When picking your starters each week, one thing that must be considered is the matchups. We’ve taken each game and broken down the matchups for you here. PLEASE NOTE: This does NOT replace the Cheatsheet ranking. The Cheatsheet rankings are the final say on where we see a player for that week. The Matchup Breakdowns are simply one more tool in the box when it comes to helping choose your lineup. Also note, just because a player has a "bad" matchup, it does NOT mean he's not a starter in your league. If Ahman Green is playing the toughest rush defense in the league, he's got a tough matchup that week. He's also your starter unless you're sitting on Marshall Faulk. Let's jump to it. Great Matchups – Defenses will have major problems with the offense in these games Carolina's Lamar Smith vs. The Detroit Lions (Great Matchup) There are many words to describe the shambles of a defensive team that is the Lions. Debacle, embarrassment, pathetic - all are accurate and lend their own shade of meaning to the sorry picture. The Panthers are coming off the adrenaline rush of winning their first game in 16 tries, so expect an emotional edge to favor the offensive unit. As a team, the Panthers managed a very respectable 145 yards against a young and inexperienced Ravens unit. That Raven's team is approximately a billion times better than the sorry excuse for an NFL team that the Panthers face on Sunday. This is one of the most favorable match-ups that Lamar Smith will face all season. Good Matchups – Defenses will struggle to stop the offense in these games Seattle's Shaun Alexander vs. The Arizona Defense (Good Matchup) Shaun Alexander struggled against a surprisingly good Raider's run defense on Sunday, only managing 36 yards and a 2.8 ypc average. This week, though, he gets to play against the Cardinals, and they are a whole different kettle of fish. The Arizona defense continued to exhibit an anemic run defense in the opener against Washington. Stephen Davis had a coming out party after a quiet pre-season, racking up 104 yards and 1 score against the Cards on the ground. In response to the defense's struggles, the Cards picked up 2 offensive linemen off the waiver wire this week (huh?). Look for Alexander to get back on track against the Cards, and return to the top tier of fantasy backs this Sunday. St. Louis' Marshall Faulk vs. The New York Giants' Defense (Good Matchup) Marshall Faulk was absolutely stuffed in Denver, limited to 19 yards on 10 carries. Luckily for franchises playing Faulk, he was still able to be a factor in the aerial attack. He faces a more vulnerable Giants defense in week two, a club that gave up 113 total rushing yards (4.5 ypc average) to the 49'ers attack week one. The Giants simply don't have the same quality of defensive personnel as the Broncos. The Rams, however, remain the most potent offense in professional football, even if they didn't look like it week one. Look for Marshall Faulk's rushing yardage to bounce back in a big way this week. Atlanta's Warrick Dunn/Michael Vick vs. The Chicago Defense (Good Matchup) Warrick Dunn, Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcon's offensive line had a fine game against a tough Green Bay defense week one. Dunn had good success running between the tackles, as well as up the sidelines (4.6 ypc average, 69 yards overall). The line regularly provided good creases in the Green Bay defensive front. Vick gained 72 yards on his rushes, making it look very easy. Also, Dunn looked like the featured back week one, getting lots of opportunities to carry the ball. Rookie T.J. Duckett was limited to 6 carries, mainly to give Dunn a down here and there off and for change of pace. This week, Dunn and his compatriots welcome a once-fearsome Bears rush defense that was humiliated by the Minnesota Vikings running game week one. The Vikings gained 4.3 yards per carry and notched 136 yards of rushing against a Bears defense that only yielded more than 100 yards five times in 2001. Starting defensive end Philip Daniels went down in the first quarter with a left ankle problem and did not return to the game, and is out this week against the Falcons. His replacement in the lineup, Keith McKenzie, is still rehabbing a broken leg sustained last year, but says that he feels good enough to play (though not 100%). Atlanta will present many of the same challenges to the