Before I get to the Gameplan, I will address the most recent NFL scandal.
Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson was indicted Friday on charges of child abuse. The linked story describes how Peterson whipped his four-year-old son with a switch over the summer, leaving visible injuries that were reported by a doctor during a scheduled appointment. Peterson, who lost another son in October 2013 due to child abuse, will not play this weekend in Minnesota’s home opener.
My first reaction was that of confusion because of what happened with Peterson’s child last year. Peterson had just met that son two months before the man the child’s mother was dating killed him. That news broke during a taping of The Water Cooler, and everyone on the set felt for Peterson that day. The following week, I was losing my trigger over a column by Phil Mushnick of the New York Post entitled, “Being a Great Player Doesn’t Make Peterson a Great Guy.” I hated the fact that Mushnick felt it was relevant then to come at Peterson’s character in wake of a personal tragedy. I felt it was insensitive and sensational.
That piece by Mushnick still is those things, a year later. But the perspective has changed, and the thesis he presented is valid, though his presentation was abhorrent and tasteless. We build the character of high profile individuals up, often in an attempt to humanize them. Sometimes we dismiss the transgressions of their character, and we look for ways to associate ourselves with these public figures. We raise them up as role models, almost giving credence to the idea that those of exclusive and elusive talents have a proportionally high standard of morality.
With the image of major sports leagues resembling something of a tire fire recently, we are more sensitive to the failings of these high profile figures. The unfortunate part of the reaction is that people feel that they have been betrayed. Disappointment in Peterson’s standing as a role model is understandable, but not to the point where he was incapable of failure. What is unacceptable are the individuals who are more concerned about their fantasy team than the gravity of this situation (which is a separate commentary, as fantasy football tends to be a soulless exercise in itself for those who take it too far).
The situation, Peterson whipping the child, led to my other reaction: this charge did not shock me. Sure, the details of this specific case are uncomfortable. But if I were in NFL locker rooms this weekend, I would ask if players grew up in a household that incorporated belts or switches as a means of discipline. Just like the Ray Rice case opened up thoughts on domestic violence, this case will open up thoughts on not just child abuse, but how to raise and discipline a child. This incident is disturbing. Shocking? I can’t say that I am. Neither do many who looked back at their upbringing and didn’t get timeouts – and took pride in the fact that they were a DHS call away from having a parent in custody.
Once again, this is bigger than the NFL and football, though the spotlight of the subject will make this out to be an issue isolated to professional sports. This will be a topic that relates to mandated reporting, the issues of traditional discipline, and the fact that child abuse affects more people than we think. Keep in mind: based on alleged quotes like “I know how being spanked has helped me in my life” and “I remember how it feels to get whooped with an extension cord. I’d never do that,” Peterson himself may also have been a victim of child abuse.
2014 #NFL Week 2 picks (10-6 in Week 1, +4 in 2014): BAL, BUF, CAR, CIN, NO, MIN, NYG, TEN, JAX, SEA, TB, DEN, GB, OAK, SF, IND
— Law Murray (@1maddskillz) September 11, 2014
Pittsburgh at Baltimore (Ravens 26, Steelers 6): Before the game, I felt like Baltimore’s special teams unit was going to have to play a major role in a victory. Baltimore K Justin Tucker made all four field goals, but none were from more than 30 yards out. Instead, Baltimore and their offensive line played a role in the offense allowing zero sacks, having no turnovers, and rushing 36 times for 157 yards. It was the first time in 40 meetings (playoffs included) that the Ravens rushed for at least 150 yards without a turnover or allowing a sack against the Steelers.
Miami at Buffalo: Both teams are coming off of impressive Week 1 performances from their run games, so I expect this to be a throwback kind of game. The Bills actually swept Miami last year, shutting them out 19-0 in their last meeting in December. Buffalo racked up a whopping 81 rushing attempts in two games versus the Dolphins last season, gaining 293 yards and two TDs. Miami wasn’t tested by a foolish Patriots offense – Buffalo will work Miami’s reserve linebackers out in the running game. Miami will also have to prove they can protect QB Ryan Tannehill: the Bills sacked Tannehill nine times and intercepted him four times in two meetings last season.
Detroit at Carolina: The last time Carolina QB Cam Newton faced the Lions and “Donkey Kong Suh”, this happened: 
That hit by Lions DT Ndamukong Suh led to one of Newton’s four INTs in a 2011 49-35 Lions win in Detroit. Detroit QB Matthew Stafford lit up Carolina’s secondary for five TD passes that day, while the Lions racked up 495 yards of offense. Carolina’s front seven is a little better now with 2012 first-round pick LB Luke Kuechly and 2013 DT Star Lotulelei bolstering a unit that is much harder to contain, though Carolina will be stressed by WR Calvin Johnson. Newton missed the previous week with injury, so the key to this game will be his ability to balance playmaking on the ground with efficiency passing against an average Detroit secondary.
