Tom Brady Explains How Eliminating Negative Plays Elevated Josh Allen’s Game

Through two games, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is playing like a guy ready to add another MVP trophy to his mantle. After leading the Bills to a 2-0 start, Allen is off to one of the strongest statistical openings of his career. He’s thrown for 582 yards and five touchdowns while adding another 92 yards and four scores on the ground. These impressive numbers also come without Allen throwing an interception. Speaking with Colin Cowherd on "The Herd," seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady broke down Allen’s development. He immediately focused on Allen’s development under Brian Daboll before he left to take the New York Giants head coaching job. "I thought there was a lot of development that took place when he had Brian Daboll as his [offensive] coordinator," Brady said. "I think he learned the system. He’s got an awesome ability to improvise and we’ve seen that for a long time." Beyond Allen’s physical traits, Brady pointed out that his ability to avoid negative plays has been his biggest area of growth. Early in his career, turnovers were a frequent criticism, but Allen has turned his play on the field into a far more disciplined decision-maker. "He’s got the big arm, the legs and can kind of run the big plays," Brady said. "It’s always been ‘how can he eliminate the negative plays?’ The bonehead fumbles, the bonehead sacks and those plays are the ones that put your team behind the eight ball." As a Hall of Fame passer renowned for protecting the football, Brady recognized the same growth in Allen. In fact, Brady pointed to eliminating negative plays as the single biggest sign of Allen’s development and maturity. "Sometimes the best play is throwing the ball away," Brady said. "Playing for a second down and staying in those situations. Eliminating the negative plays. I think for him, that’s where I’ve seen his game mature the most."