Bears that the Vikings offered - Vick is an even better runner than Daunte Culpepper, and Warrick Dunn is more experienced than Michael Bennett. The Bears had trouble with the Vikings; unless they pull the defense together miraculously fast, this week in Atlanta the Falcons will give them fits. Chicago's Anthony Thomas vs. The Atlanta Defense (Good Matchup) Last week, Anthony Thomas and his team-mates on the offensive line had a hard time against the Viking's defense. Although he did make it to the end-zone, Thomas did not put up the kind of yardage (45 yards, 2.4 ypc average, another 22 yards receiving) that one would expect him to facing the Viking's defense. Week two, however, he faces an Atlanta defense that really struggled to contain Ahman Green (and his back-up, Rondell Mealey) in week one - the Falcons surrendered 211 yards of rushing for a 5.6 yards per carry average in the Green Bay game. The Falcons are playing in the 3-4, but their linebacker corps is really banged up right now (5 injured guys out of ten), limiting the amount of help the big guys up front can expect to receive. Also, the defensive line is depleted, only 5 healthy players available with 3 taking the vast majority of snaps (Patrick Kerney, Brady Smith, Ed Jasper). With Jim Miller, Marty Booker and Dez White putting pressure on an already under-strength Linebacking unit, and no rest for the Falcon's defensive linemen during the game, expect Thomas to have good success gaining chunks of yardage. He should return to the upper tier of fantasy backs this week. Tennessee's Eddie George vs. The Dallas Defense (Good Matchup) Eddie George and the Titans struggled to run (2.3 yards per carry average) against a tough Eagles team week one. He still managed to score twice, though, and tack on a two-point conversion, so his production for fantasy franchises was very good anyway. This week, expect his yardage numbers to improve significantly as George and the Titans face the humiliated and depleted Dallas Cowboys defense. In the wake of their catastrophic loss to the Texans expansion team (whom the Cowboys Defense held to 78 total yards rushing) The defense now has to deal with the loss of key linebacker Dat Nguyen for 6-8 weeks due to a broken wrist. Nguyen is a spark-plug type guy, a fierce hitter (7 solo tackles and 1 sack) who isn't easily replaced. Eddie George is a much better back than either of the Texan's options at the position, the Titan's line is somewhat stronger, and the Dallas Cowboys just don't have the stuff it takes to contain George for long on Sunday. Green Bay's Ahman Green vs. The New Orleans Defense (Good Matchup) Ahman Green was his usual awesome self against the Falcons week 1, racking up 155 yards of rushing and 42 yards on 6 catches. The line opened holes for him with ease, leading to a great opening game for Green. Week two, Green gets a somewhat tougher challenge against the Saint's defense. With Grady Jackson and Norman Hand leading the defensive line's effort week one, the D surrendered a mere 72 yards to the Tampa rushing attack. However, the offensive line in Tampa is in turmoil - 2001 first round pick Kenyatta Walker and a full-time starter in 2001 was told not to suit up for the game by the coaching staff. Various problems on the Tampa offensive team helped make the Saint's D look good. This week, the Saints face a superior Green Bay offensive line blocking for a top-three running back looking for room to roam. The Packers should enjoy success where the Buccaneers struggled. Look for Green to have a productive day rushing while the plethora of receivers and Favre challenge the Saint's linebackers, leaving only the defensive line attempting to contain Green for much of the day. Considering the excellence of the Packer's offensive line, this will lead to multiple opportunities for Green to make something happen, and he will. New Orleans' Deuce McAllister vs. The Green Bay Defense (Good Matchup) Deuce McAllister enjoyed a solid outing against the Buccaneers, racking up 109 yards but only averaging 3.5 yards per carry. Of course, the Buccaneers have a very solid defensive front. The Green Bay's rushing defense was unimpressive against the Falcons week one, allowing Michael Vick, Warrick Dunn and company to tear them up for a total of 180 yards and an astronomical 6.0 ypc average. The parallels between Aaron Brooks and Deuce