Practice reside Sunday Evening Soccer protection of the Bears vs. Texans lately
The NFL kicked off the 2024 season in brilliant model, providing a slate of action-packed contests that featured the whole lot from renewed rivalries, brandnew faces, comeback performances and 10 video games determined through a landing or much less.
Can Date 2 ship a valuable encore? The motion started Thursday night time between divisional competitors Buffalo and Miami, with the Expenses successful 31-10 — and the Dolphins questioning what’s after upcoming Tua Tagovailoa suffered every other concussion. It rolls on with 14 extra contests Sunday sooner than concluding in Philadelphia on Monday night time for Falcons–Eagles.
Listed below are six compelling NFL storylines to observe in Date 2. (In finding the time table right here.)
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1. Which 0-1 groups will rebound?
The 16 groups that misplaced closing life glance to bop again with performances that replicate development and agreement. An 0-2 hollow is useless, since the odds of constructing the playoffs upcoming the sort of get started aren’t superb. (Since 2002, kind of 90 p.c of 0-2 groups have overlooked the playoffs.)
Sunday most certainly can’t come rapid plenty for Aaron Rodgers and the Jets, who entered the season with Tremendous Bowl expectancies however seemed supremely overmatched in opposition to a real contender in San Francisco. Rodgers returned from a ruptured Achilles tendon and escaped Sunday night time’s match unscathed. However Fresh York’s offense sputtered. Rodgers finished 13 of 21 passes for 167 yards, a landing and an interception, and the Jets controlled simply 68 speeding yards. The defensive struggle used to be sorely missing as smartly.
Up after: a street match in opposition to the Tennessee Titans, who additionally misplaced in Date 1. We’ll see if that season-opening motion used to be plenty to knock off the rust for Rodgers and his nonetheless moderately brandnew offensive teammates, or if issues will pull even longer to jell. In the meantime, the Titans hope younger Will Levis can be enhanced at the ball safety problems that undid Tennessee in opposition to the Chicago Bears.
The Ravens, Packers, Bengals, Jaguars, Browns and Rams, predicted through many to create the playoffs, also are looking to rebound from Date 1 losses. (Jets at Titans, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)
2. Can Malik Willis reserve Packers afloat?
Quarterback Jordan Love closing season led the Packers on an remarkable playoff run, which incorporated scary the Cowboys and nearly beating the 49ers, upcoming parlayed that right into a immense promise extension. The sprained MCL he suffered within the latter seconds of the Packers’ loss to the Eagles in Brazil, despite the fact that, may abate Inexperienced Bay’s probabilities of leap-frogging the Detroit Lions for the NFC North.
Love is indexed as questionable for Sunday, however Date 4 is most probably the earliest he’ll go back. Lecturer Matt LaFleur will have to flip to Willis, the previous Self government College big name and 2022 Titans third-round select.
Inexperienced Bay bought Willis by the use of business Aug. 27, so he’s nonetheless running to realize a company seize of the playbook. And Willis residue uncooked as a chance, having gave the impression in most effective 11 video games sooner than this season. He went 1-2 as a starter pace throwing 3 interceptions and deny touchdowns in 2022 and tried most effective 5 passes in 3 video games closing season. LaFleur is an magnificient quarterbacks teacher, offensive architect and play games caller. However can he actually place Willis for luck this early within the quarterback’s tenure with Inexperienced Bay? LaFleur believes the solution is sure.
The Packers want Willis to govern the sport and take charge of the soccer to reserve them afloat pace Love recovers. His first take a look at comes in opposition to a scrappy Indianapolis Colts staff at Lambeau Garden. (Colts at Packers, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will face the Bengals on Sunday. (Denny Medley / USA These days)
3. Bengals-Chiefs: AFC identify preview?
The NFL schedulers refused to aid the Chiefs diversion into their identify protection quest. Nearest a heavyweight bout with the Ravens in Date 1, the Chiefs host the Bengals — every other staff constructed to problem them for AFC govern.
Patrick Mahomes is the gold same old for this era of quarterbacks, however Joe Burrow owns a 3-1 checklist in opposition to his Chiefs counterpart. He bested Mahomes in either one of their regular-season conferences (a 34-31 Date 17 shootout in 2021, and a 27-24 contest in Date 13 in 2022). They’re 1-1 within the postseason. Burrow crowned Mahomes 27-24 within the AFC Championship Sport in January 2022 and Mahomes avenged that loss with a 23-20 triumph within the after convention identify match. How will this assembly play games out?
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According to closing life’s appearing in opposition to Baltimore, Mahomes and the Chiefs seem like they only could be much more unhealthy in 2024 than all through closing season’s identify protection run. Burrow, in the meantime, is looking forward to his arsenal to go back to complete energy. Commitment disputes between the Bengals and his lead two receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, have averted him from laying a right kind underpinning for the season. With a rusty Chase (who additionally stated he used to be convalescing from meals poisoning), and Higgins sidelined through a hamstring pressure, Burrow controlled most effective 164 passing yards in a 16-10 loss to Fresh England closing life. Can the Bengals leap again this life and provides the Chiefs every other stiff problem? (Bengals at Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.)
