I want to start by writing about a team that has been in the shadows for a few years, a former giant fallen upon hard times. The Las Vegas Raiders are now 2-0 following their 26-14 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, marking their best start since the 2021 season.
And leading the way is veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has now thrown three touchdown passes in each of the Raiders’ first two games. He remains a rock-solid presence on the field and, perhaps just as importantly, the perfect mentor away from it for first overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
The young quarterback and the grey-bearded veteran have already struck up a unique and amusing friendship in Las Vegas, but this is about more than that. Cousins can lay the groundwork for Mendoza’s eventual transition in much the same way Alex Smith did for Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City.
Kirk is one of the most team-first, unselfish players you will ever meet. He is a fierce competitor, but he is also a genuinely decent human being, and he is never going to close the door on helping a young quarterback. That puts the Raiders in a very good situation.
When I spoke to Kirk in the summer, I got the impression this was his job — and not just for the first month of the season. The Raiders are going to let him go wire to wire if necessary, particularly if they remain in contention. And right now, they certainly are.
What was encouraging on Sunday was that the defense played its part, producing three sacks and two interceptions. But on offense, once again, it was Cousins leading the way. The Raiders managed just 57 rushing yards on 29 attempts, so they are getting it done through the air, with Cousins spreading the ball around to Trey Tucker, Cody White, Dareke Young and Jack Bech.
This is not a stellar group of wide receivers, but stability at that hugely important quarterback position is proving vital, and the Raiders have that right now because of who is throwing the football for them.
Klint Kubiak knows exactly what he has with Kirk Cousins at the helm. And the Raiders and their fans know what will be coming in the future with Fernando Mendoza waiting in the wings.
But for now, this is Kirk Cousins’ team. And with two early-season wins, the Raiders are making people sit up and take notice.
Who’s Hot…
Kansas City Chiefs’ Offense… Even at the height of their powers, when they reached five Super Bowls in seven years, there always seemed to be questions being asked about the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense. Through the first two weeks of this season, though, there are no such concerns.Patrick Mahomes looks all the way back from the knee injury that saw him spend seven hours a day in the facility during the off-season. On Sunday night, he threw for 382 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a thrilling 33-30 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts. And it isn’t just Mahomes. Travis Kelce went over 100 yards receiving, while Kenneth Walker rushed for more than 100 yards for the second consecutive week. There is balance, there is explosiveness and, most importantly, there is Mahomes at the controls. After two weeks, the Chiefs certainly look like a team ready to put themselves right back into the Super Bowl conversation.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba… With each passing week, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is strengthening his case to be considered the very best wide receiver in the NFL. JSN was sensational in Seattle’s 31-7 demolition of the Arizona Cardinals, catching nine passes for 155 yards and three touchdowns. As explosive as he is efficient, Smith-Njigba is proving almost impossible to cover and backup quarterback Drew Lock knew exactly where to go with the football time and time again. That’s now two consecutive games in which JSN has topped 100 receiving yards and found the end zone for the defending Super Bowl champions. He is the undoubted driving force of their attack, regardless of who plays quarterback.
Josh Allen… Buffalo’s star quarterback has been unstoppable through the opening two weeks of the season. A week after leading the Bills to a 36-31 victory over the Houston Texans, Josh Allen was once again outstanding through the air and on the ground as Buffalo beat Detroit 41-31 in their venue-opener at Highmark Stadium. The Bills have now scored 77 points in their first two games, while Allen has thrown for 582 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. He has also added four rushing touchdowns. That is the kind of production that gets you into the MVP conversation, and Allen has certainly come roaring out of the gate in MVP form.
Who’s Not…
The Los Angeles Chargers… The Los Angeles Chargers are in a world of hurt after falling to a second home defeat in this young season. It's not just the fact that the Chargers have been on the losing end of the scoreboard in the first two weeks of the new campaign. It's who they've lost to. With respect to the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chargers, who won 11 games and made the playoffs a year ago, would have expected to win those contests in front of their own fans. And now things are going to get really dicey for Jim Harbaugh and his players because they look out of sorts on offense and they're not making nearly enough plays on defense. And next up, they are at Buffalo, at Seattle, home to Denver, at Kansas City, at the Los Angeles Rams, home to Houston, at Baltimore. Between now and mid-November, this team's season could be well and truly sunk.
