Even though I still haven’t quite recovered from the absolute dogfight of the Cowboys and the Giants, it’s about time to make another article reacting to Week Two. Though no win can truly be disappointing, it’s safe to say that most Cowboys fans are at least a little bit shook up after what went down Sunday. And despite the game seemingly taking up half of Sunday football in one quarter, it was enjoyable and engaging, and well, completely and utterly ridiculous.
The Cowboys Go as the Offense Goes
Though I’ll give credit to the Cowboys’ defense in the first half, only allowing 13 points and forcing two field goals and two punts, I will absolutely not excuse the horrendous, appalling performance they put up in the second half, specifically, the fourth quarter. Speaking of the fourth quarter, someone, please explain why both teams designated an entire game’s worth of points into one quarter? Anyway, the Cowboys’ offense started off slow, but they picked up steam in the second half, propelling themselves to a home-opener win. However, even I’m convinced I could score a touchdown against the Cowboys’ secondary. Not only did they give up 450 passing yards, 37 points, and three straight touchdown drives in the 4th quarter, but they also could not stop the deep ball. Every time Russell Wilson geared up to throw it deep, even I automatically expected him to have a wide-open man. Luckily, the last deep ball he threw was a game-changing interception to start the 5th change of possession in overtime! Regardless, a win is a win, and this win doesn’t come without the offense. Most of myself believes that will be the case for the entire season. Also, Brandon Aubrey is the best kicker in the NFL with that 64-yard bomb.
The Bengals’ Season is Already Over
Look away, Bengals fans and Joe Burrow fantasy football owners, because this one is bad. The Bengals finally started a season off strong, winning both of their first two games. However, this time, it comes at the expense of Joe Burrow’s health. Burrow will undergo surgery on his toe and is expected to miss at least three months. That means, at best, he will return for the Bengals’ home game against Baltimore, the fourth to last game of the season. Even if the Bengals maintain a .500 record until Burrow gets back, part of me doesn’t even think that will be good enough for Playoff seeding. The Bengals could very well lose four of their next five games and be right back down to 3-4. With three AFC West teams looking like Playoff contenders, and the AFC North as loaded as it already is, any Bengals fan thinking they’ve got a chance to make it is delusional. Genuinely, I hope Jake Browning proves me wrong; I hope he keeps the Bengals afloat. Unfortunately, I just don’t see it. Burrow is just too good for the Bengals to replace him with such ease; his presence will be missed.
Daniel Jones and the Colts… AFC South Contenders?
Crazy to say, but Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts are 2-0 for the first time since 2009. And they haven’t been beating up on bad teams. The Dolphins, maybe, but the Broncos? The Broncos are a solid team, and even though it took a flukey roughing penalty to secure the Colts’ win, it speaks wonders that the Colts were even in the game to begin with. Now, this may be similar to when the Saints were 2-0 to start the year last year, only to go on and lose 12 games. However, there is a lot to like about this Colts team. For starters, Jonathan Taylor is an absolute weapon. The defense stepped up in the second half. Overall, the team came up clutch when it mattered most, and secured a win. And even though he was pretty terrible the past two years, Daniel Jones was, at one point, a Playoff game-winning quarterback. Now he’s a veteran with experience and balling out for Indy. With Indianapolis currently being in a division that is clearly up for grabs, could we see Daniel Jones in the Playoffs this year? I think so.
Lions are Better Off Without Ben Johnson
The Detroit Lions went into Sunday with some major questions. After an abysmal performance in Green Bay, people were looking to see whether it was just rust from the off-season or if the Lions were in real trouble. And though it’s the Bears, the Lions went into Ford Field and outright dominated. They put up 52 points, only allowing 21 themselves. Jared Goff threw for 334 yards and five touchdowns, without turning the ball over. Amon-Ra St. Brown had nine receptions for 115 yards and three touchdowns, and Jameson Williams had 108 yards and a touchdown. The Lions’ defense sacked Caleb Williams four times, and forced two turnovers, a fumble, and an interception. The Lions’ rushing game was phenomenal, averaging 5.9 yards a carry as a unit. Additionally, Jahmyr Gibbs had 94 yards and a touchdown on the ground, averaging 7.8 yards a carry. David Montgomery was also solid, with 57 yards and a touchdown, averaging 5.2 yards a carry. There’s just so many good things to say about the Lions’ performance on Sunday. And even though I want to see it happen against an actually good team, it is still very impressive to beat a former OC like that.
The Chiefs Will Miss The Playoffs
The Chiefs are 0-2 for the first time since 2014. They have struggled to get things going offensively. Nothing that has happened for them had given any sign of a team that can recover and win the AFC West. Furthermore, the AFC West is now one of the most stacked divisions in football. The Broncos and the Chargers are perfectly capable of winning the division over the Chiefs. In fact, I would go as far as to say that they are the two favorites to win that division, both over the Chiefs. The Chiefs have two starting WRs that are injured/suspended, and while they should have a win against the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football Week 3, they probably won’t beat the Ravens in Week 4, or the Lions in Week 6. And past Week 8, they’ve still got to play the Commanders, Bills, Broncos (twice), Colts, and Chargers. That doesn’t scream winning record. Matter of fact, I would argue that they go 2-4 in those six games, with wins against the Commanders and Broncos. Even so, I think that’s a little generous to give them even that much faith. Bottom line is, they need to figure something out, because for the first time in a while, they will have to recover from a weak start.
Final Thoughts
Week Two of the NFL season was honestly filled with a few predictable games, as evident by my 14-2 record on my picks this week (thanks a lot, Colts and Seahawks). However, some huge things happened this week, things that will have implications on the rest of the season. Anyway, it seems that as I’m writing this, the Cowboys’ defense has given up yet another 50 yard touchdown…
Tune into The Roundup for Week Three NFL Overreactions!