AROUND THE NFL
Daily Briefing
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ESPN.com’s correspondents provide a “surprise” about each team and speculate whether the early trend is sustainable. We will pop these in for some the teams below.
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NFC NORTH
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DETROIT
An ESPN.com surprise:
The biggest surprise: The Lions are a perfect 5-for-5 in the red zone this season.
The verdict: Mirage. Detroit is 0-2, but tied for first in red zone efficiency through the first two weeks. Although Jared Goff appears poised in those situations, with a dependable target in Pro Bowl TE T.J. Hockenson, it doesn’t seem sustainable for the Lions to keep up this pace, especially without a top receiver emerging and injuries continuing to mount. This is certainly a surprise stat, but also impressive for what the team has on its roster and the level of competition it has faced to open the season. — Eric Woodyard
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GREEN BAY
QB AARON RODGERS thought he deserved to be allowed one bad game – and when he bounced back against the Lions, he let his critics have it. Charles Robinson ofYahooSports.com:
After the Green Bay Packers’ Week 1 loss to the New Orleans Saints, the critics came for Aaron Rodgers with pitchforks. After Monday night’s bounce-back win over the Detroit Lions, the reigning league MVP responded with a blowtorch. Or more accurately, a flamethrower.
That’s the only way to describe Rodgers’ weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he expounded on comments he made after the Packers’ win over the Lions, when he vaguely referenced “bullsh**” criticism and expressed happiness about getting “trolls” off the team’s back for a week.
That wasn’t the only thing Rodgers had to say.
There was more — a lot more — and it appeared to be pointed at a few ex-NFL players and coaches who took direct shots at Rodgers in the days following Green Bay’s season-opening 38-3 loss.
“It’s absolute horsesh**— to give a platform to people who have no idea what they’re talking about as far as my mental state and my focus, my work habits — people that have not been around me, are not in my life, I don’t have communication with them, [and] are not in the locker room,” Rodgers said during his appearance. “That’s just, it’s chickensh**.”
Who exactly was Rodgers talking about?
Well, he didn’t name anyone directly, but you hardly needed to look hard last week to find former NFL players and coaches taking a hammer to him. A few of the eyebrow-raising comments came from Rodgers’ former teammate Jermichael Finley, a tight end who had a hot and cold relationship with the quarterback and has also been a Rodgers critic for years. He popped up prominently last week on a handful of platforms, calling for Green Bay to bench Rodgers if he struggled, repeating that Rodgers looked tired. Finley also questioned Rodgers’ “hunger.”
“Actually, you can see it right through his helmet,” Finley said of Rodgers in an appearance on ESPN’s “Keyshawn, JWill & Max” show. “The eyes and the face tells everything as a personality. And, I just don’t see that NFL hunger and just the hunger to go win another championship.”
Finley later doubled down on that criticism with TMZ Sports, suggesting that Rodgers “probably don’t want to play football anymore.”
It could have ended there, with Rodgers getting the sharp end of the stick from a former teammate. But it didn’t, with other analysts unloading on the quarterback heading into Monday’s game. Perhaps none as critically as the “NFL Today” crew on CBS, which spent a portion of Sunday’s pregame show burying Rodgers after Week 1. The roundtable included former wideout Nate Burleson, former quarterbacks Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms, and former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, all of whom questioned some element of Rodgers’ commitment to football.
That quartet in particular seemed to be in a competition to one-up each other in their criticisms of Rodgers, which were all remarkably damning after only one game. Esiason started by saying he believed Rodgers was “bored” in Green Bay and then teasingly commented on the quarterback having a “man bun” and finding his “inner peace” in the offseason. Burleson responded by saying Rodgers made the offseason about himself and remarked “his disposition was bad on the sideline [against the Saints], too. He almost seemed like he was uninterested in what was going on.” Cowher then chimed in with criticism about Rodgers wanting more communication with the front office, saying the quarterback looked “selfish,” “aloof” and “like he doesn’t care.” Simms closed out the discussion by calling Rodgers’ a “distraction” in the offseason.
Even for Sunday morning studio shows that are often over the top, this one had a remarkable amount of venom to it. And it sure sounded like Rodgers was responding to that show as well as Finley during Tuesday’s appearance.
