NFL Week 2 Takeaways
Some games offered clarity. Many muddled the waters further. All spoke to America itself. One thing’s for certain, you cannot count out any team after Week 1. Here are my takeaways from Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season.
Young QBs Need to Get Rid of the Ball…
Every year, the NFL remind us — rather harshly — that rookie QBs are destined to struggle out of the gate. Even guys in their second and third years struggle getting back into - no surprise - midseason form. Growing pains are real, and “pain” is no metaphor. Both CJ Stroud and 3rd-year pro Justin Fields took 6 sacks each, most of which resulted from their own inability to get rid of the ball in a timely fashion. Fields was particularly disappointing in his lack of awareness of the rush. There weren’t many bright spots in the Chicago offense on Sunday (save for those orange helmets), and it seems safe to say that, barring an impressive turnaround, Fields’ MVP campaign this season is coming to a premature close.
…And Take Care of Themselves
Anthony Richardson, after playing a great first half, exited the game after his 2nd rushing touchdown due to a concussion suffered on the play. Seems he didn’t take Trevor Lawrence’s words of warning to heart after last week. In the best case scenario, Richardson and play caller Stane Steichen realize that putting the young quarterback in harm’s way will not be to the benefit of his or the Colts’ season. Richardson has some unreal physical gifts, and the talent to back it up. Let the man return to the field with the full understanding that he can win the game with his arm. Everything he can do with his legs is just icing on the cake.
The Lions’ Loss Does Not Fall on Jared Goff
A record chase that ends prematurely rarely does so in such a dramatic and critical fashion. Jared Goff's streak of consecutive passes without an interception ended Sunday afternoon, just 19 attempts short of Aaron Rodgers' record of 402. And it ended in the worst possible way -- a game-altering pick six. And considering the game went to overtime, ultimately ending in a loss for Detroit, it’s hard not to look at that takeaway by Seattle’s Tre Brown as the decisive moment of the game. Besides that low point, Goff had, by all accounts, a great game, passing for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns. This loss falls squarely on the defense. Speaking of which, what happened to that Week 1 defense against Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs?
Creative Playcalling Makes the Explosive Lions Even More Exciting
Look, I know I’m talking a lot about a team that lost on Sunday, but can you blame me? Detroit gave us a WR trap on 4th down and goal inside the redzone. They gave us a throwback RB screen touchdown (albeit, one that was called back). And they gave us a 36 yard Flea Flicker touchdown.
Detroit OC Ben Johnson has an abundance of weapons to play with. Eight different players had at least one reception. Three had over 60 receiving yards. Amon-Ra St. Brown might have been just as valuable drawing the defense’s attention away from other receivers as he was catching the ball himself. The largest beneficiary of his “for the love of the game” routes was Josh Reynolds, who, after scoring two TDs, will undoubtedly go for a high price on your fantasy league’s waiver wire this week. But be aware of the injury bug spoiling a fun offensive season in Detroit. St. Brown is listed as Questionable for next week’s game after injuring his toe and David Montgomery, who had an good game in his own right, left the game with a thigh bruise.
If Only the Seahawks Weren’t in the NFC West
The Seahawks have, at the very least, a top three wide receiver core. DK Metcalf will get the headlines, but Tyler Lockett is the X-Factor on this offense. He is clutch. He is one of the best route runners in the NFL. And he is smart. Seeing him find the open spots down the field is poetry, and his chemistry with Geno Smith is even stronger than last year. However, they are stuck in the NFC West behind arguably the second most dominant team in the NFL right now in the Niners and my Super Bowl dark horse in the LA Rams. With how stacked the NFC is this year, there might not be room for Seattle in the playoffs.
Don’t Believe the NFC East Hype
Don’t get me wrong, the Cowboys are legit. The only team that surpasses San Francisco in pure dominance is Dallas. And the Eagles are winning ugly, which should scare the rest of the NFL. But despite the division’s “undefeated” season so far (the only loss was New York falling to Dallas), are the Giants and Commanders as good as everyone is claiming? The Giants were a different team in their final two quarters compared to their previous six, but that first six quarters still happened. And lest we forget, they were playing the Cardinals. Washington feels like they’re in the “pretender” category after their 2-0 start. Their defense failed to impress against Denver’s unproven offense and Sam Howell continues to prove skeptics wrong, but I think a reckoning is coming.
The Chargers Might Be Destined to be the “Almost” Team
The Chargers have been “almost great” for years. It’s no secret, LA doesn’t do well in close games. And no other team blesses us with more of them. Justin Herbert was doing everything he could to keep the Chargers in the game, and a healthy Keenan Allen is a scary sight. But the Titans had their way for much of the game against a team that boasts the most expensive defense in the league. Is there a football equivalent of the “Tungsten Arm O’Doyle/Shohei Otahni” meme for the NFL? Because a part of me feels similarly for Justin Herbert.
The AFC North Is All About Defense Again
The NFL doesn't feel whole when AFC North games aren't the hard-nosed, knock down, drag out fights they historically have been. And 2023 seems to have brought that back to the forefront. The Browns defense is the clear strength in Cleveland, and I believe that and I believe that tough AFC defenses are heavily to blame for Joe Burrow's struggles through two games (along with his lingering calf injury). Expect offensive momentum to be a rare commodity for AFC North opponents, especially as the we get later in the year and weather starts to play a factor in these games.
