The Big Jab

None of us know anything about the NFL, and that showed yet again this week. After an insane Week 2, here are my top 10 teams entering Week 3.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0)
In a week where it seems no one can get the job done, there’s one constant, and that’s Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs winning another close game. In a game where Mahomes didn’t have close to his best stuff and Bengals QB Joe Burrow seemed to find his groove after a bad Week 1, it was once again KC coming out victorious due to the run game and timely defensive plays. Something to watch however will be that run game moving forward, as star RB Isiah Pacheco will miss several weeks with a broken leg. Can the Chiefs maintain their potent rushing attack without Pacheco? I’m not so sure about that one. KC travels to Atlanta for a Sunday night game this week.

2. Houston Texans (2-0)
If you go back and look at my top 10 teams entering Week 2, you’ll notice that 6 of the 10 lost this past week, vaulting Houston up to the 2nd spot this week. CJ Stroud was awesome yet again, and the defense forced two turnovers. The lack of efficiency in the opposing half of the field was a bit eye-opening, resulting in 4 field goals and just 1 touchdown. While that didn’t matter against a mediocre Bears team on Sunday, it will matter going forward against better teams. Houston looks legit, but it’s still early and they’ve yet to be tested. That may come this week when they face the surprise 2-0 Vikings. 

3. Buffalo Bills (2-0)
The supposed narrative that the media (and myself) ran with about Buffalo heading into the 2024 season couldn’t be more wrong through two weeks. While Miami looked terrible, Buffalo looked awesome. Led by a three-touchdown performance from James Cook, Buffalo with a run game is a very scary sight. I questioned how sustainable Buffalo’s Week 1 win was with Josh Allen doing literally everything to squeeze out a win, but in Week 2 it was Josh Allen doing almost nothing (because he didn’t have to) in a 31-10 win. Buffalo hosts the struggling Jaguars on Monday night.

4. San Francisco 49ers (1-1)
In a week full of surprising losses, the 49ers gave us one of the most unexpected results of the weekend. In a game where it felt like the 49ers could never get going, Brock Purdy turned the ball over twice including a Jalen Hurts-like fumble for no reason, the 49ers had one of their most disappointing games in the Brock Purdy era. Deebo Samuel now joins Christian McCaffrey on the sideline due to injury for the next couple of weeks, and the secondary looked suspect after getting torn apart by Sam Darnold & co. The 49ers can get right in a divisional matchup with the 0-2 Rams on Sunday. 

5. Detroit Lions (1-1)
Similarly to the 49ers, I think there are some serious questions to be answered about this Lions squad. The offense is seemingly more robotic than it was last season, and you wonder if they can be as explosive as they were at times last season. That was certainly missing on Sunday in a 20-16 loss to Tampa Bay. Jared Goff is due for a clunker or two throughout the season, and the Lions are hoping that’s over and done with after a very pedestrian performance from Goff on Sunday. I still very much believe in this Lions team, but it hasn’t looked as smooth as I thought it would so far. Detroit faces Arizona in the desert on Sunday. 

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)
This is my third year writing this article weekly during the NFL season, and I don’t think the Bucs have ever been this high, including the final year with Tom Brady. It’s well deserved, however, as Baker Mayfield has been one of the best signal-callers in the league through two weeks. The run game has left a lot to be desired through two weeks, and you wonder if/when Bucky Irving will take over the starting role from Rachaad White. The defense was awesome on Sunday, limiting a high-flying Lions offense to just 16 points. Tampa has a real shot to improve to 3-0 when Denver comes to town on Sunday. 

7. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)
The problems that arose last season with Philadelphia still very much exist, starting and ending with the coaching staff. Coming off a brutal Monday night loss where questionable play-calling occurred in the 4th quarter and Saquon dropped a crucial pass, things don’t feel as good as they did this time last week for the Eagles. The offense feels like they leave a lot on the field, and the defense is almost as bad as it was last season. The pass rush is nonexistent (hello Bryce Huff?) and there are some serious questions about several players on that side of the ball. Philly travels to New Orleans next week for what has turned into what feels like a must-win game for the Eagles.

8. Baltimore Ravens (0-2)
There certainly isn’t a more disappointing team so far this season than the Baltimore Ravens. After losing to Kansas City by mere inches, the Ravens seemed primed to bounce back against the lowly Ravens, only to blow a 10-point lead with 12 minutes to go. The offense has not lived up to the offseason hype after the signing of Derrick Henry, and Lamar certainly was not at his best on Sunday. The Ravens have a brutal three-game stretch coming up on the schedule, meaning a 0-5 or 1-4 start is now on the table. That stretch starts with a trip to Dallas on Sunday.

9. New York Jets (1-1)
After a season-opening loss to the 49ers, the Jets got back on track with a win in a very strange game in Tennessee on Sunday. Aaron Rodgers is still knocking the rust off and the defense has some question marks that we didn’t think they would have, but the Jets have a real QB for the first time since Chad Pennington and look like a real football team. This should be one of those teams that gets better as the season progresses, but signing Haason Reddick is now a must after a brutal injury to Jermaine Johnson. New York hosts the surprisingly competent Patriots on Thursday. 

10. Minnesota Vikings (2-0)
The surprise team thus far throughout the entire NFL, Minnesota looks like a true playoff contender through two weeks. Sam Darnold has found new life after a year in QB rehab with Kyle Shanahan, and Kevin O’Connell has found a way for the former 3rd overall pick to thrive. The defense has been elite too, allowing just 17 points to San Francisco on Sunday and 23 points on the season through two weeks. If Darnold can keep up this high level of play, Minnesota could be one of these teams that we were all wrong about heading into the season. The Vikings host Houston this week in what sets up to be another test for the surprise Vikings.