FRO's FAVORITE FIVE Top Five NFL Performances Week 2 by Jon Wagner, Sr. Writer-At Large, Football Reporters Online

FRO's FAVORITE FIVE
Top Five NFL Performances
Week 2
by Jon Wagner, Sr. Writer-At Large, Football Reporters Online

#5: MAGIC TRICK NUMBER ONE

The NFL can be a funny league. In their season opener, the Oakland Raiders likely should have won but let a game get away against San Diego. A week later, the Raiders probably should have been blown out in Kansas City, yet found a way to win late, despite being thoroughly dominated by the Chiefs. Consider some statistics… First Downs: 25-11, Chiefs; Rushing Yards: 173-67, Chiefs; Passing Yards: 236-99, Chiefs; Total Yards: 409-166, Chiefs; Time Of Possession: 38:39 to 21:21, Chiefs. Now, consider: Raiders’ quarterback Jamarcus Russell finished 7 of 24 for just 109 yards, only 4.5 yards per attempt, with a 46.0 passer rating. For more than 58 minutes, the Raiders scored just 6 points on a couple of field goals, and Russell was 3 for 17, for 42 yards on the afternoon. At this point, any reasonable football follower would be saying, “Come on, now, the Chiefs won easily, right?” Nope. In some sort of football wizardry, the Raiders managed to be within 10-6 when they got the ball at their own 31 yard-line with 2:30 to play. Despite three Raider penalties from that point, Russell went 4 for 7, for 67 yards, engineering a 9-play, 69-yard drive capped by a Darren McFadden 5-yard touchdown run with 1:07 left in the game, to give Oakland a most improbable 13-10 victory.

#4: A RELENTLESS ANTWAN ODOM

Entering the season, Cincinnati defensive end Antwan Odom recorded 15.5 career sacks in four years with the Tennessee Titans and one season with the Bengals. In 60 minutes against Green Bay, Odom had nearly one-third as many sacks, dominating the Green Bay Packers’ porous pass protection for a team record-tying five sacks in the Bengals’ 31-24 victory at Green Bay. Odom took advantage of Packers’ starting left tackle Chad Clifton’s injury. Odom had four of his five sacks after Clifton left the game. How good was Odom’s day? Well, consider that Odom, who leads the NFL with 7.0 total sacks, had more sacks on Sunday than any other player in the league has over the first two weeks combined.

#3a: CHRIS JOHNSON’S RUNNING AND RECEIVING and…

Since two different running backs had outstanding games on Sunday, it was hard to pick just one without giving both their due. And, since this is technically FRO’s Favorite FIVE, let’s just divide the third best performance into a 3a and a 3b, starting first with Tennessee Titans’ running back Chris Johnson. Although it came in a Titans’ 34-31 loss to Houston, Johnson had a fantastic day as a dual threat, not only rushing for 197 yards on just 16 carries, for a 12.3 yards per carry average, but also catching 9 passes for 87 yards, finishing the day with 284 total yards. Okay, cue the special infomercial music… But wait, there’s more! Johnson also scored on three long touchdowns: Johnson’s 57-yard touchdown run gave the Titans a 7-0 first quarter lead; his 69-yard touchdown reception, also in the opening quarter, put Tennessee up 14-7; and his 91-yard touchdown burst up the middle of the field, gave Tennessee a 31-24 with 9:53 left in the third quarter. All worthy of perhaps the top spot on this list, except for the fact that there wasn’t much more after that. Those were Tennessee’s last points of the day as the Texans pretty much shut Johnson and the Titans’ offense down over almost the final 25 minutes of the game. Still, Johnson did more than enough over the first 35 minutes to be one of FRO’s top performances of the day.

#3b: FRANK GORE JUST RUNNING WILD

Now for the other great rushing act on Sunday… When a running back runs for 159 yards in the NFL, he had a good day. When he does that on just two carries, taking one for a 79-yard first-quarter touchdown run to give his team a 10-0 lead, and another on the first play of the third quarter for an 80-yard touchdown to put his team up 20-10, and then he adds another 48 yards throughout the game, to finish with 207 yards on just 16 rushes, that’s an amazing day. That was 49ers’ running back Frank Gore’s day in first place San Francisco’s 23-10 victory over Seattle. Fueled mostly both those two big touchdown runs, Gore finished the game with an extremely efficient 12.9 yards per carry.

