 17-point deficit to stun the Redskins in OT. The Chiefs rode the momentum from their upset of the Chargers to defeat the Browns. The Bears had a huge win against the Cowboys as mentioned above. The young Buccaneers gained an easy victory over the Panthers. Not all of these teams will be in the playoffs; some of them have faced poor teams, and we saw last year that 5-0 (Giants) and even 6-0 (Broncos) starts don't guarantee a playoff spot. But a two-win start is a huge boost to anyone's confidence.

Jets up, Patriots down

If you based your opinions on week 1 press clippings, you would think the New England Patriots were off to the Super Bowl and the New York Jets would be picking at the top of the 2011 NFL Draft. However, the Jets made amends for their week 1 loss by defeating the Patriots 28-14. QB Mark Sanchez had a career day, throwing for 220 yards and 3 TDs without a turnover. While WR Randy Moss had a spectacular one-handed TD catch in the second quarter, the Jets were able to shut out the Pats in the second half despite losing CB Darrelle Revis to a hamstring injury. QB Tom Brady had 3 turnovers after halftime as the Jets came back from a 14-7 deficit. While fans are now exhaling in New York, fans in New England are wondering where their team is headed. With Miami off to a 2-0 start, the AFC East is shaping up to be one of the best divisions in the NFL this year.

Philly's controversy builds

I wrote in this space last week that the Philadelphia Eagles could have a full-blown controversy on their hands if QB Michael Vick starts and has a big game against the Detroit Lions. Well guess what happened? Vick threw for 284 yards and 2 TDs while adding 37 yards rushing as the Eagles won 35-32, withstanding a late comeback. Although Detroit had time to prepare for the mobile Vick instead of QB Kevin Kolb, he was able to easily dismantle the admittedly poor Lions defense. Scouts say he actually looked good throwing the ball, displaying good pocket presence and keeping his eyes downfield while scrambling. Kolb should be cleared to play next week, and both Vick and coach Andy Reid have already supported Kolb as the starter when he returns. But if Kolb struggles against the Jaguars in week 3, the calls for Vick to start full-time will explode, and Reid may have no choice but to admit defeat and bench Kolb.

The replacements

Besides Philadelphia, multiple teams are having QB problems. With just 17 points scored in its first two games, Buffalo is benching Trent Edwards in favor of Ryan Fitzpatrick, who started eight games for them last year. Tennessee replaced Vince Young with Kerry Collins after he committed 3 turnovers in a 19-11 loss to Pittsburgh, but after a similarly poor performance by Collins, coach Jeff Fisher said that Young will remain the starter. In the same game, the Steelers saw Dennis Dixon go down with a knee injury, leaving third-string QB Charlie Batch to finish the game and possibly start the next two weeks with Ben Roethlisberger still suspended. Carolina will start rookie Jimmy Clausen next week after Matt Moore threw 4 INTs, forced many bad throws, and suffered a concussion in his first two games. Jacksonville benched David Garrard after he threw 4 INTs in a blowout loss to San Diego, although he will remain the starter after backup Luke McCown's season-ending injury. Oakland replaced Jason Campbell with Bruce Gradkowski during their game against St. Louis, and Gradkowski led their comeback in a 16-14 win. Some of these benchings were temporary, but there are always teams that have to replace their QBs during the season. Unfortunately, because of the importance of the QB position, most of those teams end up well short of the playoffs. Many of these teams weren't expected to contend anyway, so it could be considered the nail in the coffin.

By: Rakibul Islam

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About the Author

Rakibul Islam is a sports staff writer at AllMediaNY.com.

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