NFL 2008 Week 2 Picks

Shock and awe.

How else can you describe Week 1 of the 2008 NFL season?

Never in recent memory has the NFL landscape been so drastically altered this early in the season. There were teams that shot so far past or fell so far short of expectations that you wanted to take off their helmet to see who was really under there.

Some battles resulted in surprising ambushes while others were blitzkriegs that scattered enough carnage and debris to cover five city blocks.

No one expected Chicago mauling Indy in their new habitat. Atlanta's mashing of Detroit was eye-opening, but then again...it was Detroit. Buffalo's stampede over Seattle gave the rest of the AFC East notice of their arrival. The state of Pennsylvania enjoyed routs from each side of the state as Pitt and Philly crushed their opponents. And, how about Carolina's last-second TD to edge the Chargers? How thrilling!

Ironically, Brett Favre's new and old team enjoyed victories that were close only by score.

As expected considering the nature of this sport, several conflicts saw many soldiers suffer wounds in the heat of battle. Some of these men will not see the battlefield again this season including one field general from the New England region who suffered a blow to his leg that created a gasp across the whole country when he fell. Tom Brady's absence very well may alter the outcome of the division, but it will also reveal the resolve of this Patriots team and just how good Belichick can coach.

And, how encouraging and exciting was it to see some young privates answer the call of their superiors and fellow soldiers and display their prowess and punch? Atlanta's QB Matt Ryan's first NFL pass was a 62-yard TD as he led the hapless-Falcons to a blowout of Detroit. WR Eddie Royal of Denver hauled in 9 catches for 146 yards and a TD. Dallas' Felix Jones took his first NFL hand-off and blasted 11 yards for a TD in relief of a battered Marion Barber in the Cowboys' rout of Cleveland. Bears RB Matt Forte steam-rolled Indy for 23 carries and 123 yards including a 50-yard TD explosion.

What will this week's warfare bring? How ugly will it get for which platoons? Who will continue their momentum and wake up the league as to their arrival?

Week 2 is just over the ridge...

• Tennessee Titans (1-0) at Cincinnati Bengals (0-1): CBS, 1pm EST - Despite reports that his mental health was fragile and his commitment to football was waning, Titans QB Vince Young insists that he's committed to football and still enjoying living out his dream. That dream is on hold after he sprained his knee last Sunday and will be out about four weeks. Kerry Collins will take over, and as insurance, the Titans ironically signed Chris Simms who succeeded Young at the University of Texas. The Titans running attack and stout defense will cause serious problems with the Bengals who allowed 229 rushing yards vs. Baltimore...without Willis McGahee.

• Oakland Raiders (0-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (0-1): CBS, 1pm EST - This old AFL rivalry features two AFC West foes which feature game-breaking running attacks and struggling defenses. The Raiders got pummeled last week by Denver while KC came close to upsetting New England following Brady's injury. KC suffered a loss themselves when QB Brodie Croyle suffered a separated shoulder and will be out 2-4 weeks. Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell must do a better job if defenses are going to respect him. Both offenses are ugly with the exception of their RB's, and both defenses are quite talented but are sputtering out of the gate.

• Indianapolis Colts (0-1) at Minnesota Vikings (0-1): CBS, 1pm EST - When the NFL schedule was first released and Indy saw that they had two NFC North opponents to open the season, I'm guessing that they took it quite seriously. Considering the dynamics of opening on Sunday Night Football in their new stadium, I'm also guessing that they didn't foresee the Bears showing up like they did. Peyton Manning simply did not look good, and the defense could not handle rookie RB Matt Forte. Minnesota came up short vs. Green Bay and hopes that being at home facing a limping Colts team will elevate them to their first win. The Vikes have won their last five games vs. Indy at home.

