Why We Still Love the NFL

Anything can happen — any given week.

Why We Still Love the NFL

Playoffs in October? The Chiefs-Patriots game may have been a preview for January.

Another week, another statement win for the New England Patriots.

We know, the Patriots’ only true statement victories come in the Super Bowl, but facing a two-game hole in the AFC, and the threat of blowing another home game to the Kansas City Chiefs, Tom Brady and Co. delivered with a scintillating 43-40 win.

Chiefs-Patriots was the kind of game that keeps us as football fans coming back. We tolerate the officiating, shoddy quarterback play and litany of commercials to watch guys like Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Sony Michel go head-to-head against Patrick Mahomes, Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill and the undefeated Chiefs.

The Patriots and Chiefs have played exhilarating games in three straight seasons, including New England’s 27-20 win in the 2016 divisional playoffs. We can only hope this was just the first course, with the main dish coming between the AFC titans in the playoffs.

Dallas Is Back

Some people believe the NFL is a better place when the Dallas Cowboys are good. Those fans are smiling widely today.

The Cowboys found their formula in a 40-7 rout of the suddenly vulnerable Jaguars. Dallas’ vaunted offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage, allowing Ezekiel Elliott to earn his third 100-yard game of the season. Dak Prescott found old reliable Cole Beasley for 101 yards and two touchdowns.

Yet, the Cowboys defense was the story, making Blake Bortles look flat-out bad. Dallas limited Jacksonville to 19 first-half offensive plays, building a 24-0 halftime lead.

So Is the NFC East

Washington Redskins — Keep an eye on the Redskins.

We hammered the NFC East in Week 5, for rolling over. But each NFC East team — except the hapless Giants, of course — got some redemption.

We covered the Cowboys successes, but the Eagles defense got off the mat for a dominant 34-13 victory at the Meadowlands. The Redskins continue to surprise, with Josh Norman forcing a fumble and picking off his first pass in a Washington uniform, in their 23-17 win over the Panthers.

The Cowboys and Eagles are still largely considered the favorites in the division, but Washington has quietly allowed the sixth-fewest yards per game in the NFL, even after watching Drew Brees pass all over them last Monday night. We’ll learn more about Washington because the Cowboys are coming to town next week.

No. 1 Receiver

With all due respect to Antonio Brown, there’s a new best receiver in football.

No receiver has more yards than Adam Thielen’s 712, who put up his sixth straight 100-plus-yard game in as many weeks this season in Minnesota’s 27-17 win over the Cardinals.

The 28-year-old has 58 receptions, 10 more than second place Zach Ertz, and has four touchdowns while developing an impressive connection with quarterback Kirk Cousins.

In fact, the only thing Thielen can’t do well is dance, though his wife disagrees.

Rodgers That

Aaron Rodgers did it again Monday night.

The hobbled Packers quarterback threw for 425 yards and pulled off more prime-time magic, leading Green Bay to 10 points in the final two minutes to steal a 33-30 victory over the 49ers.

After dropping a perfect pass to Davante Adams for the game-tying touchdown, Rodgers took the Packers 81 yards in 10 plays in just 67 seconds — with no timeouts — to set up Mason Crosby’s game-winning, 26-yard field goal.

He made unbelievable throw after unbelievable throw, all with blood on his undershirt and a noticeable limp, proving again why he’s the best quarterback in the game.

It was his second come-from-behind home win in prime-time this season, and it kept the Packers in the hunt for the NFC North title.

Unsung Heroes: Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Za’Darius Smith

The Ravens had a record-setting day on defense Sunday, and Za’Darius Smith was at the forefront.

Smith sacked Marcus Mariota three times and had a forced fumble as part of Baltimore’s 11-sack day in its 21-0 win over the Titans.

Smith’s huge day boosted his sack total to 5.5 for the season, which ties his career high in just six weeks. The Ravens are now tied with the Bengals for the top spot in the AFC North.

Unsung Heroes: Houston Texans Cornerback Johnathan Joseph

Jonathan Joseph — Houston Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph heads to the end zone.

The Texans were staring at a potentially debilitating home loss to the Bills on Sunday, until their oldest player made a play.

The 34-year-old vet jumped the route and intercepted Nathan Peterman for a go-ahead pick-six with 1:23 in regulation, boosting the Texans to a 20-13 win and into a three-way tie for first place in the AFC South.

The interception wasJohnathan Joseph's first of the season, and oddly enough his first since picking off two against the Browns in Week 6 a year ago. He added five tackles to his standout day, which nearly ended after an injury in the first half.

“A gigantic play from [Joseph],” defensive end J.J. Watt told the Houston Chronicle. “It’s a lot of fun when the defense scores touchdowns.”

The Texans have no shortage of stars on defense, but it was Joseph who shined Sunday.

Unsung Heroes: Jets Kicker Jason Myers

Bill Kostroun — New York Jets kicker Jason Myers had a good day.

Kickers are often maligned when they miss, so they should be praised when they show the kind of consistency Jason Myers did Sunday.

Myers made 10 kicks Sunday, including seven field goals, which set a franchise record in the Jets' 42-34 victory over the Colts. He accounted for more than half of the Jets points and banged home three field goals from 40-plus yards, including a 48-yarder late in the first half.

The Jets, now 3-3, are having the sort of new-hero-every-week season that magical years are made of.

Unsung Heroes: Los Angeles Rams Guard Austin Blythe

Austin Blythe and Josey Jewell — Los Angeles Rams guard Austin Blythe, left, and Denver Broncos linebacker Josey Jewell, right, exchange jerseys after the Rams' win in Denver.

Todd Gurley had a career day against the Broncos defense, and Austin Blythe was a huge reason why. The Rams right guard dominated Denver defensive tackle and vaunted run stuffer Domata Peko and created creases and cutback lanes for Gurley to maneuver.

Blythe, a seventh-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, was claimed by the Rams off waivers and only has a job because of Jaron Brown’s DUI arrest back in June. But he and right tackle Rob Havenstein have a quietly helped Jared Goff and Los Angeles’ prolific offense operate.

Top Play Call: Ben Roethlisberger to Antonio Brown

Trailing late in Cincinnati, and with their Steelers’ AFC North title hopes hanging in the balance, the Ben Roethlisberger went to old reliable.

Down by a point with 15 seconds left, Roethlisberger flipped a slant pass to Antonio Brown, who outraced the Bengals defense for 31-yard touchdown and the eventual game-winning score in Pittsburgh’s 28-21 victory.

It was a gutsy call, particularly since the Steelers were in field-goal range and could’ve simply played for a game-ending kick. The victory was Roethlisberger’s 13th in 15 career starts in the Queen City, and boosted the suddenly very-much-alive Steelers into a loss-column tie atop the AFC North with the Bengals and Ravens at 3-2-1.

Top Play Call: Brock Osweiler to Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins

Frank Gore put the Dolphins in a position to win, turning back the clock for a 100-yard game, before Kenyan Drake nearly coughed it up when he fumbled on the goal line in overtime.

But the Dolphins gave Drake a second chance, and he got his redemption, which we always like to see. Drake got three touches on Miami’s final drive, amassing 22 yards after Cody Parkey’s missed field goal gave the Dolphins a second life.

Drake’s timely running and catching set up Jason Sanders’ 47-yard field goal at the overtime gun that snapped Miami’s two-game losing skid and guaranteed it at least a share of first place in the AFC East through six weeks.

Top Play Call: Russell Wilson to David Moore, Seahawks

Classic Russell Wilson.

