NFL: 10 Things I Learned After Two Weeks

After just one-eighth of the NFL regular season, some trends are beginning to develop.  While some things seem like they never change, there are also some surprises and some disappointments. Here are 10 things that I have learned about this young season.

1. A monkey could pick games straight up better than I could.

There have been 31 games so far, and I have picked 17 of them correctly. I went 9-7 in Week One and 8-7 in Week Two. That's barely above .500. More of this in Friday's picks.

2. Kansas City has the worst offense in the league. 

The Chiefs put up a grand total of eight points on the Oakland Raiders. At home. The Raiders had given up 41 to the Broncos at home the week before.

It's a shame, too. Tony Gonzales deserves better. 

3. Cincinnati and St. Louis aren't far behind.

I don't understand how a team with Carson Palmer, Ocho Cinco, and Housh can score a grand total of 17 points in two games? 

This team was a top-five offense just three years ago. 

As for the Rams, they have just one touchdown in two games. If Steven Jackson doesn't get on track soon, it's going to be a long season.

4. Not only will Tarvaris Jackson hold the Vikings back from reaching the Super Bowl...

But they may not make the playoffs. I know the season is young, but Minnesota's offense is way too one-dimensional. That was evident against Indy when they settled for five field goals and blew a 15-0 lead. There are definitely at least six teams in the NFC better than Minnesota.

5. Like I thought before the season began, the AFC North still belongs to the Steelers.

Pittsburgh is 2-0 and has the Browns' number. Willie Parker looks just as good as he did last season before his injury. Big Ben has thrown only eight incompletions in two games. 

The Browns are the only team in the NFL to start with two home games. They're 0-2.  Now they've got to hope to go 10-4 the rest of the way with eight of 14 games on the road.

6. Mark it down: The Buffalo Bills will win the AFC East and the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. 

Week One against the Seahawks was considered a pick'em. They won 34-10. Most pundits (including me) figured a talented and experienced Jaguar team would bounce back in their home opener against Buffalo. The Bills were down 16-10 when they got the ball with eight minutes remaining. They won 20-16. Trent Edwards has a lot of resiliency.

Trent Edwards has hit on 70 percent of his passes, even though Lynch is averaging only 62.5 yards per game. Those rushing numbers will skyrocket, especially when the weather turns cold.

7. Rookies have really made an impact already.

While DeSean Jackson's boneheaded non-TD celebration will be replayed for a while, McNabb may have found his go-to receiver. Jackson has two 100-yard performances in his first two NFL games.

Matt Forte has over 200 yards rushing in his first two NFL games. The Bears are going to need him if they expect to compete for a playoff game.

Other impact rookies are Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, Eddie Royal, and Chris Johnson among many.

8. The NFC West is the worst division in football.

The team leading the division, the Cardinals, have beaten juggernauts Miami and San Francisco. We don't know much about this team, yet.

San Francisco has allowed 26.5 points and nearly 140 rushing yards per game.

St. Louis is being outscored by over 30 points per game and Jim Haslett's defense is terrible. 

The Seahawks, who have won this division for the past four years, are 0-2. They have been decimated by injuries so much that backup quarterback Seneca Wallace, who was filling in at wide receiver due to injuries, got injured himself in the loss to San Francisco and is expected to miss a month.

9. Vince Young's got a lot of growing up to do. 

When you are a top draft pick and starting quarterback in the NFL, you should know what you signed up for. Quarterbacks get more than their fair share of blame, but they also get more than their fair share of credit. No other position is credited with a win-loss record. 

Message to VY: You are going to get booed. Get over it. Maybe you'd improve if you fix that throwing motion. I know there are some unorthodox styles but that's ridiculous. Who taught you how to throw a football?

I bet his high school and college coaches were too scared to tinker with such an extraordinary talent that they let him throw the ball with his elbow attached to his hip. Disgraceful.

10. Brian Billick is doing a good job in the booth.

I usually don't rave about announcers. I can't stand most of them. I like Jaws and that's about it. Both of Billick's games have been Saints' games, so I have caught them both. He comes across as very knowledgeable and doesn't talk unnecessarily.

While some color announcers talk just to hear the sound of their voice, Billick doesn't ramble. His knowledge adds to the game-viewing experience.