Now that the Super Bowl has come and gone and the love for Drew Brees and Sean Payton has died down, the entire National Football League can focus on what many teams have been for some time: the offseason. With only a few weeks until free agency opens up, and the draft roughly two months away, teams need to formulate a game plan for the coming months. And of course, in the NFL, it all starts with quarterbacks. My first task of the offseason was determining which franchises are in need of a change at the game’s most important position.

MAKE A CHANGE – NOW

St. Louis Rams

It’s been heavily documented that the Rams need a new signal caller, and I couldn’t agree more. It’s time to cut ties with Marc Bulger, Kyle Boller needs to go, and Keith Null is nothing special. Holding the first pick in the draft, the Rams are in prime position to grab the top QB available, assuming either Jimmy Clausen or Sam Bradford demonstrate enough at their respective pro-days. Most analysts believe the Rams will take one of the top defensive tackles available, but that would be a mistake. They need to grab a top flight quarterback for the future, and they need to do it now. I’ll get more into that debate as the draft nears. As for a stop gap, I’m looking to none other than Michael Vick. He’s been electric in a dome before, and he’d surely sell tickets for a franchise that’s lost over $250 million.

Buffalo Bills

Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick are not going to lead this franchise back to the playoffs. I’ve seen both men play in person, and neither has inspired much confidence. The Bills should look into drafting a youngster to lead in the future, but as for the present, they need to be careful who they decide to go with. I’m not wild about the apparent desire for Vick. I don’t see his skill set translating well in Buffalo, especially when the weather turns nasty. I know Vick supporters will come back with his improbable playoff win in Green Bay, but one game aside, Vick isn’t really a harsh climate quarterback. The free-agent market isn’t exactly ripe with options, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Edwards and Fitzpatrick are still on the roster come September. But if I were running the Bills, I’d take a look at trading for Derek Anderson. He shouldn’t be in Cleveland by the end of the summer, and he’s got a pretty strong arm.

Oakland Raiders

I know this won’t happen, but I’d love to see the Raiders rid themselves of JaMarcus Russell. Bruce Gradkowski will get every opportunity to win the starting job this summer, but even with him under centre, I’m not confident that the Raiders will be a competitive team. Unfortunately, Al Davis won’t spend another high pick on a draft pick (yet), so it’ll be the status quo for Oakland this fall.

Washington Redskins

Dating back to last offseason, everything the Redskins organization has done to Jason Campbell is just plain wrong. He’s been a lame duck for well over a year, and I think he’ll be tendered as a restricted free agent and forced to waste another year of his career in Washington. I hope Mike Shanahan does the right thing and let’s Campbell move on.

GIVE IT ANOTHER YEAR

Cleveland Browns

I don’t understand the Browns organization and fan base. Brady Quinn was only drafted three years ago, and I don’t believe there’s enough evidence to prove that he’s a complete write off. I’d like to see him have a full season at the helm in the Dawg Pound before Cleveland makes a change. If they’re desperate to make a change, Troy Smith of the Baltimore Ravens makes sense. He should be easy to acquire, and went to nearby Ohio State.

Arizona Cardinals

Like Cleveland, let’s see what the Cards’ young quarterback has in the tank for a full year. I was a huge fan of Matt Leinart when he left USC, and I still believe he may be able to carve out a career in the NFL. Give him a season, and if he can’t succeed with the weapons in the desert, we’ll know he won’t make it anywhere.

Carolina Panthers

Matt Moore looked pretty good down the stretch, and should be given a look for a full season in Carolina. There’s some talk that the Panthers may be interested in Donovan McNabb, but I can’t see that happening.

MAYBE A CHANGE WOULD BE GOOD

Seattle Seahawks

With Pete Carroll now in charge, why not start a new era in Seattle by dealing Hasselbeck? His best years are behind him, but he may still be able to help a playoff contender.

Jacksonville Jaguars

I’ve never considered David Garrard a franchise quarterback, and apparently Jack del Rio agrees with me. He recently said that he doesn’t believe Garrard is an elite quarterback. If that’s the case, why not give the coach some options at the position.

Philadelphia Eagles

They’re the same every year. Streaky throughout the regular season, and usually heading into the playoffs as one of the league’s hotter teams. We’ve seen McNabb take them to the NFC Championship plenty of times, and even a Super Bowl appearance. But in order to take the next step, they may need a change. They have a more than adequate replacement in Kevin Kolb, so maybe it’s time to roll the dice.

