It’s always satisfying to see questionable NFL stories proven false shortly after they surface, especially when it involves a first-round draft pick. The knives were out for Arizona rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. after his one-reception debut against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. Some of the assessments weren’t exactly kind, to say the least: “incredibly slow and iffy” was one of the mildest on social media. But there was a certain grace to a rough start, given how a fierce Bills defense limited his impact. On Sunday, he pulled off another coup for the record books by torching the Los Angeles Rams with two touchdowns and 130 yards in the first quarter, more than his father gained in any quarter of his Hall of Fame career. The highlight was a 60 yard score in which Harrison’s raw speed turned tight coverage into a gaping run. Rams safety Kamren Loop always asks for directions to the nearest end zone.
Isaiah is probable can’t get a break. A week after an out-of-bounds toenail ruled out a touchdown and the chance to upset the The Kansas City ChiefsJack Jones’ shoulder came in to disrupt Likely’s superb touchline. Las Vegas The cornerback’s sudden arrival disrupted a game that would have given Justin Tucker a makeable field goal to tie the game with one second left. After losing two winnable games, the Ravens are now scratching their heads at 0-2. There’s no shame in losing to Patrick Mahomes and none, on paper, for the Raiders either. The added context of John Harbaugh’s team turning a 10-point lead into the final quarter in a 26-23 defeatA familiar trend for a team that often struggles to put opponents at bay, this is where things go wrong for the Ravens. Since the start of the 2022 season, Baltimore has let a double-digit lead slip seven times. Of course, Maxx Crosby helped shave the The Raiders back in contention, but fatal mistakes, such as Brandon Stephens’ pass interference that gave Las Vegas a touchdown, mean a tough trip to Dallas It now looks like a must-have with the Bills and Bengals waiting in the wings.
Winner: Kickers
Is it just me, or are kickers on a hot streak, wrapped in a golden age, inside an apex? Everywhere you look, 50-yard bombs are thundering through the posts. The numbers are incredible: Sunday, 136 field goals were made on 146 attempts with a 93 percent success rate. Last season, the success rate was 89 percent through the first two weeks and 86 percent for the season as a whole — the second-highest success rate after 2013’s 86.5 percent (the average success rate for the season since 2013 is 84 percent).
Numbers only take you so far. Commanders brought in Austin Siebert after Cade YorkThe two failures of the first week. First-day jitters? No. The newcomer scored all the points of Washington wins 21-18 during the New York Giantswith seven field goals. Veteran Chris Boswell did something similar for Pittsburghwith six of six in Week 1. The NFL’s elite feet have gone from making 80 percent of the field goals in a single season last century to an army of Justin Tucker clones (though Baltimore’s historically accurate boot is one of only three to have missed twice this season). Harrison ButkerTucker’s 51-yard game-winning field goal for the Chiefs against the Bengals sealed the victory perfectly. His shot hit the backstop so high that it looked like it could break Tucker’s NFL record of 66 yards. How much better can these kickers get?
Is the Foals it would have been better to keep Gardner Minshew? It seems wrong to suggest this, given the advantages of Anthony Richardson’s ridiculous arm – the aerial view of his 60 yard score You have to see last week’s performance to believe it. But his former backup had some success last season as the Colts narrowly missed the playoffs, a scenario that seems unlikely in the prevailing winds of 2024, with the Colts sitting at 0-2. On Sunday, Richardson’s high-stakes style delivered all the risk and none of the reward with three interceptions in an embarrassing loss to the Packerswhich were led by reinforcements Malik Willis. While the QB’s fitness is still in question after such a loss, the biggest problem for the Colts is the pressure their shaky defense is putting on Richardson. Behind Willis’ limited ability, Green BayThe team’s plan was to run the ball. A lot. Yet Indy let themselves go to such an extent that they gave up 164 rushing yards in one quarter and 261 total, missing 16 tackles in the process. And that’s after giving up 213 rushing yards to the team. Texans in the first week of the season. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s run defense regressed despite knowing what Green Bay was going to do. The Packers simply monopolized the ball, chewing up 40 immense minutes of possession to Indy’s 20, the exact same exhausting split as against Houston. Richardson or any other quarterback will fail if the defense continues to distort games so drastically, taking them out of the Colts’ control.
Winner: Defensive Disciples
New Orleans And Minnesota were given intimidating defensive assignments on Sunday. The Saints had to stop a The cowboys team on a 16-game home winning streak in the regular season, while Vikings received a visit from the powerful Kyle Shanahan 49ers. Both teams were big underdogs. Both won resounding victories thanks to their defensive power. Derek Carr He pitched an MVP inning on one side of the ball, his defensive counterparts did their part with three sacks and two interceptions. Dak Prescott He looked torn to pieces when he returned empty-handed after three trips to the red zone. The Saints’ most impressive turn came at cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry holding CeeDee Lamb 90 yards on four receptions. The rookie is proving to be a more than capable backup for Marshon Lattimore.
The Vikings have their own star in defensive coordinator Brian Flores. He has written the perfect script to disrupt Brock Purdy and the 49ers. Flores’ creative blitzing schemes generated seven QB pressures and six sacks. Credit also goes to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, whose acquisition of free-agent linebackers Blake Cashman, Jonathan Greenard And Andrew Van Ginkel added some bite this season. They each had a sack while Cashman also deflected three passes. Purdy’s honest postgame praise for Flores spoke volumes: “Your plan is crazy.”
