This week Dang and Doc run the rule over the state of the NFL after two weeks. Who has surprised in getting to 2-0 and who has already hit the buffers at 0-2? Meanwhile, Andy Reid seemingly is torn between two quarterbacks but who should be his starter? And finally, the Big XII has three top ten BCS teams; but who is the best?
Most surprising 2-0 team/most surprising 0-2 team?
DOC – The most surprising 2-0 team for me is the Kansas City Chiefs, and let me add to that by saying that I consider them to be the most intriguing 2-0 team. Now I understand that they only just managed to scrape themselves past the pretty awful Cleveland Browns on Sunday, but before that theyve got a win (again perhaps helped by the rain that came down) against the Chargers. The offense doesnt look particularly explosive to me, but with Jamaal Charles and Dexter McCluster there is some serious speed out there. Dwayne Bowe could be one of the elite receivers in the NFL if he knuckles down and applies himself. But then theres Matt Cassell, who I have to admit Im still to be convinced by, but if hes got Charlie Weis there to help him, if its going to come, then it surely will under his tutelage. Romeo Crennel looks to be getting some positive results out of that defense, and mind you when you say some of the names on that defence, you realise just how much talent (and how many high draft picks) they have. Glenn Dorsey, Lawrence Jackson, Tamba Hali, Eric Berry, Derrick Johnson and so on are a strong base on which to build. I will also throw in Brandon Flowers who I feel is one of the more under-regarded CBs in the NFL. The Chiefs probably wont make the post-season, although in their division they stand an outside chance, but theyve come on well for a young team. But the most surprising 0-2 team for me is the Minnesota Vikings. Even with the injuries at the wide receiver position I did not consider them likely to start like this. Favre looks now like a man who doesnt want to be there theres no spark, no energy, no impetus. If they had managed to acquire Vincent Jackson they could have turn this around. Indeed they still could without him, but Im shocked theyre like this. The other is the ongoing Cowboys farce in Arlington at Jerrys Big Blue Star Circus Tent. I could go on and on about this joke and how anyone who is really that surprised given how pre-season went (and some of the decisions taken then) is beyond me. So, because Im not really surprised Im going to bite my tongue and not let rip on that absolute joke.
DANG I think most surprising for me would be the Bears, I know Im going to get slated by my Bears supporting friends, again, but Im still not buying into the team being that good. They got lucky against Detroit, which really theyd lost only for a minor technicality that nobody had heard of before the end of Week 1. To help them out they came up against a Dallas team that really needs to have its pants pulled down and spanked until some sense is beaten into them as to how good they actually are. If Detroit had got that win, I think Chicago would have come apart early in Dallas, but they got some self belief behind them and are riding the big momentum at this minute. Im sorry Bears fans, but once you get beat, you could be going the same way as we saw last years Denver Broncos go. Kansas isnt that much of a surprise for me, as San Diego have been tipped to struggle by many sports writers and we all know how hard Arrowhead is to go to, you then look at their second game, which was the Browns, so you could pretty easily call that as 2-0. Tampa Bay are another 2-0 team to catch my eye, I thought Carolina would have more than they showed Sunday, but this is a young team who will go places in the next few years to come, Josh Freeman is looking like a real nice quarterback. On the other side of the coin, I wonder how on earth Dallas are 0-2, against two teams who they really should have beat, even with bad coaching, this team shouldnt be 0-2, I think there will be a big turnaround in Dallas. The Houston game could well be a real humdinger Sunday, in a very high scoring game, Im expecting Dallas to come out smarting and looking to chalk a W before its early bye week. Theyll need to bring their A game into Houston if they want to turn their season around before that bye. But the main one, Id have to agree with Doc, the Vikings should not be 0-2. Favre looks a minor shadow of the guy he once was so far, theyve leant heavily on Adrian Peterson but theyre still not getting it done. Harvin, Berrian, Shiancoe, Camarillo should give them plenty of aerial threat with Sidney Rice out injured, but theyre simply not getting it done. When you consider there have already been quarterback changes in Oakland, Tennessee and Philadelphia, how long does Childress leave it in Minnesota if the Vikings cant get a win? Its Detroit this weekend for the Vikings…
Stemming from that, which is the 0-2 with the least to worry about but whos got the most to be concerned about?