Well, it’ll be interesting to see if the upcoming offseason features many moves at all, let alone at the quarterback position. The NFL is about to enter a great time of it’s calendar year, so stay tuned for what’s sure to be an interesting couple of months.

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- four years, $16 million for a kicker. Oakland is jumping the gun on the uncapped year

- expect to see the words “nose tackle” in almost every football article you read from now until the draft

It’s already been done ad-nauseum, so I’m not going to go into great detail on yesterday’s games. Indianapolis simply dominated the New York Jets, and New Orleans was lucky it wasn’t dominated. How a team only wins by three when it’s given six fumbles and two interceptions is beyond me. But nonetheless, congratulations to both the Colts and the Saints on reaching the big game.

The real purpose of today’s installment is to shed light on a franchise that’s making the Buffalo Bills’ search for a coach seem like a picnic. And I’m not talking about a team looking for a head coach. I’m looking at the coordinator-less Chicago Bears.

At the end of their disappointing season, the Bears fired their offensive coordinator Ron Turner, as well as defensive coordinator Bob Babich. Both moves were seen as a formality, but I never could have imagined that we’d be past the Conference Championships and Da Bears would still be without men to run their offence and defence. I’ll start chronicling the futility on the defensive side of the ball.

When Lovie Smith relinquished his play-calling duties, Chicago’s focus shifted to Perry Fewell. The interim Buffalo Bills head coach worked under Smith both with the St. Louis Rams and the Bears – but he chose the New York Giants instead. Since then, it’s been all-quiet on the western front for the Bears’ defence. With Smith still on board, a coach with Cover 2 background is a necessity. Some of the candidates being tossed around are Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, current defensive line coach Rod Marinelli (yes, he of the 0-16 Detroit Lions fame), and even, former NY Jets and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards.

Even more upsetting are the prospects at offensive coordinator. The Bears’ (and Jay Cutler’s) first choice was USC o-coordinator Jeremy Bates – Cutler’s confidant in Denver. He decided to join Pete Carroll in Seattle, as did another option, quarterback coach Jedd Fisch. Chicago wanted to interview Green Bay quarterback coach Tom Clements, but were denied. Ken Zampese (QB coach for the Bengals) and Rob Chudzinski (TE coach for the Chargers) have both been interviewed, but neither seem likely for the job. Mike Martz has openly campaigned to be up to the challenge, but he’s known to be quite a handful to work with. This one doesn’t look like it’ll be ending anytime soon.

The harsh reality for the Chicago Bears and their fans is that no one wants either job. We saw this just over a week ago with the Bills, until the ’settled’ on Chan Gailey. The Bears seem to be stuck with a long list of candidates, yet none of which they’re truly sold on. The solution? Well, the first option is to get rid of Lovie Smith. It’s painfully clear that people are shying away from the Windy City due to Smith’s job security, or lack thereof. If he’s terminated next season, the entire staff may be gutted as well, leaving whoever takes these jobs back in the unemployment line.

A second problem, at least offensively, is the presence of Jay Cutler. Yes Chicago finally has a franchise quarterback, but one who needs special attention and someone he’s comfortable working with. Cutler lobbied hard for Bates and Fisch, but neither wanted to reunite with him.

As for the defence, it’s tough to be motivated to take over a unit that’s statistically declined in the three seasons since Chicago’s Superbowl birth. With the insistence on the Cover 2 defence, potential candidates are clearly scared off by the lack of a pass rush, aging and injured middle linebacker, and questionable at best secondary.

The Chicago Bears are in a position no team wants to be in – respected personnel are staying away from the organization. They need to rectify the problem immediately, or it’s going to be a long season at Halas Hall.

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- David Garrard, Pro Bowler. How utterly ridiculous

- the Jets released five coaches today. Interesting philosophy for a team that just exceeded expectations and made the Conference Championships

They were some real eye-openers Sunday afternoon, none more so than the Cincinnati Bengals. With their 18-12 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals have moved to 7-2 on the year, but more importantly control the AFC North. They’re a combined 4-0 against the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens this year, and enter a very easy stretch in their schedule. With the way their defence is playing, they should be able to keep the division lead for quite a while.

