THE GRID: VOL. VI

Try Not To Dig Too Big Of a Hole
By Bryan Palmese, NFL Draft Bible

There’s no reason to panic after one week in the NFL. Truthfully, there shouldn’t be a reason to do so after the second week either, but in today’s NFL, some nerves should be rattled. Parity and strength of schedule allow so much less predictability in the game. The philosophy of approaching each game one week at a time and never glancing too far ahead is the proper thought process to have. The cliché that on any given Sunday, any team can win is what makes this league so exciting. That being said, there are several games on the docket this weekend that could force potential playoff teams into a serious uphill battle earlier than expected. 0-2 isn’t the end of the season, but it is not a position any team would like to be in at this stage.

St. Louis, New York Giants, New Orleans, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York Jets and Baltimore all need bounce back weeks to avoid the 0-2 hole. New Orleans and Chicago are favored in their games and for good reason. The 49ers and Packers have re-emerged as contenders in the NFC that they once dominated. This will make things tough for the Rams and G-Men. Philadelphia grinds it out with the rival Washington Redskins on Monday night. The Jets and the Ravens both have playoff aspirations, but are battling through injuries and know that this early game could come back to haunt them when playoff spots are being shuffled around in December.

The Gateway city welcomes division rival San Francisco to its’ turf this Sunday. The Rams opened the season at home last week with a deflating loss to Carolina --- maybe “fumbling loss” would be the proper term to use. Steven Jackson coughed the ball up twice and the Panthers seized the opportunity en route to a 27-13 victory. Now, the Rams must put the loss behind them and focus on the 49ers. San Francisco comes in after a Monday night win versus Arizona. A win for the ‘Niners means that the Rams would be 0-2 in the NFC, two games back of San Francisco in the division--- not really the type of start envisioned by St. Louis.

The New York Football Giants host Green Bay and can ill-afford another loss this week. Brandon Jacobs, Eli Manning and Osi Umenyiora are all banged up and opening the season with two straight losses will only tighten the noose in the always gritty NFC East. Brett Favre comes to town and along with him, a young hungry defense that shut down the Eagles last week.

New Orleans visits Tampa in an NFC South showdown. The Saints kicked off their season by getting booted all over the turf in Indianapolis on national television. Drew Brees and Reggie Bush look to get back on track in Tampa and re-establish themselves as heavy hitters in the NFC.

Chicago had a rough season opener on the road at AFC juggernaut San Diego. The Bears defense picked up where it left off in 2006, but the offense was no match for the Chargers defense. An anemic running game allowed San Diego to shut down the Bears wide receivers and keep Rex Grossman in check. The Chiefs will be in Chicago’s cross-hairs this weekend and the Bears will be looking to erase last week’s loss.

Philadelphia muffed last weekend’s game away in Green Bay and look to right the ship Monday night versus the Redskins. When these two teams play, it’s always a battle and this primetime game should be no different. McNabb and Westbrook will look to work out the kinks from last week and don’t want to risk being in the NFC East cellar this early in the season.

Both the Jets and Ravens lost last week, but only one will come out of this week with a win. They tangle in Baltimore in a showcase that should be titled “Battle of the Bruised and Injured”. Both teams’ quarterbacks got injured last week which is crucial because both players are such leaders for their respective teams. Thomas Jones is battling leg woes and the Ravens’ Jonathan Ogden is out. Smashmouth football should be the overtone in Baltimore on Sunday as one of these teams will leave the field 0-2.

Does going 0-2 mean it’s time to hit the panic button?

Statistics on paper can be helpful, but if you put too much weight into these statistics, there would be no reason to play the game. However, there are some interesting facts to toss out about teams that started off 0-2. Since 1995, there have been 96 teams to start off the season 0-2. Only ten of these teams reached the playoffs during this stretch with the Patriots being the only team to win a Super Bowl. So, it’s not like the sky is falling if you start 0-2, but the road ahead is rocky.

Schedule strength this year may be the knockout punch to Baltimore and Philadelphia. The Ravens divisional rivals are tough as is, but additionally, they have games against San Diego, New England, Indianapolis, Seattle, San Francisco, and St. Louis. In the City of Brotherly Love, the Eagles have an incredible stretch of games towards the end of the season. First off, they play the Jets and Bears in back-to-back weeks earlier in the year. Then, in consecutive weeks from week 12 to week 15, they take on the Patriots, Seahawks, Giants, Cowboys and Saints. These two teams must stay healthy and focused from week-to-week in order to keep pace within their respective conferences.

Additionally, when you toss league-wide parity into the equation with a surplus of talent throughout the league, one can see why some coaches have their fingers hovering over the panic button.