McAllister to the Falcon's tandem are obvious, and they should enjoy success against the Packer's D, too. As the Saint's receivers (particularly Joe Horn) are better than their Falcon counterparts, expect McAllister to get chances for big plays on Sunday as the Saint's passing game demands the attention of the Packer's linebackers. Cleveland's William Green/Jamel White vs. The Cincinnati Defense (Good Matchup) Cincinnati was one of the few defenses that looked worse defending against the run than the Browns this past Sunday. They were so bad, in fact, that San Diego rested their star LaDainian Tomlinson for the 3rd quarter - and he still gained 114 yards and scored a touchdown (as did his back-up Terrell Fletcher, in addition to gaining 73 yards on 16 carries). How bad was the Cincy run defense? They surrendered a staggering 241 yards all told, letting the Chargers trample them for 5.4 yards every time they carried the ball, on average. William Green was largely ineffective against the Chiefs week one, gaining 17 yards on 8 carries. Jamel White fared better, notching 42 yards on 12 carries and adding 20 yards in receptions. If the Charger's numbers week one are any guide, both Green and White have a good shot at productive outings week two. Jacksonville's Fred Taylor vs. The Kansas City Defense (Good Matchup) The Jaguar's offensive line was a pleasant surprise week one against the Indianapolis Colts, protecting Brunell from a pounding (only 1 sack surrendered) and generally providing adequate creases in the defense for Taylor to exploit (83 yards rushing and a score in the loss to Indianapolis). Meanwhile, the Chiefs won a shootout against the Cleveland Browns, a game in which they displayed a solid rush defense, limiting Green and White to a combined 59 yards rushing. Fred Taylor is obviously a more talented back than either of the Brown's options (though Taylor did look tentative on a few plays - still working his way back to full strength), but his line is about equivalent in talent to the Brown's unit. C John Wade is nursing a minor thigh injury, but should be fine by Sunday. The Chiefs defense, on the other hand, is also an average unit that lacks a dominant defensive line - rookies Ryan Sims and Eddie Freeman were quiet in their debuts (3 tackles combined, 0 sacks). Linebacker Mike Maslowski loves to hit anything that moves, though. The edge here goes to the Jaguars, on the strength of Fred Taylor's explosiveness. Kansas City's Priest Holmes vs. The Jacksonville Defense (Good Matchup) Priest Holmes announced his return to NFL action with authority - 141 yards combined (122 rushing) and 4 touchdowns was a fantasy dream for clubs lucky enough to have him on their squad. As a team, the Chiefs slapped 194 yards of rushing into the face of the Browns. Their offensive line played up to it's usual excellent standard in run-blocking week one. This week they face a solid Jacksonville defensive line with developing second year men Marcus Stroud (4 tackles week one) and John Henderson (2 tackles) clogging up the middle. However, the Jaguars are still hurting at the linebacker position (this week add Wali Rainer to the list with a bruised knee), which means that once Holmes clears the front line of the defense he will see room to roam. The excellence of Holmes and his line tip the scales in their favor week two. New England's Antowain Smith vs. The New York Jets Defense (Good Matchup) The Jets were very soft week one against a less than stellar Bills' offensive line, and surrendered a career best day to Travis Henry (149 yards rushing, 3 touchdowns). Now the defending champions come to town, with bruiser Antowain Smith lurking behind a deep offensive line that easily handled everything the Steelers threw at it Monday night. True, Smith didn't light up the scoreboard, but he was effective against a very tough Steelers rush defense when his team called on him to gain yards and chew up the clock in the second half. This week, Smith and his compatriots should enjoy an easier time rushing the ball, against a reeling Jet's defensive front. Marvin Jones, Sam Cowart and Mo Lewis did their part (31 total tackles between them), but the defensive line was way too porous. The nod goes to the Patriots in this one. Smith should enjoy a fine day. San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson vs. The Houston Defense (Good