Updated Sept. 20, 2009 @ 8:53 p.m. ET

• One of the silver linings of the Bengals' devastating Week One loss to Denver was the play of DE Antwan Odom, who had two sacks and played better than he ever had since signing a lucrative contract with Cincinnati in March 2008. He starred again in Week Two at Green Bay, piling up a club record-tying five sacks in Cincy's 31-24 upset victory. The Bengals notched just 17 sacks a season ago, but their pass rush looks far more formidable than it did a season ago, what with Odom returning to form and the addition of athletic rookie DE Michael Johnson, who poses numerous matchup problems.

• After having a reduced role in the offense last season, Ravens TE Todd Heap was targeted eight times in the opener vs. Kansas City and snagged five passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. Heap looks noticeably quicker in 2009, the way we hear it, and he seems likely to be an important part of the passing game in the '09 campaign. "Todd's going to have a great year," offensive coordinator Cam Cameron told Baltimore reporters last week. "If he stays healthy, there's no doubt he's going to have a great year."

• There's some concern about Ravens ILB Tavares Gooden's ability to hold up physically throughout an entire season, the way we hear it. Gooden suffered a sprained knee vs. Kansas City in Week One and played in only four games in 2008 before a hip injury ended his season.

• It was telling that Browns head coach Eric Mangini expressed hope that newly signed WR-S Ray Ventrone would "be able to help us immediately on special teams." The Browns left RS-WR Joshua Cribbs, who's an established coverage man, off the coverage teams in Week One because of his added responsibilities on offense. Ventrone had seven tackles in 15 games with New England in 2008.

• If there was any doubt as to whether Fred Jackson could handle the featured RB job in Buffalo as Marshawn Lynch sits out the first three games under suspension, it was alleviated with his tremendous effort against the Patriots' retooled defense. Although he lacks Lynch's physical traits, he's a smoother operator with a superior feel for the passing game.

• Although Sean Smith continues to get the Dolphins' start at cornerback opposite Will Allen, the club has every intention of platooning him and fellow rookie Vontae Davis until one emerges clearly ahead of the other. Both have zoomed past former first-round CB Jason Allen, who we hear is all but a lost soul in the secondary.

• OLB Tully Banta-Cain was among the last players to make the Patriots' 53-man roster, and there's little doubt in hindsight that it was one of the wisest personnel decisions Bill Belichick made this offseason. Especially with all of the veteran turnover at linebacker and the sprained medial collateral ligament suffered by Jerod Mayo, Banta-Cain's presence on the Pats' second line of defense is a considerable boon. For a defense unsure where it will get its pass rush from, Banta-Cain is one of the few dependable options.

• As much as the Jets want to dig their heels in and even though they might theoretically have the upper hand, it's becoming harder and harder not to ultimately grant RB Leon Washington the type of new contract he's seeking. Although the Jets are believed to have offered him a less lucrative contract than the one he's seeking, an argument can still be made that the dynamic running back/returner is currently the NFL's most underpaid player.

• Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver hasn't exactly won over his team — or inspired confidence in QB David Garrard — with his shocking and out-of-character public comments about the Jags' interest in Florida icon Tim Tebow a full seven months before the draft. Even though Garrard hasn't gotten off to a fast start after a poor 2008 campaign, it's hard to judge a quarterback who's working with a completely gutted WR corps and two rookie offensive tackles protecting him.

• The return of Texans CB Jacques Reeves could give the Houston secondary a considerable boost, the way we hear it. Reeves, who suffered a broken leg in August and missed the Week One game vs. the Jets, was Houston's best defensive back last season, a source close to the team said. If nothing else, Reeves' return bolsters the depth of the secondary.

• Titans DT Sen'Derrick Marks is the odd man out behind four veterans (Tony Brown, Jason Jones, Jovan Haye and Kevin Vickerson) in the Tennessee DT rotation. Marks, a second-round pick from Auburn, was inactive for the Week One game at Pittsburgh. However, head coach Jeff Fisher has said the club is happy with the way Marks has progressed.

• Yet another high draft pick of the Carl Peterson-Herm Edwards era was cut last week when the Chiefs parted ways with LB Turk McBride. McBride, drafted as a defensive lineman with a second-round pick in 2007, failed to live up to his lofty expectations in Kansas City, notching just one sack in his two seasons. The ultimate reason he was let go, though, is because he did not make the adjustment to linebacker well in the team's 3-4 defense and simply proved not to be a proper fit for the scheme.

• Although Chargers C Nick Hardwick was carted off the field with what looked to be a serious leg injury in the team's Week One contest at Oakland, we hear that the outlook is not as bad as initially thought. Hardwick has been diagnosed with a sprained ankle, and while he's currently wearing a protective boot, he was seen walking around the locker room without a limp. The injury is not expected to sideline him for a prolonged period.

• The Broncos did not want to use WR Eddie Royal on kick and punt returns this year, but rookie Alphonso Smith's inability to handle those duties sufficiently left head coach Josh McDaniels little choice but to put Royal on both units. While Smith has done a nice job as the team's nickel back thus far, he struggled with ball security as a returner and was scratched from the spot. The Broncos would rather allow Royal to focus on playing receiver.

• There were reports that the Raiders were close to signing free-agent CB Chris McAlister in the lead-up to Week Two, but we hear that talk was premature. While the Raiders are interested in McAlister, they would most likely need to take a look at him in a tryout setting before making a decision on whether to bring him in or not, since he hasn't been on an NFL roster since February, when the Ravens cut him. We're told that McAlister has not worked out for any club recently.

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