#2: MAGIC TRICK NUMBER TWO

Whereas the Raiders’ magic trick was almost in spite of themselves, the Indianapolis Colts pulled off an opposite, yet even more amazing feat, making the most of the very limited time they had the ball. What odds would you give a team trying to win on the road on Monday Night Football if you knew that team would be given the ball for the equivalent of just one quarter to the home team’s three quarters with the ball? Well, maybe those odds would be better if you knew the road team was led on offense by Peyton Manning. The Miami Dolphins used their wildcat (actually, more of a slow, methodical pacing kitten) offense to run 84 plays to the Indianapolis Colts’ 35, while rushing for 239 yards and controlling the clock for 45:07 to the Colts’ mere 14:53. Holding the ball for two quarters less, while running 49 fewer plays? No problem for Manning and the Colts, who scored two fourth quarter touchdowns, to beat Miami 27-23, in an historic game in a few different ways. For Manning, it was the 37th time in his career that he led a comeback win in the fourth quarter or overtime. It was also his 119th career victory, moving him past the great Johnny Unitas and setting the franchise record for most wins by a Colts’ quarterback. But, perhaps most significant, and what makes the Colts’ win FRO’s second best moment in Week 2, was that the Colts possessed the ball for the least amount of time for a winning team since the NFL began keeping time of possession statistics in 1977. A football magic trick indeed.

#1: KURT WARNER’S NEAR-PERFECT DAY

We’ve seen many times how good Kurt Warner can be, but never as close to perfect as was in Jacksonville, in the Cardinals’ easy 31-17 victory on Sunday. Helping Arizona to a 31-3 third-quarter lead, Warner connected on his first 15 passes, en route to setting an NFL record for accuracy in a single game, completing 92.3 percent (24 of 26) of his throws for 243 yards, while throwing for two touchdowns and avoiding any interceptions or sacks. Warner didn’t complete a pass for more than 22 yards, but he spread the ball around to nine different receivers, six of those, for at least 13 yards apiece. Yet another way the former arena league star has etched his name into the NFL history books.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FRO's Results Rankings 2009 NFL Season Week2 By Jon Wagner, Sr. Writer At-Large-Football Reporters Online

FRO's Results Rankings
2009 NFL Season Week2
By Jon Wagner, Sr. Writer At-Large-Football Reporters Online

While there are many power rankings out there based as much on hype, expectations, and sometimes unrealized projections, at Football Reporters Online, we prefer to rank NFL teams on what's actually happened, taking into account only how teams have performed on the field and who they’ve played. At FRO, you won’t find yet another power ranking that doesn’t tell you much. Instead, here are FRO's Results Rankings:

Week 2

#1 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 2-0 Last Week: #5
The Saints proved that it wasn’t just the level of competition (against Detroit) last week, as they throttled what is supposed to be a good defense in Philly. Drew Brees has thrown for 669 yards, 9 TD’s, and only 2 picks, while New Orleans’ 93 points is second only to the 1968 Oakland Raiders’ 95 points over the first two weeks of an NFL season.

#2 NEW YORK JETS 2-0 Last Week: #2
Opening on the road against a likely playoff contender, and playing against another team which still figures to be a Super Bowl contender, the Jets are the NFL’s only defense to not surrender a touchdown, while starting with a pair of impressive conference wins on the strength of an attacking defensive scheme which Rex Ryan brought over from Baltimore.

#3 NEW YORK GIANTS 2-0 Last Week: #9
The Giants continue to struggle in the red zone (or green zone, if you Tom Coughlin), but in spoiling the Dallas Palace debut, Eli Manning proved once again that he’s at his best in two-minute drills, and he may have found the numbers 1 and 2 options he was seeking in Mario Manningham and Steve Smith. Big Blue is sitting in good position heading to Tampa after already posting a couple of NFC East wins, one of them, on the road.

#4 BALTIMORE RAVENS 2-0 Last Week: #10
After a generally unimpressive win against the Chiefs at home (despite rolling up a franchise record 501 yards), the Ravens looked good in holding off a late “Charge” in San Diego to go 2-0. It says something about your team when you can travel out to the west coast, Phillip Rivers passes for a career-high 436 yards to your quarterback’s 190, and you can still win a fairly high-scoring game, 31-26. Baltimore may be more versatile in finding different ways to win, than their preseason blueprint for success originally suggested.

#5 MINNESOTA VIKINGS 2-0 Last Week: #6
The Vikings can thank the schedule maker for two easy road wins (at Cleveland, and at Detroit) to get out of the way before they unveil their Favre era at the dome they call home for the first time (in a game that counts). Still, Minnesota took care of business and won fairly easily for the second straight week, scoring 27 straight points in Detroit after spotting the Lions a 10-0 lead.

#6 ATLANTA FALCONS 2-0 Last Week: #7
The Falcons have taken advantage of beating up on a pair of 0-2 teams (Miami and Carolina) at home. Week 2 was already a little tougher than Week 1, but so far, Matt Ryan has picked up where he left off last year (in fact, he’s been a little better). Michael Turner got going against Carolina and future hall of famer Tony Gonzalez has already been a factor for Atlanta.

#7 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 2-0 Last Week: #11
Staking an early claim as perhaps the team to supplant Arizona as the new team to beat in the AFC West, the Niners’ formula of tough, solid defense, and either QB Shaun Hill or RB Frank Gore making enough big plays, had them earning two wins against the only other real contenders in the division, including one on the defending AFC West champions’ home field.

