NFL Week 2 Review/Week 3 Preview: Manziel Mania Pt. II

We're through two weeks of the 2015 NFL season, and there is already much to discuss. But let's start with the league's most talked about backup quarterback, Johnny Manziel. He started for the first time this season last week for the concussed Josh McCown, and he played pretty well and showed improvement in a 28-14 win over Tennessee. He didn't throw much, but he looked much better and completed two long touchdown passes to Travis Benjamin. However, despite showing promise last Sunday, coach Mike Pettine said McCown, who is now cleared to play, will start this Sunday. While many are calling Pettine dumb for the decision, it isn't really that ridiculous. McCown was brought in to be the starter and kept the job throughout training camp and the preseason, and he was driving the offense down the field in the first game before suffering a concussion trying to dive into the endzone. Johnny is closer to being starting quarterback material, but spending some more time sitting behind the veteran won't hurt. And the Browns don't lean on the passing game anyway.

Video of the Week

I might not do Video of the Week every week, but for the second straight week, there is a video I want to show you. This week, it's Madden 16's promotional movie preview for Madden: The Movie, featuring multiple NFL stars. When it came out in August, I didn't watch the whole movie preview. But I did on Sunday, and it made me regret not watching it sooner. It was hilariously awesome and amazing, and it made me wish that this was an actual movie. Just watch it.

Week 2 Review

Week 2 Observations
This week I've decided to take a brief look at three teams off to somewhat surprising 0-2 starts.
1. Eagles
Chip Kelly had a solid offense, but still decided to wheel-and-deal this offseason, trading star running back LeSean McCoy to Buffalo for linebacker Kiko Alonso, who was coming back from a torn ACL, trading quarterback Nick Foles to St. Louis for oft-injured quarterback Sam Bradford, signing 2014 NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray, and drafting speedy USC receiver Nelson Agholor. His moves haven't really worked out so far. Alonso played well in Week 1 but then got injured again and may be out for the rest of the season. The offense has sputtered thus far. Bradford hasn't looked good and has constantly been under pressure, throwing two picks in each of the first two games. Murray has NINE TOTAL RUSH YARDS. And the receivers, other than Jordan Matthews, have been quiet. The line has also struggled. The Eagles need to figure it out, and Bradford needs to improve, or he may lose his job.
2. Colts
The Colts also made some big moves in the offseason, signing veteran running back Frank Gore and veteran wide receiver Andre Johnson to pair with quarterback Andrew Luck and receiver T.Y. Hilton. They were heralded as having potentially the best offense in the NFL. They're still waiting for that offense to show up. They've scored a total of 21 points the first two weeks, as Luck has not looked like an elite quarterback, Gore hasn't done much aside from fumbling on the one yard line last week, and even reliable veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri has missed both field goals he has attempted. The defense was never a strength, so the talented offense will need to step it up. Luckily, a weak division allows the Colts to rebound.
3. Seahawks
The defending Super Bowl runners-up have lost the first two games, not being able to stop the Rams or Packers. They just haven't been able to keep up. Seattle is probably in the least trouble of these three teams, though, since those two teams are good and star safety Kam Chancellor has ended his holdout. The Seahawks are still a very good team and have 14 more games to play, so Hawks fans need not panic too much.

Game of the Week
Broncos 31, Chiefs 24
Last week's Thursday night game was wild and crazy. Peyton Manning and the Broncos looked stagnant for most of the first half, falling behind 14-0. But just before halftime, Manning engineered two consecutive touchdown drives to tie it up. In the second half, the teams went back-and-forth until the end. Kansas City scored a touchdown with just over two minutes to play to take the lead, but then Manning threw a touchdown pass to Emmanuel Sanders with 36 seconds left to tie the game at 24. The Chiefs got the ball back and proceeded to run out the clock, content with taking the game to overtime. But running back Jamaal Charles fumbled the ball and it was scooped up and taken into the endzone by cornerback Bradley Roby with no time left on the clock. Charles ran for 125 yards and a touchdown, but also had two key fumbles, including the game-losing one.

Top Performances
Browns WR/PR Travis Benjamin vs. Tennessee: 3 catches, 115 yards, 3 TD; 154 punt return yards, 1 TD
Benjamin showed he's the most explosive player on the Browns, teaming up with Johnny Manziel once (and twice) again for a long touchdown pass, and scoring a touchdown on 78-yard punt return.
Steelers RB DeAngelo Williams vs. San Francisco: 20 carries, 77 yards, 3 TD
Williams ran all over the Niners defense in a 43-18 drubbing, as did the rest of the Steelers offense. As a reward for his strong performance, he gets demoted back to second-string with Le'Veon Bell back from suspension this week.
Patriots QB Tom Brady vs. Buffalo: 38-59, 466 yards, 3 TD
Brady aired it out Sunday and tore up the Bills defense. having his way and spreading the ball around (four different players had at least 87 yards receiving) in a game that was a blowout until late.

