@craigballard77

Thursday, September 23, 2010

NFL Week 2 - Week 3

The only place to start is the bizarro-world start to the records in the NFL...KC, Miami, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Houston, Pittsburgh are all 2-0...Dallas and Minny are both 0-2...odd

The best 2-0 team in my opinion is Houston...great teams win games they shouldn't and we may have seen that in week 2 at Washington...that coupled with their impressive home route of Indy have me watching them...

Lucky 2-0 teams KC and Miami...the Chiefs have used other ways to score other than just offense which is of course a top recipe for success, but we still see a lot if work required on offense...A poor offense is also why I say the Dolphins are fortunate to be 2-0...the D for Miami has been very good...big future for 2nd year CB's Vontae Davis and Sean Smith...

Dallas coach Wade Phillips' days at the helm have to be numbered...talent at every position but no leadership...

ATL may be the NFC version of the Patriots in that if you are on the road vs the Falcons you had better bring your A+ offense...

Bills rookie C.J. Spiller has 9 yards on 8 carries in his brief NFL career...likely more was expected of him, especially when you consider he was the opening day starter

The Patriots trade RB Laurence Maroney, and now lose RB Kevin Faulk for the season with a torn ACL...that leaves Fraud Taylor, sorry Fred Taylor, with his wonky toe, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis as the RB's going forward for the Pats

even Ragnar the Viking is concerned
 The Minny offense struggled for the 2nd straight week...for me no WR Sidney Rice should mean a heavier dose of RB All Day Adrian Peterson and TE Visanthe Shiancoe..All Day was good against Miami, but he has only 1 TD to open the season...he had 18 a year ago, and 4 after week 2, but his only TD in 2010 came courtesy of a gift from fellow RB Ricky Williams as Ricky fumbled at his own 1 yard line to set up the Vikings with first and goal from the Miami 1 (yikes)


 Pittsburgh's D has them at 2-0...the only TD the O has scored was Rashard Mendenhall's 50 yard scamper in OT to win week 1...I really thought this team was in trouble and had to have the D be amazing to win games...to their credit they have been amazing...the return of Troy Polamalu and Aaron Smith have this unit looking TOUGH


Going Forward...Week 3 thoughts

All Day and Shiancoe get 2 TD's each in Minny's first W

It took all of one week for Andy Reid to change his mind at insert Michael Vick over Kevin Kolb as the Eagles QB

The ATL at NWO is a huge game for me...I feel the winner of the NFC South will represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLV

Tennessee at New York football Giants...one of these 2 teams will be a very disappointing 1-2 after this game...after getting pulled for poor play in week 2 QB Vince Young is back as starter...since Young took the starting job back mid-2009 the Titans are 9-3

Mike Tomlin and Raheem Morris

Either Pittsburgh or Tampa Bay will be 3-0 after this week...Head Coaches Mike Tomlin (Pitt) and Raheem Morris (TB) have their teams on very positive paths currently




 
Wade Phillips is not and NFL Head Coach


The Battle Of Texas goes in Houston where the Texans host the Cowboys...I like Houston to win this game and put Wade Phillips on the Hot Seat big time in Big D






Sunday Night game is Jets at Miami...the criticism has been there for Jets QB Mark Sanchez, but he has a 3 TD game under his belt...Dolphins QB Chad Henne has not received similar criticism, and has been under the radar as far as a guy who is not leading a potent offense, and he himself has played decent at best...the running game gets the decent at best review too...WR Brandon Marshall has shown that he is a guy who makes all the catches (deep ball...intermediate routes vs CB's and Safeties...short catches in traffic against CB's and LB's...he is the complete package, but more is needed from all 11 players on O in South Florida...if the Jets can get a Division road win that would be huge, and at 2-1 and in first place in the Division all would be right in Gotham again

Monday Night Game is Green Bay at ChiTown...For me all Green Bay analysis begins and ends with their ability, or usually non-ability, to keep QB Aaron Rodgers upright...this guy was sacked 50 times in 2009...3 times in week 1, but Buffalo did not get to Rodgers at all in week 2...Julius Peppers may have 3 on his own...

craig.ballard@hotmail.com