1. If that Monday Night Football game was a “true team loss” for the Philadelphia Eagles, it was no less of a “true team win” for the Chicago Bears. Head coach Ben Johnson actually had ESPN color analyst Troy Aikman saying NFL teams would take what Case Keenum—a guy who is now on his eighth NFL team—did in that game over what they’re getting from their starting quarterbacks. Also, after a disgusting Week 1 performance, Dennis Allen’s defense has now held two straight opponents under 10 points. With
no Caleb Williams there to generate magic on offense, it seemed like everyone earned their paychecks on Monday. (Except for Sam Roush. Come on, man.)
2. For some reason, the juxtaposition between two “go-for-it” decisions in that Monday night game felt especially poetic. Not surprisingly, Aikman spent nearly a half-quarter of action dogging Johnson’s decision to go for it on 4th-and-goal with the Bears up 7-0 rather than simply taking the points. Because there’s nothing more sacred to the older generation of former players than taking field goals over the risk of potentially failing to score a touchdown. Later, with the Eagles down by 13 and facing a 4th-and-1 from their own 49-yard line, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni opted to punt and play field position with the Bears, a decision he expressed regret for after the game. One of these coaches was trying to win the game with a backup quarterback and was willing to take risks to do it. The other was more worried about not losing, or waiting for the other team to gift them an opportunity to win. The team that played to win created their own chances and won as a result. Maybe the old heads will get it eventually.
3. Not Kyle Shanahan busting out a hook-and-ladder in the first quarter to get a score against the Arizona Cardinals. So disrespectful, and yet so clean at the same time. Deebo Samuel Sr. might not have loved the way he was used all the time during his first stint by the Bay, but he’s got to admit no one works as hard to get him the ball as Shanahan does. Also…it’s not at all crazy to say the early MVP race is between Josh Allen and Brock Purdy, who currently has nine touchdowns versus just one pick and leads the league in passer rating.
4. I know it can’t erase the misery of last season’s ending, but seeing Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop hit that 56-yard game-winner in Rio this Sunday after blowing a kick to send Baltimore to the playoffs last season was a really cool bit of redemption. Football is a tough sport. It knocks you down a lot—both literally and figuratively. The ones who stick around in the game are the ones who keep getting up off the mat. Good on the kid. Just as cool: Lamar Jackson, who defended Loop after the aforementioned miss last year, looking (if possible) even more excited for his teammate hitting the kick than Loop did himself. That’s what being a real teammate and leader looks like.
5. We just can’t go a week without some controversial overturned call altering the outcome of a game, can we? This latest one went in the Denver Broncos’ favor when a Bo Nix interception late in the fourth quarter was undone by a questionable pass interference call that even rules analyst Terry McAulay hated. The most annoying part of the Broncos’ comeback win, though? We have to listen to more think pieces on how Nix, who is objectively mid, is somehow the best quarterback in a suddenly underwhelming 2024 class. As if Caleb Williams doesn’t exist.
6. The J.J. McCarthy trade to the Giants has made big headlines, especially with Jaxson Dart now lost for the season with a knee injury. But if we’re being completely real here, it’s not going to matter long-term. Dart is so much better than McCarthy that the idea of the latter usurping the starting role from the former feels ridiculous. Plus, if McCarthy couldn’t figure out how to get better with Kevin O’Connell, what makes you think Matt Nagy, the guy who made a healthy Patrick Mahomes look mortal the last few years, is magically going to help him figure it out? There’s a greater likelihood McCarthy isn’t on the Giants’ roster this time next year than that he’s their new QB1.
7. Good lord, the Green Bay Packers stink, and it’s a beautiful thing to behold. They can’t block anyone. They can’t tackle anyone. They just got smacked up and down the field by an Atlanta Falcons team that came into the game 0-2 and doesn’t have a quarterback, for all intents and purposes. I didn’t have Green Bay speed-running a trip to the bottom of the NFC North this early with a healthy Jordan Love, but I’m not going to turn up my nose at it.
8. Speaking of backups: Marcus Mariota did his thing against the defending champion Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, throwing for three scores and sealing the game with a patented run against one of the league’s best defenses. Look at Jameis Winston and Mariota still starting games 11 years after being the top two picks in the 2015 NFL Draft, respectively. Sure, it’s not for the teams that drafted them, and they haven’t been consistently starting-caliber guys for a while. But that’s what being a good locker room guy and a solid student can do for a guy. Mr. McCarthy, take notes.
9. I’ve heard of Super Bowl hangovers. But it seems like the New England Patriots might need to get their collective stomachs pumped. Because this is beyond a simple sluggish start. In particular, Boston media is already on the verge of either discarding Drake Maye, the MVP runner-up from last season who has been dreadful so far (one TD, eight turnovers), moving on from head coach Mike Vrabel, or both. All those good vibes from just a few months ago? Yeah…those went out the window as soon as those vacation photos hit.
10. This week’s question for the audience: whom do you want to see lose more on Thursday night—Aaron Rodgers or Deshaun Watson? I’m pretty clearly a bigger Watson hater in this case, but you’ll never catch me siding with Rodgers just because I’m hate-watching the other guy. Hopefully that game ends in a tie. It’s the closest we can get to them both losing.