The Seahawks quarterback turned a near-turnover into another highlight reel touchdown, after fumbling the snap, then recovering to throw a 19-yard touchdown to David Moore.

Wilson had his “oh no” moment, but scrambled and dropped a dime on the money for Moore’s third touchdown of the season. Moore even made it look cooler by falling over a wall and into the camera well after tapping down his two feet inbounds.

Lowlights: Shoddy Imports

Allow us to be the first to apologize to England for the Oakland Raiders.

Not only are the Raiders the worst thing the United States has sent to England in some time — including when the Browns played in London in 2017 — but they are the worst team in the NFL through six weeks of the season, and it doesn’t look that close.

The Raiders rank 28th in points per game, which they wouldn’t expect given the fact they gave $100 million Jon Gruden to be an offensive guru. But the defense doesn’t look any better, surrendering the fourth-most points per game against (29.3) through six games. Only a three-point overtime win against the Browns is keeping Oakland from a winless record, and at this rate, the Bay Area could be counting down the days until the Raiders bolt for Vegas.

Lowlights: Giants Solder on

The Giants gave how much guaranteed money to Nate Solder this offseason?

Solder, New York’s left tackle, was a veritable turnstyle Thursday against the Eagles, who peppered Eli Manning with a pass rush all night. The ex-Patriots tackle was signed to bring some stability to the Giants’ offensive line, but hasn’t exactly done that through six games.

Lowlights: Blake No-tles

Was 2017 Blake Bortles a mirage? Were the first four weeks a mirage?

Bortles looked painfully average against the Cowboys on Sunday, and worse in some spots, too. He threw for only 149 yards and an interception and was sacked three times, failing to get the ball down the field against a Dallas defense that had allowed 22 points per game in its previous three games.

Add this to Bortles’ shoddy performance against the Chiefs in Jacksonville's Week 5 loss, where he threw four interceptions, and he’s completing just 55 percent of his passes in the Jags’ two-game losing streak.

Jacksonville looked like one of the AFC’s best teams, but it can’t mask bad quarterback play — particularly since its vaunted defense is scuffling as well.

Lowlights: Nathan Peterman

The Buffalo Bills really can’t do better than Nathan Peterman?

Not only did the second-year quarterback toss two interceptions, including a game-losing pick-six, that boosted his interception total to nine in just six NFL games, but he also gave a curious quote after the game.

“At the end of the day, I know where my true identity lies: in Christ,” Peterman told ESPN. “Being a child of God, basically. Not finding my identity in football. Just trying to find it in who I really am. I love this game and put everything I have into this game, but can’t let it define me.”

Lowlights: Roughing the Runner?

We’ll start by blaming Chiefs defensive lineman Breeland Speaks for a lack of situational awareness.

But the NFL rules are such that if Speaks had hit Tom Brady after he had thrown the ball, instead of after he pump faked just before his 4-yard, go-ahead score, it would’ve been roughing the passer.

“Because I thought the ball was gone,” Speaks told Boston.com of his decision to let go of Brady before the quarterback gave New England a 40-33 lead. “It sucks. It sucks. Supposed to finish plays like that.”

We’ve seen this before — look up Mathias Kiwanuka on Vince Young in 2006, boys and girls — but the NFL’s rules that protect passers cost defenses jobs and plays made. It’s bad.

Forward Thinking

The Buccaneers are a mess, and defensive coordinator Mike Smith paid the price for it. Only the Falcons, Colts and Raiders have allowed more points, and Tampa Bay has lost three straight after a 2-0 start. We’ll see if the move rights the ship.

We love snow football, and are looking forward to its arrival this winter, but it’s a bit early for all that Denver.

The Chargers may struggle with fans, but they are not struggling on the field. Los Angeles looks loaded, riding Melvin Gordon’s three touchdowns over the Browns for its third straight win, and is suddenly just a game back of the Chiefs for first place in the AFC West.

The Bengals are going to have to beat the Steelers at some point, especially at home, if they’re going to take the next step in the AFC North.

The Tennessee Titans have crashed back to earth with two straight losses, and Sunday’s game against the Chargers in London is feeling like a must-win for Mike Vrabel and Co.

Maybe the Bears got caught looking ahead to their home showdown against the Patriots, but they better have gotten the message losing to Brock Osweiler and the Dolphins.

The Josh Rosen-to-Christian Kirk connection has looked good for the Cardinals. There’ll be brighter days ahead for that pair.

Kudos to C.J. Beathard and the 49ers for going to Green Bay and giving the Packers a game. Beathard isn’t Jimmy Garoppolo, but he still may have a future in this league.

Game of Week 7: Texans at Jaguars.

Chiefs of the AFC

Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs look like the real deal.

The battle for AFC supremacy in Kansas City turned into something of a laugher, thanks largely to the Chiefs defense.

The much-maligned Kansas City "D" had allowed 29 points per game through four weeks but forced five turnovers in an impressive 30-14 win over the Jaguars.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 313 yards and two scores, also running for one, as the Chiefs built a 23-0 third-quarter lead and never looked back. The Chiefs are 5-0 for the second straight year, but this feels less like smoke and mirrors and more like the run of a Super Bowl contender.

Ga-Yes in Carolina

Much of the pregame Giants-Panthers talk centered around Odell Beckham Jr., but the main postgame topic was Graham Gano’s incredible leg.

Gano banged home a 63-yard field goal at the gun, lifting the Panthers to a wild 33-31 victory in Charlotte.

It was Gano’s fourth successful kick of the afternoon, and his third of more than 40 yards.

It also tied for the second longest successful kick in NFL history, behind only Matt Prater’s 64-yard made field goal in Denver in December 2013, and tied the record for the longest game-winning kick with Saints kicker Tom Dempsey.

Gano's has been one of the most accurate kickers on the planet, particularly since he joined the Panthers in 2012, and his leg is a bona fide weapon.

Steelers Return to Form

Pittsburgh Steelers — Things are looking up for the Steelers.

Drama surrounded the Steelers through four weeks, but they are looking more like the Steelers of old.

Antonio Brown topped 100 yards for the first time in a game this season, scoring twice in the Steelers’ 41-17 rout of the Falcons. James Conner amassed 185 yards and scored twice for Pittsburgh, which won for the second time in three games.

The Steelers offense came out in full force, but it was the Pittsburgh defense that turned back the clock. After allowing 29 points and more than 420 yards per game through four weeks, the Steelers limited Matt Ryan and the high-octane Falcons offense to only 324 yards and seven second-half points pulling back to 2-2-1.

Pittsburgh gets a date with the first-place Bengals on Sunday, and things aren’t looking so bleak all of a sudden — especially if the reports of Le’Veon Bell’s return after Pittsburgh’s Week 7 bye are true.

500 Touchdowns and Counting for Tom Brady

Make room, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre. You have company in the NFL's 500 Touchdown Club.

On Thursday night, Tom Brady joined Manning (539 career passing touchdowns) and Favre (508) with three touchdown passes, including his 500th career touchdown toss to Josh Gordon in New England’s 38-24 win over the Colts.

Brady and the Pats are back in first place atop the AFC East, despite reports of their impending demise, and they can announce their return when the Chiefs come to Foxborough for another AFC showdown Sunday night.

Unsung Heroes: New York Jets Running Back Isaiah Crowell

Isaiah Crowell was not the front-runner to break Thomas Jones' single-game Jets rushing record, set nine years ago.

But Crowell, who had rushed for just 142 yards through four games, went off for 219 yards on the ground and a 77-yard touchdown run in the Jets' 34-16 win over the Broncos.

