Post-Week 2 Notebook
The Injuries are Piling Up
One of the biggest points I made going into the season was the amount of ligament and soft tissue injuries there would be early on in the season. Due to the lack of practices prior to the season, there would be an immediate adjustment period. The players had practically no wear and tear on their bodies. They hadn't taken hits and the lack of preseason games will have an impact. Unfortunately, we've seen some of our biggest stars go down. From Nick Bosa and Jimmy Garoppolo to Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey, week two was really bad. The 49ers have been hit the worst. Adding on to their pre-existing injuries, they can't catch a break. Jimmy Garoppolo will be out for a few weeks and Nick Bosa is done for the season. They're going to be without their starting QB and RB for a few weeks, so guys like Jerick McKinnon and Nick Mullens are going to have to step up. For the Giants, they may be looking for Devonta Freeman or Derrius Guice to replace Saquon Barkley. Other players such as Drew Lock, Courtland Sutton, and Tavon Young will also be done for a while. I'm praying for all of these players, I know I'm forgetting some, but I'm really hoping the best for these guys.
Herbert and Burrow look Legit
I'm hoping Tyrod Taylor is okay, but Justin Herbert balled out. He went toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes all game and balled out. He had some rookie mistakes including one really bad interception, but that's normal. I love how he wasn't afraid to air the ball out. He had this one beautiful touch throw to Keenan Allen in the second half which got me really amped up. Herbert looked like a stallion and deserves to another start after the way he performed in week 2. Joe Burrow took a tough loss on Thursday Night Football, but he played his butt off. His offensive line played like garbage and so did the Bengals defense. I loved the confidence each of these quarterbacks showed and they both have a bright future in this league.
Dak Attack!
The Cowboys game was one of the most fun games I've seen in a while. What an amazing comeback by Dak Precott. One thing I've noticed from watching Prescott was that he didn't use his legs enough. Prescott is a very good runner and the Cowboys finally unleashed him. I hate how Mike McCarthy was calling the game early on. The two fake punts were atrocious and I still have 0 confidence in McCarthy. I've never seen Dak Prescott throw the ball deep as consistently as he did Sunday. Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb all had amazing plays down the field and if the Cowboys want to make a super bowl run they need to continue to throw the ball deep. Dak Prescott played arguably the best game of his career and looked amazing on Sunday.
MVP Front Runners: Mahomes, Jackson, Wilson, and Murray
It's still very early, but these four players have separated themselves from the pack. Patrick Mahomes looks amazing. He was awesome week one against the Texans and helped the Chiefs orchestrate an amazing comeback. Mahomes' cannon was on full display in SoFi Stadium and what he did Sunday was a thing of beauty. From the 3rd and 20 conversion with his legs to the 54 yard touchdown to Tyreek Hill, Mahomes is still Mahomes. Lamar Jackson was also phenomenal against the Texans. He took more hits then I've ever seen him take, but he was still dominant in the passing game. Jackson may not have the rushing stats that he had a season ago, but what he's doing is still at an MVP level. Kyler Murray is my darkhorse for the MVP. He's doing things similar to what Lamar Jackson did last year. He's just so damn fast and he's like a squirrel, he's difficult to catch. He's been getting his receivers involved and the Washington FT just had no chance in that game. Kyler Murray is balling right now. Speaking of balling out, Russell Wilson has absolute taken over on Sunday Night Football. He's thrown five touchdown passes and Brian Schottenheimer is letting Russ cook. The Seahawks are on top right now.
Minshew Mania Is Thriving
I thought he was going to be a one season wonder, and I was wrong. Even though the Jaguars didn't beat the Titans, Gardnew Minshew looked amazing. He brought the Jaguars back and if it wasn't for a tipped pass, the Jaguars might have won this game. In back to back weeks, Gardner Minshew has proved me wrong and I'm starting to buy the hype. He reminds me of a young Ryan Fitzpatrick who doesn't throw as many interceptions. The way he maneuvers the pocket is just phenomenal. Minshew has some real magic in him and he continues to prove me wrong.
Packers and Raiders Giving Off Similar Vibes
The Packers and Raiders are both starting the season off 2-0 and have come off with some major wins. For the Packers, Aaron Rodgers is playing like he's in the prime of his career. He's been able to make Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling look like rock stars. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the 49ers game in the playoffs last year. I still feel like they're pretenders. It's not very professional to talk about gut feelings, but I'm just getting pretender vibes as a gut feeling. For the Raiders, they looked awesome on Monday Night. It was good to see my guy Johnathan Abram flying around the field and Maxx Crosby getting to the quarterback. Josh Jacobs looks like a top 5 running back and Darren Waller is still the most underrated tight end in the NFL. I just don't think Derek Carr is legit. While he's great at checking the ball down to a running back in the flat or a receiver running drag route, he doesn't seem confident. He still either misses receivers downfield or just doesn't see them. This Raiders team will only go as far as Derek Carr will take them, and I don't think that's very far.