“It’s so ridiculous that people get a platform to do this and it’s the same type of people,” Rodgers told McAfee and former Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk, who is a guest host on the show. “On the flip side of that, in this day and age of media, the things that get the most [attention], it’s all about clicks, right? And hits and views. One second counts as a view.
“So the actual opinions that are garnering the most attention are the most outlandish. It’s not even overreaction Monday or Tuesday anymore. It’s overreaction every time a microphone is in your face. Every time you have a single shot in the camera and you get to talk into the camera, every time you’re on a panel, it’s who can say the most outlandish things because that’s going to give you the most hits.”
“That’s the media we live in,” Rodgers continued. “That’s fine. But at the same time, I still have this show, I have my weekly [media] stuff. Most people don’t use their platform to defend themselves. I don’t think I need to defend myself from people who aren’t worth spending time on. But I’m always going to give a reminder that, listen to the source of some of these things. And be reminded, it’s often the same people and the same tired rhetoric.
“I was just surprised after Week 1 there was such a story out there. But what’s crazy to me is to let one storyline, by a person who has no contact with me — has zero relationship — to [let] that become some sort of narrative that’s out there, that now I somehow don’t care about ball because of my Zen attitude in the offseason? That’s the bullsh** I was talking about [after the win over the Lions].”
Eventually, Rodgers closed out his expansive appearance with a simple message:
“The trolls are out there,” he said “I get it. But the truth and fact should not be replaced by conjecture — ill-founded conjecture. When it is, I’m thankful for this opportunity and for my pressers to be able to say, ‘Hey, look, just think about who’s saying these things.’ … I think all these people who are on these shows now believe they’re celebrities. They believe that they have this platform to use it to say whatever the hell they want. That’s how they garner the attention. That’s how they get promotions. That’s how they get to be on multiple networks. That’s how they get their name out there, get a blue checkmark and get to go to the Met Ball and whatever the hell’s going on. That’s the society we’re in now.”
So … that’s two weeks in the books. Rodgers’ critics have had their scathing moment, and he returned fire. With 15 more games ahead, it’s likely the first exchange won’t be the last.
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The change of coordinators hasn’t led to any improvement in the defense, so now the front office is out seeking a trade. Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut.com:
The Green Bay Packers came into the 2021 NFL season with an elite offense and a defense many believed had the talent to help this team compete for a Super Bowl. Through two weeks, it’s become evident there are big problems on the defensive side of the ball.
Things got off to a brutal start in Week 1. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ offense only had three drives in two quarters against the New Orleans Saints. It was the result of a defense that allowed consecutive 15–play drives, the first time an NFL team achieved that since 2000.
After allowing New Orleans to rush for 171 yards and score five touchdowns through the air, it became evident that Green Bay’s defense had more problems than first thought. It seems that sentiment was even shared by the front office, who started looking for ways to improve that unit.
According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, the Packers worked the phones early in the week trying to find help at linebacker via trade. Days of effort were unsuccessful, with other NFL teams wanting to keep the linebackers they were previously open to moving.
Part of the team’s desire to strengthen its linebacker corps is likely due to injury. Green Bay placed outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith on injured reserve before Week 2, ruling him out for at least three weeks. With a roster spot created, linebacker La’Darious Hamilton was signed from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad.
Fortunately for the Packers, Rodgers responded to claims his offseason drama caused all the problems with an MVP-like performance on Monday Night Football. The tandem of Rodgers and Jones carried the Packers to victory and injecting life into a fan base that needed it.
But Green Bay’s defense still had problems in Week 2. Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson hauled in eight receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown. On top of that, Detroit averaged 5.7 yards per carry and the Packers managed just three quarterback hits on Jared Goff until late in the game.
It’s clear the defense isn’t improving under defensive coordinator Joe Barry. With the Green Bay Packers seemingly taking an all-in approach this season, it would be surprising if deals aren’t made before the NFL trade deadline in November. If they don’t, even reaching the NFC Championship Game again seems unlikely.
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NFC EAST
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DALLAS
An ESPN.com surprise:
The biggest surprise: The Cowboys have six takeaways on defense.
