A lot of what we’re watching this week deals with how teams respond to circumstances that have arisen on or off the field over the last week. Week two lacks sexy match-ups, but that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of story lines. Here are a few things we’re watching this week:

  • How tough is Baltimore?

No team has been more distracted this week than Baltimore. The Ravens are under fire for their handling of the Ray Rice situation. Can they win a near must-win game against rival Pittsburgh and keep pace in the AFC North?

  • Can Goodell survive?

Furthermore on that situation, the Rice situation left the NFL with a major black eye — and it was all so avoidable. Commissioner Roger Goodell has mishandled this situation from the start. It’s his job to protect “the shield,” and he has failed miserably in this case. Public sentiment is squarely against him and there are reports that he has lied about whether the league had access to the elevator security tape. The owners probably aren’t inclined to rock the boat considering that they’ve been printing cash during the Goodell era. But they also know the Rice situation has hurt the NFL’s brand they’ve worked so hard to build.

  • Are the Vikings for real?

Getting back on the field, can the Vikings follow up a fantastic road win over a team relegated to using its third string QB for much of the game with a solid performance against one of the all-time great coaches and one of the all-time great QBs? This team looked so good on both sides of the ball that it was virtually unrecognizable from a year ago. If the Vikings can repeat that performance against the Patriots, then it’s time to take note of Mike Zimmer’s squad.

  • Time to punt the Patriots?

Conversely, how will the Patriots respond to their collapse against Miami. New England entered the season with high hopes that its defense could match the offense’s fireworks. But Miami hung a 30-something on them. Is this team going to answer and give itself a chance to make a run or are we watching an aging team starting to slide after a decade of division dominance?

  • Saints on the road off a bad loss

New Orleans comes off of a dramatic choke job against its division rival. The Saints are better than Cleveland, but don’t play nearly as well on the road or on grass. Do they handle a team they should beat or take the gaspipe again in Cleveland as happened the last time they visited in 2010?

  • Same old Bucs?

Tampa was a sexy sleeper pick heading into the season, but a dud in week one has plenty jumping off the bandwagon already. They’ve got a banged up Rams team that was supposed to be among the conference’s best defenses. Which week one disappointment saves face in week two?

  • Will Cam be Cam?

The Panthers won in Week 1 with Derek Anderson at the helm, but they need Cam Newton if they aspire to return to the playoffs this season. Following offseason ankle surgery and a broken rib in the preseason, it remains to be seen whether he’ll be able to play his game, though. The good news is that rookie wideout Kelvin Benjamin looks like the real deal, giving Cam a big target on the outside for the first time in his pro career.

  • Just who are the Jags?

I was intrigued enough by Jacksonville’s hot star against Philly to be curious about whether this team’s turnaround was going faster than expected. They lost last week, but now play a winnable game against Washington on the road. Do they start their ascent to decency or dive against a team they could beat.

  • Who leads the AFC East?

Miami and Buffalo playing for first place in the NFC East? It’s early, but the Dolphins exposed some flaws in New England. This game might matter more than we thought it would.

  • Falling star

Dallas. Not many teams looked worse in week one than the Cowboys. Is this team even mediocre? Or is the star going to collapse in 2014?

  • MNF regaining some shine

Monday Night Football’s actually getting some intriguing match-ups this season. Philadelphia at Indianapolis should be a barnburner that I’ll watch purely for entertainment value.