NFL: Five Week 2 Thoughts

 I'm thinking this will be a series this NFL season. As you know though dear readers, this is my blog that I made for fun so if writing this series becomes not fun or I can think of a more fun thing to write, I reserve the right to cancel it and go with my heart. That being said, football is so back and I have thoughts about it!


The Running Game is Back

Through 2 weeks this season the NFL as a whole is averaging 193.6 passing yards per game and 124.9 yards per game on the ground. The NFL is on pace currently for its lowest passing yards per game output since 1992 and its highest rushing yards per game output since 1985. Personally as a Steelers fan I've always appreciated a hard nose football game and it seems like across the league that's what we're getting. I believe that the shift teams have made towards QBs who can run has a lot to do with the rise in rushing production. Offenses with a rushing QB have become more creative running option plays where the QB can either hand it off, pass, or run himself. The NFL has also shifted to more trick plays involving wide receivers in the running game better utilizing teams' speedy weapons. Time will tell if this trend holds but through 2 weeks, controlling the clock and the ball on the ground has been the dominant strategy.


KC Finds a Way to Win

Even when Mahomes plays poorly with multiple turnovers. Even when the opposing QB Joe Burrow plays great and takes care of the ball, KC finds a way to win. It brings me much joy as a Steelers fan to see both the Bengals and Ravens at 0-2 but I have to give the Bengals a pass on this one. They played their hearts out and just barely lost to the overwhelming Superbowl favorite. The Chiefs seem to have a voodoo power of finding a way to win. Their defense looks every bit as good as it was last year. Having a unit on the defensive side of the ball that can keep games close is a great recipe for winning with Pat Mahomes. I haven't felt as sure of a player winning a close game down the stretch as I have with Pat Mahomes since Tom Brady. No team has ever won 3 Superbowls in a row, could KC be the first?


The Bills are Better Than We Thought

I've said before on this blog that I am a closet Bills fan, and that hasn't changed. I really feel for Dolphins fans having to go from Brady dominating the division to Josh Allen without even so much as a break in between. With the win on Thursday night, Josh Allen is now 11-2 against the Dolphins, he absolutely has their number. The Bills defense so far has looked like a great unit. Similar to KC, the Bills defense should keep them around in games long enough for Josh Allen to take over late. Tua injury aside, the Bills dominated that game from start to finish. The loss of weapons on offense has been largely overblown, as these things usually are. A talent like Josh Allen is good enough to overcome shaky receivers and he proved it once again to get to 2-0.


The Vikings!?

Ah the 2-0 Vikings, just like we all predicted. Through 2 weeks Sam Darnold has more passing yards than Patrick Mahomes. Last week he did it against the cream of the crop of the NFL, the 49ers. A lot of this game comes down to luck and it is yet to be seen if they can keep this up, but the Vikings have looked pretty solid so far. Justin Jefferson remains awesome. He had a 97 yard touchdown that was sure to turn heads and continues to make any QB's life easier. Despite what was deemed to be a shaky QB situation, the Vikings are hanging in there and now sit at 2-0. Who doesn't love a good underdog story?


Passer Ratings

If you gave me 100 guesses to come up with the top 5 passer ratings in the league through 2 weeks, I don't think I'd come up with this list even once: 

1. Derek Carr - 142.4

2. Baker Mayfield - 129.1

3. Josh Allen - 124.2

4. Kyler Murray - 122.9

5. Sam Darnold - 111.7

Not a perfect stat obviously, but as of today these are your best 5 QBs in the league so far. Wacky start to the season, as my first thought says, it's been the most run heavy the NFL has looked in over 30 years, I am sure the stats will normalize. On this blog though, we celebrate strange stats by unexpected players! Go Sam Darnold!


That's all folks, 2 weeks down I can't believe how fast the NFL season goes!

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