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/jzK4ZpJ

Upon Further Review: Bengals Have Flipped The Script With Upgraded Defense

All the Cincinnati Bengals needed was an average defense to become the team to beat in the AFC North. The Bengals’ loaded offense hasn’t been an issue, as long as quarterback Joe Burrow is healthy. After two weeks, that is the case this season. Defensive coordinator Al Golden has his unit playing stellar football, forcing four turnovers in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before holding the Houston Texans to just six points in Week 2. Cincinnati is 2-0 and sits pretty atop the AFC North, a position it might just keep the entire season. The Ravens and Steelers lost this past Sunday. The first key matchup comes in Week 7, when the Bengals travel to Baltimore. It has only been two games, yes, but the most impressive turnaround in the NFL has to be Cincinnati's defense, which was one of the NFL's absolute worst last season and has been a huge part of the Bengals. "They're all talented, they're all accomplished, but they're great human beings and they're leaders," Golden told me over the phone on Monday about the influx of talent the Bengals' defense took in during the offseason. "They bring great energy and passion into the building every day, and they're fun to work with. They make it fun to come to work every day and each of them is making a difference for us." The headline acquisition: defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, acquired from the New York Giants for the No. 10 overall pick in this year's draft. The 28-year-old veteran was tasked with taking the league's worst run defense and changing its identity. So far, he has done that. Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was held to 45 rushing yards in Week 1, and then David Montgomery had just 10 for the Texans this past week. You can point to the fact that Lawrence only has three tackles, one for a loss, with no sacks so far this season, but he's tied for third in pressures among defensive tackles (eight, per Pro Football Focus). Golden said Lawrence has been a game-changer for the Bengals. "He's been impactful," Golden said. "I know there's some discourse out there about what the stat line looks like as it relates to him, but in terms of impacting the game in the middle of the defense, pushing the pocket inside for us, it's been dramatic. It's been the big difference. The greatest compliment he can get is how much better he makes everyone around him." Defense had held Cincinnati back in recent years, understandably seen as a major reason Burrow and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase missed the playoffs three years in a row after making the Super Bowl in 2021 and the AFC Championship Game in 2022. Lawrence was added, as was defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, edge Boye Mafe and safety Bryan Cook. Those veterans were brought in to complement second-year linebackers Demetrius Knight and Barret Carter. The Bengals prioritized high-leverage areas of the field and now rank in the top 10 in scoring defense and are a top-five unit in the red zone. "You spent 80% of your time on the 20% that can make the biggest difference," Golden said. "You're talking about turnover margin, one of the biggest factors in playing good defense, winning third down, critically important and being a really good red-zone defense. It's about scoring defense. We've put an emphasis on it, and when Dex and Jonathan Allen are the first two out there for ball disruption drills in 95-degree heat, that says all you need to know." The Bengals are poised to potentially build upon their two wins to start the season. Two of their next three games are against teams with bottom-five offenses this season. First, it’s a trip to Pittsburgh, then a home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars before heading to Miami to face the Dolphins on the road in Week 5. That trip to face the Steelers will be a good chance to show just how far the Bengals — and their defense — have come, having lost 34-12 in Pittsburgh last season. Did you have Bryce Young second in the NFL in passing yards (648) and tied for the league lead with six touchdown passes? It's the best consecutive-game total of his four-year career in both categories, and if his Week 1 success was obscured by his team giving up 59 points to the Chicago Bears, there was no such problem in a 34-3 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Veteran tight end Darren Waller, who caught two touchdowns from Young on Sunday, isn't surprised at all. "It's just an extension of what I've seen from him since the moment I got here," Waller told me over the phone. "Being super-intentional with everything he's doing at practice and making a lot of great plays." In one game, Waller had as many touchdowns as any Panthers tight end has had in either of the last two full seasons. After a year of retirement, the now 34-year-old returned to the NFL last year with six touchdown catches in Miami. And Waller's return to play this season was pretty last-minute, too. He signed with the Panthers two weeks into training camp, joining a team looking to repeat as NFC South champions. Waller remembers the day Carolina offered him a contract in August — it was the nine-year anniversary of his sobriety — and is eager to see how the Panthers can sustain their early success. "It's been really fun these first two games, being so productive but also having a lot of ways we can get better as well," he said. Much of Sunday's headlines from the Cleveland Browns' surprising upset of the Bucs centered on quarterback Deshaun Watson rallying Cleveland to 17 points in the second half for a 23-19 rain-delayed win. But as Cleveland's defensive front seeks a new identity without Myles Garrett, one emerging player to watch is second-year pro Mason Graham, the fifth overall pick in the 2025 draft. Graham had a half-sack as a rookie, but he's had a sack in each of his first two games this season, joining end Jared Verse as the pieces the Browns will build around up front. "I think players that are as diligent as Mason is, and love football, [are] going to continue to get better," coach Todd Monken said. "He’s still a young player, and you can see that with our interior guys. When they slide away from you and you get one-on-one, it’s the ultimate sign of disrespect. I mean, you’ve got to win your one-on-one matchups. We’re built for our explosive interior players to be able to win those matchups. And we won more of them than we did the week before." All of the 49ers' top five players in receptions after two games are age 30 and older, which sets up a battle against injury all season long, but gives quarterback Brock Purdy an extremely reliable and sure-handed group of targets in the passing game. Purdy never completed 70% of his passes in any of his first four seasons in San Francisco. Still, with more high-percentage passes to running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle, he's completing a league-best 80.4% of his throws this season. Literally no player in the 49ers' offense has a catch rate lower than 67%. Keep receivers Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel healthy, which is no easy task, and Purdy could challenge the NFL season record for completion percentage, set by Drew Brees in 2018 at 74.4%.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/ab0vImx

