Top 10
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)
Tom Brady continues to defy science, aging and conventional football wisdom. It would be hard to make a stronger MVP case through two weeks for anyone other than Brady (though we’ll try, keep reading!). His resume: nine touchdowns (on pace for more than 76 in 17 games) and two interceptions for the best team in the NFL. He averaged more than 10 yards per attempt last week against the Falcons (which also tells you plenty about the state of Atlanta’s defense). Brady’s first big defensive test comes this week on the road against the Rams.
2. Los Angeles Rams (2-0)
How could Rams fans not feel good about Matthew Stafford? How good does Stafford feel in Sean McVay’s offense, throwing to his new best friend Cooper Kupp? Things weren’t as easy in Indianapolis as they were in the opener against the Bears, and Stafford threw his first pick, but also two touchdowns in the win. The challenge ratchets up this week against the defending Super Bowl champs.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (1-1)
It was jarring to watch Patrick Mahomes throw that interception while getting brought to the turf. And maybe the Chiefs should keep the ball in his hands when trying to set up a game-winning field goal. But is there a franchise that feels better about its quarterback than Kansas City? Mahomes has six touchdown passes and the one pick in two games. He’s completed 76.1 percent of his passes. At times versus Cleveland and Baltimore, it looked like he could do whatever he wanted against the defense.
4. San Francisco 49ers (2-0)
Jimmy Garoppolo’s numbers are reflective of what the 49ers can be — 22-of-30 for 189 yards, one touchdown, no picks in a defensive-dominant win. That worked against the Eagles, but Trey Lance is here to take the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan’s offense to another level. We haven’t seen enough of Lance yet to know what that can mean, but we have seen plenty of Garoppolo running this offense to know what that ceiling is.
5. Buffalo Bills (1-1)
Phew. Imagine the panic and the narrative around Josh Allen if the Bills had started 0-2. A blowout win against a division rival is certainly healing. But should we be worried about Allen, regardless of the final score of that game? Yes and no. His completion percentage after two weeks is 56. That’s well below his 69 percent average last season, and much more in line with his first and second seasons, when he was among the more inaccurate starting quarterbacks in the NFL. A two-game sample isn’t enough to declare regression, and we want to believe that Allen will revert back to his 2020 form soon. Check back with us in a month to see if our confidence in Allen is waning.
6. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
Lamar Jackson the runner was outstanding in the comeback win over the Chiefs, rushing for 107 yards. Lamar Jackson the thrower had a pair of interceptions, but was pretty accurate (18-of-26) while also adding a touchdown through the air. There’s no question he’s Baltimore’s franchise QB — as with Baker Mayfield, we’re just awaiting his next contract. Sunday night’s game showed some of Jackson’s limitations, but also how he can bring his team back against the game’s best.
7. Arizona Cardinals (2-0)
How fun is Kyler Murray? Cardinals games can be a roller coaster, and Murray does have three picks this season, but he’s also completed 73.5 percent of his passes and has seven touchdown throws. He’s found the end zone more times this season (nine) than several teams and threw for 400 yards against the Vikings. While this is a crucial year for both Murray and more so head coach Kliff Kingsbury, several teams would be more than happy to have Murray as their guy.
8. Seattle Seahawks (1-1)
That whole “Russell Wilson will accept trades to these teams” narrative seems like a long time ago. He threw for 343 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Titans, an uncharacteristic fourth-quarter meltdown at home for Seattle. While Wilson could’ve done more in the final quarter and overtime, he’s still one of the game’s best — he has six touchdowns and no picks two games into the season, and a passer rating of 146.9. The future of the Wilson-Seahawks marriage, though, still isn’t set in stone.
9. Las Vegas Raiders (2-0)
Derek Carr has an edge to him through two weeks, and boy, has it been fun to watch. He leads the league with 817 passing yards, and while sometimes that stat doesn’t translate into wins, the Raiders are 2-0. He had the 61-yard, highlight-reel touchdown throw to Henry Ruggs at Heinz Field last week. After another offseason of trade rumors, maybe Carr is settling into Jon Gruden’s offense and this will finally work. We’ve still got a long way to go.
10. Cleveland Browns (1-1)
Baker Mayfield’s Next Gen passing chart is full of green dots from Week 2. He was 19-of-21 passing in Cleveland’s win over Houston, an efficient albeit not incredibly dynamic afternoon. The question with Mayfield is contract-related at this point. The Browns feel good about him, but two interceptions and only one touchdown pass two weeks into the season isn’t going to add dollar signs to a future extension. Having nine incomplete passes, though, is pretty impressive.
...and then there's the J E T S
