| NFC NORTH |
| GREEN BAYBreakout star TE TUCKER KRAFT avoided serious injury Thursday. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: The Packers have made good use of tight end Tucker Kraft through the first two weeks of the season, so word of a knee injury in Thursday’s practice was reason for concern. Kraft appears to have avoided a serious injury, however. According to multiple reports, evaluations of Kraft’s knee showed that it was a minor tweak rather than anything that will cause him a significant absence. Official word on Kraft’s status will come from the Packers on Friday via head coach Matt LaFleur and the team’s injury report, but it looks like the tight end should be part of the plan for this Sunday’s game against the Browns. Kraft had eight catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns over the first two weeks of the regular season. |
| NFC EAST |
| PHILADELPHIAThe NFL seems to feel that things have gotten loose when officials watch a Tush Push. Matt Moret and Dianna Russini of The Athletic: A league training video sent to NFL referees and teams on Wednesday noted officials should have flagged at least one of the Philadelphia Eagles’ “tush push” plays against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2. News of the video was first reported by The Washington Post. The instructional video is a regularly distributed package of plays from the prior week’s games that clubs are able to review for training purposes. In it, Ramon George, the NFL’s vice president of officiating training and development, told referees to be more attentive to pre-snap movement during plays like the tush push. “Anytime we have this situation where we’re in short yardage, we know we want to make sure that we officiate these plays — the offensive team has to be perfect in every aspect,” George said in the video. “We want to officiate it tight. We want to be black and white and be as tight as we can be when we get into this situation where teams are in the bunch position and we have to officiate them being onsides, movement early.” George pointed to one tush push play the Eagles ran with five and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia had the ball on third-and-1 on its own 25-yard line. As the Eagles so often do, they lined up to shove quarterback Jalen Hurts forward for the first down. The play succeeded, but according to George, referees should have blown it dead or flagged it afterward. As he points out in the clip, there was an uncalled false start by Eagles right guard Tyler Steen before the snap. On the same play, officials also missed an illegal pre-snap motion by a Chiefs defensive lineman, who appears to try to punch the ball from the hand of Eagles center Cam Jurgens. “Prior to the snap, looks like we have movement by the right guard. We also have movement coming across from the defensive side,” George said. ”This is a very hard play to officiate. I get it.” Stay in the know by selecting your interests on The Athletic:Had officials awarded the penalty to the Chiefs, the Eagles would have been pushed back 5 yards and faced third-and-6. Despite the missed call, the drive did eventually end with an Eagles punt, and Kansas City drove down the field for a touchdown. George, however, left a more consequential play, at least in terms of the score, out of the video. Fans and the Fox commentary team of Tom Brady and Kevin Burkhardt pointed out another false start on a tush push play at the 7:48 mark of the fourth quarter that resulted in an Eagles touchdown. “The Philly shove is awfully impossible to stop, and when you get a false start penalty like that, it’s even harder to stop. And they missed that one pretty bad,” Brady said over a replay of Hurts’ 1-yard score. Both Eagles guards, Steen and Landon Dickerson, jumped pre-snap during the play, but the referees did not throw a flag. Hurts’ score pushed the Eagles’ lead to 20-10, and they went on to win, 20-17. A tush push earlier in the game also drew questions and criticism over whether Hurts fumbled the ball. Fox rules analyst Dean Blandino seemed exasperated by the situation. In a Monday news conference, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni acknowledged his team needs to make sure they aren’t creating opportunities for penalties on short-yardage plays. Still, he argued the backlash against the Sunday no-calls and others doesn’t account for the real-time factors at play. “I think that the one clip I saw of it was slowed down so much that I’m not sure you can see that to the naked eye,” he said. “I mean, it was slowed down so much, and I get how we can manipulate things and show things like that, but it was slowed down so much, it was like, ‘Right!’ “But we have to understand that we have to be perfect on that play. And we’ll keep working on being perfect on that play.” Sirianni went on to say the referees “have to make split-second decisions that are happening at this speed,” and added that there are plenty of non-tush push plays that people could rewind and examine for uncalled penalties. Immediately after the game, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he was frustrated by the uncalled false starts, but he noted he was looking forward to seeing how the league reviewed the plays. “If guys are moving early, then you’ve got to call that,” Reid said Monday. “So they’ll go back and look at that and see what their evaluation is of it. It could be different than mine. Mine, I felt like the guys were moving. That’s why I was griping about it on the sideline there with the officials. But sometimes people see things different. So we’ll see where it goes. They’ll have a chance to evaluate it, and I’ll be curious to see what the response is.” Philadelphia’s use of the tush push continues to be a source of controversy for the league. The Eagles ran seven tush push plays in their Week 2 game against the Chiefs, with varying results. Multiple teams banded together to call for a ban on the play during the offseason. The Eagles have staunchly defended it, however, challenging opponents to stop it rather than remove it from the game. A vote on the proposed ban did not reach the necessary 24 votes from NFL owners. The Eagles will host the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday for their Week 3 matchup. Both teams are undefeated so far. Meanwhile, the Chiefs will travel to MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Giants. Neither has won a game yet. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| TAMPA BAYThe Buccaneers will be missing three of their starting offensive linemen when the Jets come to town on Sunday. Jenna Laine of ESPN.com: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have placed starting right tackle Luke Goedeke on injured reserve because of a foot injury, the team announced Thursday. Starting right guard Cody Mauch also went on IR with a knee injury and will undergo surgery Friday, the Bucs said. Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Mauch will miss the rest of the season. Tampa Bay already was without starting All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who is working his way back from offseason knee surgery. Goedeke, who came out after 12 plays in Monday night’s game at the Houston Texans, was in the Bucs’ locker room Thursday on a mobility scooter. He is expected to return later in the season, with his injured reserve designation requiring a minimum of four games missed. To account for the losses, the Bucs signed offensive lineman Dan Feeney off the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad and promoted offensive lineman Luke Haggard from their practice squad. They also signed offensive lineman Sua Opeta to their practice squad. Feeney has played in 120 career games with 65 starts. He has been used primarily as an interior offensive lineman with 42 starts at guard, having spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers (2017-20), New York Jets (2021-22), Chicago Bears (2023) and Minnesota Vikings (2024). Haggard has spent the past two seasons on the Bucs’ practice squad. Before that, he started every game at left tackle in 2021 and 2022 at Indiana University. Opeta, who had lined up at right guard and left guard, was among the Bucs’ training camp cuts after recovering from a torn ACL last season. Before the Bucs, he spent four seasons (2020-23) with the Philadelphia Eagles, making 10 starts in 38 games. |
| NFC WEST |
| SAN FRANCISCOAndy Backstrom of YahooSports.com with an update on QB BROCK PURDY: In Week 2, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was “a long shot” to play against the New Orleans Saints after suffering toe and left shoulder injuries in a season-opening win over the Seattle Seahawks. This week, Purdy has now practiced back-to-back days. He followed backup quarterback Mac Jones at the podium Thursday and told reporters that his toe injury has “been a day-to-day thing this week.” His status for Sunday’s game against the 2-0 Arizona Cardinals is still up in the air, although Purdy appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from a turf toe variant that was originally reported as a potential 2-5 week setback. “Definitely just got to see come game time how I feel,” Purdy said. “Obviously I want to play every game. I want to be out there. We only get 17 regular-season games, and every game matters, especially a divisional [game], going against the Cardinals. “So if you asked me, I’d love to [play], but I mean, I’m trying to be smart with my body here, but you never know. We’ll see when the game comes.” Purdy said his left shoulder is “good,” when he was asked Thursday if it’s still an issue as well. The toe injury was the more serious of the two he sustained in Seattle. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan said last week that Purdy’s toe injury occurred in the second quarter of the Week 1 matchup, when the fourth-year quarterback scrambled and was tackled by Seahawks safety Julian Love near the sideline. But when asked about that play Thursday, Purdy didn’t confirm that it was the site of his injury. “I think it was just an accumulation of certain plays and different moments in the game and stuff,” he said of his toe issue. “So I think I finished the game, and it was more so the adrenaline cooled down, and I was like, ‘Alright, something’s wrong with my toe here.’ “And obviously you go in, you get an MRI and you get a diagnosis and all that. So I didn’t really know until after, but obviously you go throughout a game and you get hit and go through certain things, but my mindset’s always been like, I can play, and you got to really take me off the field for something serious, but if I can walk and jog and throw a football, then I’m good to go.” Purdy clarified that he let his team know something was up when his toe began to bother him during the game, but the worst of the pain didn’t set in until postgame, after he bounced back from a pair of interceptions and delivered a game-winning touchdown pass to tight end Jake Tonges with about 90 seconds left for a pivotal divisional win. |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYAaron Schatz of ESPN.com looks at the Chiefs from the standpoint of other Super Bowl losers who started out 0-2: Many have heard about the idea of a Super Bowl loser curse, but the Chiefs are only the eighth such team to start the next season 0-2. Even more shocking is that Kansas City last started 0-2 in 2014, which was coach Andy Reid’s second season with the team and three years prior to quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ arrival. So where do the Chiefs stand all time among the 0-2 Super Bowl losers? Does it give us any idea how the rest of the season will play out? And what are their chances of making it back to the big game? We looked at all eight below, based on performance and using DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) and opponent quality — and sized up what happened next. 8. 1980 Los Angeles RamsLost 31-19 to Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIV Week 1: 41-20 loss vs. Detroit LionsWeek 2: 10-9 loss at Tampa Bay Buccaneers How they got to 0-2: The Rams went 9-7 in 1979 before an improbable playoff march to Super Bowl XIV. And they had a 20-10 lead in the middle of the second quarter in Week 1 after a touchdown plunge by Elvis Peacock, one of the all-time greatest-named running backs. But the Lions came back and destroyed the Rams with 31 straight points to win at Anaheim Stadium. In the end, the Lions had 494 total yards, plus three takeaways. The loss to Tampa Bay — who the Rams had beaten in the previous season’s NFC Championship Game — was much closer. The Rams outgained the Bucs 360 yards to 183, but quarterback Vince Ferragamo threw four interceptions. (The Rams also fumbled twice but recovered both.) The loss looks like a bigger deal because of the Buccaneers’ slide to finish the 1980 season 5-10-1 and 24th in DVOA. The Rams are the only one of these eight teams to lose to a team that finished the season in the bottom half of the league in DVOA. What happened next: The Rams got hot with five straight wins, including a 51-21 dismantling of the Green Bay Packers in Week 3. They finished the season 11-5 but second in the NFC West, ending their streak of seven straight division titles. The Rams lost 34-13 to the Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round. The franchise would not return to the Super Bowl until after the 1999 season — a 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans. 7. 1999 Atlanta FalconsLost 34-19 to Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII Week 1: 17-14 loss vs. Minnesota VikingsWeek 2: 24-7 loss at Dallas Cowboys How they got to 0-2: A loss to the Vikings in an NFC Championship Game rematch started the Falcons’ 1999 season. It was close, and the Vikings had actually come in as favorites. Atlanta fumbled three times and Minnesota recovered all three. But the real problem was that quarterback Chris Chandler strained his hamstring late in the game and missed three of the next four games. The Falcons started Tony Graziani at quarterback on “Monday Night Football” in Week 2, but he went 7-of-16 for 90 yards with a pick. They benched Graziani in the third quarter for Danny Kanell, who threw another two interceptions. Even worse, running back Jamal Anderson tore his ACL early in the game and was lost for the season. “Right now, it’s a state of emergency,” cornerback Ray Buchanan said after the game. What happened next: The injuries just kept piling up, and the Falcons started 0-4. That turned into 1-6 and then 2-9 before Atlanta finished 5-11. The 1998 Super Bowl appearance ended up as a blip and the team didn’t have a winning record again until 2002. 6. 