From the Watchtower: NFL Week 2

As I said last week, Week 1 is usually a time for overstatements and hasty analysis over first impressions. Week 2 is a nice little palate cleanser in that regard, telling fans what might be real and what was just a bunch of hot air.

Opinions over how teams will fare should be mostly flexible until around the first month or so, but it’s still interesting to figure out which teams are looking strong. There are plenty of Super Bowl contenders that can be identified, and at least a few others that are investing in a shiny new tank.

For the interest of time and efficiency, the format of this segment will be changed, at least for this week. Instead of putting in the scores and giving an analysis of each team, I’ll make a list of the 32 teams, put their performance from last week in, and explain what I think about each team.

Let’s have some fun. Unless you’re a Dolphins fan. You deserve better than what you’re getting.

Arizona Cardinals (lost to Baltimore): There were obviously going to be kinks in the Cardinals offense, but their biggest one is alarming. The red zone efficiency for the Cardinals has been terrible, going 2-for-8 in two games. This week’s showing was especially damning, with three red zone drives ending in Zane Gonzalez chip shots. In a six-point game, those missed opportunities are that much harder to take. I think we’re starting to see the big problem with Kliff Kingsbury’s new scheme. Maybe try running the ball from time to time?

Atlanta Falcons (defeated Philadelphia): One word: clutch. That is the only way to describe a gutsy Sunday night performance. Matt Ryan saved an otherwise on-and-off day with a screen pass to Julio Jones that turned a fourth down into a touchdown. Isaiah Oliver stepped up and tackled Zach Ertz to prevent a first down. It was a nice bit of redemption after last week, where the Falcons struggled to get anything going. With the Saints dealing with issues (you already know what,) the Falcons suddenly have a real chance at the division.

Baltimore Ravens (defeated Arizona): It’s Week 2, and Lamar Jackson is still a top-two candidate for MVP. If last week’s game against Miami didn’t signify his improvement as a passed enough, this week showed his prowess as a dual threat. He threw for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also getting 120 yards on 16 carries as a runner. Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews picked up right where they left off last week, and both have developed nice connections with Jackson. An offense that needed playmakers seems to be stocked with them now. For those asking about competition, Kansas City is this week. Get excited.

Buffalo Bills (defeated New York Giants): The Bills have been one of the more pleasant surprises of the league so far, dominating their in-state brethren to start. Josh Allen looked better, putting together a consistent game. The running game seems to be fine with Frank Gore and Devin Singletary, even if the carries should tilt more towards the latter. The defense got over an early hiccup to dominate the Giants for most of the game. This feels similar to the Panthers and the Dolphins last year, starting strong but tailing off before too long. At least they can beat up on the Dolphins and Jets like the Patriots?

Carolina Panthers (lost to Tampa Bay): The injury bug looks to have turned Super Cam into Clark Kent. Cam Newton, he of the banged-up throwing shoulder last year, has not looked right in these first two games. He’s in the negative for rushing yards this season, has been held without a touchdown in four straight games, and has dropped his last eight starts. Now with a foot injury from the preseason flaring up again, Newton is not a guarantee to make amends next week. This preseason saw one former number 1 pick retire due to injuries. I can’t help but feel we’re in for another shock sooner or later.

Chicago Bears (defeated Denver): Congratulations, Matt Nagy, you mad genius. You have found your kicker. After one of the more underrated and hilarious storylines of the offseason, it appears that the double-doink is slowly being erased. Eddy Pineiro has stepped in to his new role rather well, and proved it last week with three field goals in three tries. Even more crucial was his final kick, a 53-yard laser that gave the Bears the game. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Bears, as Mitch Trubisky will need more than 120 yards to get the Rex Grossman comparisons out of his ears. As we said with Nagy, get it together, man.

Cincinnati Bengals (lost to San Francisco): This was the team I expected to see in my predictions. The Bengals went from being a surprise to finding themselves back under fire. The culprit was undoubtedly the defense, who could not hold San Francisco on third down and got gashed for 259 yards by a team missing its top two running backs. This team gave Russell Wilson fits, but Jimmy Garoppolo and crew was too much? No matter where the real Bengals fit between these two extremes, the result likely isn’t very good.