The verdict: Real. This could be a mirage, but it’s not just the last two games. Dating back to last season, the Cowboys have forced takeaways in their last nine games, their longest streak since 2018. The Cowboys did not record their sixth takeaway last season until the eighth game. They have had timely turnovers, too, with Damontae Kazee forcing a fumble and picking off a pass with the defense in the red zone. Trevon Diggs became the first Cowboy since Roy Williams in 2006 to open the season with interceptions in each of the first two games. Given some of the defensive limitations, the Cowboys better continue this streak of takeaways. — Todd Archer
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PHILADELPHIA
An ESPN.com surprise:
The biggest surprise: The Eagles’ defense is off to a strong start.
The verdict: Real. Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon was a hot commodity this offseason, and we’re starting to see why. His group is tied for second in points allowed (11.5 average) and ranks third in passing yards per game (162.5) through two weeks. Here’s the key stat: The Eagles have allowed just one pass play of 20-plus yards to date, which is tops in the NFL. The loss of defensive end Brandon Graham hurts, and they won’t be this dominant all year, but it’s time to heighten the expectations for this defense. — Tim McManus
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WASHINGTON
This week’s theme in officiating is that the NFL’s new emphasis on taunting has resulted in some silly penalties. One guy who isn’t buying it is Washington coach Ron Rivera. Alex Chippin of The Score:
Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera doesn’t mind the influx of taunting flags across the league through the first two weeks of the NFL season.
“The idea behind the taunting rule is to prevent the bigger things, OK?” Rivera told reporters Tuesday. “We’ve had this example where one guy taunts a guy and then the guy comes back for a little payback, and next thing you know you’ve got a big fight on your hands – you got guys coming from left field hitting each other.”
The NFL Competition Committee, of which Rivera is a part, informed teams in the offseason that it would crack down on post-play demonstrations in 2021. The league sent a video reel to each club, explaining what officials would and wouldn’t tolerate under the stricter guidelines.
Officials called eight unsportsmanlike penalties in Week 2, tying the most for a single week since 2000, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Only 11 taunting penalties were called over the entire 2020 season.
“I’m all for the celebrations,” Rivera said. “Remember, we were the 2015 (Carolina Panthers) team that everybody was mad at because we were dabbing and stuff like that, taking pictures on the sideline. … You want these guys to keep their personality, you want them to be who they are because these guys are explosive players that make dynamic plays.
“The intent is so that somebody doesn’t do something that gets somebody to come back with a little retribution. You don’t want that. You don’t want somebody out for revenge. That’s what we’re trying to prevent.”
Washington wasn’t called for taunting in its first two games of the year.
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NFC SOUTH
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CAROLINA
An ESPN.com surprise:
The biggest surprise: The Panthers’ defense has 10 sacks.
The verdict: Real. I said before the season this unit has a lot of good pieces, it’s just a matter of how fast it comes together. It has come together — fast. The Panthers are at the top of the NFL in most defensive categories: sacks (10), yards per game (190.8), rushing yards per game (46.5) and points per game (10.5). Credit DC Phil Snow for utilizing the strengths of these pieces rather than forcing them into a set scheme. DE Brian Burns is for real. Edge rusher Haason Reddick is for real. DT Derrick Brown is for real. CB Jaycee Horn is for real. The list goes on. This is sustainable. — David Newton
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TAMPA BAY
QB TOM BRADY says things are easier for players now than it was for folks back in the day at the turn of the century.
He may look young, but he thinks old.
44-year-old Tom Brady, in the latest installment of the Let’s Go! podcast, shouted at some clouds regarding his perception that football has gotten “softer.”
Asked by Jim Gray about the evolution of the position toward mobile quarterbacks, Brady morphed into an off-my-lawn rant about what the game has become.
“I think there’s probably a lot of shortsightedness,” Brady said. “You know, when I hear that a lot, because I’ve heard over the years, you know, ‘Oh, the game is changing,’ and so forth. I think the game changes in different ways, absolutely. It evolves and changes and grows and hopefully it’s getting better. And at the same time I think that there has always been, you know, incredible athletes playing professional football at the quarterback position. Randall Cunningham was an incredible athlete. Kenny Stabler was an incredible quarterback. Roger Staubach was. Michael Vick, I mean, I don’t know if there’s anyone more athletic that’s ever played than Michael Vick. . . . I think it definitely adds an element to the game.