DOC Maybe its easy to say this but I think the Detroit Lions have the least to be worried about by being 0-2. Really no-one expected them to be anything other than that, but they have kept both games they were in close to the last. Granted, the Eagles game fluctuated back and forth and they did hold a ten point advantage at one point but the Lions are showing a strong resolve. Jahvid Best is arguably the front runner for rookie of the year already after another stellar performance. He always looked like being a game-changer and its good to see the Lions are working the situation to get the most out of him. The defense looks to be stronger although the Lions secondary still looks to be a big problem but then it always has hasnt it? Theyve got the least to worry about because theyve been here so many times before and are showing theyre on the upturn. Ive already gone into detail or at least touched on the Vikings and Cowboys in my response to the last question, so Ill add in a third team Id be incredibly concerned about if I was a fan or involved with them. I know theyre not 0-2 but scraping past the Rams isnt too much to shout about. Thats the Arizona Cardinals. Frankly, they dont have a quarterback of any kind. Derek Anderson is useless and as much as I liked in college their two back-ups theyre nowhere near ready for the NFL. They suffered a mass exodus of talent in the off-season which they havent really replaced. They got dismantled by the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday evening and offered nothing in return. They look to be on the cusp of a very slippery slope downwards this season. With Anderson still, staggeringly the best option to steer this ship I dont see any other way forward. If there was any doubt about Kurt Warners Hall of Fame credentials then surely they cant really be in any doubt now?
DANG Totally agree on the Lions who are under no pressure to win games, I also agree on the fact that the talent is there in Minnesota and Dallas for those guys to be back to winning ways real soon despite them already being a few games back on some teams. I might be going for the mind bogglingly obvious here, but Buffalo and Cleveland both have a ton of problems, these two could well be years and years away from competing. Those two are going to be juking it out for the #1 overall pick in 2011s draft. Both are just plain ugly looking teams. Both have terrible quarterbacks and even worse backups. Both have completely average receiving units. Both run the 3-4, with very average front sevens. Even the better parts of these teams are the same. Both have young, slightly untested running games. Both have young and playmaking secondaries. Cleveland wins by a much better performing offensive line, although there are a couple of young players in the Bills O Line who could thrive if given the support. The sad thing is, all of those bad points are not easily solved over one off-season for both of these teams. They will easily be looking at another 2-3 seasons before we see these teams with anything close to a winning record and having all the pieces in place. You can call for the Vikings, Cowboys, Panthers and 49ers, but the bottom line is, theyre all going to be more than fine with not too much to worry about over the course of this year.
Should Michael Vick be the starting QB in Philadelphia regardless of whether Kevin Kolb is ready to roll?
DOC Well, we get live and breaking news on the Diner and when I was writing my original response Andy Reid did a u-turn quicker than the about turn hell perform in the corridor when the canteen opens. But what I did write, I still consider to be worthwhile because my opinion hasnt changed: No way, not in any logical way should he be the starter. Why do you go through the upheaval of moving out your stalwart over the last decade in McNabb if you then give up on the guy you wanted to blossom after about a quarter and he got hit out of the game with a concussion? That raises serious question marks over your ability to manage the franchise in my view. Yes, Vick has played well in his absence but let me just ask is this not what a back-up is there to do? And he still lost to the Packers yet were back to having a fair few people lauding him because he looks sharp on his feet and that zip he can put on a ball looks to be restored? This makes no sense, no sense whatsoever. Vick didnt particularly help the situation with his recent comments stating that he believes he can be a starter in this league, and whilst I would dispute this strongly in the sense of being a QB you can rely on as you should all starters, there are places where Vick could get a game. But Philadelphia should not be one of these. Andy Reids made the right decision. I hope his resolve stays strong and he sticks to it. The Eagles will be better off if he does. Well, he said one thing on the Sunday and then on Tuesday reversed his decision. Poor coaching in my book. Even if he did want Vick as the starter then to declare Kolb is the guy, only to change his mind draws even more attention to the situation. I dont know enough about Kolb to know if he is the guy but I know this: Andy Reid has seen enough and has moved the franchise about enough based on his belief, and now hes lost his bottle very quickly. I dont believe this is the right move for Philadelphia.
DANG I dont like this move from Philadelphia. Theyve invested a lot of time and effort into the development of Kolb and now they junk him after three starts where he is 1-2, with the 2 defeats being against last years Super Bowl Champions and the other to one of this years favourites for the Super Bowl in week 1. You couldnt make it up really, it sounds like their trash talking, fickle, pantomime-villain booing fans are running the show, as opposed to the normally sensible Andy Reid. Vick is not the answer, short term, or long term. Its a knee-jerk reaction from a man who clearly should know better. If he doesnt trust Kolb now, why trade away McNabb? Although the Lions are an improving team, probably the most improved team in the league, it is still The Lions that Vick beat Sunday. I would suggest that Reid has got this decision all wrong and hes playing with Kolbs head now to tell him one thing Sunday, only to change it Tuesday. The mentality of your average Philadelphian was encapsulated with the front page of Philadelphia Daily News this week with their headline of Top Dog following Reids announcement. Philadelphia and Michael Vick deserve each other.