Cleveland Browns (defeated New York Jets): Just what the doctor ordered. After last week’s embarrassment against the Titans, beating down a weakened Jets team felt like a stress reliever. While Mayfield didn’t play a perfect game, he showed flashes of last year when he turned a quick route to Odell Beckham Jr. into an 89-yard touchdown. The real number 1 pick that has been playing amazing so far has been Myles Garrett, who notched three sacks and looks to be a dark horse for Defensive Player of the Year. There’s still competition, but the Browns still have a good shot to break their league-leading streak of missing the playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys (defeated Washington): And the price tag just went up a little bit. Dak Prescott put together another strong performance against a divisional rival last week. To be fair, this week was a complete game from the team, with both sides of the ball looking solid. Prescott, however, was under scrutiny for how he would fare in a contract year. Needless to say, he’s been outperforming even the most optimistic of expectations so far. He’ll be licking his chops against Miami this week, which should serve to put at least another million in his pocket, at least. Anyone else want to feel bad for the Dolphins now?

Denver Broncos (lost to Chicago): There are reasons to be concerned in Denver right now. Joe Flacco being up and down as usual. Phillip Lindsay being outperformed by Royce Freeman again. Most shocking, however, has been the defense. Everyone was excited about what Vic Fangio would bring to the table defensively. So far, it has been nothing. Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, and the pass rush have come up empty. The No-Fly Zone has come up with zero interceptions. If the Broncos want to make something out of this season, those numbers will have to come up soon.

Detroit Lions (defeated Los Angeles Chargers): Detroit fans had to enjoy being on the other end of the comeback for once. The plan continues to be turning Kenny Golladay into the new Megatron. While there’s no comparison at this point, the young receiver looks to be making good on becoming Matt Stafford’s new playmaking weapon. It wasn’t a perfect game, as the Lions benefited from the Chargers making too many mistakes. Either way, the Lions start out undefeated, so that’s at least something to celebrate.

Green Bay Packers (defeated Minnesota): Once again, Aaron Rodgers no longer will be asked to bail this team out. The defense pulled through, with Kevin King being the hero this time. Aaron Jones proved why he should be the bellcow for the Packers. Matt LaFleur’s offense looked nice to start before sputtering out. Consistency issues aside, the Packers are now gunning for the division. Now if only LaFleur can commit to making Aaron Jones like Derrick Henry. That man can ball.

Houston Texans (defeated Jacksonville): This time, the running game took center stage for the used car salesman. While Deshaun Watson and crew struggled, Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson came through. Hyde went from dead in the water in Kansas City to someone who might be a feature back in Houston, while Johnson continues to prove why he’s as underrated of a player as it gets. Despite J.J. Watt’s absence from the sack total, the Texans still came away with four total. The bad news is they also gave up four sacks, the eighth time they have given up that number or more. Don’t waste the first real franchise quarterback your team has had. Please?

Indianapolis Colts (defeated Tennessee): Another week of the Colts looking better than expected, except they end up with the win this time. Jacoby Brissett threw for three touchdowns, and the defense got 4 sacks against a helpless Marcus Mariota. Other than Derrick Henry, no Titan was able to have a productive day. The focus after the game, however, was on Adam Vinatieri. After missing two extra points this week, his status for the season was unclear. While he’ll play next week, continued struggles may see him follow Andrew Luck into the sunset. We’ll see what happens.

Jacksonville Jaguars (lost to Houston): While the legend of Gardner Minshew and that sweet, sweet mustache grows, the land of Duval received some troubling news. Jalen Ramsey, the star of the Jaguars secondary, has requested a trade. The writing was on the wall after an argument between Ramsey and coach Doug Marrone, but this feels like a move more akin to the NBA. Several teams have been linked to him, such as the Chiefs and Eagles, making it appear that Ramsey is a week-to-week proposition. Thursday could very well be his final game in a Jaguars uniform.

Kansas City Chiefs (defeated Oakland): Patrick Mahomes is already one of the most dominant quarterbacks of his generation, and he just turned 24. Including this game, Mahomes has now played four games where he has thrown for more than 350 yards and four touchdowns. Even more concerning? The Chiefs defense held their own and stopped the Raiders from scoring in the final three quarters. This is the only team that can hold a candle to New England right now.