Big Bets Report: Bettor Loses $1 Million After Bills Bury Lions

Between NFL Week 2 odds and college football Week 3 odds, there was no shortage of high-rollers making major wagers. There were five- and six-figure bets aplenty, and even an eye-watering seven-figure play. But on a Sunday of upsets in the NFL, arguably the best bet of the weekend was a relatively modest three-figure underdog parlay that netted a healthy five-figure profit. More on that wager, a million-dollar loser and a Thursday night payday for the public betting masses, as we recap the weekend that was in football betting. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. The public was all over the Ravens on Sunday. Ditto for the Buccaneers, and to a slightly lesser extent, the Bears, after they put up a whopping 59 points in Week 1. Baltimore and Tampa Bay were 8.5-point home favorites vs. the Saints and Browns, respectively. But both the Ravens and Bucs tumbled outright, with Baltimore falling 24-17 and Tampa losing 24-19. Add in the Vikings’ 9-3 win over the Bears, and the bookmakers were doing cartwheels in the risk room. But at least one bettor had the foresight to cash out nicely on an upset-riddled Sunday. At Caesars Sports, a customer put together this $500 underdog parlay: The bettor needed three upsets and got three upsets. At odds of +4952, or just shy of 50/1, the customer’s 500 bucks turned into $25,258. That’s a fine day’s work. Over the past week, Station Sports in Las Vegas took two seven-figure wagers from the same customer. The first was a $1 million bet on Chiefs' moneyline -145 vs. Broncos, in the Week 1 Monday night game. Kansas City rolled to a 31-10 victory, and the big bettor banked $689,655 profit, for a total payout of $1,689,655. But sports betting giveth, and sports betting taketh away. In the Thursday night Lions-Bills showdown, the customer came back with another $1 million bet, on Lions' alternate spread +1.5. That meant Detroit either had to lose by just one point or win the game outright. Instead, the Bills buried the Lions into a 21-0 first-half hole, and though Detroit put up a second-half fight, Jared Goff & Co. lost 41-31. So that’s a million-dollar meltdown. Oof. Speaking of the Thursday night game, contrary to the high-roller’s loss, the public made out like gangbusters, particularly because it was a high-scoring affair. At Caesars, a customer put $100 on a six-leg parlay tied to touchdown scorers, of which there were plenty: The odds of Allen scoring first and the other five players finding paydirt at any point were a hefty +50000, or 500/1 in easier-to-digest terms. But all six legs delivered, and the customer cashed out for $50,000. At Fanatics Sportsbook, a bettor turned a mere $25 into $7,500 profit before halftime. Odds of all three scoring were a healthy +20000 (200/1), but the customer utilized a 50% profit boost to hike those odds to +30000 (300/1). The home favorite winning and covering also paid for the public, and for a big bettor at DraftKings Sportsbook. The customer put $110,000 on Bills -5.5 (-108) to turn a profit of $101,851 (total payout $211,851). At Kalshi, a trader put $2,825 on Bills wideout Joshua Palmer Anytime Touchdown. Palmer was priced at 12%, which correlates to about +734 in betting odds. The customer didn’t have to wait long to get paid, with Palmer hauling in a 43-yard TD pass that put the Bills up 14-0 in the first quarter. The trader pocketed $20,723 in profit, for a total payout of $23,549. How about a more relatable wager amount of, say, $10? A Fanatics customer strung together six Anytime TD Scorers across the Sunday late window and the Sunday night Colts-Chiefs clash. By the time Indy-K.C. kicked off, the first