Two weeks in to the 2024 NFL season and it’s already time to throw out the preseason prognostications… except for the Chiefs being really good.
Kansas City survived another close game against one of their main AFC rivals in the feature clash of the weekend, but there was no shortage of drama and upsets across the board with just five favourites covering the spread.
One who did take care of business was Houston, who did just enough against Chicago with Caleb Williams repeatedly throwing them the ball.
With all 16 games completed it’s time to look back on the weekend with our top five takeaways.
1 – No Preseason Work Leads to a Scrappy Start
The analytics are here to stay in the NFL and it’s not all for the betterment of the game.
Through two weeks it has been a pretty mediocre start to the season, with some bang average play across the board.
Some of it comes down to defensive coordinators playing it fairly conservatively and trying to keep the big plays down, but a lot of it can be attributed to the fact the players are not ready to go in Week 1.
Passing touchdowns have dropped off significantly across the board and the slack is not being picked up by running backs either.
Take a look at how many players are heading to the sideline needing a breather after just a couple of plays this season and the sloppy execution in the passing game.
It all comes back to the incredibly lax preseason the players go through now and it is clear that they are not ready to play in Week 1.
2 – Tua’s Decision Should be Made by Someone Else
Week 2 began on a pretty sour note with Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffering another concussion on an ugly hit.
It is another one to add to the list after his head injuries were a major storyline during the 2022 season and it looks like that trend will return in 2024.
We know the game is a violent sport and injuries are inevitable, the players accept a certain level of risk when they take to the field but in certain extreme situations, someone needs to say enough is enough.
However when you are dealing with highly competitive individuals who would take that suggestion as a slight on their playing ability.
It seems like Tua is looking to get back on the field as soon as possible based on this report from NFL Gameday.
Still in his 20’s, Tua is well within his rights to want to continue his career, especially when you consider how much money he would be walking away from (somewhere in the range of US$170m apparently) if he opts to end his career voluntarily.
However this is not so much an issue for him in the next few weeks, but moreso in 20-30 years when the impacts of these concussions will be felt more.
Which is the main reason why this decision should be made by medical professionals rather than the guy who stands to potentially lose everything he has been working for since he was a kid.
If that clearance does come, then Tua can decide if he wants to continue, but perhaps speaking with other players who have been in his position would help formulate a clear plan.
3 – Maybe New Orleans is Better than Expected
Destroying a horrific Carolina team in the Superdome is one thing, but going to Dallas and absolutely tearing them to shreds is a whole other thing.
A fortnight ago, there were some people expecting the Saints to be competing for a top-five pick in the draft, but they have been the biggest (good) surprise of the season so far.
Alvin Kamara turned back the clock to when he was the best back in the league and scored an insane four touchdowns on the afternoon in the 44-19 victory.
For those of you keeping track at home, that puts the Saints at 2-0 with a net score of 91-29, a phenomenal tally no matter how you try to paint it.
While projecting anything from this point is fraught with danger, history suggests the Saints are on a very good path to start the season.
Playing in a wide open division that is just waiting for a good team to take control of it means the Saints are on track to play a home playoff game for the first time since Drew Brees retired in 2020.
But they are off to a much better start than expected and we’ll get a good gauge on where they are truly at next week at home against Philadelphia.
4 – 49ers Facing an Injury Crisis
On paper, San Francisco had one of if not the most talented roster in the league to start the season, but on the field they are starting to look like a depleted lineup.
The big story out of the Bay Area is the calf injury that has sent Christian McCaffrey to IR.
Last season’s offensive player of the year will be out until mid-October and the 49ers initially looked like they were going to be able to ride out the injury with backup Jordan Mason.
On its own, San Francisco might have been ok with Kyle Shanahan’s system friendly to any running back, but with Brandon Aiyuk out of shape after his offseason contract dispute and the offensive line finding their rhythm, it might have been a bit touch and go.
Then came the next big blow in the form of Deebo Samuel’s calf.
It is early enough in the season where these things can be overcome if it means they hit the ground running when they are healthy, but when it leads to surprise defeats in Minnesota and San Francisco misses out on home field advantage by one game, it could lead to more postseason frustration for Kyle Shanahan and company.
5 – That’s What Kyler Murray is Capable Of
There was a reason Arizona opted to draft Kyler Murray first overall in 2019 and build their franchise around him.
There was also a reason why Arizona decided to hand him a big money extension in 2022 despite plenty of questions over his true ceiling, his work ethic and even his size.
We might not have seen those reasons as often as we might have liked throughout his career but in Week 2 Murray came to play.
It was supposed to be a close game between the two 0-1 sides and Arizona just destroyed their division rivals thanks also to a couple of touchdowns to rookie receiver Marvin Harrison.
But the story of the day was without a doubt Murray who went 17/21 for 266 yards and three touchdowns, while adding another 59 yards on five rushes.
If he can keep this level of play up there is no reason why he can’t carry the Cardinals into at least a Wild Card spot in the open NFC.