Around the AFC
Houston, we are close to problems. The Texans are 0-2 and one of their biggest issues so far is left over from a year ago: They can’t seem to protect quarterback C.J. Stroud. Houston has a terrific defense and a chance to get right over the next two weeks against Jacksonville and Tennessee. They’d better, because the four game after that go at Baltimore, at Seattle, San Francisco and Denver. They’ve also got Kansas City, the Chargers, Buffalo and Indy on the slate.
Ownership rules. Tom Brady is back in the news, and not just because he’s playing in a Sean Payton-coached sports-washing cash grab of a flag football series in Saudi Arabia next spring. Also because the league has said it’s fine for him to be taking part remotely in production meetings in his role as a broadcaster while also sitting in the Raiders’ offensive coaches’ booth — Brady, of course, is part of the team’s ownership group — and wearing a headset. It’s a clear conflict and it’s hard to imagine anybody else getting the same kind of latitude from the league. Imagine coaches and players, particularly if Fox gets an AFC West game, won’t be particularly forthcoming in those production meetings.
Opposite ends. The Dolphins are 0-3 and Mike McDaniel’s seat just keeps getting hotter, though his group at least played hard in a 31-21 Thursday night loss to Buffalo. Still, it’s a tough road from here for the Aurora native. The Bills, meanwhile, are 3-0 and could reel off four more wins before facing Kansas City. Josh Allen and company have reached the point where even 14 wins and a divisional-round triumph isn’t good enough. They’ve done that song and dance before. It’s Super Bowl or a failed season in Western New York.
Around the NFC
Early tester in the Bay. So far so good for both the Cardinals and 49ers in the West. The Niners are stacked with injuries — including to QB Brock Purdy — but have managed to beat Seattle and New Orleans. The Cards also beat the Saints and another bottom-feeder in Carolina. Now one of them is going to get to 3-0 and be in good early position in the division. Should be a close one in Santa Clara.
Baker is cooking. Is there a more underappreciated quarterback in the NFL than Baker Mayfield? (Ok, other than Jalen Hurts.) Mayfield is not off to a huge statistical start, but he’s thrown five TDs and no picks and his fourth-quarter comeback Monday gave Tampa its second one-score win in as many weeks. Now Mayfield and company get the Jets before the schedule stiffens. He’s got the Bucs in position to be the clear favorite in the NFC South once again.
JSN’s big start. It’s just two weeks in, but the receiver who’s No. 2 in the NFL in catches and yards so far isn’t exactly a household name. It’s Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is now the No. 1 option for Sam Darnold in the Pacific Northwest after the club traded D.K. Metcalf and let Tyler Lockett leave via free agency this offseason. So far, so good. JSN, a 2023 first-rounder, looks like the real deal.
Game of the Week
L.A. Rams at Philadelphia
This has the makings of a really good one in the city of Brotherly Love. Matthew Stafford’s off to a good start after the back issues in training camp, and the Rams are deep up and down the roster. The Eagles won at Arrowhead last week, their second victory there in three years. That’s as many over that time period as K.C.’s AFC West foes combined. Philly’s not in dominant form just yet, but they’re a 3.5-point home favorite and have the time zone advantage with L.A. traveling all the way east and also playing early in the day.
Eagles 27, Rams 20
Lock of the Week
Green Bay at Cleveland
The Packers (minus-7.5) could stake an early claim as the most impressive team in football. They’ve already beaten Detroit and Washington — a pair of divisional-round teams last year — in a five-day span, weren’t particularly tested in either and have given up less than 100 total rushing yards so far. The Browns… are none of that. Joe Flacco got lifted at the end of a blowout loss last week but remains the guy for now, for some reason. Myles Garrett is basically Superman and the rest of the team is like Jerry Jeudy, who talked tough during a shirtless news conference last week, gave Baltimore fans the double-bird on his way out of the tunnel and then dropped two passes early in the game.
Packers 38, Browns 13
Upset of the Week
Dallas at Chicago
The first two NFC players of the week have been quarterbacks who faced the Bears. Now Dak Prescott gets his turn at the piñata and he’s well-equipped to take a mighty whack as a 1.5-point underdog. And how about Javonte Williams, who has 151 yards and three TDs for the Cowboys in two games? He had four rushing TDs all of last year for the Broncos. Meanwhile, the vibes are bad in Caleb Williams land. Really bad. Bears fans hope that, to borrow a phrase from Bruce Springsteen, someday we’ll look back on this and it will all seem funny. Except it probably won’t, at least not to them.
Cowboys 35, Bears 23