Play of the Week
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/0ap3000000534279/Can-t-Miss-Play-Benjamin-goes-coast-to-coast
Of course my play of the week is Travis Benjamin's 78-yard punt return for a touchdown. My favorite part is when the punter gets plowed right in front of him and Benjamin just hops over him.

Week 3 Preview

Quick Picks (Home team listed last)
Last Week: 5-11
Overall: 13-18

Redskins 24, Giants 34 (Thursday, 8:25 PM, CBS/NFL)
Player of the Game: WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Raiders 21, Browns 24 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Player of the Game: CB Joe Haden
Falcons 28, Cowboys 27 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Player of the Game: WR Julio Jones
Colts 21, Titans 17 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Player of the Game: WR T.Y. Hilton
Bengals 28, Ravens 21 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Player of the Game: WR A.J. Green
Jaguars 28, Patriots 34 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Player of the Game: TE Rob Gronkowski
Saints 17, Panthers 14 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Player of the Game: RB Mark Ingram
Eagles 27, Jets 21 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Player of the Game: WR Jordan Matthews
Buccaneers 28, Texans 17 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Player of the Game: WR Vincent Jackson
Chargers 28, Vikings 23 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Player of the Game: QB Phillip Rivers
Steelers 21, Rams 24 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Player of the Game: DT Aaron Donald
49ers 21, Cardinals 17 (Sunday, 4:05 PM, FOX)
Player of the Game: LB Navarro Bowman
Bills 28, Dolphins 24 (Sunday, 4:25 PM, CBS)
Player of the Game: QB Tyrod Taylor
Bears 21, Seahawks 24 (Sunday, 4:25 PM, CBS)
Player of the Game: DT Michael Bennett
Broncos 31, Lions 21 (Sunday, 8:30 PM, NBC)
Player of the Game: QB Peyton Manning
Chiefs 24, Packers 31 (Monday, 8:30 PM, ESPN)
Player of the Game: QB Aaron Rodgers

Game to Watch
Bills @ Dolphins
These two 1-1 teams square off in a battle of two underrated quarterbacks (Buffalo's Tyrod Taylor and Miami's Ryan Tannehill). Both teams also have very talented defensive lines that may put pressure on the two quarterbacks. They are both coming off losses last week. The Bills almost came back and beat New England but fell 40-32, while the Dolphins lost 23-20 to Jacksonville on a game-winning field goal in the final minute.

Fantasy Sleepers and Busts
Sleepers
Saints RB Mark Ingram vs. Carolina
It looks like Saints quarterback Drew Brees will start Sunday, but he's banged up with a shoulder injury. That means New Orleans might lean more on Ingram, who hasn't started the season exceptionally strong, although he had 98 yards receiving the first week and a rushing touchdown last week. 
Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders vs. Detroit
Emmanuel Sanders has been Peyton Manning's favorite option so far this year. Demaryius Thomas has more yards, but Sanders had been targeted one more time and has two touchdowns to Thomas's zero. The Lions also don't have a strong defense.
Cardinals RB David Johnson vs. San Francisco
All Johnson does when he touches the ball is score. He had just one touch in Week 1, and it was a 55-yard touchdown catch. Last week, the rookie from Northern Iowa had six touches, one of those being a rushing touchdown. Even though Chris Johnson is technically the starter in Andre Ellington's absence, look for David Johnson to get more touchdowns touches against a Niners defense that looked good vs. A.P. but awful vs. DeAngelo Williams.
Busts
Saints QB Drew Brees vs. Carolina
See Ingram, Mark.
Bengals RB Giovani Bernard vs. Baltimore
After Jeremy Hill took his job last year, Bernard kind of faded from fantasy relevance. He re-emerged last week, carrying the ball 20 times for 123 yards in a 24-19 win over San Diego. This was largely because Hill fumbled the ball twice. It may have been an anomaly, since Hill will get another chance and, barring another two-fumble game, will receive the bulk of the carries again.
Cardinals WR Larry Fitsgerald vs. San Francisco
Larry had a game last week, catching three touchdown passes and totaling 112 yards in a 48-23 win in Chicago. It was a vintage Larry Fitsgerald game. But don't expect an encore performance this week. The stats in recent games before last week show that it was an outlier.