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Week 2
NFL offers country ‘an opportunity to escape’
Posted: Wednesday September 19, 2001 12:43 PM
By B. Duane Cross, CNNSI.com
After a false start, the NFL is back for Week 2. What was supposed to be Week 3 became Week 2 after last weekend's canceled games. The former Week 2 will now be Week 17, which will be played on the 18th weekend of the season. Got it?
So, three weekends into the season, it's only the second game of the season for many teams (and the first for Arizona). After a week that made literally no sense, the NFL returning to the fields of play makes perfect sense -- even if the math doesn't add up.
"Just knowing that when we're ready to play and people turn on their TVs knowing that for three hours, their mind can be off what's going on, that's what is so important," says Giants linebacker Micheal Barrow.
"I think sports is going to help," says Redskins safety Keith Lyle. "When I was watching TV, all we got was the news. Primarily everything that's being talked about is what happened. Sports will give you an opportunity to escape."
Indeed.
So, upon further review, we present the NFL Week at Glance, Part II. Welcome back, men.
And God bless America.
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 Oakland Raiders @  Miami Dolphins -- 1 p.m. EDT
Raiders lead the all-time series 15-8-1, but the Dolphins have won five of the past six matchups. The last time these teams played at Miami, Pete Stoyanovich's game-winning OT field goal dropped the Raiders 20-17 in 1994. |
 Buffalo Bills @  Indianapolis Colts -- 1 p.m. EDT
Bills lead the all-time series 34-26-1, but have lost three of the last four showdowns. While Colts QB Peyton Manning has won 24 of past 33 starts, RB Edgerrin James has 37 TDs in 33 games. |
 San Diego Chargers @  Dallas Cowboys -- 1 p.m.
Cowboys lead the all-time series 5-1, but that was then ... this is now. Chargers QB Doug Flutie is 31-14 as an NFL starter. And for good measure, he won his first NFL start against Dallas on Dec. 21, 1986, with Chicago. |
 New York Jets @  New England Patriots -- 4:05 p.m.
Jets lead the all-time series 45-35-1, and are riding a three-game winning streak against the Pats. Still, three of the past four meetings have been decided by seven points or less -- and in 81 matchups, two points separate the teams (Jets, 218-216). |
 St. Louis Rams @  San Francisco 49ers -- 4:15 p.m.
Rams lead all-time series 52-48-2 on the strength of series sweeps in 1999 and 2000. Both teams won in overtime in Week 1, and have the No. 1 (49ers, 429 yards) and No. 3 (Rams, 364) offensive units in the NFC. |
 Washington Redskins @  Green Bay Packers -- 9 p.m. EDT Monday
Packers lead the all-time series 13-12-1, and enter the Monday Night Football spotlight with the NFC's leading passer (Brett Favre, 129.2 QB rating) and rusher (Ahman Green, 157 yards). |
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Sack full
Baltimore LB Peter Boulware has four multi-sack games in his past 16 games, including two in Week 1 against Chicago. The last time the Ravens faced the Bengals he had two. |
Catching on
Bills RB Larry Centers has reception in 121 consecutive games. He needs only 11 catches to become the 13th player -- and first running back -- in NFL history with 700 career receptions. |
Paying dividends
Panthers added offensive line starters G Kevin Donnalley, C Jeff Mitchell and T Todd Steussie in the offseason. O-Line allowed two sacks in Week 1. It allowed 4.3 per game in last season. |
AFC affinity
In his past four regular-season games against the AFC, Giants QB Kerry Collins has completed 84 of 139 passes for 1,169 yards with 10 TDs and one pick for a 108.5 rating. |
Air Garcia
San Francisco QB Jeff Garcia has passed for at least 300 yards in four of his past five games. He's thrown for 1,553 yards in those games, a 310.6-yard average per game. |
Two to tango
Jaguars-Titans game features the QBs with the NFL's top two division records (min. 25 starts) -- Jacksonville's Mark Brunell (31-14, .689) and Tennessee's Steve McNair (23-11, .676). |
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Flattery: NFL players
While they may deflect praise to the rescue workers -- and rightly so -- those who assisted in relief efforts deserve our appreciation. Many times we pay too much attention to the police blotter; not this time. |
Flag: Bills O-line
OK, message received: Y'all wanted Doug Flutie. Well, you're stuck with Rob Johnson at quarterback -- for better ... or mostly worse, if Week 1 is any indication (six sacks allowed). Ouch!
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Flattery: Hometown hero
Carolina QB Chris Weinke returns to Minnesota and conquers the Vikings in his first NFL start. Was there a better script written for Week 1? He was 13 of 22 for 223 yards and one TD in a 24-13 victory. |
Flag: Marty Mornhinweg
Benching QB Charlie Batch? It was the Lions' defense that allowed eight plays of 20-plus yards against the Packers. And yielding seven sacks didn't help Detroit's cause. Good luck, Ty Detmer. |
Flattery: Norv Turner
Go ahead, coach -- smile. We know you want to. You know you want to. QB Jeff George gets yanked in favor of Tony Banks, which must have made Daniel Snyder's day. Oh, and the Chargers also won! |
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Everybody wants a stud running back. And we're not just talking in terms of fantasy football. If given a choice, every NFL head coach would much rather rely on a single feature back than the dreaded "Running Back By Committee."
Check out Fantasy Central for more insight and analysis. |
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Users sounded off on whether Cowboys owner Jerry Jones deserve cart blanche:
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Why not? Should a supermarket owner not be allowed in his own store to make decisions? What's the point in owning something if you can not make decisions?
Shane, Auburndale, Fla.
Does he have the right? Unfortunately, yes. However, if he wants to win, he needs to find himself a competent GM, and soon.
Douglas, Dallas
He does own the team, and if he wants to screw it up he can. I think if the dummy wants to mess up his team so much, he should just coach it as well.
Mark, New Orleans
As the owner, I believe he definitely has that right, but as a Cowboys fan I wish he would learn from George Steinbrenner and take a back seat and hire good people to run the team!
Dave, Bethany, Conn.
No. I understand the need for an owner to have a say in what is best for the team, but when it comes to what players start and who plays and which ones are the best an owners needs to butt out. The coaches should determine who is better for the play of the team. Owners handle money and image. Jerry Jones and Dan Synder prove time and again that owners should butt out of how the couches run teams and who plays.
Bryan, Fairfax, Va.
Why doesn't Jerry Jones just fire Dave Campo and coach the team himself? He's already doing it, why not name himself head coach and save on a paycheck?
Gil, Miami
Jerry Jones has the right to do whatever he wants. He owns the joint. The best part is that the more he involves himself, the worse his team gets. I hate them Cowboys. Keep it up, Jerry.
Jonathan, Austin, Texas
Sure he should. He owns the team and could do whatever he wants with it. As a lifelong Cowboys fan, I appreciate Mr. Jones' zest for winning, even though I don't agree with everything he does. Time will tell if he can build a team.
Bill, Houston
He bought the team, he didn't borrow any money from me. ... He gets to do what he wants.
Dave, Belvidere, Ill.
He can do what he wants with his team, but their terrible drafting will hinder quick rebuilding. He could be the next Mike Brown.
Dan, Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
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| This week's topic: As Dallas RB Emmitt Smith closes in on the all-time career rushing record, which NFL mark is least likely to be broken? |
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