THE GOOD

Two teams have done an excellent job turning their seasons around – the Carolina Panthers and the Tennessee Titans. Carolina moved to 4-5 with a tough win over Atlanta, thanks in large part to Jake Delhomme. The embattled quarterback was dreadful earlier this season, but has been able to right his game enough to get some wins. Sunday afternoon he threw for just under 200 yards and two scores. With wins in four of their last six (and they should have been able to capitalize against New Orleans last week), the Panthers are still in the race for an NFC wildcard spot.

Tennessee, meanwhile, has won three straight games with Vince Young back under centre. Chris Johnson has rushed for just under 500 yards in those three wins, and their defence seems to be restoring some of its swagger from last season. Word of caution to their next opponents: the Titans are out to show their 0-6 start was a fluke. Word of caution to Titans fans: the three wins have come against Jacksonville, San Francisco, and Buffalo.

THE BAD

Maybe it was just a case of looking past a weak opponent, but the New Orleans Saints need to be careful. I’ve watched the team four weeks in a row now, and I haven’t been impressed with their performance in any of the contests. A narrow five point win over the St. Louis Rams, a game in which the Rams deserved a better fate, tells me that Head Coach Sean Payton needs to get his team better prepared for games. As I’ve said before, come playoff time, the Saints aren’t going to go far if they keep allowing inferior teams to stay in the game.

THE UGLY

The Dallas Cowboys had a great opportunity to open up a two game lead in the NFC East, and went out and had a pathetic outing versus the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys offensive statistics may look adequate, but most of their effectiveness came in garbage time when the Packers were up 17-0. The ‘boys didn’t convert a third down until the fourth quarter, and Dallas running backs managed only 45 yards on 11 carries. So much for Tony Romo’s November magic.

I know they’re still three games over 500, but this is the Denver Broncos team I thought I’d see. I give full marks to Kyle Orton for finally throwing the ball over 20 yards (he did it twice!),  but even with Orton going down, they have to beat the Washington Redskins. With three straight losses, the Broncos are now tied with the San Diego Chargers in the AFC West.

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- I know the games generate a lot of revenue for specific markets, but can’t the league switch the Monday nighter if it looks like a dud? I’m sorry, but Baltimore @ Cleveland just doesn’t rev my engine as a Week Ten matchup this season

- Josh Freeman had another nice outing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Count me as surprised. Freeman actually leads the Bucs on scoring drives – a nice change from the quarterback play they were getting earlier in the season

After the Detroit Lions set the bar with a winless season, one logical question comes up – can it happen again? After four weeks of football there are five winless teams, but are any of them bad enough to keep playing at such a low level that they’d be forever linked to the 2008 Lions? Well, let’s have a look.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Of the five winless teams, they’re easily the best. They’re one year removed from being the best team in the league, but their stout defence from a year ago has apparently decided not to show up this season. Sure they’re missing defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz (now head coach of the Lions), and All-Pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (signed with Washington), but giving up 37 points to Jacksonville? Ouch. However, the Titans are too good to go winless. They play the Bills at home in Week 10, and get another winless team, the St. Louis Rams, at home in Week 14.

Chance to go winless: 1%

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Here’s a defence that sits last in the league allowing over 400 yards a game. And Eric Mangini was a defensive coordinator. How this man is allowed to run two teams into the ground in a two year span is beyond me. I’ll give the Browns credit, they gave Cincinnati a scare last week. And they get Buffalo this weekend, as well as Detroit, Kansas City and Oakland later in their schedule. The Dawg Pound should get a win this season, no matter how ugly it is.

Chance to go winless: 25%

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Scott Pioli certainly looks like a genius now, doesn’t he? The well respected former Patriots Vice President of Player Personnel has assembled quite the roster in Kansas City. Matt Cassell for $63 million? A 3-4 defensive end (Tyson Jackson) with the third overall pick? Bringing in Todd Haley as head coach, who looked like a genius in Arizona as offensive coordinator because of the weapons he had there, is not looking like a strong move either. The Chiefs almost had the Raiders in Week 2, only to let JaMarcus Russell beat them. JaMarcus Russell beat the Chiefs (let that one sink in for a minute). They’re lucky however, they get to play Buffalo and Cleveland back-to-back at Arrowhead in December. There’s no way they can lose both of those…. can they?

Chance to go winless: 55%

ST. LOUIS RAMS

From the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’, to this in just a decade. They currently have the 30th ranked offence, and there’s not too many things to look forward to in the Gateway to the Midwest. When Kyle Boller is taking snaps for your team, maybe it’s time to look at next year’s crop of quarterbacks. However, they have one saving grace that may prevent them from going undefeated – the Detroit Lions. Week 8, at Ford Field, these two juggernauts will go head to head. For the Rams, that may be their only shot at victory this year.

