| Authored by Andrew Perna - 16th September, 2008 - 11:19 am
 A number of seemingly insurmountable leads were overcome in Week Two of the NFL season, with five teams coming from behind to taste victory on Sunday.
The Carolina Panthers fought back against the Chicago Bears for their second-consecutive thrilling win. Trailing 17-3 midway through the third quarter, Jake Delhomme and Jonathan Stewart came alive to put 17 points on the board in a little over 15 minutes of play.
It’s quite possible that the Bears-Panthers' battle wasn’t even the most exciting game of the weekend with both the 49ers and Broncos winning in the final seconds.
You can’t dismiss the offensive shootout between the Eagles and Cowboys on Monday night, either.
Joe Nedney kicked a field goal in overtime to lead San Francisco over Seattle while Jay Cutler raced Denver downfield and converted a risky two-point conversion to notch a win over San Diego.
Just two weeks into the season my pick in the AFC, the Chargers, is looking like yet another of my many miscues. However, there are fifteen weeks left in the season and much will undoubtedly change…and then change again.
The Downs
First Down…The Undefeated Watch
As we saw in 2007 with the Patriots, posting an undefeated regular season record really isn’t all that hard. We may be only two weeks in the 2008 season, but there are a boatload of teams on pace to match New England’s perfect 16-0 season.
The Giants, Cowboys, Packers, Panthers, Cardinals, Bills, Patriots, Steelers, Titans, and Broncos have all begun the season on a roll. None of those teams will go into the second half of the season without a loss, but isn’t nice to see a zero in your team’s loss column?
Second Down…Aaron F’n Rodgers
Does anyone in Green Bay remember who the Packers’ old quarterback used to be? You know, on the older side. Graying light brown hair that was always trimmed close. He was also in those Wrangler commercials playing football with his buddies. I can’t recall his name, but I know he’s no Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers couldn’t have started the season any better, posting one more win than ‘that guy’ has in New York. The California native is on pace to record 4,000 yards and 32 touchdowns for the Packers this season, and he’s completing 70.8% of his passes. He’ll face his first true test this coming weekend against the Cowboys, but don’t forget what he did to them in relief of ‘that guy’ last November.
He went 18-for-26 with 201 yards and a touchdown.
Third Down…Matt Hassel‘suck’
Okay, I know it sounds harsh – especially with Seattle’s receiving corps looking like a Division 1-AA squad – but Hasselbeck has been downright awful through his first two games. He has 379 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions with a 48.6 QB rating and a 45.5% completion percentage in two losses.
What he needs right now is a favorable matchup…oh wait, the Seahawks are playing the Rams in Week Three! John Carlson is the team’s leading receiver right now; he’s a rookie tight end from Notre Dame, but they should still be able to put points on the board often against St. Louis.
Fourth Down…Cleveland Looking Brown
It’s earlier than an early bird special, but the Browns certainly don’t look like contenders in the AFC right now. In order to make the playoffs in the conference they will probably have to go 10-6 or better – Cleveland should know how that is – which means they’d have to win ten of their last fourteen games just to have a shot.
Derek Anderson hasn’t looked right since the end of last season, and Jamal Lewis hasn't benefited from the quarterback’s 51.8 completion percentage. Things should fall into line once Anderson starts finding Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow downfield, and they’ll face the Ravens and Bengals in the next two weeks. However, this Sunday’s game in Baltimore might be considered as a ‘must-win’.
The ‘Who The Heck’ Statline of the Week…
Tyler Thigpen, Chiefs QB: 14-for-33 with 151 passing yards, one touchdown, and an interception.
Keyboard Prediction for Week Three
Jacksonville @ Indianapolis, Sunday 4:15 PM EST
The Jaguars need to win this game for a variety reasons – to boost their confidence, to validate David Garrard’s contract, to erase their winless record, and to slide up in the tough AFC South. The Colts, on the other hand, looked impressive in the second half as they escaped Minnesota with a huge victory to avoid falling beside Jacksonville.
Look for Peyton Manning to continue the hot steak he started against the Vikings, leading the Colts to an impressive win over the rival Jaguars. Indianapolis is going to be dangerous once their offense starts clicking because of their healthy defense, and the Jaguars could press too much with an 0-3 start around the corner.
The Keyboard Prediction: Indianapolis 30, Jacksonville 17
Season Record: 1-1
My Fantasy Diary
What’s that famous tune by the Rolling Stones that was featured at the end of the movie 21?
Oh yeah.
“You can't always get what you want
And if you try sometime you find
You get what you need.”
That might as well have been my fantasy mantra in Week Two, after The Drew Crew limped out of the gates with a close loss and a few injuries to a pair of starters.
After losing Marques Colston and Dallas Clark while losing by eleven in Week One, I went into Week Two looking to “get” healthy and find a few waiver-wire wonders. I picked up Anthony Gonzalez, Jerious Norwood, and the Giants’ defense at mid-week, installing New York into my starting lineup over Philadelphia.