Los Angeles Chargers (lost to Houston): Ty Long went from hero to zero just like that. After a game where he performed admirably in double duty, he melted down and missed two field goals that would have put the Chargers in the win column. His mistakes weren’t the only ones that hurt the team, but they have to be highlighted. With no word on kicker Michael Badgley’s status, the Chargers may be forced to play more special teams shenanigans again. The Spanos curse is alive and well.

Los Angeles Rams (defeated New Orleans): This wasn’t a true rematch, given the injury to Drew Brees. Still, Rams fans will be more than happy with a convincing performance. The offense showed signs of progress, but they still have yet to really hit their full potential. Meanwhile, Aaron Donald still has yet to produce a sack this year, something that should be expected to change soon. Once everything clicks, the Rams will be right back to the team that went to the Super Bowl.

Miami Dolphins (lost to New England): Fitting how history can be made in the league’s 100th season. Let’s put some things in perspective. The 1981 Baltimore Colts hold the record for the most points given up at 533. The 2012 New Orleans Saints gave up the most yards with 7,042. At the current pace, the Dolphins are expected to shatter both. Forget 0-16 being a very real possibility. This may actually be the worst team in NFL history. And again, Dolphins fans deserve much better. If you want to jump on any bandwagon, I understand. P.S.: Want to pull the plug on Devante Parker now?

Minnesota Vikings (lost to Green Bay): Kirk Cousins is on his way to becoming one of the most hated sports figures in Minnesota. A quarterback expected to be the final piece of the puzzle for the Vikings, he failed to reach the playoffs last year and struggled in a key divisional matchup. Three turnovers, including a game-sealing interception, is not a way to endear yourself to a long-suffering fanbase. If the Vikings fail to reach the playoffs once again, expect Rick Spielman to look long and hard for a potential replacement in next year’s draft.

New England Patriots (defeated Miami): No one’s going to say this win meant more than last week, but it goes to show the divisional dominance the Patriots have had throughout this century. The only real storylines here are Antonio Brown and Chase Winovich. Brown’s Patriots debut went as planned, grabbing four receptions for a team-high 56 yards and a touchdown. Preseason star Winovich also had a big day against a ransacked Miami offense, leading the team with 1.5 sacks. There will be comparisons to the almost-undefeated 2007 squad, which are a bit overblown…for now.

New Orleans Saints (lost to Los Angeles Rams): Even in the Big Easy, life comes at you fast. With just one injury, the Saints went from Super Bowl contender to a team in pure survival mode. Drew Brees will be gone for the rest of the first half of the season, so it will be up to Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill to salvage whatever hope there is left. At this point, the season hinges on how well one or both do at keeping the ship afloat. That said, is the Saints’ biggest rival the Rams or the referees? Your call.

New York Giants (lost to Buffalo): Well, Shurmur, you did it. A move that was met with ire from Giants fans last year has suddenly been accepted with a cold reality: Eli Manning was no longer starter material. Some may question the suddenness of the move, but let’s be real. Shurmur has one of the hottest seats in the league right now, and he has to show development at the most important position. Daniel Jones has Shurmur’s coaching life in his hands. The formerly-maligned sixth overall pick suddenly has a chance to make things right. Worked out for a certain Latvian unicorn that got flak from the New York faithful, so why not make it double or nothing?

New York Jets (lost to Cleveland): The Jets are one of the few teams that can safely press the panic button. Sam Darnold is out indefinitely with a case of mononucleosis. Backup Trevor Siemian is now out for the season with a broken leg. Luke Falk was respectable, but is he really a guy who can navigate a team out of trouble? $72 million cornerback Trumaine Johnson has now been benched. Star safety Jamal Adams looks like he wants out. The next games on the schedule are two against the Patriots, the Eagles, and the Cowboys. And the team gave up on third-rounder Jachai Polite before the season even began. This season has already been a butt fumble out of 10.

Oakland Raiders (lost to Kansas City): It was always going to be a tough ask for the Raiders to beat Kansas City. They did get a 10-0 lead before Patrick Mahomes remembered he was last year’s MVP. It hasn’t been a complete mess for the Raiders, which is a nice sign after the drama-filled offseason they had. It won’t be much easier, however. Five of the next six games for the Raiders are on the road, with one game in jolly old London and all five teams being at least .500. This is “the stretch” that determines whether teams are for real or nothing but poseurs. Good luck.

