Once again, week one delivered its fair share of surprises. The Lions pulled off a stunning victory against the reigning Super Bowl champions on opening night, the Cowboys dominated the Giants in a prime-time shutout, Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury, and Tua outperformed Justin Herbert in a shootout win over the Chargers. Now, in week two, some teams are seeking redemption after disappointing season openers. The Bengals aim to avoid a dreaded 0-2 start within their division, the Bills and Josh Allen look to bounce back from a lackluster offensive performance, and the Giants are eager to finally put some points on the board this season. As we did previously, let’s kick things off by discussing the prime-time matchups before diving into Sunday’s games. Enjoy the read!
Eagles vs. Vikings (Thursday Night):
In this prime-time matchup against the Vikings, the Eagles will be without starting cornerback James Bradberry. The Vikings have a certain young receiver, named Justin Jefferson who was a little bit of a headache for corners in the past. All jokes aside, Bradberry will be replaced by Josh Jobe, a second year corner who entered the league as an undrafted free agent and played a total of 28 defensive snaps in his NFL career. While I expect Slay to follow Jefferson in man coverage, I have concerns about the Eagles’ ability to protect Jobe throughout the entire game. Furthermore, the Vikings’ first-round rookie, Jordan Addison, is no slouch himself. If the Vikings’ offensive line can hold up against Philadelphia’s impressive pass rush, I fully expect Cousins to test Jobe a lot.
Patriots vs. Dolphins (Sunday Night):
Tua had an exceptional performance in week one against a star-studded Chargers defense, and it’s worth noting that he did so without his starting left tackle, Terron Armstead, who is expected to return to the lineup this week. If he can repeat a similar level of production against a highly talented, Belichick-coached defense, this offense will be very hard to slow down all year. Tua has faced doubters ever since he entered the NFL, often compared to Justin Herbert, who was selected just one pick after Tua in the 2020 draft. However, it appears that Tua is determined to rewrite the narrative this year. If he maintains this level of play, he’ll undoubtedly be in line for a huge contract extension, like Herbert’s, in the upcoming offseason.
Panthers vs. Saints (Monday Night):
Bryce Young experienced his “welcome to the NFL” moment last week when he threw two interceptions to Jessie Bates against the Falcons. Now, it’s time to see how well he can put that performance behind him and focus on what lies ahead in a prime-time game against a very strong Saints secondary. This young man has all the talent in the world, and while every rookie quarterback needs some time to get up to speed in the NFL, I believe Young is a very sharp and intelligent player who can learn from his mistakes quickly. Although the Saints are favored in this game, I would anticipate a more sound overall game from Young.
Steelers vs. Browns (Monday Night):
Cleveland lost their starting right tackle, Jack Conklin, for the season to a torn ACL in last week’s game against the Bengals. Rookie Dawand Jones is set to step into a starting role, facing the Steelers and former DPOY, T.J. Watt. While Jones looked promising, especially in pass protection, he never played against a player of Watt’s caliber. Consequently, I would expect the Steelers will attempt to exploit this matchup throughout the game. Watson had a tough start to the season, which was likely in large parts due to the bad weather conditions. Providing him with additional time in the pocket could be crucial for building some more confidence.
Bills vs. Raiders:
The addition of Jakoby Meyers in the offseason has raised some questions about the role of Hunter Renfrow, as they share very similar skillsets. Surprisingly, Renfrow didn’t receive a single target in the season opener against Denver, sparking discussions about his future with the Raiders. I did expect his target share to go down, but not to become non-existent. It’s possible that the absence of speed in both Meyers and Renfrow’s games is enough to keep only one on the field and it seems that McDaniels favors Meyers. If this trend continues, with Renfrow seeing minimal targets, it’s possible that other teams may inquire about his availability, as he could still be a valuable option, especially on third downs, for numerous offenses.
Bengals vs. Ravens:
The Bengals’ offense got off to a very slow start against the Cleveland Browns’ defense in week one. Although this isn’t necessarily a cause for panic, as they’ve had slow starts in previous seasons, they need to perform better in their second game against another divisional rival to avoid starting the season 0-2 within the AFC North. The Ravens already have two injured starters in the secondary, who will miss Sunday’s game. This could provide Joe Burrow and his receivers with an opportunity to establish a rhythm early in the game. Additionally, playing in front of their home crowd gives Zac Taylor’s team another advantage to get back on track quickly.
Jaguars vs. Chiefs:
The Chiefs were without Travis Kelce in their week one matchup against the Lions, which led to one of the worst performances of a pass-catching unit in recent history. Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, both expected to fill larger roles this season following the departures of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman, were only able to secure a single catch for 1 yard on 8 combined targets. The Chiefs do have a couple of players who could potentially fill bigger roles behind Kelce. Rookie Rashee Rice, a bigger-bodied receiver known for his reliable hands but lacking top-end speed, and Justyn Ross, whose career got derailed by injuries but he turned heads with an amazing training camp, are among the candidates. However, one of these receivers has to step up against the Jaguars and provide the Chiefs with additional passing game options.
