Around the AFC
Fountain of youth. The ayahuasca appears to be working. Aaron Rodgers opened his tenure in Pittsburgh with four touchdown passes to four receivers, none of them DK Metcalf. What a start, and against his old team, too. He only threw four TDs once in New York — the final game of last season. Tougher sledding this week against Seattle and coach Mike Macdonald.
Bengals… back?! Cincinnati had started 0-2 or 0-3 each of the past three seasons before opening with a narrow win against Cleveland on Sunday. That may bode poorly for others in the conference, considering Joe Burrow and company still finished 9-8 or better in each of those previous years. What will they do with a Week 1 win? Well, turn it into a golden opportunity for 2-0 with a home game against Jacksonville.
Not again, John. Baltimore led Buffalo by 15 points with four minutes to go Sunday night before choking away a 41-40 loss in what became an instant classic. ESPN said teams leading by that much at that point were 2,312-3 before the Ravens’ loss. It conjured thoughts of Mark Andrews’ playoff drop but also of the five other times in the past seven seasons the Ravens have blown double-digit, fourth-quarter leads. Better figure out a way past that boogeyman.
Around the NFC
Early blitz. How about the Packers? Green Bay is already 2-0 with wins over 2024 playoff teams Detroit and Washington after beating both in a five-day span. Micah Parsons is a transformational add to a defense that was already going to be pretty stout, Jordan Love is off to a good start and Josh Jacobs has touchdown runs in 11 straight games dating to last year. Green Bay looks like an early force in the NFC.
Injury bug in the Bay. Kyle Shanahan probably figured the 49ers’ injury luck couldn’t get worse than last year. Then 2025 said “hold my Anchor Steam.” QB Brock Purdy? Likely out vs. New Orleans, and maybe for multiple weeks. TE George Kittle? Injured reserve with a hammy. They’re navigating issues with WR Juwan Jennings and RB Christian McCaffrey, too. Yikes.
Johnny Mo-town blues. Detroit OC Johnny Morton, formerly Denver’s passing game coordinator, got off to a rough start Sunday. The Lions had 246 total yards and 46 rushing yards against Green Bay. Former OC Ben Johnson only had a lower yardage total once and rushing total twice in three years as the coordinator there. Oh, and Sunday’s opposing head coach? Ben Johnson.
Game of the Week
Philadelphia at Kansas City
A Week 2 Super Bowl rematch at Arrowhead. That alone is plenty of intrigue for mid-September. But there’s more. Plenty more. The Eagles are 1.5-point road favorites. Not only that, but the Chiefs have never started 0-2 in the Patrick Mahomes era, they’ve only started 1-2 once (in 2021), and their average second regular-season loss has come in their 10th game of the season. Last year, it didn’t arrive until a Week 18 game at Denver that didn’t matter and in which none of their main players saw the field. Somehow, some way they’re avoiding a two-game hole in the division.
Chiefs 29, Eagles 28
Lock of the Week
Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas
This is far from the widest line of the week at Chargers minus-3.5. Perhaps the sportsbooks think the local outfit is going to be salty this year with Pete Carroll, Geno Smith and those young offensive playmakers. But the Chargers put a powerful display together in Week 1 and should have plenty to roll past the Raiders in Week 2. Justin Herbert played one of the best games of his career against the Chiefs in Brazil and Jesse Minter’s defense is off to a good start. OK, now the sharps can show just how dumb this pick is.
Chargers 28, Raiders 20
Upset of the Week
New England at Miami
The Dolphins had one of those openers where it’s easy to imagine a lot of panicky thoughts on the plane back to South Florida. Like, “Uh, are we going to have jobs in two months” thoughts. They’re still favored by 1.5 over the Patriots this weekend, but Drake Maye and company are going to watch Week 1 and think this one’s there for the taking. Only partially related note: Is this coaching matchup of Mikes the widest gulf of personalities possible between Vrabel and McDaniel? Vrabel probably smells blood in the water. Look out.
Patriots 24, Dolphins 23
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