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CNNSI.com's Jon A. Dolezar breaks down this week's games.
| Week Two |
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Carolina (1-0) |
1 p.m. EDT
Sunday |
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Atlanta (0-1) |
• Preview
• Stats Matchup
• Injury Report
|
| Key Stat |
14-5 -- Falcons' record when Jamal Anderson rushes for more than 100 yards.
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Key
Matchup |
Panthers rookie running back Nick Goings (25 carries for 86 yards in NFL debut) against Falcons middle linebacker Keith Brooking (13 total tackles and one sack in Week 1).
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| Player to Watch |
Chris Weinke, QB, Carolina: Rookie starter wasn't asked to do anything spectacular in his first NFL start, but he was steady (13 of 22 for 223 yards, one touchdown and one interception) in leading the Panthers to the upset victory on the road in Minnesota.
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Minnesota (0-1) |
1 p.m. EDT
Sunday |
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Chicago (0-1) |
• Preview
• Stats Matchup
• Injury Report
|
| Key Stat |
44-33-2 -- Vikings' record against the Bears (.570 winning percentage), including victories in seven of their past eight meetings.
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Key
Matchup |
Vikings right tackle Chris Liewinski against Bears left defensive end Phillip Daniels (four tackles last week, 27.5 career sacks).
|
| Player to Watch |
Randy Moss, WR, Minnesota: After a slow start to the season, Moss is going to be ready to turn it up against a team he has beat up on in his career, with 38 catches for 592 yards and five touchdowns in six games against the Bears.
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Baltimore (1-0) |
1 p.m. EDT
Sunday |
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Cincinnati (1-0) |
• Preview
• Stats Matchup
• Injury Report
|
| Key Stat |
34 -- Consecutive regular-season games in which the Ravens haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher.
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Key
Matchup |
Ravens All-Pro left tackle Jonathan Ogden against Bengals rookie defensive end Justin Smith, who is playing his first career game after a 51-day holdout.
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| Player to Watch |
Elvis Grbac, QB, Baltimore: Signed with the Ravens in the offseason after flirting with the Bengals, and produced in his first start for the defending champs with an 80 percent completion rate, 262 yards and one touchdown.
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Detroit (0-1) |
1 p.m. EDT
Sunday |
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Cleveland (0-1) |
• Preview
• Stats Matchup
• Injury Report
|
| Key Stat |
.800 -- Lions' winning percentage (12-3) against the Browns, including three wins in a row.
|
Key
Matchup |
Browns rookie defensive tackle Gerard Warren (five tackles and one sack in NFL debut) against Lions left guard Stockar McDougle, who struggled in the opener as the Packers finished with seven sacks.
|
| Player to Watch |
Ty Detmer, QB, Detroit: First start for the Lions -- and first start since Dec. 26, 1999 -- comes against the team that dealt him to Detroit three weeks ago.
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San Diego (1-0) |
1 p.m. EDT
Sunday |
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Dallas (0-1) |
• Preview
• Stats Matchup
• Injury Report
|
| Key Stat |
64 -- Yards needed by Emmitt Smith (15,206) to pass former Lions running back Barry Sanders (15,269) for second on the NFL's all-time rushing list.
|
Key
Matchup |
Cowboys wide receivers Joey Galloway (15.5 yards per catch) and Raghib Ismail (14.4 yards per catch) against Chargers cornerbacks Ryan McNeil (21 career interceptions), Davis Sanchez (zero tackles in first NFL game) and Tay Cody (one tackle in first NFL game).
|
| Player to Watch |
Doug Flutie, QB, San Diego: Though it rarely looks pretty on the stats sheet, Flutie gets the job done as evidenced by his 31-14 record as a starting quarterback.
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Buffalo (0-1) |
1 p.m. EDT
Sunday |
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Indianapolis (1-0) |
• Preview
• Stats Matchup
• Injury Report
|
| Key Stat |
24-9 -- Peyton Manning's record in his past 33 starts.
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Key
Matchup |
Colts running back Edgerrin James against Bills middle linebacker Kenyatta Wright (seven tackles in Week 1), who is replacing injured Pro Bowler Sam Cowart.
|
| Player to Watch |
Rob Johnson, QB, Buffalo: Has a 66.3 completion percentage and 721 yards in his past three games against the Colts, but struggled in the opener with three interceptions and only a 59.3 completion rate.
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New York (0-1) |
1 p.m. EDT
Sunday |
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Kansas City (0-1) |
• Preview
• Stats Matchup
• Injury Report
|
| Key Stat |
108.5 -- Kerry Collins' quarterback rating in his past four regular-season games against AFC teams (84 of 139 for 1,169 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception).
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Key
Matchup |
Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez (266 catches and 24 touchdowns in 64 career games) against Giants outside linebacker Jessie Armstead (11 career interceptions).
|
| Player to Watch |
Priest Holmes, RB, Kansas City: Carried only seven times for 21 yards in his Chiefs debut but will be facing a Giants defense that allowed 143 rushing yards to the Broncos in Week 1.