“But at the same time the name of the game is scoring points. So there’s definitely more volatility, I would say, in that style of play over a period of time. You’re definitely more injury prone because you’re out of the pocket. You don’t have the types of protection that you typically have in the pocket. And I would say the one thing that’s probably changed over the years in terms of why it’s probably gone a little more this way is, and I’ve alluded to this in the past, I think they’re calling more penalties on defensive players for hitting, you know, for violent contact. And I think when you’re out of the pocket, you know, we got called on a play yesterday where Ryan Jensen‘s going basically to protect our runner and they throw an unnecessary roughness on an offensive lineman that I don’t think would have been called, you know, five years ago. There’s a lot of plays and hits that are happening on quarterbacks now, that are flags for defensive players, that probably weren’t that way 10 or 15 years ago. So I’d say the game is a little softer than it used to be. I think the defensive players are more on the defensive when they go in to tackle. And I think that’s probably adding to this element of quarterbacks outside the pocket and taking more chances, you know, than they did in the past.”
This sounds a lot like Brady’s recent comments that plenty of these fouls result from the failure of offensive players to protect themselves, for example by having quarterbacks throwing a receiver into a big hit that will trigger a 15-yard penalty on the defense.
Regardless, the game has changed. It started in October 2009, when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith found themselves getting grilled on Capitol Hill regarding the game’s chronic failure to take head injuries seriously. Combined with lawsuits from former players and a very real concern that parents won’t let their kids play the game at lower levels, the league had to make changes.
Brady’s comments underscore something I’ve been anticipating for years. Eventually, someone with the money to buy an NFL team will instead start a separate league that embraces football the way it used to be, with players signing whatever paperwork they need to sign to waive any claims they could make regarding the risks of playing ’80s or ’90s-style football. It would be far more brutal and jarring than today’s game. (Even then, it wouldn’t be nearly as violent as sports like MMA.)
With legalized betting creating an appetite for more sporting events, Brady’s viewpoint may serve only to nudge someone in the direction of starting an old-school football league. It’s a possibility about which the NFL definitely should be concerned.
Are you as surprised as the DB was to see that DeMaurice Smith has been NFLPA Executive Director for 12 years? His testimony in 2009 came in his first year on the job.
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NFC WEST
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ARIZONA
An ESPN.com surprise:
The biggest surprise: The Cardinals are averaging 36 points per game.
The verdict: Real. This is the offense everyone expected when Kliff Kingsbury was hired back in 2019. But like anything else during a transition, the Cardinals needed time to get to this point. It helps that they now have all the pieces to complement quarterback Kyler Murray, especially wide receivers A.J. Green and Rondale Moore, who are enough of a threat each to take coverage away from DeAndre Hopkins and spread out the field. It also helps immensely that Murray has taken the types of strides he has, from checking in and out of plays, to having a better understanding of what defenses are trying to do. This type of production is what happens when the game slows down for Murray. — Josh Weinfuss
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SAN FRANCISCO
Although QB AARON RODGERS remains in Green Bay, 49ers QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO plans on hitting him up to discuss escape plans when the time comes to move on from the 49ers.
Jimmy Garoppolo has been on the other side. He was the quarterback the Patriots drafted in the second round in 2014 when Tom Brady was 37 and entering his 15th season.
The 49ers used an even higher pick on the guy in line to replace Garoppolo as the starter, selecting Trey Lance with the third overall choice.
Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback on the opposite sideline of Garoppolo this week, went through the same thing last year when the Packers traded up in the first round to select Jordan Love. Rodgers went on to win the MVP last season, perhaps changing the team’s timeline on his future.
Rich Eisen asked Garoppolo on the Rich Eisen Show on Tuesday whether he would make it clear that he wants a future elsewhere, with the 49ers having used a high draft choice on Lance.
“I don’t know,” Garoppolo told Eisen on Peacock, via NBCSportsBayArea.com. “To be completely honest, I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. It’s one of those things that I’m still tied up with the season and everything that we’ve got going on. If I repeat what Aaron did last year, I would love to do that. That guy — I mean, MVP speaks for itself. The dude had a hell of a year, though. If I could replicate anything similar to that, I’d be thrilled with it.
“But, you know, after this year, we’ll figure that out when we get there. We’ve got a long way to go. We’re only a couple of weeks into this thing.”
Garoppolo said he might talk to Rodgers about having an uncertain future, though the Packers quarterback obviously has more skins on the wall than the 49ers quarterback. (And some would argue that perhaps Rodgers isn’t the best source to seek advice from regarding how to handle an uncertain future.)
