[risyGreeple]

Lots of things going on in week 2. Injuries, starters being replaced, and after all has been said and done, the Cowboys and Vikings both sit at 0-2. Life is good, ain't it? But don't worry, even if those two teams can't seem to find a way to win, there are still teams that are worse off. If you'd like, go ahead and take a look at where I had teams heading into week 2 here.

32. Buffalo Bills (0-2) (previously: 32nd): The Bills were supposed to lose to the Packers, but by 27 points? I questioned the Bills when they brought in Chan Gailey to be a head coach. However, with the talent on this team, I don’t think Vince Lombardi himself could compete with this team.

31. Cleveland Browns (0-2) (prev: 31st): Seneca Wallace and Josh Cribbs can be exciting to watch. Unfortunately, that’s about the only positive thing I can say about the Browns. The defense has only let up 33 points in the first two games, but considering those games were against the Buccaneers and Chiefs, that’s not really all that impressive.

30. Carolina Panthers (0-2) (prev: 26th): Matt Moore looked pretty good at the end of 2009. Unfortunately for him, it’s now 2010 and he has morphed back into the pathetic quarterback he has always been. Panthers will be starting Jimmy Clausen this week, but it’s likely that the Panthers will suffer some growing pains with Clausen before the team starts playing better as a whole.

29. St. Louis Rams (0-2) (prev: 29th): It’s good to see Steven Jackson getting involved heavily in the offense for the Rams. And on top of that, Sam Bradford didn’t look too bad against Oakland either. The Rams seem to be moving in the right direction but they’ve still got a lot of improvements to make. Surprisingly, the defense has also looked pretty good for the Rams. Unlike the Browns, the Rams have faced two potentially dangerous offenses and passed the test both times.

28. Arizona Cardinals (1-1) (prev: 25th): The Cardinals have a lot of potential. A lot. But if Derek Anderson doesn’t play better, this team just isn’t going to win. The worst part is that the Cardinals really don’t have a back-up that can come in and take over for Anderson. They’re stuck with him, for better or worse. Whisenhunt is good enough to make adjustments to help Anderson out but it may take a while.

27. Detroit Lions (0-2) (prev: 28th): The Lions got schooled by Michael Vick on Sunday and yet they walked away only losing by 3 points. The Eagles’ defense isn’t the same as it was 8 years ago but it’s still a good sign that the Lions were able to put up 32 points against Philadelphia. And hey, this Jahvid Best guy might not be half bad, huh?

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) (prev: 30th): Maybe that whole NFC South tradition of the last place team finishing first is legit. The Buccaneers are tied for first in the NFC South and actually don’t look terrible. Then again, they’ve played the Browns and the Panthers. Even Kevin Kolb could probably throw a few TDs against those teams.

25. Seattle Seahawks (1-1) (prev. 22nd): It looks like Seattle may have just been a one week wonder because they looked pretty awful against a mediocre Broncos team. Aside from that, I was glad to see the Seahawks lose. I really, really, really, really want to see Pete Carroll fail in the NFL.

24. Denver Broncos (1-1) (prev: 26th): Kyle Orton continues to play well. After last season, it’s not really a surprise but for some reason, it still surprises me. And this is with an ineffective running game. The Broncos averaged only 2 yards per carry on the ground against Seattle. But who needs a running game when Orton is completing 71% of his passes, throwing for 300 yards, and not turning the ball over?

23. Oakland Raiders (1-1) (prev: 24th): Beating the Rams is not a quality victory, but it is a victory and that counts for something. Jason Campbell ended up getting benched in Sunday’s win but it looks like Campbell will be reinstated as the Raiders starter. Was anyone else shocked to see Darius Heyward-Bey actually have a good game? Honestly, I feel good for the guy. Everyone has doubted him but it looks like he might have finally figured it out.

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) (prev: 17th): It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. How can a team look so good one week and awful the next? MJD just hasn’t looked the same and you’ve got to wonder if his knee is worse than he’s making it out to be.

21. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) (prev: 18th): The Eagles came away with a much-needed win against the Lions but only beating Detroit by 3 points is a bit of a disappointment. The offense seems to click a lot better with Michael Vick at the helm, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Eagles offensive line is awful and the defense is letting up too many points. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Eagles win against the Jaguars but the team has a lot of problems.

20. San Diego Chargers (1-1) (prev: 21st): San Diego beat the living crap out of Jacksonville on Sunday. But Jacksonville isn’t that good of a team and Maurice-Jones Drew doesn’t appear to be 100% healthy. Still, it was a good sign to see the Chargers rebound after a sloppy game against the Chiefs.

19. New York Giants (1-1) (prev: 16th): I expected the Giants to lose to the Colts, but I also expected the game to be a little closer. With Brandon Jacobs whining about playing time, things could certainly look better for the Giants.