#8 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 2-0 Last Week: #17
Garcon… oh, Garcon? Could you please serve Peyton a 48-yard touchdown catch and give him his 37th game-winning comeback (in the fourth quarter or overtime), making him the Colts’ all-time winningest quarterback? Thank you, Garcon. Peyton should be giving you a big tip for that one. Indianapolis thus far, has been the protype of the fine line that is the NFL. If not for that late Peyton Manning-to-Pierre Garcon hookup, and a failed Jaguars two-point conversion a week earlier, the Colts might be looking at 0-2 instead of 2-0.

#9 DENVER BRONCOS 2-0 Last Week: #18
Really? The Denver Broncos at number 9? Like it says above, this list is based on results, not on November or December projections. Until they prove us wrong, it’s hard to knock the Broncos’ 2-0 start. Is Cleveland bad? Sure. Did Denver get a huge lucky play in the final seconds against Cincinnati? Absolutely. But, 2-0 is 2-0, and the Broncos are one of only nine undefeated NFL teams remaining (already, after just two weeks!), allowing a league-low 13 points. At this point, the Broncos might be wishing they can play all of their games against teams from the state of Ohio.

#10 DALLAS COWBOYS 1-1 Last Week: #8
Against the Giants, Tony Romo once again, proved he’s still far too mistake prone in big games before the Cowboys can be considered serious contenders in the NFC. Dallas now has it’s shiny new football museum to play in, but it may house mediocrity this year. On the plus side, any time you allow 450 yards off offense and still win by 13 (as Dallas did at Tampa Bay), or come within a last-second kick of beating an NFC Super Bowl contender (in the Giants) despite losing a turnover battle 4-0, it suggests there’s enough to your team to overcome your problems and win enough games later in the season to be in the playoff hunt.

#11 PITTSBURGH STEELERS 1-1 Last Week: #4
A pair of makeable fourth-quarter left hooks by the usually reliable Jeff Reed prevented the defending champs from starting 2-0 in Chicago, but the Steelers’ bigger issue is that they’re still having problems getting RB Willie Parker going. Until they do, they will sometimes struggle to score points –- of which they have only 27 in eight quarters and a few minutes of overtime thus far.

#12 BUFFALO BILLS 1-1 Last Week: #15
Buffalo should really be a surprising 2-0, but they couldn’t finish what they built for nearly a whole game in New England. However, the Bills got their first win, looking strong in a relatively easy bounceback win over winless Tampa Bay, behind RB Fred Jackson’s 163 yards on 28 carries.

#13 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 1-1 Last Week: #16
Doesn’t it seem that the Chargers play close games every week, every year? They could easily be either 2-0 or 0-2 so far this season, so 1-1 is probably about right. The Chargers stole a game in Oakland despite being outplayed by the Raiders. On the flip side, they were in good position to rally past the Ravens late, but came up short thanks in part to a terrible play call. You run for 53 yards on 20 carries all day, your quarterback has a career-high 436 yards, and down 5, 4th-and-2, from your opponents’ 15 yard-line, in the final minute, you decide to run the ball up the middle only to get stuffed for a game-ending 5-yard loss by Ray Lewis? Really? Throw the ball there and you might be up closer to where the Ravens are, and they’re the ones down near number 13 on this list.

#14 CHICAGO BEARS 1-1 Last Week: #21
The Bears could easily be 2-0 with a tough schedule (at Green Bay, vs. Pittsburgh) so far. Cutler was solid against the Steelers (especially on a final game-winning drive) and this time, he avoided the mistakes (no picks against Pittsburgh) that he was prone to in Green Bay (4 INT’s). The Bears got a break with Reed’s two missed field goals, but they capitalized, and you can’t fault them for that. Good win after a gut-wrenching loss to the Cheeseheads.

#15 ARIZONA CARDINALS 1-1 Last Week: #22
Okay, so the Jaguars are bad, but a nice bounceback rout in Jacksonville, traveling to the east coast, after letting the opener get away at home, in the desert. Warner was nearly perfect against the Jags, setting an NFL record for accuracy against the hapless Jags.

#16 CINCINNATI BENGALS 1-1 Last Week: #27
Now, that was more like it. After a bad offensive performance against Denver, the Bengals scored as they were expected to this season, posting 31 on the Packers. Meanwhile, their defense repeatedly introduced Aaron Rodgers’ to the Green Bay turf.

#17 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 1-1 Last Week: #1
No McNabb, no excuse. Donovan doesn’t play defense. The Eagles were ranked at the top of this list after their defensive dominance in Carolina. As good as the ‘D’ was there, that’s how bad it performed against New Orleans. Hence, the drop from the top spot all the way to a middle-of-the-pack number 17 ranking.

#18 HOUSTON TEXANS 1-1 Last Week: #30
Like several other 1-1 teams mentioned above, the Texans are another team to turn it around nicely after a horrid Week 1 effort. Houston was a trendy preaseason playoff pick this year, but an 0-2 start would have dealt a decent blow to that prediction. Not to worry… for now. After getting nothing against the Jets at home, Houston lit it up for 420 yards in Tennessee, getting Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson on track. The problem is, they also allowed 449 yards to the Titans, 240 on the ground –- something they’ll have to fix soon to stay a legit playoff contender.