Matchup) Tomlinson and his teammates enjoyed a field day against the hapless Bengals week one. The rout was so complete that he sat out the third quarter and still trampled Cincy for 114 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Drew Brees said the line was blocking so well that it looked like the Biblical parting of the Red Sea on every down. Looks like the much-maligned middle of the line - Center Cory Raymer and left guard Bob Hallen, joined by backup right guard Michael Keathley, in for a injured Toniu Fonoti - still have some gas left in their tank after all. Coming to visit them are the invigorated Houston Texans, who shocked the football world by upsetting the Dallas Cowboys in the opener. The Texans got it done with D, executing Dom Caper's scheme to perfection against the Cowboys. DE Gary Walker looked ready to roll after rehabilitating his groin injury. Except for surrendering big gains to Michael Wiley (1 for 46 yards) and Joey Galloway (1 for 21), the Texans corralled the 'Boys rushing attack - Emmitt Smith was 17 for 67 and Troy Hambrick went 4 for 16. Neither scored a touchdown. However, Drew Brees is a much better quarterback than Quincy Carter, and the San Diego offensive line is playing worlds better than the Cowboy's fat, slow, and out of sync unit. Tomlinson should have a productive day on Sunday against a feisty Texans club. Neutral Matchups – The Defense and Offense are fairly evenly matched in these games Oakland's Charlie Garner/Tyrone Wheatley vs. The Pittsburgh Defense (Neutral Matchup) The Raiders had a ball Sunday, they were barely slowed down by a weak Seahawks club on ground or by air. Garner had 127 yards on only 15 attempts for an impressive 8.5 ypc average and a score. Wheatley added 65 yards on 18 carries in relief of Garner. In an embarrassing loss to the Patriots Monday night, the Steelers rush defense was it's usual stout self - at one point the Patriots abandoned the run altogether in favor of empty backfield sets for practically an entire quarter. It worked, but Antowain Smith ended the night with a workmanlike 60 yards rushing and no touchdowns. The potent Raiders offense will clash against a robust Pittsburgh rush defense with no clear advantage going to either club on Sunday. Miami's Ricky Williams vs. The Indianapolis Defense (Neutral Matchup) The Dolphins enter week two coming off a laugher week one against the Lions. They moved the ball at will through the air or on the ground, and generally humiliated Detroit. Williams put up 111 yards and 2 touchdowns while sharing the wealth with his back-ups Travis Minor and NFL come-back player of the year candidate Robert Edwards. This week the challenge is significantly tougher, as the Dolphins go to visit the Colts in Indianapolis week two. These aren't Jim Mora's Colts, though. These Colts are playing in Tony Dungy's defensive scheme, and they look good. Containing the always-dangerous Fred Taylor to 83 yards rushing and one score on 24 attempts was a good start for the Colt's rush defense. Mike Peterson, Marcus Washington, Chad Bratzke and Rob Morris were all solid against the Jaguars. Ricky Williams is a dangerous back too, with offensive guru Norv Turner on his side, game-planning to maximize the Dolphin's chances. Dungy's scheme vs. Turner's insights, and solid personnel on both sides of the ball means that neither team has a clear advantage over the other heading into this game. Indianapolis' Edgerrin James vs. The Miami Defense (Neutral Matchup) Edgerrin James answered many questions on the field Sunday (though not off it, he's not talking to reporters right now). His 99 rushing yard effort looked fairly effortless, though he did drop a couple of easy passes from Peyton Manning. The offensive line was excellent as usual, smoothly integrating their two new guards into the flow (1 sack surrendered). The word we're hearing is that he feels about 90%. This week, though, he faces a much better defense in the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins easily crushed a hapless Lions team opening Sunday, but they don't figure to have such an easy time this week. With Qadry Ismail and Marvin Harrison pressuring the Dolphin's linebacker corps, James should get his chances at home. This one will go down to the wire in a clash of two excellent units. Tampa Bay's Michael Pittman/Mike Alstott vs. The Baltimore Defense (Neutral Matchup) There is one word to describe the offensive line's situation in Tampa: turmoil. Last year's first round pick and sixteen game starter Kenyatta Walker was not allowed to suit up for last week's game vs. the Saints. As a result of the chaotic situation, the line lacked the oh-so-essential cohesiveness that leads to good run blocking. The result was a lack-luster 72 yards rushing on the day. As cohesiveness doesn't just appear magically, overnight, don't expect the line to play much better this week, either. Luckily for Pittman and Alstott, they visit a Baltimore club that was slashed to the bone by the salary-cap axe. But, Ray Lewis (10 tackles vs. the Panthers) and Peter Boulware (4 tackles, 1 sack week one) are still in the linebacker corps, and they are still fearsome players. New starter Adalius Thomas did well also, with 3 solo tackles and 3 assists. But they can only do so much, and as a result, the Ravens surrendered 145 yards rushing to the decidedly unexciting Panther's backfield. The clash between a struggling offensive line unit and a mostly green defensive front results in no clear advantage for either team. Arizona's Thomas Jones vs. The Seattle Defense (Neutral Matchup) After his less-than-inspiring performance against a brutal and talented Redskin's defense week one, Thomas Jones has to be very relieved at the prospect of playing the Seahawks week two. The Seahawks were trampled by the Oakland Raiders week one. Charlie Garner ran for big gains at will. When Garner got tired from running so far, so fast, Tyrone Wheatley came in and ran for big gains at will. There was lots of action in the free agent market this week by the Cards, picking up tackle Jon Fina and guard/tackle Raleigh Roundtree to try and create some depth along the offensive line (decimated by the loss of Anthony Clement and hampered by C John Gruttadauria's back problems). However, Arizona now needs to find somebody to play fullback with Joel Mackovicka questionable with an injured hamstring and backup fullback Dennis McKinley out for three weeks with a torn hamstring. Of course, no one will mistake Jake Plummer for Rich Gannon, but that David Boston guy isn't too shabby, so expect Jones to get his chances to make something happen on Sunday. The only question is, will Jones take advantage of those opportunities? Buffalo's Travis Henry vs. The Vikings Defense (Neutral Matchup) Give credit where credit is due - the Bill's offensive line managed to bring their "A" game to the contest with the Jets (although Bledsoe did get sacked four times). After looking pretty bad all preseason, they got on the same page and tore apart the Jet's defensive front. Travis Henry slashed the Jets to the bone, racking up 149 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. Coming off that confidence-boosting performance (though, not through any fault of their own, not a win) Henry and the big guys up front face a surprisingly good Vikings defensive team week two. The Vikes really put a twist on Anthony Thomas last week, holding him to a mere 45 yards on 19 carries (a 2.4 ypc average), and the entire Bear's team to 80 yards rushing total. The addition of Greg Biekert from the Raiders obviously elevated the performance of the entire Vikings defense. Neither the Bill's offensive line nor the Viking's defensive front have yet proven that they can consistently play to the levels we saw week one. However, both teams looked very strong in their respective performances vis à vis the rushing game, and therefore this matchup appears like an even contest. No clear advantage can be cited for either team. Minnesota's Michael Bennett/Moe Williams/Doug Chapman vs. The Buffalo Defense (Neutral Matchup) The good news for fantasy owners is that the Viking's rushing attack looked much better than it did last season, opening up the passing game for Daunte Culpepper. The bad news for teams with Michael Bennett is, while Bennett was still the featured back on opening day (16 carries), the other backs on the roster were used heavily, too, (12 carries) and Daunte Culpepper (4 carries) scored the rushing touchdown. Only garnering half the team's carries on the day does not bode well for Bennett's chances to avoid being stuck in that most dreaded of fantasy football terms, the running back by committee. Neither did his 3.3 ypc average, half that of Moe