2023-09-17 12:02:00
Sep 17, 2023, 08:02 ET
The second week of the 2023 regular season continues this Sunday with exciting games and expected debuts
Week 2 of the NFL started last Thursday with the victory of the Philadelphia Eagles, 34-28, over the Minnesota Vikings to maintain their perfect start to the season despite still not showing the level that the team showed during the 2022 season which culminated in a trip to the Super Bowl, as the Vikes became the first team to go 0-2 this year.
The activity continues this Sunday with games that promise excitement and we will also see young quarterbacks in action who are shaping up to be the main protagonists of the day.
First of all, Mac Jones is looking for revenge following his poor start to the season with the New England Patriots; Zach Wilson has the opportunity once once more to be the starter for the New York Jets following the Achilles tendon injury suffered by Aaron Rodgers; Justin Fields has many doubts to clear up following his presentation last Sunday with the Chicago Bears; and Trevor Lawrence is looking for revenge following the defeat once morest the Kansas City Chiefs – his current rival – in the last playoffs.
Young quarterbacks will have a chance to shine in Week 2. Illustration by ESPN
On the other hand, on Monday we will have a “Monday Night Football” doubleheader, starting with the visit of the New Orleans Saints to the Carolina Panthers and later the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cleveland Browns.
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These are the reasons not to miss the rest of the Week 2 games:
No, this will not be the game that shows us if Jordan Love was ready to replace Aaron Rodgers because, to reach that conclusion, there are many more situations and elements to consider that only time will tell us, but I understand the need to compare one with another, but I suggest that you better enjoy the process of the new Packers quarterback and see how he faces the challenge of carrying more responsibility if you cannot count on running back Aaron Jones due to the injury he presented before the Bears.
In turn, those from Georgia will seek to hit the table – even if they are not facing a contender – because they know the spotlight that it means to face those from Wisconsin, precisely because of the Love-Rodgers issue, and they will seek to exhibit their interesting Tyler Allgeier-Bijan Robinson backfield duo. — Luis Miguel Vasavilbaso
Josh Allen has a lot to correct following his terrible performance in the Week 1 loss once morest the Jets, the bad news for him is that he faces a Raiders defense capable of stopping him through the air and closing spaces for him to run.
Can you imagine Jimmy Garoppolo starting 2-0 with the Raiders? On Sunday we might have Las Vegas with a perfect start to the season and the Bills with an 0-2 that very few predicted. –Erick Cervantes Roon
A duel in the North of the American Conference always invites you to rub your hands, but when we talk regarding the two main contenders to stay precisely with that division, even better. If that’s not enough, then I offer you the ‘sense of urgency’ with which the two teams arrive in Week 2 and here is my reasoning.
Ravens: They left many doubts in their opening victory once morest the Texans at home, we must see how they adjust to life without running back JK Dobbins and, as well, Lamar Jackson has a lot to prove following the dispute he had with the organization to get a new contract.
Bengals: do we have to remember that they were humiliated and beaten by the Browns? Joe Burrow and company must win at any cost in front of their people to turn off the alarms that this setback meant. In addition to this, going 0-2 in the divisional record might mean too heavy a load if we reach the tiebreaker in the final stretch of the campaign. — Luis Miguel Vasavilbaso
When the Lions At the beginning of the season, when the Lions were declared favorites to win the NFC North, disbelief invaded almost all of us, following a week Detroit has taken charge of silencing those voices that we doubted its reach this year.
Last week’s victory in Kansas City was no coincidence, beyond the absences of the Chiefs, so now it will be interesting to see how the Lions handle their status as favorites from now on in the season. –Erick Cervantes Roon
The Californians lost perhaps the most exciting game of Week 1 once morest the Miami Dolphins, they made it clear that their offense is capable of scoring points at will, but their defense also exhibited deficiencies that Mike Vrabel and company will seek to exploit with a star like DeAndre Hopkins and the always dominant Derrick Henry.
It will be a very different game for the Chargers this time, but it will allow us to see how close or far they are from reacting to adversity and if Justin Herbert and company can turn the page in a few days. — Luis Miguel Vasavilbaso
After their surprising start to the season, the Buccaneers should win at home once morest the Bears who left more doubts than certainties at the start of the season.
Justin Fields has yet to prove he can be the long-term answer at quarterback for Chicago, while Tampa Bay appears to have found a competent starter in Baker Mayfield. In fact, I dare say that if injuries spare the Bucs — whose roster lacks depth — the NFC South will get interesting. –Erick Cervantes Roon
The monarchs are coming off one of the most surprising defeats of Week 1 and although this league has taught us to never take things for granted, I don’t see a scenario in which Andy Reid and his minions start the year 0-2.
It is true that they will be visiting a team that was also in the playoffs last year, which is beginning to get some spotlights with players like Trevor Lawrence, Calvin Ridley, Travis Etienne and company, but in front of them they will have a team that recovers two of the elements most dominant in the league in their respective position: Travis Kelce and Chris Jones.