Whos the best team in the Big XII? Oklahoma, Texas or Nebraska?
DOC – Well, as the person who picked out the Sooners as his National Title pick just last month although I do caveat that by saying I probably thought and still do think Alabama but just wanted to say something different in the picks to spice things up (no, seriously) I should probably stick with my pick. But if you asked me to stack these three up in order, Id have the Sooners bottom of the pile right now. Theyre too erratic, brilliant one week and then just scraping through the next. If they played Nebraska on one of their good days, theyll likely win, but you cant guarantee theyll be strong unlike the Huskers. And Id have the Nebraska Cornhuskers as the top pick, and frankly I can see them going all the way particularly if Ohio State loses a game on their schedule. I dont buy into TCU and I just think that Boise State will, even if they run the table, find them on the outside again. Virginia Tech losing to James Madison was a blow to the Broncos credentials. The Cornhuskers defense is scary. If Jake Locker was an animal, after what that defense did to him on Saturday, then Nebraska would have the animal rights brigade on their back. They massacred his Heisman hopes. Texas is just readjusting to a new era 12 freshmen on that team suggest theyll hit their stride shortly but not this year. Bo Pelinis team are looking to be the business for me, particularly now that Taylor Martinez is giving them some offense to match that ferocious defence. Nebraska is here for now and is dangerous on the national scene, not just the Big XII.
DANG Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas for me. Texas is in a season of adjusting and getting used to the Garrett Gilbert era, who isnt quite the running and passing threat that Colt McCoy was, but looks to me like he can be a nice passer and has fitted in ok so far, despite his three picks last week in Lubbock. Texas is forming its new identity without a team full of star names, having many holes to fill before they can compete on the National scale. Theyll be strong, but when it comes to the Big 12, theyll be two teams ahead of them. Oklahomas 2009 didnt exactly go to plan. They lost Sam Bradford to injury, once theyd lost to BYU the season fell apart at the seams. Landry Jones was reasonable in his first year and he has started the 2010 season pretty well, particularly the FSU game last week, although the team as a whole has blown pretty hot and pretty cold so far this season, coming close to being upset by Utah State and Air Force which isnt going to cut it when it comes to facing off against its far superior division rivals. Bo Pelini has his team in pole position in the Big 12. Life is now moving on after Ndamukong Suh, the Huskers are 3-0, quarterback Taylor Martinez burst onto the scene last week, passing for 150 yards and a touchdown and running for 137 and three touchdowns. The running game will certainly bail out his inexperience with senior halfback Roy Helu has picked up where he left off last year, whilst Rex Burkhead will be a name to look out for over the next few years. The offensive line are pretty much the same crew that looked after Zac Lee last year. Defensively, this team loses Suh yet still looks totally dominant and will still be one of the best in the nation. Thats not a statement many teams will be able to make when they lose its best player, just ask Jake Locker how he feels about Nebraskas D. This team should go better than just a Big 12 Championship.
Most surprising 2-0 team/most surprising 0-2 team?
DOC – The most surprising 2-0 team for me is the Kansas City Chiefs, and let me add to that by saying that I consider them to be the most intriguing 2-0 team. Now I understand that they only just managed to scrape themselves past the pretty awful Cleveland Browns on Sunday, but before that theyve got a win (again perhaps helped by the rain that came down) against the Chargers. The offense doesnt look particularly explosive to me, but with Jamaal Charles and Dexter McCluster there is some serious speed out there. Dwayne Bowe could be one of the elite receivers in the NFL if he knuckles down and applies himself. But then theres Matt Cassell, who I have to admit Im still to be convinced by, but if hes got Charlie Weis there to help him, if its going to come, then it surely will under his tutelage. Romeo Crennel looks to be getting some positive results out of that defense, and mind you when you say some of the names on that defence, you realise just how much talent (and how many high draft picks) they have. Glenn Dorsey, Lawrence Jackson, Tamba Hali, Eric Berry, Derrick Johnson and so on are a strong base on which to build. I will also throw in Brandon Flowers who I feel is one of the more under-regarded CBs in the NFL. The Chiefs probably wont make the post-season, although in their division they stand an outside chance, but theyve come on well for a young team.
Stemming from that, which is the 0-2 with the least to worry about but whos got the most to be concerned about?
Should Michael Vick be the starting QB in Philadelphia regardless of whether Kevin Kolb is ready to roll?
DOC Well, we get live and breaking news on the Diner and when I was writing my original response Andy Reid did a u-turn quicker than the about turn hell perform in the corridor when the canteen opens. But what I did write, I still consider to be worthwhile because my opinion hasnt changed:
Whos the best team in the Big XII? Oklahoma, Texas or Nebraska?