2022 Cincinnati BengalsLost 23-20 to Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI Week 1: 23-20 loss vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (OT)Week 2: 20-17 loss at Dallas Cowboys How they got to 0-2: The Bengals getting off to a slow start? Never! (According to ESPN Research, prior to the 2025 season Cincinnati was an NFL-worst 1-11 in Weeks 1-2 since Zac Taylor became the coach in 2019.) Week 1 was the infamous game in which the Bengals were about to beat the Steelers thanks to a Joe Burrow-to-Ja’Marr Chase touchdown pass with two seconds left … and then kicker Evan McPherson’s extra point was blocked. That sent the game to overtime and neither team could score on two possessions apiece before the Steelers knocked down a 53-yard Chris Boswell field goal as time expired. Cincinnati outgained Pittsburgh 432-267, but Burrow threw four interceptions and lost one fumble. He was also sacked seven times, including three by Alex Highsmith. Cincinnati then lost on the final play again in Week 2. The Bengals came back from being down 17-3 to tie things up against the Cowboys with 3:45 left. After the teams traded punts, Dallas backup quarterback Cooper Rush got the ball with 57 seconds left and moved the team 33 yards to set up a 50-yard Brett Maher field goal. “No panic,” Burrow said at the time. “We’ve lost two games before. We lost two straight games several times last year. There’s a lot of football to be played.” What happened next: The Bengals righted the ship with wins in their next two games and eventually won eight straight to go from a 4-4 start to a 12-4 finish. They lost 23-20 to Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game. 5. 1969 Baltimore ColtsLost 16-7 to New York Jets in Super Bowl III Week 1: 27-21 loss vs. Los Angeles RamsWeek 2: 52-14 loss at Minnesota Vikings How they got to 0-2: It’s tough to know where to rank this one because we don’t have DVOA for the 1969 season. But the Colts lost to arguably the two best teams in the NFL that season. The problem in Week 1 wasn’t yardage, where the Colts and Rams were basically even, but rather turnovers. Johnny Unitas threw three picks, and the Colts also lost a fumble. Still, Baltimore managed to keep it close until the end. In Week 2, Baltimore did anything but that. The Vikings were clearly the best team in the NFL in 1969, and they destroyed the Colts. Minnesota’s Joe Kapp passed for 449 yards and seven touchdowns. The Vikings brought in their backup quarterbacks, and Gary Cuozzo and Bob Lee combined for another 89 passing yards. Overall, the Vikings outgained the Colts 622-235. Still, as bad as that game was, the Vikings were doing this to a lot of opponents in 1969. They later won games 31-0, 27-0 and 51-3 but eventually lost 23-7 to the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV. What happened next: The Colts won their next three games but lost twice to the division rival 49ers and finished the season 8-5-1, missing the playoffs after a second-place division finish. Coach Don Shula departed for Miami in the offseason, but the Colts won Super Bowl V the following season with Don McCafferty as their coach. 4. 1984 WashingtonLost 38-9 to Los Angeles Raiders in Super Bowl XVIII Week 1: 35-17 loss vs. Miami DolphinsWeek 2: 37-31 loss at San Francisco 49ers How they got to 0-2: As with the 1969 Colts, the opponent quality really mattered in this ranking. Washington started off by losing to the two teams that met in that season’s Super Bowl. Washington kept the yardage close at home in Week 1, thanks partly to 98 rushing yards and a touchdown from fullback John Riggins. However, Washington turned it over three times, including two Joe Theismann interceptions. Miami’s Dan Marino didn’t turn the ball over, was not sacked and had five passing touchdowns in a victory. The next week in San Francisco, Washington fell behind 27-0 before Mark Moseley hit a 38-yard field goal right before halftime. Washington slowly climbed back into it and made the score 37-31 following a 12-yard touchdown pass from Theismann to wide receiver Virgil Seay. San Francisco got the ball back with 3:44 remaining, and Washington could not make a stop. The game essentially ended after a personal foul penalty on defensive end Dexter Manley gave the 49ers another first down with 1:52 left. What happened next: Washington won five straight in a run that included victories over three NFC East rivals. The team finished the season 11-5 but lost to the Chicago Bears 23-19 in the divisional round. The franchise returned to the Super Bowl after the 1987 season, beating the Broncos 42-10. 3. 2015 Seattle SeahawksLost 28-24 to New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX Week 1: 34-31 loss at St. Louis Rams (OT)Week 2: 27-17 loss at Green Bay Packers How they got to 0-2: The Seahawks are ranked this high partly because they were the only team that was on the road for both losses. Week 1 also required overtime for the Rams, who finished the season ranked 13th in DVOA, despite a 7-9 record. The Rams had a 24-13 lead over Seattle going into the fourth quarter, and the Seahawks came back with three straight scores. Then, a 37-yard touchdown pass from Nick Foles to tight end Lance Kendricks sent the game into overtime. In extra play, the Rams got the ball first, and Greg Zuerlein kicked a 37-yard field goal. Seattle had a chance to answer, but running back Marshawn Lynch was stuffed on fourth-and-1 at the Rams’ 42-yard line. A Sunday night game in Week 2 resulted in the Seahawks’ largest loss of the season. They had a 17-13 lead in the third quarter, but the Packers scored the next 14 points to win. Still, the game was fairly close on the stat sheet, as Green Bay outgained Seattle only 361-324 and had one turnover to Seattle’s two. What happened next: Seattle rebounded in Week 3 with a 26-0 shellacking of the Bears, but it struggled with close losses all season. The Seahawks finished the season 10-6, with five of those losses coming by six points or fewer. They made it to the divisional round but lost 31-24 the Panthers, who eventually fell in Super Bowl 50 to the Broncos. 