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[thepixburghkid Profile]

It can be heard from San Diego to Jacksonville and several points in between.

"Hey, the Giants started 0-2 last season and won a Super Bowl. We can do it, too."

Seattle couldn't stop J.T. O'Sullivan and has yielded 67 points in two games. (Getty Images)
The San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns were all pegged as playoff teams by most when the NFL season started. Now they're staring 0-3 in the face.

Isn't the NFL great? These kinds of starts are what make the league so special. We really don't know, do we?

For the entire summer, the Chargers were being called the most talented team, led by a hardened defense. The Jaguars were the rising challengers in the AFC, a big, physical team that could run the ball. Cleveland would be a point machine with its pass-happy offense and Seattle would have a vice-like defense.

So what happens? The Chargers defense isn't very good, the Jaguars can't run it, the Browns aren't scoring and the Seahawks gave up 33 points to J.T. O'Sullivan on Sunday. J.T. O'Sullivan?

Those suddenly average teams are plunging faster than some of the big financial institutions. They've all made steep drops in the CBS Sports.com Power Rankings, all the way to Average-ville.

Can they turn it around? Yes, they can. But turnarounds like the Giants had in 2007 don't happen all that much. Going to 0-2 is a doughnut-sized hole compared to going 0-3, which is canyon-sized. So they all better win this week.

The flip side is that we have exciting new teams emerging as potential playoff teams. The Buffalo Bills are 2-0. The Arizona Cardinals are 2-0.

Maybe this is the year I finally get it right in picking the Cardinals to win the division. If you pick something long enough it eventually has to come in, right?

At least one team in the Valley of the Sun is doing something. Arizona State, my alma mater, choked away a good season Saturday night in losing to UNLV as a 24-point favorite.

Fret not, Sun Devils. LSU lost twice and won a national title last season. So all you have to do is beat Georgia and Southern California and Oregon to name a few.

"LSU did it, so can we," they're probably saying in Tempe and other parts today.

That's the college version of what NFL teams are saying about the 2007 Giants. At least it gives them all hope.

And it makes for one heck of an NFL season.

The Power Rankings after Week 2:

Power Rankings
Current Team Previous
1 Cowboys · Trends 1
Yes, that offense is good. Special. Tony Romo and the passing game are locked in. They will be tough to stop. The defense has to be some small concern since the Eagles did what they wanted Monday night.
2 Giants · Trends 2
They can throw it and run it and they can pressure the quarterback. Repeating is definitely possible.
3 Steelers · Trends 4
People went to sleep on the Steelers before the season. They are talented. The offensive line improvement is really noticeable.
4 Packers · Trends 5
They're 2-0, but we'll know a lot more about them after next Sunday night's game with the Dallas Cowboys. This much we do know: Aaron Rodgers is for real.
5 Titans · Trends 7
The defense has given up 17 points in two games. If they continue that, does it really matter who plays quarterback?
6 Panthers · Trends 10
Going 2-0 without Steve Smith says something about the Panthers. They've toughed out two victories against two physical teams.
7 Broncos · Trends 12
Jay Cutler has really impressed the first two weeks. He's the best of that heralded quarterback class of 2006 -- and it isn't even close.
8 Patriots · Trends 17
I buried them last week when Tom Brady went down. Maybe that was a bit premature. They still might be a playoff team.
9 Colts · Trends 9
What a gutsy comeback that was in Minnesota. For a banged-up team, that was impressive. As they get healthy, they will be better.
10 Bills · Trends 15
The biggest difference in the Bills is quarterback Trent Edwards. He's playing with a lot more confidence. The defense isn't bad, either.
11 Cardinals · Trends 14
What's not to like about their start? The defense is stingy. The quarterback is coming off a perfect game against the Dolphins. This is a good football team.
12 Eagles · Trends 6
Donovan McNabb is back. He has looked sharp in the first two games. The Eagles will be in that NFC East mix all season long.
13 Saints · Trends 3
Injuries have crippled the Saints early. Now they face a tough road test at Denver. First one to 40 wins.
14 Bears · Trends 8
Passing-game limitations mean not enough scoring on offense. That will be a season-long problem. The margin for error is slim with their style.
15 Chargers · Trends 11
They're seconds away from being 2-0. Even so, the defense has to be a major concern. At least Philip Rivers is playing well.
16 Jets · Trends 16
So much for taking the big step forward in the division against Matt Cassel, who outplayed Brett Favre. Now they have tough roadie at San Diego.
17 Ravens · Trends 21
Hurricane Ike forced them to have a bye week and now they get the Browns at home. The word is the Ravens wanted to play the Houston game. That means they'll be hungry as hell this week.
18 Jaguars · Trends 13
This was a trendy Super Bowl pick by some before the season. Now they're facing 0-3 with a road trip to Indianapolis. They won't recover from that if they lose.
19 Buccaneers · Trends 22
The defense had a solid game against the Falcons, but the move to Brian Griese didn't do much for the offense. Earnest Graham continues to be a pleasant surprise.
20 49ers · Trends 27
J.T. O'Sullivan shut up a lot of people with his play Sunday -- OK, me included -- and the 49ers got a big victory at Seattle. They have a real shot to go to 2-1 with the Lions coming to town.
21 Browns · Trends 20
At 0-2, losing two home games to open the season, the Browns are in big trouble. They face a must-win Sunday at Baltimore. Brady Quinn's time is coming.
22 Vikings · Trends 19
Brad Childress hitched his coaching wagon to Tarvaris Jackson. Now it might cost him his job. The Vikings are 0-2. Wow.
23 Redskins · Trends 26
Jason Campbell looked like a polished passer against the Saints. If that is the first major step in his growth, this team might be better than we thought.
24 Seahawks · Trends 18
With their receivers hurt, we expect troubles on offense. But seeing the 49ers shred their defense? That's strange. The 0-2 start is not quite the way Mike Holmgren wanted his last season to play out.
25 Falcons · Trends 23
They found out Sunday what all young teams find out: Winning at home is one thing, winning on the road another. At least they battled back to make it interesting after their first-quarter horrors.
26 Raiders · Trends 32
Beating the Chiefs is like putting makeup on to cover up a huge zit. It only hides the problems for a few hours. Let the Lane Kiffin watch begin.
27 Texans · Trends 24
They had the week off to tend to more important things than football: Life. Hurricane Ike impacted this team and its players in a big way. Now they have to play the division-leading Titans on the road. That's tough.
28 Bengals · Trends 25
Is Marvin Lewis in trouble? If the Bengals weren't so thrifty, he might be. At 0-2, he has to feel the heat.
29 Lions · Trends 28
They find new and interesting ways to lose games every week. This week it was a fourth-quarter meltdown after rallying back from 21-0.
30 Chiefs · Trends 29
Tyler Thigpen to the rescue? Boy, it really is bad in Kansas City. Len Dawson, where have you gone?
31 Rams · Trends 30
This is a team that looks headed for a coaching change. They just don't look very good. The two lines are getting whupped. Scott Linehan's postgame news conference shows he's feeling the heat.
32 Dolphins · Trends 31
OK, so now it's finally Chad Henne's team. What took so long? It's clear they're playing for two years down the road.

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10980376