NFL notes: Change in store for Saints, Eagles

When the Saints travel to Philly this weekend in one of the best matchups of Week 2, we’ll get to see both teams face drastically different game plans than they saw in their Week 1 wins.

Saints QB Drew Brees didn’t see much pressure from the Lions and had an easy day picking apart a Detroit secondary that couldn’t match the speed or athleticsim of the New Orleans skill players. But against Philly, Brees and his offensive weapons will see a much more talented defense and a much more talented secondary — one that loves to bring pressure. After watching what Brees can do when he has time to throw, expect the Eagles’ defense to dial up enough pressure early in the game to disrupt the flow of the New Orleans offense.

APSaints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams

On the flip side, Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is very familiar with Andy Reid’s west coast system from his time calling the defense in Washington. Williams’ game play may be affected by whoever starts at quarterback for the Eagles as I could see Williams playing more coverage schemes versus Donovan McNabb (if he can go), but I would bet he’ll bring everyone and anyone if Kevin Kolb is under center to start the game. He loves to go after young, inexperienced quarterbacks with complex pressure schemes — and we could even see Jeff Garica at some point if Kolb struggles.

Although we’ve heard that the Browns’ players are behind head coach Eric Mangini’s decision to start quarterback Brady Quinn in the opener, there was another decision made later in the week that put Cleveland’s offensive line in a tough spot.

Why Mangini waited until late in Week 1 to announce that rookie Alex Mack would start at center is beyond me. By doing that, Mangini sent veteran Hank Fraley to the bench and put a rookie in the lineup against Pat and Kevin Williams of the Vikings. Add in the fact that the center makes all of the line calls, and this was a move that didn’t make sense from a competitive standpoint. I understand that Mangini has a position of power on that football team, but at what cost will his decisions affect their season?

Lost in the shuffle of the Packers’ win over the Bears after Aaron Rodgers’ winning TD pass to Greg Jennings was the scheme of the Packers attack by new defensive coordinator Dom Capers.

I can agree that the Bears struggled in their blitz pickup, but the way the Packers attacked still dictated the flow of the game to the Bears’ offense and QB Jay Cutler. The 3-4 scheme under Capers brings a sense of creativity — corners will blitz, linebackers will bring pressure off the edge and through the middle, and the protection scheme for opposing offenses will confuse their own counting system, resulting in free rushers. But for this scheme to be complete, you have to play with a ball-hawking secondary in the back end — which the Packers have. Look for this to continue against the Bengals this weekend.

The Raiders’ Darrius Heyward-Bey struggled in his first game as a pro, and we shouldn’t be surprised — and it has nothing to do with expectations of where he was drafted. Rookie wide receivers generally struggle in their first year, but the first month of the season is a shock to their systems because of the speed of the game — which drastically jumps from the preseason to the regular season. Add in the more complex schemes that aren’t seen in August, and it will take some time for DHB to become comfortable with what it takes to perform at the NFL level.

APBears linebacker Lance Briggs

Has anyone checked the NFC North schedules for the next two weeks? Green Bay hosts Cincinnati this week, then heads to the dome in St. Louis in Week 3, while the Vikings plat at Detroit on Sunday and hosts the Niners in Minneapolis the following Sunday. I would expect the Packers and Vikings to be favored in both of their games, setting up a possible matchup of 3-0 teams for their Monday night meeting in front of a national audience.

But what about Chicago? The Bears host Pittsburgh on Sunday at Soldier Field, and then travel to Seattle — which may be the toughest road venue in the league — in Week 3. A lot of experts — including myself — were high on the Bears heading into the regular season, but these next two weeks carry major importance. Yes, the division won’t be decided in September, but the Bears can’t afford to fall behind both Minnesota and Green Bay after the first month of the season. And if they do, there will be little room for error the rest of the way.

If the Houston Texans thought that the New York Jets were physical, they have something coming when they travel to Tennessee this week to face the Titans, who might be the most physical team in the NFL. If I’m head coach Gary Kubiak, I put my players in full pads today and Thursday and let them hit — because that’s exactly what they’re going to see on Sunday. Time for this team to win some battles up front if they want to survive in the AFC South.

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