2. 2002 St. Louis RamsLost 20-17 to New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI Week 1: 23-16 loss at Denver BroncosWeek 2: 26-21 loss vs. New York Giants How they got to 0-2: The Rams dominated the 2001 season before they were upset in the Super Bowl, so it was a real surprise when they started the next season with two losses — though they were very close. Download the ESPN app and enable Adam Schefter’s news alerts to receive push notifications for the latest updates first. Opt in by tapping the alerts bell in the top right corner. For more information, click here. In Week 1, the Rams outgained the Broncos 327-291, with each team turning the ball over twice. However, the Rams struggled to get the ball into the end zone, with just one touchdown. Eventually, they kicked a 39-yard field goal from the Denver 21-yard line with 2:17 left to move within a touchdown. But they couldn’t recover the onside kick, and the Broncos finished out the game with a first down. Denver went on to finish sixth in DVOA that season, so this loss was to a very good opponent. In Week 2, the Rams outgained the Giants on a per-play basis (6.2 to 6.0 yards) but turned the ball over four times. The Rams lost two fumbles and quarterback Kurt Warner threw a pick-six to cornerback Jason Sehorn. The Giants went on to finish that season 15th in DVOA. What happened next: Things didn’t get better for the Rams despite the close nature of their losses. The Rams lost their next three games, finishing off with a 37-13 drubbing at the hands of the 49ers in Week 5. Warner got hurt early in a Week 4 loss to Dallas, returned in Weeks 12-13 and then was out again for the rest of the season with an injury to his right hand. By the end of the season, the Rams had used four different starting quarterbacks. Marc Bulger helped the Rams win five straight to even their record at 5-5, but he got hurt as well. They finished the season 7-9 and missed the playoffs. The Rams rebounded in 2003 to finish 12-4 with Bulger at quarterback. The franchise’s next big game appearance was in Super Bowl LIII — a 13-3 loss to the Patriots. 1. 2025 Kansas City ChiefsLost 40-22 to Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX Week 1: 27-21 loss at Los Angeles ChargersWeek 2: 20-17 loss vs. Philadelphia Eagles How they got to 0-2: Without opponent adjustments, the Chiefs are ranked 18th in the NFL with a minus-6.6% DVOA. If we used last season’s opponent adjustments, Kansas City would be 11th in DVOA, easily the best of the 10 teams that have started 0-2 in 2025. The Chiefs were outgained by the Chargers by 50 yards, but Kansas City outgained the Eagles in Week 2 (294-216). The Chiefs have gained more yards per play than their two opponents (5.6 to 5.1) and only thrown one interception — the ball that glanced off Travis Kelce’s hands for an end-zone interception against Philadelphia. What happens next? We don’t know yet how good the Chiefs’ two opponents will be for the entire season, but the Chargers ranked ninth in DVOA last season and easily handled the Raiders on Monday. And obviously the Eagles are the defending Super Bowl champions. None of the previous teams got back to the Super Bowl in the season in question. Can the Chiefs be the first? It’s tough to compare them to the other teams on this list if we want to learn from history. Teams such as 1983 Washington, the 1968 Colts and 2001 Rams were more dominant than the eventual champions during their respective regular seasons, making their 0-2 starts the next season surprising. The 2021 Bengals were a young team on the rise, not seasoned champions like the Chiefs. And the 1998 Falcons were a one-year wonder. Good health will be important if the Chiefs hope to turn things around. The 1999 Falcons and 2002 Rams, for example, were significantly hurt by injuries to their most important players. Kansas City clearly misses wide receiver Xavier Worthy when it comes to stretching the field, but it’s hard to imagine the team putting up a losing record as long as Mahomes stays healthy. The biggest problem for Kansas City is its schedule. The Chiefs are heavily favored over the Giants this week, but they play the Ravens, Lions and Bills before their Week 10 bye. However, it gets easier after that. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Chiefs still have a 6.4% chance to make it to Super Bowl LX and a 3.5% chance to win it all. So don’t count them out yet. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| HOUSTONGood news for S JIMMIE WARD as a Montgomery County grand jury does NOT indict him. DJ Bien-Amie of ESPN.com: A Montgomery County (Texas) grand jury has decided not to indict Houston Texans safety Jimmie Ward, months after he was arrested on suspicion of third-degree felony domestic violence. The grand jury didn’t find probable cause that Ward committed the alleged crimes against the woman involved in the incident. “I can finally move forward,” Ward told KPRC-TV on Thursday. Ward is currently on the NFL’s commissioner exempt list stemming from his arrest in Montgomery County, Texas on June 12 for the alleged family violence in his Magnolia home. Ward may not practice or attend games while on the list. “We continue to monitor all developments in the matter, which remains under review,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy wrote in an email to KPRC-TV. Ward’s attorney, Steve Jackson, said he expects that his client could come off the commissioner exempt list next week. In a statement, he thanked NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the Texans organization “for their belief in Jimmie to let the facts all come out and not rush to judgment.” “We believe not only was he exonerated by the grand jury but that the actions of the grand jury show that Jimmie was factually innocent,” he said in the statement. The woman alleged on the morning of the arrest that she was “violently assaulted multiple times, both sexually and physically” by Ward in the presence of their 3-year-old child. She eventually got away and ran out the house into the street then called the police. Ward was also arrested on Aug. 7 for violating his previous release conditions which included no drinking of alcohol, which he claimed he didn’t know. He tested positive for alcohol, and he had to spend the night in jail. The woman filed a lawsuit against Ward in Harris County (Texas) District Court on Aug. 21, seeking damages of more than $20 million. |
| AFC EAST |
| MIAMIJeff Kerr of CBSSports.com had these reactions to Thursday night’s loss in Buffalo: The Miami Dolphins were certainly the team the NFL was talking about heading into Week 3 — for all the wrong reasons. Coach Mike McDaniel was on the hot seat as Miami lost in a blowout fashion to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 and to the New England Patriots in Week 2. Two poor losses questioned the future in Miami, sending the Dolphins into a must-win situation against the Buffalo Bills. Miami didn’t get the win in Buffalo, but the Dolphins put up a valiant effort before falling to 0-3. The Bills improved to 3-0, having a commanding lead in the AFC East just three weeks into the season. The Bills were tested, but they proved why they may be the team to beat in the NFL this season. The Dolphins didn’t look like a disaster, so that’s a win in Miami. There were plenty of overreactions from the Bills’ win over the Dolphins. Which ones were indeed overreactions and which ones held true? Mike McDaniel should remain the coach of the DolphinsOverreaction or reality: Reality No matter how poor the Dolphins looked the first two weeks, and no matter how hot of a seat McDaniel is on — he shouldn’t be fired after the Dolphins fell to 0-3. The Dolphins played hard on a short week, taking the Bills to the brink in Buffalo. That’s no easy task. The Dolphins were tied with the Bills in the fourth quarter, and had a chance to tie the game for the third time with 3:06 left. Miami got all the way to the Buffalo 21-yard line before Tua Tagovailoa’s interception essentially sealed the win for the Bills, taking away a valiant performance by a Dolphins team that needed one. The 0-3 record looks bad, so does the 1-14 record against teams that entered with a winning record after Thursday’s loss to the Bills. The Dolphins still proved they haven’t given up on McDaniel yet, so he bought himself more time as coach. But Miami can’t lose to the New York Jets at home on 10 days rest. Tua Tagovailoa is not the franchise QB in MiamiOverreaction or reality: Overreaction There’s a lot of criticism when it comes to Tagovailoa, especially given his concussion history. Even with all the head injuries, Tagovailoa has been a good quarterback in Miami — having an 10+ passer rating in three straight years, while leading the league in touchdown rate (6.3%) and yards per attempt (8.9) in 2022, passing yards (4,624) in 2023, and completion rate (72.9%) last year. This year hasn’t been a great start for Tagovailoa, as his fourth-quarter interception with 3:06 left was his fourth in three games this season. Tagovailoa threw for just 146 yards and averaged just 4.3 yards per attempt in the loss, numbers that have been uncharacteristic for him. The two interceptions in the fourth quarter hasn’t helped Tagovailoa’s cause either (80.2 rating in the fourth quarter). The Dolphins aren’t good, but they don’t have a chance without Tagovailoa. They could do better, but it could get a