Just like that, we’re two weeks into the NFL season. Good lord, what a week it was. There were blowouts, comebacks, injuries, star performances, and as always, an infinite amount of talking points. As tough as it is, we’ve narrowed it all down to five takeaways, so let’s get to it.
The Miami Dolphins mount an incredible comeback
The Miami Dolphins defied logic and history on Sunday, coming back from 21 points down in the fourth quarter to knock off the Baltimore Ravens 42-38. From 2011 to 2022, teams trailing by 21 points or more leading into the fourth quarter had a record of 0-711, per ESPN Stats & Info. Well, until Sunday.
Led by a career game from Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins ripped apart the Ravens’ secondary in the second half. Tagovailoa completed 72 percent of his passes for 469 yards and 6 touchdowns. Everything just clicked in the second half. Tagovailoa was dealing, the receivers could showcase their incredible ability to create after the catch, and the offensive line gave Tagovailoa ample time to progress through his reads and find his guys. It was a comeback for the ages.
It was everything we’ve wanted to see from McDaniel’s offense, and it only took two weeks to click. Of course, we’re only two games into the season and there are no definitives yet. It likely won’t always be as good as this for the Dolphins, but the offense has the chance to be special. Regardless of what happens next, they made history on Sunday.
The Bengals’ offense can’t find its groove
From one offense that’s clicking, to another one that really can’t seem to find its footing. On paper, things looked great for the Cincinnati Bengals heading into the season. Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and the rest of the offense had another year to build their already great connection. Most importantly, the Bengals invested in their offensive line – signing Ted Karras, La’el Collins, and Alex Cappa all in free agency.
So far, the results have been poor. The Bengals are 0-2 after two incredibly disappointing offensive performances and are 23rd in offensive EPA per play, per RBSDM. Why? Well, how much time do you have?
The Bengals have one of the best-receiving trios in the league, but the playcalling, especially against the Cowboys hasn’t necessarily reflected that. It took until the third quarter for Burrow to target Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. By which point, the Bengals were trailing by two touchdowns. On top of that, Burrow is still getting sacked an abnormal amount. His pocket management has regressed from where it was in 2021, and despite the offensive line allowing him to be pressured, Burrow must shoulder some of the blame.
There’s still plenty of time to turn the ship around, and the Bengals have enough talent to do so. But it’s just not working right now.
Jimmy Garoppolo steps in for Trey Lance
The San Francisco 49ers losing Trey Lance for the season is bad news all around. Lance, unfortunately, broke his ankle against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday on a routine running play. Now, the 2021 3rd overall pick will have to wait another year to get some much-needed reps in as the 49ers starting quarterback. Considering Lance only played one game in the 2020 CFB season and has only made three starts in the NFL, losing out on another season is a real stunt to his development.
It’ll hurt the 49ers as well, but the offense is still in good hands. Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t the best athlete, doesn’t have elite arm talent, and won’t carry the team on his back – but he’s a steady hand. He knows the offense, already has chemistry with the receivers and the 49ers have been successful with Garoppolo under center – with a 31-14 record with him as the starter.
Garoppolo filled in handily against the Seahawks, completing 62 percent of his passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. It’ll only get harder for Garoppolo – he won’t be playing the Seahawks defense every week – but he, Shanahan, and the 49ers offense will be ready.
The Buffalo Bills continue to wreak havoc
It’s too early to be talking about teams being a certainty for the Super Bowl. But it’s hard not to be excited by the Buffalo Bills. They were the preseason Super Bowl favourites, and two games into the season, they look the part. They followed up the convincing win against the Rams in Week 1 by dismantling the Tennessee Titans 41-7 in Week 2. Allen completed 68 percent of his passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns, looking very much like an MVP candidate. Yes, it’s Week 2, but we know who Josh Allen is.
The Bills’ win on Monday night has reinforced every narrative created over the past year. The defense was electric, holding the Titans to 197 total yards, forcing four turnovers, and shutting the offense out for three quarters. Other than a so-so run game, something that has been the Bills’ weakness for years, it’s really hard to find a chink in the armor of this juggernaut.
The offense is third in EPA per play and the defense is second, per RBSDM. Right now, the Bills are wreaking havoc on the NFL and don’t look like they’ll slow down anytime soon.
What’s the status of Justin Herbert?
Justin Herbert is one tough son of a gun. Herbert fractured his rib cartilage after taking a hit from Michael Danna in the fourth quarter on Thursday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. He was clearly struggling to even move, but Herbert carried on, leading the Chargers on a scoring drive – making two incredible throws in the process – and almost helped the team to victory.
Instead, the Chargers lost 27-24 and dropped to 1-1 on the season. That’s not too big of an issue, but Herbert’s lingering injury will be. He looked to be in a lot of pain against the Chiefs – throwing the ball away on a 3rd and 1 despite scrambling out of the pocket and having a clear running lane to grab the 1st down. He’s considered day-to-day, but it’s evident that this will be a lingering issue.
Chase Daniel is the current back-up, a serviceable option, but he’s also started just five games in his NFL career. Losing Herbert for any amount of time wouldn’t be ideal. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Missing one game, against the Jaguars, if it comes to that, isn’t the worst prospect, but the Chargers are in the AFC West. There’s minimal room for error and they’re already a game down on the Chiefs. Resting Herbert for one week might be the answer, but it’s awfully tempting to trot him out there if he feels up to it.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: Atlanta Falcons. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.