With the Patriots, Steelers, Chargers and other preseason favorites falling from grace in Week 2 of the NFL season, the list of probable postseason award winners was thrown for a serious loop. So don’t be surprised to see the Bengals, 49ers and Texans represented this time around.
With all of this upheaval and parity taken into consideration, here are my predictions after Week 2 for the Super Bowl champions, the NFL Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. I'll update my picks each week as the season goes on. I'd love to get your picks as well in the comments section below.
Now let the games begin.
Super Bowl Champs
1. New York Giants
The 2008 Super Bowl champs aren’t spectacular, but they seem to do everything well. Their offense is excellent: Eli Manning has proven to be a solid and savvy leader, Brandon Jacobs is a dangerous, bruising back and young receivers Mario Manningham and Steve Smith are quickly making people forget Plaxico Burress. Their defense would be hurt by an extended absence from Justin Tuck, but they are full of playmakers capable of stepping in.
2. Baltimore Ravens
The success of the Ravens offense has come out of nowhere in many ways. Second-year quarterback Joe Flacco has taken it to a new level this season and the combination of Ray Rice and Willis McGahee has been deadly on the ground. The defense has suffered with the loss of former coordinator Rex Ryan, but the line is strong and the linebacking corps is among the league’s best, with Ray Lewis still making plays like the one to end the game Sunday against the Chargers.
3. New York Jets
The Jets defense is the league’s best right now, holding opponents to 8.0 points a game and a league-low 241 yards of offense per game. In two weeks, they’ve absolutely shut down two of the league’s more dynamic offenses in Houston and New England. Rookie QB Mark Sanchez has done everything asked of him and has found willing targets in Jerricho Cotchery, Chansi Stuckey and Dustin Keller. The rushing duo of Thomas Jones and Leon Washington has been solid, but if they become a bit more consistent, watch out.
4. Minnesota Vikings
It may be Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson who continue to get the headlines. But it’s the Vikings defense — and their weak early schedule — that have them at 2-0. Linebackers E.J. Henderson and NFC Defensive Player of the Week Chad Greenway have been huge and the defensive backfield — led by veteran corner Antoine Winfield — has been among the league’s best.
5. New Orleans Saints
Say what you want about the Saints’ 21st-ranked defense, but their offense has been without peer thus far in 2009. They’ve averaged 46.5 points a game and Drew Brees has been the league’s most prolific passer, throwing for 669 yards and a league-best nine touchdowns (four more than his two closest competitors) in just two games. Running back Mike Bell has 229 yards, too — fourth in the NFL — but he could miss Sunday’s tilt against the Bills after not practicing Wednesday due to a knee injury.
Most Valuable Player
1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
You saw the stats. If he keeps up this pace and the Saints make the playoffs, a real possibility in the wide-open NFC, he’ll be a serious candidate again.
2. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
He’s the NFL’s leading rusher, having scampered for 272 yards and four scores in two games. Similar to the case with Brees, if the Vikings continue to rule the NFC Norris, he’ll be a legit MVP contender.
3. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
Despite his focus on efficiency over flashiness, he already has two 300-yard games to his credit in 2009, leading the new-look Colts to 2-0 after Monday night’s comeback victory over the Dolphins. A few more wins — and some more big-stat games — in the overrated AFC South could help his case.
4. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
Has thrown for 497 yards and five touchdowns in helping the Ravens to two high-scoring triumphs over the Chiefs and Chargers. The balance with the running game only opens things up more for this quickly maturing second-year signal-caller.
5. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers
The Niners are the one of the league’s biggest surprises thus far, and Gore is a big reason why. After a terrible Week 1 (22 carries, 30 yards), he ran 16 times on Sunday against the Seahawks for 207 yards and two scores. He’s also been an option for QB Shaun Hill in the passing game, catching eight passes for 57 yards in San Fran’s two victories.
Defensive Player of the Year
1. Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers
The man in the middle for this much improved defense has 19 tackles, a pass defended and an interception through two weeks. The third-year linebacker from Mississippi has helped the 2-0 Niners hold their opponents to just 13 points a game, the fourth best mark in the league, and just 53 rushing yards a contest, the third fewest in the NFL.
2. Darrelle Revis, New York Jets
Even after being held to four catches and 24 yards, Randy Moss is convinced there’s no such thing anymore as a shut-down corner? Well, if there isn’t, Revis is as close to one as there is. He also blanketed Andre Johnson of the Texans in Week 1, limiting him to just four receptions for 35 yards.
3. Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens
He’s not just one of the league’s all-time great linebackers. In his 14th year in the NFL, he’s having another amazing season at age 34, having made 18 tackles already, including arguably the defensive play of the year so far, shooting the gap and halting the Chargers’ Darren Sproles for a five-yard loss to cement Sunday’s win.
4. Antwan Odom, Cincinnati Bengals
“Who?” you’re asking. The sixth-year defensive end out of Alabama who has seven sacks, 10 tackles and an AFC Defensive Player of the Week award to his name through two weeks, that’s who.
5. Thomas Davis, Carolina Panthers
The NFL’s leading tackler with 28 has been one of the few bright spots for the 0-2 Panthers.
Rookie of the Year
1. Mark Sanchez, New York Jets
For the second straight week, the Jets got solid stats (14-22, 163 yards and a score) and a ton of poise out of Sanchez in Sunday’s victory over the Patriots. Lots are saying he’s a superstar in the making.
2. James Laurinaitis, St. Louis Rams
The linebacker out of Ohio State followed up his 14-tackle Week 1 performance with eight more stops in Week 2 as the Rams held the Redskins to just nine points. Unfortunately for the Rams, they scored only seven.
3. Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota’s rookie playmaker made five more receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown, adding 14 yards on the ground in the Vikings' win over the Lions.
4. Johnny Knox, Chicago Bears
After 82 yards in Week 1, the 6-foot wideout from Abilene Christian had six catches for 70 yards and his first NFL touchdown in Chicago’s Week 2 upset of the Steelers.
5. Brian Cushing, Houston Texans
Cushing had a team-high 10 tackles, including two for a loss, and a pass defended in the Texans' surprising 34-31 triumph over the Titans.
