OBVIOUSLY New England was not going to start the season (0-2) and not under the watch of "the" Tom Brady. With Adrian Peterson deactivated, the only thing that was whipped in Minnesota were the Vikings. Four interceptions thrown by Matt Cassel will have most fans crying for their Teddy. Denver going (2-0) would make you put all the chips in at the round table when Kansas City was on the schedule. Your usual high card on offensive didn't look as good as that full house on defensive. The defense late stop was scary to see for a team that lacked in that category a season ago. Tampa is who Tampa will be. Another loss to your favorite back up, back ups, all while playing a career back up like he is the future. I guess that explains why not enough cannons are going off at the new sombrero. Philly is explosive on offense as advertised but back to back games down double-digits going into the second half is concerning. Nevertheless they continue to win so just give them the NFC L"east" title after two weeks. They have averaged 474.5 yards per game on 73 plays per contest. Picking up Darren Sproles may have been the icing on the cake for a team loaded with talent on the offensive side of the ball.
THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE Jake Locker is healthy for once and still is mediocre at best. You go to Arrowhead and deliver against a good Chiefs defense to only wet the bed in your home opener against the constant of mediocrity that is the Dallas Cowboys. May be a long first year for Ken Whisenhunt. Rob Ryan and the Saints defense are looking like a typical Rob Ryan defense. A top 5 ranking a year ago starting to look like the disaster Dallas defensive squad of 2012. Almost 600 yards to your divisional rival in week one combined with 0 turnovers and a sack versus the Browns, yes the Brain Hoyer led Browns and you wonder why Ryan and head coach Sean Payton were verbally at it on the sidelines. Oakland continues to disappoint the fans, the city, and themselves. David Carr drove them down the field numerous times before ultimately turning the ball over on several occasions. The James Jones catch, fumble, fumble recovery, than once more fumble again I am not getting into. The Raiders didn't score until the 4th quarter while committing four turnovers. Even if you move to Los Angeles, you are still the Raiders.
WHO DO YOU LOVE? The Super Chargers were everyone's team for upsetting the champs unless you reside in the great northwest. Their key to victory was keeping Russell Wilson and the crew on the field less than 20 minutes. When your trailing most the game it limits touches for Marshawn Lynch (6) to go beast mode. Phillip Rivers was on the field for 75% of the game while connecting 3 scores to Antonio Gates. That amount of time and the humidity exhausted the Seattle defense. The (2-0) NFC West leading Arizona Cardinals won on all phases of the game Sunday. They scored on offense and special teams while forcing four turnovers on defense. They won with a back up quarterback while Larry Fitzgerald only has 7 receptions total on the season. The Cincinnati Bengals looked impressive even without their star wideout AJ Green. The red rocket Andy Dalton alongside second year back Gio Bernard put on a clinic at the jungle. Their defense was clicking as well picking off Matt Ryan three times. Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly is cancer free and the Bills "look" pretty damn good. Buffalo ranks top 10 in rushing, points scored, and points against. EJ Manuel only has 2 touchdowns but their front seven has kept them in games and teams in check. They will be tested with San Diego, Houston, Detroit, and New England waiting over the next month.
WORST BEHAVIOR The New York Giants continue to be a continuous turnover machine. Yet they did start (0-2) the year they pulled off the improbable beating the undefeated Patriots for the Super Bowl in the 2007-08 season; however Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck are not anchoring the defensive line. Drew Stanton really? Atlanta who put up phenomenal stats versus New Orleans than turned around and looked horrific against an AJ Green less Bengals team is mind puzzling. Offensive and defensive line issues plague the birds once again. At least the Bucs are on the schedule next. Richard Sherman always has a way with words but we couldn't get two cents out of the two-time all pro after their loss Sunday. Twitter usually is where tough guys go to talk trash, have fun with Manning and company next week. Marty Mornhinweg the Jets offensive coordinator called a timeout as Geno Smith threw the game tying touchdown to Jeremy Kerley deep in the 4th quarter which negated the score. Whether it was he, defensive end Sheldon Richardson, or Rex Ryan it was just how the Jets operate. Operating just 3 points and 100 yards of total offense in the second half after being up 21-6 early in the game, once again is how the Jets operate. 
IT'S TIME FOR me to give Jay Cutler some slack, at least this week. The gun slinger put up 21 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to write a sober start in the history book of Levi Field. As much as I don't like his body language at times, on/off the field antics, he and a banged up Brandon Marshall showed resilience and may made the NFC North battle very interesting. I can assume Carolina won't finish (6-10) as I predicted. Yes, Cam can't move as he would like to but he looked well in the pocket with some aging receivers. Their defense tallied 4 sacks, forced 3 turnovers and did it all without the services of defensive end Greg Hardy. The Ravens have moved on without Ray Rice. They looked strong in the aftermath of the storm Rice brewed up, and with the Smith's (Torrey and Steve) catching passes they may can overcome adversity and have a good season. Let's give Houston some credit even with them playing the likes of Washington and Oakland. Arian Foster looks healthy, Ryan Fitzpatrick is managing, and DeAndre Hopkins is developing as a good second option opposite of Andre Johnson. Of course the defense is stellar with JJ Watt earning that $51.8 million guaranteed on both sides of the ball Sunday; however remember the Texans started (2-0) last season before dropping 14 straight. Luckily Matt Schaub is in Oakland this go around.
WE ALL KNOW RG2.5 is injury prone but no one even touched the guy before he was carted off the field. Washington gave up the White House, Lincoln Memorial, and the Monument for Griffin to come to the nations capital and this is the return. For Washington's sake they didn't trade Kirk Cousins this off-season, only bad part for Skins fans dealing with RG is "no refunds, come again." Detroit always looks great on paper but the final product never looks the same. The names we all know and the talent is there on both sides of the ball, but a soft spoken Jim Caldwell still may not be the one to guide the Lions to excellence. Colin Kaepernick can do it all at times, while sometimes he looks like the back up QB he was. Some poor choices and forgettable mistakes had Niner fans in disarray. Four turnovers (3INT, a fumble) in all for the 4th year QB from Nevada including two costly picks in the 4th quarter. I see why only $13 million of his $126 million dollar contract are guaranteed.
GAME BALLS: DeMarco Murray - 29 carries 167 yards TD / Chandler Jones - 8 tackles, 2 sacks, blocked FG, 58 yard TD / Darren Sproles - 4 carries 26 yards TD, 7 receptions 126 yards / Jordy Nelson - 9 receptions 209 yards TD / Antonio Gates - 7 receptions 96 yards 3 TDs / Bears Defense - 4 sacks 3 INT's / Arian Foster - 28 carries 138 yards TD
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED AFTER WEEK 2? There is a difference between a switch and a tree branch but their is also a difference between 4 years old and 14. Greg Hardy got deactivated because it was the "right thing" to do this week, see you Sunday night against Pittsburgh. Start Blake Bortles now, tell me why not?? Don't panic" Who Dat" nation. Todd Haley may, just may, not make it through this season. Richard Sherman knows how to shut the hell up. Charles Woodson should have retired. Dallas is (1-1), (7-7) left to go. Fantasy Football owners were dying during those 1pm games. No matter the situation of the shield, stadiums in every city will be packed except in Jacksonville.
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