Madden NFL Simulation Franchise (Take 2)

[kblu54]

1) Bengals without Palmer

The Cincinnati Bengals were one of the more impressive teams in Week 1, thrashing AFC North rival Baltimore 37-6 on Monday Night Football. Unfortunately, the Bengals emerged from that contest a little banged up, especially at the all-important QB position. Carson Palmer went down early in the contest and did not return. The Bengals' signal-caller suffered a turf toe injury and will miss the next 2 weeks. Filling in for him will be backup Ryan Fitzpatrick, an inexperienced QB who did play well last week (170+ yards, 1 TD). The AFC North favorites need to get through these 2 weeks with no more injuries and hopefully at least 1 win if they want to stay atop a tough division.

2) AFC title contenders to square off

The Game of the Week is a big matchup between 2 of the AFC's top teams. The San Diego Chargers, coming off a 14-6 victory over Chicago, travel across the continent to take on the New England Patriots in a rematch of last season's Divisional Round playoff. The Patriots produced a solid 23-10 win last week, but this game could be their chance to unleash their potent offense on the tough Chargers.

3) Week 1 flukes?

Week 2 is a key week for most of the NFL, because it can separate the contenders from the pretenders. Teams that got a Week 1 victory need to continue that streak into Week 2 if they want to be taken seriously, while teams that struggled last week really need to step it up if they want to remain competitive. Teams like the Browns, Bills, Falcons, Raiders and the Dolphins need to prove that last week's win wasn't a fluke, and squads like the Steelers, Saints, Cowboys, Bears, Broncos and the Eagles need a victory to remain in the early playoff discussion.

4) Offense?

Week 1 saw a lot of usually-explosive offenses struggle and the scores around the league were low, including the Game of the Week's 17-13 borefest between the Colts and the Saints. Hopefully, teams with solid offenses can shake off the rust and put some more points on the board.

5) Early contender matchups

There are a bunch of good games on the schedule this week, including battles between predicted playoff hopefuls. Green Bay @ New York Giants and San Francisco @ St. Louis are just two of several games on the docket that could be key playoff implicators.

[kblu54]

Week 2 NFL Schedule
(Note: Gold = Game of the Week)
(Note: All times EST)

Atlanta @ Jacksonville	Sun. 1:00 pm
Buffalo @ Pittsburgh	Sun. 1:00 pm
Cincinnati @ Cleveland	Sun. 1:00 pm
Green Bay @ New York Giants	Sun. 1:00 pm
Houston @ Carolina	Sun. 1:00 pm
Indianapolis @ Tennessee	Sun. 1:00 pm
New Orleans @ Tampa Bay	Sun. 1:00 pm
San Francisco @ St. Louis	Sun. 1:00 pm
Dallas @ Miami	Sun. 4:05 pm
Minnesota @ Detroit	Sun. 4:05 pm
Seattle @ Arizona	Sun. 4:05 pm
Kansas City @ Chicago	Sun. 4:15 pm
New York Jets @ Baltimore	Sun. 4:15 pm
Oakland @ Denver	Sun. 4:15 pm
San Diego @ New England	Sun. 8:15 pm
Washington @ Philadelphia	Mon. 8:30 pm

[kblu54]

Chargers, Patriots will duel for AFC supremacy
NFL News

The AFC's drivers seat is up for grabs.

Two of the AFC's best teams coming into this season will let 'er rip on a highly-anticpated Sunday Night Football matchup on NBC. The San Diego Chargers, last season's AFC #1 seed, and the New England Patriots, the AFC runner-up who knocked San Diego out of the playoffs, will go head-to-head for the early inside track to the AFC's top seed.

The Chargers and Patriots both enter this contest 1-0, with solid but unspectacular season-opening victories under their belts. San Diego put together a bruising 14-6 victory over the Chicago Bears, led by a strong defensive effort and QB Phillip Rivers' 2 TD passes. As for the Patriots, their juggernaut offense looked a little sluggish but they still found a way to post a decent 23-10 win over the rival Jets. This week, both offenses are looking to play up to their potential against a formidable foe.

This should be a great game, but I'm liking the Patriots because of homefield advantage and a much stronger defense. Plus, they have this guy named Brady, and he doesn't like to lose.

