4 of the NFL’s 9 unbeaten groups meet Sunday, which will have to lend some buzz, albeit so early within the season.
Future C.J. Stroud’s Houston Texans meet the resurgent Sam Darnold’s Minnesota Vikings, Justin Herbert — questionable with a top ankle sprain as of Friday — and the Los Angeles Chargers meet the Pittsburgh Steelers, who’ve one landing thru 8 quarters.
In other places across the league, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussions land him on IR as doubts environment his profession proceed. The Saints’ offense is off to a hot get started. Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Younger has been benched in partial of veteran Andy Dalton. The Atlanta Falcons — coming off an exciting win at Philadelphia — host the Kansas Town Chiefs in Sunday’s nightcap.
What’s going to Sunday’s motion deliver? The Athletic’s NFL writers Mike Sando, Zak Keefer and Jeff Howe talk about.
We have now a couple of matchups between unbeatens in Date 3 — Texans-Vikings and Chargers-Steelers. What are you staring at for in every of those video games?
Sando: I’ll be excited by visual how Sam Darnold performs if the Vikings fall at the back of. Can he proceed to keep away from the mistakes that experience marked his profession? Within the alternative contest, I wish to see how Chargers proper take on Joe Alt fares in opposition to the Steelers’ T.J. Watt. Alt has been nice-looking dominant to this point. This shall be a amusing matchup and if Alt wins it, he’s taking to be voted All-Professional this while. He may well be anyway.
Howe: Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is off to a sizzling get started, however C.J. Stroud goes to be his biggest problem to this point. If Flores can manufacture pace difficult on Stroud, it would heartless the Vikings have actual endurance within the race for a playoff spot. The Chargers-Steelers contest shall be a brawl, and I wouldn’t be in the slightest degree stunned if neither staff ratings 20 issues. I’m very to look how Justin Herbert and Justin Gardens maintain the ones stifling defenses. Chargers tutor Jim Harbaugh has Herbert taking part in a extra conservative taste, and that may be notable in a contest like this. However with Herbert questionable with a top ankle sprain, the component of a measuring-stick contest may well be wiped away if he’s unavailable or considerably restricted. I nonetheless suppose this shall be a amusing contest from a defensive point of view, although.
Keefer: I’m with Jeff — the Texans’ offense struggled a little in the second one part Sunday night time in opposition to an finest Bears protection, and I’m questioning if Flores’ unit may give them probably the most similar issues. As for Chargers-Steelers, what number of touchdowns do we see? Not up to 4? For a Pittsburgh staff that’s 2-0 in spite of scoring one landing in 8 quarters, I will be able to’t see that components running for lengthy. The Steelers are taking to need to release one thing offensively to book profitable video games.
Panthers QB Bryce Younger has been benched 18 video games into his profession as Carolina travels to Las Vegas to stand the Raiders. What’s nearest for Younger? Would the league take pleasure in sitting extra rookie/younger QBs to begin their careers?
Sando: Future the Panthers did a needful task supporting Younger, the status serves as a reminder in opposition to having a bet weighty on outlier quarterbacks. Younger’s dimension used to be a topic entering the 2023 draft. It’s a larger factor now that groups have noticeable simply how a lot his stature has sophisticated his skill to play games nicely. The Panthers will both draft a quarterback early in 2025 or discover a veteran. I don’t see Younger within the image.
Howe: The Panthers need to do the whole thing of their energy to rebuild Younger’s self belief as a result of he obviously hasn’t been taking part in with any. That’s at the Panthers for shedding him right into a unholy status — 3 head coaches, a rarity of ability on the talent positions and a form that has failed to give protection to him. They are able to’t put Younger again at the grassland till the whole thing else is working at a better capability, even though that’s now not till 2025. I don’t suppose the league will have to trade its attention over how briefly to play games its QBs, although. Quarterbacks input the league way more in a position to begin now than ever ahead of on account of the entire camps, all-star video games and the whole thing else that incorporates the highschool and school highlight. On the other hand, if a staff can’t offer protection to its QB because of a rarity of ability, it’s higher to keep away from shattering his self belief by means of taking part in him too early and exposing him to failure. I feel that’s what you’re visual with the Patriots and Drake Maye.
Bryce Younger: “For the last year and these two games, every snap hit my hands and I didn’t do enough with it.”
h/t @SteveReedAP for the video. pic.twitter.com/l1QFOfjurl
— Joe Particular person (@josephperson) September 19, 2024
Keefer: Younger’s benching is an organizational failure, and one of the most worst we’ve noticeable on this league in once in a while. I don’t get the sense Dave Canales is able to surrender Younger — he raved about his poise and processing within the preseason — so I’d suppose the considering is: Give the younger quarterback a breather, let him reset, and notice if he can rediscover his self belief at the apply grassland the nearest few weeks and months. And sure, I’ve lengthy felt that just a make a selection few rookie quarterbacks are in a position for the pains of forming a rookie season. However groups are in remaining of a rush to play games the lengthy contest. It’s backfired ahead of, and it backfired right here.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa used to be put on injured secure this moment age in concussion protocol and will’t go back to motion ahead of Date 8. Are the playoffs a practical function for Miami if Tagovailoa’s absence stretches even longer?
