Andy Richardson

There are lots of different ways to write weekend wrapup columns, and I'll probably explore all of them this season. I don't always watch football the same way; sometimes I focus on one game for 2-3 hours, sometimes I flip around the dial, sometimes I spend most of my time on the Red Zone Channel.

I can't always predict which games will be the good ones, so for example I didn't watch too much of Carolina-Arizona (yet), and usually I get stuck seeing too much of some clunker. In any case, at the end of the day I'll have seen a pretty healthy chunk of about 4 or 5 games, and bits and pieces of a bunch of others. And then I'll write this column.

Bengals at Browns: This is why I shouldn't participate in suicide pools. I make foolish picks like the Browns. Then there's my wife, who when I asked her for her pick said, "Who's playing the Colts?" ... Browns lost on one of the all-time bonehead defensive gaffes, lining up too slow to cover A.J. Green and letting Bruce Gradkowski throw an easy touchdown. That's not going to happen every week, but great players find a way to get their points, and Green has had the look of a player who'd be great since before he was drafted. ... Browns lost, but I was still fairly impressed with Colt McCoy. Nice touchdown throw to Benjamin Watson, and a long pass across his body to Massaquoi to set up the second touchdown? I didn't know he could make that throw. ... A bit concerned by the running game. ... Maybe I'm just bitter, but I'm not buying Cedric Benson, or the Bengals offense. Sell high on Benson if you can. ... Both Green and Jerome Simpson got early end-zone throws. I don't think either will be solid starters this season, but both are legit starters for Cincinnati right now. Good future if they get decent quarterback play.

Colts at Texans: I didn't watch this game much after the second quarter; of course, I didn't have to. I hope too many people aren't blaming Kerry Collins (guess I have a soft spot for old, grizzled, broken-down quarterbacks who look like they're auditioning for a role in Lonesome Dove), because his only failing here is Not Being Peyton Manning, and as a result the Colts looked about how they are without him, which is to say not good. They can't protect the quarterback and can't play defense. I thought Joseph Addai looked pretty good out there, when it was still a game, and the box score tells me Reggie Wayne managed some nice numbers for those who started them, but that's about it. After the game Jim Caldwell said, "It's a marathon not a sprint." I'm wondering if he really wants to refer to the season as a marathon right now. I agree: it look like it's gonna be a long one. ... Derrick Ward is still the backup, Ben Tate still looks better, Arian Foster will still be iffy for next week. Another week of the same stuff. ... Kevin Walter is hurt and will be out for a while, it appears, so Jacoby Jones finally gets his chance to be a No. 2. Nice punt return touchdown, but I also saw him drop a touchdown (although it was deflected before getting to him...I'm still not sure if he was the intended target.) ... Owen Daniels did get an end-zone target, though obviously that does nothing for his fantasy owners.

Lions at Bucs: Two players I really liked this year, Matthew Stafford and LeGarrette Blount. Well, can't win 'em all. Stafford looked awesome, and he and Calvin Johnson are going to be fantastic as long as they both stay on the field. They actually had a third TD, but Stafford overthrew it. ... I saw Brandon Pettigrew drop an easy pass. I saw Tony Scheffler make like Errol Flynn after a touchdown reception. Both guys will play. ... Lions running game didn't do much. Jahvid Best looks like he'll do most of his damage as a receiver. On a 1-yard TD pass to Calvin Johnson, Jerome Harrison was the guy in the backfield. ... I think the Bucs will be fine. Blount too. They just didn't get many chances today after falling behind, which won't happen all the time. Maybe the Lions are just a pretty good team right now.

Eagles at Rams: This is why you draft Michael Vick. It doesn't matter how he plays in the exhibitions. When you see him run for nearly 100 yards, and roll to his left and throw a touchdown pass off his back foot to DeSean Jackson (twice; Jackson just couldn't hang onto the first one), you're glad he's on your team and not your opponent's. There are problems; he got knocked around pretty good and some opponents will get a lot of hits on him. But he looked good. ... I saw the Eagles line up Ronnie Brown in the Wildcat. Didn't work. ... LeSean McCoy looked awfully quick on his touchdown run. ... Brent Celek got an end-zone throw. At his feet. ... Steven Jackson was on his way to a big day before injuring his quad. At this point, he seems to be a play away from an injury quite a bit. Full props to Cadillac Williams for a good game in relief; Williams looked fast (faster than Jackson, actually) and capable. But we were worried about the Eagles run defense in the preseason with their young linebacking corps, and nothing has changed. Some opponents will eat them up on the ground. ... Sam Bradford and Danny Amendola also hurt; Amendola's might be season-ending (or fantasy-season ending, certainly). Rams will need another receiver to step up, and (if Bradford is OK) for the quarterback to play a lot better.

Cowboys at Jets: This one kind of had it all. Disappointing running games (not surprising), productive quarterbacks (not as surprising), lots of miscues (also not surprising). Tony Romo is one of the league's best passers and Mark Sanchez can also sling it pretty well off play action, but there are some head-scratching decisions in there, too. ... Shonn Greene didn't do anything (at least he didn't fumble), and I'm starting to think it's not too soon to cut bait with him long term. Maybe the fact that the Jets continue to use mid-round picks on running backs is a sign that they're still looking for their future starter. I know his quiet game was in part because the Jets fell behind and used Tomlinson more, but maybe Greene just isn't that good. ... Dez Bryant, on the other hand, is as good as we thought coming into this season. He had cramps or a strain or something that kept him from having a huge game after an impressive start, plus the Jets put Darrelle Revis on him, but he's in line for a big, big year. Better than Miles Austin, no question. ... If the Cowboys passing game can put up big numbers on the Jets, it's gonna be huge the rest of the way. Felix Jones will also be better against softer defenses. ... Mark Sanchez looked for Dustin Keller a lot, missing him once or twice and also throwing a key pick on a play where the Cowboys seemed to bait him into throwing the tight end's way. Keller got off to a fast start last year, too, but I think it's for real this time. Holmes and Keller the main cogs in the passing game, Burress the big-play guy; that's where it looks to be headed. And Tomlinson a very productive third-down back. For all the talk about the Jets being a "ground and pound" offense or whatever, it looks like they'll have more success throwing the ball than running it. Granted, it's just one week, but it looks like an offense that wants to use the run primarily to setup play action. I guess we'll see.

Monday, Monday: You've got to say it twice because there are two games. New England should be all over Miami in the early game; no great mystery there. Hopefully all the people I told to start Aaron Hernandez will still be speaking to me tomorrow. The late game, well, it starts at 10:15, so I won't see too much of it until Tuesday. But I think there's going to be a lot of running from both teams, and Sebastian Janikowski will kick a 60-yard field goal.

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