NFL top quarterbacks

Mariota leading quarterback after two weeks

By Paul Burrowes

After two weeks in the regular season of the National Football  League, Marcus Mariota of the Tennessee Titans leads as the top quarterback with a passer rating of 129.1.

The Titans lost to Cleveland Browns 28-14 last Sunday, after winning their opening game 42-14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, September 13.
In that win the 21-year-old, 6-4 quarterback threw for 209 yards and had four  touchdowns to secure the award as the American Football  Conference offensive player of the second week.
Big Ben Roethlisberger of Pittsburgh Steelers was the AFC  offensive player in the second week, his passer rating of 155.8 in the 43-18 win over San Francisco 49ers getting the nod over New  England Patriots' Tom Brady.
Brady was the passing leader in the second week, throwing  466 yards which was adorned with three touchdowns.
Brady's quarterback rating was 105.6, having completed 38 of  59 passing attempts.  The 38-year-old Tom Terrific, who was the 2014 NFL Super Bowl MVP, also had one sack and two  fumbles.
Mariota, using the criterion of at least 50 pass attempts, barely got the edge over Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers whose passer rating stands at 128.42, with Carson Palmer of the Arizona Cardinals in third with 124.42.
Darrelle Revis was AFC defensive player of the week, the 30-year-old New York Jets' defensive back posting three tackles, one tackle assist, and a defensive pass interception.
Larry Fitzgerald of Arizona Cardinals was the NFC offensive player of the second week. The 6-3 wide receiver, 32, grabbed nine targets, eight receptions for 112 yards and including three touchdowns.

Top five quarterbacks

1 Marcus Mariota, TEN, 129.9
2 Aaron Rodgers, GNB, 128.4
3 Carson Palmer, ARI, 124.4
4 Ben Roethlisberger, PIT, 122.6
5 Andy Dalton, CIN, 120.3
6 Tom Brady, NWE, 119.9

NFL Thursday

Giants favoured but Redskins to surprise

By Paul Burrowes

Washington Redskins @ New York Giants
Thursday, September 24, 2015

The New York Giants won their last four games against the Washington Redskins, who will travel to MeLife Stadium Thursday to take on Eli Manning and running backs Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams.
Manning is tipped to take the Giants to victory, a winning probability of 62 per cent.
New York lost their two opening matches this season and Washington running back Alfred Morris looks set to upset the odds and hand the Giants their third loss when they meet at East Rutherford at 7:00 pm.
The Redskins have the better defence, marshalled by safety Trenton Robinson, cornerback DeAngelo Hall, and linebacker Keenan Robinson.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins is steadily rising up the rankings and is hoping for a performance of last year September against Philadelphia Eagles when he had three touchdowns and threw for 427 yards.
The Redskins lost that match at the Lincoln Financial Field.
Cousins, however, has not performed well in two matches against the Giants, but he has thrown six interceptions.
Washington should have the edge in yards gained, yards allowed, time of possession and the red zone, while the Giants will be big in kicking and penalties.