Expensive readers, we’ve performed all of the overreacting we are able to about Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. We’ve discovered the New England Patriots’ unstoppable run play, praised Sam Darnold, referred to as Kevin O’Connell a maestro, graded the rookie quarterbacks, and puzzled about Aaron Rodgers.
Now that we’ve caught our breath … let’s pre-overreact about Week 2!
Listed below are our six daring predictions for Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season.
Saints come crashing again to Earth towards Cowboys
New Orleans loved a great begin to their 2024 season, blowing out the Carolina Panthers by a closing rating of 47-10.
Issues can be a lot totally different this week towards the Dallas Cowboys.
With Dak Prescott and firm the Saints will go up towards an offense that may put factors on the board and a quarterback that may get his workforce into favorable conditions, and make the protection pay once they blitz. In accordance with Professional Soccer Reference the Browns blitzed Prescott on 25.7% of snaps final week. The consequence? Touchdowns like this one from Prescott to Brandin Cooks:
New Orleans blitzed Bryce Younger on 38.5% of snaps final week. Whereas it labored in Week 1, it won’t work for them in Week 2.
There are quite a bit of bounce-back QB performances
Should you have a look at the Week 2 schedule it’s prime for lots of men who disillusioned to make strides. Bryce Younger performs the Chargers in a sport the Panthers ought to completely lose, however final week Los Angeles allowed Gardner Minshew to finish 75 % of his passes. Daniel Jones ought to have the ability to carry out a lot better towards the Commanders secondary. Aaron Rodgers faces the Titans, a workforce he can positively decide aside.
All of those won’t occur, however after a gap week of down QB play there’s loads of motive to consider these guys will prove in Week 2.
Patriots get to 2-0
One of many extra shocking outcomes of Week 1 got here in Cincinnati, the place the New England Patriots stormed into city and upset the Bengals by a closing rating of 16-10. The recipe? A stout working sport, a powerful defensive efficiency, and a few well timed performs on particular groups.
This week the Patriots host the Seattle Seahawks, who’re coming off a one-score win over the Denver Broncos. Seattle confronted rookie Bo Nix in that sport and obtained the advantage of two large errors from the rookie passer, one in every of which got here with the Broncos already in discipline objective vary.
West Coast groups coming east have usually struggled in video games in the course of the early window, and that coupled with what the Patriots confirmed final week offers New England a giant probability at one other upset.
Deshaun Watson will get benched
It’s ludicrous to assume there’s a “should win” sport as early as Week 2, however that’s the place we’re at with Browns vs. Jaguars. Cleveland can’t enable itself to get into an 0-2 gap within the AFC North, and what we noticed from Jacksonville in Week 1 is that this workforce can rating.
If the Browns discover themselves in a gap, whereas additionally figuring out there’s an ongoing investigation into Watson, then there’s a situation the place benching him and making an attempt to spark the offense with Jameis Winston is unquestionably an possibility. It’s feeling increasingly more like this Deshaun experiment is coming to a detailed.
The Bears lastly rating an offensive landing
The Caleb Williams period in Chicago obtained off to arguably the funniest begin you can’ve imagined. The Bears received 24-17, however the Bears offense didn’t rating a single landing. Nevertheless, going again and watching the sport, Williams and the passing sport had their alternatives to attach for giant performs downfield, however drops and the rookie inaccurate ball actually slowed them down. Though they play the powerful Texans’ protection, there’s going to be alternatives to hit main performs downfield.
Williams, with one other week of preparation and extra time to construct chemistry along with his receivers, ought to play quite a bit higher in week two. The Texans’ cross rush will give them suits, but when Williams can get sufficient time, he can hit some performs downfield and the Bears will lastly get their offense on the board in 2024.
The Buccaneers and Lions give us an early sport of the yr contender
The final time we noticed Tampa Bay and Detroit face off was within the divisional spherical of the playoffs, with Detroit profitable a thriller. This yr, they face off in Week 2, and this sport has the potential to offer us fireworks. Bucs’ QB Baker Mayfield is enjoying extra assured than ever, and the Bucs are designing ideas to get the ball downfield on the edges of the protection. On the flip aspect, the Lions are nonetheless one of many favorites within the NFC, and are coming off a win as properly.
With each offenses enjoying at a particularly excessive stage, this sport has the potential to be one of the best sport of the yr. Think about telling your self a pair years in the past that Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield can be enjoying in a sport of the yr contender.