Atlanta at Cincinnati: The last time these teams met was in 2010, and Atlanta WR Roddy White destroyed Cincinnati’s secondary at the Georgia Dome for 201 receiving yards, two TDs, and a two-point conversion in a 39-32 Falcons win. Now, Atlanta QB Matt Ryan has White and WR Julio Jones fully loaded, and he’s coming off a 448-yard performance against New Orleans in Week 1. The concern for Atlanta will be protecting Ryan, as 2014 1st-round OT Jake Matthews will not play against a hustling Cincinnati defensive line. Atlanta has lost six of their last seven outdoor games, and they will need to be ready to defend the run. The Bengals will also look for ways to get WR A.J. Green the ball downfield against Atlanta’s talented young cornerbacks.
New Orleans at Cleveland: The Browns defeated the Saints in New Orleans 30-17 when they last played in 2010. Cleveland has fired three head coaches and two general managers since then. Current New Orleans defensive coordinator Rob Ryan held that position in Cleveland in 2010. Both teams’ defenses failed in Week One on the road, and New Orleans will need to run the ball effectively if they want to curb their 1-5 stretch in road games. New Orleans gave up a ton of passing yards in Atlanta, but Cleveland doesn’t have nearly the same firepower with QB Brian Hoyer throwing to WRs Andrew Hawkins, Travis Benjamin and Miles Austin.
New England at Minnesota: When these teams met in 2010, it was Randy Moss’ final game as a Viking and the last days of head coach Brad Childress as New England won at home 28-18 behind 112 rushing yards and 2 TDs from RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The Vikings had the most impressive win of Week One, going into Saint Louis and beating the Rams by 28 points, and new head coach Mike Zimmer was Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator last season when the Bengals held New England QB Tom Brady without a TD pass in 38 attempts. The Vikings have at least one player with a huge chip on their shoulder, WR Cordarrelle Patterson, a versatile offensive threat who the Patriots could have selected in the 2013 NFL Draft (they traded their first-round pick to Minnesota, allowing the Vikings to select Patterson). The key to this game for Minnesota will be taking advantage of New England’s pass protection issues. New England must balance their offense better than they did in Miami – the Patriots passed nearly three times more than they ran despite going into halftime with a lead.
Arizona at New York Giants: These former division rivals haven’t played each other since early in the 2011 season, a 31-27 Giants comeback win in Arizona. The Cardinals have logistical challenges in this one, as they are coming off a short week and will travel for an early East coast start time. New York also played on Monday night, and they were horrible, making Matthew Stafford’s transition to a new offense look easy. Arizona will blitz relentlessly with the Giants having offensive line issues, so QB Eli Manning has to show that he can be effective targeting the middle of the field. The Giants should be better prepared to deal with Arizona WRs Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald, but they won’t win this game unless they get pressure on QB Carson Palmer (18 TDs, 9 INTs last ten games).
Dallas at Tennessee: In 2010, Dallas QB Tony Romo threw for more than 400 passing yards and three TDs, but he was also intercepted three times in a 34-27 loss to Tennessee. Romo also threw three INTs in a 28-17 home loss to the 49ers in Week One. To complete the trifecta, the Titans went into Arrowhead Stadium with a new 3-4 defense and intercepted Kansas City QB Alex Smith three times in a 26-10 win last week. Romo and the Dallas offense should be better, with RB DeMarco Murray continuing to be a focal point of the offense. But I was also impressed by QB Jake Locker’s performance on the road in a new offense, and he’ll have it easier against a Dallas defense that has fewer impact players.
Jacksonville at Washington: Since Washington’s 20-17 overtime win in Jacksonville in December 2010, Washington fired Mike Shanahan and Jacksonville cycled through Jack Del Rio, Mel Tucker, and Mike Mularkey. Both teams looked terrible in the second half of their Week One road games, getting outscored by a combined score of 37-0. Granted, 34 of those points were allowed by the Jaguars, who still have a work-in-progress defense and a vulnerable secondary just waiting to be exploited by Washington’s deep threats. Washington is on a nine-game losing streak, and they don’t look like they can handle a pass rush right now. The last time Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley was in Washington was as Seattle’s defensive coordinator in the 2011 postseason victory where Washington QB Robert Griffin III tore his ACL.