While time will tell if he keeps splitting time with Bilal Powell, who ran for 99 yards Sunday, Crowell stamped his name in Jets lore with a record-breaking day.

Unsung Heroes: Cincinnati Bengals Defensive End Michael Johnson

The Bengals were on their way to a disappointing home loss, until Michael Johnson flipped the game.

The defensive end hurried Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill, then caught the ricochet, and took it 22 yards for a momentum-changing score in Cincinnati’s 27-17 win over the Dolphins.

It was the second interception of the veteran’s career, and ignited a 24-point fourth quarter for Cincinnati, when it scored twice on defense.

The Bengals have a one-game lead in first and can further separate themselves from the AFC North pack if they can beat the Steelers next weekend.

Unsung Heroes: Minnesota Vikings Defensive Tackle Linval Joseph

Not only did the burly defensive lineman help his teammates stymie the Eagles running attack, but Linval Joseph also had a sack, four tackles and the highlight of the day, a 64-yard interception return for a touchdown in Minnesota’s 23-21 win.

It was the first pick and touchdown of Joseph’s career, and at 329 pounds, he became the heaviest player to score on an interception since 340-pound Shaun Rogers in 2007.

The pick-six was the biggest play of the Vikings’ biggest win of the season, which pulled them within 1.5 games of the idle Bears for first place in the NFC North.

Unsung Heroes: Buffalo Bills Punter Corey Bojorquez

Stephen Hauschka and Corey Bojorquez — Holding on kicks usually only makes headlines when something goes wrong.

Corey Bojorquez almost had the blunder of the day, but he redeemed himself.

Bojorquez’s Sunday could have been remembered for a botched fake field goal. Instead, he kept his composure and put a perfect hold down during Stephen Hauschka’s game-winning, 46-yard kick at the buzzer that pushed Buffalo to a 13-12 win over the Titans.

We like redemption stories, particularly after watching Bojorquez nearly have a Garo Yepremian moment in the first half.

But add in four punts with an average of 44 yards and one inside the 20 that helped the Bills dominate field position against the Titans’ plodding offense, and he was a weapon.

Top Playcallers: New York Giants Head Coach Pat Shurmur

Pat Shurmur Odell Beckham Jr. — Pat Shurmur to OBJ: I got a play for you.

Odell Beckham Jr.’s first touchdown of the season was a pass to Saquon Barkley.

You read that right.

Pat Shurmur dialed up a doozy, where Beckham took a lateral from Eli Manning and tossed it across the field to the rookie running back for a 57-yard score in the second quarter.

It was Beckham’s first career touchdown pass, on his second attempt, and was the brightest spot of his biggest game of the season.

Drama followed him around before the game, after comments he made during an ESPN interview, but with 131 yards receiving, and also his first touchdown catch of 2018, he brought his game to the field Sunday.

Top Playcallers: Arizona Cardinals Quarterback Josh Rosen

The Cardinals were trailing, with a rookie quarterback and the potential of an 0-5 start in their rookie coach’s first season. So what did they do?

They dialed up a bomb.

Josh Rosen threw a 75-yard touchdown to Charlie Kirk on Arizona’s first play from scrimmage, setting the tone for a 28-18 win over the 49ers.

It was Rosen’s second career touchdown, but easily the biggest play of the first-round pick’s rookie season.

Rosen didn’t turn the ball over in his first road start and boosted Steve Wilks to his first win in the NFL.

Top Playcallers: Los Angeles Rams Head Coach Sean McVay

Robert Woods is becoming one of the fiercest options in the Rams offense.

With the Rams trailing 31-24, head coach Sean McVay opened his team's third-quarter drive by dialing up a reverse to the wide receiver, and he took it 56 yards to set up Todd Gurley’s 5-yard touchdown late in the third quarter.

On its face, Woods’ rush didn’t seem to alter the game — specifically since Cairo Santos missed the subsequent extra point — but Los Angeles was without Cooper Kupp and Brandin Cooks, who both were concussed, and needed an offensive spark.

The Seahawks defense keyed on Gurley, which made Woods’ huge run a turning point in the game.

Lowlights: Mr. Unreliable — for a Day

Mason Crosby has never had a day as bad in his 12-year career with the Packers.

The veteran Green Bay kicker missed five kicks, four field goals and an extra point, in the Packers' 31-23 loss to the Lions on Sunday.

How bad was Crosby’s day? He had only missed one of his first 11 attempts this season and had missed exactly four field goals in each of the past three seasons. On this day, he missed three first-half kicks, from 41, 42 and 38 yards out, to put the Packers in a 24-0 halftime hole.

“This is uncharted territory,” Crosby told reporters after the game, according to NFL.com. “That type of game has never happened to me. I’m going to evaluate it and chalk it up to an anomaly of life.”

Football coaches and players hate kickers when they don’t do their jobs, but you could see the support pour off the Packers sideline for Crosby, who has been the team’s placekicker through thick and thin since 2007.

Crosby actually made his last attempt of the game, which could bode well for the days ahead, even if the Packers are 2-2-1 through five games.

Lowlights: Cold-Lanta

Atlanta Falcons — No defense? Big problem.

Whoever lost in Pittsburgh was going to be facing a long season, but the Falcons’ second-half performance showed a team that quit.

The Falcons rattled off 10 straight points to trail 13-10 at halftime, but only mustered 140 yards of offense in the second half of their 41-17 defeat.

Atlanta’s defense is the reason the team is staring at a 1-4 record through five games, but things have gone sideways in a hurry.

The Falcons have reached the playoffs two straight seasons, but something is amiss this year.

Julio Jones still doesn't have a touchdown catch, and the normally ground-and-pound offense ranks 24th in the league in rushing only two years removed from being a top-five team in the category.

The Falcons next have a must-win game against the Buccaneers at home.

Lowlights: Curious Eagles Calls

Philadelphia Eagles running back Jay Ajayi: Give me the ball more, coach.

The Philadelphia Eagles rode an aggressive offense to the Super Bowl last season, but the bloom is off the rose.

After converting a 2-point try that cut the Eagles deficit to 20-14 in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia again pushed the ball into field-goal range on its subsequent offensive drive. On third and 20 from the Vikings 40-yard-line, Carson Wentz tried to convert the first down, instead of taking fewer yards and settling for a field goal. The Eagles then punted instead of attempting a 57-yard field goal with Jake Elliott.

“Right decision to punt,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said after the game, adding that Elliott’s range began at the Minnesota 35. “It wasn’t a desperation kick at the time.”

The Vikings pushed the ball down the field for a field goal that put them up 23-14, essentially ending the game. If Elliott had converted a field goal, and you believe in the law of the predetermined outcome, then Wentz’s seven-yard touchdown to tight end Zach Ertz with 1:09 left may have been a game-winner, instead of just a garbage-time score.

Eagles running back Jay Ajayi also isn’t necessarily sold on Philadelphia’s game plan, though his complaints stem more from the fact the offense didn’t call a run play for him until the second quarter.

“If I remember correctly, we had maybe three carries at the end of the first quarter,” Ajayi told reporters after the 23-21 loss. “With the offensive line we have on this team, running the ball like that, that doesn’t make sense to me.”

Lowlights: NFC Least

Dallas Cowboys fans — Wait until next year — already?

It wasn't that long ago that the NFC East was the best division in football.The division is now a laughingstock, even though three teams were defeated in tight games.