Philadelphia Eagles (lost to Atlanta): Some losses are hard to swallow. After coming back to almost surprise the Falcons, the Eagles just couldn’t come through in the clutch situations. Nelson Agholor dropped a surefire touchdown. Zach Ertz couldn’t get the first down. The team was ravaged with injuries. The good news is that the Eagles possess one of the best depth charts in the league, and Wentz is still the talented quarterback that Philly fans expected. They should still be okay, but this hiccup puts them a bit behind Dallas in the division.

Pittsburgh Steelers (lost to Seattle): The Triple B’s era is truly dead now. After parting ways with Bell and Brown in the offseason, Big Ben became a casualty of this year’s QB injuries. Unfortunately, the elbow injury suffered by Roethlisberger will end his season. With an 0-2 start and relying on Mason Rudolph to save the season, Pittsburgh has reached the nuclear winter. Minkah Fitzpatrick should help, but he can only add so much. A team that had hopes of the playoffs suddenly finds themselves in dire straits.

San Francisco 49ers (defeated Cincinnati): Similar to the Bills, an undefeated start was not something the 49ers were expected to have. Jimmy Garoppolo shook off a tough Week 1 by torching the Bengals defense. Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert made Jerick McKinnon look obsolete. Deebo Samuel may have had his breakout moment. Chances are Dante Pettis will be traded if he remains underused. After a summer of questions, Kyle Shanahan can breathe a bit easier, at least for now. The NFC West looks competitive this year, so there’s no time to rest on his laurels.

Seattle Seahawks (defeated Pittsburgh): Russell Wilson proved why he was worth the extension he was given. 300 yards and three touchdowns on the day is nothing to sneeze at. It helps that Will Dissly popped up with one of his signature games out of nowhere. There are a couple hiccups, such as the two lost fumbles and the four sacks taken. So far, though, the Seahawks look like a team aiming for the playoffs. I get this feeling Pete Carroll is the new Jim Harbaugh, where he makes the team better than it probably is. That’s a scenario for another time, however.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (defeated Carolina): Who would have thought the savior of the Bucs would be Todd Bowles? His defensive work has gone unnoticed, and has taken the spotlight off a below-average tenure as the head coach of the Jets. Shaquil Barrett, in particular, has looked like a star with four sacks in the first two weeks. Bowles’ defense has only let go of one touchdown so far, and absolutely dominated Christian McCaffrey in this primetime game. The offense did at least see the Chris Godwin that was hyped by fantasy gurus alike, so it’s not a total one-sided effort. As long as it produces results, it doesn’t really matter, does it?

Tennessee Titans (lost to Indianapolis): Hey, Titans, you do realize the used car salesman role is taken, right? After a dominant performance against the much-hyped Browns, the momentum skidded to a dead stop with the Colts. Derrick Henry was the only offensive player who looked good for Tennessee. Marcus Mariota got nothing going, no receiver topped 40 yards in the game, and Adam Humphries’s face is close to being put on milk cartons on every grocery store in Nashville. Ladies and gentlemen, we may have found our first cut candidate from this free agent class.

Washington Redskins (lost to Dallas): Two straight division losses to start the season. Ouch. The Redskins never got any pressure against Dak Prescott, and the running game was as bad for them as it was good for Big D. Trent Williams is only proving why his value is justified with each wall of defenders Derrius Guice or Adrian Peterson hit. With Jay Gruden’s job on the line, you have to wonder when he pulls the same move as the Giants and gets Dwayne Haskins in the starting lineup. Case Keenum’s been doing just fine, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

May the next week bring kinder fortunes. Good luck.

From the Watchtower: NFL Week 1

There’s nothing like Week 1 of the NFL season. Some people are patting themselves on the back for their bold predictions, while others are already trying to sweep theirs under the rug. Some preseason narratives were given legitimacy, while others ended up being shattered immediately.

The truth is, Week 1 somehow causes more hot takes than the offseason. Sure, it’s always important to come away with a strong first impression, but how much expectation can a team seriously have from one game? It is an exercise in futility, but one this article will seek to do anyway.