Chance to go winless: 75%

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Now this is a team that worries me. After three weeks, they switched quarterbacks. They have a 32 year old head coach who was in charge of their defensive backs last season. What they don’t have, is a lot of talent. Their offense currently sits 27th in the league, and their defence is 31st, allowing just under 400 yards a game. I don’t see any easy wins on their schedule, but they do have the struggling Panthers coming to Raymond James Stadium next weekend.

Chance to go winless: 85%

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- if you’re trading a 26 year old former Pro Bowl receiver, and the second listed item coming back to you is a “key special teams player”, how do you still run a franchise? I’d love for Eric Mangini and George Kokinis to justify that one to me. Braylon Edwards was a plague on the Browns, but you’ve got to get back more than that

- most people are saying the game of the week is New England at Denver. I beg to differ. Give me Atlanta at San Fransisco any day. Two up-and-coming teams with fiery, defensive minded coaches – should make for a great game

College of Sports Media Game of the Night:

Tonight’s NFL Monday night-er is an NFC North showdown featuring two teams that have battled 96 times and simply don’t like each other. The 3-0 Minnesota Vikings host the 2-1 Green Bay Packers, but more importantly tonight marks the first time that former Packer quarterback Brett Favre will face his old team since retiring/un-retiring/retiring/un-retiring two seasons ago. Green Bay holds a slight advantage (49-46-1) in this rivalry and have won the last four of six at the Metrodome. Both teams are also coming off some pretty big week 3 victories. Favre threw a last second bomb to lead the Vikes to a huge comeback win over the 49ers, while Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers finally got his offence on track as his team lit up the St Louis Rams. There is so much history between Favre, his one-time understudy Rodgers and the Packers that you can be sure emotions will be running high come game time. The real story in this game is the play of running back Adrian Peterson who’s play could steal the show. Peterson is averaging 6.1 yards per carry and has already rushed for four touchdowns. The last couple of weeks the Pack’s defence has struggled to contain the run. Two weeks ago Bengals’ Cedric Benson rushed for 141 yards and last week Rams’ Stephen Jackson gained 117. If Peterson can’t be contained the Vikes should roll and ensure Favre a win over his old team.

Each week of the NFL season, I will preview matchups, give my point-spread predictions, and offer fantasy advice for the day ahead.

Week 2 is always tough – It’s easy to draw conclusions from opening week performances, but those can be misleading. Don’t forget, the Giants were 0-2 in 2007, and heading for a third straight defeat against Washington. Suddenly, they’re Super Bowl champs. Similarly, players can significantly impact expectations in Week 1. Yes, Mark Sanchez dominated the Texans, while Andre Johnson struggled. I’m seeing some changes in the immediate future.

With that said, here are the 1 p.m. game previews. Picks are in bold:

Oakland at Kansas City (-3)

Despite the Raiders heartbreaking loss to San Diego, I was impressed. Richard Seymour made an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball and Oakland’s running game looked good. Michael Bush and Darren McFadden should combine for nice totals in their platoon against a Kansas City defence that struggled to stop Baltimore’s rushing attack in Week 1. Considering this will be Matt Cassel’s first game back from a sprained MCL, it’s hard to recommend any Chiefs player aside from Larry Johnson. Dwayne Bowe caught a touchdown against Baltimore and should have a nice season, but it might take a game before Cassel is back in rhythm. JaMarcus Russell has a strong arm but the majority of his passes will be short tosses to Bush and McFadden, while tight end Zach Miller caught six balls against the Chargers.

Houston at Tennessee (-7)

It’s a tough spread to pick, because it’s hard to believe Houston will replicate Week 1’s bad offensive performance against the Jets. Still, the Titans had plenty of chances to beat the Steelers in Week 1 and will be fired up for their home opener. Tennessee should cover, but barely, since they love to pound the ball on the ground. It’s an especially good idea against a weak Texans defence as Chris Johnson and LenDale White should do plenty of damage. Justin Gage has been a favourite of Kerry Collins and should continue to provide solid numbers. Kevin Walter returns for Houston and will help free up Andre Johnson, who was quiet in Week 1. And while Tennessee smothered the Steelers’ running game, Steve Slaton was surprisingly effective against the Titans last season. I would play Slaton in most formats, but especially if your league counts points-per-reception.