The Giants, who supposedly retooled for one last run with Eli Manning, are teetering on the brink at 1-4. The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles are 2-4, as are the Cowboys — a trendy pick in the NFC this year too. The first-place Washington Redskins got bombed by Drew Brees on Monday Night Football in New Orleans.The Skins have been the division's most consistent team thus far, but the division should take some better shape this weekend.

The Giants host the Eagles on Thursday, with one of the two staring last place in the face.

The Skins will host the Panthers, and the Cowboys will take on the Jaguars, who are aiming for redemption after their second loss of the year. At this rate, eight wins may be the number to hit in the division.

Lowlights: Another Niner Down

Call the San Francisco 49ers the NFL's most snakebit team.

You heard about Jimmy Garoppolo's catastrophic knee injury from two weeks ago, but San Francisco lost Matt Breida, who was only the NFL's leading rusher through the first quarter of the year, to an ankle injury in its loss to the Cardinals.

Between Breida, Garoppolo and free-agent signee Jeryick McKinnon's season-ending knee injury in training camp, San Francisco's season has quickly flown off the rails.

The Niners are tied for dead last in the NFC, and the road gets no easier with them playing in Green Bay on Monday night.

Forward Thinking

Drew Brees — Get ready to see another NFL record be broken.

The Texans have won two straight, thanks to DeShaun Watson’s passing. The second-year quarterback is starting to look like the real deal.

Colts receivers, you can’t drop that many passes if you're going to win on a short week in Foxborough.

Speaking of drops, Nick Williams is going to be sick about his sure touchdown that would’ve salted away a Titans win in Buffalo.

That looked like the Blake Bortles of old. The Jaguars better hope Leonard Fournette is healthy if those teams play again in January.

That 3-0 start feels like an eternity ago, doesn’t it Dolphins fans? The well-rested Bears come calling to Miami on Sunday.

Bad weekend for a letdown, Broncos. Especially with the undefeated Rams coming to town next weekend.

Brady may have hit 500 touchdowns, but Drew Brees surely will reach that mark when the Saints are in Baltimore in Week 7 after their bye week.

Raiders Get Off the Schneid

The seat wasn’t hot for Jon Gruden, but it wasn’t getting much cooler.

Facing the irrelevance of an 0-4 start, the Raiders got off the deck and won one for their beleaguered coach. The Raiders rallied from eight points down in the final two minutes of regulation, then defeated the Browns in overtime for Jon Gruden’s first win in the NFL since Nov. 30, 2008 — a span of seven games and 3,591 days.

“We haven’t fixed anything yet,” Gruden said at his postgame news conference, according to The Athletic, “but we have guys who are willing to work and we got the monkey off our back.”

The Raiders got turn-back-the-clock performances from Marshawn Lynch and Amari Cooper. The former had 130 yards rushing, and Cooper had 128 receiving and a touchdown.

Sign of the Signal-Callers

Bears-Buccaneers — Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears are on top of the NFC North.

Quarterbacks are all the rage these days, and the younger the better.

Just three days after second-year passer Jared Goff tossed five touchdowns in the Rams win over the Vikings, Bears signal-caller Mitchell Trubisky had a day for the ages, throwing six touchdowns in Chicago’s rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

No Bears quarterback had thrown for that many touchdowns since Sid Luckman in 1943, and Trubisky tied the NFL season high with the six touchdown throws. Patrick Mahomes, the first-year starter of the Kansas City Chiefs, also threw six touchdowns in their Week 2 win against the Steelers.

We'd be remiss if we forgot DeShaun Watson and his 375 passing yards that helped the Texans snap a nine-game losing streak with a 37-34 win over the Colts.

Plus, Baker Mayfield guided his team to 42 points in his first NFL start in the Browns overtime loss in Oakland.

No Worries for the Patriots and Cowboys

Ezekiel Elliott — The Cowboys need to string together some more wins before they make true believers around the NFL.

Two of the NFL’s royalty clubs were in dire straits entering Sunday. Both the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys got off the mat and got their seasons back on track.

It was a return to identity for each team, though neither was anywhere near perfect. Tom Brady turned the ball over twice but still managed to throw for 274 yards and three scores — including his second-quarter touchdown toss to Cordarrelle Patterson that was his 70th different career touchdown target, tying Vinny Testaverde’s NFL record — in the Patriots' 38-7 win against the previously unbeaten Dolphins.

For the Cowboys, it was a steady diet of Ezekiel Elliott, as the bellcow back rushed for 152 yards and caught four passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. Dallas snapped a two-game losing streak, with Brett Maher’s 38-yard field goal at the gun pushing it to a 26-24 victory over Detroit.

Alvin Kamara Leads Saints to Head of NFC South

Alvin Kamara had been a receiving threat through the first three weeks, but had largely been held in check on the ground. But that all changed Sunday.

Kamara rushed for a season-high 134 yards on just 19 carries, scoring three touchdowns in the Saints' 33-18 victory against the Giants, including a memorable 49-yard run that sealed the victory.

Led by Kamara, New Orleans has won three straight all of a sudden, and holds a half-game lead over the Panthers for the top spot in the NFC South.

The Saints will also get Mark Ingram back from suspension Sunday.

Bird Is the Word for Earl Thomas

Earl Thomas has been one of the greatest safeties the NFL has ever seen, largely by channeling his emotion in the right way on the field. Unfortunately, it all came pouring out after he sustained a season-ending leg injury in Arizona on Sunday.

Thomas flipped off his own sideline while being carted off the field late in the Seahawks win. The safety in the final year of his contract, who held out trying to get either a trade or new deal, now will enter free agency coming off a major injury.

The incident again sheds light on the business of football and how loyalty is perceived. Seahawks fans burned Thomas jerseys on social media Monday, critiquing him for his lack of loyalty.

But let's not forget that Seattle broke up the vaunted "Legion of Boom" by letting Richard Sherman walk in free agency, after his Achilles' tendon injury a year ago.

Loyalty is a two-way street.

Unsung Heroes: Green Bay Packers Linebacker Kyler Fackrell

Green Bay had been averaging 28 points against throughout its uneven 1-1-1 start, and had just six sacks in that span.

But Kyler Fackrell and the Packers fixed all that Sunday. The third-year linebacker, who entered the game against the Bills with just five career sacks, had three in Green Bay’s 22-0 shutout at Lambeau Field.

Fackrell led the Green Bay defense, which finished with seven sacks of rookie quarterback Josh Allen. The Packers defense dodged a letdown — something the rival Vikings could not avoid last weekend — and pitched its first goose egg since a 9-0 win over the Jets on Halloween 2010.

Unsung Heroes: Jacksonville Jaguars Running Back T.J. Yeldon

Much to the chagrin of fellow Leonard Fournette fantasy owners, it is starting to look like T.J. Yeldon’s backfield in Jacksonville.

Yeldon reached 100 yards from scrimmage in three quarters after Fournette went down again with that tricky hamstring injury, scoring a rushing touchdown and a receiving score in the Jaguars' 31-12 win over the Jets.

“I know what type of player I am,” Yeldon told Jacksonville.com after the game. “I know what I can do on the field. No matter the circumstances, I’m always going to have my confidence. I’m going to keep rocking and riding.”

Thanks largely to Yeldon, and Blake Bortles’ career-high 388 passing yards, the Jaguars put their first loss into the rearview mirror and stayed atop the AFC South standings.

Unsung Heroes: Seattle Seahawks Running Back Mike Davis

Add Mike Davis to the list of Seahawks running backs who can now say they’ve rushed for 100 yards in the post-Marshawn Lynch era.

