Week 2 Sunday recap

Thoughts from Sunday's games:

49ERS 17, RAMS 16: Is it panic time for the Rams offense? I didn't think the loss of Orlando Pace would be such a big deal, but Marc Bulger was sacked six times. He still managed an OK day (368 yards, 1 TD), but he's capable of much more. Torry Holt got a TD, but Isaac Bruce got the big yards (145). And Steven Jackson had another so-so game (60 yards). I'm not pressing the panic button yet, but they better get that O-line sorted out right quick. On the flip side, Frank Gore hit paydirt twice, just days after losing his mom to kidney disease.

PATRIOTS 38, CHARGERS 14: Sunday night's marquee matchup turned out to be a dud. Randy Moss (105 yards, 2 TDs) is making me eat crow. I still think he'll let you down at some point - but maybe I'm just mad I didn't draft him. Tom Brady (three TDs) is a must-start now in case you hadn't realized. LaDainian Tomlinson (43 yards) was mortal, but don't get discouraged, he just hit two brick walls the first two weeks of the season. Antonio Gates (7 catches, 77 yards, TD) did what he always does. Preseason favorites Vincent Jackson (4 catches, 53 yards) and Donte' Stallworth (2 catches, 19 yards) still haven't broken out, and I'm not surprised. Sammy Morris (10 carries, 51 yards, TD) is making me ill if I'm a Laurence Maroney owner.

PACKERS 35, GIANTS 13: Much like our lesson from the Bengals-Browns game, we've also learned to start anybody that's facing the Giants' "defense" (I use the term loosely). They can even make Brett Favre (three TDs) look like a champ. Eli Manning played, which is a good sign if you're counting on him in really deep leagues. RB Derrick Ward (15 carries, 90 yards) was serviceable in his first NFL start, and Reuben Droughns was nowhere to be found in the stat sheet like I warned you. The real head-turner should be DeShawn Wynn, who scored twice (a 6-yard run and a 38-yard scamper) and outgained teammate Brandon Jackson on seven fewer carries. Wynn was last seen getting called out by Urban Meyer for not stepping up as the national champion Florida Gators' starting tailback, and he has a significant injury history, but maybe he's a player in the Pack's backfield with Noah Herron and Vernand Morency out of the mix for the time being.

STEELERS 26, BILLS 3: Paging Lee Evans ... Lee Evans (2 catches for 17 yards), please report to the stadium, the 2007 season has begun ... Willie Parker scored late in the fourth quarter to make a nice day (126 yards) even nicer. Other than that, good day for owners of Jeff Reed (4 FGs) and not much else to report.

BUCCANEERS 31, SAINTS 14: I seem to remember telling you to start Joey Galloway (135 yards, two TDs). Did you listen? I also thought New Orleans' offense would snap out of it this week. Guess you can't win 'em all, and I don't really know what's up with that crew. ... Cadillac Williams scored twice on short runs, an area in which he's never really excelled before and where Mike Alstott probably would have gotten the call in years past. A very encouraging sign. I was happy to drop Chester Taylor and scoop up Caddy earlier this week on waivers from an impatient owner who dropped him.

TEXANS 34, PANTHERS 21: Ol' Jake Delhomme's still got some fight in him (three TDs) like I knew he did. It helps having a healthy Steve "Stud" Smith, who caught all three scores. Andre Johnson almost matched him (120 yards, two TDs). No headway in the DeShaun Foster (nine carries, 22 yards) vs. DeAngelo Williams (eight carries, 31 yards) race, which I'm happy to avoid.

JAGUARS 13, FALCONS 7: Not much to see here. The running backs were all passable, nothing more, and the QBs mediocre. Enjoying Maurice Jones-Drew (11 carries, 31 yards; three catches, 36 yards) so far? Move along.

COLTS 22, TITANS 20: How did that Chris Brown waiver pickup work out for you? He was outgained by LenDale White (64 yards, TD) AND Vince Young (53 yards). That one had "sucker" written all over it.

CARDINALS 23, SEAHAWKS 20: Welcome back to fantasy relevance, Edgerrin James (128 yards, TD). Deion Branch (7 catches, 122 yards) with a big effort after last week's 0-fer. And the QBs were so-so, with just one TD apiece. I was expecting a little more.

LIONS 20, VIKINGS 17 (OT): Adrian Peterson got the bulk of the work with Taylor out but didn't go crazy like last week (20 carries, 66 yards, plus four catches, 52 yards). On the other side, Tatum Bell (nine carries, 14 yards) was a joke, clearing the way for a triumphant return by Kevin Jones sometime soon. The Detroit WR situation got a little clearer, with Roy Williams (111 yards, TD) acting as headliner, Calvin Johnson scoring for the second straight game and wild-card Shaun McDonald factoring in once again, equaling Williams for a team-high seven catches.

COWBOYS 37, DOLPHINS 20: Chris Chambers checked in with a nice day (nine catches, 109 yards) as I thought he could, and that was all she wrote for the Fins. Ronnie Brown (11 carres, 33 yards) was a nonfactor again - time to worry. And in the Cowboys backfield, you know the drill: Marion Barber (15 carries, 89 yards, two TDs) can find the end zone, Julius Jones (15 carries, 32 yards) cannot.

RAVENS 20, JETS 13: Willis McGahee (26 carries, 97 yards, TD) passed his first post-Jonathan Ogden test. Thomas Jones (25 carries, 67 yards) sputtered again, but better days are ahead. Jerricho Cotchery (seven catches, 165 yards) is busting out; Mark Clayton (one catch, minus-1 yards) is not.

BEARS 20, CHIEFS 10: A confidence-building, 101-yard effort for Cedric Benson was good to see, and the other Adrian Peterson was a nonfactor. Larry Johnson got bottled up again (55 yards), which is getting a little troublesome. Bears D comes through again thanks to this guy. No words are necessary for Rex Grossman.

BRONCOS 23, RAIDERS 20 (OT): How did that Ronald Curry waiver pickup treat you (two catches, 12 yards)? Remember, don't overreact when a WR blows up one week, especially when he faces Denver the following week. ... Josh McCown came back to his senses in a hurry (8 of 16, 73 yards, one TD, three INTs). Fine days on the ground for Travis Henry (128 yards) and LaMont Jordan (159 yards) - they are playas. Javon Walker carved out a good 101-yard day, while Brandon Marshall (five catches, 82 yards) teetered on the brink of the breakout some think he's capable of.