Williams' (7/48/6.9 ypc) and Doug Chapman's (5/33/6.6 ypc). This week, the Vikings face a Buffalo defense that severely limited the Jet's rushing attack (although starter Curtis Martin left the game in the first quarter with only 4 carries suffering from a sprained ankle and did not return to the contest) last week. Jet's running backs only gained 37 yards in the entire game. Both teams are improving their rushing attack/defense as the season opens. Neither side has a clear advantage over the other in this contest. Denver's Olandis Gary/Clinton Portis/Mike Anderson vs. The San Francisco Defense (Neutral Matchup) The 49'ers defense had a very solid game against the Giant's rushing attack, but the statistics don't tell the whole story in this instance. Tiki Barber was struggling to run through an injured hamstring, and sluggish Ron Dayne hadn't practiced much due to muscle spasms in his neck. Barber clearly wasn't 100%, which limited what he could do against the 49'ers. This week, the healthy trio of Olandis Gary, Clinton Portis and Mike Anderson come to town. They face a defensive team that is slowly returning to health - DE John Engelberger saw some time on last Thursday (returning from an appendectomy), and Chike Okeafor did a good job in his spot the rest of the time. LB Jamie Winborn was awesome (16 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tipped passes resulting in INT's, played 69 of 71 snaps!) in his appearance in the starting lineup for Jeff Ulbrich. He should continue to produce this week. This is a 49'ers squad that pitched three shutouts in their last six games of 2001, and they performed well against the Giants. The Bronco's rushing attack carried the team against the Rams long enough for Brian Griese to overcome a poor start in the second half. In this contest, both teams will battle to the final second, with neither entering the match clearly superior to the other. I still like Clinton Portis to emerge here. It was encouraging to see Coach Mike Shanahan give him the ball (while faking to Mike Anderson) on a crucial 4th and inches play last week. It's still too close to call and right now, each player is doing just enough to make none of them real valuable. But soon enough, it's our gut call that Portis is the guy there. Cincinnati's Corey Dillon vs. The Cleveland Defense (Neutral Matchup) Corey Dillon's season started out with a whimper. He touched the ball 12 times against the Chargers, with 9 rushes going for ten yards. An awful opening game all the way around for the Cincy star and his team, too. Luckily, the Bengals get to play Cleveland this week. The same Cleveland team that surrendered 194 yards of rushing yardage to the Chiefs, with 127 and 4 touchdowns going to Priest Holmes. Things are looking up for Dillon week 2. In this battle of inept run blocking vs. inept run defense, neither squad has a clear advantage heading into this matchup week 2. Tough Matchups – Defenses should be able to contain the offense in these games New York Giants' Tiki Barber vs. The St. Louis Defense (Tough Matchup) So much of this contest will be decided prior to the game - will Tiki Barber get that hamstring healthy, or won't he? Barber gutted it out against the 49'ers week one, but he was clearly limited by the injury during the game. This week, Barber is also dealing with swelling and painful toe in his right foot - so even though Barber says the hamstring is better, now he may have problems pushing off his right foot due to that toe injury. The Giants better hope he gets all this straightened out, because Ron Dayne looked like a non-factor week one. Slow, tentative, and ineffective are the adjectives to describe Dayne's effort. The Rams' D is still smarting from dropping a close one at Mile-High week one. They played adequately against the run, though, limiting the Denver "posse backfield" to a total of 104 yards (though the Broncos posted a strong 4.0 ypc average). The Rams should be better in week two, at home against the Giants. The Rams' defensive front is more talented than the blue-collar Giants' offensive line. They should make it hard for Barber to find running room in St. Louis, whether he is healthy or otherwise. Washington's Stephen Davis vs. The Philadelphia Defense (Tough Matchup) Stephen Davis and the Washington Redskins pretty much had their way with Arizona Cardinals last week, with Davis posting