NFL Week 2 Preview - Early Games

Week 2 presents a couple of intriguing matchups in the early games: Pittsburgh at Tennessee and Baltimore at Cincinnati. Hmm....

Buffalo Bills (0-1) v. Green Bay Packers (1-0)
CBS/Spero Dedes and Randy Cross

Buffalo: The Bills defense performed well against the Dolphins last week. Too bad the offense was on the opposite end of the spectrum. If Buffalo can maintain any type of a ground game, it would serve them well in keeping the Packers offense off the field. The three backs (C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch) combined for 17 carries and 50 yards, an average of 2.9 yards per carry. That's won't work. That's a pretty good offensive bunch on the other sideline.

One area that almost everyone saw as a glaring weakness coming into this season was at quarterback. Trent Edwards was 18-34 for 139 yards. That's just a shade over 4 yards per attempt. Not gonna cut it in the NFL.

As I said, the defense did a good job last week. They did accumulate three sacks and that's one area where the Pack is vulnerable. If the defense can find a way to get to Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, they may keep the game close and maybe even squeak out a win at Lambeau Field.

But the Bills must run the ball. The held the ball only 23 minutes last week. Great defensive effort, but the unit was on the field way too long.

Green Bay: A visit to Philly was a good one...and a bad one. The good part was the Packers got a win and QB Aaron Rodgers (19-31, 188 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT) was not exactly on top of his game. He was also sacked three times, so the revamping (of sorts) of the offensive line didn't exactly prove very fruitful. There is room for improvement and Rodgers has a lot of options and talent in the passing game.

The bad part was that a key cog in the Packers offense is now gone for the year as RB Ryan Grant is done due to a broken ankle. That leaves Brandon Jackson as "the man" out of the backfield. The Packers had only two running backs on their roster going into week 1.

And the injury bug has a hold on the Packers defense, too. Justin Harrell's (knee) season is over. Cullen Jenkins (broken hand) had to be helped off the field in Philly. Jenkins will most likely play, but Green Bay doesn't have a great deal of depth on the defensive front. That could be key as the Bills will look to exploit that lack of depth with the run.

Even though it's Green Bay's home opener, this may not be the blowout some may think. I do like the Packers.

Baltimore Ravens (1-0) v. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)
CBS/Bill Macatee and Rich Gannon

Baltimore: The Ravens are coming off a hard-hitting 10-9 win against the New York Jets last Monday night. Short week and another hard-hitting defense in the Bengals. Another difficult road test. Baltimore passed the first one, but can they do the same on a short week after such a physical affair?

We all know the defense will show up. That's practically a given when you have Ray Lewis on your roster. It's the offense that I have questions about. T.J. Houshmandzadeh returns to "The Jungle" for the first time since his departure before last season. That will all wear after the opening coin flip.

Baltimore must find someone not named Anquan Boldin to catch the ball on a consistent basis. Baltimore must institute a rush with Ray Rice. Sure, the Ravens played a strong defensive unit last week, but despite Cincy surrendering 38 points last week to New England, 24 were by the defense. The Ravens know they are in for a tough game.

Cincinnati: If there was one unit that was sleepwalking last week, it was the Bengals offense. Limited to 3 points in the first half, the Bengals opened it up a bit to score 21 points in the second half. I know the Patriots played soft during the final 30 minutes, but knowing that the offense can click can build both confidence and momentum for the Bengals.

It might be a different venture against the Ravens though. The Patriots stifled Cedric Benson last week and if Cincy is going to avoid an 0-2 start, Benson's ability to run will be the key. If the Bengals become too one-dimensional, it's lights out at Paul Brown Stadium.

The defense did allow 24 points (14 were via a pick six and a kickoff return) and 376 net offensive yards (118 yards rushing, 258 yards passing). Those numbers must be lowered. Tall order as the Ravens will look to run first, pass second.

I know one of my crazy predictions was that Cincinnati would go undefeated in the AFC North. Even though Baltimore is on a short week, the Ravens have little trouble getting up for a big game. Ravens in a close one.