four legs were in on a wager with massive odds of +90694, just shy of 907/1. Then Colts tight end Tyler Warren scored the game’s first TD midway through the first quarter, and Kelce scored in the first quarter, as well. That’s how 10 bucks becomes $9,074.94. On another $10 parlay, a FanDuel Sports customer went with First Touchdown Scorers, tabbing Ravens running back Derrick Henry, Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase and Bucs wideout Emeka Egbuka. Henry and Chase each broke the ice late in the first quarter, vs. the Saints and Texans, respectively. But interestingly, Browns-Bucs didn’t see a touchdown until five-and-a-half minutes into the third quarter. Fortunately for the bettor, that TD came from Egbuka. At odds of +28077 (about 281/1), that $10 bill transformed into $2,817. Prediction markets remain a controversial topic, but are still operating and seeing a lot of football trades made across the country. And there were some eye-poppingly big transactions over the weekend. At Polymarket, a customer put $423,110 on the Chiefs to not cover the 6.5-point spread vs. the Colts. It was a back-and-forth battle all Sunday night, ultimately going to overtime, and K.C. indeed did not cover in a 33-30 victory. The trader profited $360,428, for a total payout of $783,538. Other notable trade contracts: It’s not all about making big bets or cashing out huge on a 10-leg parlay. Which, to be clear, is rare. Sometimes, it’s about putting 10 bucks on a single straight bet, backing a long shot or semi-long shot, and getting a solid return on investment. For example, at FanDuel, Titans QB Cam Ward was 125/1 to score two touchdowns vs. the Eagles. Ward had the game’s first score, with 4:22 left in the first quarter, then ran it in again late in the third quarter while nearly engineering a big upset. Ultimately, Tennessee lost 24-20. But if you’d put a tenner on Ward to score two or more TDs, then you’d be sitting on $1,250 profit today. If you got frisky and put $100 on it, then you’d have $12,500. In the more realistic realm, Colts tight end Tyler Warren was +1500 in First TD Scorer for Sunday’s game vs. the Chiefs. He scored midway through the first quarter to put Indy up 7-0. Ten bucks on that would’ve netted $150, and a C-note would’ve paid out $1,500. And how about this, from Circa Sports here in Las Vegas: No Touchdown Scorer in the Bears-Vikings game was a +26000 bomb (260/1). Minnesota won an absolute snoozer of a game 9-3, with four field goals accounting for all the scoring. Circa took two bets on that market, at a whopping sum of $1 apiece. But those two customers turned that dollar into $260 profit. That $1 million Lions bet was the largest reported wager of the week. The next biggest actually got to the pay window, on one of the aforementioned upsets. A DraftKings Sportsbook customer put $250,000 on Vikings +4.5 (-102) vs. Bears. So Minnesota winning outright made an outright winner of that bettor, who profited $245,098 (total payout $495,098). Other notable major wagers on NFL Week 2 odds and college football Week 3 odds: And though not exactly a major wager, $2,155 is nothing to scoff at, either. Caesars Sports took that bet on Kentucky in-game moneyline +800 vs. Texas A&M, likely after the Wildcats went down 7-0 in the second quarter. But it was all Kentucky from there. The ‘Cats, 16.5-point road underdogs, put up the next 28 points en route to a shocking 31-21 road upset. So the bettor bagged $17,240 profit. With regard to all the aforementioned big bets and people taking fliers on six-leg parlays and such, just keep in mind that this is gambling. Keep your bet size and expectations reasonable. Never bet more than you can afford to lose