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Oakland (1-0) |
1 p.m. EDT
Sunday |
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Miami (1-0) |
• Preview
• Stats Matchup
• Injury Report
|
| Key Stat |
27-4 -- Dolphins' record in home openers since 1970.
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Key
Matchup |
Dolphins defensive lineman Kenny Mixon, Jermaine Haley, Daryl Gardener and Jason Taylor against a Raiders offensive line that allowed only two sacks to the Chiefs in Week 1 and just 28 all last season.
|
| Player to Watch |
Lamar Smith, RB, Miami: After gaining 125 total yards in Dolphins' road win in Tennessee, Smith is looking to rush for a touchdown for the fifth consecutive game, which would tie Mercury Morris and Don Nottingham's team record.
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Tennessee (0-1) |
1 p.m. EDT
Sunday |
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Jacksonville (1-0) |
• Preview
• Stats Matchup
• Injury Report
|
| Key Stat |
54-25 -- Combined record in division play of starting quarterbacks Mark Brunell (31-14) and Steve McNair (23-11).
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Key
Matchup |
Titans defensive ends Jevon Kearse (26 sacks in 33 career games) and Kevin Carter (62.5 sacks in 97 career games) against Jaguars offensive tackles Tony Boselli (eight sacks allowed last season) and Maurice Williams.
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| Player to Watch |
Fred Taylor, RB, Jacksonville: Rushed for 96 yards against the Steelers in Week 1 and is averaging 123.6 yards per game in his past 11 games.
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New York (0-1) |
4:05 p.m. EDT
Sunday |
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New England (0-1) |
• Preview
• Stats Matchup
• Injury Report
|
| Key Stat |
2 -- Jets' advantage in touchdowns (218) over the Patriots (216) in their 81 games played, in which New York holds a 45-31-1 advantage.
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Key
Matchup |
Jets center Kevin Mawae against Patriots middle linebacker Ted Johnson (18 games missed to injury in past four seasons).
|
| Player to Watch |
Curtis Martin, RB, New York: Held to only 3.8 yards per carry by the Colts in Week 1, but returns to stadium where he has scored 30 of his 63 career touchdowns.
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St. Louis (1-0) |
4:15 p.m. EDT
Sunday |
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San Francisco (1-0) |
• Preview
• Stats Matchup
• Injury Report
|
| Key Stat |
52-48-2 -- Rams' record against the 49ers (.520 winning percentage), including four consecutive wins.
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Key
Matchup |
Rams wide receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt (combined 309 catches for 5,233 yards and 33 touchdowns since start of 1999 season) against 49ers cornerbacks Ahmed Plummer and Jason Webster (combined two interceptions in 26 career starts).
|
| Player to Watch |
Marshall Faulk, RB, St. Louis: Usually the player to watch anytime he steps on the field, Faulk scored seven touchdowns in two games against San Francisco last season and had 343 total yards.
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Philadelphia (0-1) |
4:15 p.m. EDT
Sunday |
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Seattle (1-0) |
• Preview
• Stats Matchup
• Injury Report
|
| Key Stat |
30.5 -- Hugh Douglas' sack total in 36 games with the Eagles.
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Key
Matchup |
Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (48.4 quarterback rating against Browns in first NFL start) against Eagles free safety Brian Dawkins (16 career interceptions).
|
| Player to Watch |
John Randle, DT, Seattle: Had three tackles and a sack in his Seahawks debut and brought some much-needed life to a defense that ranked 31st in the league last season.
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Denver (1-0) |
8:35 p.m. EDT
Sunday |
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Arizona (0-0) |
• Preview
• Stats Matchup
• Injury Report
|
| Key Stat |
12/16/89 -- Date of last meeting between these teams in Arizona, with the Broncos winning 37-0 behind Bobby Humphrey's 128 rushing yards.
|
Key
Matchup |
Broncos left tackle Trey Teague against Cardinals rookie defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, who is making his first NFL start.
|
| Player to Watch |
Eddie Kennison, WR, Denver: Replacing the injured Ed McCaffrey in the starting lineup, but has 37 fewer touchdown receptions than McCaffrey.
|
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Washington (0-1) |
9 p.m. EDT
Monday |
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Green Bay (1-0) |
• Preview
• Stats Matchup
• Injury Report
|
| Key Stat |
30 -- Sacks needed by Packers in remaining 15 games to pass last season's total of 37 after recording seven in the opener against the Lions.
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Key
Matchup |
Packers running back Ahman Green (510 rushing yards in past four games) against Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington (10 total tackles against Chargers in Week 1).
|
| Player to Watch |
Jeff George, QB, Washington: After being benched against the Chargers and yelling at Marty Schottenheimer on the sidelines, George is now on a short leash and could be replaced by Tony Banks for the long haul if he has another performance like his 8 of 18 for 66 yards with two interceptions from the opener.
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