“Yeah, there’s a good possibility,” Garoppolo said of contacting Rodgers. “I know Aaron pretty well. We’ve talked a couple of times on the field, off the field. Whatever little piece of advice he could give to me. . . . Obviously, it’s worked out pretty well for him. The guy’s been ballin’. He had four TDs [last] night.
“This league’s a crazy thing. We’ve all got our own story and just got to make the best of your situation.”
Garoppolo has completed 70.9 percent of his passes for 503 yards and two touchdowns.
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AFC WEST
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DENVER
An ESPN.com surprise:
The biggest surprise: QB Teddy Bridgewater is exactly what this team needs.
The verdict: Real. Bridgewater’s composure and preparation has won over his coaches and teammates. “No play is ever dead until they blow the whistle, especially with Teddy,” is how WR Courtland Sutton put it. Bridgewater has added both a big-play component to the Broncos’ offense and has been a guy who has moved the chains when defenses take away the downfield plays. He has been a quality leader and finds himself sixth in the league in passer rating and 10th in passing yards, and he has not had a turnover. All of that doesn’t mean he won’t throw an ill-advised ball at some point or have a bad day, but for a team that has been little more than a human turnstile at quarterback since the start of the 2016 season, he is exactly what was needed. Bridgewater is playing on a one-year contract, which means the Denver front office will have a decision to make, eventually. — Jeff Legwold
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Oft-injured DE BRADLEY CHUBB is at it again. Grant Gordon of NFL.com:
Broncos linebacker Bradley Chubb’s 2021 debut lasted less than an entire game. Now, he’s hoping his 2021 season will last longer than his brief showing in Week 2.
Having re-injured his ankle on Sunday against the Jaguars, Chubb will undergo an arthroscopic procedure Wednesday on his ankle and hopes to return this season, he announced through the team on Tuesday.
“I’m going to push everything I can to get back to these games and hopefully it’s sooner rather than later. My mindset is just going to be attack it 100% every day,” Chubb said.
Chubb said he’s been dealing with a bone spur in his ankle and the procedure will be to “clean it up” and “scope it out.”
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Chubb’s timetable will depend on how the surgery goes, though a surgery such as this generally takes six to eight weeks of recovery time. Chubb is likely headed to injured reserve. The initial hope was that Chubb’s ankle would respond to treatment and that surgery could be avoided, but it didn’t work out that way, NFL Network’s James Palmer reported.
The biggest obstacle for the Broncos’ burgeoning star has been staying on the field.
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LAS VEGAS
An ESPN.com surprise:
The biggest surprise: The Raiders’ defense looks vastly improved.
The verdict: Real. Anything north of competent would have been a massive improvement for the Raiders. And Las Vegas adding a disruptive pass rush — two sacks of Lamar Jackson by DE Maxx Crosby in the opener, two more of Ben Roethlisberger by DT Solomon Thomas — in new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s scheme has been key, and showing success against versatile foes portends for continued success, so long as the injury bug stays away. “Give all the credit to Coach Gus and their staff and our players,” QB Derek Carr said. “They’ve done a great job of keeping us in the games and keeping the leads for us. And it is fun. It’s a lot of fun. Especially watching that D-line. There’s a bunch of adults — there’s no green bananas on that D-line. Those guys are grown men. Fun to watch them play.” — Paul Gutierrez
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AFC NORTH
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BALTIMORE
An ESPN.com surprise:
The biggest surprise: The Ravens’ run game is still the most dominant in the NFL.
The verdict: Real. Who expected the Ravens to lead the NFL in rushing after losing their top two running backs to season-ending injuries? This just shows that Baltimore will be able to run the ball at will as long as Lamar Jackson is in the lineup. Defenses key in on Jackson so much that it has opened up lanes for Ty’Son Williams (a practice squad player a year ago) and Latavius Murray (who was signed four days before the season opener). Jackson remains the Ravens’ most dangerous runner, ranking third in the NFL in rushing yards. This is why Baltimore has gained 136 more yards rushing than any other team in the league after two games. — Jamison Hensley
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PITTSBURGH
An ESPN.com surprise:
The biggest surprise: The Steelers’ run game is still last in the league.
