This Weeks "Start Them" Fantasy Picks

QB – Aaron Rodgers against Detroit.  The Lions front four have improved but the secondary is a mess. Last week they let the one Vikings receiving threat in Harvin run wide open into the end zone. Look for big numbers from Rodgers.

RB - Rashard Mendenhall against Baltimore. Last week Cleveland showed that you can run against the Ravens.  The Ravens will have to play honest with Batch at QB and won’t be able to stack the box. I expect typical smash mouth Steelers football.

WR - Marques Colston against Carolina. Brees is the ultimate company man and he knows how to spread the wealth. Last week Lance Moore was the go to guy and that made Moore a hot pick up on the wavier wire. If I have learned anything from Brees it is never the same guy two weeks in a row. Colston will get a lot of looks this week from Brees. 

Vick 2.0

It’s funny how quickly the general public can switch sides. Less then a year ago people were saying Vick was done and could never be a starting pro NFL quarterback again. Today they are singing a new tune, not only is Mike Vick the starting QB for the Eagles but he is going to get a huge pay day at the end of the season. Outside of the 30^th birthday night club episode, Vick has followed the golden public relations rule for troubled athletes and stayed out of the press.  He is making the most of his chance to start again and letting his play do the talking. The new Vick 2.0 experience is making plays with his arm more than his feet. Gone are the days of one hoping and over throwing receivers. He is throwing tight spirals with great accuracy and hitting his receivers in stride. Vick is completing 60% of his throws and has thrown 6 touchdowns to no interceptions. The biggest improvement I have seen is his pocket presence. He is going through his progressions and moving the pocket. He is still making plays with his feet when the pocket breaks down, but he has his head down field and still trying to throw before running. This is the maturation that the analysts are taking about. Vick is a completely new QB and teams will be lining up at the end of season if the Eagles allow him to leave.

Chad Ochocinco The People's Champ

People claim football is a man’s sport. I like to think it’s a kid’s sport that men play. Which leads me this weeks “People’s Champ” Chad Ochocinco. If you are not on Twitter and don’t follow Chad I recommend you get on that. Chad makes it all worthwhile. I was never a huge Chad Ochocinco fan as I thought he was very arrogant, cocky and selfish. After locating Chad on Twitter I figured I would follow him and see what he was all about. I was completely wrong with judging Chad and I will be the first to admit it. Chad is really just trying to have fun out there. He works to give the fans what they want and that is entertainment. Yes, Chad has gone a little far like bribing the ref’s, but the golf putt or the gold jacket was all in good taste. He continues to come up with creative ways to celebrate and never show’s disrespect to the opposing team. This is the Chad we see on the field, what I was most surprised about is Chad off the field. Chad likes to communicate with his fans and tries to give them insight to his life. Over the year that I have followed Chad he has taken fans (hometown and on the road) out to dinner and movies. At one point last year Chad took select fans on a bus tour with him up and down the east coast. You just don’t hear about this type of connect between fans and athletes anymore. Chad has truly helped bridge the gap that had widened over the years. To all the people out there who like to bury Chad, I send you a big “Child Please”.

Oh and 2... Who is in more trouble Dallas or Minnesota?

So here we are in week 2 of the NFL season and two of the superbowl favorites are looking at a 0-2 hole. Let's take a quick look at both teams starting with Minnesota.

Favre looks old...plain and simple. He doesn't appear to be having any fun and is still picking himself up off the turf a lot. Granted he missed all of training camp, but that is his own fault. These excuses about chemistry with the receivers are out the window because he chose to skip camp. Minnesota's defense looks solid despite the fact they are missing two of their top cornerbacks in Chris Cook and Cedric Griffin. If the Vikings choose to make a play for Vincent Jackson he could help stretch the field when he returns from suspension against the Cowboys. The Vikings are really missing the big body that Sidney Rice provided and his jumping ability. Jackson could relief some of that, but Favre needs to step his game up. Last week against the Dolphins the defense played well and Peterson ran for 145 yards. Favre and the current group of wide receivers are the key to the Vike's success moving forward.

Down in big "D" a lot of heat is on the coaching staff. In week 1 I did not agree with the hand off to Choice before the end of the half. That was just text book bad coaching, but that said Choice needs to understand the situation and secure the ball. On paper Dallas is one of the most talented teams in the league and should be considered a superbowl favorite. The team just needs to bring it all together. This past week they were able to get pressure on Cutler early, but that tapered off once the Bears made the proper adjustments. One thing I would like to see in Dallas is more of a role for Felix Jones. He only had 7 carries this past week for 7 yards, but he is a very explosive player should see more touches. I like Tony Romo as a QB but I do not like him passing 50+ times a game. Dallas needs to be more balanced on offense and allow Romo to work his magic when needed.

Both teams need wins this week. The Vikings have Detroit who have been playing better. I expect the Vikings to run, run and run on Detroit. Keep going to the work horse AP. If Favre continues to struggle and the Vikings lose, we could see a full blown meltdown in Minny. Dallas is taking on the new and improved Texans in Houston. The Dallas defense needs to get to pressure on Schaub and force turnovers. It is that simple. If Schaub get's time in the pocket he is going to pick apart the Dallas secondary. I am looking for Ware to have a big game. I believe both teams win this week and stop the panic.