Two weeks are in the books. The NFL season is taking shape.
Teams are beginning to separate; enough that we can separate the 32 teams into six tiers:
The elite
Chiefs (1-1): If Patrick Mahomes is under center, the defending champs remain the team to beat. A season-opening loss without Travis Kelce and Chris Jones will go down as a blip.
49ers (2-0): Brock Purdy remains the only question mark. Thus far, the second-year starter is still doing just enough to give the Niners what they need.
Eagles (2-0): One-score wins against the Patriots and Vikings weren’t pretty, but Philly is fighting the Super Bowl hangover better than many of its predecessors.
The contenders
Cowboys (2-0): Dallas has looked phenomenal, with Micah Parsons drawing early — and unrealistic — buzz as MVP. But nearly three decades removed from their most recent NFC Championship appearance, the Cowboys still have much to prove.
Dolphins (2-0): Tua Tagovailoa is making quick throws, doing his part to ensure he remains upright. Still, it always feels as if the health of the current MVP favorite is at outsized risk on every pass attempt.
Ravens (2-0): Baltimore’s ground game didn’t suffer without J.K. Dobbins during a win in Cincinnati. The offense should only get better as it becomes more comfortable in offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s new system.
Bills (1-1): Buffalo could win the Super Bowl or finish under .500. Neither would be surprising.
Light heavyweights
Jaguars (1-1): Jacksonville failed its first test of the season in a 17-9 home loss to the Chiefs. Trevor Lawrence was sacked four times as the offense failed to reach the end zone.
Seahawks (1-1): You never know what you’ll get from Geno Smith, but the former Jets quarterback is capable of leading Seattle back to the postseason. During an overtime win in Detroit, he threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns.
Lions (1-1): I questioned how Detroit would handle their biggest win (at Kansas City) since the Middle Ages. The defense — which surrendered 37 points to Seattle — will quiet the hype.
Down, but not out
Giants (1-1): The comeback in Arizona was exhilarating, but trailing by 21 points to one of the worst teams in the league may be more telling.
Jets (1-1): The defense will cause a lot of damage. So will Zach Wilson.
Bengals (0-2): Cincy overcame a slow start last season to reach the AFC Championship for a second straight year. Joe Burrow’s calf injury is the only reason to doubt one of the league’s most talented teams.
Chargers (0-2): An offense this explosive cannot be overlooked. It’s hard to imagine the defense will do its part, though, allowing an average of 31.5 points, while suffering two losses by a total of five points.
Vikings (0-2): Self-inflicted wounds prevented Minnesota from upsetting the Eagles on the road. Playing in a division without a dominant team keeps the defending NFC North champs alive for now.
Patriots (0-2): It’s easy — and fun! — to declare New England’s season dead, but a pair of one-score losses to Super Bowl hopefuls (Eagles, Dolphins) doesn’t justify an obituary for the sport’s most accomplished coach.
So you’re telling me there’s a chance
Saints (2-0): A dominant defense is enough to win the NFC South.
Falcons (2-0): A dynamic ground game is enough to win the NFC South.
Buccaneers (2-0): Baker Mayfield’s newfound competence is enough to make Tampa a contender in the NFC South.
Commanders (2-0): Beating the Cardinals and Broncos by a total of six points isn’t reason to celebrate. The next two weeks (vs. Buffalo, at Philadelphia) will let us know how the rest of the season will unfold.
Browns (1-1): Deshaun Watson didn’t go to prison, yet he looks as rusty as Michael Vick returning from Leavenworth.
Titans (1-1): Always undervalued, always a threat.
Packers (1-1): Aaron Rodgers wasn’t the only issue last season. Thus, Jordan Love can’t be the savior this season.
Steelers (1-1): The defense will do its part. George Pickens needs to make Kenny Pickett look serviceable.
Rams (1-1): Aaron Donald, Matt Stafford, Sean McVay and a surprisingly potent run game could keep the former champs afloat until Cooper Kupp returns.
Colts (1-1): Anthony Richardson’s inexperience isn’t the problem. It’s his health. The 21-year-old quarterback has left his first two starts due to injuries.
The punching bags
Raiders (1-1): No team in the league looked worse last week than Vegas, which was exposed in every phase of the game during a 38-10 loss to the Bills.
Broncos (0-2): Sean Payton’s five-year contract pays him about $18 million per season. It was worth it.
Bears (0-2): Zach Wilson would fit in well on this roster.
Panthers (0-2): The uninspiring start by No. 1 pick Bryce Young wouldn’t be quite as concerning…
Texans (0-2): … if No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud’s ceiling didn’t look so high.
Cardinals (0-2): Caleb Williams hangs in the balance. If Arizona isn’t careful, it could win.
Today’s back page
Read more:
⚾ HEYMAN: David Stearns should give Buck Showalter one more Mets shot … Francisco Lindor backs Buck to return … Marlins 4, Mets 3
⚾ Yankees’ slim playoff hopes all but over after rough loss to Blue Jays … VACCARO: Old mantra can’t save them now
🏒 The ultimate challenge Rangers face with training camp set to open
Liberty pirouette into next round
Here’s what you need to know about the Liberty’s 90-85 overtime Game 2 win over the Mystics on Tuesday night at Barclays Center, which clinched their first-round WNBA playoff series:
The stars
Breanna Stewart: 27 points, nine rebounds
Jonquel Jones: 19 points, 14 rebounds; hit two free throws with 11.3 seconds left and the Liberty down 2 to help force overtime
Betnijah Laney: 19 points, including seven in the fourth quarter and overtime
Sabrina Ionescu: 11 points, nine rebounds, five assists
Courtney Vandersloot: eight points, 10 assists
Say what?
