Welcome to a weekly look at the NFL’s next round of games, a peek that will be less quarterback-crazy and more about offensive lines, defense, running games, maybe even the occasional punter, for gosh sakes. Those are all things that make this the greatest team game ever invented, not the star-driven individualized sport that too many of us try to make it out to be.
Week 2 rant
How can a league that promotes entire units performing clownish end-zone celebrations be so nitpicky when it comes to 15-yard “taunting” penalties? Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. made a great tackle, stopping Cowboys running back Miles Sanders for no gain, flexed and was flagged. Maybe this week in Kansas City Nolan should run 50 yards into the end zone to perform a duck-duck-GOOSE ensemble instead.
Best O-line
Jim Harbaugh has put football’s best division, the AFC West, on notice. A week after beating the nine-time defending champion Chiefs in Brazil, Harbaugh’s Chargers head to Vegas (1-0) with a chance to become the NFL’s first team to start 2-0 in its division. As always with Harbaugh, everything starts up front. When left tackle Rashawn Slater went down for the season, Minnesota native Joe Alt, the fifth overall pick a year ago, was moved from right tackle to his more natural spot. When Patrick Mahomes closed to within two points in the fourth quarter, Harbaugh’s front five — including 6-7, 363-pound former Eagle Mekhi Becton at right guard — grabbed hold of the game with an 11-play, 74-yard touchdown drive that took 7:02. When Kansas City later got within one score, the Chargers got two more first downs to keep Mahomes on the sideline as Justin Herbert did his first-down victory slide on third-and-14.
Defense still matters!
Four Week 2 games feature two 1-0 teams. In Indianapolis, a Colts offense that scored on every possession a week ago — the first time that’s been done in the NFL since 1977 — faces a Broncos defense that leads the league in yards allowed (133), sacks (six), first downs allowed (seven) and third-down percentage (14.3). Sorry, new Colts QB Daniel Jones, but you’ll need a bigger boat than the one that cruised past Miami on Sunday.
Stat of the week
9 That’s the number of Atlanta defenders who had at least one QB hurry in last week’s loss to the Bucs. James Pearce Jr., one of two edge rushers the Falcons drafted in the first round, had four. Though Atlanta has only one sack heading to their Week 2 prime-time game against the Vikings, the Falcons do finally have a pass rush. They were 31st in sacks last year, last in 2022 and 2021 and haven’t ranked in the top half of the league since 2006.
Quote of the week
I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets.
Rodgers, who went 6-12 in his two seasons with the Jets before being dumped, ranks sixth on the NFL’s career regular-season wins list for quarterbacks with a record of 154-87-1. Fifth on the list is former Steeler Ben Roethlisberger at 165-81-1. With games against Seattle at home this week and at the Patriots next week, Rodgers could be 3-0 heading to Ireland to play the Vikings in Week 4.
Unsung player of the week
Foyesade Oluokun, Jaguars linebacker. Jacksonville (1-0) heads to Cincinnati (1-0) with what appears to be a decent defense after ranking 31st a year ago. Oluokun had 10 tackles, a forced fumble, an interception and a Pro Football Focus coverage rating of 92.5, tops among NFL linebackers.
Did you know?
The Bengals haven’t started 2-0 since 2018. But don’t get too excited by Zac Taylor’s 2-11 record in Weeks 1-2. The 2018 Bengals finished 6-10 and fired Taylor’s predecessor, Marvin Lewis.