#19 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 1-1 Last Week: #3
The Seahawks quickly learned the difference between a joke divisional game at home against the Rams and a real AFC West game at first place San Francisco. Of course, losing QB Matt Hasselbeck to a fractured rib before halftime in Frisco, didn’t help.

#20 GREEN BAY PACKERS 1-1 Last Week: #12
High preseason hopes for the Packers and Aaron Rodgers have quickly given way to concern for a Green Bay team which is fortunate to not be 0-2. Rodgers, the Packers’ offensive line (10 sacks allowed), and their defense have all been less than impressive at different points over the first two weeks.

#21 TENNESSEE TITANS 0-2 Last Week: #13
The Titans, preseason Super Bowl challengers, suddenly face a must-win Week 3 situation against the resurgent Jets after opening with a pair of heartbreaking three-point losses. The Titans are doing some things right (especially RB Chris Johnson), but they couldn’t score much in Pittsburgh when their defense played well, and then, when they got the offense going, they couldn’t stop Houston from scoring. If the Titans can’t put it all together soon, Tennessee may quickly see very high expectations turn into a season of disappointment.

#22 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 1-1 Last Week: #14
With a healthy Tom Brady back, the Patriots were supposed to be storming out of the gate. Not so fast. They’re lucky they’re not 0-2 both overall and within their own division. Only a late Buffalo collapse (you cold say, even just one Bill’s fumble) saved New England from that, before Brady and the Pats’ were then bashed and bullied by the Jets’ aggressive defense, in managing just three field goals at the Meadowlands, the first time in 37 games that New England failed to score a touchdown.

#23 WASHINGTON REDSKINS 1-1 Last Week: #24
Raise your hand if you’re breathing a huge sigh of relief after taking the Redskins in your knockout pool (official disclaimer: FRO does not officially condone gambling of any kind). When you win and you only go from number 24 to 23, you must have not been all that impressive. Bingo. After losing to the Giants, Washington evened their record, but in ugly fashion, failing to put the ball in the end zone in a weak 9-7 victory over a Rams team that got crushed by a team from a different Washington (as in the state, not D.C.) a week earlier.

#24 MIAMI DOLPHINS 0-2 Last Week: #29
How can you posses the ball for three quarters to your opponent’s one quarter and still lose at home on Monday Night Football? Ahh, the overhyped Wildcat. Successful? Yes, to a point. But, as Miami showed, when you’re not explosive, the wildcat can lead to very long, methodical, time-consuming drives that yield little on the scoreboard. The Dolphins were much better than they were in Atlanta, but the end result was the same.

#25 OAKLAND RAIDERS 1-1 Last Week: #20
Being far more impressive in a loss to San Diego than they were in a win in Kansas City, the Raiders actually go down 5 spots after their first victory. Somehow, after choking away a game they should have won at home against the Chargers, the Raiders managed to win a different divisional game on the road, in Kansas City, that they had no business winning. Oakland was thoroughly dominated by the Chiefs until Jamarcus Russell, who had been awful, put it together on one last drive to eek out a 13-10 win and get to 1-1.

#26 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 0-2 Last Week: #23
The Chiefs hung in nicely in Baltimore without Matt Cassel, before ultimately losing by a couple of touchdowns, but how do you outgain a team 409-166 at home and lose 13-10? Somehow, a strong game produced an awful results, and the Chiefs deserve to be 0-2, and due to a strange scheduling quirk, that could become 0-6 if they’re not careful. Kansas City suddenly join the NFC East for the next month, playing a Philadelphia, hosting the Giants and Cowboys back-to-back, before traveling to Washington.

#27 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 0-2 Last Week: #19
The Jaguars are only ranked up here instead of down near the bottom because they pushed the Colts to the brink in a 14-12 loss in Week 1. It has nothing to due with their poor game against the Cardinals in which they fell behind by four touchdowns and looked lost dealing with Kurt Warner, who picked them apart with the precision of some type of quarterback surgeon.

#28 ST.LOUS RAMS 0-2 Last Week: #32
The Rams climb out of the cellar with a much better effort in the nation’s capitol than they gave in Seattle, but a league-low seven (you know it’s low when it’s still grammatically correct to spell it out) points in two games is downright embarrassing. Marc Bulger is averaging just 4.9 yards per pass attempt. Ouch.

#29 CAROLINA PANTHERS 0-2 Last Week: #31
The Panthers are very much in the Titans’ boat, though they’ve looked worse so far, in getting there. Like Tennessee, Carolina was a popular pick to be a playoff contender to perhaps go far, before starting 0-2. And, like Tennessee (at, the Panthers also face a must-win Week 3 game on the road. It’s going to be tough to get that first victory with the Cowboys seeking their inaugural win at the Dallas Palace on Monday Night Football. Jake Delhomme took much better care of the football in Atlanta than he did against the Eagles, but the Panthers have allowed an alarming 66 points, be it due to their defense not performing up to expectations, or the offense giving opponents a short field.

