NFL Week 2: Injury Nightmare

If you ain’t first, you’re last! We think it’s safe to say it’s still anybody’s season.

However, those teams sitting at 0-2 may want to pick up the intensity a little bit. Keep in mind only 9% of teams that start the season 0-2 have made the playoffs over the past 3 seasons.

🏈 Featured Game of the Week

New York Jets 27 - 20 Tennessee Titans

I know what you’re thinking. The 0-1 Jets versus the 0-1 Titans is the Game of the Week?

It’s a valid question. There were some juicier Week 2 matchups we could’ve picked.

However, the Shootaround team had boots on the ground in Nashville this weekend. Half of our team was down there giving Titans fans hell after the 27 - 20 win this weekend.

It wasn’t always pretty for the Jets as they got off to a slow start in this one, but with the help of standout rookie running back Braelon Allen (2 TDs), Rodgers and company managed to pull through and secure the win.

The first 2 weeks have been a struggle for Titans QB Will Levis, but the rest of the team has performed well. Levis has been plagued by costly mistakes. In the second quarter, facing third-and-goal from the 6-yard line, Levis attempted to lateral the ball while under duress, leading to a fumble recovery for the Jets.

It's the second consecutive week that a Levis turnover has cost the Titans a chance to win. The Titans are just a few plays away from being 2-0, and we think this team is better than most people expect them to be this season.

They have a stout defense with big names like Jeffrey Simmons at DT and L’Jarius Sneed at CB.

And Calvin Ridley was torching the Jets secondary - Sauce Gardner had arguably his worst performance ever after giving up 97 yards and a TD on 5 receptions. Jets fans are lucky Levis missed him on what would have been a 50-yard connection in the third quarter, which led to that blocked punt on the very next play and a Jets FG.

🏈 Look Ahead to Next Week

Los Angeles Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers (Sun 1:00pm ET)

The Chargers are off to a sneaky 2-0 start. First year Chargers head coach and former Michigan (NCAA Champion) head coach Jim Harbaugh has stirred a lot of optimism for the Chargers. His arrival in LA came at a critical juncture, as several key players departed (Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler).

The Chargers find themselves with a winnable matchup against the Steelers this weekend, and a chance to be 3-0 in the dangerous AFC West.

The Steelers also find themselves 2-0, as they are back to their old ways of manufacturing and grinding out wins under head coach Mike Tomlin. Justin Fields has taken care of the football in the absence of presumed starter, Russell Wilson.

The Steelers are currently 2 point favorites.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Buffalo Bills (MNF 7:30pm ET)

The NFL will be hosting two games on Monday Night this week - this one and Washington @ Cincinnati. We think everyone can agree that Jacksonville @ Buffalo should be the better of the two.

The Jaguars are surprisingly 3-1 against the Bills going back to the 2017-2018 season. They’ll be fighting for their lives after an 0-2 start.

On the other hand, the Bills are rolling. After that shaky start to the Cardinals in Week 1, they’re 2-0 and are once again Super Bowl hopefuls. Expect a lot of offense in this one.

The Bills are currently 5.5 point favorites.

Waiver Wire Watch

Week 2 was filled with injuries. Some of the top running backs and wide receivers are set to miss time due to injury (Justin Jefferson, AJ Brown, Cooper Kupp, Isiah Pacheco, Joe Mixon).

Below are some names to think about if one of your key players went down:

• KC Chiefs RB Carson Steele - with starting RB Isiah Pacheco on IR, Steele is expected to be the short yardage and goal line back on one of the best offenses in the NFL. Steele should have a lot of opportunities in Week 3. Reports are also saying Kareem Hunt will be visiting the Chiefs today, and it might be worth keeping an eye out for any news on that front.

• TB Bucs RB Bucky Irving - Bucky has outperformed starting RB Rachaad White in both games this season despite playing less than half the amount of snaps. If he keeps it up (5.2 YPC), Irving could be the starting RB real soon!

• LA Chargers WR Quentin Johnson - 5 recs, 51 yards, 2 TDs - So much for not being able to catch! Johnson looks to be the WR1 on the Chargers and is the clear red zone target for this team.

• NE Patriots TE Hunter Henry - 8 recs, 109 yards, 12 targets - Henry was the go-to target this week with 109 of the team’s 149 passing yards. If Henry can get 10+ targets each week, he should be able to finish as one of the top TEs in fantasy.

• NO Saints QB Derek Carr - 242 passing yards, 3 total TDs - The Saints have had the best offense in the league through two weeks. Carr is leading the NFL in passing TDs (5) and added in a rushing score.

• NY Jets RB Braelon Allen- 7 carries, 33 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 23 yards receiving, 2 TDs - It was a big day for the Jets rookie who looked electric every time he touched the ball. The Jets should continue to get him more involved, and Allen is an amazing handcuff back if something is to happen to Hall.

