Why Gennaro picked the Bills: Two games into his fourth season as Dolphins head coach, Mike McDaniel is fielding increasingly dire questions about his team’s culture and his own job security. The vibes in Miami couldn't be much worse. McDaniel's offense, which lived at the cutting edge of the sport in his first couple years on the job, has grown stale. Concerns about Tua Tagovailoa's health are morphing into criticisms of his play, while Tyreek Hill feels like a ticking time bomb of discontent. Unfortunately, this team's in even worse shape on the other side of the ball. The Dolphins' defense cannot get a stop. No, seriously: The Fins allowed a scoring drive in each of their first 10 defensive possessions of this season, finally making their first true stand in the third quarter of Week 2. And with all due respect to the Colts and Patriots, Miami's first two opponents weren't exactly established offensive juggernauts. But the Bills sure are. After rolling up 900 yards of offense and 71 points over the past two Sundays, Buffalo rolls into this Thursday night affair with a six-game win streak over Miami in which the Bills have averaged a healthy 32.7 ppg. Furthermore, the Dolphins haven't won in Buffalo since Christmas Eve in 2016, a few days after Josh Allen completed his first season as Wyoming's starting quarterback. Now the reigning MVP is at the peak of his powers, poised to pound a division rival he owns (13-2 with 45 total touchdowns vs. Miami).
Why Brooke picked the Falcons: The Panthers' offense came to life late in Week 2, with Bryce Young tossing three second-half TDs to nearly eke out a road win. It was an improvement from Week 1, but there's still a long way to go. Through two weeks, Young leads the NFL with five giveaways, no team has more turnovers than Carolina, and the offense has averaged 16 points per game (29th in the NFL). Atlanta must be licking its chops, especially after Raheem Morris' improved pass rush registered six sacks last week and is pressuring QBs at a rate of 46.3 percent, fourth-highest in the league this season. Now it gets another struggling QB in Young, who has been pressured 37 times (tied for most in the NFL) but thrown a league-high three TDs with two INTs when under pressure in 2025. The Falcons' offense also has an opportunity to keep building against an underwhelming Panthers D. I won't be surprised if we witness more magic from Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London, though the wideout could see a lot of Jaycee Horn on the outside. One thing I'm sure about: Bijan Robinson will be at the center of Atlanta's attack. Having just extended his streak of games with 90-plus scrimmage yards to eight, Robinson rushed for 143 yards in Week 2. He's only had one game with more ground yards in his pro career: In the 2024 regular-season finale, he racked up 170 yards against ... you guessed it, the Panthers.
Why Ali picked the Packers: Cleveland's defense expertly bottled up Joe Burrow and Derrick Henry in consecutive weeks, and all the team has to show for it is an 0-2 start, the NFL's third-worst point-differential and a public rebuke from its best player. The Browns' QB situation, which seemed bleak before the season even began, has been more dreadful than expected through two games. Joe Flacco currently sports the league's worst pass EPA at -23.9 -- more than 10 points less than the next-closest passer (J.J. McCarthy, -13.2) and nearly four times worse than the QB above him (Bryce Young, -6.4), per Next Gen Stats. Unsurprisingly, the 40-year-old Flacco has struggled against pressure, with his lack of mobility making him a real liability after the snap. He's managing a miserable -1.03 EPA/DB when pressured (second-worst, min. 40 attempts), with 0 TDs and 3 INTs, despite being blitzed at one of the lowest rates in the league. Guess who is really effective at generating pressure while only rushing four? Yep, Green Bay. About the only thing breaking in the Browns' favor is that this game is in Cleveland. If the already-overburdened Browns defense has to carry the offense for another four quarters, this one could get out of hand by the end.

    Josh Allen's totals from his second game of the season might seem pedestrian compared to other outings. That doesn't matter to me; he guided the Bills to a lopsided win that included an explosive day for James Cook.
    Patrick Mahomes' stat line from the Chiefs' loss to the Eagles suggested he played poorly, but those who watched the game know Travis Kelce failed the QB on the interception charged to Mahomes (yet another example of why we need earned and unearned interceptions). Mahomes' combined yardage total for the season more accurately reflects how he continues to carry the Chiefs even in these close losses.
    Lamar Jackson overcame a stingy Browns defense that bottled up Derrick Henry, injecting life into the Ravens' offense by continuing to make spectacular plays -- thus maintaining his place as the most frustrating quarterback to defend in the NFL.
    Justin Herbert has quickly boosted his reputation among the general NFL population through two weeks, authoring two excellent performances in front of national audiences. He's used both his cannon for an arm and his legs to keep this offense moving and is very clearly on the same page as Keenan Allen, who has fleshed out Los Angeles' receiving corps. The pair are a dangerous matchup for any defense.
    We all saw what Baker Mayfield did on Monday Night Football. Yes, through two games, Mayfield has willed the Buccaneers to unlikely road victories in the final stages of each contest, all while remaining the fiery competitor he's always been. Face it: It's Baker SZN.

    Jayden Daniels and the Commanders haven't yet found their big-play magic from a year ago. He took what was available and generally worked through his progressions quickly, but Green Bay's defense made life very difficult for Washington's offensive operation. Daniels' knee injury and uncertain status for Week 3 won't ease Commanders fans' worries, either.
    First, I must acknowledge and appreciate Russell Wilson for his vintage Russ performance against the Cowboys. That was the kind of game that propelled him toward MVP contention back in his glory days. He's climbing significantly this week because of it, but I fear it will prove to be the anomaly, especially because it came against a Dallas defense that isn't going to be a tough matchup in 2025. Still, beyond the gaudy numbers, I was pleased to see Wilson stop breaking the pocket if his first read wasn't open after doing it far too often in Week 1. His patience and persistence allowed him the extra beat or two necessary to find his target on some of his most impactful throws of the day, opening up an offense that had appeared clogged.
    Daniel Jones continues to steadily direct the Colts' operation through two weeks, a stretch that has included a few highlight-worthy tosses. Most importantly, he hasn't yet committed a turnover.
    Bo Nix had a better outing in Week 2 than he did in Week 1, but he still needs to be better in the risk-taking department. His interception in the fourth quarter cracked the door open just enough for the Colts to complete the comeback.
    Aaron Rodgers fell back to earth in Week 2. While his first interception against the Seahawks wasn't entirely his fault -- in fact, it was an accurate throw that produced the worst outcome -- he wasn't as sharp as he was in his debut.
    Geno Smith had one of the worst games of his career against a shockingly stingy Chargers defense in Week 2. I believe he'll bounce back, but much of that will depend on Brock Bowers' health, which doesn't seem to be in a great place as he plays through the knee injury he suffered in Week 1.
    Michael Penix Jr. hasn't put up big totals in the passing game, but he has done the little things to push his team forward. Most importantly, he seems to have a great grasp of the responsibilities of a starting quarterback in the NFL.

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