Week Two Thoughts

St. Louis Rams: Is there a team that has to overcome more adversity than the Rams early in the season?  Tye Hill suffered a back injury late this week and Fakhir Brown remains out on suspension.  So the Rams are short in the secondary.  The offensive line is a mess.  Losing Orlando Pace is a major setback.  Alex Barron could mature into a solid left tackle as he gains more reps.  He’s a good athlete in pass protection, but must limit his false start penalties.  The big concern is Milford Brown stepping in at right tackle.  Brown is essentially a guard sliding out to the perimeter.  Brown can get some push in the run game, but plays with sloppy technique and struggles in space.  He’ll be exploited off the edge.  I believe 49ers’ linebacker Manny Lawson could have an opportunity to disrupt the timing of the Rams’ passing game by generating consistent pressure on Marc Bulger. 

Dallas Cowboys: I mentioned during training camp that the one player the Cowboys couldn’t afford to lose was Jason Ferguson.  He’s an unsung performer playing the nose tackle position. He’s proven as a plugger in the run game and plays the pivotal position in the 3-4 defense.  At the same time, the Cowboys don’t have a true backup nose tackle.  Jay Ratliff is a quality reserve, but is more of natural at end.  What Ratliff will give the Cowboys is plenty of effort.  He plays with a lot of passion and doesn’t give up on plays.  He’ll be tested early this week.  Miami has an opportunity to find a rhythm with Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman on the ground.  The only question is whether the offensive line can settle down and find some chemistry.  Hudson Houck has his work cut out for him again this season. 

Philadelphia Eagles: Lito Sheppard is nicked up again.  He’s a solid playmaker in the clutch, but a sprained knee again raises questions about his durability.  Former Giant William James finally returns to the spotlight after injuries ruined his once promising career in New York.  James has good size and isn’t afraid to get physical.  But the question that needs to be answered is whether James can return to his old form in coverage.  The Eagles have been intrigued with James since late last season, but he failed to beat Sheldon Brown out of the starting lineup this summer.  Although the Redskins will rely heavily on Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts on the ground, Jason Campbell displayed last week that he can push the ball downfield.  James should be tested a few times on Monday Night.

New York Jets: The heat is on already in New York.  Chad Pennington went down and suddenly finds his status in question.  Kellen Clemens could have a tremendous opportunity to create some drama at the quarterback position in the near future, although he’ll face a bruising Baltimore defense.  Pennington is smart and very respected as a leader, but his lack of arm strength limits some things Brian Schottenheimer would like to do with this offense.  And Pennington now finds himself with questions about his durability again.  Meanwhile, there is a lot of intrigue building with Clemens in New York.  He possesses good physical tools and grew mentally this summer.  Unfortunately, no matter who is at quarterback will be playing behind an unsettling situation along the offensive line.  It was quite ironic that right guard Brandon Moore was signed to a contract extension this week.  Moore is the only other source of stability along the offensive side beyond Nick Mangold.  The jury remains out on left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson.  He still has trouble matching up physically against pass rushers who can get into his chest.  The left guard situation is a mess between Adrian Clark and Jacob Bender.  And they aren’t much better at right tackle with Anthony Clement. 

In other thoughts…

A few red flags were raised in Tampa Bay this past week when Jeff Garcia and Carnell Williams were nicked up in Seattle.  Not many observers are surprised.  Williams entered the season at a crossroads in terms of answering questions about his durability.  And several scouts have doubts on Garcia holding up for 16 games. 

Keep an eye on Seahawks’ wide receiver Nate Burleson over the next few weeks.  With D.J. Hackett out of the lineup with a high ankle sprain, Burleson has an opportunity to finally establish himself in Mike Holmgren’s offense.  Burleson struggled to find a comfort level with his assignments during his first season in Seattle, but has displayed a much better comfort level with the offense these days.  Don’t be surprised to see Burleson finally become a solid contributor within the offense the next few weeks. 

Cedric Benson is under a lot of pressure this week after a subpar outing against San Diego.  Benson didn’t display much power to the hole and failed to gain many yards after contact.  Granted, the Bears were matched up against a stout San Diego run defense, but there were definitely some questions raised last Sunday.  Benson has yet to display any of the veteran attributes that Thomas Jones provided the Bears the past few years.  Let’s not throw Benson under the bus yet, but this situation is worth keeping an eye on. 

Let’s hope that David Boston has finally seen his last days in the NFL.  Jon Gruden has given Boston about a few too many opportunities to show he’s unreliable. 

I am going to take the high road compared to reporters this week when it comes to talking about the New England Patriots.  Let's keep an eye on how the Patriots match up on the perimeter against a explosive San Diego pass rush.  On film, both Matt Light and Nick Kaczur look upgradeable.  Light has always struggled against top pass rushers.  And Kaczur has regressed since joining the Patriots a few years ago.  He's struggled against speed rushers and falls off too many run blocks.  Fortunately, Tom Brady knows how to get rid of the ball quickly.  Wes Welker makes that possible in the short passing game. 

No Comments