18. Miami Dolphins (2-0) (prev: 23rd): Beating the Buffalo Bills meant pretty much nothing. Beating the Minnesota Vikings, in Minnesota, is a whole different story. Even though Brett Favre might have single-handedly given the Dolphins the game, the Dolphins defense came up big in a lot of ways, including a huge stop on the goal line. Chad Henne might suck as bad as I think he does but the rest of the team seems to pick up his slack. And unlike the old man he beat on Sunday, Henne doesn’t seem to be a turnover machine.

17. Atlanta Falcons (1-1) (prev: 19th): What a surprise – Michael Turner got injured in week 2. Though he’s supposed to be back for week 3, I’d be shocked if he stays healthy for the remainder of the season. Jason Snelling looked good backing him up, and Norwood will be back at some point, but this team won’t be the same without Turner pounding the football like he did in 2008. For the Falcons’ sake, he needs to stay healthy.

16. Dallas Cowboys (0-2) (prev: 9th): Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Coming into the season, all I heard was how the Cowboys might be able to play a Superbowl on their home field. Now, panic has fully set in for Dallas fans. In week 3, Dallas faces off against one of the hottest teams in football, the Houston Texans. The Cowboys could certainly beat Houston but they’ve got to stop making big mistakes like they have in the first two weeks. Chances of Wade Phillips turning this team around? Slim, very slim.

15. San Francisco 49ers (0-2) (prev: 11th): The 49ers looked much better against the Saints, even though they ultimately lost. The way Alex Smith played at the end of the 4th quarter, I actually thought Michael Vick had turned white, became right-handed, and signed with the 49ers. Smith was running all over the place against the Saints. Though the 49ers lost, seeing Alex Smith drive downfield late in the 4th quarter had to make 49ers fans feel pretty good about their chances the rest of the season.

14. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) (prev: 15th): Guess who still stands alone in first place in the AFC West? That’s right, the Kansas City Chiefs. I wonder if Larry Johnson still thinks Todd Haley sucks?

13. Minnesota Vikings (0-2) (prev: 5th): The way this team is playing right now, they’re not going to beat anyone. Well, they play the Lions this week, so maybe the Vikings can squeak out a win playing like complete shit. Even though the Lions still suck, they’re not the complete pushover they’ve been the last few years. The Vikings better watch out.

12. Chicago Bears (2-0) (prev: 14th): The Bears are getting it done on both sides of the ball and that makes them a dangerous team. Cutler seems to be loving the Mike Martz offense and Matt Forte is making the best of the touches he’s been getting. It looks like the Bears might be back.

11. New York Jets (1-1) (prev: 13th): Like any good cornerback, when Revis was burnt by Randy Moss he came up blaming it on an injury. Turns out, Revis might actually be injured. I guess that’s why you go to training camp and preseason. Mark Sanchez looked good against the Patriots. I think that says more about the Patriots defense than Mark Sanchez as a quarterback, though.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) (prev: 12th): The Bengals just seem to have the number of every team in the AFC North. Once again, the Bengals came away with a win over the Ravens. It wasn’t totally on the Bengals, though. The refs made a few questionable calls, including a roughing the passer penalty against the Ravens that was complete bullshit. The Bengals could very well be on their way to winning the AFC North again, but for now I still think the Ravens are the better overall team.

9. Washington Redskins (1-1) (prev: 8th): And the Redskins win! Wait? What? Kubiak called a timeout? Motherfucker! Seriously? I’m not a fan of Kubiak’s strategy. I think it’s cheap and lame, but it also won the game for the Texans this week. At the end of the season, wins are what matter and as a coach, you do what you can to win.

8. New England Patriots (1-1) (prev: 7th): Well, the Patriots defense showed that it just isn’t as good as it used to be. The Jets moved the ball well against New England. More importantly, the Patriots used to play good fundamental football. Instead, it was the Jets who played consistent football and didn’t turn the ball over. Tom Brady looked like Brett Favre out there, throwing two picks and losing a fumble once.

7. Tennessee Titans (1-1) (prev: 3rd): Chris Johnson isn’t going to put up 2,500 yards rushing with a 2.1 rushing average or only putting up 34 yards a game. Then again, he’s not going to be facing the Steelers defense every game either. The Titans looked bad on Sunday but I’ll chalk it up to them being ambushed by an overzealous Steelers defense that knew it had to step up big time in order to win.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) (prev: 20th): I can doubt the Steelers no longer. This defense is for real and the offense will be pretty damn good once Roethlisberger is back. Both the Falcons and Titans are no slouches and this defense completely shut their offenses down. Heck, the Steelers forced 7 turnovers against the Titans – 3 interceptions and 4 fumble recoveries. The team actually forced 7 fumbles but only recovered 4 of them. Jesus, that’s a lot of turnovers.

5. Indianapolis Colts (1-1) (prev: 6th): The Giants didn’t have a chance against this squad. The offense was on fire and the defense even decided to step it up. The biggest concern for this team is whether the defense can play well enough to not lose games for Peyton. Everyone knows this offense is capable of putting up big points.