For this new segment, each team will be given one takeaway from the game they played. It can be a reason for excitement, cause for concern, or somewhere in between. The point is that the discussions here will provide things to look at for each team as the early part of the NFL season progresses. A few of these predictions will likely be proven wrong, but your friendly neighborhood writer has a bit of a masochistic streak in him, so why not? Let’s get on with the madness.

Green Bay Packers 10, Chicago Bears 3

Green Bay: Despite an underwhelming but somewhat expected performance against a strong Bears defense, Aaron Rodgers had to be smiling from the sideline. The new-look defense had an impressive showing on Thursday night, and some of the best contributions came from new faces. Preston and Za’Darius Smith combined for half of the Packers’ total sacks, while former Bear Adrian Amos caught a clutch interception that helped seal the deal. A mulligan can be called for Rodgers, Matt LaFleur, and crew this one time, but results will have to show up sooner rather than later.

Chicago: Rex Grossman is not the ideal quarterback to be compared to, but Mitch Trubisky is getting dangerously close to that mark. Trotting out Mike Davis in place of the more effective David Montgomery was also a mistake, but Trubisky never found his footing. The inconsistency is starting to annoy Bears fans to the point where the struggles of the last decade are starting to rear their ugly heads again. The fact Trubisky was drafted before Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson is looking like more of a sore spot every week.

Tennessee Titans 43, Cleveland Browns 13

Tennessee: So maybe my prediction on the Titans underrated them just a bit. The cast of characters that contributed to this surprising upset were many. Derrick Henry (19-84-1) continued impressing as the heart of the offense. Delanie Walker (5-55-2) had a better-than-anticipated return from injury. A.J. Brown (3-100) made an impression as a deep threat. Cameron Wake (2.5 sacks, 1 safety) looks to be aging like a fine wine. Kevin Byard, Logan Ryan, and Malcolm Butler iced the game with three fourth quarter interceptions, with Butler getting a pick six. It’s just one week, but in a division as weak as the AFC South, strong performances like this could go a long way.

Cleveland: Cleveland fans get their first taste of expectations in a while, and what is their optimism rewarded with? Booing their team off the field after the first half and a fourth-quarter implosion. Anything that could go wrong truly did go wrong for the Browns. Costly penalties on both sides of the ball, Austin Seibert missing a PAT, Greg Robinson’s ejection further exacerbating the poor offensive line. The hype train hasn’t been derailed just yet, but the road turned out to be a lot rockier than anticipated.

Baltimore Ravens 59, Miami Dolphins 10

Baltimore: Who would have guessed Lamar Jackson would be the current front-runner for MVP in Week 1? Sure, he likely won’t win the award at the end of the season, and this performance was against a tanking Miami team, but it takes a serious detractor to take away from a game like this. Jackson did all of his damage as a passer, showing off an instant rapport with first-round rookie Marquise Brown for two deep touchdowns and going back to a reliable weapon in Mark Andrews. The Ravens even inserted Robert Griffin III onto the field when the game was out of reach, only for him to have a perfect completion percentage and throw a touchdown to Andrews for the final score of the game. Not bad for a running back, indeed.

Miami: A season that was already expected to be long just went longer. Apparently, the “revolt” for Laremy Tunsil’s trade was a catastrophic meltdown. Allowing 390 yards and 42 points in a game is bad enough, but in just one half? And now players are clamoring to get out of Miami as soon as possible, not content with wasting away in a tank. At least they’re not going to take this out on Brian Flores. Bill Belichick would struggle with a team like this.

Minnesota Vikings 28, Atlanta Falcons 12

Minnesota: Old-time football fans had to appreciate the Vikings on Sunday. The game could be summarized in the first couple of minutes. A sack on the first play. A blocked punt. Dalvin Cook looking rejuvenated. Kirk Cousins throwing a dime to Adam Thielen. The final score does not indicate the dominant performance the Vikings had. A similar performance of Green Bay could see Minnesota as the surprising top dog of the NFC North at this juncture of the season. Should be fun.

