Cup O' Joe - Week 2 Analysis

Author: Joe Simpson
Date: September 12, 1990

Week 2 is in the books, and it was quite surprising how it turned out. Let's take a look at what went down.

Top 10

1. Los Angeles (2-0, 2) - The first shutout in league history LA the top spot.
2. Boston (2-0, 3) - A resounding win against Washington.
3. Houston (2-0, 4) - Banks takes Oilers to the...well...
4. Seattle (1-1, 1) - The Tritons are human, after all.
5. Cincinnati (2-0, 5) - Barry Robinson (146 yards) rolls over Indy.
6. Pittsburgh (2-0, NR) - Pride take key division battle.
7. San Diego (2-0, NR) - Could this be the biggest surprise so far?
8. Portland (1-1, NR) - Played two tough opponents, deserve this spot.
9. Atlanta (2-0, NR) - Efficient in win over KC.
10. Washington (1-1, 6) - Not sure what to make of this team now.

Dropped out - Dallas (7), Baltimore (8), Oakland (9), Cleveland (10)

Offensive Player of the Week: QB Ladell Suggs, San Diego. Went 26-of-30 for 307 yards and 4 TD before getting hurt late. It's a shame he went out the way he did, with his team up 21 and him having such a great game. Nobody's sure if San Diego can keep winning with him out.

Defensive Player of the Week: OLB Mike Kosier, Portland. In addition to the pick of the week, he also registered three sacks against the infallible offensive line of Seattle.

Special Teams Player of the Week: KR Horace Henderson, Denver. Returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, and averaged 48 yards a return on six chances.

Number this week: Nine, as in the number of 10+ point victories achieved this week. Included are Los Angeles' 41-0 shutout of Cleveland, and San Francisco's 51-6 shocker over Oakland. This was the week of blowouts, after Week 1 was a very suspenseful week of action.

Surprise of the Week: Miami over Baltimore. Above everything else that happened, this was the game that really stood out. It set the tone of the week--no favorite was safe--and put Miami on the map. Nobody, including me, thought Miami had a chance in this one. To win 27-3 shakes things up in both the Gulf and Midland divisions.

Coaching Move of the Week: Portland's decision to really test and overwhelm Seattle's offensive line. They once sent NINE players after Monte Meier, and sent eight a couple of times...including Meier's final interception of the day. The result? Eight sacks of the rookie QB, and two interceptions, including the one that settled the score.

Rising This Week: Pittsburgh. Their defense, ranked fourth in the league, is winning games. They're not getting a lot of press because they aren't flashy, or something the public would want to get behind. But they are consistent, and will pose a serious threat to Los Angeles in the HFC.

Falling This Week: Oakland. 51-6. A semi-brawl in the locker room after the game. Need I say more?

Store it away: Seattle showed a real problem against a team that can put pressure on rookie CB Monte Meier. Another team in their division can get to him an awful lot--San Francisco. With that secondary, a lot of coverage sacks could doom the Tritons down the road. This team, while still a very dangerous threat for the AFL Championship, could go 3-3 in their own division.