The New York Jets took the Green Bay Packers to overtime, while the Chicago Bears scored three points, a week after scoring 59. But ... but ... the rain!
The rain!
The Los Angeles Chargers are 0-2, after losing to (gasp) the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders – both indoors, no rain to blame, and neither anyone’s idea of a contender, of which the Chargers were supposed to be.
At least whatever heat Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh is feeling is no longer Michigan’s problem – but then, he’s coaching in Los Angeles, where starting out 0-2 is no one’s problem.
Because no one cares.
This is a city, after all, where Sean McVay is rumored to have asked to play the Los Angeles Rams’ home opener – against San Francisco – in Australia to prevent 49ers’
fans from taking over SoFi Stadium yet again.
It it's more than a rumor, it’d be hard to blame McVay. The NFL isn't even second-fiddle in Southern California, as it ranks behind the Dodgers and the Lakers and even the Los Angeles Kings when they’re rolling. (That would actually make the Chargers and Rams fourth-fiddle, but then who’s counting, other than string quartets? Certainly no one in L.A.)
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints flew to Baltimore, landed, hopped on a bus to M&T Bank Stadium, and sent the Ravens, the NFL and skeptical Detroit Lions fans a message: Don’t forget about us. The Ravens' loss to the Saints followed a dominant win in Indianapolis, where the Birds of Charm City thought they were sending a message:
We’re back?
Maybe they will be – maybe Lamar Jackson and Co will get back to the postseason ... and lose to Kansas City. Speaking of which, the Chiefs needed overtime – and some gutless coaching from those Colts – to beat a team that lost by 18 in its opener. (Way to go for the win, Shane Steichen.)
But then that’s a story for a different fanbase, the one in Indianapolis that watched its squad, with a first-and-10 in the red zone – after a gutsy, 48-yard pass play – instead turtle in OT:
Handoff.
Handoff.
Quarterback scramble.
Field goal.
That tied the game, and gave the ball back to the Chiefs with time on the clock.
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No, it doesn't matter how much time. Yeah, it was fourth-and-eight, and that's not a gimme down. But neither is giving the ball back to one of the best late-game quarterbacks in the history of the sport with three minutes and change left.
Sure enough, Patrick Mahomes led Kansas City into field goal territory, where proselytizing placekicker Harrison Butker, split the uprights.
God works in mysterious ways, eh?
What a difference a week makes, for NFL and the Lions
How else to explain last season’s run of Kansas City fortune at the end of so many games? Did God get into Steichen’s ear and tell him to play it safe? If so, shame on him.
More likely, God has other things to worry about and stays on the sidelines. Besides, Steichen didn’t need anyone in his ear. Or maybe he did. However he arrived at his decision to turtle, let’s hope he heard the silence on the plane ride back to Indy and will be reminded of that uncomfortable quiet the next time the game is on the line.
But whatever. That’s someone else’s regret to pick apart. There’s plenty of angst to rue here in the Motor City, starting with the secondary, and the defense, and its coordinator, and, oh, yeah, the general manager. Have we mentioned Brad Holmes?
No?
Well, now we have, and also alluded to his lack of handiwork redoubling the back end of his defense this offseason, thus fulfilling the contract signed by all sportswriters writing about the Lions these days. (It used to be the backup quarterback.)
Mostly because, well, he didn't.
That doesn’t mean Kelvin Sheppard's defense can’t find its way to relative respectability by the end of the season. As we’ve just noted in just about every paragraph bringing us to this sentence, the league is unpredictable and still too unknowable, two weeks in.
As of this moment, the Saints aren't as bad as we thought, and the Bears aren’t going to score 59 every game (though quarterback Caleb Williams looks like he will return sooner rather than later, which is good for the league and for Chicago’s – and Ben Johnson’s – record setting goals).
And the Bills, those early pulverizers of the Lions' playoff hopes?
They picked apart a great defense in Week 1 and a bad defense in Week 2, so maybe that says something, too.
Yes, the Lions defense is, so far, worse than anyone predicted. But it’s not just a matter of talent. Even their talented players were too often in the wrong spot against Buffalo, and that speaks to coaching, and trust.
“We are responsible as coaches,” Dan Campbell said. “I'm responsible. And so, it's up to us to make sure ... we put the right guys in positions to where they can be trusted to do what they do.”
Do that, and the Lions might look different in a week or two or three, too.
Contact Shawn Windsor: swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him @shawnwindsor.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Weekly NFL chaos reminds us we don't know squat about Lions
