It seems that we are now beyond the silliness of the first two weeks and ready to begin the season anew. It began on Thursday with the Jets playing in their home opener against the Patriots. Each team was sitting at 1-1, and the Jets were favored by 6.5 points.
They won in what may prove to be the easiest game this season. The Patriots were overmatched in every facet of the game, and the team with the longest odds to win the Superbowl proved why. The Jets walked off the field with a 24-3 win, and it wasn’t even that close. I think favorites are about ready to flex their muscles, with underdogs prevailing less and less.
Here are this week’s headlines:
What a difference five days makes: Up until about 3 pm last Sunday, there was great hope in New England. The Patriots were 1-0, coming from a huge upset win in Cincinnati, and were ahead in the fourth quarter against Seattle. The Seahawks managed to tie the game in regulation and prevail in OT. But even after that game, people started to believe that the Patriots should play tough and competitive games. By the end of the first quarter, it was evident that the Pats were overmatched. It’s going to be a long season in Foxboro.
Premature admiration: Before Thursday Night’s primetime game, Patriots owner Robert Kraft was interviewed and ebullient in his praise of first-year HC Jerod Mayo. When asked about Mayo’s style compared to former HC Bill Belichick, he relished his choice of Mayo, saying he had been looking at Mayo as Belichick’s replacement for five seasons. It begs the question, if Kraft was thinking of a succession plan as far back as five years ago, why he chose to keep Belichick over Brady? He was wrong then, and although it remains to be seen if he’s wrong now, the early returns are in, and it doesn’t look good for Belichick’s replacement.
Three strikes and you’re out: In Thursday’s game, Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled the ball. Although he had two amazing games to begin the year, he did cough the ball up in each game. Thursday made it three games in a row. If this were still Belichick’s regime, he’d be walking around with a football for the 10 days until their next game against San Fransisco. Even with his gaudy numbers leading up to Thursday, he only had six carries for 23 YDs. They do have Antonio Gibson ready if needed.
Guess who’s back, back again: Don’t look now, but Jets QB Aaron Rodgers is back. Instead of Beetlejuice three times, someone must have yelled Aaron Rodgers three times…The fans at the game on Thursday were chanting his name far more than that. He looked like vintage Rodgers. He was 28-35 and had 281 YDs, with two TDs. It’s a bit of a stretch, but at the moment, Rodgers is the fifth shortest odds on the board to win the MVP at +1600. Rodgers has always relished his quest for MVPs more than a Superbowl. He’s on a good team who should make the playoffs. Being in New York will put an even bigger spotlight on Rodgers. At 16/1, it’s not a terrible bet.
The battle of the unbeaten: Of the nine 2-0 teams, four are facing off against each other in two games. The Texans are going to Minnesota to face off against the Vikings, and the Chargers are playing in Pittsburgh against the Steelers. WR Justin Jefferson left last week’s game but was a full go at practice on Friday and should be ready for the game. I still like the Texans to leave Minnesota 3-0. The other 2-0 matchup is the most improbable. Three weeks ago, nobody would have predicted the Chargers, especially not the Steelers, being 2-0 this week. Justin Herbert is questionable to start due to a high ankle strain. With the Chargers’ new-found running game, Herbert is as vital, but without him, going to Pittsburgh and leaving with a win is doubtful. The Steelers are proving to have an early top-10 defense and should slow down the Chargers’ ground game. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but look for the Steelers to be 3-0 after this week’s games.
Will the offensive onslaught continue?: The Saints have scored over 90 points thus far this season. They are facing off against an Eagles team who desperately need a win after last week’s last-minute debacle. A 1-2 start could truly be enough to get HC Nick Sirianni fired. It’s hard to believe this team will continue to falter, but there is something seriously wrong in Philadelphia, and the slide began at the end of last year. It’s hard to see New Orleans beginning the season 3-0. But their offense can’t keep up this pace, and I believe the Eagles will rally and prevail in this spot.
Love is in the air: After only one week on the sidelines it appears QB Jordan Love may be ready to return this week against the Titans. Based on Tennessee’s first two weeks I don’t think they’ll need Love, but especially if he his ready to go, expect Tennessee to end the day 0-3.
Let the ERA of the Red Rifle Begin: It’s not easy to bench a No. 1 QB…especially only two games into the second year of his pro career, but that’s exactly what happened in Carolina. Bryce Young has been benched in favor of Andy Dalton. It’s amazing, but Dalton has been in the league for 14 seasons. He’s made 163 career starts and has an above-.500 record. He is 83-78. The Raiders defeated the Ravens 26-23 last week in Baltimore, but this could be a nice spot for Dalton and the Panthers. The Raiders are ripe for a letdown game.
Let the ERA of Skylar Thompson begin, and let his reign be short-lived: Unlike the Panthers benching Bryce Young, Thompson is in at QB due to Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion. Due to being put on the IR, he’ll be out for at least four weeks, which means the Dolphins have to ensure Thompson for a month. They have a tough road game this week, and they are going cross-country to Seattle. The Seahawks are one of the nine remaining undefeated teams. This will be a defining matchup for each team. If the Seahawks can prevail, it will keep them in possession of first place in the NFC West. And it will be a big blow to the Dolphins, leaving Seattle with a 1-2 record.
Most intriguing Week 3 games: Other than the 2-0 matchups, there are a couple of other intriguing games this week. The Lions are coming off an inexplicable loss last week against the Buccaneers, and the Cards are coming off their most convincing win in years. Both teams have high-flying offenses, and this game may get into the 70s in total points. The other intriguing game is between the Ravens and Cowboys in Dallas. The Cowboys got shellacked at home against the Saints, while Baltimore finds themselves 0-2, after losing at home against the Raiders. Being on the road may be the best thing for the Ravens. Being 0-3 is a bigger hole than 1-2. The Ravens need this game more, and usually, the team that needs the win more prevails. The Ravens will win this game and both teams will leave wk.3 with a 1-2 record.
Nine 0-2 teams: There are nine 0-2 teams, which is a tough hole to dig out of. But 0-3 is a death sentence for a team’s playoff hopes. Since 1979, only six teams that started in the year 0-3 have made the playoffs.
Nine 2-0 teams: Conversely, there are nine 2-0 teams. After this week, it is guaranteed that there will still be some undefeated teams. And although it isn’t a shoo-in, teams who start the year 3-0 make the playoffs nearly 75% of the time. Usually, the season isn’t completely over or completely secure in September, so going 3-0 or 0-3 has severe ramifications.