Around the League, Sept. 20
Around the League, Sept. 20
Things are a bit shaken up heading into week three of the NFL season this year. Denver is 2-0, San Diego is 0-2, Brett Favre plays for the J-E-T-S, Tom Brady is out for the year, the Panthers are 2-0, Minnesota is 0-2, and Indianapolis’ offense looks anemic…
Good thing we still have the Chiefs…
The Chiefs ran quarterbacks in and out of the game last week like they were a college team…the problem of course was they were running out a pair of one-star quarterbacks in a five-star league.
After Huard got “hurt,” the Chiefs were forced to rotate between two quarterbacks that have no experience in NFL games. Tyler Thigpen has the arm, and he’s got the wheels, but he just has no rhythm with the wide receivers, and he wasn’t prepared to be playing as much as he did – he’s just way too raw to be even playing. Step in Marques Hagans, a practice-squad wide receiver, that the Chiefs brought up to play quarterback. What? Well…at least he played quarterback his junior year in college at Virginia.
Amazingly, after that incredibly failed experiment last week, Herm Edwards doesn’t apparently plan on nixing it, reports Kent Babb. Still, Thigpen is listed as the starter. Of course, Whitlock, as has been posted, thinks it’s all just a big joke.
The Chiefs will battle Atlanta this week, in what might be the battle for the No. 1 pick in the 2009 Draft. Meanwhile, it is a battle between two Top 5 picks from this past year’s draft, in Matt Ryan and Glenn Dorsey. And, on the other side of the ball, the Falcons’ defensive coordinator, Brian VanGorder, and Chiefs offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, are very familiar with each other. So far, VanGorder has had the upper hand.
In Raider land, people are giddy over the rushing performance that Darren McFadden and the rest of the backs put up against the Chiefs. The question in Raider-land is whether or not they will ever let JaMarcus Russell loose. Well, they may not have to. Of course, to keep that hope alive, McFadden is going to have to be able to play.
The Raiders’ opponent this week, the Buffalo Bills are now 2-0 after a game-winning drive, engineered by starter Trent Edwards. Marshawn Lynch is even more fired up for the matchup against Oakland, because its his first game against his hometown team.
In Charger-land, they’ve finally stopped whining, and have moved on. Amazingly, they realized that Darren Sproles had a great game, and that the reason for the loss may have been the defense. Who knew? And I have got to give it Antonio Cromartie. At least he knows when he’s toast.
Their opponent this week, the New York Jets, are looking to fire up the passing game with their Hall of Fame quarterback and, especially Laveraneus Coles. And, as Ohm Youngmisuk of the New York Daily News reports, the heat is on Brian Schottenheimer.
The Ravens are quietly 1-0, having missed their week two game because of Hurricane Ike, and as Mike Preston, of the Baltimore Sun, writes, depth at running back should help keep Willis McGahee healthy.
On the other hand, the Raven’s opponents this week, the Cleveland Browns, are struggling. The Browns desperately need a win, and Jamal Lewis isn’t thinking about his stat-line this week.
One of the most interesting games of the week may be in Minnesota, as the Vikings are sitting at 0-2, desperately needing a win, while the Panthers are comfortably sitting at 2-0. The road doesn’t get any easier for the Vikings, who are facing the possibility that both Adrian Peterson and Sidney Rice, won’t play.
Meanwhile, the Panthers get back their biggest weapon, after a two-game team-imposed suspension. And, once again, the hot-headed Steve Smith promises he’ll stay out of trouble from now on.
Indianapolis struggled to a 1-1 record, barely beating a Vikings team that couldn’t even score a touchdown. One of the few Colts offensive players playing well is Anthony Gonzalez, the second-year wide receiver out of Ohio State, you know, the one who sleeps in a bubble. And, Phil Richards of the Star, comments on what a strange beginning to the season its been in the AFC South.
Gene Frenette opines about another game slipping away for the Jaguars. And Michael C. Wright reports that injuries may play a key factor in Sunday’s game.
Originally Posted by Buff
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