Observations and Overreactions from Preseason Week 2

The second week of preseason action is officially in the books, and that means I’m freaking out! So many great plays! So many injuries! So many obvious indicators of a long, successful NFL career! The biggest media fire of the week, Tom Brady’s knee injury, was quelled after he went 11/12 for 107 yards and the first of many touchdowns to Danny Amendola. Speaking of Patriots quarterbacks, Ryan Mallett also impressed against the Buccaneers with a passing line of 12/20 for 137 yards and a score. Belicheck hasn’t said anything yet, but it’s clear Brady is playing for his job during this preseason with Mallett trailing closely behind. Bonus, I just had my first fantasy draft of the season so we’ll also see some fantasy overreactions, which are always fun.

If you drafted any Dolphins player on your fantasy team, get out now! Mark my words, this offense will not work without Dustin Keller. Without Keller going over the middle, there will be no reason for not to double and triple team Mike Wallace. Once the passing game breaks down, the other eight defenders will stack the box, shutting down the running game. Minus Keller’s additional blocking, the o-line will be overwhelmed time and time again; making Ryan Tannehill the league’s most sacked quarterback this season. The Dolphins are headed for a 0-16 season! Be sure to pick up Keller in the first round next year though, we’ve seen how these NFL-types recover from knee injuries.

Jarvis Jones is already Pittsburgh’s best defensive player! Poloma-who? Harri-what? Those names are no longer relevant in the Steel City, my friends, because Jarvis Jones has arrived. The former Georgia linebacker was impressive last week against New York, and he continued that work Monday in Washington. Jones forced this fumble and it was nothing new. His progress since being drafted is nothing short of remarkable and he will clearly have no trouble adjusting to this league. Speaking of awesome rookies, remember when I was raving about Jon Bostic last week? You’re welcome.

Any Broncos fans out there? Well, unless you’ve been around since the Elway days, I won’t blame you for jumping ship. Denver, the AFC champion favorite at the beginning of the preseason, isn’t doing so hot. Injured players include Louis Vasquez, Derek Wolfe (taken off the field in an ambulance), and new receiver Wes Welker. 40 points weren’t enough for the Seahawks; they added injury to insult (+5 for reverse cliché). And that’s not even the worse part! Yesterday it was reported that All-Pro linebacker Von Miller will likely receive a six-game suspension to start the season. As a Patriots fan, all of this makes me laugh (well, not the injuries, but you get the point). As a die-hard Broncos fan, my bro Chris is practically tearing his hair out. I love football.

What did you freak out over this week? Who was your first-round pick for your fantasy team? Need advice? Have advice? Don’t be afraid of that comments section! And as always, feel free to shoot me a line on Twitter (@GSRudy). Til next time!