a solid 104 yards rushing on 26 carries and a touchdown in the inaugural game of 2002. However, the Philadelphia Eagles aren't the Arizona Cardinals. The Eagles defense is an order of magnitude better than the Cardinals, and boasts the most feared secondary in the NFL. They contained Eddie George on the ground last week, and looked very tough overall. Since the Fun-N-Gun relies on the passing attack to set up the running game, the prospects for Davis to enjoy another productive game look dim. This week the Eagles added veteran defensive end John Sinclair to replace Derrick Burgess, out 10 weeks with a broken right foot. However, Sinclair is not noted for effectiveness against the run, so will be a role player on passing downs, mostly. This matchup of a stellar defense against an average-to-good offensive unit clearly favors the defensive team. This game looks like it will be very low-scoring. Detroit's James Stewart vs. The Carolina Panthers (Tough Matchup) There are many words to describe the shambles of a rushing attack that the Lions fielded last week. Debacle, embarrassment, pathetic - all are accurate and lend their own shade of meaning to the sorry picture. Of course, that was without their primary ball-carrier, James Stewart, who was sidelined with a bum knee. Stewart has vowed to be back for the Carolina contest (although how any player motivates himself to play for this sad team is a mystery indeed). Carolina actually did a credible job defending the run in the game against the Ravens. Middle linebacker Dan Morgan played hard, and Jamal Lewis was held to a mere 64 yards and no TDs in a low-scoring affair. Given the ineffective unit all around Stewart (51 yards rushing as a team, 3 sacks surrendered vs. the Dolphins) and that the home field advantage goes to the defensive unit, expect to see Stewart struggling valiantly to post modest numbers in this contest - if he's able to play at all. If Stewart can't go, there is no sane reason to play a Lions running back. Even if Stewart can go, consider all your other options first. Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis/Amos Zereoue vs. The Oakland Raiders Defense (Tough Matchup) The Raiders overcame opening-week turmoil in the linebackers corps and crushed the anemic Seahawks 30-17. They also avenged the pasting that Shaun Alexander (266 yards!) laid on them last season by holding him to 36 yards rushing on 13 carries (although he did manage to add 36 yards and a touchdown through the air). This week a humiliated Steelers team lurks in Heinz field awaiting someone to vent their frustrations on, and the Raiders will bear the brunt of their fury. However, as we saw Monday night, emotion is not enough to carry a team to victory. Can the line protect Kordell Stewart (5 sacks surrendered week one) and open holes for the backs, or are the Steelers' blockers over-rated? Can Stewart protect the ball and find the open receiver? The Raiders will force him to try. New defensive lineman Sam Adams is looking like a force on the inside, so Bettis will be challenged to cram the ball up the gut. The home crowd may have to suffer through another hard-to-watch game on Sunday night. The Raiders aren't going to be an easy target for the wounded Steelers. Baltimore's Jamal Lewis vs. The Tampa Bay Defense (Tough Matchup) All indications are that Jamal Lewis is completing his recovery from his second ACL injury with flying colors. His latest test, against the game Panthers, yielded a modest 64 yards rushing - but the knee felt good and Lewis feels more confident with each day that passes. However, this week his squad clashes with the stout Tampa Bay defense, a unit that faced the Saint's Deuce McAllister last week and limited him to a 3.5 yards per carry average on the day. The Saints have better quarterbacking and wide receivers than the Ravens currently enjoy, so the Bucs should be able to focus a lot of attention on Lewis this Sunday. Expect to see Lewis struggle unless the Raven's passing attack can force the Bucs to respect the aerial game. But don't count on that happening this week. Bad Matchups – Defenses will cause major problems for the offense in these games San Francisco's Garrison Hearst/Kevan Barlow vs. The Denver Defense (Bad Matchup) Garrison Hearst and Kevan Barlow had a productive outing against the Giants week one. They combined for 73 yards rushing