Just for giggles, let's take a look at part of what I expected to see in the Bengals-Browns Week 2 matchup:
... This is going to be a whitewashing for the Bengals. Derek Anderson is winless in his three career starts and faces a surprisingly good defense in the Bengals. If you need a DST this week, the Bengals are it. Jamal Lewis might be the Browns' only usable Fantasy starter. For the Bengals, the only options you shouldn't start are backups Kenny Watson and Tab Perry, even though one or both of them could post as many as 50 total yards.
So at least we were half right. As expected, the Bengals' stars delivered great stats -- including six touchdown passes for Carson Palmer!
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Jamal Lewis racked up 216 yards on the ground and a TD.
(US Presswire)
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But the Browns stole the show. After being down 7-0 early, Cleveland chiseled their way back into the lead in the second quarter with a
Joe Jurevicius touchdown. From there, the game was like a heavyweight fight (or a battle between Batman and The Joker, depending on your frame of reference for the following noises).
T.J. Houshmandzadeh with a 23-yard touchdown. Bam!
Joe Jurevicius with a nine-yard grab and his second TD of the game. Whack!
Chad Johnson with a 22-yard haul in the end zone. Ka-pow!
Kellen Winslow hauls in a 25-yard pass. Slam!
Shayne Graham with a field goal. OK, that's more like a slap.
But then Braylon Edwards reeled in a 34-yard pass. Thwap!
Ocho Cinco then scored on a 14-yard touchdown and did his leap into the beer-tossing Dawg Pound. Splash!
Lewis answered that with an improbable 66-yard touchdown scamper. Wha?!
Lewis' long run was answered by Houshmandzadeh's second score of the game, a five-yard catch. Oof!
Then Braylon Edwards had a 37-yard touchdown. Oweeee! (Can you tell I'm running out of noises?)
Phil Dawson added a field goal to pad the Browns' lead. Crickets.
A Glenn Holt 7-yard score was the last swing the Bengals connected on, but it was Leigh Bodden's interception with 21 seconds left that was the KO.
Ultimately, neither defense showed up in the game (can you tell by the 96 total points or 1,085 total yards?). I think we got a look at the real Cincinnati defense in this one, especially considering Jamal Lewis' 216 yards rushing. And the Browns defense continued to be about as threatening as a puppy.
But the question I'm going to be asked the most this week: Is Derek Anderson worth a pick up in Fantasy play? Well, he's only played in six NFL games, and his five touchdowns on Sunday is one shy of his career total coming into Week 2. And before Sunday, he had topped 250 yards once and 200 yards twice. And he has 10 interceptions over his career. So while his 328-yard, five-touchdown game against the Bengals is impressive, he's probably not going to save your Fantasy team if you've been banking on Drew Brees or Matt Hasselbeck.
As for Palmer ... he has eight touchdowns in two games. He has as many as TD machines Peyton Manning and Jon Kitna -- combined. He's your early leader for Fantasy MVP.
First down
Already, the 2007 season has spawned some surprise teams.
The 49ers, Steelers, Lions, Broncos, Packers and -- get this -- the Texans are all 2-0. Not one of these clubs made the playoffs last season. Other teams that qualified for the playoffs, like Indianapolis, are also 2-0.
So, who are the Fantasy studs leading the way?
As you may imagine, the Steelers are still led by Willie Parker, although Ben Roethlisberger's five TDs in two games is a big surprise. The Broncos have received two big games from Travis Henry but aren't dominating defensively as we first thought they would.
But what about Houston? After running over a has-been Chiefs team, they marched into Carolina, spotted the Panthers a 14-point lead and then whipped them thanks to forcing some turnovers and halting the Panthers' running game. Through two games, the Chiefs and Panthers -- both run-oriented teams -- have totaled 138 rush yards against the Texans' front seven. So there's a Fantasy sleeper to consider, the Texans DST. And if they're stopping the run, then it's Ahman Green getting the time to run the ball. He's a solid No. 3 Fantasy RB, at least. Oh, and there's that Andre Johnson fellow (14 catches for 262 yards and three TDs so far).
