Teams have now had multiple weeks of NFL action to show fans if they are true playoff contenders or looking to secure a high pick in next years draft. Let's take a look at the top things we learned from the second Sunday of NFL action.
Are the Ravens & Bengals already out of the playoff hunt? - Statistics show that since the NFL expanded to a 17-game season in 2021, there have only been 3 teams who have made the playoffs after starting 0-2, which is 5%. With the math and history against them, there is a steep uphill battle for two teams that had Super Bowl aspirations coming into 2024. Good news for the Bengals, they were one of the three previous teams. It gets a little easier for Cincy with 3 of their next 4 coming against the Commanders, Panthers & Giants. Burrow also had a much more encouraging start this week throwing for 260 yards and 2 tds. Chase still hasn't gotten going yet, and Tee Higgins hasn't played, so if the Bengals win 3 out of the next 4, the current panic will quickly fade. The team that i am more worried about is the Baltimore Ravens, who have started 0-2 for only the second time in 16 seasons under John Harbaugh. You will now start to hear much louder noise from Ravens flock to fire Harbaugh, as this is their 4th collapse since 2022 when leading by 10+ in the 4th quarter. The next three games for Baltimore don’t get any easier, going to Dallas, Vs. Bills, & @ Bengals. I firmly believe that the loser of Cincy Baltimore will be out of the playoff hunt.
Should we buy into the undefeated starts by the Steelers & Vikings? - The AFC & NFC North have been flipped upside down to start the year, with the teams that most people had finishing last, currently sitting atop in 1st place. Pitt has given up a total of 16 points in 2 games, which would almost guarantee a 2-0 start for all NFL teams. Justin Fields & the offense have done enough, and not coast the team a game, and starting 2-0 with both games being on the road is a great accomplishment regardless of the opponent. The road gets a little tougher for the Steelers, but this defense is shaping up to be the #1 unit in the entire league. The Minnesota Vikings are atop the NFC North ahead of the Lions, Bears, & Packers, just as we all thought. After a dominant week 1 win in NY, the Vikings faced a massive challenge against the 49ers yesterday, but arguably had the biggest upset win of anyone. Darnold has looked very good thus far, and clearly Brian Flores and the Vikings D was massively underrated coming into this year. Justin Jefferson is day-to-day, which is great news for Minnesota, and maybe they can keep this hot streak going.
The New Orleans Saints will win the NFC South and are now a Super Bowl Contender - Yes that headline was just to grab your attention and shock you, but no team in football has looked better through two weeks than the Saints. New Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak has taken everything he's learned from Kyle Shanahan and installed it with NOLA. Coming into this season it seemed likely that HC Dennis Allen would be fired & QB Derek Carr would be benched before Week 10. Now we have to ask ourselves, could they become the team to beat in a confusing NFC ? It is hard not to overreact but the Saints have the most total touchdowns in the NFL, most offensive yards, and have scored 40 points in back-to-back weeks, that is not accomplished by just pure luck. With Derek Carr looking like an elite QB again, Kamara back to his old top running back ways, and a veteran led defense, the Saints could truly make a deep playoff push after an extremely underwhelming 2023.
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