NFL Week 2 risers and fallers, as the Chiefs get away with it again

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Good morning. The most pessimistic group this past offseason? Saints fans. The highest-scoring team through two weeks? Those Saints, who became the first team since the 2001 Colts to score 30-plus in the first halves of both their first two games.

Then again, the 2001 Colts finished 6-10 as coach Jim Mora squawked, “Playoffs?!” So stay skeptical, New Orleans. Today:

• Week 2 trends
• Derek Carr, the Jet?
• Tonight: Falcons–Eagles

📈 Trending 📉: Big-name receivers show up

The next generation of receivers. Yesterday, No. 4 pick Marvin Harrison Jr. brushed off a miserable debut to hang 130 yards and two touchdowns on the Rams (all in the first half), and No. 6 pick Malik Nabers produced 127 yards and a touchdown against Washington, though he couldn’t haul in a crucial fourth-down throw.

The current generation of receivers. DK Metcalf caught 10 passes for 129 yards and a TD in the Seahawks’ overtime road win against the Patriots. In Baltimore, the Raiders upset the heavily favored Ravens by feeding Davante Adams (nine catches, 110 yards and a TD).

Defense-led teams. The three teams with the fewest points allowed — Chargers, Steelers and Vikings — are undefeated. In Los Angeles, there’s a shift occurring; they are 2-0 for the first time in 12 years. In Minnesota, it’s the fearlessness of Brian Flores and his new-look defense. Pittsburgh? The same story as usual.

My blood pressure. The Bengals need one stop to beat the Chiefs, who are out of field goal range. They get said stop. I receive a “Yes, Bengals win,” signal from my brain. But wait. Yellow flag. Penalty on Cincinnati. Chiefs kick field goal. Bengals lose. At least there’s the positive of the Bengals returning to form?

And at least we saw Cincy CB Cam Taylor-Britt do his best Odell Beckham Jr. impression:

Cam Taylor-Britt with an incredible one-handed INT 🤯

🎥 @NFLpic.twitter.com/P1iYk1XJ4M

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 15, 2024

Week 2 fallers 📉

Bryce Young’s confidence, plus any remaining faith in the Panthers, who lost their first two games by a combined 60 points. Fans in Charlotte covered their faces with bags and booed throughout. Their quarterback avoided throwing downfield, yet Dave Canales says they don’t have a QB issue. They’re not fooling anyone.

Healthy Rams. One week after losing Puka Nacua, who could be sidelined until Week 9, the 0-2 Rams lost another star receiver. Cooper Kupp injured his ankle in the second quarter and was wearing a walking boot as he left the locker room. For the Rams, it was an awful day in Arizona.

Decision-making by Will Levis. I’ll let his coach explain: “It was dumb. It was the same exact thing he did last week, and he cost us points in the red zone, and it is what it is. He’s a grownup, and he knows better, and so I was really irritated that he cost us three points … that we probably needed.” I don’t blame him (and the Jets won by a single touchdown):

The Chiefs. They should be 0-2. Hear me out: They’ve won both games due to errors by their opposition in the final seconds. First, Lamar Jackson missed an open Zay Flowers and Isaiah Likely couldn’t get one foot in bounds. Next, it was a (rightfully called) pass interference on fourth-and-16 in a game when the Kansas City defense bailed out its offense. They can’t keep getting away with this!

Nepotism comments aimed at Klint Kubiak. The son of a successful NFL head coach gets opportunities because of his dad. Undoubtably. But the 37-year-old Saints OC is an early 2025 head coaching candidate after his motion-heavy, play-action based offense posted 91 points in two games. They scored six touchdowns on their first six drives against the Cowboys. 🤯 More on that game here.

Speaking of Kubiak and those Saints, over to Dianna:

What Dianna’s Hearing: Jets wanted ‘future Hall of Famer’ Carr

Before the Jets acquired Aaron Rodgers in the spring of 2023, the team’s top choice for a veteran QB was Derek Carr. Members of the organization eagerly recruited the former Raider, expressing their unwavering belief in his abilities. At a dinner, head coach Robert Saleh told Carr that he saw the quarterback as a future Hall of Famer.

While many doubted that assertion, Carr’s stellar performance so far in 2024, including Sunday against Mike Zimmer’s formidable Cowboys defense, suggests that Saleh might have been on to something.

As the first-year OC, Kubiak has injected a new level of dynamism into the team’s offense, reminiscent of the high-powered Sean Payton-Drew Brees years. Pre-snap shifts and play-action passes kept Dallas defenders guessing throughout the game on Sunday.

Head coach Dennis Allen entered the season on the hot seat, but under his leadership the Saints are off to the NFL’s best start through two weeks.

Numbers: A handful of telling stats

I love stats. For one, they often surprise: Who leads the NFL in completion percentage and is tied for second in the NFL in passing yards? Raiders QB Gardner Minshew.

Three more examples:

• Seven sacks, 11 quarterback hits and 16 pressures on Caleb Williams. All came last night, as we watched the rookie spend his Sunday evening dodging the Texans’ unrelenting pass rush. His 23.9 QBR is the NFL’s second-worst, ahead of only Bryce Young. As Kevin Fishbain writes, it’s everybody’s fault (to an extent).
• Kickers are 35 of 39 on field goals of 50 yards or longer. As Mike Sando pointed out in his Pick Six column, a 90 percent make rate is an incredible 20 points higher than season-long totals have been recently. We’ll see either major regression, perhaps as winter weather nears, or … kickers flourishing indefinitely?
• Since the NFL switched to 14-team playoffs, 32 teams have started 0-2. Only two made the postseason. That’s bad news for reigning MVP Lamar Jackson, whose Ravens blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead to fall to 0-2. As Jeff Zrebiec explains, it was a team-wide collapse in Baltimore. It’s at least as bad for the Colts, who simply don’t look like contenders.

Tonight: Falcons-Eagles

At 8:15 p.m. ET tonight (ESPN), we’ll see a new WR2 in Philadelphia, as star receiver A.J. Brown will miss the game with a hamstring injury. Keep an eye on rookie WR Johnny Wilson, if he plays. You can follow our live updates here. Two notes:

• Can Kirk Cousins turn it around? He’s 3-10 on Monday Night Football, but those three wins came in his last four appearances. Truthfully, all that matters is his Achilles.
• As for Philly, they must stop the Bijan Robinson-led run game. There’s precedent: The Steelers held Robinson to 3.8 yards per carry in Week 1, and Atlanta couldn’t adapt.

Before we go, can anyone explain why this referee isn’t on a NFL roster?

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