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Sept. 18, 2006 In the NFL, an 0-2 start, particularly for any team with aspirations of getting to the playoffs, can mean “uh-oh” really fast. I don’t have the stats off hand that tell how often a team that starts 0-2 misses the playoffs, but I’ve heard them enough times to know that 0-2 means “uh-oh”. So which teams are in trouble after Week 2? Well, there are the teams that folks expected to struggle. Cleveland, Detroit, Green Bay, Houston, Oakland and Tennessee were not rated really high by any pundits I’m familiar with, for various reasons, so them being 0-2 at this point isn’t of great concern. But it’s the teams that were not supposed to be in this hole that have their fans and the experts scratching their heads. Adding to that burden is the fact that each of the surprise 0-2 teams has dropped at least one game to a divisional foe. That becomes really important later in the season, when playoff spots are up for grabs. In the AFC, Kansas City and Miami have found the sledding tough after the first two games. In their Kickoff Weekend loss at home against Cincinnati, the Chiefs lost their leader, quarterback Trent Green, and they only managed two Lawrence Tynes field goals in a 9-6 overtime loss at Denver in Week 2. And although the Dolphins have played reasonably well, mistakes hampered them in their opening games at Pittsburgh and at home against Buffalo. In the NFC, Carolina, Tampa Bay and Washington are the ones that find themselves holding bagels after the second week. The Panthers were simply outplayed on Kickoff Weekend by an Atlanta team that looks poised to make a move. But their overtime loss at Minnesota, fueled by an ill-advised lateral on a punt return, is lending credence to the dreaded Sports Illustrated jinx. The Buccaneers have only scored three points in their first two games, while allowing 41. Only the Raiders, who have a -49 point differential, are worse at this point in the season. And the Redskins have only mustered one offensive touchdown and four field goals in two games. A 100-yard kickoff return by Rock Cartwright at Dallas in Week 2 was the only real highlight in their loss to their hated foe. Carolina, Kansas City, Miami, Tampa Bay and Washington were picked by many to be playoff contenders. The Dolphins and Panthers have been heavily hyped as Super Bowl contenders, to boot. To keep those hopes alive, all five teams must now find that sense of urgency to pull out a win in their next games. Kansas City has next week off, but they’ll have their sights set on San Francisco, which will be paying a visit in Week 4. Oddly enough, the Houston Texans can make life miserable for both Miami and Washington. The Redskins visit during Week 3, and the Dolphins show up in Week 4. Washington then has to go home for a Week 4 tilt against Jacksonville. The Dolphins, meanwhile, host Tennessee in Week 3 before they head west. But the key matchup happens next week, when the Panthers visit the Buccaneers. The loser goes 0-3 AND 0-2 within the division. Carolina stays in the division in Week 4 when they host New Orleans, while Tampa Bay gets the week off. ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham has written over 100 articles for Useless Knowledge. He has also written the unpublished novels The Writer's Nightmare and Santa's Sleigh Is Missing. He works as a business analyst. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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