Chicago Bears (1-0) v. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
FOX/Joe Buck and Troy Aikman

Chicago: The Bears won last week...due to the now famous Calvin Johnson non-TD. But a win is a win, right?

As I viewed the stats from the game, I wonder how the Bears only won by five points. QB Jay Cutler only threw one pick and had 372 yards passing. The Bears rushed for 101 yards. Chicago held the ball for almost 35 minutes. And it was only a review that "gave" the game to the Bears. Then I saw two stats...sacks and turnovers.

Cutler had the pick, but he also lost a fumble. Drive killer. Matt Forte coughed up the ball on two occasions as well. Cutler was sacked four times. There was my answer. The Mike Martz offense was working, just not cooperating in holding onto the ball and protecting Cutler.

The defense should be facing a stern test in the Cowboys offense.

Dallas: Two plays. Two plays was all the difference in the Cowboys loss to Washington last Sunday night. Those two plays have been re-hashed numerous times since then, so I'll save Cowboys fans the pain of such.

The offense was lackluster in their defeat. You do have to wonder if Tomy Romo is the guy, don't you? I mean a veteran QB would have not run the play at the end of the first half, right? Audible, correct? I have heard for the last two offseasons that this is Romo's year and I still see little in certain situations.

The defense held their end of the bargain last week and I look for that to continue against a still evolving Bears offense.

Can't say a whole lot about the 'Boys. Just cut down on the penalties. That partially cost them a win.

Look, the Cowboys played almost as bad as they could have last week. Home opener. Win #1 for Dallas.

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) v. Tennessee Titans (1-0)
CBS/Kevin Harlan and Soloman Wilcots

Pittsburgh: The Steelers were involved in a defensive struggle last week. Shocker except that it was the Atlanta Falcons on the opposite side of the ball. The offense did little impress despite the 50-yard jaunt by Rashard Mendenhall in OT to seal the victory. QB Dennis Dixon did an admirable job with an 18-26, 236 yard effort. He did throw a pick and didn't find the end zone either.

I don't look for that to change too much this week against Tennessee. Run the ball and run it again. The Steelers may open the playbook just the slightest bit more for Dixon so he can avoid the three sacks he absorbed against the Falcons. An option every once in a while to utilize his speed could prove to open the game.

The Steelers will have to find a way, any way, to wrap up Chris Johnson. Many have tried, few have done.

Tennessee: When you think of the Titans offense, you automatically think of Chris Johnson. No question that Johnson is the NFL's most dynamic player. The Titans rushed for over 200 yards as a team, "limiting" Vince Young to only 17 passing attempts. That's not a bad deal.

Young may be asked to throw the ball more this week as the Steelers are historically usually one of the NFL's stingiest against the run. He better be up to the task or he'll be seeing a lot of the turf from the myriad of blitz schemes the Steelers utilize.

Tennessee did limit the Raiders to under 300 yards of total offense and sacked Jason Campbell on four occasions. The Steelers o-line is a bit iffy; however, Oakland did manage 135 yards on the ground against this unit. Oakland doesn't possess a fearsome offensive front so the Titans should be concerned of Rashard Mendenhall and his power running.

Both teams will try to run the ball all game long. The Titans with CJ2K will prove to be a bit more successful and sneak a win.

Philadelphia Eagles (0-1) v. Detroit Lions (0-1)
FOX/Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan

Philadelphia: One half of football into the season and the Philly fans were booing Kevin Kolb. Might be a bit before he plays again after sustaining a concussion. That opened the door for Michael Vick to almost pull off an Eagle comeback last week. If not for a terrible play call on a 4th and 1, the Eagles may have pulled out a win in a game where they had little to offer before Vick's entrance.