#30 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 0-2 Last Week: #25
34-21 loss to Dallas, 33-20 loss at Buffalo. See a pattern? Maybe a 32-19 loss to the Giants? The Bucs allowed 462 yards to the Cowboys and 438 yards to the Bills. That’s 450 per game, second only to Houston’s 455.5 yards allowed per game. Tampa Bay just doesn’t have the firepower offensively to keep up with numbers like that, so if they don’t start stopping the opposition at least a little bit, it’s going to be a long year.

#31 DETROIT LIONS 0-2 Last Week: #26
After getting smoked by Drew Brees and the Saints, the Lions looked good for about 25 minutes and had a surprising 10-0 lead on the Vikings before it all fell apart as Minnesota scored the next 27 points. Detroit has allowed a league-high 72 points. That’s not exactly the way you want to compliment your offense and your number one pick and quarterback as he learns on the job.

#32 CLEVELAND BROWNS 0-2 Last Week: #28
Other than a meaningless touchdown with 28 seconds left against Minnesota, the Browns offense has not been able to get the ball in the end zone. Their defense has kept them in both of their games by halftime, but both of those losses turned into second-half blowouts. Overall, the Browns, as a whole, have showed the least of any team over the season’s opening two weeks.

AFC South Week 2 By Rafael Garcia Sr. Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online Southeast Reg

                                                     AFC South Week 2
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online
Southeast Region
 
Houston 34 Tennessee 31
 
As the teams prepared for this game each knew that this would be a pivotal game. Yes it’s early but this was a divisional game and the team that won this one would take a big step forward and the loser a step back. Each team was trying to avoid going into a 0-2 hole and it was the Texans that came out the victor. It started well for the Titans as running back Chris Johnson scored twice in the first quarter. The first score was a beauty as the Titans were facing third and 19 and wondering what play to call. They decided on a draw and Johnson took it to the house showing his blazing speed. The next one was a thing of confusion, beauty and pure speed. Johnson was split wide left and noticed that no one was wide enough on defense. Kerry Collins noticed the same thing too and called a quick count snap. He got the ball to Johnson and with nobody near him he was off to the races. It was 14-7 and the Titans looked well on their way to a rout. No sooner than the second quarter started they were at it again. At the 12-minute mark Collins hit wide receiver Nate Washington from 8 yards out and it was 21-7 Tennessee. This is what the Texans were trying to avoid all week long. They talked about keeping their mistakes to a minimum and here they were in a hole helped out by their own mistakes. There was still time though and they had to decide if they were going to stand toe-to-toe with Tennessee or give in early. They chose to stand and fight and a great game ensued from there. Now it was Tennessee’s turn to make the mistakes that would eventually cost them the game. On their next drive Houston would close the gap. Titan cornerback Nick Harper and free safety Michael Griffin bit on the run and were burned by WR Andre Johnson’s 72-yard scoring catch. Just over a minute later QB Matt Schaub hit Jacoby Jones from 29 yards to tie the game. A field goal followed and the Texans had just scored 17 unanswered points to take their first lead of the game. Rob Bironas finished off the first half scoring tying the game with two seconds left in the half. So now the Texans had showed the Titans they could play with them. That they could push and shove back and not be intimidated by their long time foes. The third quarter would provide more drama when Chris Johnson took a handoff from the Titan nine and went left. Before you knew it he was in the open field and there was nobody that was going to catch him. 91 yards later he had scored his third touchdown of the game and it put his team up once again. Still Houston would not give in as they drove 65 yards on 11 plays to tie the game at 31-31. Now the stage was set for a dramatic finish between these two divisional teams.  After two punts by each team Houston got the ball with just over seven minutes left and moved the ball 63 yards on nine plays to take a 34-31 lead. There was still time left for Tennessee to tie or win the game. So with less than two minutes left Collins took the snap and felt the pressure coming. He took a step into the pocket to avoid Amobi Okoye’s rush and then inexplicably dropped the football. Defensive lineman Jeff Zgonina picked up the fumble and sealed the win for Houston. The Titans had their chance and gave it away but it was not the only reason they lost. The defense could not get the job done on this day. They allowed Schaub too much time to hit his receivers. He finished 25-39 for 357 yards and a career high four touchdown passes. Andre Johnson had 10 catches for 149 yards and two scores. This game showed that the Titans are adjusting to life without Albert Haynesworth. They do not have that run stopper and the secondary was unusually soft. They have plenty of work to do and going into a 0-2 hole in their division puts them seriously behind the eight ball. As for Houston, well it was a win but they cannot rest here. They must learn from their own mistakes as well. They allowed Johnson to run wild on them as he had 16 carries for 197 yards and added nine catches for 87 yards more. Kerry Collins was 21-33 for 216 yards and two touchdowns but his fumble late cost his team a chance for the win.
 
