One. That's how many games Jackson has missed.


(In his career, by the way)

You could make a small galaxy out of the stars who will be sitting on the bench in Atlanta for todays NFC showdown between the Eagles and Falcons.

Matt Ryan and Michael Turner are the big names for the Falcons, and on the other side we'll be seeing DeSean Jackson and Brian Westbrook in their street clothes. Ryan, Turner, and Jackson are all missing their first game, but for Westbrook this will be his third consecutive game missed.

Other notable inactives for Atlanta include Michael Jenkins, Sam Baker, and Harvey Dahl. Their other inactives are safety Charlie Peprah, linebacker Spencer Adkins, and defensive tackle Trey Lewis.

Other notable inactives for Philly include Akeem Jordan, Kevin Curtis, and Stacy Andrews. The Eagles' other inactives are running back P.J. Hill, offensive lineman Mike McGlynn, and quarterback Kevin Kolb -- Kolb will be the emergency third quarterback.

Chris Redman will start in place of Ryan, Jerious Norwood will start in place of Turner, Brian Finneran will start in place of Jenkins, Will Svitek will start in place of Baker, and Quinn Ojinnaka will start in place of Dahl.

For the Eagles, Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant will start in place of Jackson and Curtis, and Will Witherspoon will slide over to WILL with Jeremiah Trotter and Joe Mays again splitting reps in the middle in place of Akeem Jordan.

Most of these guys are expected back next week, but for today it makes for a very interesting game of backups trying to step in and keep their respective teams playing at a high level.
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Losing Jordan hurts, but having Bunkley is good news.


Brodrick Bunkley will most likely play this Sunday, but Akeem Jordan will most likely continue to watch from the sideline.

Bunkley suffered an ankle sprain last Sunday against the Washington Redskins, but defensive coordinator Sean McDermott says he expects Bunkley to be at 100 percent come game time. It's still possible that he could wind up sitting out, but should remain probable.

Jordan, on the other hand, ran with the scout team Wednesday while participating fully in drills. Thursday saw a setback for Jordan who was limited in drills and didn't even run with the scout team. He will most likely be ruled out for the game Sunday around game-time.

"We're on a day-to-day basis right now with Akeem, same as like we were last week with Akeem," McDermott said before practice on Thursday. "I think he did some things yesterday in practice and looked good."

It's a good sign that he'll return next week when the Eagles head to the Meadowlands to face the Giants, but doesn't give much hope that he'll play this week in Atlanta.

In his place, Will Witherspoon will most likely play WILL again with Joe Mays and Jeremiah Trotter rotating in the middle. Chris Gocong will stay at SAM.

Losing Jordan for another week is huge, but hopefully it won't prove to be as costly as the loss of Matt Ryan for the Falcons, along with the potential loss of RB Michael Turner, WR Michael Jenkins, and RG Harvey Dahl.
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Falcons' chances will ride on Redman's right arm.


Matt Ryan is out, Chris Redman is in. Michael Turner is beat up and might not play, Jerious Norwood, his backup, is less than 100 percent, and this is a team that just barely pulled off a win against the one-win Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So why isn't there a fan in the city of Philadelphia who feels like this will be the easy game that it should be on the surface?

It could be because that Redman has won and played well in the past, Turner -- even at only 50 percent -- is still a very good running back, Norwood is explosive and that defense can be extremely surprising in the big plays it's able to make as a unit.

The Eagles should win this game, and the fans will expect nothing less. So let's take a look at what the Eagles will have to do to make that happen.



Control the Falcons Ground Game -- Make Redman Beat Them

It's easier said than done, but the Eagles defense must be able to contain the running game and the duo of Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. This will hinge on the play of the two big men in the middle, Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley, and the three linebackers, whomever that may be.

Akeem Jordan went through practice and ran with the scout-team defense, so his availability is still up in the air, but there's optimism to be found. If he plays, Will Witherspoon will most likely move back to the middle and Chris Gocong will stay at SAM.

Regardless of who's playing, the linebackers will have to do a much better job of flowing sideline to sideline and making plays at or behind the line of scrimmage. It seems like every week the linebackers are just a step too slow, turning a play that should have gained, at most, two yards into a five or six yard gain.

Patterson and Bunkley will have to get a push up the field to take the pressure off the linebackers, and the ends will have to prevent getting hooked by the offensive tackles. If everyone can keep their contain and the Eagles can get a good day out of Patterson and Bunkley, the Eagles defense should be able to contain the Falcons' explosive running game.

