Pretty unexpectedly wild week we just wrapped up there, capped with a Falcons upset over the Eagles last night. Needless to say, plenty to break down:
No More Tua, No More.
Another terrifying moment for the Miami quarterback, going into seizure-like movements after colliding with Damar Hamlin on a 4th down scramble. It was Tua's third known concussion in the last two years, all seeming a little more severe than the last. He got his long-term deal and the a fat signing bonus that came along with it, life ain't worth this.
Like Mike McDaniel put it, "You're the quarterback of your family first."
James Cook's Good
The second year running back took this one over early, scoring thrice in the first 27 minutes of the game to afford backup Ray Davis ample garbage time. After losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason, the Bills' offense needed someone to step up and Cook's been the guy thus far.
Klint Kubiak is Something Special
Speaking of good running backs...Alvin Kamara looks like he discovered the fountain of youth down in New Orleans. Four total touchdowns in Big D to trounce the Cowboys, looking fast and spry doing so. Derek Carr has been immaculate, helping the Saints make history by scoring in their first 15 offensive drives.
Credit to Klint Kubiak. San Francisco's former passing-game coordinator was brought over to be the OC last February and might just be looking at a head coaching spot soon if his offense keeps this up. Unbelievable production from a group that was difficult to watch much of last season.
Same Ole Cowboys
Not sure if Dallas overlooked New Orleans or what, but that was pathetic. The reality is, that's probably what to expect moving forward from this roster. They've got some guys like CeeDee and Micah Parsons who'll make some big plays, but Dak's not a winner. The running game sucks, they can't stop the run and their secondary is too boom or bust. Won't be the last time these problems arise.
Baker Mayfield Has Arrived
This dude takes the Bucs back to the stadium they were eliminated from last January, eats three Aidan Hutchinson sacks on his first three drives, gets up, dusts off and later takes a QB draw 11 yards for the game winning score. Baker's willed the team to a 2-0 start, doing whatever is required to get the job done. He looks like every bit of a former #1 pick, surrounded by some talented pieces that are learning to win together.
Accountability
Dan Campbell is somebody you want on your coaching staff, point blank. But he does have some mistakes, such as the fiasco with the kicking unit before the first half that almost certainly cost the Lions three points. Would've been helpful to have those at the end there...
But his post game press conference was all ownership. He wanted his guys to play better, they did and their head coach let them down. Everybody knows the hyperbole of the statement, and how one play rarely a game makes, but the fact he's willing to publicly take the hit for his team speaks volumes.
Wish the Ravens Had Some...
John Harbaugh strikes again. Terrible challenges and late meltdowns have been the name of the game over these last couple of seasons, squandering the window that Baltimore has with Lamar Jackson. But every decision, personnel and in-game, seems to have a rationale with blame (or credit) to place elsewhere. Never what we see in Detroit.
Vibes surrounding the team are low, with change starting to swirl in the wind. What happens if they drop to 0-3?
Brock Bowers the Man Child
There were plenty upset when quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr, JJ McCarthy and Bo Nix were all off the board for Vegas by the 13th pick of this most recent draft, but it opened the door for the team to not reach for a QB, instead taking the best player available. Brock Bowers, tight end, University of Georgia.
And the kid's going to be a star, completely taking over the second half of their game against the Ravens to finish with 98 yards on 9 catches. He's a silky smooth runner with the ball in his hands, finds soft spots in the zone with ease and delivers the hammer to would-be tacklers. Really nice piece to build this offense around.
Anthony Richardson: Providing More Entertainment Than Solutions
You know we're big AR-15 fans here at Chopping Lines, but dropping a game to the Malik Willis-ran Packers is pretty hard to defend. Three interceptions and a 50% completion percentage isn't going to earn a team many wins, or keep the offending quarterback on the field long. Sky high ceiling, Jamarcus Russell type floor.