Seattle at San Diego: San Diego QB Philip Rivers threw for a career-high 455 passing yards in Seattle in 2010, but two INTs by Seattle FS Earl Thomas and two kickoff return TDs by Leon Washington allowed the Seahawks to win 27-20. That was the first year of Seattle’s rebuild under head coach Pete Carroll; now they’re defending Super Bowl champions sporting the toughest secondary in the NFL. San Diego will start Rich Ohrnberger at center, and they struggled against Arizona’s blitzes up the A-gaps. Now, the Chargers are on a short week, while Seattle played on a Thursday. Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch should be well rested in what should be another heavy workload for him.
Saint Louis at Tampa Bay: In December, Saint Louis racked up seven sacks and held the Buccaneers to 170 yards of offense. Tampa Bay’s offensive line didn’t look much better against Carolina, and despite the absence of DE Chris Long, the Rams still have multiple pass rushers to challenge Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers should give WRs Vincent Jackson and rookie Mike Evans (both 6’5″/230) a chance to make plays against smallish St. Louis CBs Janoris Jenkins and rookie E.J. Gaines (both 5’10″/190). St. Louis failed to score a TD at home against Minnesota, and their lack of execution on that side of the ball is a problem against a team coached by Lovie Smith.
Kansas City at Denver: The Broncos swept the Chiefs last year despite catching the Chiefs on a relative high note. Kansas City is 2-7 in their last nine games, head coach Andy Reid is already apologizing for mismanaging games, the offensive line looks a mess, and the front seven lost key players in ILB Derrick Johnson and DE Mike DeVito. The problem with trying to get RB Jamaal Charles a lot of touches in this game will be the fact that Kansas City had no answer for Peyton Manning last season (726 passing yards, six TD passes in two games). The Chiefs will need to make the most of Denver turnovers, but there are too many holes in Kansas City’s pass defense for Manning to potentially exploit.
New York Jets at Green Bay: The Packers went to the Meadowlands in 2010, back when they had a good defense, and shut the Jets out 9-0. Green Bay’s defense has struggled since Super Bowl 45, particularly against the run. The Jets want to run as much as possible, and they will challenge the Packers physically with RB Chris Ivory and RB Chris Johnson. But the biggest mismatch should be through the eyes of QB Aaron Rodgers, as New York’s thin secondary is vulnerable to breakdowns in coverage. New York may force Green Bay to be one-dimensional, as their run defense is outstanding. Rodgers will be looking to bounce back after a tough matchup in Seattle; coming home after a long week off is a major atmosphere shift in his favor.
Houston at Oakland: Derek Carr’s revenge? Oakland’s rookie QB has already taken the job of former Houston starter (and current Oakland backup) Matt Schaub, who replaced Carr’s brother David in Houston in 2007. The Raiders went into Houston last season and beat the Texans in QB Matt McGloin’s first career start. The Texans weren’t challenged at all down the field against Washington in Week One, and the training wheels seemed to be on Carr last week as well. Oakland failed to run well last week, so they will need to let Carr work in his first home start, especially if Houston’s skill players overwhelm Oakland’s defense.
Chicago at San Francisco: The 49ers are set to open the new Levi’s (R) Stadium on Sunday Night Football, which brings up an interesting note: the last time the road team has won in this series was the 1988 NFC Championship, where the 49ers went to Chicago and beat the Bears 28-3. The last time the Bears won in San Francisco was 1985. The last meeting, in 2012, was also prime time, a 32-7 San Francisco win in QB Colin Kaepernick’s first career start. Kaepernick has held the job ever since, and the run game will continue to be paramount against a Chicago defense that was embarrassed at home vs. Buffalo in Week One. Also not helping Chicago is the health of QB Jay Cutler’s dominant WRs Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey.
Philadelphia at Indianapolis: This game, Indianapolis’ first home game on Monday night in four seasons, may be a shootout. The quarterbacks and coaches were different in 2010, as the Colts (Peyton Manning, Jim Caldwell) lost 26-24 in Philadelphia to an Eagles team led by QB Michael Vick and head coach Andy Reid after Manning threw his second INT to CB Asante Samuel late in the fourth quarter. Expect Philadelphia QB Nick Foles to target TE Zach Ertz relentlessly after Indianapolis allowed three TDs to Denver TE Julius Thomas in one quarter last week. Philadelphia has a tough adjustment to make with two reserve offensive linemen on the road. Indianapolis QB Andrew Luck also has a weak offensive line and a substandard run game, but there are holes in Philadelphia’s secondary to exploit.
-1SKILLZ