NFL: Week 2 knee-jerk reactions
September, 18, 2012
9/18/12
1:30
PM ET
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
You’ve heard the chatter by the sports pundits and on the talk shows. Heck, you may have even heard it here. So are the knee-jerk reactions about your team based in reality? Our NFL bloggers weigh in.
NFC Knee Jerk Reactions | AFC Knee Jerk Reactions
WEEK 2
| Team | Knee-jerk reaction | Reality or not? |
|---|---|---|
| NFC EAST by Dan Graziano | ||
 | The Seattle loss completely erases all of the good feelings from the season-opening win over the Giants. It's obvious these are the same old Cowboys -- one step forward, two steps back. | Yes, this is a Cowboys team that will have good weeks and bad weeks. But there's still more to like about what it did in New York than there is to dislike about what it did in Seattle. Dallas deserves some more time. |
 | As Eli Manning goes, so go the Super Bowl champs. He was lousy in the first half and they trailed the Bucs. He was brilliant in the fourth quarter and they came back to win. | This appears to be reality. The issues in the secondary appear to be worse than they were in 2011. The offensive line remains terrible, and there's no run game to speak of. The Giants are counting on the ability of Manning and his receivers to orchestrate fourth-quarter comebacks, and when they don't, they can't win. |
 | It's nice to be 2-0, but it's a mirage. If this team can't stop turning the ball over 4-5 times a game, there's no way it can contend for the Super Bowl. Michael Vick still hasn't fixed his responsibility issues. | Not. The turnovers are a problem, yes, but there's no way the Eagles will continue turning it over at this pace. It has to get better and will. Once they stop turning it over so much, the Eagles will be dangerous. |
 | Injuries have doomed the Redskins' chances. Robert Griffin III clearly missed Pierre Garcon last week, and even once he comes back they've now lost vital defensive starters Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker for the year. | Reality. Griffin is the fun part of this year's Redskins' story. But what could have made them a 2012 contender was their very good defensive front seven. The Redskins' pass rush will suffer for these losses, the secondary will be exposed and they'll give up too many points. |
| NFC WEST by Mike Sando | ||
 | Beating Seattle and New England in the first two weeks proves the Cardinals are ready to challenge for the NFC West title. How many teams hold Tom Brady to 18 points at Gillette Stadium? | Arizona has the defense to contend. The Cardinals do match up well with San Francisco, but they'll have a hard time keeping pace in the standings unless their offense improves considerably. |
 | The 49ers are the best team in the NFL and it's not even close. They've handled two playoff teams, Green Bay and Detroit, with ease. | The evidence supports this one. The 49ers appear to have very few weaknesses. They're the most complete team at this point and still ascending on offense. |
 | New Rams coach Jeff Fisher sent a message to running back Steven Jackson by benching the veteran after Jackson incurred a costly 15-yard penalty against Washington. Jackson never went back into the game, yielding to rookie Daryl Richardson. | Jackson suffered a groin injury. Fisher thought the penalty was assessed in error. The Rams will continue to find touches for Richardson, but Jackson is the primary back if healthy. |
 | Seattle's performance against Dallas shows the Seahawks have the defense and running game to beat the Packers in Week 3. The 49ers used that formula to win at Lambeau Field, after all. | The Seahawks aren't as good as the 49ers, but they do have the potential to beat the Packers at CenturyLink Field. One question, though, is whether Seattle can handle Green Bay's blitzes. |
| NFC NORTH by Kevin Seifert | ||
 | Quarterback Jay Cutler gets out of control when his team is losing. He's approaching 30 and that's never going to change. | There's something to be said for that sentiment. If Cutler hasn't changed yet, will he ever? |
 | Something's up with quarterback Matthew Stafford. He's thrown four interceptions in two games this season. | It's a little early to be worried about Stafford. He has come back to play well at the end of both games this season. |
 | The Packers have finally discovered a running game. Veteran Cedric Benson is the kind of between-the-tackles runner they have been missing. | Benson got warmed up after getting a steady dose of carries last Thursday against the Bears, a good run defense. He could be an intriguing addition to the Packers' offense. |
 | The Vikings have improved their pass offense to some extent, but their pass defense doesn't look much better. | They have made young quarterbacks Blaine Gabbert and Andrew Luck look pretty good this season. It's an area of concern. |
| NFC SOUTH by Pat Yaskinskas | ||
 | It's easy to look at Atlanta's 2-0 record and assume the Falcons are going to run away with the NFC South. The defense played with a newfound swagger against Denver on Monday and you have to assume the offense will show up the rest of the season. | The Falcons have great potential, and Mike Nolan has brought a whole new look to the defense. But let's wait to see a little more consistency on both sides of the ball before declaring the Falcons an elite team. |
 | After the Panthers put up 219 rushing yards against the Saints on Sunday, the claims of "best backfield in the league" have started up again. | Let's hit the brakes on this. This is an amazing collection of talent. But let's keep in mind that the Panthers had only 10 rushing yards against Tampa Bay in Week 1. Let's wait until they face a better defense than the Saints (like the Giants on Thursday) before we judge anything. |
 | There's a perception out there that the sky already has fallen in New Orleans. After a brutal offseason, the Saints are 0-2 and some are starting to think the season already is over. | It could end up being reality, but we're not to that point just yet. The Saints have dug themselves a hole, but there still are 14 games left. |
 | There's a school of thought, led by New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin, that Greg Schiano is some overzealous college coach trying to make a splash in the NFL. | I'll say it again: Schiano was simply doing his job the only way he knows how. He's an aggressive guy who was brought in to change the climate around the Bucs. He's done that. What's wrong with playing hard? |
NFC SOUTH SCOREBOARD
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Pat Yasinskas
Yasinskas joined ESPN.com in January 2008 after covering the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer for nine seasons. He began his journalism career with The Tampa Tribune in 1990.
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