Yes, it won’t be an easy game for the Chiefs either, but, at the end of the day, both teams’ record will be identical at 1-1. — Luis Miguel Vasavilbaso
First rookie quarterback matchup of the season and I don’t think draft position will be a factor in determining who I think will win at NRG Stadium.
CJ Stroud has great talent and his potential is immense, but the Texans are far from optimal to help him, while Anthony Richardson is better accompanied by the Colts and that will end up being crucial not only in the game, but in the rest of the season. season. –Erick Cervantes Roon
The two NFC West teams that triumphed in Week 1 will be face to face this Sunday at the imposing SoFi Stadium and although neither of them beat a contender to start the campaign, the reality is that it looks very likely that the Gambusinos land Sean McVay’s team in their current reality.
Yes, the game will be in Los Angeles, but San Francisco looks like a team armed to win the Super Bowl this year in both facets of the game and the Rams, who recently obtained the Vince Lombardi, are fine-tuning pieces to become contenders once more.
Although one issue that we must not lose sight of is the internal pressure that Aaron Donald can generate on Brock Purdy and see how the young quarterback reacts because we already saw Geno Smith exclaim a now famous “oh my God!” when he saw the dominant defensive tackle coming at full speed in his direction. — Luis Miguel Vasavilbaso
If the Giants had shown a little of the level they had at the end of last season it would be very easy to predict their victory, but Week 1 was a blow of reality for New York, which seemed limited especially on offense with Daniel Jones incapable to move the ball when his running lanes were closed.
Arizona didn’t do much better, but on paper they looked superior to the Giants and I wouldn’t be surprised if they took the win in the end despite playing with a quarterback who is still getting used to the system like Joshua Dobbs. –Erick Cervantes Roon
AT&T Stadium opens its doors to the two teams that began the campaign with victory in the same venue, MetLife Stadium, but did so in diametrically opposite ways and, above all, with completely different sensations.
Those of the lone star, even under the voice of some of their players, “demanded” respect from the rest of the league following the way they passed over the Giants, but now they will face a defense that supported everything the team following Aaron Rodgers’ unfortunate season-ending injury.
Yes, the Texans are favorites to win for the simple fact that they prepared the game to face Zach Wilson and not the multiple MVP of the league, but that defense scares anyone and may bring Dallas down from its cloud . — Luis Miguel Vasavilbaso
It is true that the Commanders come from winning and the Broncos from losing, that does not influence Denver being the favorite to win this week.
Editorial Selections
2 Related
Washington looked very bad in its victory over a Cardinals notably inferior in talent, they even came very close to losing, while the Broncos, despite the result, showed an improvement compared to what we saw from them in 2022. Sean Payton and Russell Wilson might form a good dumbbell, perhaps not to have immediate success, but to beat inferior teams this season. –Erick Cervantes Roon
Wow, this game intrigues me a lot. Yes, I don’t deny that Miami is the favorite — and must beat the Patriots — but I think it will take them a lot more work than many of us might think. To begin with, and I am not saying that this is a very risky prediction, I do not see the offense led by Tua Tagovailoa with the type of aerial show that they exhibited once morest the Chargers and, therefore, I predict a game with much fewer points.
New England fought once morest the Eagles and they will do the same once morest the Dolphins, they will come out with positive conclusions following this clash, but their record will not match the sensations to which their fans have become accustomed for many years. Still, it’s a game you hardly want to miss because, injuries permitting, Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle can make up one of the most entertaining offenses in the league. — Luis Miguel Vasavilbaso
“Monday Night Football”
First time this season that Bryce Young will be under the spotlight of a game in prime time, but following his college career at Alabama this type of scenario should not be a major problem.
What will be a problem for Young will be the physical defense of the Saints, which can be one of the best units in the league once morest the opposing quarterback. The problem will be even greater if New Orleans’ offense manages to get going quickly and put points on the scoreboard, forcing Young to shoot more and expose himself to punishment. –Erick Cervantes Roon
The game that closes Week 2 not long ago seemed like the ideal dish for the Steelers to “erase” the image they left in Week 1 at home once morest the 49ers, but now they actually run the potential risk of falling to the version that the Browns showed in their presentation once morest the Bengals.
Yes, San Francisco can be assumed as a much more complicated challenge than Cleveland, but it seems to me that we cannot ignore what we saw from the Ohioans once morest the boss of recent years in the North of the American League and both Myles Garrett like Za’Darius Smith can have a field day if they manage to overcome the Steelers’ offensive line, however, despite a powerful running attack, we cannot get too excited regarding Deshaun Watson because he has looked far from his best version, although he can’t find a better setting to let the rest of the league know he’s back. — Luis Miguel Vasavilbaso
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