Kam-do attitude

Holdout safety bails out struggling Seahawks

With all the game, backstories, injuries and developments in a given week in the NFL, it’s tough to know what to look for on Sunday. Here are the five things to watch this week.

FORMER HOLDOUT TO WATCH

Kam Chancellor’s sudden capitulation in his contract squabble with the Seahawks was surprising and had to be disheartening for any hard-line players around the league.

It was a surprise because Chancellor folded his tent — he returned wit hout a ny major changes or i mprovements in his contract — despite appearing to have leverage that was increasing by the week.

The Seahawks are 0-2 going into Sunday’s home opener against the Jay

Cutler- less Bears in large part because their Legion of Boom secondary was a shell of itself without Chancellor anchoring from his strong safety spot.

Seattle begins Sunday ranked 29th in scoring defense, 21st in passing defense and 29th in interceptions, and some observers thought the Seahawks would give in if the losses and coverage woes continued.

But Chancellor didn’t give them the chance, and arguably the NFL’s best player at his position now must be content with being its 13th-highest paid when it comes to guaranteed money.

Chancellor, in fact, isn’t even the highest-paid safety on his own team. That tag goes to free safety

Earl Thomas, who has nearly $26 million guaranteed compared with Chancellor’s $7.8 million.

POTENTIAL HEAD CASE TO WATCH

The Dolphins denied a Miami Herald report that

Ndamukong Suh caused “confusion” in their loss to the Jaguars last week by freelancing on several plays, but keep your eye n this situation.

Suh is off to a very slow start in Miami after getting nearly $60 million guaranteed in free agency, recording just two solo tackles and four quarterback hurries in the Dolphins’ first two games combined, despite playing 127 snaps.

There is talk Suh considers defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle’s scheme too complicated, and it’s not as if he is motivated by a contract year to figure it out.

RELATIONSHIP TO WATCH

The Browns’ decision to go back to journeyman

Josh McCown the week after Johnny Manziel’s best day as a pro shows how much pressure coach Mike Pettine is under to win now.

It also show little Pet-

tine continues to think of the former Heisman Trophy winner, who is on Pettine’s roster only because owner Jimmy

Haslam wanted Manziel. League sources say Pettine and his staff still don’t respect Manziel’s ability to read defenses and don’t want to have to rely on him improvising lucky plays (as exciting as his two long TD passes were against Tennessee) just to win each week.

It seems increasingly likely to observers that either Pettine or Manziel will be back next season — but not both.

SIMMERING FEUD TO WATCH

The Broncos are 2-0, but it still looks like trouble ahead for the relationship between

Peyton Manning and first-year Denver coach

Gary Kubiak. That was evident as soon as Kubiak announced this past week the Broncos would stick with his more conven- tional offensive scheme instead of the shotgun-based system Manning has thrived in since coming to Denver.

“You stay committed to what you believe in,” Kubiak said. “You don’t run away from something, you keep working at it.”

That means more Manning under center starting Sunday when Denver visits the 0-2 Lions, though the Broncos rank last in the NFL in total yards and Manning already has been sacked seven times in two games after being sacked just 17 times all last season.

Manning couldn’t hide his disdain last week against the Chiefs, and the Broncos only rallied for a 31-24 win after Manning talked Kubiak into switching to the shotgun in the second half.

Since Manning and Kubiak are both stubborn and prideful guys, expect more volatility ahead.

ROOKIE SENSATION TO WATCH

Chiefs rookie cornerback Marcus Peters so far is proving all the predraft skeptics wrong about his maturity level.

Peters already is making a case for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, notching two interceptions (one against Manning), breaking up seven passes and recording 10 tackles just in his first two games.

Peters went 18th overall in the draft, with corners Trae Waynes ( Vikings) and Kevin

Johnson (Texans) going ahead of him in large part because of Peters’ murky exit — reportedly due to temper and behavioral concerns — from the University of Washington early in his senior season.

The Chiefs’ gamble has paid off so far. Peters definitely will come in handy Monday, when Kansas City faces Aaron Rodg

ers and the Packers.