The verdict: Real. The Steelers’ top offseason priority was overhauling the run game after it was the league’s worst last season. The team used a first-round pick on running back Najee Harris, but with a struggling offensive line in front of him, Harris hasn’t been able to get going. He’s averaging just 3.2 yards per carry, and the Steelers have a league-worst 113 rushing yards through two games. The Steelers have also run the ball just 35 times compared to 72 pass attempts. Coach Mike Tomlin said he expects Harris to improve each week, but there’s only so much he can do without a line to create holes in front of him. Tomlin doesn’t anticipate making any changes to the offensive line, and unless it drastically improves soon, the run game will continue to underperform. — Brooke Pryor
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AFC SOUTH
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INDIANAPOLIS
An ESPN.com surprise:
The biggest surprise: The Colts’ offensive line has been poor.
The verdict: Mirage. The Colts have given up six sacks and 21 quarterback hits through the first two games. Yes, they’ve faced two good defenses in the Seahawks and Rams, but the Colts have had one of the top offensive lines in recent years. One of the biggest reasons behind the struggles has been lack of continuity up front. Guard Quenton Nelson missed three weeks of training camp because of foot surgery, center Ryan Kelly missed a couple of weeks with a left elbow injury, and left tackle Eric Fisher just made his debut against the Rams after being out with a torn Achilles. And to make matters even worse, right tackle Braden Smith is out with a foot injury. The unit should get better as the season progresses — Mike Wells
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JACKSONVILLE
James Jackson of ESPN.com sees some progress for QB TREVOR LAWRENCE in Week 1:
2021 overall pick: First
Game result: 23-13 loss to Denver Broncos
Stat line: 14-for-33, 118 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 2 INTs, 30.7 QBR
Lawrence completed less than half his passes en route to Jacksonville’s franchise-record 17th consecutive loss dating back to last season. His head coach, Urban Meyer, who is also experiencing Year 1 at the NFL level, has now lost consecutive games for the first time in over a decade.
Though his numbers regressed a great deal from his debut last week, Lawrence has done his best to take Jacksonville’s losses in stride.
“I think I’m processing it as good as you can,” he said Sunday.
“Obviously you want to win. Like I said, you work all week to win, and when you don’t, it’s disappointing. I feel like I’m in a good spot. I’m the same person, same mindset. Nothing has changed. Making sure I keep my confidence every week is big, and I think I have that. We’re going to get better. We’re close.”
Despite the loss, Lawrence looked comfortable linking up with Marvin Jones Jr. to put the Jaguars on the scoreboard first. This year’s top overall pick will certainly push Jacksonville closer to the win column with more connections like this.
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AFC EAST
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BUFFALO
An ESPN.com surprise:
The biggest surprise: The Bills rank 26th in passing offense with 212.5 passing yards per game.
The verdict: Mirage. While Buffalo put up 35 points on Miami in Week 2, quarterback Josh Allen and the passing offense have yet to impress or come close to last year’s heights. Allen is averaging just 5.3 yards per attempt and hasn’t gotten into a rhythm with his receivers. That should change as the season goes on. Coordinator Brian Daboll is in his fourth season with Allen, and the familiarity will help the offense as the year goes on. It would be a surprise if the Bills’ passing offense doesn’t finish in the top 10 of the league. — Alaina Getzenberg
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THIS AND THAT
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EVALUATING THE 2-0 TEAMS
This from Jason LaCanfora of CBSSports.com:
Sizing up the seven 2-0 teams
Among the undefeated, the Raiders have to qualify as the biggest surprise, particularly when you factor in the difficulty of their schedule and travel to open the season. As I wrote on Sunday, I am buying them as a factor in the AFC. They can be a wild-card team. Their games against the Broncos and Chargers within that division will be critical, but that have already banked potentially vital head-to-head tiebreaker wins against Baltimore and Pittsburgh and play two of the next three at home – against Miami, at the Chargers and hosting the Bears. Don’t sleep on this group – the offense is legit and the defense is improving.
The NFC West is probably the best division in football and through two weeks the only loss is the Seahawks’ heartbreaker to the Titans in overtime, a game in which they should have won. Tom Brady is going to be a tough out every week as he chases perfection – individually and collectively – and the Panthers defense has a chance to be truly special; that coupled with the return of Christian McCaffrey makes them worth keeping an eye on. The NFC is a little more watered down, and they already have a win over a Saints team I believe can compete for a wild card.