Looking to avoid falling to 1-3, and with featured back Chris Carson a late scratch due to a hip injury, Davis went off for 101 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the Seahawks' 20-17 victory against the Cardinals.

Davis rushed for as many touchdowns Sunday as Seahawks backs had in the previous 19 games combined.

Top Playcallers: Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel

The Tennessee Titans have got something going, and it seems to stem from their head coach Mike Vrabel.

The Titans are tied atop the AFC South standings after winning their third straight three-point game — this time against the defending world champion Philadelphia Eagles. Tennessee trailed 17-3 at one point, then behind 23-20 in overtime, but Marcus Mariota and the offense converted three fourth downs, including on fourth and 2 at the Eagles' 32 yard line when Vrabel initially sent the field-goal team onto the field.

They capped the victory when Mariota found wide receiver Corey Davis for the game-winning score with just 17 seconds left.

Top Playcallers: Cincinnati Bengals

Marvins Lewis and Andy Dalton — Let them doubt us.

Trailing by five with 11 seconds left, Andy Dalton was only going one place with the ball.

Dalton found A.J. Green for a sliding catch with six seconds remaining, lifting Cincinnati to a wild 37-36 victory, the franchise’s first win in Atlanta since 1987.

The Bengals persevered, even after losing standout tight end Tyler Eifert to a likely season-ending leg injury, showing resilience not usually reserved for a Marvin Lewis-coached team. Matt Ryan and Dalton traded blows, with each surpassing the 350-yard threshold. But it was Dalton who struck last.

The Bengals were maligned for bringing Lewis back for another season, after they finished 7-9 without a playoff berth in 2017. But Cincinnati is the surprise team of the season thus far, tied atop the AFC North standings with the Baltimore Ravens.

Unsung Heroes: Giants Offensive Tackle Chad Wheeler

Eli Manning and Giants offensive line — Chad Wheeler (63) took advantage of his opportunity to strengthen the Giants offensive line.

Ereck Flowers just wasn’t going to cut it. Before the Giants' game against the Texans, New York head coach Pat Shurmur moved Flowers to the bench, replacing the 2015 No. 9 overall draft pick with Chad Wheeler, a 2017 undrafted free agent out of USC.

It made a difference. Wheeler did his teammates a solid, battling J.J. Watt, giving Eli Manning more time to throw, and allowing Saquon Barkley to run up the middle.

Shurmur, who got his first win as Giants head coach, liked Wheeler’s effort: “Even though he got beat on a couple of snaps, I thought he had a winning performance.”

Top Playcallers: Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Frank Reich

We’ll go on the record saying that we loved the decision by Colts coach Frank Reich to go for it on fourth and 4 with less than a minute left at his own 43-yard-line.

The NFL already has had two tie games this season, and Herm Edwards once famously said “you play to win the game.” If Mike Vrabel is being lauded for his guts, Reich should be, too — even though his decision to try to win led to Houston’s huge division win.

“We’re not playing to tie,” Reich said after the game. “We’re going for it 10 times out of 10. That’s just how we’re going to roll.”

Indy’s offense scored 34 points, had rallied from being down 28-10 to force overtime and Andrew Luck had turned back the clock to the tune of 464 passing yards. Reich trusted his offense, and it didn’t work.

He’ll probably get roasted for the decision, because it didn’t work, but we’ll give him a thumbs up for the effort

Top Playcallers: Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs hadn't faced much adversity through the first three weeks of the NFL season. But that changed Monday night.

Fortunately for Kansas City, Mahomes rose to the challenge and got creative while doing so. Trailing Denver by three, and facing third and 5 with Von Miller bearing down on him and the Chiefs undefeated season on the line, the rookie quarterback fired a strike, left-handed, to Tyreek Hill for a drive-continuing first down.

"I didn't think it at all," Mahomes told reporters after the game about what his thought process was on the play. "I was kind of just scrambling left. I felt [Miller] on my back, and I knew I couldn't throw it right-handed and I knew we needed the first down, so I kind of just shot-putted it to Tyreek."

Mahomes said he doesn't practice throwing left-handed, only in casual competition with his fellow quarterbacks, and that it was the first time he'd completed a pass with his opposite hand. It ultimately led to Kareem Hunt's 4-yard plunge that lifted Kansas City to a come-from-behind 27-23 victory over the Broncos in a massive divisional game.

Unsung Heroes: Bears Safety Eddie Jackson

The Chicago Bears are No. 1 in the NFC North, and they’ve got their top-line defense to thank for it. But we’re not just talking about Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith and Adrian Amos.

The Bears’ fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft, Eddie Jackson is an official Monster of the Midway. In the third quarter against the Cardinals, Jackson intercepted Sam Bradford to jumpstart Chicago’s comeback win.

Lowlights: A Steel-Coated Mess

John Brown and Joe Haden — The Steelers are giving up 29 points per game, which ranks 26th in the NFL.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are perhaps the NFL’s proudest franchise, but through one quarter of the season, they look like the league’s biggest mess.

The Le’Veon Bell holdout is looming large over everything in Pittsburgh, but there are bigger problems in play. The Steelers fell to 1-2-1 with a 26-14 loss to the Ravens on Sunday night, which dropped them to last place in the AFC North.

Pittsburgh’s defense, the hallmark of its franchise, put the team behind the proverbial eight ball by allowing big plays in the first half. The offense, which rallied to tie the game before halftime, looked limited during the second half where it failed to put up a single point.

The Falcons and Steelers will meet in Pittsburgh, and one of those clubs will be 1-4 after the game. Hard to believe.

Lowlights: Big Trouble in Minny

The NFC’s runner-up was a a chic pick to reach the Super Bowl this season, particularly after adding quarterback Kirk Cousins in the offseason. But after a 38-31 shootout loss to the Rams on Thursday, the Vikings are in big trouble — despite Cousins’ largely successful start.

The Vikings defense, which led the NFL in both yards and points against per game, has been largely vulnerable, surrendering more than 380 yards and 27 points per game.

Minnesota is lucky to be just 1-2-1, thanks to a phantom personal foul that led to the game-tying field goal in Week 2 against Green Bay.

The schedule doesn’t do Minnesota any favors either, as the Vikings are forced to go back across the nation to play the defending Super Bowl-champion Eagles in Week 5.

Lowlights: No-Flow League?

NFL referees — So much for letting the players play.

If it feels like the refs have been televised more it is because they have.

Though much of the talk has centered around roughing-the-passer fouls, penalties are up league wide. For the first time in more than a decade, the league average for accepted flags is more than seven per team per game — or more than 14 accepted penalties per game — according to NFLPenalties.com.

Maybe it is the players' fault for not adapting to new rules, especially the body-weight-on-the-quarterback flags, but we don’t like the trend of over-officiated games.

Forward Thinking

Todd Gurley and the Rams have the look of champions.

The New York media had cooled with the “Should the Giants have drafted a quarterback” narrative for a week, but that storyline is beginning to crop up again after another dismal effort from Eli Manning and the Giants offense.

Eagles fans must’ve been stunned watching them get beat by their own game.

We love watching Todd Gurley run. His vision is impeccable.

John Brown was a spectacular pickup by Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens. He’s been the perfect deep threat for that offense.

Sam Darnold didn’t turn the ball over against the Jaguars vaunted defense. Call that progress for the rookie quarterback.

The Browns very easily could be 4-0. They probably should be, actually.

What happened to the Falcons defense this year? Only three teams are giving up more points per game than Atlanta this season. Isn’t Dan Quinn a defensive-minded coach, too?

