Tuesday Two-a-Days

Here is my weekly rundown of the NFL. Two things from every organization to get you prepared to watch your team this Sunday. NFC EAST COWBOYS 1. If the injury to Marion Barber's ribs hamper him in any way this Sunday, look for rookie Felix Jones to see more touches this week and throughout the rest of the season. They drafted him in the first round for a reason-- to play. 2. The Cowboys put up 487 yards of offense against Cleveland. This might be the league's best offensive team. EAGLES 1. When healthy, Donovan McNabb is a top five QB in this league. His numbers from Sunday (21-31-363-3 TD) were a fantasy owner's dream, and he did it without his top receivers. 2. The Eagles Monday night match up this week against the Cowboys in Dallas could be the game of the year. GIANTS 1. The Giants need more production from the TE position. Kevin Boss pulled in zero receptions against the Skins. Plaxico Burress is not going to have monster games every week. 2. Brandon Jacobs put every DB on alert when he ran over Laron Landry on opening night. Look for a lot of arm tackles in the next couple games by the opposing secondary. REDSKINS 1. If Jason Campbell can't get the ball to Chris Cooley it is going to be a long year for the Redskin offense. Cooley had one reception against the Giants for seven yards. They need to get the ball to their playmakers. 2. Ladell Betts needs more carries in this offense. Clinton Portis had 23 carries for a 3.7 yard average, while Betts had one total carry. At this rate, Portis will wear down by November. NFC NORTH PACKERS 1. What was missed in the Monday night game amid all the attention paid to Aaron Rodgers was Ryan Grant's play. He carried the ball 12 times for 92 yards, which is a 7.7 yard average. Pretty good night for a guy who had only one carry in the preseason. 2. The Pack needs to cut down on the penalties if they want to be successful this season. They had 12 last night for 118 yards. Bad football. BEARS 1. Kyle Orton completed 13 passes to seven different receivers against the Colts. Without a #1 guy, this is a sign of things to come. 2. If the Bears defense plays this way all season, this could be a repeat of 2005 on that side of the ball. When you score on defense you usually win the game. VIKINGS 1. I still think Tarvaris Jackson isn't the answer at QB for the Vikes. He can make plays with his feet, but you need to throw from the pocket to win in this league. He was 16-35 last night and threw a terrible INT in the final minutes. 2. Adrian Peterson might be the most physically gifted athlete in the league. He needs more carries until Jackson starts to produce. LIONS 1. The Lion defense gave up 318 yards on the ground-- to the Falcons. You can't win on any level playing like that. I foresee lots of tackling drills at practice this week. 2. I still think Rudi Johnson has some miles left in his legs. Look for him to get an increase in carries this Sunday, and eventually split duty with rookie Kevin Smith. NFC SOUTH SAINTS 1. Deuce McAllister dressed, but didn't see the field against the Bucs last week. If the Saints get production from Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, Deuce may be the odd man out this season. 2. Jeremy Shockey had a nice debut for the Saints with six catches for 54 yards. I expect those numbers to keep going up. This guy can be a huge weapon for Drew Brees. Buccaneers 1. Jeff Garcia is injured again, and the Bucs look like they will start Brian Griese if Garcia can't go. With his age (38) and a poor performance on Sunday, the door may be open for Griese to take this job with a good performance. 2. The Bucs defense has lots of work to do after giving up 438 yards to the Saints on Sunday. Great offense or not, this franchise has been built on defense, and that is not acceptable. PANTHERS 1. The Panthers have two weapons at running back in DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart. They will ride these guys all year long on the ground. 2. The throw by Jake Delhomme to beat the Chargers might have saved this team. With Steve Smith out and the suddenly tough Bears coming into town, that win was huge for this team as they go forward. FALCONS 1. As we saw, Michael Turner is more than just a backup. This guy can play.  The Falcons should ride him until the wheels fall off as Matt Ryan continues to adjust to the NFL game. 2. I am interested to see how Ryan performs in his first road test in Tampa this week. Raymond James Stadium is a tough place to play. NFC WEST CARDINALS 1. Arizona held the ball for over 37 minutes against the Niners and didn't turn the ball over once. That is a winning formula in the NFL and something new for the Cards. 2. Edgerrin James had an even 100 yards on 26 carries, but his longest run was ten yards. For this team to continue winning, they need some big plays out of James and the running game. RAMS 1. Steven Jackson looked like a guy who missed a large portion of training camp. The Rams have no choice but to increase his workload if they want to win any games this year. 2. The injury to WR Drew Bennett is going to severely hurt both this team and Mark Bulger's production. The Rams are in trouble right now. 49ERS 1. The Niners fumbled five times in their loss to the Cardinals and lost four of them. Mike Nolan will stress ball security in every meeting this week while encouraging his defense to strip the ball. They produced zero turnovers. 2. Frank Gore is going to have a monster year in Mike Martz's fun-and-gun offense. It appears as if Gore is Martz's new toy, and he will feed the ball to Gore on the ground and in the air. SEAHAWKS 1. I have to wonder if Matt Hasselbeck's back injury is worse than the Seahawks are letting on. Bad weather aside in Buffalo, Hasselbeck had a rough day (17-41-190) in the opener. 