Agony, joy, denial…at the end of week two, NFL fans have been left all over the emotional spectrum. This article will look at five teams who left this weekend with a goose egg in the win column. This may put some fans’ nerves at ease. For others, it may validate their worst fears.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Don’t panic
The AFC South was the tightest division in football last season, and you should expect no different this season. Considering this, the Jags falling behind to 0-2 to start the year is less than ideal. But looking throughout the division, the Indianapolis Colts (who finished at an equal 9-8 record last year) and Tennessee Titans have both started the season 0-2. While the Texans are undefeated, they certainly do not look unstoppable, grabbing narrow wins against the Colts and the Chicago Bears. The Jaguars 2024 first round draft pick Brian Thomas Jr. seems to be panning out nicely for the Jaguars as a potential contributor to the offense. In back-to-back weeks, the wide receiver has made big plays for the Jaguars offense, including a 66-yard reception in Sunday’s loss to the Browns. While only getting eight targets through two weeks, expect the Jaguars to begin to take more advantage of Thomas’s playmaking ability in the coming weeks.
New York Giants – Panic
After last week’s loss against the Vikings, many Giants fans were already giving up and sinking into their couches, never to rise again. This week served as the stamp of approval. Not a single Washington Commander managed to cross the threshold of the endzone, yet the Giants still found themselves on the losing end of a 21-18 final score. In the game’s opening kickoff, kicker Graham Gano pulled his hamstring, leaving the Giants without a kicker for the remainder of the contest. The Giants scored three touchdowns and, without their kicker, were unable to convert their first point after-attempt. They went on to fail on both of their two-point conversion attempts in the game. Despite a solid performance from the rookie wide receiver, Malik Nabers dropped a wide-open target on fourth down late in the fourth quarter, securing the win for the Commanders. In the Daniel Jones era, the Giants boasted a 7-2-1 record over Washington prior to this matchup. With the Giants failing to take down their weakest division rival, it is hard to imagine them scraping their way to a winning record this season.
Cincinatti Bengals – Don’t panic
Cincinnati dropped a heartbreaker to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Faced with a fourth down and long situation in the final moments of the fourth quarter, a pass interference penalty called on Daijahn Anthony allowed Patrick Mahomes to complete a game-winning drive ending in a Harrison Butker field goal. Cincinatti began the season losing to a Patriots team that seems to have regained its pulse under the leadership of Jerod Mayo. So, the Bengals find themselves sitting at 0-2. Luckily for them, everybody in the competitive AFC North is struggling right now. The Baltimore Ravens have come up short in two close games, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to surpass 20 points in a game. Cincinatti is still adjusting to their running back swap this offseason, plugging in Zack Moss for Joe Mixon. Not to mention their consensus top five quarterback Joe Burrow is just returning from his season ending injury from last year. The distractions from Ja’Marr Chase have also played no small part in the Bengals early woes. In the coming weeks, the Bengals will face off against the Commanders and the Carolina Panthers (the 31st and 32nd place teams last season) prior to facing the Ravens on Sunday, Oct. 6. This will give Head Coach Zac Taylor and his unit plenty of time to work out the kinks prior to the divisional matchup.
Baltimore Ravens – Panic
Staying in the AFC North, the Ravens are in trouble. Sunday’s game against the Raiders marked another loss this season that came down to the final minute. Since 2018, the Ravens have lost two wild card games, two divisional rounds and of course, their most recent failure, a blowout loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship last season. The Ravens opened the season against the Chiefs this year, hoping to exact their revenge. The Ravens failed to convert a potentially game-winning drive, as Isaiah Likely’s big toe could not stay in bounds as the clock hit zero in the fourth quarter. Will the Ravens turn it around from 0-2 and make the playoffs? Absolutely, but that isn’t the problem. In fact, I believe the Ravens are still poised to finish as one of the best teams in the AFC. However, no matter how small the error, this team continues to prove that they cannot rise to the occasion of the big moments. As a team with Superbowl aspirations, this is a major cause for concern.