Evan’s Guide to All Things NFL – Recapping Week 2

After a tumultuous week in the NFL, the Rams remained one of the most consistent and reliable teams, shutting out the Cardinals 34-0. Admittedly, that was a top-tier team against a bottom-barrell team, but there was just no stopping the Rams. Jared Goff is easily in the early-season MVP race, and you have to think Todd Gurley is too. This Rams defense is near-impenetrable, and the offense hasn’t falter...

Chalk up Patrick Mahomes’ name in that MVP race. He’s now thrown for 10 touchdowns in the first two weeks of the season, a truly elite stat. His offense is loaded with weapons in Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce. While the defense is definitely lacking in some areas, they have enough quality players to keep the elite offense off the field long enough to rest up before M...

The Jaguars may have surprised some people with their win over the Patriots on Sunday, but I think we’ve reached a point at which it’s time to stop underestimating them. A quick look at their defensive depth chart will tell you that literally no position could be upgraded by much - they have one of the best defenses the NFL has ever seen - and while Blake Bortles isn’t the most glamorous of N...

The Packers couldn’t come away with a win against the Vikings, but luckily for them, neither could the Vikings. This season’s second tie was a thriller to be sure, but one the Packers should have won, which is why you’ll find them sitting one spot higher. If not for the ludicrous roughing the passer penalty on Clay Matthews, the Pack would’ve sealed the deal and taken the win. But even tho...

I gave the Packers a slight edge over the Vikings because of that penalty that ultimately cost both teams the game. Obviously Minnesota played well, and Kirk Cousins exploded for 425 yards and four touchdowns, and looked like an elite passer as he hit Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs for two beautiful touchdowns late in the game. Look for the Vikings to continue keeping themselves out of the loss colu...

A Patriots loss doesn’t usually result in any significant drop for them in the rankings, and when they lose to the NFL’s top defense, they’re fairly safe. Obviously you’d expect a Brady-led team to find a way to win, but they didn’t have it in them on Sunday, and Bill Belichick seemed to give up near the end. As if the Patriots need better days, better days are ahead, and they’re rapidl...

Raise your hand if you expected Ryan Fitzpatrick to lead the Buccaneers to a 2-0 start, beating the Saints and defending champion Eagles. Right, I can’t see you, but I don’t need to, because I know not one person raised their hand. The Bucs seemed doomed to a winless start with Jameis Winston serving a suspension, but instead they’re one of the most powerful offenses in the NFL with “FitzMagic”...

The bad news for the Eagles is that they lost to the Buccaneers. The good news is that, contrary to everyone’s expectations, dropping one to the Bucs isn’t that bad of a loss. The even better news is that Carson Wentz will return and start for Philadelphia in Week 3 against the Colts, and all signs point to Wentz returning as his 2017 self. The Eagles are still missing important pieces, such as top r...

The final score of the Chargers-Bills game (31-20) didn’t quite tell the story of how lopsided the game was. Obviously a win over Buffalo doesn’t get a team many points in the “powerhouse” category, but the Chargers look like a powerhouse nonetheless. A 28-6 lead at halftime is impressive, and nearly all of the Bolts’ skill players looked to be at the top of their games. While the Chiefs a...

Joe Mixon’s knee injury is concerning, and the Bengals will probably struggle to find alternative offensive weapons without the league’s second-leading rusher, but Giovani Bernard has demonstrated his ability to be a fill-in at running back when he’s called upon. NFL fans should tip their hats to A.J. Green, who racked up three touchdowns in less than 18 minutes during Thursday night’s match...

Below, you'll find quick recaps of teams 11-21. 11. Broncos (2-0): With two home wins to open the season and the emergence of undrafted rookie running back Phillip Lindsay, the Broncos should feel good about their chances of staying competitive this season. 12: Falcons (1-1): The Falcons got a hard-fought win over the Panthers this weekend, but the losses of Deion Jones and Keanu Neal to injuries...

Below, you'll find quick recaps of teams 22-32. 22. Colts (1-1): The Colts looked like a reasonably good team on Sunday, but I think their win was more of a poor reflection on the Redskins’ offense than it was a validation of the Colts’ ability to win. 23. Titans (1-1): The Titans are, for the most part, a disaster right now, which is quite contrary to the expectations many people had for t...

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buccaneers (vs. Steelers) Alex Smith, Redskins (vs. Packers) Blake Bortles, Jaguars (vs. Titans) Dak Prescott, Cowboys (vs. Seahawks) Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins (vs. Raiders) ...

Matt Breida, RB, 49ers John Brown, WR, Ravens Giovani Bernard, RB, Bengals Keelan Cole, WR, Jaguars DeSean Jackson, WR, Buccaneers ...

Miami Dolphins (vs. Raiders) Green Bay Packers (vs. Redskins) New York Jets (vs. Browns) Cleveland Browns (vs. Jets) Carolina Panthers (vs. Bengals) ...