“I knew I talked s–t, and I know I was in Sabrina’s stuff and I know I took a few hard fouls on her. Even though I take that villain role in the game, I have a lot of respect for who Sabrina is, what she is to our league, who she is as a player. Iron sharpens iron, and that’s what I said to her.”
— Mystics point guard Natasha Cloud after saying before the game she “was gonna stay on” Sabrina Ionescu and then backing it up by being the best player on the floor with 33 points, six rebounds, nine assists and tenacious defense.
Up next
The Liberty face the winner of Wednesday night’s game between the Connecticut Sun and Minnesota Lynx in the best-of-five semifinals. Game 1 is Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN) in Brooklyn.
— Jonathan Lehman
Showdown Saturday awaits
This weekend, the NFL can’t touch the college game. Saturday’s slate will feature six matchups between ranked teams.
These are the must-see games of the season’s most important week thus far:
No. 4 Florida State (3-0) at Clemson (2-1), noon, ABC: The Seminoles are a small favorite in Death Valley (-2.5), but they haven’t beaten the Tigers since 2014 and just survived a near-upset by Boston College. Clemson has won seven of the past eight ACC titles, but its championship hopes would be killed with a second loss in September.
No. 19 Colorado (3-0) at No. 10 Oregon (3-0), 3:30 p.m., ABC: The Buffaloes are heavy underdogs (+21) without two-way star Travis Hunter. The Ducks have lost one home game since 2018. Can Deion do it again?
No. 15 Ole Miss (3-0) at No. 13 Alabama (2-1), 3:30 p.m., CBS: The Crimson Tide have been bumped from the top 10 for the first time in eight years. That season, Alabama won the national championship. This season, Lane Kiffin could knock his former boss from the polls for the first time in 250 weeks.
No. 22 UCLA (3-0) at No. 11 Utah (3-0), 3:30 p.m., Fox: The Utes have survived without Cam Rising. Now the back-to-back Pac-12 champs could see their star quarterback return from an ACL injury suffered in the Rose Bowl.
No. 14 Oregon State (3-0) at No. 21 Washington State (3-0), 7 p.m., Fox: The Cougars already upset Wisconsin at Martin Stadium, where the Beavers haven’t won since 2013. Who will win the duel between former Clemson starter DJ Uiagalelei and Washington State’s Cam Ward (330 passing yards per game, 11 total touchdowns, no interceptions)?
No. 24 Iowa (3-0) at No. 7 Penn State (3-0), 7:30 p.m., CBS: Former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara (139 passing yards per game, four touchdowns, three interceptions) has not been the answer to the Hawkeyes’ prayers. Iowa’s offense could look even uglier against a Nittany Lions defense averaging 2.5 takeaways per game.
No. 6 Ohio State (3-0) at No. 9 Notre Dame (4-0), 7:30 p.m., NBC: The Buckeyes came out on top last year, 21-10. Now the Irish have an offense to go toe-to-toe. Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman has led Notre Dame to at least 41 points in every game this season.
Running into trouble
This week, it was revealed the NFL has filed a grievance against the NFLPA, alleging the players’ union has advised running backs to fake or exaggerate injuries as a tool for leverage in contract negotiations.
In July, NFLPA president JC Tretter made the odd decision to openly discuss such a ploy.
“You need to try to create as much leverage as you possibly can,” Tretter said on the “Ross Tucker Football Podcast.” “And that’s the tough thing with the franchise tag, or being restricted in movement, is it decreases your leverage, but then you have to find creative ways to build leverage elsewhere.
“I think we’ve seen issues — now, I don’t think anybody would say they were fake injuries, but we’ve seen players who didn’t want to be where they currently are, have injuries that made them unable to practice and play, but you’re not able to get fined, and you’re not able to be punished for not reporting.
“So there are issues like that. I don’t think I’m allowed to ever recommend that, at least publicly, but I think each player needs to find a way to build up leverage to try to get a fair deal. And that’s really what all these guys are looking for, is to be compensated fairly.”
Every week, it becomes easier to understand why such schemes make sense.
After an offseason contract dispute netted two-time Pro Bowler Saquon Barkley, 26, an underwhelming one-year, $10.1 million contract, the Giants running back — who is considered week-to-week due to a sprained ankle, even if Brian Daboll slyly left room Tuesday for Barkley to play on Thursday — is almost certain to endure tougher negotiations next year.
On Monday, four-time Pro Bowler and Browns running back Nick Chubb, 27, suffered a gruesome season-ending knee injury and was seamlessly replaced by Jerome Ford, a 2022 fifth-round pick who ran for 106 yards and scored two touchdowns.
In Week 1, Baltimore’s J.K. Dobbins was lost for the season after tearing his Achilles. Without him, the Ravens ran for 178 yards in a Week 2 win in Cincinnati.
Meanwhile, Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor — who led the league in rushing in 2021 — remains on the physically unable to perform list in the midst of a contract standoff with the Colts.
It’s obvious why he won’t rush back. Unfortunately, the first two weeks of the season have only provided more evidence as to why the Colts won’t be handing over a massive guaranteed deal anytime soon.
NEWS CREDIT