Matt LaFleur Can Coach
Malik Willis was put in a perfect position to succeed, going an efficient 12-14 on the day with no turnovers. Josh Jacobs was given a grown-man workload, handling 32 carries at just under 5 yards a carry. A masterful game plan to steal a tough game without their QB1, credit to LaFleur for that. Curious how Christian Watson managed to not secure a single touch or target though.
Gang Green's Running Back Tandem
Breece Hall was averaged a steady 4.4 yards per carry on the ground, adding 7 receptions and a ridiculous receiving touchdown on the day. Nothing unexpected there. Rookie Braelon Allen though, surprising workload there. The Wisconsin alum took his 9 total touches for 56 yards and 2 trips to the end zone-- a drastic increase in usage from week one. Breece isn't going anywhere, but not a split we anticipated.
Will Levis' Tour of Turnovers
Last week we got the flipped pick six, this week we got a weird, rolling fumble to an unsuspecting teammate. Head coach Brian Callahan bluntly addressed it as unacceptable, not a mistake a grown man should be making. Harsh? Perhaps. Accurate. And some!
Comeback Player of the Year: Sam Darnold
It's remarkable what Kevin O'Donnell has managed to get out of Sam Darnold thus far. The journeyman looks efficient, effective and composed, leading Minnesota to the most surprising 2-0 start in the league. Darnold hasn't been perfect, but he's showing the ability to win ball games-- something few people thought would be the reality. Nice contract coming your way Sam.
What's up in San Fran??
A nice win over the Jets was quickly lost in the sauce as the reigning NFC champions got smoked wire to wire against the inferior Vikings. Maybe it was a short week, the injuries adding up, or an opposing QB familiar with the system, but this was a wholly uninspiring look from a Niners squad that's overflowing with talent. Hard to win road games in the NFL though.
Gutsy Road Win by Seattle
Speaking of which...the Seahawks found themselves in a slugfest up in Foxborough, needing overtime to take out the Patriots. Running back Kenneth Walker was forced to sit out with an abdominal injury, putting the onus on Geno Smith to get it done offensively. 327 turnover-free yards on 75% completion percentage is what Smith finished off at, a highly efficient day for any QB. Mike MacDonald is 2-0 as a head coach.
Close, Gutsy Loss by a Home Dog
The Patriots are a scrappy team, at worst. After trading Matthew Judon a few weeks ago, it felt like they were waiving the white flag on 2024. After two weeks of action, they nearly found themselves undefeated. They won't be making a deep playoff push come January, but they just may prevent a good team or two from pursuing one.
Get the Resume Together Daboll
Graham Gano was clearly less than 100% during warmups, so not sure why the Giants assumed he'd be good to go come game time. Gano performed the kickoff and reaggravated his leg injury, leaving New York without a kicker for the entire game. They lost by a field goal, had 3 failed two-point conversion attempts and a late drive end on the 22-yard line, tied at 18 apiece. We can let some losses slide on Daniel Jones' incompetence, but this inexcusable coaching blunder cost them the game.
Malik Nabers: Dog
Straight up super star. Joe Alt looks nice for the Chargers, but the Nabers-Herbert combo that could've been will forever leave us longing.
Washington's Offensive Identity
That's how the Commanders are going to win games this season: smashing the ball to suck the defense in and then letting Daniels take what he can get on the ground or through the air. 35 total carries by Washington this weekend, picking up 6.1 YPC at that. It's a hard style of play to prepare for that this roster is more than equipped to deliver each week.
Bryce Young: Inside Track for Worst Trade Ever
It's a brutal state of affairs when your #1 pick gets benched for Andy Dalton just 17 games into his career. Maybe it's the O-line, possibly the coaching, but Bryce Young just looks terrible. No way to sugarcoat it and no easy solution in sight.
Quentin Johnston Time?!
After being the topic of numerous bust conversations, receiver Quentin Johnston finally had himself a nice game with the Chargers, catching 5 of 6 targets for 51 yards and 2 scores. Last year's 21st pick still has a long way to go to redeem himself, but stepping up like this for an offense that's devoid of downfield threats could go a long way in repairing his reputation.
