Here is one thing I have learned over the past few days about the media, esp. ESPN, when it comes to sports reports - don’t immediately believe what they have to say. Just a few days ago, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen stated that as a matter of fact, Matt Leinart was going to start for Arizona against Atlanta this week, only to have Coach Green and the Cardinals say, “NO Kurt is still the man,” only one day later.

Same goes for the report on QB Vince Young of Tennessee. Still, those stories are nothing compared to the story they ran with regarding Dallas Cowboys’ WR Terrell Owens.

Now this story about Terrell Owens makes me angry. Not because I want to come out and defend Terrell Owens, but because the media is messing with people’s lives here, and they are taking no responsibility for it. The media continues to try to take ever story involving Terrell Owens and make it out to be a Shakespearean tragedy.

This story was handled very unprofessionally and most of the facts seem to come from hearsay. Can you imagine being a friend or a family member of an individual and you hear that they tried to commit suicide. That would drive you crazy and then to finally contact that person and they tell you those disturbing reports were false. I would not be happy about it at all.

Owens’ story about the supplements and pain killers is not only credible, but it is supported by what has happened since then. An early hospital discharge, no psychological consultation and being back at work practicing today should let you know he did not try to kill himself. When someone tries to take their own life, they are not back at work the next day – trust me, I know.

TO has handled this invasion of his privacy very well and better than most of us would have.

Sure, you can argue that he is a professional athlete and that he has created this media circus that surrounds him, but you cannot report what you please just to sell papers and get ratings. The media is starting to push on some boundaries and one day they will take it too far.

Just when you thought you knew a thing or two about some teams in the NFL, Week 2 throws you for a loop. Here’s a look at some of the highs and lows from last week’s games.

The Good
Defense! Defense! Defense!

Giving some love to the players on the defensive side of the ball for the Ravens, Chargers and Bears! Oh My!

I know it is early in the season, but in consecutive weeks, these three teams defensive units have all but obliterated opposing offenses. In two weeks, these defenses have allowed a combined total of 20 points. The Bears blanked the Packers in Week 1 and followed it up by allowing a single TD (7 points) to the Lions in Week 2.

Baltimore held Tampa Bay scoreless in Week 1 and allowed 2 FGs (6 points) against Oakland in Week 2. And finally, a defensive unit that is becoming quite scary, the Chargers shutout the Raiders in Week 1 and held the Titans to just 7 points in Week 2.

The Chargers have a bye, the Ravens travel to Cleveland and the Bears visit Minnesota in Week 3. I expect these defensive units to excel again next week.

The Good Part II
Must give the Manning brothers some love along with some other QBs!

I know it is a bit early in the season to have a two part Good section, but I cannot overlook what some QBs did last week. Props to Manning, Manning, Brees and Palmer.

Just want to share there stat lines:
Peyton Manning, 400 yards passing, 3 TDs
Eli Manning, 371 yards passing, 3 TDs
Drew Brees, 353 yards passing, 2 TDs
Carson Palmer, 352 yards passing, 2 TDs

Brilliant!

The Bad
The Pittsburgh Steelers for rushing their QB back too quickly.

Ben Roethlisberger was in no way shape or from ready to come back to play football in the NFL 15 days after having an emergency appendectomy. Further more, the guy had a fever on Monday of 100.4 degrees. Why was he even on the field?

The Steelers opened the season with Charlie Batch against the Dolphins and he was more than adequate in handling the starting QB duties. Why rush Roethlisberger back and risk injuring him even further and risk your season.

His stats on Monday night left many fans scratching their heads at his sub-par performance. Big Ben was not so big in his first game back going 17 of 32 for 141 yards and ZERO TDs and 2 INTs. His passes were off the mark all night long and he did not look comfortable in the pocket.

A QB should not flinch when he is about to get hit by a blitzing linebacker, and Big Ben did just that on several occasions. He should have watched from the sidelines and the Steelers made a mistake rushing Ben back to the field so quickly.

The Ugly
The Carolina Panther’s Gamble fails!

With the Panther’s leading 13-6 and having just forced the Vikings to punt, Coach John Fox gambled with Chris Gamble and they lost the house, the boat, the farm, the chickens, the shirts off their backs and the game!

Midway through the fourth quarter, Chris Gamble caught a punt and for some unexplainable reason, Coach John Fox had Gamble throw a backward lateral to Richard Marshall. Well that failed miserably when the ball bounced around and was recovered by the Viking’s Jason Glenn at the 21-yard line. With that bad play call, the Panthers saw their momentum and lead disappear and eventually wound up losing the game 16-13 in overtime.

Why make this call when you are winning the game, late in the game on the road? Fox is done with that play, saying, “At that point in the game, we were trying to be aggressive and got too greedy. Obviously that was a mistake on my part. It was a bad decision. The buck stops here with that. All decisions in the game come through me. I don't think we'll see that one again.”

Let’s hope so because that was UGLY!

So here we are, one week into the preseason and one can only wonder what the Houston Texans are thinking about their choice in the 2006 draft.

I know, I know. What’s done is done! And yes, I know, it’s only the first game of the preseason. However, I cannot help but look at the production of the Texans’ #1 pick, Mario Williams, and the Saints #2 pick, Reggie Bush in their first NFL game.

Williams, who moved all around the defensive line against the Chiefs looked like he did not belong in the NFL. He was tentative and unsure of himself and was stood up on a couple of plays. All Williams could amass in a quarter of play was an assist on one tackle.

Now let’s check on the running back Houston past on.

Reggie Bush ran for 59 yards on 6 carries. Granted 44 of those yards came on one run, but that was the explosive play that Bush brings to the show. The play started left and he ran into the backs of his offensive line, Bush reversed his field and sprinted past several defenders on his way to a 44-yard gain. Bush also added 10 yards on 2 receptions.

At the end of the day, the Texans need some sort of threat that will help take pressure off of QB David Carr. Even if Williams is able to sack Peyton Manning 4 times per game and break the single season sack record, he will not be worth the amount of offensive yards and points that Reggie Bush will put up.

Seeing just this one preseason game, if I were Houston, I would ask for a mulligan on my first pick in the draft.

Isn't this what Bryant Gumble asked T.O.?

I am not sure why the media continues to harp on T.O. and what they call "his past". All he really did was call-out his teammate that he was unhappy with. Was that a smart thing to do? No.

But really, has he sinned? No. Committed a crime? NO. Taken drugs? NO! Then why does the media continue to ask Head Coach Bill Parcells is he thinks Owens will be a distraction? There is only one reason, money.

Terrell Owens sells! People say T.O. and the fans will listen. Listen to what anyone has to say about him in anyway shape or form. News broadcasts tease you with T.O. as the latest sports story and we tune in to watch. He sells tickets. Just ask the Dallas Cowboys, who have seen ticket sales rise. And even this past weekend at the opening of Cowboys training camp, there were oodles of national media guys there to cover what ESPN's John Clayton said, "The biggest story in football right now."

Why is it the biggest story, because he sells.

So don't believe the Terrell Owens is evil and going to be a cancer and destroy the Dallas Cowboys. It's all hype. Jerry Jones knows what he did by signing Owens; he brought in the best wide receiver in the league and the best wide receiver the Cowboys organization has seen since the departure of Michael Irvin.

Go on T.O., sell the tickets! I will be there to watch.

-Steven Miranda
Host of NFL Rants and Raves