The 3M Report: Week Two

Brian Bulmer

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Welcome to this week’s edition of the “3M Report” – a weekly look back at the mayhem, magic and mishaps from around the NFL, focusing on situations and players who caught my eye or made me scratch my head in either awe or disbelief. So let’s take a look at week number two of the NFL season.

My week got started off on Thursday night while I watched Peyton Manning throw several ducks, including a pick six early in the first half. Manning is aging faster and faster behind this offensive line. I am starting to believe this could be the beginning of the end. Manning sits 1,800 total passing yards behind only Brett Favre on the NFL’s all-time yards passing list. Could we be watching the last season of one of the greatest quarterbacks of our generation?

The timetable for the return of Dez Bryant continues to become more cloudy. There is speculation it could be longer than the timetable given initially by the Cowboys. If you want to learn more about the Dez Bryant injury situation follow Scott Peak’s weekly injury report.  Seems like a great time to try to buy Dez with the latest news.

Speaking of great quarterbacks of our generation, Tom Brady threw for 466 yards in a winning effort over the Bills. Scary moment as Aaron Williams of the Buffalo defense was spine boarded and loaded into an ambulance. He was later released, but it goes to show the reality of the physicality and brutality of the game of football. It was great to hear Williams was doing well, though.

How long before Jerry Jones gives the Redskins a call about Robert Griffin III? I am guessing the price on Johnny Manziel has risen since his win over former Heisman winner Marcus Mariota earlier today.

With Tony Romo likely out eight-to-ten weeks with a broken collarbone, I can’t wait to see how it directly affects the return of Bryant. The Cowboys have chosen not to use the short-term IR designation on Bryant. Will they use it on Romo? Another reason to try to buy “low” on Dez in dynasty right now.

The athleticism it takes to do an end zone summersault from Cam Newton could only be done with the help of a defender. A bit scary to see a 250 pound franchise quarterback in the air, but he did nearly stick the landing.

Great Scott!! It felt like a trip in the Delorean alongside Marty Mcfly back to 2008 today. Larry Fitzgerald and DeAngelo Williams both with a hat trick on Sunday. DWill and Fitz finished as the RB1 and WR1 for their respective positions in 2008. It was great to see both players get their groove back, even for a day. I just wish I had both of them on my daily fantasy teams.

[inlinead]It was great to see the Cardinals hang on and win against the Bears today. Dennis Green would have said “the Bears are who we thought they were” but they did not let them off the hook today. The Cards simply rolled over Chicago. Jay Cutler left the game with a hamstring injury and the timetable for his return is not known at this time.

Jeremy Hill fumbles twice and Gio Bernard is called on as the primary back and he delivers. The Bengals are loaded with weapons. Marvin Jones gets a score and Tyler Eifert gets into the end zone for the second week in a row. I love the regular season Bengals offense.

It was apparent Marcus Mariota was not as comfortable in the pocket without Delanie Walker as a checkdown option. Mariota was sacked seven times by the Cleveland defense and looked uneasy compared to last week when they faced the Tampa Bay defense.

Drew Brees did not look as comfortable against the Tampa Bay defense today, though. Brees’ struggles continue and the Saints lost . With many of the weapons shipped out of the Big Easy, Brees is still trying to redefine the identity of this team. Until today, the Saints had not lost to the Bucs in their last seven meetings and have not lost to them in New Orleans since 2010. It was an ugly loss for the Saints on Sunday and tough time to be a Brees fantasy owner.

The weekly growth of Teddy Bridgewater is fun to watch. It helps to have Adrian Peterson, but a 50-yard underhand pass shows he has solid improvisation skills. The 32nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft looks like quite a value selection for the Vikings.

Hey Lions, how do you limit a playmaker like Ameer Abdullah to seven touches? Lions’ offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi knows how to use playmakers (see Drew Brees and Darren Sproles in New Orleans). If they could get a similar screen game going, the Lions would score with ease with the weapons they have.

Dynasty football is so fun, especially when you can watch two of the top talents on display and they come through for their teams. Julio Jones and Odell Beckham Jr. had great games for their teams today. Both players are just fearless, physical and win at the catch point so often.

I feel bad for New York Giants fans, they could easily be 2-0 right now.

The Steelers offense executes so well regardless of who is playing. They steamrolled the 49ers today and are playing without Le’Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant – let that sink in for anyone who still has the Steelers on their schedule.

Are the Washington Redskins in prime position to win the NFC East? The Eagles offense is struggling, the Cowboys are a MASH unit and the Giants are giving games away. Matt Jones owners have to be smiling after that performance. Alfred Morris owners, not so much.

To continue the afternoon Jekyll and Hyde games, Jacksonville beats Miami and Oakland knocks off Baltimore. Allen Robinson absolutely dominated for the Jags and Miami couldn’t balance the offense on the ground. Ryan Tannehill lead the team in rushing yards with 17. Eww.

The Raiders have an offense! I have spent much of my fantasy football career avoiding Oakland players because of their inability to score points. The chemistry developing between Amari Cooper and Derek Carr has to be a sigh of relief for Raiders fans. Don’t forget about Michael Crabtree as well.

For a team that spent some serious free agent dollars on running backs, the Eagles are really struggling to put it together on the ground. Sam Bradford led the team in rushing with nine yards on two carries. DeMarco Murray finished with two yards rushing on 13 carries. As the NFL.com twitter account pointed out, “Murray is on pace to finish the season with 88 yards rushing.” Trolling at its finest.

The Green Bay Packers were firing on all cylinders and were able to knock off the Super Bowl runner-up at Lambeau field. Eddie Lacy left the game early with injury as did Davante Adams. Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson are fun to watch in a head-to-head battle – it could be a preview of yet another future NFC playoff game for the budding rivals.

There were several highlights and lowlights from week two. We move forward and hope for more mayhem, magic, and mishaps in week three. That wraps up the second 3M report of the season covering the second weekend of NFL action. Hope your week was filled with maximum production and minimal losses.

Good luck in the coming week!

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