between the two (Hearst 12/40/3.3 ypc, Barlow 8/33/4.1 ypc). Hearst added 2 catches for 10 yards and a score, Barlow had 3 for 34. That's about as even a split as is possible in any given game. As long as the team wins, and both guys look solid in their touches, don't expect anything to change this running back by committee in 2002. This week, the tandem welcomes an awesome Ray Rhodes creation, the 2002 Broncos' defense, to town. The scheme includes rotating seven defensive linemen, with the same three linebackers playing almost every down (Ian Gold (8 tackles week one), Jon Mobley (6), and Al Wilson(4)). This team firmly established it's credibility week one by absolutely shutting down the Rams' rushing attack - they allowed 32 yards rushing, total, all day. Marshall Faulk had an embarrassing 10 rushes for 19 yards effort. However, he did put up 14 receptions for 91 yards as Warner's safety valve. Expect Rhodes and the Broncos to come prepared for Hearst and Barlow's game. Both backs are likely to be severely limited by this powerful defensive unit. Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook / Duce Staley vs. The Washington Defense (Bad Matchup) Duce Staley played hard and the offensive line - especially John Runyan and Tra Thomas - played poorly against a punishing Titan's defense week one. The line surrendered way too many sacks to the Titans (Donovan McNabb was downed in the backfield six times), and Staley had to fight for every inch of his 18 yards rushing and 47 yards receiving (1 touchdown reception). Westbrook played well also and muddies the RB waters here. This week, the Eagles face an even tougher defense in the Redskins' own stadium. The Redskins shut down the Cardinal's Thomas Jones, holding him to 54 yards rushing. They will be swarming and gang-tackling the Eagle's backfield all night long, with their stellar trio of linebackers Jessie Armstead (led team with 8 total tackles last week) Jeremiah Trotter (second on team with 6 total tackles) and heavy hitter LaVar Arrington (2 total tackles week one). The advantage in this game clearly belongs to the defense. This game looks like it will be a low-scoring affair. Dallas' Emmitt Smith vs. The Tennessee Defense (Bad Matchup) Emmitt Smith was frustrated and very limited week one against the Texan's defense, largely because his line was out of sync and did very little in the way of opening holes for him week one. The erratic passing of Quincy Carter also allowed the Texans to concentrate on containing Smith, which they most successfully accomplished. The Titans will have watched the game tape, and will handle the Cowboy's with more of the same. Even though the feared Jevon Kearse is out with a broken foot, rookie Carlos Hall filled in admirably on Sunday, notching three of the Titan's six sacks of Donovan McNabb. Expect the Titan's defensive linemen and linebackers to penetrate the backfield and to hit Quincy Carter and Emmitt Smith early and often on Sunday. Houston's James Allen/Jonathan Wells vs. The San Diego Defense (Bad Matchup) James Allen and Jonathan Wells looked below average in their team's winning effort Sunday night, Allen managing to gain 56 yards on 19 carries (2.9 ypc average) and Wells cobbling together an anemic 9 for 18 effort. The Chargers nuked an above average line and a great back (Cincinnati's Corey Dillon) on Sunday. Dillon gained 10 yards rushing. The Bolts were dominant in all phases of the game, period. This is the week that the Texans look like an expansion team. New York Jets' Curtis Martin/Lamont Jordan vs. The New England Defense (Bad Matchup) Curtis Martin is said to be recovering from his sprained ankle and hopes to be ready to start against the Patriots' impressive defense. It looks like a game time decision. His offensive line team-mates let the rushing attack down week one - the Jets' backs only managed 38 yards rushing against the Bill's suddenly improved defense. This week, the Jets face a motivated Patriots team that spanked the Steelers in prime-time Monday night. They held Jerome Bettis, Amos Zereoue and their vaunted offensive line to a paltry 74 yards in the opener, and absolutely abused Kordell Stewart in the backfield (5 sacks and innumerable pressures). Richard Seymour was a terror on the line (6 total tackles, 1 sack for ten yards). There is a very tough day in store for Martin and company on Sunday.