Updated: September 12, 2002, 2:30 PM ET

NFL Mismatches: Week 2

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By by Ryan Early
Each week we preview one matchup per game that is such a mismatch that it should make an impact on the game, either through its exploitation or by changing a team's plans to try to compensate. After an astronomically high-scoring Week 1, defenses are reeling. Another weekend of offensive shootouts should have defensive coordinators in full-blown panic mode. But with the expansion Texans diluting the talent level in the league just that small amount more, the league may have finally created a set-up where teams score points with regularity.

Rams RB Marshall Faulk vs. Giants LB's Dhani Jones
and Brandon Short

Both offensive lines face huge mismatches, but we focused on those team weaknesses last week so we'll go with another here. Despite the loss to the Broncos in Week 1, Faulk is still the best player in the league. No single defender can stop him as even the Broncos' speedy linebackers saw Faulk whip past them in one-on-one matchups. The key to stopping Faulk is to surround him quickly thus giving him no avenue of escape. That takes speed, especially from linebackers, which the Giants don't have. Jones frequently looks lost in pass coverage and won't come close to covering Faulk. The other outside linebacker, Short, is also weak in coverage but is also rather slow. Need we say more.

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