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/wUko2xa

Falcons Name Michael Penix Jr. Starting Quarterback In Week 3 vs. Packers

Help is on the way for the Atlanta Falcons. Michael Penix Jr. will start at quarterback for the Falcons on Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers, the team announced Monday. Thursday will be Penix's first start of the 2026 season. The Falcons are 0-2 and have the only offense in the NFL that has not reached the red zone over the first two weeks. Turnovers and inconsistency in the passing game have compounded the issues in Atlanta. Penix missed the final seven games of 2025 after injuring his ACL and had surgery on the knee. He returned to practice on a limited basis in the spring and for most of training camp, and he was cleared for 11-on-11 work before the third and final week of the preseason. Atlanta named Cooper Rush the starter for Week 1 after Tua Tagovailoa injured his oblique late in the week, was ruled out and has not returned to practice since. The Falcons lost 20-13 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 and 34-3 to the Carolina Panthers in Week 2. Rush had three turnovers against the Panthers, one fumble and two interceptions, before rookie Jack Strand replaced him in the third quarter. Earlier this month, Penix said he wanted to be at full strength before returning. "I just told [head coach Kevin Stefanski] I'm not where I want to be right now," Penix said. "And I want to be able to be 100% so I can help the team win football games. And I'm really close. Really close."

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/ma5pHYD

NFL, CFB Weekend Betting Recap: 'It Was An Extremely Rough Week For Bettors'

