Results from Week 2 :
CHI 17 @ CAR 20
TEN 24 @ CIN 7
GB 48 @ DET 25
BUF 20 @ JAC 16
OAK 23 @ KC 8
IND 18 @ MIN 15
NYG 41 @ STL 13
NO 24 @ WAS 29
SF 33 @ SEA 30
ATL 9 @ TB 24
MIA 10 @ ARI 31
SD 38 @ DEN 39
NE 19 @ NYJ 10
PIT 10 @ CLE 6
PHI 37 @ DAL 41
THREE PERFORMANCES OF THE WEEK
1. Buffalo Bills win at Jacksonville
2. San Francisco 49ers win at Seattle
3. Denver Broncos win over San Diego Chargers
REVIEW
Pretty wild week in the NFL....some big scores and offensive performances put up, some great come from behind wins, and some very close encounters and last gasp efforts.
None more so than in Denver, where the Broncos finally overcame the Chargers with the last play of the game to hand the Bolts their second last gasp loss in as many weeks. The winning play was especially galling...the Broncos making a rare 2 point conversion on a touchdown when the usual extra point kick would have meant overtime. The Broncos Head Coach, Mike Shanahan, must have balls the size of Utah to make this call....he would have been hung drawn and quartered if that conversion hadnt have worked...but it did and the wild horses take control of the division. The 0-2 record looks bad for the Chargers, but the truth is they were about a combined 30 seconds away from being 2-0, though defensively they dont look as dominant as last year.
The Tom Brady-less Patriots won ugly against the Jets, and show they will still be a team to be reckoned with despite losing the NFL's best QB. Matt Cassel did a good enough job, though it is obvious the offense wont be the same. But the defense kept Brett Favre at arms length and with a soft schedule the Pats should still have a decent playoff run. Just the charging Bills to worry about, who enhanced their own credentials with another impressive win over the toothless Jaguars, who are getting banged up too quickly too soon.
In the NFC, a wild game between the Cowboys and Eagles - a shootout between arguably the NFC's two best offenses ended with Marion Barber scoring the decisive TD for the Cowboys, but the Eagles will be heartened by their display and look a good unit. With wins for the Giants (easy over the Rams) and the Redskins (very good win over the Saints) as expected the NFC East will be the toughest division in the NFL and its hard to see 3 teams from here not making the playoffs, with it being very much a case of perm any 3 from 4. The Cowboys remain the top power team in the NFL at the moment, but they have some tough games coming up which will be a test.
Elsewhere, a shock win for the 49ers in Seattle, who are looking a team in desperate trouble, Carolina left it late again to overcome the Bears, whilst Minnesota will need to find a passing game and quick to back up the awesome talents of Peterson, who ran all over the Colts but still couldnt stop his team sliding to 0-2 for the year...the win for the Colts a big relief for them.
MY TOP 5 POWER RANKING TEAMS AFTER WEEK 2
1. Dallas Cowboys - Could turn into one of the best offensive units ever (
) and must be the team to beat...at the moment.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers - Good tough win in horrible conditions against the Browns, the division looks weak, they are a playoff lock despite a tough schedule.
3. New York Giants - A dominant win over a poor team yes, but the defending World Champs have done nothing wrong so far this season on either side of the ball.
4. New England Patriots - Big week for the Pats that, no let up with Buffalo snapping at their heels but until they lose they cant be ignored.
5. Denver Broncos - The seasons surprise package? Maybe...look potent on offense and a two game lead over the Bolts gives them a huge early advantage.
NOT FAR BEHIND
Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals
MIDDLE OF THE PACK - SO FAR SO GOOD
New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons
MIDDLE OF THE PACK - SO FAR SO HMMMMM
San Diego Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens
BASEMENT DWELLERS - ITS GONNA BE A LONG ONE
Cincinatti Bengals, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, St Louis Rams