A review of the week that was and a preview of the upcoming weekend in the NFL.
Unfortunately, we were subjected to yet another week of off-the-field distractions dominating the headlines rather than what most fans want to read/hear about -- the games that count.
I'm not going to dive into the topic of whether female reporters should be in the locker room other than to say I think there should not be locker room access for any members of the media. Period. Have another area where the media can mingle with and interview players once they're off the field. Unless a player is receiving medical treatment, make it mandatory that all players at least make an appearance. I think it's a good compromise -- players get their sanctuary back, can shower and dress without cameras, mics and notebooks in their way, and the media gets wider access and hopefully, more cooperative players.
A few Week 1 impressions:
The two loudest teams (literally) during the offseason were the Jets and the Bengals. Neither had what could deemed a stellar opening game. Cincinnati was thrashed by the Patriots (why do we ever doubt the power of the hoodie?), while the Jets self-destructed vs. an equally aggressive Ravens team. Given that the teams swap opponents this week, I will be very interested to see what changes they make. For the Jets, it's simple -- don't shoot yourself in the foot with penalties and try to establish some sort of offensive rhythm. I don't think QB Mark Sanchez and RB Shonn Greene are as bad as they looked, but both are second-year players and might not be quite ready to be the men in Gotham. ... The Bengals have to rediscover their defense. Remember, for all the hype around the addition of Terrell Owens, it was Cincinnati's defense that allowed it to run the table in the AFC North last season.
Injury bug
Each year, the focus on injuries seems brightest after the first week, and this year has been no exception. The list of players who went down is staggering and could have wide-ranging impact on several teams perceived to be among the league's elite.
How do the Packers overcome the loss of RB Ryan Grant? The Jets' NT Kris Jenkins? The Colts S Bob Sanders? And how long will the Eagles be without new starting QB Kevin Kolb and MLB Stewart Bradley, the fulcrum of their defense?
I think the loss of Grant is going to force the Packers' hand to get another running back, an assertion more than one of my NFL.com colleagues disagreed with me about this week. I am not convinced Brandon Jackson can stay healthy, and I highly doubt either of the two rookies in the mix (practice squad refugee Dmitri Nance and PUP list resident James Starks) will contribute a lot in coach Mike McCarthy's multi-look offense.
Sanders has played barely a full season's worth of games combined during the past three seasons, so it's not as if Indy hasn't faced this before. Plus the Colts have the capable Mevlin Bullitt in the wings. The Jets survived Jenkins' loss last season, though it's a tough pill spill to swallow when someone who worked as hard as he did to get back goes down again.
Speaking of Jenkins, it had to be a brutal weekend for the Jenkins family. First DE Cullen injures his hand and has to play with it wrapped in a "club" for the Packers on Sunday. Then Kris, who considered retiring early in the offseason but worked his way back from a torn ACL, goes down to the same injury in the first half of the first game of the season.
A look at Week 2:
As previously noted, I think the Bengals-Ravens AFC North clash and the Jets-Patriots AFC East battle are the two games of the week with the farthest-reaching impacts. I also think the Bengals will find a way to win, but the Jets won't. ... The Steelers-Titans game in Tennessee also will have some effect on the AFC playoff race down the road as both teams should at least be in the mix for a wild-card spot. How will Pittsburgh's veteran defense (a polite way of saying older) handle the speed of QB Vince Young and RB Chris Johnson? Keep in mind the Steelers struggled at home against an average Falcons defense, which is another reason I like the Titans in this one.
A few other division winners from a season ago had better find ways to win -- chiefly San Diego, Dallas, Minnesota and Indianapolis, each of whom could start 0-2, making it far tougher to reach the playoffs, particularly since several division rivals have "homecoming games" this weekend.
The Cowboys and Colts have the most to lose with a loss because they play in stronger divisions and already have lost intradivisional games. Getting OLs Kyle Kosier and Marc Columbo back certainly will help the Cowboys against the Bears, and I think the Cowboys' coverage can handle the Bears' passing game much better than the Lions did. ... The Colts entertain the Giants in Manning Bowl 2, and both teams are coming off mixed performances. The Colts had the misfortune of having theirs come against a tougher team on the road (the Texans). I don't like where the Colts are on both lines, and the Giants are a tough matchup for them. Indy will have its hands full covering the Giants' myriad of targets and containing its running game, so I see the Colts losing again. As I stated in my AFC preview, I think this is the year the Colts fall off. ... The Vikings looked old against the Saints, but they're at home and have had 10 days to recover. Their opponent, the Dolphins, struggled against the Bills. The Vikings are decimated at WR, so this will be the game for RB Adrian Peterson to impose his will. ... The Chargers -- who will be blacked out in Southern California because they did not sell out -- looked out of sorts vs. the Chiefs. The Jaguars come to town fresh off a victory over the Broncos, but Jacksonville has not traveled well to the West and is flying coast to coast on Saturday. Even if San Diego, which needs to consider signing LT Marcus McNeill asap, loses, it's not the end of the world because the AFC West probably could be won with a 9-7 record. Still, this doesn't look like on the Chargers should lose.
Last call
Patriots QB Tom Brady called out New England fans for leaving early during the blowout of the Bengals in Week 1, saying he's sure Jets fans won't do that in New York this week. Ouch. ... In a related note, many wonder why Los Angeles doesn't have an NFL team. Well, take a look to the south, where San Diego is a multi-time AFC West winner and conference powerhouse loaded with talent. The Chargers can't sell out their home opener. It's not because of the opening loss to the Chiefs either. The Bolts obviously have a low season-ticket base. California as a whole, but Southern California in particular, is a fickle sports market for any team not named the Lakers.
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