San Diego	Team Ratings	New England
89	Overall	92
91	Offense	91
86	Defense	91
88	Special Teams	87

San Diego	Team Stats (NFL Rank)	New England
14.0 (t-17th)	Points Per Game	23.0 (9th)
256 (21st)	Total Offense	285 (18th)
120 (t-14th)	Rush Offense	111 (t-18th)
136 (22nd)	Pass Offense	174 (15th)
222 (7th)	Total Defense	246 (11th)
103 (12th)	Rush Defense	78 (5th)
119 (9th)	Pass Defense	168 (16th)
-1 (t-20th)	Turnover Differential	+0 (t-14th)

Prediction: New England 31, San Diego 24

[kblu54]

Patriots ride run game, defense to convincing win over Chargers
NFL News

The New England Patriots built up a 27-3 lead thanks to two Laurence Maroney TD runs and finished with an impressive 30-17 win over the visiting San Diego Chargers. Maroney gashed the Charger defense for 137 yards and scored on 2nd-quarter runs of 1 and 46 yards, and the Patriot defense held the Chargers to only 175 yards of total offense.

Despite Maroney proving to be the Patriots' top performer, it was QB Tom Brady that kickstarted the scoring barrage. Brady found WR Donte' Stallworth for a 22-yard TD on the game's 1st drive to put New England up 7-0.

Following a Charger field goal early in the 2nd, Maroney broke free on the ensuing drive on a 46-yard scamper to extend their lead to 14-3. Later in the period, the Patriots defense forced a fumble on the 1st play of a Charger drive and three plays later, Maroney punched another in from 1 yard out. The Patriots led 24-3 at the half.

Midway through the 3rd, the Patriots extended their advantage to 27-3 on a field goal. Late in the quarter, the Chargers finally made a dent in the deficit when RB LaDainian Tomlinson found paydirt from 4 yards out to make it 27-10.

In the 4th, another Patriot field goal and a Philip Rivers' TD pass completed the scoring but did not change the outcome.

Maroney totaled a game-high 137 yards and 2 TDs on 24 carries. Brady threw for 220 yards and a TD on 24-of-33 passing and was picked off once. TE Benjamin Watson led all receivers with 98 yards on 10 catches.

As for San Diego, Tomlinson put together a solid game with 103 yards and a TD on 26 carries. Unfortunately, Rivers provided no help with the pass game. Rivers threw for a measly 85 yards and an unimportant TD on 11-of-19 passing.

Box Score	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
San Diego	0	3	7	7	17
New England	7	17	3	3	30

Quarter	Time	Team	Scoring Play	Score
1st	12:37	NE	Stallworth 22 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick)	NE 7-0
2nd	14:22	SD	Kaeding 36 FG	NE 7-3
2nd	10:22	NE	Maroney 46 run (Gostkowski kick)	NE 14-3
2nd	4:50	NE	Gostkowski 27 FG	NE 17-3
2nd	4:01	NE	Maroney 1 run (Gostkowski kick)	NE 24-3
3rd	7:47	NE	Gostkowski 44 FG	NE 27-3
3rd	1:48	SD	Tomlinson 4 run (Kaeding kick)	NE 27-10
4th	9:49	NE	Gostkowski 19 FG	NE 30-10
4th	4:21	SD	Chambers 18 pass from Rivers (Kaeding kick)	NE 30-17

Team Stats	SD	NE
First Downs	12	21
Total Offense	175	356
Rushes – Yards	27 - 103	30 - 151
Passing (C – A – I)	11 - 19 - 0	24 - 33 - 1
Passing Yards	72	205
Times Sacked	2	3
Third Down Conversions	6 - 12	8 - 15
Turnovers	3	2
Penalties – Yards	9 - 74	12 - 73
Time of Possession	24:41	35:19

SAN DIEGO
Philip Rivers, QB	11 - 19 - 85 yds, 1 TD
LaDainian Tomlinson, RB	26 att. - 103 yds, TD
Chris Chambers, WR	4 rec. - 31 yds, TD
Vincent Jackson, WR	3 rec. - 10 yds
Stephen Cooper, MLB	7 tkls, 1 sack
Shawne Merriman, OLB	7 tkls, 1 sack
Luis Castillo, DE	6 tkls
Marlon McCree, FS	5 tkls, INT

NEW ENGLAND
Tom Brady, QB	24 - 33 - 220 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Laurence Maroney, RB	24 att. - 137 yds, 2 TD
Benjamin Watson, TE	10 rec. - 98 yds
Wes Welker, WR	4 rec. - 34 yds
Randy Moss, WR	4 rec. - 25 yds
Donte' Stallworth, WR	3 rec. - 49 yds, TD
Junior Seau, MLB	6 tkls, 1 sack
Adalius Thomas, OLB	6 tkls
Vince Wilfork, DT	5 tkls
Eugene Wilson, FS	3 tkls, FF

[kblu54]

Jacksonville 24, Atlanta 7

QB David Garrad's 2 TD passes and a tough defensive gameplan lead the Jaguars over the Falcons.

