Some thoughts on NFL week two

Week two in the NFL season turned out to be a very interesting week. It showcased a lot big games and a lot of fans stepping back off the ledge in New York.

In case you missed it, the New York Jets were in a must-win situation after losing at home to the Baltimore Ravens in Week One when they faced Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on September 19.  Instead of folding under the pressure and losing to the three-time Super Bowl champions, the Jets looked like a veteran team that stayed poised and undeterred.  Sophomore quarterback Mark Sanchez rallied his team in the second half to score 21-unanswered points in a 28-14 victory that arguably kept his team's hopes afloat.  The Jets lost their best cover-man (Darrelle Revis) to a hamstring injury during the game, but Antonio Cromartie did a stellar job against Randy Moss in the second half thanks in part to a Jets pass rush that was able to harass Tom Brady.  

For the Patriots, the positive swagger they had after Week One has now turned into head scratching.  In the past six quarters, the Patriots have been outscored 49-28 by their opponent's, this included 21 unanswered against the Jets this past Sunday.  In my opinion, I think their secondary is what is holding them back.  They have an extremely young secondary that is obviously vulnerable (Just look at the past six quarters) and the more opposing teams figure that out; the more trouble New England will have.  Let's face it, Mark Sanchez isn't exactly Peyton Manning or Tom Brady (yet at least); and when he passes for three touchdowns on your secondary, it makes you wonder what will happen when the Patriots see the likes of Peyton Manning, Phillip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger later this season.

Two of the most disappointing teams in Week One continued their struggles in Week Two when the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings both lost at home in games where they were favored.  

Dallas' offensive line continues to have major struggles (It's a good thing they didn't draft any lineman this past April) which will pose problems for Tony Romo all season long.  People can say what they want about Romo, but if you don't give him time to look down field, the offense is going to struggle.  I don't care how many pro-bowl wide receiver threats you have on the team, if the quarterback isn't given time to pass the ball, those receivers are useless.  Tony Romo is going to catch all the heat for Dallas' 0-2 start, but if you honestly look at their situation, you'll find there is nothing Romo can do about it.  Just ask Tom Brady how it felt to get knocked around every time he dropped back to pass when he faced the New York Giants in the Super Bowl a few years back.  

And as for the Minnesota Vikings, there 0-2 start falls squarely onto the shoulders of Brett Favre.  This is what happens when your starting quarterback misses most of training camp.  There is a reason Minnesota's offense has no chemistry and has no rhythm, and somebody ought to call Brett Favre out on that.  He put himself ahead of the team by waiting so long to announce he was coming back, and Minnesota is suffering for it.