Arizona 31 Jacksonville 17
 
Last week the Jags had trouble playing a team within their division and this week they were at home and made it a record day for Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner. He was 24-26 for 243 yards and two touchdowns, had a passer rating of 131.2 and completed a single-season record 92.3 % of his passes. The pass rush never showed up for the Jags and Warner took full advantage. He completed passes to nine different receivers and got help from Jacksonville when they had a field goal blocked and returned for a touchdown. On top of that Arizona was able to run as well averaging over four yards a carry. Jags running back Maurice Jones-Drew had 13 carries for 66 yards and four catches for another 17. That will not get the job done when you give your star player only 17 touches for the game.  So the Jags start off 0-2 and will look for answers as they face Houston and Tennessee the next two weeks. Warner was able to throw right and left as well as short or long. He had no turnovers and was never sacked. The Cardinals had a 24-3 lead at the half and stretched it to four touchdowns later. As for the Jags, well let’s just say, they were awful. Quarterback David Garrard was in desperation mode most of the game. He was sacked four times and fumbled three other times. His line gave him little or no protection and players were blaming each other after the game. They must take responsibility one by one and as a whole. It will take so much more for them as coach Jack Del Rio find his hold on the job weakening. It’s early but time will not wait for the things this team needs to do to compete.
 
Indianapolis 27 Miami 23
Someone please explain to me how you lose a game in which you control the ball? A game you dominated for most of the night? The Miami Dolphins found a way to give a game away on Monday night. Everything was working to perfection starting with the Wildcat. Running back Ronnie Brown had a huge game as he found hole after hole to gain 136 yards on 24 carries to go with two scores. Quarterback Chad Pennington hit receivers to complement the running game. The Dolphins kept Peyton Manning and the Colts offense off the field for most of the game and yet they managed to win. If that was not enough Miami had the ball for just over 45 minutes and still could not win. One thing for sure this game shows that Manning still has what it takes to move his football team even with new weapons at his disposal. He showed that he could make the most of his opportunity even when his time on the field is limited. He turned two short passes into touchdowns with some heads up route running by TE Dallas Clark and wide receiver Pierre Garcon. The defense was on the field most of the game but when they needed to make a stop they made it. Manning finished 14-23 for 303 yards with two touchdowns, as he made the most of the few chances his offense got. So the Colts are 2-0 when they could be 0-2 with a few twists and turns. Either way they proved that their man behind center could still move an offense at will and it will take much more to knock Indy of its high horse.

NFC South Week 2 By Rafael Garcia Sr. Contributing Writer Football Reporters Online Southeast Region

                                    NFC South Week 2
 
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer Football Reporters Online
Southeast Region
 
 Atlanta 28 Carolina 20
This was another one of those divisional games that would set the tone for the rest of the season. Panther quarterback Jake Delhomme had to regain his confidence and the Falcons were trying to start 2-0 for just the seventh time in team history. Falcon QB Matt Ryan got his team off to a good start and took his team into the locker room with a 21-13 lead at the half. He showed that he is maturing with each game and is starting to take control of the offense as opposed to managing it. He finished 21-27 for 220 yards three touchdowns and one pick. At one point he was so in the zone he completed 13 consecutive passes. It was also the first time in his young career that he threw for three scores in the first half. The Panthers were determined to stop running back Michael Turner but he still managed to get 105 yards on 28 carries. Meanwhile Delhomme got his groove back as he went 25-41 for 308 yards and one touchdown. His big mistake came with just over two minutes left in the game. Chris Houston intercepted his pass that was intended for Steve Smith and then with one last chance his hail mary was knocked away with time running out. So now the Falcons take their show to New England and a chance to put the Pats at 1-2. It will be a homecoming of sorts for Ryan who played his college ball at Boston College.
 
New Orleans 48 Philadelphia 22
Well so much for containing Saints quarterback Drew Brees. After throwing for six touchdowns last week Brees came back with another three. It resulted in another 40-point game for the Saints and another big win. He finished 25-34 for 311 yards with a pick. Brees showed that at this point he is the most prolific passer in the game right now. It was as if he could do whatever he wanted when he wanted to. He hit receivers across the middle and hit them long. The game was close enough in the first half as the Saints held a 17-13 lead. In the third quarter things opened up for the Saints when Ellis Hobbs fumbled the kickoff and Chris Reis recovered it at the Eagle 22. Two plays later it was 24-13 New Orleans. Scott Shanie picked off Philly quarterback Kevin Kolb on the next possession and that led to another score. Now it was 31 -13 just like that and the air was taken out of the Eagles. The questions about backup Kolb were answered for at least one Sunday as he went 31-51 for 391 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. With McNabb out again head coach Andy Reid will once again turn to Kolb to start next week. So the Saints take their highflying act to Buffalo next week and they do not look like they will be slowed down. Brees is hitting receivers on short passes and they are turning them into big gains. He is hitting his long passes with receivers in stride. The running game is working as well. Now the defense needs to step it up as they have shown that they can give up the big play too. If the “D” can pick it up this Saints team could go deep into the playoffs this year.
 
