We are now 2 weeks into the 2013 NFL season and there has been no shortage of drama or excitement so far. Here are some highlights from the happenings and story lines from week 2…
Another Losing Weekend: Apparently the NFC East wasn’t comfortable with the attention that the AFC North got for going 0-4 in week 1 and decided to put up a goose egg of their own for week 2. The Giants were crushed at home by the Broncos, the Redskins looked horrible at Green Bay, Philly lost a close one at home to the Chargers and Dallas fell short in Kansas City. The two teams everyone expected to lead the division are a combined 0-4 and there seems to be more questions than answers about all four of them.
This was a very familiar scene in week 2.
Injuries All Around: If you’re a fantasy football player, there’s a good chance that a starter on your team went down with an injury this past week and you were scrambling on the waiver wire. I can’t remember one week having so many injuries to key players. Steven Jackson left the game for the Falcons with a thigh injury and could be out 2-4 weeks, or more. Reggie Bush left the Lions’ game with a knee injury and didn’t play again, but should be on the field this week. Eddie Lacy suffered a concussion in the Packers game and his return is unknown. Larry Fitzgerald had to leave the game for the Cardinals with a hamstring injury but plans to play this week. Andre Johnson left the game for the Texans with a concussion and it has not been decided if he’ll play this week. Maurice Jones-Drew had to leave the Jacksonville game in the 2nd quarter (the same game and time he got injured last year) with an ankle injury, but is expected to play on Sunday. Ray Rice left Baltimore’s game with a hip-flexor injury and will be a game time decision this week. It’s just my luck that I own several of these guys in my league. However, for their own sake, I hope their better soon and can make an impact – either way my team is sinking fast!
Manning Bowl 3: The game of the week was the very hyped Manning Bowl as the brothers faced off at MetLife Stadium. 
We all know that Peyton was 2-0 against Eli going into the game and was coming off a record performance in week 1. The Giants really needed to win this one after a lackluster outing against Dallas. Unfortunately for the G-Men, the game was never really close. The Broncos came out firing on all cylinders and never let up. The Giants struggled on both sides of the ball and Eli threw 4 interceptions. In fact, through 2 games, Peyton lead the leads the NFL in touchdown passes while Eli leads all quarterbacks in interceptions. It sounds like the tale of two brothers going in opposite directions! In the end, big brother continued his dominance and has Denver looking like the team to beat in New York come February.
Heros From Week 2: There were many guys to pick from, but here are a few highlights…Aaron Rodgers made the Washington Redskins look like a high school team as he lit them up for 480 yards and 4 touchdowns. It was a record-setting day for the Packers and a huge win after a disappointing week 1 loss. Jimmy Graham had 179 receiving yards and a TD to lead the Saints to victory. Tight End Martellus Bennett showed his potential with the Bears as he caught the game-winning touchdown pass and had 123 yards and 2 scores on the day. I liked this singing for the Bears and think he will be a great option for Cutler as the season goes on. The Seattle Seahawks were dominant in their beat down of the 49er’s on SNF and I have to give props to the D for only allowing 3 points and 207 total yards. If the D keeps playing like that, the 12th man is going to have a lot to cheer about!
Goats From Week 2: Unfortunately, there were so many this week that I could have an entire blog about them! For as genius as he looked with his new offensive scheme in week 1, poor time management by Chip Kelly lead to a loss for the Eagles in week 2. How well this will work in the NFL is still yet to be seen – and the doubters are back. RGIII has been so brutal in his first 2 games back that some fans are calling for him to be benched. While I don’t think that will happen, he’s gotta find a way to be effective with the knee brace, or his days in the league may be numbered. The Detroit Lions have always been able to depend on kicking…until Jason Hanson retired and they had to find a new one. David Akers was available and may be again soon after missing both field goal attempts and possibly costing them the game. Colin Kaepernick had the worst outing of his NFL career as he couldn’t get anything going on the ground or in the air, committed 4 turnovers and had a QBR of 14. This is far from the spark he showed in leading them to the Super Bowl last year and something he’ll need to turn around if he wants to stay on the field.
Shocker of the Week: I’m among those who are surprised to see both the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins are 2-0. The Eagles losing at home to the Chargers was unexpected as well. However, the biggest shock of the week had to be the complete dominance by Seattle of the rival Niners. Everyone expected this to be a close game. Most think that these two will meet again in the NFC title game. Their defense was solid and offense rolled in a lopsided victory. It was quite the way for head coach Pete Carroll to celebrate his birthday!
This relationship between Harbaugh and Sherman is a far cry from the tension of today.
Chamber’s Extra Point: Richard Sherman is never one to shy away from the camera or an interview. After the cornerback shut down Boldin and had a pick in the win, he was quick to take a shot at his former college coach – who happens to coach the 49er’s now. He said that Jim Harbaugh showed poor sportsmanship when he went up to him after the game. While it’s debatable based on video and each side of the story, it’s very interesting given their history. He also believes that he fell in the draft after the man who coached him for 4 years at Stanford was overly-critical of him to scouts. He has also called Harbaugh a bully. While the truth of all this will never be known, it definitely adds a little extra spice to an already heated rivalry!
Closing Thought: As I was working on the blog, news broke that Trent Richardson was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Indianapolis Colts. This is a great move for Indy for this season as they now have the 1st and 3rd overall picks from the 2012 NFL draft and fills a void for them after starting RB Vick Ballard went down with a torn ACL. For the Browns, it’s another blow for the fanbase with their starting QB out this week. They did get a 1st round draft pick from the trade though, which will be important for re-building the franchise under the new ownership.
Ms Mittens Mound 