JAX:	David Garrad, QB	23 - 35 - 182 yds, 2 TD
ATL:	Byron Leftwich, QB	17 - 27 - 173 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT

Pittsburgh 38, Buffalo 18

RB Willie Parker runs wild as the Steelers crush Buffalo.

JAX:	Willie Parker, RB	37 att. - 154 yds, 3 TD
BUF:	Trent Edwards, QB	21 - 37 - 182 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT

Cincinnati 29, Cleveland 17

Even without injured Carson Palmer, the Bengals dominate the Browns.

CIN:	Chad Ochocinco, WR	6 rec. - 83 yds, TD
CLE:	Brady Quinn, QB	15 - 23 - 174 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT

Green Bay 20, New York Giants 17

QB Brett Favre's 2 TD passes help build a lead and the Packer defense holds off the Giants' late comeback enough to win.

GB:	Greg Jennings, WR	9 rec. - 101 yds, TD
NYG:	Brandon Jacobs, RB	27 att. - 97 yds, TD

Carolina 32, Houston 19

RB DeShaun Foster helps the Panthers overcome QB Jake Delhomme's 3 interceptions to beat the Texans.

CAR:	DeShaun Foster, RB	28 att. - 165 yds, TD
HOU:	Kevin Walter, WR	8 rec. - 79 yds, TD

Indianapolis 30, Tennessee 10

The Titans battles tough early, forcing a 10-10 deadlock, but QB Peyton Manning's TD passes put the game out of reach.

IND:	Peyton Manning, QB	26 - 37 - 248 yds, 3 TD
TEN:	Offense	Only 159 total yards

New Orleans 31, Tampa Bay 24

QB Drew Brees and RB Reggie Bush do enough damage to beat the Bucs on the road.

NO:	Drew Brees, QB	28 - 39 - 304 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
TB:	Jeff Garcia, QB	22 - 30 - 214 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT

St. Louis 21, San Francisco 10

The 49ers lead 10-7 at the half, but QB Trent Dilfer's interceptions help the Rams win, despite losing QB Marc Bulger to a major injury.

STL:	Marc Bulger, QB	13 - 23 - 177 yds, 2 TD (left game with injury)
SF:	Frank Gore, RB	165 total yds (82 rush), rec TD

Miami 34, Dallas 24

QB Trent Green (2 TD passes) and RB Ronnie Brown help the Dolphins improve to 2-0.

MIA:	Ronnie Brown, RB	29 att. - 129 yds, 2 TD
DAL:	Tony Romo, QB	16 - 32 - 248 yds, 2 TD

Minnesota 23, Detroit 14

Ryan Longwell's 5 field goals and QB Kelly Holcomb's TD pass enough for the Vikings to roll over Detroit.

MIN:	Ryan Longwell, K	5/6 FG
DET:	Mike Furrey, WR	4 rec. - 38 yds, 2 TD

Arizona 31, Seattle 28 (OT)

Seattle rallies to tie behind backup QB Seneca Wallace, but the Cardinals squeak out the OT win.

ARZ:	Kurt Warner, QB	28 - 46 - 361 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
SEA:	Matt Hasselbeck/Seneca Wallace, QB	182 pass yds, 3 TD, 3 INT combined

Chicago 31, Kansas City 10

The Bears' defense shuts down and almost outscores the Chiefs' offense in a rout.

CHI:	Adrian Peterson, RB	35 att. - 132 yds, 2 TD
KC:	Dwayne Bowe, WR	5 rec. - 71 yds, TD

New York Jets 34, Baltimore 13

The Jets ride a strong pass game and a solid defensive effort to an easy victory over the Ravens.

NYJ:	Chad Pennington, QB	19 - 34 - 264 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
BAL:	Derrick Mason, WR	5 rec. - 58 yds, TD

Denver 20, Oakland 16

RB Travis Henry's game-winning 42-yard TD run with just over 6 minutes left lifts the Broncos to their 1st win.

DEN:	Travis Henry, RB	31 att. - 175 yds, GW TD
OAK:	Josh McCown, QB	14 - 26 - 109 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT

Philadelphia 28, Washington 10

The Eagles post a 21-point 2nd quarter to boost themselves to an easy Monday Night Football win.

