Welcome to a weekly look at the NFL’s next round of games. This will be less quarterback-crazy and more about offensive lines, defense, running games, maybe even the occasional punter, for gosh sakes, and all things that make this the greatest team game ever invented, not the star-driven individualized sport that way too many of us try to make it out to be. An effort will be made to keep the tone somewhere between “Old-School” and “Get off my lawn!“
Week 3 rant
Yeah, yeah, kickers are players, too. But they’ve become too good for the good of the game. Shrink the goal posts! A year after kickers made a record 195 field goals from 50-plus — topping the records of 158 and 154 the previous two years — they’re 31 of 37 (83.8%) from 50-plus this year. Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud played 263 games. He made 17 of 64 (26.6%) from 50-plus with a long of 55. The Cowboys’ Brandon Aubrey has played 36 games. He’s 27 for 30 (90%) from 50-plus and is so automatic even from 60-plus (his range Sunday was set in pregame warmups at 71) the Cowboys essentially took a knee so he could kick a 64-yarder to send last week’s game against the Giants into overtime. And no one batted an eye or broke a sweat.
Quit griping about injuries
Dear Vikings Nation: You are not unique. Injuries are everywhere! As long as the NFL refuses to practice hard or play anybody in the preseason, players are going to suffer more injuries when their bubble wrap comes off and they’re asked to go from soft to 60 for three hours a week. Each division has a 2-0 team. Four 2-0 teams — Arizona, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and San Francisco — didn’t make the playoffs last year. The Bengals and 49ers both lost star quarterbacks and won with backups. The 49ers are being decimated throughout their entire depth chart, but this week they play one of two games featuring two undefeated teams. Mac Jones, who posted a 113.1 passer rating against the Saints, starts in place of Brock Purdy again as the 49ers host the Cardinals in an NFC West matchup.
Stats are for losers
Cleveland hosts the 2-0 Packers with a defense that’s ranked No. 1 in yards allowed (191.5) by 37½ yards over No. 2 Atlanta. The Browns held the Bengals to 141 yards and the Ravens to 242 yards. And … they’re 0-2 with the sixth-worst scoring defense (29.0). The Packers have the sixth-best scoring offense (27.0).
Stat of the week
14. The league-leading number of pressures for reigning NFL sack king Trey Hendrickson, whose Bengals visit a Vikings team that has allowed the league’s third-worst pressure percentage (29.6).
Quote of the week
I trust this group.
Reid isn’t ready to concede the end of the Patrick Mahomes-era dynasty. Kansas City plays Sunday night at the 0-2 Giants, who got 450 yards and one bone-headed, game-killing interception in last week’s overtime loss to the Cowboys.
Dunce of the week
Kaleb Johnson, Steelers running back/now-former kick returner. Johnson, a third-round pick, did the rest of the league’s return men a favor by reminding them the hard way that kickoffs are once again live balls in the end zone. In a 31-17 home loss to Seattle, Johnson forgot that pretty important detail by not retrieving a kickoff that bounced over his head. Seattle recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Pittsburgh gave up 30 points twice last year. They head to New England having given up 30 points twice in two games this year.
Did you know?
In spite of coach Shane Steichen’s horrendous game management at the end of the Broncos game, the Colts are 2-0 for the first time since 2009. With Daniel freaking Jones at quarterback, Indy heads to 0-2 Tennessee as the first team in the Super Bowl era not to punt in its first two games.