It’s safe to say "Fitzmagic" is over in Tampa Bay.

The Dolphins haven’t won in New England since 2008, and they aren’t taking over the AFC East until they can find a way to leave Foxborough with a W.

Josh Allen isn’t going to go undefeated in his career.

The Broncos will need to have a short memory in a short week after blowing a 10-point lead with 6:30 to go against the Chiefs. Denver had a 72 percent win probability, per Number Fire, after forcing Kansas City into second and 30 with 3:07 to play. If Denver plays zone instead of man-to-man coverage on that down, Patrick Mahomes probably doesn't get the opportunity to convert his left-handed play. Bad job by Vance Joseph and the Broncos coaching staff, in a very winnable game.

This isn’t a league of moral victories, but even playing with a backup quarterback, the 49ers were a live underdog against the Chargers in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Game of the week: Jaguars at Chiefs. A possible AFC championship game preview?

Sleeper game of the week: Dolphins at Bengals. Barring a tie, one of these surprise clubs will be 4-1.

Editor's note: Jennifer Studer Daley wrote the Week 3 feature.

Carson Wentz Returns and Delivers

It was 278 days since Carson Wentz got hurt in Los Angeles. Back in pads for the Eagles, he looks like himself.

Wentz completed 25 of 37 passes for 255 yards against the Colts and led Philly to a 20-16 win with a 17-play, fourth-quarter touchdown drive.

As the Bose commercial goes, "he’s good."

Adrian Peterson Runs All Over Green Bay

No, you’re not seeing flashbacks. Adrian Peterson is 33 years old, but you’d swear he’s got the legs of a rookie.

In the second quarter against the Packers, Peterson jump cut his way through defenders out of a deep I formation before breaking away for 41 yards.

He finished with 120 yards and two touchdowns in the Redskins' win.

Drew Brees Tops Brett Favre for Most Career Completions

It’s first-and-10 for the Saints, quarterback Drew Brees steps up into the pocket and hits Michael Thomas in the second quarter against the Falcons.

With that 17-yard pass, Brees set the all-time NFL record with 6,301 completions, breaking Brett Favre's record of 6,300.

The Saints went on to win the game in overtime, and Brees is on his way to setting a new record for career passing yards next — he's only 417 yards shy of Peyton Manning’s 71,940.

Unsung Heroes: Ravens Linebacker Terrell Suggs

Terrell Suggs and Tony Jefferson — None shall pass. Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs (55) and defensive back Tony Jefferson (23) try to block a pass attempt from Denver Broncos quarterback Case Keenum.

Terrell Suggs is playing in his 16th NFL season, but there’s a reason why Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale calls him the “Black Panther.”

At 35, the veteran outside linebacker is still an instrumental part of Baltimore’s defensive strategy. “Sizzle” Suggs contributed 4 tackles and 1.5 sacks in the Ravens' win over the Denver Broncos.

Top Playcallers: Panthers Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner

It’s only Norv Turner’s first season with Cam Newton, but they look like old friends.

Carolina executed Turner’s game plan to perfection against the Bengals.

The “Superman” quarterback racked up his 57th career rushing touchdown, setting the NFL quarterback record for most career rushing touchdowns in league history.

Turner’s strategy also opened up windows of opportunity for two of Newton’s favorite targets, No. 17 Devin Funchess and No. 20 C. J. Anderson.

Final score: Carolina 31, Bengals 21.

We’ll see what Turner and Newton think up as the season goes on.

Top Playcallers: Lions General Manager Bob Quinn

Bob Bobby Quinn, or BBQ as they call him, has been focused on rebuilding the Lions' offensive line since he arrived in Detroit in 2016 after working for Robert Kraft in New England.

His efforts paid off ironically against the Patriots.

Graham Glasgow, current Detroit center, and Taylor Decker, who holds the left tackle position, were added to the roster in the 2016 offseason. Since then, Quinn sought and signed Rick Wagner (right tackle), T.J. Lang (right guard) and Frank Ragnow (rookie left guard).

Don’t underestimate the power of a solid offensive line. They win games.

Lowlights: Bills (+17) Crush Vikings

Minnesota Vikings — It was a long day at the office for the Vikings.

There had been talk of the Vikings being a Super Bowl contender. We don’t think they were referring to the Minnesota squad that played the Bills, who were a 17-point underdog and left Minneapolis with a 27-6 win.

The fire and fury the Vikings showed against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Week 2 was nowhere to be found, as rookie Bills quarterback Josh Allen embarrassed the purple and gold with his versatility and quick feet to pull off the largest NFL upset in 23 years.

Lowlights: Is Brady Still Brady?

Not even the great ones can outrun Father Time. After a 26-10 loss to the Lions in a un-Patriots-like performance, Tom Brady may have some doubts about his team's chances to compete for a Super Bowl title this year.

Held to 133 yards and 14 completions in 26 attempts against Detroit, Brady is not performing up to Brady standards, and the Patriots are 1-2.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, New England has lost two straight games by more than 10 points for the first time since December 2002 — a stretch of 244 games.

Lowlights: San Francisco Mourns Loss of Jimmy Garoppolo

It’s been confirmed. Jimmy Garoppolo is done for the season.

The 49ers' starting quarterback suffered a torn ACL with less than 6 minutes to play against the Chiefs.

Looks like San Francisco will have to find another face for its franchise.

Forward Thinking

Jakeem Grant — The last time the Dolphins won the AFC East was 2008.

Ryan "FitzMagic" Fitzpatrick passed for 411 yards and three touchdowns against the Steelers on Monday night. But he also threw three interceptions, and Big Ben’s 353 passing yards translated into more points on the board. If No. 14 doesn't throw fewer interceptions against Khalil Mack and the Bears in Week 4, it might be Jameis Winston time again in Tampa Bay.

Although the undefeated Los Angeles Rams are rolling, both of their starting cornerbacks are banged up. Marcus Peters (calf strain) is day-to-day, and Aqib Talib (high ankle sprain) will miss at least a month.

The 3 – 0 Miami Dolphins look to keep a zero in the loss column when they travel north to Foxborough to face a wounded Patriots team.

The early MVP frontrunner, Patrick Mahomes, and his Kansas City Chiefs sit atop the AFC West. You won’t want to miss Mahomes’ offensive line square off with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb as the Chiefs take on the 2 -1 Broncos.

Browns head coach Hue Jackson made it official. Baker Mayfield will make his first NFL start in Week 4 in Oakland.

Will we see another round of upsets? Stay tuned.

Editor's note: Jennifer Studer Daley wrote the Week 2 feature.

Mahomes Throws Six Touchdowns Against Steelers

The 10th overall pick in the 2017 draft had a Sunday.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to a victory over the Steelers at Heinz Field with six touchdown passes — setting a new NFL record with 10 touchdowns in his first two games of the season.

Mahomes beat Drew Brees and Peyton Manning for the honor and has yet to throw an interception since becoming Kansas City’s full-time starting signal-caller.

Cole’s One-Handed Catch Helps Jaguars Beat Patriots

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Keelan Cole beats New England Patriots defensive back Eric Rowe to the ball.

The Jaguars have their own Odell Beckham Jr., and his name is Keelan Cole.

After a show-stopping right-handed catch in the first quarter against the New England Patriots, Cole made an over-the-shoulder 24-yard touchdown reception of a Blake Bortles pass to put the Jaguars up 14-0 in front of the home crowd in Jacksonville.

It's easy to see why Tom Brady lost his cool — and the game.

Thielen’s Hands Help Vikings Grab Overtime Tie at Lambeau

How about this?