whole lot worse as well. Is Tagovailoa elite? No, but he is good. Anthony Weaver will be fired before Mike McDanielOverreaction or reality: Reality How bad has the Dolphins defense been through three games? The Dolphins have allowed 30+ points in all three games, which included a season-low 31 in Thursday’s loss to the Bills. Their 32.3 points per game allowed is highest in the NFL, and the 370.3 yards per game allowed are 25th in the NFL. The pass defense continues to get picked on, has the Dolphins have allowed 8.9 yards per pass attempt (28th in NFL) and the 128.9 passer rating allowed is amongst the worst in the league (31st in NFL). They allowed the Bills to score on five of seven possessions (not counting the end of half), and one of those non-scoring possessions was a missed field goal. Miami’s defense has significantly regressed from last year. Part of that is personnel, but Weaver hasn’t proven he can adjust to what he has. The way this seaosn is going, his seat may be hotter than McDaniel’s right now. |
| NEW ENGLANDWR STEFON DIGGS is going to be a father. Cardi B and Stefon Diggs are expecting a child. ESPN.com: The Grammy Award-winning rapper announced she is pregnant with the New England Patriots wide receiver’s baby in an interview with Gayle King on “CBS Mornings” on Wednesday. “I feel very strong, I feel very powerful that I’m doing all this work, but I’m doing all this work while I’m creating a baby,” Cardi B told King. This will be the fourth child for Cardi B, and the first for Diggs. Rumors about her pregnancy had swirled on social media in the weeks leading up to her announcement. The baby is expected to arrive before the rapper’s tour in February. Cardi B’s second studio album, “Am I The Drama?” is set to release on Sept. 19. Diggs has 10 receptions for 89 yards in his first two games with the Patriots. Asked in the locker room on Wednesday if there were any celebrations planned, Diggs kept things coy. “We’ll see,” he said. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| RANKING THE QUARTERBACKSLet’s check out Nick Shook’s weekly ranking at NFL.com: TIER 1 1 Josh AllenBuffalo Bills · 2 Patrick MahomesKansas City Chiefs · 3 Lamar JacksonBaltimore Ravens 4 Justin HerbertLos Angeles Chargers 5 Baker MayfieldTampa Bay Buccaneers Josh Allen’s totals from his second game of the season might seem pedestrian compared to other outings. That doesn’t matter to me; he guided the Bills to a lopsided win that included an explosive day for James Cook. Patrick Mahomes’ stat line from the Chiefs’ loss to the Eagles suggested he played poorly, but those who watched the game know Travis Kelce failed the QB on the interception charged to Mahomes (yet another example of why we need earned and unearned interceptions). Mahomes’ combined yardage total for the season more accurately reflects how he continues to carry the Chiefs even in these close losses. Lamar Jackson overcame a stingy Browns defense that bottled up Derrick Henry, injecting life into the Ravens’ offense by continuing to make spectacular plays — thus maintaining his place as the most frustrating quarterback to defend in the NFL. Justin Herbert has quickly boosted his reputation among the general NFL population through two weeks, authoring two excellent performances in front of national audiences. He’s used both his cannon for an arm and his legs to keep this offense moving and is very clearly on the same page as Keenan Allen, who has fleshed out Los Angeles’ receiving corps. The pair are a dangerous matchup for any defense. We all saw what Baker Mayfield did on Monday Night Football. Yes, through two games, Mayfield has willed the Buccaneers to unlikely road victories in the final stages of each contest, all while remaining the fiery competitor he’s always been. Face it: It’s Baker SZN. TIER 2 6 Matthew StaffordLos Angeles Rams 7 Jalen HurtsPhiladelphia Eagles 8 Dak PrescottDallas Cowboys 9 Jordan LoveGreen Bay Packers 10 Jared GoffDetroit Lions Yes, the Rams danced with the Titans too closely for too long in Week 2. What’s more important, though, is the Matthew Stafford-Davante Adams connection, which is gaining steam through two weeks. The QB is still slinging it in vintage Stafford fashion and now has a veteran receiver to work with who is very much on his level. I’m looking forward to the art they’re going to produce in the weeks ahead. After two weeks, I’ve corrected Jordan Love’s ranking. I just needed to see two sharp and efficient games from him before I could justify moving him up, and while he took some shots that lowered his completion percentage, it’s very clear he’s working in beautiful concert with Matt LaFleur. Congratulations to Jared Goff and the Lions, authors of an emphatic bounce-back performance that should correct Goff’s standing in the public eye. They returned to their bread and butter in Week 2, empowering Goff to post a gaudy stat line that might make folks forget how uncomfortable he looked in Week 1. TIER 3 11 Jayden DanielsWashington Commanders 12 Russell WilsonNew York Giants 13 Daniel