• Buffalo Bills (1-0) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1): CBS, 1pm EST - The expectations of both teams from outsiders reversed field last Sunday. Jacksonville was favored by many to be a serious candidate to possibly make it to the Super Bowl while Buffalo was viewed as a team on the rise that could make a push for the playoffs. Not so fast. Against Tennessee, the Jags didn't even look like a playoff team while Buffalo stomped the stuffing out of Seattle at home with their complex defensive schemes and flowing offense. Coach Jack Del Rio must get his players refocused and invigorated if they plan on thwarting the Bills on their home turf and avoid an embarassing 0-2 hole.

• Green Bay Packers (1-0) at Detroit Lions (0-1): FOX, 1pm EST - Well, it appears so far that all is well in Packerland without #4. QB Aaron Rodgers stepped to the plate Monday night and hit one out of the park with his solid performance against a good Vikings defense. Detroit, on the other hand, remained very consistent in the way it went on the road and totally fell apart by giving up 318 rushing yards alone and 478 yards total offense. Detroit coach Rod Marinelli said it best, "It happened, and it was bad." Something tells me that Rodgers won't have much of a fight for his encore.

• NY Giants (1-0) at St. Louis Rams (0-1): FOX, 1pm EST - There were some dismal performances last Sunday, but I can't think of any that were as bad as the Rams' annihilation at the hands of the Eagles. I know Philly is a good team and packs a serious punch, but St. Louis played like they were still in pre-season playing their third and fourth-string guys. That kind of output is not going to cut it vs. the Super Bowl champions who looked like they hadn't missed a beat a week ago. Coach Scott Linehan may soon be scanning Craigslist for a job.

• New Orleans Saints (1-0) at Washington Redskins (0-1): FOX, 1pm EST - Last Thursday during the Redskins shoddy performance in NY, one of the TV cameras focused on Skins Executive VP of Football Operations Vinny Cerrato sitting in his luxury seat. He was leaning back in his seat, and had the look of someone who had just been informed that his bank account had a zero balance. His eyes were open as wide as softballs, his mouth was partially open just enough to get air in, and his stare could have have punctured steel. The Redskins played like they had just been handed the playbook a few hours prior to the game, and coach Jim Zorn always looked like he was trying to remember if he set his TiVo for My Name Is Earl while trying to focus on the game. Despite having ten days to prepare, New Orleans isn't exactly a recipe for a rebound based on what was observed last week although the loss of WR Marques Colston is huge.

• Chicago Bears (1-0) at Carolina Panthers (1-0): FOX, 1pm EST - If you find yourself in the mood for some football saturated with exciting running displays and provocative defenses, then this game is for you. The Bears shocked the league with their win last Sunday night vs. Indy, and they did it with a good ole fashioned smash mouth running game and a dominating defense. Carolina scored with two seconds lift in the game to beat a very good Chargers team in San Diego. They utilized a very effective running attack and vigorous defense to hold San Diego in check and pull out a win. Sit back and enjoy.

• San Francisco 49ers (0-1) at Seattle Seahawks (0-1): FOX, 4:05pm EST - When I think of the Niners, they remind me of a '72 Ford Fiat with an oil leak, balding tires, and the side mirrors duct-taped to the vehicle. With the exception of RB Frank Gore, this team's talent level has engine lights blinking all over the dash. They travel to Seattle to face their division rivals who have beaten San Francisco eight of the last ten contests and have won 24 of their last 28 games at home. Expect a lot of backfire.

• Atlanta Falcons (1-0) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1): FOX, 4:05pm EST - I stared at the TV like Vinny Cerrato last Sunday as I watched the Falcons offense, anchored by QB Matt Ryan and RB Michael Turner, dismantle Detroit. But, you do have to consider the opponent and the fact that their defense is non-existent. The Falcons face a much better defense in Tampa, and their defense will be facing QB Brian Griese instead of Jeff Garcia. Bucs RB Warrick Dunn will be facing his former team so the motivation and drive will be there in full force. Atlanta's honeymoon will probably come to an end as reality hits.