Along a similar line, this from Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com:
Week 3 hasn’t started, and we’re down to seven undefeated teams. Five of the eight NFL divisions don’t have a single undefeated team remaining.
The NFL wants every team near the middle, never too high or low, and having 18 of 32 teams at 1-1 through two weeks fits that. There are still those seven teams without a blemish on their record, and that’s a good place to be. Even better if they can make 3-0. Since 1980, 148 of 194 teams that have started 3-0 have made the playoffs (76.3 percent).
Which 2-0 teams do we trust? Let’s run down the list:
Denver Broncos
Not all 2-0 starts are equal. The Broncos are 2-0 with wins over the Giants and Jaguars, who might be two of the NFL’s worst teams. Still, two road wins is a good way to start and the Broncos pass the eye test. Teddy Bridgewater looks good. The defense is going to be one of the best in the NFL. And the Broncos get the Jets next, so 3-0 is a good bet. We’ll need to see them against a quality opponent before we buy in.
Trust level: Low
Las Vegas Raiders
It’s going to be hard to trust the Raiders. They have started well the past two seasons and then faded. They were 6-4 in 2019 and 6-3 in 2020 and didn’t make the playoffs either time. In the past two seasons, they’re 3-10 past mid-November. The thing that might separate the 2021 team is the quality of its first two wins. The Ravens and Steelers are 0-2 against the Raiders, and 2-0 against the Chiefs and Bills. The road win at Pittsburgh was great for Las Vegas. Derek Carr is playing at a very high level. Still, it’ll be tough to trust the Raiders until we see what they do from Thanksgiving on. But if they beat the Miami Dolphins this week, it’ll be another strong win to start the season. The Raiders are 3.5-point favorites at BetMGM.
Trust level: Still low
Arizona Cardinals
A dominant Week 1 win over the Titans was very good. Then in Week 2, they barely beat the Minnesota Vikings. Had the Vikings made a 37-yard field goal, this list of undefeated teams would be six names long. The problem for the Cardinals might be their fantastic division. If we had to pick someone to finish last place in the NFC West, it would still probably be the Cardinals. But Kyler Murray is playing at an MVP level and there’s no reason to believe he can’t maintain that if he stays healthy. That could take the Cardinals a long way.
Trust level: Moderate
Carolina Panthers
This could be the most intriguing team on the list. The defense is playing very well and looks legit. It’ll be fun to see if they’ve already made the jump to a top-10 unit. The offense has some stars, most notably Christian McCaffrey. Your analysis of the Panthers probably comes down to what you think about Sam Darnold. Darnold looks much better now that he has escaped the New York Jets. We’ll need to see how he does over the long haul, but he has a very good infrastructure around him. If the Panthers blast the Houston Texans during a standalone game on Thursday night (they’re 7.5-point favorites at BetMGM), then they’ll start to get more buzz.
Trust level: Rising
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers were bludgeoned by injuries in 2020. Their injury-related struggles last season could be thrown out for 2021. And so far in 2021, the 49ers look very good. They’re going to be good on both sides of the ball. They’re well coached and there’s still the nagging idea that once Trey Lance gets the quarterback job, the offense could be even better. If the 49ers win as 3.5-point favorites this Sunday night over the Packers, you’ll hear a lot about the 49ers as a Super Bowl contender.
Trust level: High
Los Angeles Rams
The transition to Matthew Stafford is going very well. The offense looks fantastic so far, and the defense still has Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. We know Sean McVay is a good coach. There’s no reason to disbelieve what we’re seeing from the Rams. We’ll get a true test of how good they are this week, when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They are 1-point underdogs, but that’s mostly because the Buccaneers have been so impressive. A win over the defending champs would get everyone’s attention.
Trust level: High
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If you want to pick holes in the Bucs’ start, they needed a last-second field goal in a mistake-filled game against the Dallas Cowboys, and they led the Falcons at home by just three points in the fourth quarter. But there’s no real reason to believe there’s any Super Bowl hangover. Tom Brady continues his Benjamin Button routine of aging in reverse and looks like a real threat to challenge Peyton Manning’s single-season record for touchdown passes. When you have all 22 starters back from a Super Bowl champion, you’re going to be a pretty good bet to keep it going. We’ll find out a lot more about the Bucs and Rams when they square off in a great Week 3 battle.
Trust level: Rock solid
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