Faceoff: Hop on the bus with Gus? AFC's No. 2; surprise?

CBSSports.com pro football writers Pete Prisco and Clark Judge face off weekly throughout the season.

Pete Prisco	Clark Judge
Does it matter who plays quarterback for the Vikings?
I say no. They play such a run-heavy style of football that the quarterback never gets a chance to be a factor. When you constantly put a young player like Tarvaris Jackson in third-and-long situations, asking him to go make a play against the pressure and nickel coverage, you're setting him up to fail. Were they protecting him or restricting what he could do? I don't think we really don't know what Jackson can do. I know they have a good running game, but it needs help. You throw to score and you run to win. The Vikings found that out last week in losing the Colts with five field goals. Gus Frerotte might be better suited for the short run, but if they don't let him throw on first down it doesn't matter who's throwing the passes. Vikings coach Brad Childress decided to start the season with Jackson, which was a mistake, and it just might cost him his job if Frerotte doesn't turn things around.	Yes. That's why they made the change from Jackson to Gus Frerotte. Without the threat of the pass, opponents were stacking the box, which made it more difficult for Adrian Peterson to be ... well, Adrian Peterson. A GM told me yesterday his team put five defensive linemen and three defensive backs on the field against Minnesota, which tells you all you need to know about Jackson as a passer. That has to change, and to change it you must find someone who can throw accurately. Enter Frerotte. So he's not a great quarterback. He doesn't have to be. All he must do is make opponents respect the pass. And he will. Now maybe Bernard Berrian becomes a weapon, which will back off defenders from the line of scrimmage and open holes for Peterson. I'm a big believer in continuity, but Jackson had his chance. The Vikings couldn't afford to wait any longer on him.

Let's say we agree Pittsburgh is the best team in the AFC right now. Who is second?

Boy, that's tough. But I'll go with the Denver Broncos. When in doubt, go with the team that leads the league in total offense. Jay Cutler has elevated his game to a higher level. Brandon Marshall can't be covered with one man; he's too big and physical. I do worry about the Denver defense, but there is talent -- Champ Bailey, for example -- and they'll get it going once some of the young players up front play better. I'm not sure in a month I'll think the Broncos are the second-best team. Then again, I'm not sure in a month the Steelers will be the AFC's best. If Tennessee had a little better offense, you could make a case for the Titans as the second best, or even the Buffalo Bills or Patriots. But now, it's the Broncos.

It has to be New England by a half-length over Buffalo. Do I think the Patriots are vulnerable without Tom Brady? Sure. But they have a lot of good players left behind and a head coach I trust in big games. The Bills are good. Real good. And they showed me something by going to Jacksonville and winning. But they still have to deal with the 900-pound gorilla, and that gorilla is a division champion that's beaten them 14 of the past 15. Until that happens I'm sticking with a team that hasn't lost in 21 straight regular-season starts.

Which team is the biggest surprise?

Although most would say it's the 2-0 Arizona Cardinals, I'll go with the Carolina Panthers. I thought the Cardinals would be better in 2008. I had some reservations about the Panthers getting off to a 2-0 start for a couple of reasons. One was the suspension of receiver Steve Smith, the only game-breaker on offense. The other was coach John Fox's insistence that they would be returning to their power-football ways. You know I'm not a fan of that style. But the Panthers love to run to set up the pass. They've won both games that way, but both had slim margins. That's what happens when you play that style. If everything goes right, you win a close game. If not, you're in trouble. Jake Delhomme has done a nice job bouncing back from elbow surgery and the defense looks improved. But the passing game is ranked 18th. That has to be better. Even so, I'll go with the Panthers for now.

Carolina, not because it is 2-0 but because it is 2-0 without its top playmaker, Steve Smith. There is no way I figured the Panthers to beat San Diego after a cross-country trip, especially with Smith missing from the lineup. Then they overcame Chicago at home where, frankly, they stunk the past two seasons. At best, I thought they were a 1-1 team waiting to happen -- and had they lost their first two without Smith I wouldn't have been surprised. I'd make Denver a close second, again because I didn't see the Broncos beating San Diego, with or without Ed Hochuli. Heck, I didn't see them beating Oakland without Brandon Marshall, either. Mike Shanahan finally seems to have found a franchise quarterback in Jay Cutler, which is trouble waiting to happen for the rest of the AFC.