Doesn't Seem like the Jags Care Anymore
Week one felt like a continuation of last year's pathetic collapse. This week felt even worse, as the Jaguars never got going on either side of the ball. Trevor Lawrence was 5-11 for 16 yards at the half, ultimately completing less than 50% of his passes. Christian Kirk had -1 receiving yards. Things aren't looking good for this Doug Pederson-run squad.
Jameis Winston Pregame Speeches
No coincidence that a Jameis Winston inspirational ploy, centered around the famous CiCi's pizza buffet no less, helped inspire Cleveland's first victory of the season. The man is as ridiculous as he is captivating, offering some of the premier sound clips of our time. We're hoping to see him have a long, healthy career in this league.
An Official Welcome to the League for Marvin Harrison Jr.
4 catches for 130 yards and 2 scores, a far cry from his 4-yard NFL debut. He could've doubled this stat line too if the Rams were able to muster any type of resistance. Let's throw out the speculation about his chemistry with Kyler Murray and let these two learn how to cook together.
Can't Spell Receiver Without IR
Puka Nacua last week, Cooper Kupp this go-round. The Rams looked like potential contenders less than 10 days ago against the Lions, but those aspirations may be evaporating quicker than their remaining pass catchers can run down the field. Shame to see it with a healthy and able Matthew Stafford.
Justin Fields is 2-0
Better record than Caleb Williams, with slightly better stats. Low bar there, but Fields has avoided mistakes and has his Steelers undefeated-- despite a lack of blue chip talent.
No Shutout for Denver?
Nobody expected Bo Nix to be in any MVP discussions, but the rookie from Oregon has taken some lumps early on in his career. He made a few more aggressive plays on Sunday, met with a mix of success and failure, mostly the latter. No reason to quit on the kid, but the Broncos are legitimately bad.
Where Was That Against New England?
The Bengals do this regularly, but it never seems to make sense. How can you get handled at home against the Patriots, yet go down to the wire against the reigning Super Bowl champions? Five times in the last six seasons that Cincy's started 0-2. They sure don't make it easy for themselves.
Interception of the Year
If you haven't seen Cam Taylor-Britt's interception on Patrick Mahomes yet, do yourself a favor. Going to be hard to top that one.
Zebras Strike Again
While I love seeing Cincy lose, and that was pretty clearly a pass interference on 4th and 16, but it seems like the Chiefs always get a little help from their friends in the black and white. As if Patrick Mahomes and Company need any help winning...
Hip Drop? No Problem.
Never was a fan of the hip drop rule, but if we're going to call illegal formations like it's going out of style, can we at least address the first egregious hip drop of 2024? Joe Mixon was on the receiving end of that illegal hit, injuring his ankle in the process. Fortunately, it doesn't seem like it's going to be a long-term ailment, but if the NFL is going to make this a rule, then it needs to actually enforce it.
Excitement Uncommon With Caleb Williams
Small sample size, so no need to overreact, but the #1 pick in this most recent draft has been objectively bad to kick his career off. Chicago's sieve of an offensive line hasn't helped, but bad decision making and overall hesitant play has plagued Williams through his first two games. He's got the physical tools and weapons to overcome this, but the big boys need to keep him upright in the pocket.
Nick Sirianni, Not Yet Endearing
Last week's win at Green Bay didn't instill a ton of confidence in the embattled coach, nor did Monday night's clunky loss. Not having AJ Brown didn't help, but the Eagles came up short in many facets from beginning to end. In a high pressure year for Sirianni, he's not off on his best foot.
Kyle Pitts Ain't It
3 catches for 20 yards. 6 for 46 through two weeks. There's still plenty of time to click with Kirk Cousins, but he looks like he could be 4th on the depth chart as far as pass catchers go-- behind London, Bijan and Darnell Mooney. You could even make the argument there's more of an emphasis on getting Ray-Ray McLeod involved than the alleged star tight end. Not a good look for the fourth year pro.
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@Choppinglines
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