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Colts, Browns, Chiefs look to rebound
Two teams whose
supporters let out collective 'uh-oh's' on the NFL's opening weekend
will meet in Week 2 action on Sunday afternoon when the Indianapolis
Colts play host to the Cleveland Browns (1:00pm ET, CBS).
The Colts are going to be without starting quarterback Peyton
Manning for months � and possibly for the entire season � but by
signing veteran pivot Kerry Collins during the preseason they
figured they'd be able to at least stay competitive. That, however,
was not the case in their opener against the Houston Texans.
The Texans had their way with Indianapolis over the weekend, putting
up 17 points in each of the first two quarters en route to an easy
34-7 win - and Houston didn't even have star running back Arian
Foster in the lineup on Sunday.
Indianapolis, in fact, didn't even get on the board until midway
through the fourth quarter in that defeat, when Collins found Reggie
Wayne in the end zone. Overall Collins completed just 16 of his 31
pass attempts for 197 yards, while Wayne had seven catches for 106
yards. Joseph Addai rushed for 39 yards on eight carries.
The Browns were a popular choice in suicide pools in Week 1 as they
played host to a Cincinnati Bengals team that looked to be in
disarray heading into the season. Cleveland, though, couldn't get
the job done against their in-state rival, taking a 14-13 lead into
halftime but giving up two TDs in the fourth quarter to lose 27-17.
Peyton Hillis was held to just 57 yards on the ground for the Browns
in that defeat on 17 carries, while Colt McCoy was good on only 19
of his 40 pass attempts for 213 yards with two touchdowns and one
interception as the Browns start at 0-1.
The team that suffered the worst embarrassment in Week 1, though,
was the Kansas City Chiefs, who began their 2011 campaign with a
horrific 41-7 loss � at home, no less � against a Buffalo Bills team
that won just four games last season.
Matt Cassel managed to throw for just 119 yards in that loss for the
Chiefs, connecting with Jamaal Charles for the team's lone score in
the second quarter. Kansas City's defense then allowed Ryan
Fitzpatrick to look like Jim Kelly, as the Bills pivot was an
efficient 17-of-25 for 208 yards with four touchdown strikes.
Buffalo will try to make it two wins in a row when they host Oakland
in Week 2 action on Sunday, while Houston will be in Miami, and
Cincinnati stays on the road to face Denver. As well, it'll be
Chicago at New Orleans, Tampa Bay at Minnesota, Green Bay at
Carolina, Seattle at Pittsburgh, Jacksonville at the Jets, Baltimore
at Tennessee, Arizona at Washington, Dallas at San Francisco, and
San Diego at New England.
Atlanta then hosts Philadelphia on Sunday Night Football (8:20pm ET,
NBC), while the Giants get a visit from St. Louis on Monday Night
Football (8:30pm ET, ESPN). Oddsmaker will have the lines and totals
for all of the Week 2 NFL betting contests.
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