NFL Week 2 preview

Mark Sanchez, QB, New York Jets

Sanchez, the darling of the 2009 postseason, has stopped looking so hot. Against Baltimore last week, Sanchez finished with 74 yards and a 56.4 passer rating as the Jets scored just nine points. New York runs a conservative offense, but some of that has to be a reflection of Sanchez’s growth, or lack of it. Yes, he’s just a second-year guy, but one with 19 career starts. With a game Sunday vs. New England, the pressure is on Sanchez to perform better. — John Keim

Storylines

1. Scoring is down » The most important lesson learned from Week 1 of the NFL season? Bet the under. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, 585 points were scored last week, 252 less than the opening week of 2008, which set an NFL record. Each of the signature night games from Week 1 produced fewer points than expected. The Saints over the Vikings (Thursday), 14-9, the Redskins over the Cowboys (Sunday), 13-7, and the Ravens over the Jets (Monday), 10-9. The scoring average in all games was 36.6. Despite this trend, the lowest over-under listed on betting website FootballLOCKS.com for this week’s games is 37 (Pittsburgh at Tennessee). — Kevin Dunleavy

2. Big arms not turning in big wins » Last season appeared to be the year of the quarterback as evidenced by the conference championship games — Drew Brees vs. Brett Favre, Peyton Manning vs. well, Mark Sanchez. But the Jets were the anomaly in the group that featured the game’s biggest passers. If Week 1 is any indication, big passing games may not equal wins in 2010-11. Eleven quarterbacks topped 250 yards last week and only four won — with only two head-to-head matchups. Let’s face it, the number could’ve easily dropped to three winners as Jay Cutler’s 372 yards were a Calvin Johnson “controlled catch” away from a loss. Looks like big QB yardage, while good for fantasy teams, is not as helpful in reality. — Leon Saffelle

3. Early-season injuries » It’s always an issue in the NFL. But two playoff contenders got hit by the injury bug while playing each other in Week 1. Green Bay has to replace starting running back Ryan Grant, who tore an ankle ligament in last week’s 27-20 win over Philadelphia. Expected to be one of the league’s top offenses, the Packers turn to Brandon Jackson, a fourth-year running back who has never rushed for more than 267 yards in an NFL season. Philadelphia, meanwhile, lost quarterback Kevin Kolb to a concussion. That’s not a good start to the Kolb era after Donavan McNabb was traded in the offseason. Michael Vick starts this week. But coach Andy Reid insists Kolb remains the starter when he returns. — Brian McNally

Upset special

Dolphins over Vikings

Considering Minnesota’s punchless offense in Week 1, it’s not a stretch to believe 17 points is enough to win this game. Can Miami’s backfield duo of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams move the chains against a defense that was second best in the NFL last year against the run? If they can, advantage Dolphins. Percy Harvin — after battling migraine issues again in the preseason — missed practice Thursday with a hip injury. He won’t be 100 percent, further diminishing Minnesota’s ability to throw the ball. — James Irwin

Fantasy watch

Five to start
1. QB Michael Vick » After rushing for 103 yards in part-time duty last week, Vick gets to make his case for becoming the Eagles’ full-time starter against the Lions.
2. RB Brandon Jackson » The Packers’ new starting running back will face a Buffalo defense that was one of the worst against the run last season.
3. RB DeAngelo Williams » The Panthers were held to just 89 yards on the ground last week but will have a much better matchup against the Bucs on Sunday.
4. WR Hakeem Nicks » Don’t expect three more touchdowns, but it became apparent who Eli Manning favors in the red zone.
5. WR Brandon Marshall » Don’t be discouraged by Marshall’s 53-yard performance last week. He was Chad Henne’s favorite target by far and had eight receptions.

Five to sit
1. QB Brett Favre » The Vikings’ timing looked off last week and now Percy Harvin is suffering from a hip injury on top of Sidney Rice’s absence.
2. RB Cedric Benson » The Bengals back had a breakout season last year, but Cincinnati will face a Ravens defense that held the Jets to six first downs.
3. RB Shonn Greene » He fumbled twice and had just five rushing attempts last week. The Jets may be more comfortable with LaDainian Tomlinson.
4. WR Dez Bryant » The Dallas rookie had eight catches as the Cowboys forced some screens to him last week. Expect more emphasis put on Dallas’ run game Sunday.

5. WR Donald Driver » The Packers’ second receiver is facing a Buffalo defense that didn’t allow a touchdown catch last week and let up only 14 last season.

— Jeffrey Tomik

Game to watch

Bengals at Ravens, 1 p.m., CBS

The Bengals need a win to avoid an 0-2 start, in a season where they have grand expectations, real or not. Cincinnati’s defense was shredded by New England in the opener and will be tested on the ground by Ravens RB Ray Rice. But Rice didn’t hurt the Bengals last year, gaining a combined 117 yards in the two games as the Ravens scored just 24 total points. Meanwhile, Bengals RB Cedric Benson rushed for a combined 237 yards in those two wins. — John Keim

Examiner Power Rankings

— Craig Stouffer