• SF 49ers WR Jauan Jennings - Starting receiver Deebo Samuel is set to miss multiple weeks with a calf strain. Jennings will step-up and get a larger share of the snaps with Samuel out.

Shooting Our Shot

Join the Shootaround to see our picks here!

Injury Report

Week 2 we saw some big names hit the injury report. Here are some players we’re hoping to see again soon:

• GB Packers QB Jordan Love - Questionable. MCL strain/tear.

• SF 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey - Out. Calf/Achilles sprain. Put on Injured Reserve. Out at least 4 weeks.

• KC Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco - Out. Fibula fracture. Will miss at least 6-8 weeks.

• HOU Texans RB Joe Mixon - Questionable. Ankle injury.

• MIN Vikings WR Justin Jefferson - Questionable. Quad Contusion.

• NY Jets LB Jermaine Johnson - Out for the season. Torn Achilles.

• NY Jets LB CJ Mosely - Questionable. Toe.

• LA Rams WR Cooper Kupp - Doubtful. Ankle injury. Expected to miss multiple games.

• PHI Eagles WR AJ Brown - Doubtful. Hamstring injury. Expected to miss a couple of weeks.

• SF 49ers WR Deebo Samuel - Out. Calf Strain. Expected to miss a couple weeks.

If you ain’t first, you’re last (NFC edition). We think it’s safe to say the Giants and Panthers will not be going to the Super Bowl. Props to whoever predicted the Vikes, Saints, and Bucs to start the season 2-0.

Featured Game of the Week 🏈

Minnesota Vikings 23 - 17 San Francisco 49ers

The Vikings 2024 season looked dead in the water before it started after their projected starting quarterback, rookie JJ McCarthy, tore his meniscus in the preseason opener. The fate of the season rested on the well-travelled shoulders of Sam Darnold. And just like everyone “expected”, he has stepped up to the plate through the first two weeks.

We use quotations because it absolutely was not expected. Darnold was ran out of town in New York, couldn’t keep the job in Carolina, and had no chance of playing in San Francisco. Darnold is making the most of his chance in Minnesota so far under the tutelage of head coach Kevin O’Connell.

The Vikings welcomed the Niners to US Bank Stadium on Sunday and dominated them on both sides of the ball, winning 23-17.

Sam Darnold was key to the win, as he threw for 268 yards and 2 TDs. His performance was highlighted by a 97-yard strike to Justin Jefferson, that was reminiscent of some of the gunslinging throws that made Darnold a highly touted prospect.

The win was not without adversity though. The Vikings persevered through two red-zone turnovers that the Niners turned into TDs, as well as an injury to star WR Justin Jefferson in the 3rd quarter. But the Vikes carried a 20-7 lead into the fourth quarter, and it was just a matter of shutting the door.

The Vikings defense had Niners’ QB Brock Purdy’s number all game. They sacked Purdy six times, forced two interceptions, and had him playing from behind all game.

The Niners weren’t without stellar performances though. Jordan Mason averaged for 5 YPC and 100 yards, Fred Warner showed why he is the best linebacker in the NFL, and George Kittle moved to #3 all time for receiving yards by a tight end (6,390).

A fun fact to part with: Sunday was the 8th consecutive time San Francisco has lost in Minnesota. The last time they won was in 1992.

Look Ahead to Next Week 🏈

San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams (Sun 4:25pm ET)

This will be a classic divisional matchup. Since the 2019-20 campaign, the 49ers are 9-2 against the Rams.

However, one of those two Rams victories was the NFC Championship Game back in 2021-22. The Rams went on to win the Super Bowl that year. The Rams, in 2024, are just looking to get their first win at this point.

With a beat up offensive line and injured WR Puka Nacua, we think the 49ers should be able to win this one. They’re still Super Bowl hopefuls this season and are looking as dominant as ever. But with the recent history between these two teams, and this being an inter-state, divisional matchup, we wouldn’t be surprised if this game turned out to be closer than many are expecting.

The 49ers are currently 7 point favorites.

Baltimore Ravens @ Dallas Cowboys (Sun 1:00pm ET)

It’s looking like a pretty typical season for the Cowboys. Massive expectations coming into the season, starting off looking like they can meet those expectations.

The Baltimore Ravens will be their first true test of the season. After making QB Dak Prescott the highest paid player in the NFL (avg of $60m/year) and WR Ceedee Lamb the second highest paid WR in the NFL (avg of $34m/year; behind Justin Jefferson), Jerry Jones and the Cowboys fanbase would really like to see them win this one. Especially after getting blown out 44 - 19 against the Saints this week.

The Ravens are currently 1 point favorites.