New York Jets at New England (-3.5)

New England was lucky to escape with a win against Buffalo and will be fired up against a division rival and rookie quarterback. Sanchez looks headed for plenty of future success, but I would stay away against the experienced Patriots. The running game should be plenty effective, though, as Thomas Jones and Leon Washington provide the Jets with a formidable tandem. While their stats looked similar last week, Washington was easily the better back throughout the game, but Jones is the better play in touchdown-centric leagues that ignore points-per-reception. Tom Brady will throw a ton on Sunday, making Randy Moss and Wes Welker must-starts, while Bejamin Watson and Kevin Faulk could make an impact. Faulk is a great play in points-per-reception leagues.

Cincinnati at Green Bay (-9)

The Bengals offence was stagnant in a rough Week 1, as Laveranues Coles failed to produce as the No. 2 receiver. I got burned playing Chris Henry but I’m sticking with him against the Packers. After Chad Ocho Cinco, Henry should be Carson Palmer’s second favourite target. Cedric Benson had a decent game against Denver but will struggle against the Packers’ defence. Green Bay has a habit of making things interesting, but Aaron Rodgers and the offence should provide plenty of fireworks. Expect big things from Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and Ryan Grant.

Minnesota (-10) at Detroit

The Lions will win a game this year, but it won’t be this week. Look for Adrian Peterson to manhandle Detroit, while Chester Taylor will make a nice flex play and most likely see the endzone. With a big lead, don’t expect to see Brett Favre air it out, but pay plenty of attention to rookie Percy Harvin. I was glad I used Harvin in Week 1 and he will continue to line up all over the field against the Lions. With Favre sticking to short passes and screens, look for Harvin to break at least one huge play. He also has a history of relying on tight ends, meaning Visanthe Shiancoe could be useful. I wouldn’t hesitate to play Bernard Berrian either – yes, there are plenty of options when you are facing the Lions. Calvin Johnson is still an obvious play for Detroit, while Kevin Smith will have the ball in his hands all game and will produce especially well in points-per-reception leagues.

New Orleans (-1.5) at Philadelphia

Philly plays at home and dominated the Panthers in Week 1, but I like the Saints to keep rolling against the Kevin Kolb-led Eagles. Barring a surprise start from the injured Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia should lean even heavier than usual on Brian Westbrook, while DeSean Jackson and the rest of the receivers won’t have as much value against an improved Saints’ defence. Drew Brees isn’t facing the Lions anymore but should still be successful against Philadelphia. Jeremy Shockey already has two more touchdowns than last season and will be targeted plenty, while Marques Colston is the best of New Orleans’ deep receiver corp. I wouldn’t touch any of the Saints’ running backs, considering Philly has success defending the run, while a three-way platoon is tough to read. If I had to choose, Mike Bell is the short-term favourite to get redzone carries, but every TD came through the air in Week 1.

Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3)

The Cardinals played nothing like the 2008 model in Week 1, as Kurt Warner and the vaunted offence struggled in a loss to the 49ers. I expect Arizona to rebound against a Jaguars squad that allowed Peyton Manning to complete over 70% of his passes last week. Larry Fitzgerald is a stud, but he and Warner will be impacted by the health of Anquan Boldin, who is questionable with a hamstring injury – keep an eye on his status. Running back Tim Hightower caught a boatload of passes against San Francisco, but that was probably an aberration. I would expect Jacksonville to try and run the ball with Maurice Jones-Drew, who is an absolute monster in points-per-reception leagues, while producing very well in other formats. Still, I expect the Cardinals to stack the box and force the Jags to throw – something I think results in Arizon’s first win.

St. Louis at Washington (-9.5)

The Rams really stink and I think Washington dominates this game. Jason Campbell struggled to find his rhythm against the Giants but should have more time to throw against a defence that will have trouble stopping Clinton Portis. I wouldn’t normally recommend Campbell, but this would be a good time to use him if your other quarterback has a bad matchup. I love Chris Cooley against the Rams, while Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El should have plenty of opportunities to make plays. In touchdown-centric leagues, Ladell Betts would be a solid flex option and has a good chance to see the endzone. There’s not much to like about St. Louis aside from Steven Jackson – He was solid in Week 1 and continues to be one of the most productive players in any format, especially point-per-reception leagues. Tough luck for those who invested in Donnie Avery… it appears that Laurent Robinson is Marc Bulger’s favourite target and is a threat to make a big play on Sunday.

Good luck.

-DL