With Vick temporarily at the helm, Andy Reid wants Vick to stay in the pocket in Reid's pass happy offense. We all know that's just not Vick's game. It never will be Vick's game unless he losses not one, but two steps. But what makes the Eagles offense a little scary is the weapons at Vick's disposal in DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek and LeSean McCoy. If Philly can execute in the ground game, that will open up the passing game so Vick can stay pocket bound and not have to scramble as he did last week.

The defense allowed 27 points last week. Not your typical Eagles defensive effort. The bonus may be the Lions QB Matthew Stafford will be sidelined with a shoulder injury. The Lions could not muster 200 yards last week against the Bears and Philly does own a better defense.

Detroit: No Matthew Stafford. No real offense continuity last week either. Are there already issues in Detroit? Seems like there is.

Shaun Hill replaced Stafford last week and seemingly led the Lions on a game winning drive before the Calvin Johnson no-catch. Plus, the o-line only allowed two sacks, an issue all of 2009. Now if that line can clear the way for Jahvid Best (coming off a 14 attempt, 20 yards game), the field could open for the pass. I do believe that Hill can still provide a quality performance, but he will need help.

The defense allowed way too many passing yards last week, but did sack Jay Cutler four times. With Eagles center Jamaal Johnson done for the year with a torn biceps muscle, that might be the "in" the Lions defensive front needs. Wait. Now you have to get to Michael Vick. Not an enviable task. Then there's those receivers, too.

Too many weapons for Philly here.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) v. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
FOX/Dick Stockton, Charles Davis and Jim Mora

Tampa Bay: I'm still shaking my head how Tamp Bay managed 17 points last week. Seven of those were off a short field (3 yards after a Ronde Barber pick). They won the time of possession battle and the turnover battle. That was enough, I suppose. The Bucs offense was outgained by Cleveland, 340-288. Did you get the part where I said "by Cleveland"? The +1 in the turnovers was the difference as Tampa Bay displayed little offense.

That will have to change in this NFC South battle. Cadillac Williams did amass 75 yards rushing, but he was the one bright spot. Josh Freeman was 17-28 but he only had 182 yards with a TD and 2 INT. Plus, Freeman was sacked on three occasions.

The defense will have to bow its back again as they will see one of the top running back tandems in the NFL in Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. This could be almost a Bucs game of the past where the defense wins one.

Carolina: QB Matt Moore suffered a concussion against the New York Giants last week. He's passed all the tests so far, has practiced all week and is listed as probable for this game. That will be a boost since the Panthers have a couple of rookies (Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike) as backups.

But we all know it's the Panthers ground and pound mentality that runs the offensive show. The duo of DeAngelo William and Jonathan Stewart both can run, but they go about their task a different way. You simply cannot gameplan for just one.

Where the offense fails is on the receiving end. Outside of Steve Smith, Moore has little aid. Limiting the turnovers will help. The Panthers had five (3 INT, 2 fumbles) last week. And don't forget to keep Moore's jersey clean. Panthers QBs suffered four sacks.

The defense was torched for 376 yards. Doesn't sound all that bad, but the unit spent 34+ minutes on the field. The d-line must get to Josh Freeman. Carolina only had one sack last week, but the secondary did pick off three Eli Manning pass attempts. With a more inexperienced QB coming to town, the Panthers are primed for a win.

Carolina is prime for their first win.

Arizona Cardinals (1-0) v. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)
FOX/Thom Brennaman and Brain Billick

Arizona: I think we all know the Cards offense is not near the same without Kurt Warner running the show. Last season, the Cards would have scored a bit more than 17 points against a young defense like the Rams. The Rams outgained the Cards. The Rams held the ball for 32+ minutes. That's all you need to know about Arizona in 2010. They will struggle offensively. A lot.

If not for forcing four turnovers last week, the Cardinals could have dropped the game. They permitted over 370 of offense to St. Louis. Arizona did limit Steven Jackson to 81 yards on 22 carries, but the run defense has been solid over the last couple of seasons.

The Cardinals can with this game...if they continue to force turnovers, limit their own turnovers (hold onto the ball, guys) and run the ball like they did against St. Louis. If they fail in any of these three aspects, the visit to the Georgia Dome will be long.