Once that happens, defensive coordinator Sean McDermott can dial up the blitz, rattle Redman, and put the game in the hands of the Eagles offense.



Establish a Running Game Early

This seems like a key to the game every week, but that could be because it is. Reid needs to establish a running game for this offense to open it up for this suddenly thin receiving core. This offense can't always rely on the big play, and now with DeSean Jackson most likely out Sunday, it becomes even more important to control the time of possession battle.

LeSean McCoy, Leonard Weaver, and Eldra Buckley all need to see carries. If they pound this Falcons defense by running the ball, it will open up big passing lanes for McNabb to hit Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant for a few big plays that could wind up being the difference.

This game will certainly not be a shootout, so controlling the clock and running the football becomes paramount.



Don't Blow the Game on Special Teams

This seems rather obvious, but the Eagles have done it before. Now this week without Jackson returning punts, the duty goes to Maclin. Maclin has been incredibly unimpressive on special teams this season whether it's returning punts or kicks. He seems afraid of getting hit and likes to watch the coverage unit, which could result in a muffed punt.

If Maclin gives the ball up on a punt return, it could give the Falcons cheap points and some immense momentum that the Eagles may not be able to reverse.

On top of that, Sav Rocca is going to need to punt the ball much, much better than what he has over the past several weeks. It seems like all year his punts are not going very far, and when they do they're not anywhere near the spot he wanted them to hit.

What happened to the Rocca we had his first year over here? The first season he was in Philly he was booting the ball 65 yards on a consistent basis and his pooch-punts were unreal. It was almost a guarantee that if Rocca was punting from as far back as midfield that the return man would have no choice but to watch it roll to about the two-yard line before being touched down.

That's the punter the Eagles need back, but right now it's very far from what they're getting.
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With Ryan out, it will make the Eagles' day easier.


Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com, who is rarely wrong, tweeted today that Matt Ryan will be out when the Eagles head to Atlanta for an NFC showdown that will most certainly have playoff implications for both teams, win or lose.

Glazer goes on to say that Ryan has turf toe and will be visiting a specialist in Charlotte, North Carolina. Turf toe could mean that Ryan will not only miss this game, but could miss the next few games as well depending upon the severity of the ligament damage.

It's bad news for a struggling Falcons team, but great news for a struggling Eagles team. With Ryan out, the Falcons will most certainly start Chris Redman. Redman, while a decent backup in his own right, is not a quarterback capable of beating this Eagles defense.

The defense is struggling right now, but if the Bucs could put up a fight, then the Eagles defense should be able to dominate. Add that onto the fact that Michael Turner could miss this game with a high ankle sprain and that Jerious Norwood is less than 100 percent and you have a recipe that equals no excuses for this Philly defense.

In fact, if this is anything less than total domination, Philly will start to question if this is really a defense that can carry this team deep into the playoffs. The Falcons still have some weapons, so a shutout is by no means expected, but anything more than 14-17 points would be unacceptable.

This could be a very good game for this team as a whole to gain some confidence, some momentum, and really get them in gear for domination in December.

On the other hand, this could be a trap game for them. With Ryan and Turner most likely out, it wouldn't be shocking to see this defense become complacent and lay an egg, so to speak. On top of that, it's difficult to bury a team when they're against the ropes. Especially a well-coached and talented team like the Falcons.

It will be on the coaching staff and the leaders of this team to prevent that from happening.

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Say hello to a future NFL MVP, "Matty Ice" Matt Ryan.


Every week I will be running down my list of the best and worst teams in the NFL. I'll look at and dissect all 32 teams and rank them accordingly. Looking for Power Rankings? Look no further than the official 2M2MG.com Power Rankings.

Here's how things look heading into Week Three.

1. Atlanta Falcons (Last Week: 4)

Right now, the Falcons are the most consistently good team in the NFL. Are they the overall best team in the league? Maybe, and maybe not. However, right now they're getting the job done when it needs to get done which cannot be said of some of the other top teams.


2. Baltimore Ravens (Last Week: 8)

Their defense is a little worrisome, but they should be able to get it together here soon. And really, there's not much shame in giving up over 400 yards to a quarterback like Philip Rivers. The offense is the really impressive part as they've just been tearing it up. Joe Flacco just might be the real deal in Baltimore.


3. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week: 2)

They didn't play real well against the Bears, but they should rebound this week. Like a lot of other good teams, we saw them have a let-down, but good teams don't allow a let-down to go past one week. The Steelers are a good team annd will be just fine.


4. New York Giants (Last Week: 6)

The Giants were down in a hard-fought game with the Cowboys, but Eli Manning was able to drive them down the field to pull out the tough win. I've been critical of Eli, but that was an impressive showing. A few more games like that and he might just have me sold. Let's also not forget Mario Manningham who appears to be a star in the making.


5. Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: 2)

The Eagles are in the same boat as the Steelers. Yes, they lost. Yes, they lost pretty bad. No, their season isn't over because of it. While Kevin Kolb played well, there's just a difference in a team when its starting quarterback isn't in there. I expect them to rebound with an easy slate of games in the coming weeks.


6. San Diego Chargers (Last Week: 5)

The Chargers drop a spot this week because of their loss, but it was to a very good Ravens team so it's difficult to drop them too far. Philip Rivers is a top five quarterback, and as long as they have him they will be contenders. Darren Sproles is really turning into their go-to guy, and as soon as the defense can get it together, they're going to get hot.


7. New York Jets (Last Week: 15)

The Jets manhandled the Patriots. There's really no other way to put it. They talked all week long about beating the Pats, and they did just that. Rex Ryan has instilled an attitude in that team that could have them overachieving all year long. And in case you hadn't put it together, a good team that is overachieving can mean bad things for the other 31 teams.


8. New England Patriots (Last Week: 3)

It's tough to drop the Patriots further than this, but they did not look good against the Jets. They were exposed as a finesse team that will shut down if you hit them in the mouth hard enough. Tom Brady looked shaky, and according to Bart Scott, Randy Moss was afraid to go over the middle, as he probably should be. They need to get more physical if they even want to win their division.


9. Minnesota Vikings (Last Week: 9)

The Vikings beat the Detroit Lions. That does not warrant moving up at all, and in fact may warrant consideration to move down because they didn't destroy them. The Lions were up 10-0 at one point, which is bad news for a Vikings team that has to play with a lead.


10. Indianapolis Colts (Last Week: 10)

They only had about 15 minutes of possession, but it was all they needed to squash a valiant effort by the Miami Dolphins. Chad Pennington and the offense played well, but the defense could not stop Peyton Manning and the big play all night. If they want to win games and be contenders, they're going to have to play defense.


11. Houston Texans (Last Week: 13)

The Texans played a tough game against the Titans, but they made far too many mistakes on defense. Allowing Chris Johnson to be that wide open is completely unacceptable for a team that feels like they can make a playoff push this year. The offense bailed them out, but they won't be able to do that all year.


12. New Orleans Saints (Last Week: 12)

Yes, the Saints did go into Philadelphia and beat an Eagles team that many have slated for the Super Bowl. However, they did it against an Eagles team without Donovan McNabb. Not only that, but their defense still did not look very good. The Eagles lost that game more than the Saints won it, as evidenced by the good numbers Kolb put up against them in his first start.


13. San Francisco 49ers (Last Week: 16)

Personally, I expected the 49ers to be a fairly decent team this year. In the preseason, I put them somewhere between 8-8 and 10-6 because of playing in the NFC West, and it appears as though I may have been right. They have done very well the past two weeks against division opponents, but that's not saying a whole lot. They've got a test this week in the 2-0 Vikings.


14. Arizona Cardinals (Last Week: 19)

The Cardinals bounced back from their Week One loss to the 49ers by completely dismantling the Jaguars. Kurt Warner was on fire, completing 92 percent of his passes and making the Jaguars defense look like they belonged on a high school field. There's reportedly some friction between Warner and Larry Fitzgerald, but I don't buy into that.


15. Chicago Bears (Last Week: 21)

Defeating the defending world champions should mean something, and for the Bears it means moving up six notches in the rankings. Jay Cutler played the way that we know Cutler can, and may have found an early connection with rookie receiver Johnny Knox. If they can cope with the loss of Urlacher all year, they could surprise at the end of the season.

16. Tennessee Titans (Last Week: 7)

The Titans are taking a tumble down the rankings because of the way they lost to a division opponent. They allowed 34 points and seemingly are unable to rely on what was once their strength in the defense. They seem to be playing decent football, but just can't come up with the right plays when they need them.

17. Green Bay Packers (Last Week: 13)

Green Bay laid an egg defensively against Carson Palmer and the Bengals, but that was expected a couple times throughout the year. It's a bit troublesome that it came in Week Two against a team that last year was completely incompetent on the offensive side of the ball, but a complete defensive overhaul is going to create those bumps along the way.