4. Baltimore Ravens (1-1) (prev: 2nd): Ray Lewis summed it up about right: it’s embarrassing. He may have been talking about officiating but he should be talking about Joe Flacco’s performance. The Ravens went out and got a ton of toys for Flacco to play with but Jersey Joe just can’t seem to figure out how to use them just yet. The Ravens will be tough to beat since the defense is so good and the offense has such high potential, but Flacco needs to play better in order for this team to be a serious contender.

3. Houston Texans (2-0) (prev: 10th): Sometimes all you need is a little luck. The Texans have luck but they’ve also got a boat load of talent on the offensive side of the ball. Matt Schaub could literally just bomb it to Andre Johnson every play and the Texans would still probably win half their games. Johnson looks like a man playing against boys out there. Don’t be surprised if Matt Schaub gets close to 500 yards a few more times this year.

2. Green Bay Packers (2-0) (prev: 4th): Buffalo sucks but that doesn’t mean you can’t give credit where credit is due. The Packers were supposed to blow the Bills out and that’s exactly what they did. It will be interesting to see if the Packers try to make a move for a running back. There are certainly worse RBs out there than Brandon Jackson but I’m sure the offense would feel a little more comfortable with better depth at the position.

1. New Orleans Saints (2-0) (prev: 1st): The Saints are who we thought they were: defending Superbowl champions who are still playing at an extremely high level. The offense isn’t putting up 40 points a game like they were last year but the defense is still playing pretty darn good. Losing Reggie Bush will hurt the Saints since he creates a lot of mismatches but the Saints should still be fine on offense without Bush.

[VitaliyMurnov]

No Vikings fans mad at the fact the Bears are ranked ahead of them?

[Todilrdc]

Good Write up, but Miami is the class of the AFC East. You will see.

[GogaMegaPiska]

No Vikings fans mad at the fact the Bears are ranked ahead of them?

I'm a little surprised that San Fran didn't fall further.

[RastusuadegeFrimoum]

Good Write up, but Miami is the class of the AFC East. You will see.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised. Miami has a pretty solid team. They just don't seem to have any explosiveness on that team, though. That makes me think they can win a lot of games but that they won't be able to get it done in the playoffs.

On the other hand, the Jets have a defense that gets after the ball and the Patriots have Brady/Moss/Welker which we've seen can be a lethal combination. Of course, the Jets are erratic on offense and the Patriots have some big holes on defense . . . so maybe Miami wins that division since it's the most complete team.

[ådrrraj]

I'm a little surprised that San Fran didn't fall further.

I have a lot of confidence in that team. I've written off the loss to Seattle as a fluke. And I couldn't drop them too far after losing to the #1 ranked team.

[MadMark]

KC seems a bit high to me. Sure they beat SD, but they have a record of struggling early. Barely beating Cleveland isn't much.

[Efksqhyu]

New Orleans will falter.

Looking for a Green Bay- Houston Super Bowl.

It will be tough because of the in-state advantge.

It will be a score fest: 49-45 Pack!

[TpDoctorOneTp]

KC seems a bit high to me. Sure they beat SD, but they have a record of struggling early. Barely beating Cleveland isn't much.

The KC defense looks really good. They looked great against San Diego and even scored a TD against Cleveland. The offense should be consistent enough to keep them in games. Jamaal Charles looked like the next Chris Johnson last year and Thomas Jones is always a good guy to have in the backfield.

I don't know. I think KC is for real. I could be wrong but they just look like the real deal.

[Cheaperisdeeper]

The KC defense looks really good. They looked great against San Diego and even scored a TD against Cleveland. The offense should be consistent enough to keep them in games. Jamaal Charles looked like the next Chris Johnson last year and Thomas Jones is always a good guy to have in the backfield.

I don't know. I think KC is for real. I could be wrong but they just look like the real deal.

The KC offense is just awful. They are basically trying to be the Jets last year since Cassel kills any chance their passing game has of being good. Charles will never be Chris Johnson with the way that they limit his touches.

KC has a chance to win some games in that abomination of a division so overall I have no problem with where they are ranked.

[w4WBthjv]

Texans are too low.

[Cengaeas]

Texans are too low.

After beating Washington in what I'd consider a total fluke victory?

[Cerilopasei]

Dolphins are too low.

Titans are too high.

[Oriesssedleli419]

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised. Miami has a pretty solid team. They just don't seem to have any explosiveness on that team, though. That makes me think they can win a lot of games but that they won't be able to get it done in the playoffs.

On the other hand, the Jets have a defense that gets after the ball and the Patriots have Brady/Moss/Welker which we've seen can be a lethal combination. Of course, the Jets are erratic on offense and the Patriots have some big holes on defense . . . so maybe Miami wins that division since it's the most complete team.

Lots of 0-2 teams ahead of Miami there moses.

Sure would like to see some more offense from Miami, but I can't complain a bit about the job Mike Nolan is doing with the defense so far. I hope they keep up on that side and Henne and the offense can get better.