NFL WEEK 2: WINNERS, LOSERS
WINNERS
Seahawks-patriots rivalry: For the third time in as many games, this matchup lived up to expectations. And both teams, really, should feel good about where they are. The Seahawks gutted out the 35-30 victory on quarterback Russell Wilson's remarkable efficiency – he threw for 288 yards and five touchdowns, all to different targets – and the defense's goal-line stand. The Patriots have some obvious holes on their roster at receiver, tight end and in the secondary, but quarterback Cam Newton (30-of-44 passing, 397 yards, one touchdown, one interception and 47 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground) showed he is capable of carrying this team in even the toughest environments.
Los Angeles Chargers: Yes, they lost their game, 23-20 in overtime against the defending champion Chiefs, but the Chargers have a lot of positives to take away even in defeat. Namely, the emergence of rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, whom the team took with the No. 6 overall selection in the draft, should give fans plenty of optimism for the future. Herbert was only playing because of a pregame chest injury to Tyrod Taylor, but he excelled and should take over the job permanently, though coach Anthony Lynn said after the game that the veteran would remain the starter if healthy. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 311 yards with one touchdown and one interception while adding a rushing score.
Green Bay Packers: So much for the Pack being undervalued. In the second season under coach Matt Lafleur, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been ultraefficient and the running game has taken off with Aaron Jones. Green Bay doubled up the Lions, 42-21, and Rodgers has now completed 67.6% of his passes for 604 yards and six touchdowns in two games this year. And that's even after the Packers infamously didn't invest in a receiver corps that lacks depth. Jones is averaging 6.9 yards per carry.
LOSERS
Atlanta Falcons: Move over, 28-3. The Falcons raced off to a 20-point lead in the first quarter, held a 19-point lead at halftime and boasted a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter. They lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 40-39, in utterly demoralizing fashion. That the Falcons seemingly forgot the rules of fielding an onside kick and stood around while Dallas waited for the ball to cross 10 yards was even more head-scratching. The Falcons dropped to 0-2 and their defense, coach Dan Quinn's supposed strength, has been the issue. Atlanta is scoring 32 points a game. The issue: It's allowing 39, ranked dead last in the league.
Kirk Cousins: Perhaps it's time to worry about how Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins will look this season after Kevin Stefanski, last year's offensive coordinator, took the Cleveland Browns' head coaching job. Minnesota's offense sputtered in a 28-11 loss against the Colts, and the Vikings dropped to 0-2. Cousins completed only 11 of his 26 attempts for 113 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions, leading to a QB rating of 15.9. Under new coordinator Gary Kubiak, the rushing game has flopped. Last season, the Vikings ranked sixth in the league, averaging 133.3 yards per game. This season, Minnesota is averaging 107 yards per game, ranking 18th.
Adam Gase: This is approaching the territory where Gase, the Jets' second-year head coach, should strongly be thinking about backup plans should his time in New York get cut short. The Jets suffered an embarrassing 31-13 loss against the San Francisco 49ers, a team that lost several starters to injury, including quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, running back Raheem Mostert, defensive end Nick Bosa and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas. Gase's offense stalled and his play-calling were both unimaginative and uninspiring. For example, after the Jets were gifted great field position after an interception from Nick Mullens, New York faced a fourth-and-goal from the 7-yard line while down 21 points.