Atlanta: Nothing went right for the Falcons. Devonta Freeman struggled against the Vikings as there was no room to run. Julio Jones’s touchdown salvaged an otherwise awful game. An offensive line that still looked leaky lost Chris Lindstrom to IR. The defense looking okay, but nowhere close to good enough to stop the Vikings. The Falcons were seen as a potential dark horse to claim a playoff spot, but this may be quite the setback.

Buffalo Bills 17, New York Jets 16

Buffalo: Give the Bills some credit for showing resilience in the face of adversity. Josh Allen struggled in the first half, coughing up two fumbles and throwing two interceptions, including a pick 6 to C.J. Mosley. However, in the second half, the light turned on. Allen salvaged a rough game with two touchdowns to put the Bills up late. Devin Singletary also played a good role in the comeback, with most of his production coming in the second half. A weird game to watch, but for Bills Mafia, a win is a win.

New York Jets: If there was ever a need for proof to determine which free agent would be most important to the success of this team, this game gave it. Le’Veon Bell did well in his first game in green, but Mosley was the heart and soul of the defense. After an injury took him down in the third quarter, here is what the ensuing drives for the Bills led to: field goal, touchdown, touchdown. The offensive line and the recently waived Kaare Vedvik deserve some blame, but Mosley’s injury may have been the catalyst for the tough loss.

Philadelphia Eagles 32, Washington Redskins 27

Philadelphia: It only looks right to see DeSean Jackson back in an Eagles uniform. It also looks right to see him burn through coverage like the Roadrunner from Looney Tunes. Two 50+ yard touchdowns and over 150 yards total on the day. Those reports about Jackson and Carson Wentz working well together looked to be true. If that’s the case, the rest of the league may be dealing with a serious problem.

Washington: It was only for a week, but the Case Keenum who led the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game two years ago took the field. He actually enjoyed a better stat line than the more-ballyhooed Wentz. It wasn’t enough to give Washington the victory, but that can be blamed of a defensive collapse. Jonathan Allen’s injury, Derrius Guice’s ineffectiveness, and Trent Williams’s defection did not help matters. At least it can be worse?

Los Angeles Rams 30, Carolina Panthers 27

Los Angeles Rams: For the Rams, this win was far from the tone-setter they wanted to have. Jared Goff, coming fresh off of his new contract extension, looked rusty and struggled before a late touchdown. Todd Gurley looked fine, but it’s clear that Sean McVay was concerned, resorting to Malcolm Brown spelling the All-Pro running back for two touchdowns. Aaron Donald had a slow start to his season, and the rest of the defense was not exactly stellar either. With a game against a Saints team hungry for revenge on the docket for next week, these kinks will have to be ironed out quickly.

Carolina: Christian McCaffrey is looking like Norv Turner’s new version of LaDainian Tomlinson more by the day. The all-purpose running back was easily one of the best players on Sunday, amassing a total of 209 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. Where the problem lies is with Cam Newton, not necessarily with his playing ability or even his fashion sense, but the toll he’s taking on his body. Taking three sacks is not a good thing for a quarterback who’s shoulder may still not be 100 percent. Just saying.

Kansas City Chiefs 40, Jacksonville Jaguars 26

Kansas City: Jacksonville was the only team that held Mahomes without a touchdown pass last season. This time, it took Mahomes all of 98 seconds to rectify that. The Duval heat never seemed to bother the reigning MVP, as he matched his yardage total from last year’s matchup in just the first half. The loss of Tyreek Hill will sting a bit, but it’s no big deal. Sammy Watkins caught all three of Mahomes’s touchdown passes. Travis Kelce was solid as usual. LeSean McCoy looked like he stepped through a time machine. If Mahomes is looking to repeat as MVP, he made a strong case with this first game.

Jacksonville: There are a few things that can be pointed out, but one in particular stands out. After Nick Foles went down with a broken clavicle, Jaguars fans could be forgiven for abandoning all hope. Sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew was coming in and…actually looked good. It wasn’t enough to beat the Chiefs, but Minshew had a nice game for someone drafted in Day 3. 275 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception is not a stat line to sneeze at. Trading for Josh Dobbs earlier this week did make sense, but Minshew should be given another chance to make sure this was not a lucky break. The glass case is still covering the panic button…for now.