The Niners' defense is their story too, although they're sort of like Denver in that they've clawed to stay in games and then pulled out wins in the end. They're proof that a solid defense and an excellent ground attack (thank you Frank Gore) are two huge keys to victory. The Lions beat up on the Raiders last week and survived the Vikings in Week 2. I don't know if they can keep winning, but they've got the offense that's making Fantasy owners salivate. Just you wait -- if Kevin Jones comes back as strong as the club is expecting, they're going to be the second-best offense in the NFC. But Green Bay is seemingly doing it with smoke and mirrors. No Packers RB has gone over 50 yards rushing in a game this season, and the team is otherwise capitalizing on turnovers and sustaining long drives for touchdowns.
Interestingly enough, all of these teams have tests in Week 3: The Broncos host the Jekyll-and-Hyde Jaguars, the Packers host the Chargers, the Lions play at the Eagles, the Niners and Steelers play each other in Pittsburgh and the Texans host the 2-0 Super Bowl champion Colts.
Second down
So who's the biggest surprise at 0-2? How about the Saints, who were smashed again, but this time by the Buccaneers.
What is going on with New Orleans? Let's start on defense, where for the second week in a row they were torched through the air, although this time it was by Jeff Garcia, not Peyton Manning. Joey Galloway had some big catches and even Ike Hilliard had a 41-yard catch. That Saints secondary is getting beat like a scout team.
When that happens, it leaves the offense one-dimensional, and it doesn't help that your offense turns the ball over (two this week, five on the season -- and four of them belong to Brees). The most telling stat of all: Deuce McAllister has 10 carries in each of his first two games. He averaged 16 per game last regular season. Perhaps they need to get back to him.
Next week, the Saints get a visit at home from the Titans, then have a bye, the Panthers at home and a road game against Seattle. Before the season, these were three games we expected them to win. Now, there's no telling what will happen. Fantasy owners should remain patient with their stars and hope that Sean Payton can get this offense back on the right track.
Third down
We warned you about Larry Johnson. We told you on TV, we told you on our web site. Now, if you own him, you know why.
Through two games, LJ has 98 rush yards, 76 receiving yards and zero touchdowns. And on top of that, he didn't finish his Week 2 game.
Now, the bad news ...
Johnson's next three games are vs. Minnesota (great run defense), at San Diego (great run defense) and vs. Jacksonville (prety good run defense). It is conceivable that Johnson won't post a big Fantasy game until Week 6 when the Chiefs host the Bengals. How many Fantasy owners are going to be patient, and how many are going to cut bait on Johnson?
It bears watching in the weeks to come.
Fourth down
If I had to make three waiver pickups based on this week's games, they would be ...
DeShawn Wynn, RB, Green Bay: I'm not a huge fan of Wynn -- he had 12 yards on nine carries before breaking off a 38-yard run -- but it appears that he's going to be a part of the Packers' RB rotation, at least until Vernand Morency comes back. Who knows when that will be. I'd pick him up in all leagues just for depth on the bench.
Roydell Williams, WR, Tennessee: Starting to develop as a playmaker for a team that desperately needs one at receiver. He scored in the game, but it's his Cris Carter-like sideline lean-in catch that really caught my eye. If you have an underachieving receiver on your bench, replace him with Williams.
Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City: A muscular, athletic talent that will eventually give the Chiefs a go-to threat over the middle and down the sideline. He would have had two scores at Chicago if not for a penalty on one of them. Give him a little more time and only pick him up if you have the roster space right now, or if you're in a keeper league.
Do you have a question or comment for Dave? Send your thoughts to DMFantasyFootball@cbs.com and we'll post the best responses. Be sure to put Attn: Four Downs in the subject field. Include your full name, hometown and state.