Titans vs. Chargers:
This Chargers team is not build to defend against the run, which will cause problems against Derrick Henry and the struggling Titans’ passing offense. Additionally, the Titans may be without DeAndre Hopkins, which would place even more emphasis on keeping the ball on the ground. Be prepared for long, time-consuming scoring drives from this Tennessee offense, which could test the Chargers’ morale throughout this game. Furthermore, the Chargers should aim to avoid falling behind early and be forced to make Herbert drop back a lot against this nasty Titans defensive line. Both these teams lost by less than a field goal in week one, so expect an intense and emotionally charged matchup.
Falcons vs. Packers:
The Falcons’ pass rush has been a concern for a several years, and they are going up against a very strong pass-blocking tackle duo in David Bakhtiari and Zach Tom. While the Falcons added some talent to the defensive end room with Calais Campbell, Bud Dupree, and Zach Harrison, none of these newcomers got off to a hot start in week one. However, the interior defensive group, especially newly acquired David Onyemata, managed to generate pressure in the week one matchup against the Panthers. Although he is not a rookie anymore, Jordan Love has limited on-field experience. In week one, he was the best protected quarterback in the league, making him effective even without his number one target, Christian Watson. The Falcons will have to give everything they got to apply pressure on Love, assisting their impressive secondary in creating turnovers.
Lions vs. Seahawks:
This game is expected to mark the debut of Devon Witherspoon, the 5th overall pick in this year’s draft. Witherspoon is set to provide a significant boost to the Seahawks’ secondary, known for his physical press-man coverage skills. With him on the field, Seattle won’t have to rely on Tariq Woolen covering the opposing team’s number one receiver on a weekly basis. Woolen was a standout playmaker last season, recording 6 interceptions, and will have the opportunity to excel even more this season with Witherspoon taking on the tougher coverage assignments. If Jamal Adams can return to something close to his form in New York, this secondary has the potential to be truly special in 2023.
Texans vs. Colts:
The Colts starting defensive tackle duo was by far the best in the NFL in week one with an impressive performance in a loss against the Jaguars. This week could look a lot similar, with Buckner and Stewart going up against a very lackluster offensive line from Houston. Generating interior pressure presents one of the biggest challenges for any quarterback to overcome, especially for a rookie in his second career start. If the Colts can apply pressure to Stroud to a similar degree as the Ravens did, it will be a tough game for Houston to win. However, the gameplan should look very similar for the Texans. Still, I trust the Colts’ offensive line way more to hold up against the Texans’ pass rush.
Buccaneers vs. Bears:
Devin White has long been recognized for his exceptional athleticism, primarily utilizing it as a blitzer due to concerns about his tackling skills and coverage awareness. However, in week one against the Vikings, he arguably played the best game of his career. He demonstrated improved tackling and coverage instincts, better run diagnostics, and the ability to read the quarterback’s eyes. If his performance against the Vikings wasn’t a one-time occurrence and he can maintain this high level of play against the Bears and other upcoming opponents, he might just earn the big contract extension he has been campaigning for.
Cardinals vs. Giants:
The Giants’ offensive line was a hot mess in their 0-40 defeat against the Cowboys. Especially the right side of the line, consisting of second year tackle Evan Neal and Mike Glowinski, looked brutal in pass protection. Whether this performance is a real reason to panic or just a testament to the exceptional dominance that the Cowboys’ defensive line will bring upon the NFL this year remains to be seen in their matchup against Arizona. The Cardinals field one of the weaker groups of defensive linemen on paper. If the Giants’ struggles continue, we may see some changes in their personnel. Apart from Andrew Thomas there are no established players on this line. However, both Michael Schmitz and Neal were recent and high draft picks who will get some time to develop.
Rams vs. 49ers:
One of the more surprising developments from week one was the rise of wide receivers Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua in the absence of Cooper Kupp. The Rams were mostly disregarded as playoff contenders after giving up a lot of their star players for next to nothing. However, if the offense can keep producing like they did against the Seahawks, this team might truly be competitive this year. With a wide range of potential outcomes for the season, facing off against San Francisco and their incredible defense will serve as a great test for the direction this team will be going this year.
Cowboys vs. Jets:
The Cowboys defensive line annihilated the Giants’ offense on national TV last Sunday night. With Aaron Rodgers suffering a season-ending injury, Zach Wilson steps in as the starting quarterback for the Jets. He’ll play behind an offensive line that was shaky in pass protection, especially on the left side, against the Bills. If I were the Jets, I’d be concerned about the Micah Parsons-Duane Brown matchup on Zach Wilson’s blind side. Additionally, the Cowboys have one of the more impressive cornerback groups, which won’t make Wilson’s job any easier. Getting Wilson back on track and keeping their Super Bowl hopes alive will require a tremendous effort from his surrounding cast.
Broncos vs. Commanders:
Russell Wilson has already shown improvement in the passing game under Sean Payton, but getting Jerry Jeudy back should elevate his performance even further. Although his production might not suggest it, Jeudy remains one of the NFL’s premiere route runners, and he has been a part of the Broncos’ often dysfunctional offenses since entering the league. His natural ability to create separation and capability of running the full route tree makes him an ideal target for Russ. However, he did struggle with drops in his first three seasons, which he has to clean up to continue earning the trust of Wilson and Payton. Nevertheless, I believe he could very well eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career in 2023.
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