After a big Week 1 for the public betting masses, the pendulum sharply swung back in the NFL Week 2 odds market. Popular favorites came up big in Week 1 and contrastingly small in Week 2. So the bookmakers beat the bettors, particularly on Sunday. "It was an extremely rough week for the bettors, with five upsets and only seven favorites covering the spread," BetMGM trading manager Adair Horne said Sunday night. Oddsmakers from Las Vegas and across the country chimed in to recap the weekend that was in NFL and college football betting. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. In Week 1, the first wave of Sunday games was a massive boon for bettors. Favorites went wild, there were several high-scoring games, and many big-name players found the end zone, cashing a slew of First Touchdown/Anytime Touchdown props. In Week 2, not so much. Most notably, the Ravens were 8.5-point home favorites vs. the Saints and lost outright 24-17. Then, in a game with a two-hour weather delay in order to play the final two minutes, the Buccaneers — another 8.5-point home favorite — tumbled to the Browns 24-19. Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel, who after Week 1 declared the public was popping champagne corks, said those two results set the tone for oddsmakers to do some cork-popping. "The Ravens had the book chilling the sparkling water. The Buccaneers’ defeat finally popped the cork," Feazel said. "The Eagles, Ravens, Bears and Bucs were the most popular moneyline parlay selections, so the book needed at least one significant interruption to the bettors’ Sunday plans. "The book will typically survive the early slate if a touchdown-or-bigger underdog wins outright. We were handed three opportunities to find one." They got two with the Browns and Saints, and the Titans fell just short of stunning the Eagles. Philadelphia needed a touchdown with nine seconds left to claim a 24-20 victory, though it didn’t cover as a 7-point favorite. The Browns’ win was particularly satisfying at Caesars. "Anytime Cleveland is playing, the entire trading floor becomes Browns fans. We’re honorary members of the Dawg Pound," Feazel said half-jokingly. "So when that result came through after a long weather delay, there was certainly some excitement in the room." Horne said BetMGM also thrived off upsets, both early and late. In Sunday’s early window, along with the Browns and Bucs, the Vikings (+4.5) upset the Bears in a 9-3 slog of a game, and the Bengals (+2.5) took out the Texans, 20-6. In one of the five late-window games Sunday, the Raiders were 6.5-point road underdogs vs. the Chargers and landed a 26-14 upset. That helped blow up any moneyline parlays that might’ve survived the early kicks. But the public masses also got smacked by a scoring drought. The Under went 9-2 in the first 11 completed games on Sunday. The Over hit in the final three games, but that wasn’t nearly enough to save bettors’ day. "The best games for the books were basically low-scoring games where the favorite lost outright or didn’t cover the spread," Horne said. "Vikings vs. Bears, Eagles vs. Titans, Bengals vs. Texans and Raiders vs. Chargers." Added Feazel: "Underdogs and defenses came out swinging, offenses went quiet, and touchdowns were much harder to locate. In Week 1, it felt like everyone with a jersey found the end zone. "This Sunday, the end zone required a reservation." The masses managed to claw a little back in the few games where favorites won and covered, and/or there was some scoring. Thursday night, for example: Bills 41, Lions 31, with Buffalo a 5.5-point home favorite and a 54.5 total, the highest so far in this young season. That was after Week 1 prime-time games saw the Under go 3-1. "The book enjoyed a steady diet of low-scoring prime-time games in Week 1," Feazel said. "But Week 2 began with an all-you-can-eat touchdown buffet for bettors on Thursday night. "Seven of the eight most popular touchdown scorers cashed." Bills wideout D.J. Moore was the eighth, and he might’ve scored if not for exiting with a shoulder injury late in the first half. Said Horne: "The best games for betters were Lions vs. Bills, Commanders vs. Cowboys, Dolphins vs. 49ers and Seahawks vs. Cardinals." Dallas, a 4.5-point home favorite, rolled over Washington 37-20 in a game that cleared the 51.5 total. San Francisco smacked Miami 35-13, covering as a 12.5-point favorite, and Over 45.5 came in, as well. Seattle was a 4.5-point road favorite vs. Arizona and rolled 31-7, though that result fell short of the 41 total. "Overall, it was [still] a great week for the book and a tough one for bettors," Horne said. The public didn’t quite get what It needed out of college football Week 3 odds, either, particularly BetMGM customers, and especially in the Game of the Day, LSU vs. Ole Miss. The Tigers were 3-point road favorites and lost outright 32-24. "The book had a really solid day, particularly the live [in-game] book," BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. "A lot of action came in on LSU when it was down in the first half. We needed Ole Miss outright and got there." No. 9 Texas A&M laying a huge egg vs. Kentucky also boosted the bookmakers. The Aggies were 17-point home favorites and trailed 28-7 late in the third quarter, en route to a 31-21 loss. "A&M going down outright was also a huge game for our in-play book," Magee said. The wild North Carolina State-Vanderbilt ending wasn’t a notable decision for BetMGM. Still, you had to feel sick for N.C. State moneyline bettors and, perhaps more so, N.C State +3 bettors. With seven seconds left, the underdog Wolfpack led 31-28 while facing fourth-and-7 from their own 5-yard line. Coach Dave Doeren decided to try to have QB Cayden Daniels run out the clock while taking a safety on the game’s final play. But shockingly, Daniels fumbled as he was tackled in the end zone. Vandy recovered with no time left and won 35-31. N.C. State not only didn’t finish off the modest moneyline upset, but didn’t cover as a 3-point ‘dog either. An absolute double-whammy of epic proportions, and arguably the bad beat of the season.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/JHFctZm

Overreaction Monday: Are The Cowboys Really Back? Are The Chargers Finished?