Los Angeles Chargers 30, Indianapolis Colts 27 (OT)

Los Angeles Chargers: Melvin Gordon’s holdout looked like a mistake on paper, and the paper has apparently transcended into reality. Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson did fine work, but Ekeler in particular looked every bit like a workhorse. He posted 154 total yards and three touchdowns, including the overtime winner. What looked like a concern in the offseason looked like nothing of the sort. Gordon has claimed he will be back with the Chargers sometime in November. If he wants to prove he’s worth as much money as he wants, he may want to come back a bit earlier.

Indianapolis: In all fairness, the Colts should have won this game. Jacoby Brissett looked capable of holding down the starting role, T.Y. Hilton looked like the underappreciated star he is, Marlon Mack had a career day on the ground, and names like Malik Hooker and Kemoko Turay look like new defensive stars. So who takes the blame for this loss? The fingers point at an unexpected source: Adam Vinatieri. The usually reliable elder statesman had arguably his worst outing, missing two field goals and an extra point. When a CFL import pulling double duty has a better day, there is a problem. Next week’s game may be critical for Vinatieri if he wants to stick, and that is a weird thing to type out.

Seattle Seahawks 21, Cincinnati Bengals 20

Seattle: It was a game to forget for the Seattle offense, who was bailed out by a defense that had its own share of issues. Russell Wilson’s two touchdowns saved his game, and Chris Carson was inconsistent, coming through in clutch situations but struggling elsewhere. D.K. Metcalf showed his big play ability early, so that’s at least a nice sign. Other than that, there was little to speak of. A game that should have been an easy win at home turned into a nail-biter. Not a performance to be proud of, if I’m being honest.

Cincinnati: The Bengals once again pull the Charlie Brown impression of the hard-luck loser. They beat Seattle’s offensive output by almost 200 yards and placed above the Seahawks in almost every metric…except the one total that counts. Career days from Andy Dalton and John Ross were cast asunder, and new coach Zac Taylor looked alright in defeat. Three points in the second half will not cut it, though. “It’s the Hard Knock Life” is blaring loud in Paul Brown Stadium once again.

Dallas Cowboys 35, New York Giants 17

Dallas: All may be right in Jerry World for now, but the ringmaster may be sweating due to not paying one of his star attractions. It’s still a mystery about how much money Dak Prescott wants, but he got one step closer to getting his desired price. Throwing four touchdowns to different targets and landing 100 yard days for Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup meant Ezekiel Elliott got to take it easy. As with the Ravens, the Cowboys did face a weak defense, but it was nice to see some explosiveness from an offense that had a bit of intrigue. Expect a dogfight with Philadelphia for the NFC East crown.

New York Giants: Pat Shurmur, what are you doing? Saquon Barkley is the engine of the Giants’ offense, and eleven carries is all he gets? Eli Manning should not be throwing 44 passes in this day and age, even in a blowout. Under-utilization is a crime a few teams know all too well, but to do it to a team’s best player is laughable. The hot seat just cranked up a few degrees for that. Wake me up when Daniel Jones steps in.

Detroit Lions 27, Arizona Cardinals 27 (OT)

Detroit: Well, this is awkward. Just when the Lions thought they had it made, and then they took their foot off the gas. This is when Matt Patricia learned a valuable lesson: playing not to lose usually means you lose. The hopes and dreams of Lions fans ended up dying as the Cardinals put up 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Unlike the Chargers, however, the Lions were unable to get themselves out and settled for the tie. It feels like a loss for Detroit, which needed a win here to get some momentum going in order to be competitive. At least T.J. Hockenson looked legitimate?

Arizona: Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury went from looking like duds on opening week to stars. Murray salvaged a tough debut with an incredible fourth quarter, throwing two touchdowns to David Johnson and the ageless wonder Larry Fitzgerald. There was a chance to end the game in overtime by intercepting a pass from Matthew Stafford, but the defender couldn’t hold on to the ball. That was it, but for the Cardinals, they’ll take what they can get. There’s the metaphor about a tie and kissing your sister, but it was probably a less awkward deal this time around. Accidental kiss on a high school crush, maybe?

