NFL final word: Week two

I know, I know... it’s already pretty much week three. So instead of recapping last Sunday’s games I’ll have a quick breeze through the five young players I’ve enjoyed watching most through week two, in reverse order. Ready? Let’s do this...

5. Chansi Stuckey (New York Jets): Frankly I couldn’t care less who wins the AFC East given that there’s zero hope of Miami doing so, although if forced I’ll go for the Bills. (The Jets are from New York, enough said, while the New England Patriots are the New England Patriots.) But I will hold my hands up and say fair play to Stuckey, a player who missed the whole of his rookie season in 2007 thanks to a busted foot. He’s quickly turned himself into one of Brett Favre’s favourite targets, is great at finding holes in zone defenses and catches the ball beautifully. A long career (probably, and hopefully, at a better side three or four years down the line) beckons.

4. Matt Forte (Chicago): Can this guy run or can this guy run? The Bears are back, and he’s the catalyst. Chi-towners had better hope he stays in shape for the next 14 weeks – they might get an extended season if he does.

3. Darren Sproles (San Diego): The very first thing I did on Monday morning was log into Yahoo and drop Vincent Jackson from my fantasy team to make room for his pint-sized, dynamite-assed team-mate. Many scoffed at the Chargers’ decision to let Michael Turner, LT’s number 2 since forever, walk away during the offseason, but Sproles has shut the critics up within two games. The quickness with which he reaches full speed will be terrifying defenses (and special teams units) for the rest of this season. He has ridiculous burst at the line of scrimmage and dances around opposition players for fun.

2. Jay Cutler (Denver): Alright, he’s already pretty much there, but the worried faces which met the revelation that he is diabetic only serve to make his sensational start all the more impressive. Last minute fumbles rescued by incompetent officiating aside, he’s making it look like his receivers are wearing metal gloves and he’s throwing a magnetic ball – Eddie Royal, Tony Scheffler and Brandon Marshall are clocking up insane fantasy numbers. As long as he plays like this, the Broncos aren’t just dark horses – they’re genuine Super Bowl contenders.

1. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay): Brett who?: This guy might be the most fun player to watch in the NFL right now. He’s making a mockery of the fans’ clamour to hang onto Favre, and his forever upbeat body language suggests he’s really enjoying it. And he deserves to. The smiles might become frowns once he hits a bad pitch – it happens to everyone – but for now my eyes are glued on number 12. Hot tip of the week: Packers to beat Dallas Sunday.

Five more on the bubble:
Davone Bess (Miami) – about the only positive I can find in South Florida right now; Eddie Royal (Denver) – see Jay Cutler entry, above; DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia) – Monday night’s clanger was stupid stupid stupid but it was also funny funny funny; JT O’Sullivan (San Francisco) – when did this guy suddenly learn to play?; Chris Horton (Washington) – whoooooo? I thought the same before his out-of-nowhere performance against the Saints on Sunday.