Buffalo 33 Tampa Bay 20
When the two teams took the field Sunday they looked evenly matched. By the end of the first quarter the Bucs appeared to be overmatched in this one. They allowed Bills running back Fred Jackson to scorch them for 163 yards on 28 carries as their front seven were consistently shoved back by the Bills offensive line. They let them get into a rhythm that produced 220 yards passing and 218 rushing. A balance they cannot allow if they wish to compete with the rest of the NFC South. Yet there was some good production by some in a losing effort. Quarterback Byron Leftwich wasn’t too bad in going 26-50 for 296 yards and three touchdowns. He did make mistakes as well throwing an interception to Donte Whitner who ran it back 76 yards for the score. He was forced to play catch up all day after his team fell behind 17-0 after just one quarter. The running game, that was so successful thus far, produced little to nothing. Cadillac Williams was held to nine yards and the team as a whole managed just 57 in a game dictated by the passing game. The defense gave up 438 yards of offense to Buffalo as Trent Edwards went down field more often than usual. With the game still in hand the Bucs let Terrell Owens get open for a 43-yard touchdown that sealed the win for Buffalo. Now the Bucs fall to 0-2 and find themselves in hole early in the year. Their defense must make their adjustments and Williams must get the running game in gear. Leftwich needs to look down the field a little more and not rely on the short pass as much.  Being in the same division as New Orleans and Atlanta does not give them a lot time to fix things. Next week they have the huge task of trying to stop the New York Giants run machine. A 0-3 hole looks likely if they cannot right this ship during the week.

NFL Injury report week2

Week 2 Injury Report -- Wednesday
Week 2, 2008, 09/10/2008
FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL 9/10/08

JAMES EDGES CLOSER TO 15,000

Arizona Cardinals running back EDGERRIN JAMES has amassed 14,967 scrimmage yards in his career and needs 33 yards to become the 14th player in NFL history to reach 15,000 scrimmage yards. Since entering the league with the Indianapolis Colts in 1999, James has rushed for 11,707 yards and added 3,260 receiving yards.

Following is a list of injured players for Week 2 Games (September 14-15):

(For updated practice information on Denver, Oakland, San Diego and Seattle please check NFLmedia.com Thursday morning)

ATLANTA FALCONS at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

ATLANTA FALCONS

Practice Report

LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
C Alex Stepanovich (back)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Coy Wire (ankle)

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Derrick Brooks (hamstring), QB Jeff Garcia (ankle), G Davin Joseph (foot)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
RB Warrick Dunn (not injury related), WR Joey Galloway (not injury related), WR Maurice Stovall (back)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Matt McCoy (groin)



BALTIMORE RAVENS at HOUSTON TEXANS

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Brendon Ayanbadejo (fibula), QB Troy Smith (illness), CB Fabian Washington (neck)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Yamon Figurs (hamstring), DT Kelly Gregg (knee), RB Willis McGahee (knee), S Ed Reed (neck)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
G Jason Brown (ankle), T Jared Gaither (ankle), TE Todd Heap (back), CB Corey Ivy (ankle), CB Chris McAlister (knee), RB Le'Ron McClain (ankle)

HOUSTON TEXANS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
DE Stanley McClover (knee)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
RB Ahman Green (foot), DT Travis Johnson (knee)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
TE Mark Bruener (hamstring), WR Jacoby Jones (back), CB Antwaun Molden (hamstring), G Chester Pitts (ankle), T Ephraim Salaam (knee), T Eric Winston (ankle)



BUFFALO BILLS at JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

BUFFALO BILLS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
TE Derek Fine (hand)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB John DiGiorgio (back), WR Roscoe Parrish (ribs)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
TE Matt Murphy (shoulder)

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
C Brad Meester (biceps)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DT John Henderson (not injury related), DT Derek Landri (quadricep), WR Troy Williamson (thigh)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
G Uche Nwaneri (knee), WR Jerry Porter (hamstring), CB Scott Starks (pectoral)



CHICAGO BEARS at CAROLINA PANTHERS

CHICAGO BEARS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
T Chris Williams (back)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Lance Briggs (ankle), DT Tommie Harris (ankle), KR Devin Hester (foot), T John Tait (groin), CB Nathan Vasher (shoulder)

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Na'il Diggs (shoulder), QB Matt Moore (fibula), TE Dante Rosario (foot), T Travelle Wharton (knee)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
CB Chris Gamble (knee), WR Ryne Robinson (knee)



GREEN BAY PACKERS at DETROIT LIONS

GREEN BAY PACKERS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
G Josh Sitton (knee)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
RB Brandon Jackson (concussion), C Scott Wells (back), CB Charles Woodson (toe)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
S Atari Bigby (bicep), T Chad Clifton (knees), DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (knee), RB Ryan Grant (hamstring), WR Ruvell Martin (finger)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR James Jones (knee), S Charlie Peprah (hamstring)

DETROIT LIONS

Practice Report

LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Paris Lenon (knee), LB Ernie Sims (ankle), QB Drew Stanton (right thumb)