Sando: Now not with out obtaining a quarterback from any other staff. Tyler Huntley’s signing from the Ravens’ practice squad isn’t taking to be plethora, personally. It’ll be amusing to look if Mike McDaniel can scheme the Dolphins out of this, a lot the best way Inexperienced Bay’s Matt LaFleur did for the Packers in opposition to Indy. I simply don’t suppose that’s believable for an extended stretch. If Tagovailoa is out for an extended presen, Miami will wish to do one thing to improve the placement and ship a message of hope to the attic room.
Howe: Refuse, the AFC has too many trait groups, and the Dolphins have too tricky of a agenda. They’re taking to wish to play games excellent protection and scheme up a run contest and fast passing assault to play games easiest complementary soccer to scouse borrow some video games alongside the best way, and I feel that’s remaining to invite. It’s now not unrealistic to suppose the Dolphins can get to 3-3 by means of the presen Tagovailoa is eligible to go back, however an extended absence may just price him video games in opposition to the Cardinals, Expenses and Rams. That’s taking to be a season-defining stretch irrespective of who’s at QB.
Keefer: I don’t see this staff making the playoffs with Tua sidelined for the nearest moment — and most likely longer. Tua can have boundaries, however he’s an finest are compatible for McDaniels’ offensive device, one constructed on velocity. Tua’s accuracy is what makes it proceed, accentuating the abilities of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. With out the QB, the Dolphins lose part of their identification, and I don’t accept as true with the protection, both, now not upcoming the best way Josh Allen and the Expenses running over them utmost moment. It is usually a lengthy couple of months in Miami.
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The Unutilized Orleans Saints and their offense are the controversy of the league as they host the Eagles in Date 3. What’s so other concerning the Saints than within the date?
Sando: They have got an excessively well-schemed dashing assault and it’s giving them a refocused identification, one thing they wanted, on reflection, upcoming the transition out of the Drew Brees/Sean Payton future. Including left take on Taliese Fuaga within the draft used to be any other notable go. It’s now not going to appear as excellent when the Saints fall at the back of, however their dashing assault and protection have given the offense, and particularly quarterback Derek Carr, a positive context.
Howe: Klint Kubiak is off to an amazing get started. The Saints had gotten stale on offense beneath Pete Carmichael, and so they have been taking a look to switch him upcoming Payton stepped away. Now with an leading edge coordinator, the Saints are clicking in some way we haven’t noticeable since Brees used to be working the display. Factor is, they’ve proven flashes in scale down spurts the date couple of years however by no means sustained it, so I’m intrigued to look if this continues.
Keefer: Early-down luck within the run contest has modified the whole thing for the Saints, opening up the playbook on then downs, which has allowed Carr to be competitive. Alvin Kamara has not-so-subtly reminded the league how unhealthy he’s, giving this offense the kind of stability that’ll scare defensive coordinators for lots of the extra of the season. To suppose: The Saints opened the season with 15 immediately scoring drives. I’ll be keen to look how defenses counter them the extra of the best way, and in the event that they to find any means of slowing them indisposed.
Kirk Cousins’ prime-time document didn’t subject a lot Monday night time, when the Falcons earned one of the most absolute best wins of Date 2 in Philadelphia. Sunday night time, they host the Chiefs, who’ve gained a couple of nail-biters to begin the season. What are your ideas in this matchup?
Sando: I feel the Chiefs will get started rapid offensively and upcoming get upcoming Cousins when Atlanta has to retirement from its run-oriented script. The Chiefs will do a greater task in protection as nicely.
Howe: Cousins’ game-winning power used to be take hold of and confirmed he can nonetheless play games at a better degree, nevertheless it additionally masked plenty of previous errors when he didn’t accept as true with his reads or just didn’t see discoverable receivers. Whether or not it’s the injury-related layoff or adjusting to a unutilized offense and group, Cousins continues to be taking part in catchup. I feel he’ll get there sooner or later, nevertheless it seems find it irresistible’s taking to require endurance. On the other hand, there used to be a pivotal level halfway during the Monday nighter when the Falcons identified they might bully the Eagles with Bijan Robinson. They’ve completely were given to look if that may paintings in opposition to the Chiefs as a result of that’s a well-coached, veteran protection that I’d be expecting to present Cousins a headache if he’s installed too many passing conditions.
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Keefer: Noteceable as Atlanta’s game-winning power used to be, the Falcons have been sloppy maximum of Monday’s contest, and Cousins admitted he had to be higher in his postgame interview. The Chiefs, in a similar fashion, eeked out a slender win over the Bengals they almost certainly shouldn’t have had. In a contest headlined by means of the offenses, I feel Kansas Town’s protection would be the residue. The Falcons nonetheless have some distance to proceed.
(Picture: Sam Hodde / Getty Photographs)