4. Mayo-Macdonald rookie teacher chess fit
Two of essentially the most canny figures of the season: Fresh England teacher Jerod Mayo, the previous Patriots linebacker became Invoice Belichick laborer; and Seattle teacher Mike Macdonald, the previous Baltimore defensive coordinator.
The 37-year-old Macdonald used to be some of the maximum sought-after coaches this era hiring cycle, pace Patriots brass lengthy considered Mayo, 38, as their head teacher in ready. Sunday’s assembly in Foxboro between those younger coaches is most effective the 6th age in NFL historical past {that a} pair of coaches beneath generation 40 have confronted each and every alternative.
Each directed their groups to victories in Date 1. Mayo’s Patriots disenchanted a short-handed Bengals staff regardless of being in the course of a rebuild. Macdonald’s Seahawks rallied from a sluggish begin to defeat the Broncos at house. The Patriots and Seahawks are nonetheless foundation their identities, however each coaches need to play games a bodily logo of soccer pace leaning closely on their defenses for tone-setting performs. It’s a bucking of the fashion of high-scoring, offensive-centered operations, so Sunday’s match will have a little bit of a throwback really feel to it.
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How the Seahawks and Patriots are making ready for Sunday’s collision of related types
A fascinating sidebar to this assembly: the quarterback place, which additionally bears similarities. The Seahawks’ offense is led through Geno Smith, who revived his occupation upcoming six years as a additional and enters his 0.33 season as Seattle’s starter. In the meantime, Fresh England’s starter is Jacoby Brissett, who has spent the vast majority of his nine-year occupation as a additional. He needs to turn out that, like Smith, he can serve the steadying drive and playmaking skill important to steer a successful staff. (Seahawks at Patriots, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)
Baker Mayfield and the Bucs are headed within the correct course upcoming beating the Commanders in Date 1. (Nathan Ray Seebeck / USA These days)
5. Bucs-Lions NFC playoff rematch
The closing age those groups met, within the divisional around of the playoffs, the host Lions beat the Buccaneers 31-23. Now, 8 months nearest, those 1-0 groups effort to put the underpinning for repeat playoff runs.
Each squads orchestrated sturdy begins in Date 1. Baker Mayfield led the Bucs to a blowout of Washington upcoming throwing for 4 landing passes, 289 yards, deny interceptions and a 146.4 passer score. Mayfield’s effectiveness mirrored his endured relief in Tampa. In his closing 8 begins, he has averaged 278.6 yards in step with match pace recording 20 landing passes and most effective 4 interceptions. He’ll supremacy the Buccaneers in opposition to a Detroit protection anchored through Aidan Hutchinson, who has 15 sacks in 20 house video games (playoffs incorporated), and a Lions offense led through Jared Goff. Goff closing life directed an eight-play, 70-yard, game-winning force in additional time in opposition to the Rams.
We must be in for a deal with between those two gunslingers and their groups. In January’s playoff assembly, Goff handed for 287 yards, two touchdowns and deny interceptions. However Mayfield went ailing firing. He gathered 349 passing yards and 3 touchdowns and pulled his staff inside of 8 issues with a landing go to Mike Evans with 4:37 extra. However upcoming Detroit linebacker Derrick Barnes ended Tampa Bay’s comeback quest with an interception with 1:35 left at the clock. (Bucs at Lions, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)
6. Stroud vs. Williams: The after era
Sunday night time’s motion deals a deal with: A showdown between Houston’s C.J. Stroud, the most productive quarterback from closing yr’s draft magnificence, and Chicago’s Caleb Williams, the primary select of this yr’s draft. If the projections are correct, those two will ultimately breaking in because the faces of the league.
Stroud indubitably seems headed that approach upcoming a record-setting rookie season. Now he and the Texans host the Bears and aim to manufacture on closing yr’s unexpected luck, adopted through closing life’s victory over AFC South rival Indianapolis. Stroud endured to provoke in Date 1, throwing for 234 yards, two touchdowns and deny interceptions.
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Williams kicked off his occupation with a victory over the Titans — however delivered a forgettable efficiency (14-for-29 for 93 yards and deny touchdowns). Chicago’s victory got here in large part on account of powerful particular groups and defensive play games. In the second one part, Chicago scored on a opposed punt that protection Jonathan Owens returned 21 yards for a landing and a 43-yard select six through cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. At the glorious facet, Williams didn’t dedicate a submit. However the Bears be expecting extra from him, and he does as smartly. Nearest the sport, Williams vowed, “I will be better.” Excelling in opposition to a skilled Texans protection, on the other hand, may turn out difficult. (Bears at Texans, 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday.)
(Manage picture of Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Photographs)
