| AFC EAST by James Walker |
 | Running back C.J. Spiller is the real deal. He's leading the NFL in rushing. You can mark him down for the Pro Bowl right now. | Spiller is a stud and it's been that way since the end of last season. He just needed playing time. The injury to Fred Jackson will actually help Buffalo in the short term, because Spiller is in his prime and ready to light it up. When Jackson comes back, he should be Spiller's backup for the rest of the season. |
 | Our guy, Reggie Bush, is even better. He's an every-down running back now. Book him for the Pro Bowl, too. | Bush is probably the most improved player I've seen from one year ago to now. He's silenced his critics and deserves the title of an every-down back. But durability has always been a question with Bush. Can he take big hits for 16 games? That remains to be seen. |
 | This offense is done without tight end Aaron Hernandez. The Patriots were lost without him against the Cardinals. If he's out at least until October, don't expect the Patriots to score a lot of points until then. | This is an overreaction if I ever saw one. The Patriots had trouble adjusting Sunday because they had to change their gameplan on the fly. New England will be more prepared this week to play without Hernandez, and the addition of former Pro Bowl tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. also will help. |
 | Get quarterback Mark Sanchez outta here! He could barely complete a pass for three quarters. It's Tim Tebow Time! He's a winner. | Slow down, Tebow-ites. Sanchez had one bad game against a very tough defense. It's expected. Besides, Sanchez needs to string together at least two or three bad games in a row before we even start thinking about Tebow. |
| AFC WEST by Bill Williamson |
 | Peyton Manning has lost it. He threw three interceptions in the first quarter at Atlanta, and he will never be back to the form he enjoyed before his neck surgery that cost him the 2011 season. | Manning will be fine. Yes, the three interceptions cost the Broncos the game. But he settled down and showed he has ability. The truth is, he is still shaking off the rust and is still getting into a rhythm with his new offense. It will take time. |
 | The Chiefs are out of the race. They are 0-2 and look awful. | It's not reality yet. This team started 0-3 last year and nearly won the division. The Chiefs still have time, but the defense needs to tighten up. |
 | Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp's West Coast offense doesn't fit the team. The offense has regressed under Knapp. | The Raiders shined in recent years in a more power run game. But give Knapp's attack some time before we declare it a failure in Oakland. |
 | The Chargers are for real. San Diego looks great. They are 2-0 under Norv Turner for the first time. | For the time being, it is reality. The Chargers have passed every test so far. Yes, it's early, but there isn't much to complain about. |
| AFC NORTH by Jamison Hensley |
 | The replacement officials cost the Ravens the game in Philadelphia. A questionable offensive pass interference penalty negated a Jacoby Jones touchdown, which would have put Baltimore ahead, 27-17, with 5:29 remaining. | Not. This isn't defending the replacement officials, who really embarrassed themselves in losing control of the game. The Ravens just can't point fingers at the referees after Joe Flacco completed eight passes in the second half and the defense allowed 486 yards. |
 | The Bengals have the worst defense in the league. They have given up more than 400 yards in each of their first two games and rank 30th in the NFL in defense. | It's a reality for right now, but this defense won't rank among the worst by the end of the season. Injuries have hurt the Bengals, who will be stronger when defensive end Carlos Dunlap and first-round cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick return. |
 | Quarterback Brandon Weeden has turned the corner. He set a team rookie record with 322 yards passing against Cincinnati on Sunday. | Not. Just as fans wanted Weeden benched after that horrible season-opening performance, you can't say he's on the right track after one standout effort. Weeden is going to be a work-in-progress for the entire season. He did show once again he deserves to be the starter over Colt McCoy. |
 | The Steelers won't be able to run the ball all season. Pittsburgh has gained 141 yards on the ground in two games. Only the Raiders and Titans have less. | Reality. The Steelers were only a middle of the pack running team last season when Rashard Mendenhall was healthy. The Steelers' backups, Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer, have been underwhelming. A positive is that new offensive coordinator Todd Haley isn't quick to abandon the running game like his predecessor Bruce Arians. |
| AFC SOUTH by Paul Kuharsky |
 | Should I stay at the Marriott on Canal or the W hotel near the casino for Super Bowl Week in New Orleans? There is no way the Texans aren't going. I mean Houston's better than New England for sure. | Two games have been very good, but Houston should beat up Miami and Jacksonville. Sunday's the Texans' first real test. Let's see how they do in hostile Denver against their old nemesis, Peyton Manning. |
 | Hey, look at how they reacted to adversity and responded. This team has some spunk and spark. Look how bad the Jaguars and Titans were. The Colts can get second place in the division and make a playoff bid. | Easy there. It was a good win during which they showed some good qualities. The Colts are better than a team like Minnesota. They've shown they aren't one of the very bottom teams in the league. |
 | That team Sunday that was blown out by Houston looked an awful like last year's disaster. Jacksonville's doomed again. | The Jaguars are pretty banged up and weren't likely to compete with Houston. If they can't measure up next week in Indy, then we'll start the doom and gloom talk. |
 | The Titans may be the worst team in the league. If they get the No. 1 pick in the draft, how much of a haul can they get by trading down to someone who wants a quarterback like Matt Barkley? | It's too early to jump to that. They've been horrible, but we knew they were going to have a rough start with this schedule. |
19 Sep, 2012
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Source:
http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/54812/nfl-week-2-knee-jerk-reactions--
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While the numbers show the Ravens are better when running the no-huddle, you don't need statistics to see Joe Flacco is more comfortable in it. So why did the Ravens get away from it in Week 2? As in real estate, it's all about location, location, location.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
BALTIMORE RAVENS
CINCINNATI BENGALS
CLEVELAND BROWNS