Atlanta: The Falcons offense was thwarted by the Steelers last week. More in particular, the running game. Atlanta only had 58 yards net rushing. They face a Cardinals defense that can be stingy against the run. That places the pressure on "Matty Ice", Matt Ryan.

Ryan didn't have a bad game last week (27-44, 252 yards and 1 INT). The Falcons simply could not get the ball in the endzone. They won't be facing as prolific a defense this week. I look for Ryan to toss a couple TD this week.

Atlanta's defense had a great effort in Pittsburgh. Get off the "Big Ben wasn't playing" bit. Of the 354 yards the Falcons allowed, 50 was on the final play of the game.

Could be a close affair with the Falcons emerging the winner.

Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) v. Cleveland Browns (0-1)
CBS/Don Criqui and Steve Beuerlein

Kansas City: The Chiefs executed in two of the three phases of the game last Monday against the Chargers.

The special teams accounted for a TD and provided KC with excellent field position time and time again. Rookies Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas proved why the Chiefs selected them...speed. And speed on special teams will make up for a lot of deficiencies.

The defense limited the San Diego Chargers to 14 points, but the unit did allow 389 yards of offense. The Chargers were on a long field seemingly at every corner. One key stat is the 4-15 on third downs. The only real negative was TOP as the Chargers had the ball for over 37 minutes.

The offense. That is another issue. Charlie Weis' guys had a mere 197 yards. Matt Cassel was the winning QB with these numbers: 10-22, 68 yards, 1 TD. The TD pass was for 2 yards. Nothing like opening a playbook, huh?

Cleveland: The last time these teams squared off, the Browns pulled out an exciting 41-34 shootout at Arrowhead. James Harrison ran for 286 yards and Joshua Cribbs returned two kickoffs for TDs.

Harrison and Cribbs are still in Cleveland, but the offense had undertaken a bit of change. QB Jake Delhomme once again threw multiple interceptions (2) in a game last week. He cannot afford to duplicate the feat this week or Cleveland fans will be calling for Colt McCoy...already.

Cleveland fans shouldn't have to display to amount of patience they have recently. This is as winnable as any game on Cleveland's schedule. Last week's game slipped away and they can ill afford the same fate this week.

The defense held Tampa Bay under 300 yards last week and lost. Kansas City could not even top 200 and won. Crazy game.

I like Cleveland here. They showed more offense last week and KC's defense may still be reaching for the oxygen.

Miami Dolphins (1-0) v. Minnesota Vikings (0-1)
CBS/Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Miami: I don't think the offense truly showed up in Buffalo last week. They're lucky the defense did.

If you look strictly at the game stats, you'd think the Dolphins would have fared much better. 8-18 on 3rd down. No turnovers. 132 yards rushing. Held the ball over 36 minutes. How is it that Miami's offense only accounted for 13 of the 15 points? It's simply mind boggling...until you see the Dolphins had to punt seven times.

Things won't get any easier heading into Minnesota and a defense that severely limited an explosive Saints offense to only 14 points. Chad Henne must complete passes more downfield and the combo of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams must maintain their usual.

Minnesota: Brett Favre looked a bit perplexed on occasions in teh Vikings opener. Why would that be? No Sidney Rice? Maybe. No rushing game? Maybe. How about no real camp to workout with the offense. That sounds a little better.

The Vikes offense was slowly gotten away from Adrian Peterson running the ball. I know in AD's first season most of that was due to Tarvaris Jackson manning the QB position, but Peterson was still more than capable of work. What I'm saying is I truly cannot understand the direction this offense has gone. It all runs through Favre now. It should be AD.

The only reason Minnesota was still in the Thursday night season opener was the defense. New Orleans held the ball eight minutes more then Minnesota. And the D still limited teh Saints to 14 points.

We know where the strength of the Vikings really is.

If this game were in Miami, I'd take the Dolphins. It's in Minnesota. I'm (reluctantly) taking the Vikes.