JonesIndianapolis Colts 14 Sam DarnoldSeattle Seahawks 15 Bo NixDenver Broncos · 16 Aaron RodgersPittsburgh Steelers 17 Kyler MurrayArizona Cardinals 18 Geno SmithLas Vegas Raiders 19 Michael Penix Jr.Atlanta Falcons Jayden Daniels and the Commanders haven’t yet found their big-play magic from a year ago. He took what was available and generally worked through his progressions quickly, but Green Bay’s defense made life very difficult for Washington’s offensive operation. Daniels’ knee injury and uncertain status for Week 3 won’t ease Commanders fans’ worries, either. First, I must acknowledge and appreciate Russell Wilson for his vintage Russ performance against the Cowboys. That was the kind of game that propelled him toward MVP contention back in his glory days. He’s climbing significantly this week because of it, but I fear it will prove to be the anomaly, especially because it came against a Dallas defense that isn’t going to be a tough matchup in 2025. Still, beyond the gaudy numbers, I was pleased to see Wilson stop breaking the pocket if his first read wasn’t open after doing it far too often in Week 1. His patience and persistence allowed him the extra beat or two necessary to find his target on some of his most impactful throws of the day, opening up an offense that had appeared clogged. Daniel Jones continues to steadily direct the Colts’ operation through two weeks, a stretch that has included a few highlight-worthy tosses. Most importantly, he hasn’t yet committed a turnover.Bo Nix had a better outing in Week 2 than he did in Week 1, but he still needs to be better in the risk-taking department. His interception in the fourth quarter cracked the door open just enough for the Colts to complete the comeback. Aaron Rodgers fell back to earth in Week 2. While his first interception against the Seahawks wasn’t entirely his fault — in fact, it was an accurate throw that produced the worst outcome — he wasn’t as sharp as he was in his debut. Geno Smith had one of the worst games of his career against a shockingly stingy Chargers defense in Week 2. I believe he’ll bounce back, but much of that will depend on Brock Bowers’ health, which doesn’t seem to be in a great place as he plays through the knee injury he suffered in Week 1. Michael Penix Jr. hasn’t put up big totals in the passing game, but he has done the little things to push his team forward. Most importantly, he seems to have a great grasp of the responsibilities of a starting quarterback in the NFL. TIER 4 20 C.J. StroudHouston Texans 21 Drake MayeNew England Patriots 22 Trevor LawrenceJacksonville Jaguars 23 Spencer RattlerNew Orleans Saints 24 Tua TagovailoaMiami Dolphins 25 Justin FieldsNew York Jets 26 Mac JonesSan Francisco 49ers 27 Bryce YoungCarolina Panthers C.J. Stroud seems to be in the same bad place he was in last season. His offensive line can’t hold up against manufactured pressure, the offensive scheme is uninspiring, and the combination appears to be drastically affecting his accuracy. I’d like to believe they’ll sort it out eventually, but I don’t like the way this is trending right now. The Saints are 0-2, but Spencer Rattler has done a commendable job of keeping them competitive through two weeks. He’s trending in the right direction. Week 2 produced a much-needed rebound for Tua Tagovailoa, who looked significantly better than he did in his dreadful season-opening showing in Indianapolis. However, the end of the game — with Tagovailoa taking back-to-back sacks in a loss to the Patriots — lingers like a dark cloud over the Dolphins. Justin Fields’ ugly Week 2 outing reminded me of the struggles he’s endured for most of his career. If he hadn’t had such an excellent Week 1, he’d rank even lower on this list. Unfortunately, he’s dealing with a concussion that will keep him out in Week 3. Bryce Young’s first half was dreadful against the Cardinals. His second half was excellent, save for the ending. If he can find some consistency over four quarters, he and the Panthers will land on a much better track. TIER 5 28 Cam WardTennessee Titans 29 Caleb WilliamsChicago Bears 30 J.J. McCarthyMinnesota 31 Jake BrowningCincinnati Bengals 32 Joe FlaccoCleveland Browns · Year 182025 stats: 2 games | 62.2 pct | 489 pass yds | 5.4 ypa | 2 pass TDs | 3 INTs | 14 rush yds | 0 rush TDs | 1 fumble Cam Ward is good for some highlight-worthy passes (including an early candidate for throw of the year) and has the talent to own the starting job in Tennessee for the long haul. He’s just fighting an uphill battle given the deficiencies of his supporting cast right now. Jake Browning led the Bengals to a comeback win against the Jaguars, but he made some ugly mistakes along the way. We’ll see how he looks with a full week of preparation as the starter. Joe Flacco looked old and slow against the Ravens. His scrambling efforts, while courageous, must have been tough to watch for Browns fans who understand he is their best option at quarterback, at least for now. I wonder if Cleveland will be considering a change before October arrives. |