If Week 1 is a liar, Week 2 provided some truth serum for NFL teams — and some probably didn’t like the results. The Green Bay Packers ended a six-game losing streak, but needed overtime to defeat the New York Jets. The defending champion Seattle Seahawks still cruised with starting quarterback Sam Darnold, upping their franchise-best and league-leading winning streak to 12 games by making quick work of the Arizona Cardinals. But the major storylines this week were the injuries to the top two picks from the 2024 draft class. Caleb Williams (hamstring) and Jayden Daniels (elbow) suffered injuries severe enough that they needed to be carted off the field in their respective teams' losses. How the Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears move forward without their franchise quarterbacks for an extended period might define the rest of the 2026 NFL season. Now, let's overreact to Sunday's Week 2 action. After a disappointing road loss against the New York Giants in Week 1, Dallas rebounded at home with a convincing victory over Washington. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense finally looked as good as advertised. Prescott threw for 279 yards and four scores. His favorite target was CeeDee Lamb, who finished with 153 receiving yards and two touchdowns. And after looking disjointed against the Giants, the Dallas defense led by new defensive coordinator Christian Parker held Washington’s offense to 207 passing yards and two touchdowns. So, are the Cowboys really back? Conclusion: Overreaction Washington lost standout quarterback Jayden Daniels and had to finish the game with Marcus Mariota, making the Commanders less dangerous on offense. And even with that in consideration, the Commanders still finished with 182 yards on the ground, which followed a 165-yard ground performance from the Giants in Week 1. While the Cowboys improved to 1-1, we need to see more from them defensively against Lamar Jackson and the high-flying Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 to truly consider them a playoff contender. Considered a Super Bowl contender and facing another beatable team at home, the Bolts once again looked like they hadn’t practiced in another humbling loss, this one to the Las Vegas Raiders by an identical 26-14. Second-year running back Omarion Hampton ran for 94 yards but fumbled twice, losing one. The Chargers had a whopping six fumbles in the game. The pairing of Justin Herbert and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has yet to produce the results many expected entering the season. Herbert finished Sunday's game with 192 passing yards, a touchdown pass and two interceptions. He was sacked three times, posting a 59.5 passer rating. And defensively, the Chargers appear to be missing departed defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. "We’re going to have to fight our way out of this," Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said. Conclusion: Not an overreaction Over the next six games, the Chargers face five playoff teams from last season and the Kansas City Chiefs. Extend that stretch to nine games, and that slate includes the Ravens and New England Patriots. That arduous trek starts with road games at Buffalo and at Seattle. Harbaugh is one of the best coaches in the league, leading the Chargers to back-to-back 11-6 seasons in his first two years in Los Angeles. But his coaching acumen will be tested over the next month. The Kansas City Chiefs have put last year’s 6-11 season in the rearview mirror, as they're one of four teams in the AFC with a 2-0 record following their overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts. The others include the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and the Las Vegas Raiders. The Chiefs have done it by playing complementary football, too. In the win over the Colts, Patrick Mahomes threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns as he and tight end Travis Kelce rekindled the connection that made them the AFC's king for years. Running back Kenneth Walker III had his second straight 100-yard rushing performance and Kansas City’s defense got enough stops to seal the victory after a strong outing in a win against the Denver Broncos last week. Conclusion: Overreaction Josh Allen has been the best player in the NFL and the Bills have been the best team through two weeks of the NFL season. The Bills are second in the AFC in scoring and defeated teams with more pedigree, getting a win against the Houston Texans on the road in Week 1 before taking down the Detroit Lions on Thursday. The Chiefs and Bills meet on Thanksgiving Day in Week 12, so we’ll get a more accurate barometer on where these two teams stand later this year. But, for now, the Bills pass the eye test as the more complete team. With a double-digit victory over one of the best defenses in the league in the Houston Texans, the Cincinnati Bengals have started the year 2-0 for a second straight season. That’s not insignificant, considering the Bengals have traditionally started out slowly under head coach Zac Taylor. With Joe Burrow, J’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals always had an offense that could lead them to a deep playoff run. But with offseason additions in defensive tackles Dexter Lawrence and Jonahan Allen, plus edge rusher Boye Mafe and safety Bryan Cook in free agency, the Bengals are stout defensively. That was apparent on Sunday, when they allowed just six points as Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw the ball 55 times. Conclusion: Not an overreaction Through two games, the Bengals have allowed 33 total points after giving up 29 points a game last season. However, if you account for the pick-six Burrow threw in their win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, the Bengals' defense has allowed just 13 points per game. Burrow said before the season started that this is the year for the Bengals to make the Super Bowl happen. Maybe he spoke it into existence. In Seattle’s comeback victory over the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch, Smith-Njigba made the game-changing play: a short pass from Drew Lock that he turned into a 45-yard touchdown. Smith-Njigba finished with 122 receiving yards in Week 1, and he was back this week on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, scoring on an 82-yard catch-and-run on a deep ball from Lock for the first touchdown of the game. That catch was the longest of his career and served as the start of a strong day for the star wide receiver. Smith-Njigba finished with nine receptions for 155 yards and three scores, putting the Seahawks tied atop the NFC West at 2-0 with the San Francisco 49ers. Conclusion: Not an overreaction On a day where Ja'Marr Chase shined with two touchdowns (including a highlight toe-tapping grab), Smith-Njigba outdid him. He had over twice as many yards as the Bengals' star and one more touchdown — and he's doing it with a backup quarterback. The Seahawks do not have a definitive timeline for Same Darnold's return from a glute injury, but with Smith-Njigba putting Seattle’s offense on his back, Seattle can take a cautious approach to his return. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year, Smith-Njigba leads the NFL in receiving yards (277) and is tied for the league lead in receiving touchdowns (4). Yes, Sunday's Vikings-Bears game was played in a steady downpour at Soldier Field. Still, the Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flroes made one of the best offenses in the league, led by Caleb Williams, look pedestrian, holding them to three points after Chicago rang up 59 points against the Carolina Panthers. Minnesota made Williams uncomfortable most of the game and bottled up Chicago’s potent running game led by D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, holding that duo to 92 rushing yards combined on 3.5 yards per carry. Conclusion: Not an overreaction The Vikings are the only team at 2-0 in the NFC North division. Even with backup Carson Wentz starting in place of Kyler Murray at quarterback, the Vikings dominated so much defensively that Wentz didn’t have to take any risks on offense. Flores once again proved he’s the best coordinator in the league and deserving of an opportunity to serve as a head coach again.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/G7dA4Xv

