Week 2!

Welcome back! Sorry we’re late. Reflect on this week as you watch week 3. A reminder: we eagerly solicit your questions for future blogs. Now it's time to run down the big stories of Week 2.

We're watching a decidedly-less-impressive-looking Peyton Manning struggle against the Falcons. Were the reports of his messianic return premature, or is he just facing a superior defense this week?

Peyton Manning has always had up-and-down games. He’s not as good as he once was, but I think he was just having an off game. He’ll do better against worse defenses.

What's a bigger shocker, the 0-2 Saints or the 2-0 Cardinals?

Cardinals. The fact that they beat New England outweighs both of the Saints’ losses, especially because they had Kevin Kolb at QB.

Do you think the Saints are missing Sean Payton, or are there other factors behind their slide?

They certainly are missing Sean Payton, but I’ve never seen coaching alone have this much of an effect. We’ll see if any more weaknesses show this week.

What other teams are surprising you this season?

The Chargers are 2-0; so are the Eagles, who definitely don’t deserve it. Other teams that look good are the RG3-led Redskins and the controversial Buccaneers.

The Seahawks rebounded from a disappointing Week 1 with a resounding victory over the Cowboys. Talk about these two teams who appear to be headed in opposite directions.

The Cowboys are one of my least favorite teams because everyone likes them and they’re talked about so much despite the fact that they’re inconsistent and not particularly good. As for the Seahawks, they have some definite wild card potential.

Some late-game controversy this week. What are your thoughts on the (how much does that corn cost?) Buccaneers charging Eli Manning on the last play of the game? Was Tom Coughlin's anger justified?

I don’t think it’s such a big deal, unwritten rule or not. Tom Coughlin had a right to be angry, but this was way over-publicized. Unwritten rules aren’t written, so they don’t exist. I don’t think Schiano did anything wrong.

Do you think Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz discussed what they were going to do at the end of the Handshake Revenge Game?

They may have agreed to just do a normal handshake. But I don’t think so. They probably just learned from last year’s bad publicity and shook hands the way they would with any other coach.

Speaking of which: Which Harbaugh brother is more loathsome and why?

I think Jim. John hasn’t done anything irritating.

The other big story this week was the continuing struggles of the replacement officials. Are they substantially worse than the regular officials? Should Roger Goodell step in and put a stop to this?

They are substantially worse, and Goodell hasn’t been much help so far. Some negotiations have occurred, but Goodell has just sent out a memo to prevent coaches from criticizing the refs excessively. 

I'd like to hear your philosophy about judging teams after two games. Is it too early to spot trends and make predictions?

It certainly is. It’s only one eighth of the season. Teams are still getting settled in. Some players haven’t played together for very long. Teams like the Saints will get things together eventually. Some may not make the playoffs, but don’t expect a team that was good last year to go 0-16.

Rex Ryan seems to be tiring of Tim Tebow questions, and it sure does seem like #15 has been little more than a footnote thus far. What do you think the Jets' plans are for Tebow this season? Do you think he'll demand a trade if he doesn't get more playing time?

I heard he would leave after the season if this continues, so yes. If Mark Sanchez struggles, though, I would expect to see a bit more of Tebow.

A couple of teams are really struggling at the quarterback position. Who's more likely to keep his job, Blaine Gabbert, Brandon Weeden or Ryan Tannehill?

Weeden. Colt McCoy is a bad backup, and Weeden just had a great performance against a playoff team. If he continues this, he’ll be safe.

Now comes the part where Hen gets to type whatever he wants.

C.J. Spiller is the NFL’s leading rusher!? Wow. I’m not complaining, though -- someone in my fantasy football league dropped Fred Jackson because of his injury, and I picked him up.