San Francisco 49ers 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17

San Francisco: It had to be a little concerning for Niners fans to watch Jimmy Garoppolo’s up-and-down performance. Jimmy G let go of a pick-six that gave Tampa the lead before helping to get it back with a touchdown. He has the defense to thank for the victory, as the D paved the way with three sacks, four turnovers, and two pick-sixes. For context, the 49ers now have half of their turnover output and exceeded their interception total from last year in just one game. Sounds like a confidence booster.

Tampa Bay: Could the Bucs be looking at the QBs for next year’s draft? Jameis Winston, someone who was touted to be a nice fit for Bruce Arians’s offense, proceeded to lay an egg with three interceptions. Two of them went for pick-sixes to keep Tampa out of reach. It’s one thing to not help in a victory effort, but costing your team a game is worrying at this stage of the game. This is Winston’s last shot to prove himself as a franchise quarterback, and this game did not help his case.

New England Patriots 33, Pittsburgh Steelers 3

New England: That sound you heard Sunday night was the collective gulp of every NFL fan outside of Boston. The Patriots looked close to unstoppable against Pittsburgh in every aspect of play. Tom Brady seems to have Father Time held up, the offense is filled with playmakers, Dante Scarnecchia is still the best offensive line coach in the league, and the defense didn’t even allow much in garbage time. Even if Antonio Brown doesn’t play a game with New England, this team is already looking like it’s on the warpath. Just give Tom Brady a gauntlet for his rings already.

Pittsburgh: There’s no sugarcoating this one. Antonio Brown’s replacement has yet to be found, and Donte Moncrief seems to be the one name I’m willing to drop from the discussion. James Conner struggled to get anything going out of the backfield. JuJu Smith-Schuster struggled before getting a bit of garbage time production. The Steelers have once again become the personal whipping boy of a Patriots team that has dominated this matchup in the recent past.

New Orleans Saints 30, Houston Texans 28

New Orleans: The Saints found themselves down at the half by eleven after a slow start, including an officiating gaffe that left the Saints with little time to work with in their final drive. If the Saints had lost this game, the referees would probably be run out of town and it would be yet another game breaker for a team that has had its fair share of those recently. Thankfully, it never had to come to that. Drew Brees came alive in the second half, throwing two touchdown passes and using his surgical precision to get the Saints in field goal range with their final drive of the game. This time, Wil Lutz did not miss. Such a slow start will be punished by the Rams, who would love to repeat last year’s NFC Championship Game result, except in a lot more convincing fashion.

Houston: Win, lose, or draw, Deshaun Watson’s performance in Houston’s final drive of the game was a star-making moment. Down six with 50 seconds to go and no timeouts remaining, Watson needed a miracle to put the Texans back on top. It took him all of two long passes to DeAndre Hopkins and Kenny Stills to do it. The PAT was aided by a roughing the kicker penalty, but Watson did more than enough to help his team win. Unfortunately, he was not helped by an offensive line that still looked leaky and J.J. Watt not showing up on the stat sheet for the first time in his career. The Texans are still the used car salesman of the league, but Monday’s pitch was a bit more convincing.

Oakland Raiders 24, Denver Broncos 16

Oakland: This has to feel like a wave of relief for the Raiders. After months of making the headlines for their soap opera-esque offseason, the team finally got to be noticed for their football in the final home opener in Oakland. Derek Carr looked nice. Tyrell Williams and Darren Waller both had solid games. Josh Jacobs became the first running back since LaDainian Tomlinson to notch 100 yards and two touchdowns in his debut. The offensive line held Denver’s vaunted pass rush in check. The defense came through in multiple situations, getting three sacks and holding the Broncos out of the end zone until garbage time. It was unexpected, but the Raiders needed something after the whole Antonio Brown saga.

Denver: Vic Fangio and Joe Flacco’s debuts in Denver were both underwhelming. Fangio’s defense did nothing against a Raiders team that just lost its best player and was projected to do next to nothing. Flacco looked like the same quarterback that lost his starting spot to Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. Von Miller and Bradley Chubb never got anything going. Phillip Lindsay was outproduced by Royce Freeman. Courtland Sutton and Emmanuel Sanders did alright, but only caught one garbage-time touchdown. It was all a matter of too little, too late for the Broncos, who suddenly have questions to answer. The cries for Drew Lock just got a bit louder.