NFL Week Two has come to a close, and there are a lot of storylines to cover as we wrap up the second weekend of football this fall. Quarterback woes, running back breakouts, and resurgent stars headline the news from NFL Week Two. Here are some (potential) overreactions to the second slate.
If you watched any NFL action this weekend, you likely saw a starting quarterback go down with an injury. Especially prevalent among young stars, the injury bug has hit full stride. Caleb Williams, Jaxson Dart, and Jayden Daniels all left games with substantial injuries, muddying the waters for teams that had a lot of positive vibes early on. Those injuries just add to the total so far this year, after week one saw starters Kyler Murray and Sam Darnold go down. There really hasn’t been a common thread among these, as causes and locations of injuries have varied. The bottom line is, these teams will have to make do with their backup quarterbacks for the time being, and as fans, we are forced to watch football that is lacking some of its most exciting players.
Walker currently leads the NFL in rushing yards through week 2. He has looked stellar in his first two games with the Chiefs, amassing 290 yards. That is 78 yards more than Derrick Henry, who sits in second place. There were questions if the oft-injured Walker would be able to keep up production following his Super Bowl LX MVP, but he has surged out of the gate. It is clear that Walker’s presence is integral to a Kansas City offense that has lacked a consistent rushing attack for years. With Patrick Mahomes perhaps being slightly less mobile coming off of an ACL tear, the Chiefs will likely continue to lean on Walker. If he keeps up his efficiency, that bodes well for his chances to win a rushing title.
The Packers weren’t expected to be Super Bowl favorites this season, but they have come out of the gate exceptionally flat. They narrowly won a game this week against the Jets, all while becoming the first team to win a game in which they totaled less than 200 yards on offense, more than 100 yards of penalties, and a negative turnover differential. While that win may show some grit on the part of the Packers, it raises questions regarding the preparation of the coaching staff and LaFleur.
LaFleur’s boogeyman has been closing out games, and he has drawn criticism for blown leads like the one we saw in week one against Minnesota. Lack of adjustments from the coaching staff has tanked the Packers in games like that. Green Bay has a wealth of talent on its roster, even without superstar Micah Parsons, and being able to capitalize on it may come down to coaching.
On Monday night in Los Angeles, the Rams ruled out Puka Nacua, shifting focus to their other experienced wideout. Adams turned back the clock, catching eight passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Matthew Stafford is known for being a quarterback who can laser-focus on a singular receiver, and who’s to blame him, considering the type of wideouts he has had during his illustrious career. Adams was the recipient of that focus against New York. Multiple times, Matthew Stafford was able to find a wide-open Adams for big yardage after Adams had lost his defender. On full display were both Adams’ body control and silky-smooth release as he was able to consistently shake Giants defensive backs.
For a few years now, the narrative around Justin Herbert has been one that points the finger at anyone except for him. That narrative, at least up until this season, has not been wrong. Herbert has been at the mercy of some of the league’s worst offensive lines; he has been through multiple head coaching changes, and he has had to deal with subpar defenses throughout his career. Through all of that, he has played like one of the best quarterbacks in the sport.
This season, though, his situation looks very advantageous. His offensive line, containing multiple first-round picks, is healthy; experienced coach Jim Harbaugh is leading the way, and the Chargers had high expectations coming into the season. Now, after two straight losses, the vibes are in a bad place. Many are starting to turn on Herbert, who has not played well in those losses. Some are raising concerns about his lack of leadership and competitive drive after observing him spacing out on the sidelines during crucial moments in the game. Herbert needs to step up his play, and perhaps his leadership, if he wants to bring the Chargers any success this season.
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