What We Learned From Week 2

Added on Sep 17, 2012 by Scott in

NFL

With apologies to the Broncos and Falcons, Week 2 of the 2012 NFL season is a wrap. There were fantastic finishes, furious comebacks, lopsided blowouts and inexcusable blunders by players and officials. In other words, it was just another manic Sunday. It’s still way too early to make sweeping statements about which teams are destined for greatness or doomed to fail, but patterns and trends are beginning to emerge.

Clay Matthews is back – Through two games, Matthews has as many sacks (6) as he did all of last season. He was a one-man wrecking crew against the Bears and appears to have resurrected his 2010 Defensive MVP self, which is great news for a Packers defense that was downright awful at times in 2011.

Saints miss Sean Payton – Drew Brees looks shaky and the defense is wretched. Not having the calming and savvy Sean Payton on the sidelines and in the locker room is killing the Cajuns. They better win next week versus Kansas City or they could be staring at an 0-5 start before the bye. Uh oh.

Elite Eli – Even though the guy has two Super Bowl rings, the amount of respect given to Eli Manning seems to be lacking. Sure, at times he is atrocious, but 510 yards is 510 yards. Without #10 under center, Big Blue would be a perennial bottom-feeder.

Raiders are still the Raiders – Darren McFadden is healthy, but you wouldn’t know it considering he has amassed a paltry 54 yards on 26 carries in two games. And their supposedly improved defense was skewered by both Reggie Bush and rookie Ryan Tannehill. Next up, Pittsburgh. Good luck with that, Oakland.

Golden Boy tarnished – Throw out the stats, folks. Tom Brady isn’t playing well. Part of the problem falls at the feet of the offensive line, but Brady should be held accountable for being hesitant. Losing tight end Aaron Hernandez for an extended period of time won’t make matters easier. A trip to face an angry Ravens team in Week 3 awaits.

Eagles winning ugly – Despite a whopping 9 turnovers, the Eagles are somehow 2-0. If the offense ever stops vomiting mistakes all over the field, look the hell out, because Juan Castillo’s defense is making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks.

Same ol’ Boys – Maddeningly inconsistent. That’s what Cowboys fans have had to endure during the Tony Romo era. Ten days after bouncing the defending champs, Dallas laid a big fat egg in Seattle. Special teams blunders, poor decision making, missed tackles and a glaring lack of effort. Par for the course in Big D.

Jets grounded – Remember that explosive Jets attack we witnessed in Week 1? Well, it’s a distant memory. Who saw this coming, except everyone. Without Darrelle Revis, the defense is average. Without a legit quarterback, the offense is painfully predictable.

Parity reigns – After tonight’s game (barring a tie), there will be six undefeated teams, and none of them, besides maybe San Francisco and Houston, has looked particularly dominant. Today’s NFL is truly a week to week league. Find a way to win, avoid a glut of injuries and peak in December.