• New England Patriots (1-0) at NY Jets (1-0): CBS, 4:15pm EST - One of the highly-anticipated games after Brett Favre landed in Jet country was this showdown vs. the Patriots. Favre vs. Brady. Well, that will have to wait until 2009 after Brady tore both ligaments in his knee last week. Now, Favre will be facing Matt Cassel who was 10 when #4 played his first game with Green Bay.This Patriots defense are a few notches better than that Miami squad last week so Favre will have a challenge on his hands. The Jets defense can't afford to let their guard down vs. this Patriots offense which is still drenched with talent and speed. The crowd is going to be turbulent for this one.

• Miami Dolphins (0-1) at Arizona Cardinals (1-0): CBS, 4:15pm EST - There's not a whole lot to say about this one. The expectations were pretty low for Miami this season considering their massive building project that is underway and it showed last week vs. the Jets. The Dolphins arrive in the desert to face a Cardinals team that they've beaten the eight out of the last nine times they've played. But, that was then and this is now. The Cardinals wiped away the Niners last week and face a Miami team that is much better talent-wise, but their blanced offense and maturing defense shouldn't have any trouble giving this Cardinals team an 0-2 start.

• San Diego Chargers (0-1) at Denver Broncos (1-0): CBS, 4:15pm EST - If you had told me last weekend that the Chargers were going to get beat by Carolina at home, I would have asked you to go get your head examined. The winning TD drive by Jake Delhomme and Co. was proof that this Chargers defense is going to miss LB Shawne Merriman who is out for the year with torn ligaments in his knee. This Broncos team showed the league last weekend that they are not going anywhere and can't be taken for granted after dismantling Oakland. RB LaDainian Tomlinson did not practice this week with a toe injury, and you can bet this crowd is going to be searing.

• Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) at Cleveland Browns (0-1): NBC, 8:15pm EST, Sunday Night - These two squads put up completely different performances last Sunday. The Steelers played with passion and looked like a well-oiled machine as the mowed down Houston at home. Cleveland had the luxury of welcoming Dallas to the Dawg Pound only to get ravaged beyond recognition. To follow up this disheartening loss with a showdown against their bitter division rival will show exactly what this Browns team is made up of. The Steelers have won nine straight games.

• Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) at Dallas Cowboys (1-0): ESPN, 8:30pm EST, MNF - Many classic battles between these two NFC East power houses have happened on Monday night, and I don't see how this one will be any different. Dallas lived up to it's pre-season hype of being a Super Bowl contender by going into Cleveland and embarrassing the Browns. Philly unleashed its fury and wrath on the hapless Rams. Both teams have offenses that move down the field very quick, and their defenses are intimidating and highly aggressive. The key to this game is simply to contain RB Brian Westbrook while Philly must avoid turnovers. Get out your catheter. You aren't going anywhere.

• Baltimore Ravens (1-0) at Houston Texans (0-1): CBS, 8:30pm EST, MNF - When a hurricane strikes, it has a habit to throw a wrench (literally and figuratively) in plans and schedules. This game was previously scheduled to air on CBS in the 4:15pm time slot EST, but is now going to air on Monday night at the same time as the Dallas-Philly game. It will now be televised on local CBS stations in the primary and secondary markets of the Texans and Ravens. Baltimore looked good vs. Cincy last week, and I believe the Ravens have found a QB in Joe Flacco. Houston was demolished by the Steel Curtain last Sunday, but I expect the Texans will pull themselves back together just fine in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike and will feed off their fans -- that is -- whoever is able to show up.

TEAMS IN BOLD ARE THE PICKS.


Four of the sports personalities that I compared my picks record with were on Inside The NFL on HBO. That show is now on Showtime with different faces, but they haven’t started posting their picks. I have not been able to find any sites besides ESPN that posts their picks as well.


STANDINGS
Chris Mortensen (NFL behind-the-scenes guru): 11-5
Ron Jaworski (former Eagles QB; MNF color guy): 10-6
Mark Schlereth (former Skins and Broncos OL): 10-6
Eddie Chinn: 9-7
Mike Golic (former Eagles and Dolphins DT): 8-6