2. The season-ending injury to WR Nate Burleson is devastating to the Seahawks. With injuries already to WRs Deion Branch and Bobby Ingram, Seattle is talking about lining up back-up quarterback Seneca Wallace at WR. Not good. AFC EAST PATRIOTS 1. A telling sign this week will be the production of WR Randy Moss. How he plays without Tom Brady will go a long way in determining how the Pats season will end up. 2. Laurence Maroney split carries with Sammy Morris and didn't have a single reception. This will be interesting to watch as the season develops. He needs more touches with Brady out for the year. BILLS 1. WR Lee Evans is one of the best deep threats in the NFL. He can stretch the field on any play. I expect a big year from Evans and the Bills offense. 2. If the Bills are serious about taking a shot at the AFC East, they need to be dominant at home. Ralph Wilson Stadium is a miserable place for opposing teams, and the weather is awful after July. JETS 1. If I am a Jets' receiver, I know the ball can come my way on any passing play. Brett Favre looks at all of his options in the passing route every time. There are no decoy routes with Favre at QB. 2. I think Kerry Rhodes is one of the best young safeties in the NFL. He needs to make plays in every game if the Jets want to reach the post-season. DOLPHINS 1. The Fins need to stick to the ground attack if they want to compete in the East. They abandoned the running game against the Jets. Ricky Williams needs more carries, but he also needs to hold onto the ball (two fumbles). 2. Bill Parcells loves the TE position, and so does Tony Sparano. Dolphin TE Anthony Fasano hauled in eight balls for 84 yards and a TD. Nice opening day for the TE. AFC NORTH STEELERS 1. Willie Parker's big day against Houston (25-138-3TD) is a good sign for the Steeler offense. There were big questions about the offensive line going into week one. 2. Pittsburgh lives and dies with the zone blitz on defense. This unit can be a turnover machine this season, and did exactly that in the opener as they produced three turnovers and five sacks. RAVENS 1. If QB Joe Flacco continues to protect the football he should start every game for the Ravens. To start your first game in the NFL at QB and not turn over the ball is impressive. 2. Who is Le'Ron McCain? The second-year unknown RB from Alabama stole the show from rookie Ray Rice in Willis McGahee's absence. This team can run the football. BENGALS 1. Carson Palmer needs a bounce-back week this Sunday. His numbers against Baltimore were atrocious (10-25-99-1 INT). He needs big numbers for this team to win. 2. RB Chris Perry averaged 2.1 yards a rush on 18 carries-- more dreadful numbers from a team that relies on offensive production to win games. BROWNS 1. I'm starting to worry that Derek Anderson was a one-hit wonder. Maybe the Brady Quinn Show isn't that far off in Cleveland. 2. The Browns need help on their pass rush. They can't get to the QB with a four-man rush, so look for them to employ more pressure packages as the season rolls on. AFC SOUTH COLTS 1. If TE Dallas Clark is out for an extended period of time, the Colts will exclusively run three WR sets to get more playmakers on the field. 2. Without a running game, even Peyton Manning will struggle. Look for Joseph Addai to get an increased workload to open up some passing lanes for Manning. TEXANS 1. Tough start for Houston. Last week they played the Steeler defense, and this week they match up against Baltimore. Not good news if you are QB Matt Schaub with that offensive line. 2. We might be seeing a changing of the guard at the RB position. Rookie Steve Slaton had more than twice as many carries as veteran Ahman Green. Green finished with 28 yards on only five carries. TITANS 1. I expect rookie RB Chris Johnson to get the start this week over Lendale White. Johnson averaged 6.2 yards per carry and caught three balls for 34 yards. He can be electric in the open field. 2. I like this team with Kerry Collins right now. He isn't flashy, but he gives the Titans a reliable veteran presence in the huddle.  Plus, he usually makes good decisions. JAGUARS 1. If the Jags can't run the ball they are done. A mere 33 total yards against the Titans isn't going to cut it. They need a heavy dose of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew this Sunday to have a chance. 2. Gregg Williams' defense is really good. This is going to be the backbone of this team and they have the players to be successful on that side of the ball. AFC WEST BRONCOS 1. QB Jay Cutler looks like he has been playing in the NFL for 10 years. He has mastered the Broncos' bootleg attack, and has the arm to throw down field on the move-- a dangerous combination. 2. Champ Bailey is still the best corner in the league. Paired with Dre Bly, the Broncos have the ability to pressure the QB and rely on solid man coverage from their corners. RAIDERS 1. DeAngelo Hall looks like a bust after one game. He was eaten alive by rookie WR Eddie Royal and was arguing with coaches all night on the sidelines. This could turn into a mess. 2. JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden are going to be studs in the NFL. They have  all of the tools, but this team needs some help in a lot of areas. They could be looking at another high draft choice and another head coach after the 2008 season. CHARGERS 1. The Charger defense needs to cut down on giving up big plays to the opposing offense. With the kind of ability they have on the offensive side of the ball, this unit needs a big performance this Sunday. 2. Chris Chambers needs more touches on offense. He can fly down the field, but with LT and Antonio Gates there are only so many opportunities in that offense to get your hands on the ball. CHIEFS 1. The injury to Brody Croyle is big for the Chiefs. He is their best option at QB. Damon Huard is not going to bring this team many wins. 2. I expect the Chiefs to run Larry Johnson into the ground this year. Look for him to reach around 30 carries every Sunday-- as he is their only weapon with Croyle out.

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