The second week of the NFL season concluded last night after the Detroit Lions game against the New York Giants.
There are plenty of storylines to be following, but here are my four biggest observations.
1) The New England Patriots will be just fine.
The Patriots got smoked week one against the Kansas City Chiefs, and it didn’t take long for some to start speculating they could be in some serious trouble. Tom Brady and company put an end to that ridiculious speculation against the New Orleans Saints. Gronkowski got hurt in the second half, but assuming he’s fine, I think the Patriots proved they’ll be just fine this season.
2) The Detroit Lions might be the real deal.
Detroit is now 2-0, with a win at home against the Arizona Cardinals and a road to victory on Monday Night Football against the New York Giants. Stafford has certainly looked worth every penny through two games. Has thrown six touchdowns and more than 400 yards in his two games. The defense also looked outstanding, and applied intense pressure to both quarterbacks they’ve faced so far. Is it too early to say the Lions look like contenders? I don’t know, but it’s certainly an exciting time to be a Lions fan.
3) The Green Bay Packers have some serious problems.
Good football teams don’t get dominated the way the Packers did against the Atlanta Falcons. It’s unacceptable and just can’t happen. Maybe it’s just one game, but maybe it’s a sign of bigger problems. The Packers defense looked awful and the offense wasn’t consistent enough to make anybody comfortably believe it’d put points on the board.
4) Ezekiel Elliott hasn’t been impressive.
Elliott’s entire offseason was nothing but one massive distraction, and now it’s showing on the field. He had eight yards on nine carries Sunday against the Denver Broncos. That’s a pathetic stat line. Maybe the domestic violence allegations and impending suspension have finally taken a toll on the former Ohio State Buckeyes star. He needs to figure it out.