18. Dallas Cowboys (Last Week: 14)

Tony Romo is proving that he's not the caliber of quarterback that everyone thought he was this time last season. He only threw one touchdown as compared to three interceptions that would eventually cost him team the win. Last week's routing of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was apparently a direct result of a poor Tampa team, and not a good Dallas quarterback.


19. Miami Dolphins (Last Week: 20)

The Dolphins move up a notch even in defeat because of the way they were able to control and move the ball. Their defense has to become better at defending the big play, and they will. Sparano will help them to adjust and they will be a better team for it.


20. Cincinnati Bengals (Last Week: 26)

They scored a lot of points against a defense in transition, and also allowed a lot of points. They pulled it out in the end, which is really all that counts, but it wasn't convincing enough to take them seriously just yet. If they can get that defense where it needs to be, they could climb the rankins very quickly.


21. Oakland Raiders (Last Week: 24)

Like the Bengals, they just have not been impressive enough to be taken seriously quite yet, but behind a strong defense and running game, they could have what it takes to shake that losing feeling off of themselves this year. The Raiders were my surprise team this year, so I'm rooting for them, but if JaMarcus Russel can't hit his receivers they won't go anywhere this year.


22. Seattle Seahawks (last Week: 17)

The Seahawks looked good Week One, but that was against possibly the worst team in the NFL. Then when given a challenge in Week Two, they seemed to completely crumble. The defense was awful as Frank Gore rushed all over them and now with Hasselbeck likely out with a broken rib, they could find themselves in an early hole.


23. Denver Broncos (Last Week: 27)

The Denver Broncos are 2-0. At this point, they're atop the AFC West and could be looking to get on a roll, right? Well, no. Probably not. They got lucky against the Bengals, and then they played the Browns, a team in the running for worst in the league. Expect the losing to start real soon.


24. Buffalo Bills (Last Week: 22)

Sure, they beat the Bucs, but that's not exactly going to be a difficult feat for teams to accomplish this year. The Bucs are in complete disarray, and the Bills still didn't look all that polished against them. They have some kinks to work out before they're even in consideration to be contenders.


25. Carolina Panthers (Last Week: 24)

Jake Delhomme still doesn't look good, and they're still losing. Falling to 0-2 may have killed their chances to anything this season as they're showing no signs of being able to turn this around. Nothing is working for them like it was last year, and it could be a long season in Carolina.


26. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last Week: 18)

After sticking with the Colts in Week One, they were destroyed by the Arizona Cardinals in Week Two. I previously thought their lack of explosion on offense was the problem, but now it appears as though everything is the problem.


27. Kansas City Chiefs (Last Week: 28)

They played a hard-fought game against the Raiders, but came up just short. I'm not exactly sure where all this talk of benching Matt Cassel is coming from, as Chiefs fans have already endured the Brodie Croyle era, but it's lunacy. He put them ahead, it was the defense that let them down in the end.


28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last Week: 29)

They lost to the Bills, but Byron Leftwich looked good and the offense has shown that they can move the ball. Their achilles heel all season long will be the defense. It's in complete shambles and will continue to lose them games.


29. Washington Redskins (Last Week: 23)

Why did they fall so far after a win? Well, it could be because they nearly lost to the St. Louis Rams for the second consecutive year. They won because of three field goals. That is not the way you're supposed to win football games, especially against such a poor team. Expect them to have the dubious distinction of being the Lions first win since 2007.


30. Detroit Lions (Last Week: 31)

They were in it with the Vikings for about three quarters of the game, but eventually the Vikings remembered they were playing the Lions and beat them. It's a sign of life for a team losing to join the '76 Bucs as the worst ever, but I do expect them to end their streak this week against Washington. However, this just in: the Lions are still bad.


31. Cleveland Browns (Last Week: 30)

They looked lost against the Broncos. Brady Quinn doesn't belong on an NFL field and that defense plays like they're afraid to get hit. There is absolutely no life in this team, and really they're only 31 by default.


32. St. Louis Rams (Last Week: 32)

The Browns can thank the Rams for being so bad, because it's the only reason they aren't the worst. Seven points in the last two games is just sad. Like the Browns, they just have no life out on the field and are a shell of the team they once were. Management has stripped this team to nothing and it will be a while before they can rebound.
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