PHI:	Brian Westbrook, RB	26 att. - 105 yds, 3 TD (1 rec)
WAS:	Clinton Portis, RB	35 att. - 176 yds

Week 2 Notable Injuries

Player	Team	Injury	Length
Yamon Figurs, WR	Baltimore	Knee cartilage tear	Out 4 weeks
Angelo Crowell, MLB	Buffalo	Broken vertebrae	Out for season
Brian Waters, OG	Kansas City	Dislocated elbow	Out 6 weeks
Casey Wiegmann, C	Kansas City	Mild concussion	Out 2 weeks
Adrian Peterson, RB	Minnesota	Bruised shoulder	Out 1 week
Marc Bulger, QB	St. Louis	Severe concussion	Out for season
Rob Sims, OG	Seattle	Fractured patella	Out for season
Shawn Springs, CB	Washington	Strained back	Out 2 weeks

[kblu54]

AFC Standings (after Week 2)

EAST
Place	Team	Overall
t-1	New England	2-0
t-1	Miami	2-0
t-3	Buffalo	1-1
t-3	New York Jets	1-1
NORTH
Place	Team	Overall
1	Cincinnati	2-0
t-2	Cleveland	1-1
t-2	Pittsburgh	1-1
4	Baltimore	0-2
SOUTH
Place	Team	Overall
t-1	Jacksonville	2-0
t-1	Indianapolis	2-0
t-3	Tennessee	0-2
t-3	Houston	0-2
WEST
Place	Team	Overall
t-1	Denver	1-1
t-1	Kansas City	1-1
t-1	San Diego	1-1
t-1	Oakland	1-1

AFC Players of the Week

Offense:
Willie Parker, RB - Pittsburgh
37 att. - 154 yds, 3 TD; 1 rec. - 20 yds

Defense:
Clark Haggans, OLB - Pittsburgh
5 tkls, INT, TD

[kblu54]

NFC Standings (after Week 2)

EAST
Place	Team	Overall
t-1	New York Giants	1-1
t-1	Philadelphia	1-1
t-3	Washington	0-2
t-3	Dallas	0-2
NORTH
Place	Team	Overall
1	Green Bay	2-0
t-2	Minnesota	1-1
t-2	Chicago	1-1
4	Detroit	0-2
SOUTH
Place	Team	Overall
t-1	New Orleans	1-1
t-1	Atlanta	1-1
t-1	Carolina	1-1
4	Tampa Bay	0-2
WEST
Place	Team	Overall
1	St. Louis	2-0
t-2	Seattle	1-1
t-2	San Francisco	1-1
t-2	Arizona	1-1

NFC Players of the Week

Offense:
Brian Westbrook, RB - Philadelphia
26 att. - 105 yds, 2 TD; 1 rec. - 4 yds, TD

Defense:
Lance Briggs, OLB - Chicago
6 tkls, 2 sacks, FR, TD

[kblu54]

1) Life without Bulger

The St. Louis Rams earned a solid 21-10 win over rival San Francisco last week, improving to 2-0 and standing alone atop the NFC West, but they lost a big piece of the puzzle in the process. Starting QB Marc Bulger went down late in the 3rd quarter following a hit and did not return. It was reported the next day that Bulger had suffered a severe concussion and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. The loss of Bulger immediately puts a damper on their playoff chances, but they have a chance to improve to 3-0 this week against the winless Buccanneers. Veteran backup Gus Frerotte will start.

2) Packers face 3rd tough test, looking to go 3-0

One of the surprising starts this season has to be the Green Bay Packers, currently 2-0 after shellacking 2 NFC East powers. They easily handled the Eagles 26-10 in Week 1 and held on for a 20-17 win over the Giants last week. Green Bay's tough road continues in Week 3, as they welcome the feisty San Diego Chargers to Lambeau Field. If the Packers can find a way to defend their home turf, it could mean trouble for the rest of the NFC.

3) Injuries hurting

Bulger's injury hasn't been the only important one to occur so far this season. The Bills lost their best defensive player (MLB Angelo Crowell) last week for the year, the Cardinals lost the anchor of their new 3-4 defense (DT Darnell Dockett) in Week 1 and Cleveland is still trying to find an offensive balance with RB Jamal Lewis gone for the year. Not only that, but the 2-0 Bengals travel to Seattle for the Game of the Week but are still without QB Carson Palmer. These teams could be in serious trouble if they can't recover.

4) Veteran QBs tearing it up

Teams are always looking for that next young signal-caller, but several teams can take solace knowing their older vets can still do the job. Kurt Warner leads the NFL in pass yards, Brett Favre has the Packers on a roll and Trent Dilfer threw 4 TD passes in Week 1. If these vets can continue their strong play, they might provide their teams that much-needed boost to a potential playoff run.

5) Breaking that winless streak

While many teams are looking to get wins #3 or #2, several teams are still searching for win #1. The Redskins, Cowboys, Titans, Bucs, Lions, Texans and Ravens want to shake off their 0-2 start with victories this week, but not many of their matchups look favorable. But still, any given sunday could produce a surprise or two.