Smart move. The Giants pestered the Rams all day long on Sunday to the tune of six sacks and an interception that was returned for a touchdown by Justin Tuck. Put 24 points in the bank for the Crew, more than could ever be asked for from a defense.
I left both Norwood and Gonzalez on the bench, and in the end I came out smelling like a rose (a rarity). The Chargers may have dropped to 0-2, but Rivers and Chris Chambers combined to score 60 points in my lineup as Chambers filled the void left behind by Colston.
I was even able to applaud Gonzalez’s 137 receiving yards because Santonio Holmes gave me a little more than 10 points on Sunday night. No harm, no foul.
Joseph Addai was horrible against the Vikings, but his questionable one-yard touchdown was all I needed while Thomas Jones recorded 70 respectable yards against the tough Patriots’ defense. Even Mason Crosby scored twelve points for me in Week Two.
Vernon Davis, my substitute for Clark, failed to show up…literally. He didn’t catch a single pass in San Francisco’s overtime win over Seattle, but in the end, it didn’t matter.
The Drew Crew scored a blistering 124 points even with sub par efforts from Addai and Davis. My opponent managed just 75 points, and I moved to 1-1 on the season.
Only one team in the East Coast Pigskin league scored more points than the Crew in Week Two: the High Strokers, who scored 156 points thanks to Jay Cutler, Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, and the Tennessee defense.
I’m feeling good, but a Week Three loss could easily change that…
Week One Record: 4-1
Week Two Record: 4-1
Season Record: 8-1
Top Ten Fantasy Starters At Each Position For Week Three
Based On Prior Week Performance And Matchups
QBs
1. Tony Romo, Dallas at Green Bay
2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis versus Jacksonville
3. Jay Cutler, Denver versus New Orleans
4. Drew Brees, New Orleans at Denver
5. Brett Favre, N.Y. Jets at San Diego
6. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay versus Dallas
7. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh at Philadelphia
8. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia versus Pittsburgh
9. Kurt Warner, Arizona at Washington
10. Philip Rivers, San Diego versus N.Y. Jets
Sleeper: Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants versus Cincinnati
RBs
1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota versus Carolina
2. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego versus N.Y. Jets (injury risk)
3. Frank Gore, San Francisco versus Detroit
4. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia versus Pittsburgh
5. Clinton Portis, Washington versus Arizona
6. Willie Parker, Pittsburgh at Philadelphia
7. Brandon Jacobs, N.Y. Giants versus Cincinnati
8. Reggie Bush, New Orleans at Denver
9. Marion Barber, Dallas at Green Bay (slight injury risk)
10. Michael Turner, Atlanta versus Kansas City
Sleeper: Julius Jones, Seattle versus St. Louis
WRs
1. Terrell Owens, Dallas at Green Bay
2. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis versus Jacksonville
3. Anquan Boldin, Arizona at Washington
4. Calvin Johnson, Detroit at San Francisco
5. Plaxico Burress, N.Y. Giants versus Cincinnati
6. Brandon Marshall, Denver versus New Orleans
7. Greg Jennings, Green Bay versus Dallas
8. Braylon Edwards, Cleveland at Baltimore
9. Chris Chambers, San Diego versus N.Y. Jets
10. Randy Moss, New England versus Miami
Sleeper: Santana Moss, Washington versus Arizona
TEs
1. Jason Witten, Dallas at Green Bay
2. Antonio Gates, San Diego versus N.Y. Jets
3. Jeremy Shockey, New Orleans at Denver
4. Kellen Winslow, Cleveland at Baltimore
5. Chris Cooley, Washington versus Arizona
6. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis versus Jacksonville (injury risk)
7. L.J. Smith, Philadelphia versus Pittsburgh
8. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City at Atlanta
9. John Carlson, Seattle versus St. Louis
10. Heath Miller, Pittsburgh at Philadelphia
Sleeper: Todd Heap, Baltimore versus Cleveland
Ks
1. Mason Crosby, Green Bay versus Dallas
2. Neil Rackers, Arizona at Washington
3. Nick Folk, Dallas at Green Bay
4. Rian Lindell, Buffalo versus Oakland
5. Josh Brown, St. Louis at Seattle
6. John Kasay, Carolina at Minnesota
7. Nate Kaeding, San Diego versus N.Y. Jets
8. Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis versus Jacksonville
9. Robbie Gould, Chicago versus Tampa Bay
10. Stephen Gostkowski, New England versus Miami
Sleeper: Ryan Longwell, Minnesota versus Carolina
D/STs
1. New York Giants, versus Cincinnati
2. Tennessee Titans, versus Houston
3. Seattle Seahawks, versus St. Louis
4. New England Patriots, versus Miami
5. Chicago Bears, versus Tampa Bay
6. Carolina Panthers, at Minnesota
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at Chicago
8. San Diego Chargers, versus N.Y. Jets
9. Buffalo Bills, versus Oakland
10. Pittsburgh Steelers, versus Philadelphia
Sleeper: Indianapolis Colts, versus Jacksonville
Predictions, Fantasy Stories, or Excitement? Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com |