With 37 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, Kirk Cousins, under pressure, delivered the football into the hands of Adam Thielen, sending Minnesota into overtime against the Green Bay Packers in this week’s NFC North matchup.

We call that perfect precision.

The finish — the second overtime tie of the NFL season — was less fantastic.

QB or Not QB? Fitzpatrick Strengthens Case for Bucs Starting Job

Beard, brains and brawn. Ryan Fitzpatrick is making believers in Tampa Bay.

The Harvard graduate has 819 passing yards, eight touchdowns and a 2-0 start leading the Buccaneers during Jameis Winston’s suspension.

After a sweet Week 2 win over the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, the 35-year old quarterback celebrated the victory by showing up to his postgame presser in Conor McGregor fashion.

Tampa Bay called him the man of the hour. He may be the man of the year.

Dawg Pound Excited About 'Ward Island' in Cleveland

Denzel Ward, the 5-foot-10 corner out of The Ohio State University, showed himself worthy of the fourth pick in the 2018 NFL draft. During the Cleveland Browns' first game against Steel City, Ward intercepted Big Ben twice before the end of the first half.

Ward is up for Pepsi Rookie of the Week honors and could be competing for the 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year award, which his former OSU teammate, Marshon Lattimore, won in 2017 as a cornerback for the Saints.

Ward's first week: 2 interceptions, 6 tackles, 3 pass deflections.

Unsung Heroes: Indianapolis Linebacker Darius Leonard

Indianapolis rookie linebacker Darius Leonard is only two games into his NFL career, but with 21 solo tackles so far, you’d think he was a veteran.

Against the Redskins, the 22-year-old Leonard racked up 15 tackles, one sack and forced a fumble in the Colts’ first victory this season.

Unsung Heroes: Saints Safety Marcus Williams

The Saints suffered an embarrassing loss to the Buccaneers in Week 1 and were desperate to reclaim their pride.

Late in the fourth quarter, Saints safety Marcus Williams delivered. Williams followed Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s eyes to intercept a pass intended for Browns tight end David Njoku.

That play sparked the Saints to their first win of the 2018 season.

Browns Defensive End Myles Garrett Is the Real Deal

Denzel Ward’s teammate, Myles Garrett, the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft from Texas A & M, also had a day against the Steelers, sacking Ben Roethlisberger twice before the game ended in a 21-21 overtime stalemate.

And the dogs come a pounding.

Myles' first week: 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 6 tackles.

32 Teams, 1 Dream

Arizona Cardinals fan — Show me the Lombardi.

Every season, all 32 NFL teams start with a fresh record, but we can’t say they kick off on an equal playing field.

Based on the draft alone, the Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Denver Broncos should see a few more tallies in their win column this 2018 season.

Is it too early to say, "Meet the 2018 shakers and makers?"

Top Playcallers: Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy

Matt Nagy got his first victory as Bears head coach at the team’s home opener under the Monday night lights versus the Seattle Seahawks.

First and goal from the 3, Nagy reads the Seahawks' zone defense and calls for a shovel pass to Trey Burton up the middle, getting Da Bears on the board with just under five minutes to go in the first.

Nagy, 40, has learned a few things from Andy Reid. The third youngest NFL coach got his big break under Reid in Philly before becoming the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator.

Along with Nagy, head coaches Frank Reich (Colts) and Mike Vrabel (Titans) chalked up their first wins of 2018, but overall, first-year shotcallers are struggling at 3–11 heading into Week 3.

Top Playcallers: Jaguars Offensive Coordinator Nathaniel Hackett

Home opener, Week 2 and you’re facing the brilliant Bill Belichick–Tom Brady duo in an AFC championship rematch.

Leave it to Nathaniel Hackett, the Jaguars' offensive coordinator, to call the shots, and call them well even without running back Leonard Fournette in the lineup.

During the postgame presser, Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles sang Hackett’s praises, saying he had the team well-equipped and mentally prepared to take on New England.

The Jaguars' offensive line did not allow the Patriots to record a single sack, and this was the first time in Tom Brady’s NFL career that he did not beat Jacksonville.

Tough Luck: Barkley Sets Records in Loss

The New York Giants flew south for their matchup against the rival Dallas Cowboys, and both Eli Manning and the Big Blue’s offense struggled against America’s team.

One bright spot was Saquon Barkley, who set a franchise record with 14 receptions.

Offensive tackle Ereck Flowers and the rest of his linemen crew need to step up their play if the Giants are going to have a winning season.

Tough Luck: Vontae Davis Retires Mid-Game

How's that for a halftime adjustment?

The Buffalo Bills said that Davis' mid-game retirement wasn’t a distraction, but the scoreboard tells us otherwise.

According to the cornerback's former teammate, Lorenzo Alexander, the move was "completely disrespectful," but that he would "show him more respect than he showed us as far as quitting on us in the middle of the game."

The Buffalo Bills lost to the Los Angeles Chargers, 31-20.

Tough Luck: Vikings Kicker Carlson Can't Finish

What might have been.

The Minnesota Vikings fought from 13 points down to get into overtime against Aaron Rodger’s Packers, but rookie kicker Daniel Carlson spoiled the comeback story with two missed field goals in overtime.

Carlson’s second shank came from the 35-yard-line, and this miss settled the score at 29-29. The Vikings cut him after the game.

Forward Thinking

Is it Baker Mayfield time in Cleveland?

The New York Jets visit the Browns for the Week 3 Thursday night matchup. We’re rooting for Mayfield to unlock the victory fridges, giving Cleveland its first NFL victory since 2016.

Carson Wentz has been cleared to start under center for the Eagles on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts and is ready to begin his "revenge tour." Will he carry Philly to 2-1?

The Falcons hit the road to face the Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in New Orleans. But the ATL may not need a home-field advantage. Matt Ryan is clicking with Tevin Coleman and his rookie wide receiver Calvin Ridley, while Sean Payton and Drew Brees look for a scheme that will work — more than once.

Editor's note: Jennifer Studer Daley wrote the Week 1 feature.

Sam Darnold Becomes Youngest Starting Quarterback Since 1970

Baker Mayfield, Saquon Barkley, Sam Darnold. Taken as respective 1, 2, and 3 in the 2018 NFL draft. Each anxious to join the league and display their special talents. Some will argue that one man in this trifecta has more to prove than his two counterparts.

As the end of 2017 crept up, there was chatter about whether Sam Darnold, now former USC quarterback, was ready to lead a NFL franchise. Fast-forward to the first Monday night game of the season, when he became the youngest starting quarterback since 1970 in his New York Jets debut.

While some skeptics are most concerned with the pick-six he threw on his first NFL play, others are more focused on this ESPN stat: Sam Darnold is the first quarterback to win his first start by 31 or more points since Tom Brady in 2001.

If there’s one thing we know NFL scouts saw in this young blood, he’s got poise. He can handle the Hollywood limelight, which should prepare him for the New York media's scrutiny.

Bears Rookie Roquan Smith Makes Starting Case

On the first play of his NFL career, Bears linebacker Roquan Smith, the eighth pick in the 2018 NFL draft, sacked Green Bay Packers quarterback DeShone Kizer.

In the eight snaps Smith saw in his NFL debut, he also made three tackles, making a case for a starting role on the Bears defense.

Bradley Chubb Rocks Seahawks

The fifth pick in the 2018 draft out of North Carolina State didn't waste any time to a make an impact. In his first regular-season game as a Bronco, linebacker Bradley Chubb took down Russell Wilson during the Seahawks' first possession of the season.