INDIANAPOLIS COLTS at MINNESOTA VIKINGS

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
TE Dallas Clark (knee), DE Dwight Freeney (not injury related), WR Roy Hall (knee), DT Ed Johnson (not injury related), G Mike Pollak (knee)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
CB Kelvin Hayden (hamstring), DT Daniel Muir (knee), TE Jacob Tamme (ankle)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
C Jeff Saturday (knee)

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
S Madieu Williams (neck)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
G Artis Hicks (elbow), RB Maurice Hicks (foot)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
QB Tarvaris Jackson (knee)



MIAMI DOLPHINS at ARIZONA CARDINALS

MIAMI DOLPHINS

Practice Report
Wednesday No injuries to report

ARIZONA CARDINALS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
TE Jerame Tuman (hamstring)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DT Alan Branch (ankle), DT Gabe Watson (knee)



NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS at NEW YORK JETS

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Sam Aiken (knee), TE Benjamin Watson (knee)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Jabar Gaffney (knee), WR Randy Moss (back)

NEW YORK JETS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
WR David Clowney (shoulder), K Mike Nugent (right thigh)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
CB David Barrett (shoulder), WR Laveranues Coles (thigh), DE Shaun Ellis (hand), WR Marcus Henry (calf), CB Justin Miller (foot)



NEW ORLEANS SAINTS at WASHINGTON REDSKINS

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Marques Colston (thumb), LB Scott Fujita (knee), CB Randall Gay (illness), S Roman Harper (hamstring), DT Antwan Lake (groin)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Troy Evans (ankle), RB Deuce McAllister (knee), CB Mike McKenzie (knee), LB Mark Simoneau (back), RB Aaron Stecker (hamstring), DT Brian Young (knee)

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Khary Campbell (thigh), TE Chris Cooley (quadricep), LB Marcus Washington (hamstring)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
S Kareem Moore (hamstring), CB Fred Smoot (hip)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Malcolm Kelly (knee), CB Shawn Springs (calf), LB/DE Jason Taylor (knee)



NEW YORK GIANTS at ST. LOUIS RAMS

NEW YORK GIANTS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DE Mathias Kiwanuka (ankle), CB Terrell Thomas (hamstring), K Lawrence Tynes (left knee)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Jonathan Goff (back)

ST. LOUIS RAMS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
G Jacob Bell (hamstring), WR Drew Bennett (foot), P Donnie Jones (right knee), DE Leonard Little (hamstring)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Donnie Avery (knee), RB Travis Minor (thigh)



OAKLAND RAIDERS at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

OAKLAND RAIDERS

Practice Report
Wednesday Practice not complete

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Practice Report

OUT (DEFINITELY WILL NOT PLAY)

Wednesday
QB Brodie Croyle (right shoulder)


DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Napoleon Harris (knee), S Jarrad Page (back)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR William Franklin (knee)



SAN DIEGO CHARGERS at DENVER BRONCOS

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

Practice Report

Wednesday
Practice not complete



DENVER BRONCOS



Practice Report


Wednesday
Practice not complete



SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
C Eric Heitmann (shoulder), CB Donald Strickland (knee)



SEATTLE SEAHAWKS



Practice Report


Wednesday
Practice not complete



TENNESSEE TITANS at CINCINNATI BENGALS

TENNESSEE TITANS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DE Jacob Ford (chest), RB Quinton Ganther (hamstring), DT Albert Haynesworth (concussion), QB Vince Young (knee, hamstring)

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
C Kyle Cook (illness), S Dexter Jackson (thumb), CB David Jones (head), S Herana-Daze Jones (hamstring), DE Frostee Rucker (foot)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
LB Brandon Johnson (hamstring), CB Johnathan Joseph (hamstring), S Nedu Ndukwe (knee), DT Jason Shirley (heel), DT Pat Sims (toe)



PITTSBURGH STEELERS at CLEVELAND BROWNS

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
QB Ben Roethlisberger (right shoulder), T Marvel Smith (groin), CB Deshea Townsend (foot), WR Hines Ward (not injury related)

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
S Sean Jones (knee), TE Martin Rucker (knee), WR Donte' Stallworth (quadricep)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Joshua Cribbs (ankle), LB Kris Griffin (elbow), G Rex Hadnot (knee), S Brodney Pool (concussion), T Ryan Tucker (hip)



PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at DALLAS COWBOYS on Monday night

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Practice Report (The Eagles did not practice on Wednesday. The below practice participation designations are an estimation)

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DE Victor Abiamiri (wrist), WR Reggie Brown (hamstring), WR Kevin Curtis (hernia)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
S Sean Considine (hand)

DALLAS COWBOYS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Sam Hurd (ankle), G Kyle Kosier (foot)


LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Miles Austin (knee), CB Terence Newman (groin), LB Anthony Spencer (knee)


FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
RB Marion Barber (rib), WR Isaiah Stanback (shoulder)


Related Links: PDF Version