The Atlanta Falcons… The Atlanta Falcons will hope Michael Penix Jr. can return at quarterback for Thursday night's Week 3 opener against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Because right now they look absolutely lost until they can find an answer at quarterback. Sunday's 34-3 drubbing at the hands of the Carolina Panthers consigned the Falcons to an 0-2 start. Having lost in Pittsburgh in Week 1, this team has scored just one offensive touchdown on the year. The troubles at quarterback are wasting the talents of running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London, the latter of whom got involved in an ugly argument with fans as frustrations boiled over on Sunday. The Falcons are in a real hole. They can dig themselves out of it because the NFC South is pretty weak, but right now they look in real trouble and set for a very long year.
The Fast Five…
The Denver Broncos got blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 and head coach Sean Payton demanded a response. He got it during Sunday's 20-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bo Nix and Jaylen Waddle hooked up time and again, and the pass rush looked ferocious as the Broncos evened up their record at 1-1.
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The New Orleans Saints are proving to be a really spirited and really plucky group behind the quarterback play of Tyler Shough. They overcame a 21-point deficit in Detroit before losing in overtime in Week 1 and on Sunday they trailed 14-3 against the Baltimore Ravens, but they fought and scrapped and clawed their way to a 24-17 victory. There are real signs of life in New Orleans and Shough might just be the long-term answer at QB.
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The Cincinnati Bengals are 2-0 on this young season, and they are showing balance. Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins all showed up in a big way during Sunday's 20-6 victory over the Houston Texans, but also they've had defensive showings through the first two weeks, with turnovers, sacks, and holding Houston out of the end zone on Sunday. That's encouraging for a team that was so lopsided in 2025.
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There were two significant quarterback injuries on Sunday, with Caleb Williams going down with a hamstring injury for the Chicago Bears, while Jayden Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow for the Washington Commanders — similar to the injury he sustained last season. Let’s hope both quarterbacks can return sooner rather than later, because they are two of the NFL’s most exciting young talents, and this league is simply a better place when players like them are on the field.
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Jalen Hurts seems to attract critics in Philadelphia, regardless of what the scoreboard says at the end of most Sundays. Hurts comes under the microscope of scrutiny more than seemingly most players in the league. I can understand why, to a degree, because and does blow hot and cold at times; as does the Philadelphia attack. It was another bumpy ride in a broiling Nashville on Sunday as Hurts threw two picks. But he also threw the game-winning touchdown with just nine seconds to remind us that football is about winning, not about how pretty you look each weekend.
Fact of the Week
After scoring 59 points in Week 1 and just three in Week 2, the Chicago Bears suffered the second-largest drop-off from opening weekend to Week 2 in NFL history. Not to pile on to an 0-2 team here, but the 1973 Atlanta Falcons hold that particular record. They opened that 1973 season with a 62-7 thrashing of the New Orleans Saints before being blanked 31-0 by the Los Angeles Rams a week later.
Final Thought…
There are not always enough words to comment on every game in a given NFL weekend. But I do want to end here by noting the start of the San Francisco 49ers – a team largely being written off as past their best over the summer. After opening with a dominant 27-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, the Niners did what was expected of them upon their return from Australia and easily handled the Miami Dolphins 35-13 on Sunday. Brock Purdy is not going to garner the same headlines as a Josh Allen or a Patrick Mahomes, but no one is playing better in the NFL right now. After throwing three touchdown passes in Week 1, Purdy returned to California and completed 20 of 22 passes for 287 yards, two touchdowns and no picks. The Niners have served up an early-season reminder that they would like to be considered among the true Super Bowl contenders in the NFC. And few could argue with that sentiment through two weeks of play.