NFL Week 2 - Recap

Atlanta 41, Arizona 7
Is this a surprise to anyone here? The Cardinals are lost and floundering without Kurt Warner, meanwhile the Falcons are one of the best home teams in the league. I wonder how the Cardinals would be doing with Matt Leinart...
Pierce's Pick - ARI.

Cincinnati 15, Baltimore 10
Another ugly game for the Ravens, and this time they didn't come out on top. These two teams made significant upgrades to their passing corps, but neither one can really get anything convincing going yet. I still think both are strong playoff contenders, but another poor performance from either and I might have to revise that statement. It's worth remembering, though, that the Bengals were rock-solid against their AFC North rivals last year and they've continued that into 2010 now.
Pierce's Pick - BAL.

Kansas City 16, Cleveland 14
The Browns are still bad. Kansas City might actually be developing some potential, though. But if I were a Browns fan, I might be taking a look at the 2011 Draft already, because there aren't many teams that look as lost as they do.
Pierce's Pick - KC.

Chicago 27, Dallas 20
And in Week 2, the Cowboys are in free fall. Ouch. How did the Bears win this when the 'Boys supposedly dominated their offensive line? Jay Cutler must have learned how to effectively run for his life lately - in fact, he moved quite well against the Lions. Good for him. Jerry Jones can't be happy at this point. Dallas has a tough game against Houston next, too, so 0-3 isn't unrealistic. Hard to recover from that.
Pierce's Pick - DAL.

Philadelphia 35, Detroit 32
A high-scoring affair, although I wonder about Detroit's attempted comeback here - was it legitimate, or did the Eagles defense go slack in what looked like garbage time? Either way, it's a thin line between 2-0 and 0-2 for the hungry Lions, who may yet surprise this season. Michael Vick looked sharp, I won't lie. The Eagles do have a better chance to win with him under center right now. If nothing else, in two games, the Lions have proven to have hit home-runs with both 1st-round draft picks this year.
Pierce's Pick - DET.

Green Bay 34, Buffalo 7
Buffalo officially enters the 2011 Draft Bowl with Cleveland. No surprise here as the Packers roll over them. If anything, I was surprised the Pack ended up having to kick two field goals. Not much else to say here other than the obvious - Green Bay is good; Buffalo is bad.
Pierce's Pick - GB.

Pittsburgh 19, Tennessee 11
The Steelers are 2-0 without Big Ben and likely to go 3-1 or better by his return. They're getting it done however they need to and managed to contain Chris Johnson. I'm not sure if anyone has noticed yet, but the Steelers are looking like they're a team on a mission this season and they're only going to get better once their starting QB returns to the lineup. As for Tennessee, what else is new - stop Chris Johnson, stop the Titans.
Pierce's Pick - TEN.

Miami 14, Minnesota 10
Another ugly loss for the Vikings who, like the Cowboys, may be approaching free-fall status. Suddenly they find themselves playing a critical game at home in Week 3 against the other 0-2 NFC North team and it is a game they could lose. The Dolphins, meanwhile, still bear the stamp of Parcells and Sparano - a gritty team that wins however it needs to when it needs to. Their defense is playing lights-out football and if you disregard those two unusual fumbles by Ronnie & Ricky, the Vikings really had no chance in this game.
Pierce's Pick - MIN.

Tampa Bay 20, Carolina 7
Carolina is bad. Tampa Bay might be for real. I don't expect contention this year, but it's clear that the youth movement in Tampa Bay is building something legitimate. Josh Freeman has a better record as a starter than his 2010 1st-round QB counterparts. Perhaps it is, after all, better to let a rookie learn from the sideline for at least half a season at first. Imagine that. Like the Titans, this game also proves that if the Panthers can't run the ball, they have no shot at winning a football game (or even being competitive; the Titans can at least be competitive if they can't run).
Pierce's Pick - TB.

Denver 31, Seattle 14
Never overestimate the Seahawks when they post a big win at home. Like Atlanta, Seattle is one of the better home teams in the league. On that note, it is not unusual for mediocre road teams to struggle mightily in Mile High Stadium. That being said, this result was as predictable as they come to me this week. Nevermind that Denver actually is a good football team and Seattle is, at best, a mediocre one.
Pierce's Pick - DEN.

Oakland 16, St. Louis 14
The Rams seem to be competing and, given the young talent they've been drafting, I can see them turning a corner later this season and winning 4 games or more. But not yet. Oakland isn't very good though, as the QB carousel continues to turn there. But mark my words, if this game was in November or December, Team Bradford posts a win.
Pierce's Pick - OAK.

NY Jets 28, New England 14
One game this week that truly surprised me. The Jets recover from that tough loss with a statement win against the Patriots. The Pats looked positively shell-shocked at times in this game as the Sanchize rolled his Jets down the field time and time again. But it's too early to make a decision on these two teams and their fates this year quite yet. Both are talented teams and I expect the AFC East race to remain tight between them and the Dolphins all year. But if you're the Jets, you definitely needed this win more than the Patriots. Credit to them for getting it.
Pierce's Pick - NE.

San Diego 38, Jacksonville 13
Ouch. I didn't see this one, but I wasn't surprised to see the Chargers bounce back against the Jags after their stunning loss to a division rival on national television. David Garrard looked awful. The Jags are a team on the cusp almost every year and, right now, this year looks no different to me. They'll win some, lose some, surprise and disappoint and remain on the outside looking in yet again. I've predicted such year after year and it amazes me that Jack Del Rio still coaches there - I like the guy as a coach, but he just can't get this team over the hump.
Pierce's Pick - SD.

Houston 30, Washington 27
A few people have talked about the grit Houston showed in this game, but I have to wonder how it came to that point at all. They were in Washington sure, and credit to them for a great comeback, but that was Washington's game to give away after the half. I want to buy into the Texans - another team perpetually on the cusp - but I need to see a solid performance against Dallas to believe they're for real. A tough loss for the Redskins, but this is clearly a much better team than it was last year and they can walk away with that, at least. Besides, they ought to still be warm from that bizarre victory over Dallas a week ago.
Pierce's Pick - HOU.

Indianapolis 38, NY Giants 14
Elder brothers never let their younger brothers beat them in front of a crowd. Any sibling knows this. Try and try as the younger may, it's just not something that the elder will allow. It's almost impossible. I had no doubt the Colts would win this one; but I didn't expect it to be so lopsided and I certainly didn't expect Brandon Jacobs to throw his helmet into the stands. I still think the Giants are a solid team this year, though.
Pierce's Pick - IND.

New Orleans 25, San Francisco 22
Why was this game so close? The Saints offense appears to be sputtering or, at least, has been figured out by the two coaches they've played so far. Nonetheless, they can still run it on you and beat you with screen passes. The 49ers showed a lot of grit in this game and should come away from it prouder than they left Seattle. This game actually raised more questions about the Saints than the 49ers for me. That is not a team that looks like it will repeat, to me.
Pierce's Pick - NO.