Chubb played in 54 of 57 snaps and teamed up with Von Miller to apply relentless pressure on Wilson.

Saquon Barkley Doesn't Disappoint in NFL Debut

It took a few reps for the Giants rookie to get going, but once Saquon Barkley did, watch out.

The second pick in the 2018 draft broke three tackles and ran in a 68-yard touchdown against one of the league’s best defenses in his NFL inauguration against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Love to Hate 'Em — Emerging Rivalries

Minnesota Vikings fans — Don't make me angry.

We all have them, the team you want to lose every week, the team you cannot lose to.

With the start of the 2018 season, we’re sensing the ignition of a few new rivalries.

Rivalry #1: Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams

There’s two home teams in La La Land now, and just like the New York Football Giants and the New York Jets, it won’t matter if they’re sharing the same home stadium come 2020.

You’re either a Charger or a Ram.

Unlike the stereotypical show-up-late-go-home-early Los Angeles sports scene, on Sept. 23, when these two meet center stage at the Los Angeles Coliseum, both sets of fans will bring the heat.

Rivalry #2: Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots

Josh McDaniels — Admit it, you would have done the same thing.

It’s been a little while since the Super Bowl, so let us remind you that back in February we all thought New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels would be the next Indianapolis Colts head coach come the 2018 season.

Well, when McDaniels reneged on the deal, Indy wasn’t very pleased, and neither were their fans.

Rumor has it, when the Colts show up in Foxborough on Oct. 4, they’ll be ready to make a point of it.

Rivalry #3: Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles

The Birds from the City of Brotherly Love triumphed over the Minnesota Vikings in the 2018 NFC championship game, breaking the hearts of Twin City fans that wanted to see their boys in a hometown Super Bowl.

To make things more interesting, John DeFilippo, the Eagles’ offensive coordinator for 2016 and 2017, interviewed and accepted the Vikings' offensive coordinator position during this past offseason.

You know what game we’ll be watching in Week 5.

Dangerous on Defense

Oakland Raiders fan — Enter at your own risk.

While we most definitely appreciate Aaron Rodger’s arm and Tyreek Hill’s hands, we also must give credit where credit is due.

And in Week 1, these fellas made it clear — the league’s defense has upped its ante.

Bears Need Khalil Mack at Every Position

A Bear of only one week, Chicago’s newest outside linebacker, Khalil Mack, put up points for his boys after a pick-six at the end of the second quarter. Note that his touchdown came after he forced and recovered an Aaron Rodgers fumble.

A three-time Pro Bowler in four seasons with the Oakland Raiders, there’s already talk that Mack could be the best defensive player in the NFL today.

Makes sense, given he’s the highest-paid defensive player in league history with a six-year deal worth $141 million.

Mack's first week: 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and 1 interception for a touchdown.

Von Miller Eyes 100 Career Sacks

Eleven-year Denver Broncos veteran Von Miller is a six-time Pro-Bowler because he deserves to be. After taking down Russell Wilson three times, Miller has 86.5 career sacks and is just 12 sacks shy of breaking the Broncos’ franchise record.

At this rate, he’ll have 100 career sacks by 2019.

Miller's first week: 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 6 tackles.

Vikings Safety Harrison Smith Ready for Another Pro Bowl Year

The Minnesota Vikings have quite a few weapons at their disposal, and safety Harrison Smith is one of them.

The three-time Pro Bowler, who’s worn the purple and gold since he was drafted pick No. 29 overall in 2012, sealed the Twin City’s victory over San Francisco when he snagged a pass from Jimmy Garoppolo to preserve his team’s first win of the season.

"The Fixer" suits him.

Smith's first week: 8 tackles, 1 sack and 1 interception.

Seven New NFL Coaches All Take the 'L' Train

Seven NFL teams assumed new head coaches this offseason, and all seven coaches chalked up their first losses of the season.

According to the NFL Research Department, these newly minted coaches set the "worst record by a new group of coaches in NFL History."

Steve Wilks' Arizona Cardinals went down to Adrian Peterson’s Washington Redskins, 24 – 6.

Matt Nagy’s Chicago Bears fell to the Green Bay Packers, 24 -23, after the immortal Aaron Rodgers stepped on the field and delivered three touchdowns.

Matt Patricia’s Detroit Lions were crushed 48-17 by the New York Jets in Sam Darnold’s introduction to NFL play.

Frank Reich’s Indianapolis Colts lost to the Cincinnati Bengal’s, 34-23 because Andrew Luck just can’t do it all on his own.

Pat Shurmur’s New York Giants took an "L" against the Jacksonville Jaquars despite decent play by OBJ and rookie running back Saquon Barkley.

Jon Grudden, back on the sidelines, suffered a 33-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams after leading 13-10 at the half.

Mike Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans, plagued with injuries already, lost to the Miami Dolphins by a touchdown, 27-20.

Over and Out: Retirements

With the influx of rookies preparing to make their mark on the National Football League comes the retirement of household names and Pro Bowlers. During the 2018 offseason, about two dozen professionals hung up their football cleats, making room for the next generation of star-studded talent.

We bid farewell to some of our favorites.

Eric Decker

After a brief stint with the New England Patriots, Eric Decker called it quits, announcing his retirement on social media on Aug. 26.

The 87th pick in the 2010 NFL draft out of Minnesota, Decker donned Broncos, Jets and Titans jerseys during his eight years as a wide receiver in the league.

Career: 439 receptions for 5,816 yards and 53 touchdowns.

Matt Forte

After signing a one-day deal with the Chicago Bears, Matt Forte said goodbye to the NFL on April 23 after 10 years in the league.

The running back/tailback played eight seasons with the Bears and two with the Jets, racking up 14,468 yards from the line of scrimmage during his tenure.

Darrelle Revis

The seven-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, Darrelle Revis officially retired from the NFL on July 18 after 11 seasons.

Nicknamed "Revis Island," the four-time All-Pro cornerback spent the majority of his career with the New York Jets and also played on the Buccaneers, Patriots and Chiefs.

Carson Palmer

Fourteen-year veteran quarterback Carson Palmer retired this past offseason as an Arizona Cardinal.

The 2002 Heisman Trophy winner and first overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft, Palmer started his career with the Bengals before moving on to the Raiders and Cardinals.

He hangs it up with 294 touchdowns and 46,247 passing yards.

Jason Witten

After a solid 15 years with the Dallas Cowboys, Jason Witten has joined ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast team.

The former tight end and 2012 Walter Payton Man of the Year is second behind Tony Gonzalez in all-time career receptions and receiving yards.

Same time, same place, we’ll meet you back here next week for another look around the league.

Forward Thinking

We love snow football, and are looking forward to its arrival this winter, but it’s a bit early for all that Denver.

The Bengals are going to have to beat the Steelers at some point, especially at home, if they’re going to take the next step in the AFC North.

The Tennessee Titans have crashed back to earth with two straight losses, and Sunday’s game against the Chargers in London is feeling like a must-win for Mike Vrabel and Co.

Maybe the Bears got caught looking ahead to their home showdown against the Patriots, but they better have gotten the message losing to Brock Osweiler and the Dolphins.

The Josh Rosen-to-Christian Kirk connection has looked good for the Cardinals. There’ll be brighter days ahead for that pair.

Kudos to C.J. Beathard and the 49ers for going to Green Bay and giving the Packers a game. Beathard isn’t Jimmy Garoppolo, but he still may have a future in this league.

Game of Week 7: Texans at Jaguars.