Can Bucs work Fitzmagic on the Steel Curtain? 1. Will Florida stay undefeated?
Heading into the third week of the NFL season, it’s time to begin wondering if we’re experiencing mere tremors to the league’s power structure or actual seismic shifts, as unfamiliar players make claims to greatness and once unsung teams position themselves to overtake last season’s Super Bowl entries, the Eagles and Patriots, both Week 2 losers.
Here are the eight biggest questions from Week 3:
Once upon a time, news of the Sunshine State’s top three teams being unscathed after two weeks would have engendered a yawn — the assumption, of course, being that Florida State and the Universities of Miami and Florida formed the state’s premier football trio.
But while the Seminoles, Hurricanes and Gators have all suffered losses in 2018, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off to a collective 6-0 start for the first time since 1997. All three clubs are home in Week 3 and have a reasonable shot at their first 9-0 cumulative burst. The Dolphins will host the Raiders, who draw the unenviable combo of a 1 p.m. start coupled with a cross-country flight. Upstate and riding high after spanking New England, the Jags will welcome the battered Titans.
But Monday’s matchup is the most compelling as Bucs quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick tries to cement his grip on the starting job during the final week of suspended Jameis Winston’s absence. But can he sustain “Fitzmagic” against what’s sure to be a desperate Steelers (0-1-1) squad that tends to overcome its oft self-inflicted turmoil? We’ll soon see, while finding out if Fitzpatrick makes history as the first player ever to pass for 400 yards and four TDs in three straight games.
2. How many TD passes will Patrick Mahomes throw?
Dan Marino threw a then-record 48 touchdowns in 1984, his second season. Mahomes is on pace for 80 in his sophomore campaign. (Yes, it’s entirely premature to project this kind of thing after two weeks.)
So let’s shift the September hyperbole — Sunday will be the most highly anticipated 49ers-Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium ... since Steve Young and Joe Montana squared off 24 years ago. (Sorry. Again.)
Still, the Kansas City faithful will be revved up for their prodigy’s first regularseason start at home. Mahomes and his undefeated mates will be taking aim at a San Francisco pass defence ranked 25th after being carved up by Matthew Stafford in Week 2. And if Mahomes connects for three more TDs to boost his total to 13, he’ll break Peyton Manning’s record for the most in his team’s first three games.
3. How will Carson Wentz look?
The Eagles get their franchise quarterback back for the first time since he tore two knee ligaments Dec. 10. Wentz, who only received clearance to return Monday, should get a boost playing in front of Philadelphia fans for the first time since Nov. 26. The reigning champs’ offence could certainly use a lift after generating a middling 39 points (and just one TD through the air) so far.
A matchup with the Colts initially looked inviting. But Indianapolis rolls into town with a top-10 defence and coach Frank Reich, Philly’s offensive co-ordinator in 2016 and 2017 and a man who will have deep state knowledge of Wentz’s tendencies. Still, this is a necessary step for Wentz, who is going to face even tougher defences (Minnesota, Carolina, Jacksonville) in October.
4. Who wins the Battle of Los Angeles?
The Rams host the Chargers at the L.A. Coliseum on Sunday for what could be a Super Bowl LIII preview.
The Rams, metrically, are settling in as early front-runners after winning their games by a collective 54 points (three TDs better than the next-best differential). But the Chargers (1-1) will present their first legitimate test, featuring the league’s third-ranked offence and a trio of weapons (Philip Rivers, Melvin Gordon, Keenan Allen) rivalling the Rams’ skill players.
The Bolts still won’t have their best defender, pass rusher Joey Bosa, but this matchup should still be one of the weekend’s juiciest — and an interesting barometer of how the city reacts to its newest football transplants, who will eventually be co-tenants of the Inglewood football palace, as they square off for the first time since relocating.
5. Will running backs finally run rampant?
So far, seven rushers have cracked the 100-yard barrier in a game. Only two — Todd Gurley and Saquon Barkley — were anywhere near the top of your fantasy draft. Just 10 are on track for 1,000-yard seasons, and Cincinnati’s Joe Mixon is about to fall off the pace following knee surgery.
What gives?
It doesn’t help that Le’Veon Bell is MIA or that David Johnson plays for an Arizona team that hasn’t been competitive. But this is also part of the new normal, where the passing game dominates and tailbacks are often deployed in space as frequently as they take hand-offs. Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey (20) and Washington’s Chris Thompson (19) rank second and third, respectively, league-wide in terms of receptions. Barkley hauled in 14 passes Sunday, and New Orleans’ Alvin Kamara has more than twice as many yards receiving (165) as rushing (75).
6. What will the Patriots get from Josh Gordon?
Probably not much this week, and maybe not at all. Even if Gordon gets his personal life under control and begins displaying more professional responsibility than he apparently did in Cleveland, New England’s advanced playbook is notoriously difficult to absorb. Chad Johnson didn’t master it. Phillip Dorsett basically needed a full year. And we’ve seen how quickly the Pats cycle through receivers while trying to mine proper fits.
Still, Gordon is an overpowering mismatch when he’s right — the type of player who necessitates certain play installations to immediately leverage his gifts. His presence would overtake the Bill BelichickMatt Patricia reunion as the primary subplot of Sunday night’s Patriots-Lions tilt if he’s active.
7. How many times will Russell Wilson get sacked?
The Seahawks star has been bagged a league-high 12 times and is well on his way to going down 40-plus for the sixth straight season after the Bears got him six times Monday. This Sunday, Seattle will host the Cowboys, whose nine sacks are one off Chicago’s league-leading pace.
Some of the fault lies with Wilson, whose propensity to hold onto the ball and extend plays creates occasional magic, but works against him when things aren’t going well. And he remains saddled with a subpar line — right tackle Germain Ifedi is a turnstile — and miserable run game. Dallas’ Demarcus Lawrence will surely be licking his chops.
8. Who wins de facto elimination game?
Start your season 0-2, and there’s an 88 per cent chance you miss the playoffs. The Giants and Texans are facing that stark reality, and one of them is headed to 0-3 after Sunday’s showdown in Houston.
J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus are each seeking their first sack of 2018, though a breakthrough may come against a still-suspect Giants O-line. But if Houston can’t pressure Eli Manning, then New York possesses the firepower to get off the mat against a Texans team that has fallen behind by at least 14 points in the first half the past two weeks.