NFL Fallout Week 2: Justin Herbert Is Overrated, And Now He's Hurting The Chargers

For years, Justin Herbert has been widely considered a prototype for an NFL quarterback. Scouts, coaches, executives and many in the media have gushed over his arm and legs, marveled at his mechanics and drooled over his potential. Heading into every year following his splendid rookie season, the NFL has been bracing for his inevitable breakthrough. It’s time we all admit that we were just wrong. After six NFL seasons, plus two ugly games this year, we should all accept Herbert for what he is: a good quarterback but not one destined for greatness. Herbert is no longer being held back by a poor situation. In 2026, he's holding back the Los Angeles Chargers. It’s true that his offensive line is terrible at times and his receivers drop way too many passes. But the best quarterbacks find ways to elevate their teams. And it’s clear that Herbert doesn’t do that, at all. His shortcomings were on full display Sunday, as the Chargers fell to 0-2 with a 26-14 home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Herbert was just 15 of 27 for 192 yards with a touchdown pass and two interceptions. He was outplayed by Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins, just like he was outplayed by Arizona quarterback Jacoby Brissett one week ago. Was it entirely Herbert's fault that the Chargers lost to two teams that were supposed to be awful to start the season? Of course not. But that’s not the standard of a franchise quarterback. And it’s certainly not the standard for a quarterback Jim Harbaugh recently said "will be known as the greatest, best ever to play the position of quarterback" when his career ends. The truth is, Herbert is not even on the fringe of the fringe of that conversation. And even with his record pace to 25,000 career passing yards, he doesn't seem destined to pass Dan Fouts or Philip Rivers on the list of the greatest Chargers quarterbacks of all time. Now, Herbert does put up numbers. There’s no denying that. But he's been expected to transcend the numbers, especially when Harbaugh hired Mike McDaniel as his offensive coordinator this season. McDaniel was the guy who was finally going to get the greatness out of Herbert. It’s why the Chargers were considered a dark-horse Super Bowl contender. It's crazy now to think that just two weeks ago their title odds were equal to the Eagles' and better than those of the Broncos, Patriots, Bengals and 49ers.While the season is still young, the 28-year-old Herbert is not. Moreover, the McDaniel addition hasn’t helped at all. And the only logical conclusion is that Herbert is simply missing what makes quarterbacks great. Ernie Accorsi, the former New York Giants general manager who passed away on Saturday, once described the bar like this: "Can they take their team down the field with the championship on the line and into the end zone?" In other words, how do quarterbacks perform in the biggest moments? Well, Herbert is 0-3 in the playoffs for his career, and he performed pretty poorly in each of those three games. But it’s more than just the results. It’s about making his team better than the sum of its parts, even in the regular season. It’s about making his teammates better than they are. Herbert couldn’t even do that against the Cardinals or the Raiders, two clubs universally predicted to finish last in their respective divisions. His supporters might point out that Chargers tight end David Njoku deflected a pass into Herbert's first interception on Sunday. But the truth is the pass was underthrown and behind Njoku, who was a few yards behind the defense and would’ve had an easy big gain if the ball had been thrown in front of him. Herbert's second interception, late in the fourth quarter, was an ill-advised, forced throw into traffic to the wrong side of Derius Davis’ hands. Herbert’s lone touchdown pass, to be fair, was outstanding. He evaded pressure, stepped up and sidearmed a dart to tight end Oronde Gadsden, giving the Chargers a short-lived, third quarter lead. But that’s Herbert. For every good play, there’s at least one bad play. One step forward, one step back. And more often than not, the step back comes at a terrible time. Which brings up one more Accorsi-ism: He said the definition of leadership was "watching Johnny Unitas step off the bus." His point was that the old Baltimore Colts knew they had a shot every game just because Unitas was their quarterback, because of his presence. They were that confident that he’d find a way to pull a game out. There’s just no way the Chargers can say that about Herbert. He’s good yet frustratingly overrated. He’s a white-knuckler, not a man that inspires confidence in the big spots. And that’s a huge problem for the 0-2 Bolts. Their upcoming schedule is brutal — at Buffalo, at Seattle, versus Denver, at Kansas City, at the L.A. Rams, versus Houston and at Baltimore. The Chargers need a great quarterback to avoid bottoming out. But that’s just not who Herbert is. He’s never going to be among the best doing it, much less the best to ever do it. He is, instead, the most overrated. Everything about this season for the Washington Commanders was riding on the health of QB Jayden Daniels. They were sure that their 5-12 disaster a year ago was mostly because he missed 10 games with injuries. They believed that with him healthy again, they could really be a contender again. Then Daniels was carted off the field on Sunday with a dislocated left elbow and a towel over his head. And that moment might mark the figurative end of the Commanders’ season — and Dan Quinn’s coaching tenure in D.C. And yes, it’s that serious, because it’s hard to see how the 0-2 Commanders can recover if Daniels is sidelined for an extended period of time. He looked great against the Cowboys on Sunday before his first-half injury, throwing for 96 yards and running for 69 more. The Commanders were in the game prior to that point. Then they fell apart and lost, 37-20. The extent of Daniels' injury isn’t known, but as cruel as it may be, it’s hard to see Quinn surviving another season without his biggest star and best weapon. The Commanders don’t have the defense or running game to push through Daniels' absence. It would take a brilliant coaching job by Quinn to even reach the heights of .500. And that might not be enough to keep him on the job for a fourth year, not after he shook up his coaching staff and took over the defensive playcalling as a way to get the Commanders back on track. Maybe it would be unfair to make Quinn pay for two seasons lost to devastating Daniels injuries. But it sure seems likely that if the Commanders miss the playoffs again for any reason, owner Josh Harris and GM Adam Peters will opt to go into 2027 with a new coach and a fresh start. It felt like all of Chicago went silent when QB Caleb Williams went down on Sunday afternoon. It had to cross everyone's mind that a special season might have just slipped away for the Bears. The good news after the game — a wretched 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings — was that Williams had only suffered a hamstring injury and was walking without much of a limp. But even Bears coach Ben Johnson admitted that hamstring injuries can be "pretty damaging." And it’s possible the damage is already done. That’s because even though the extent of Williams’ hamstring injury wasn’t immediately known, hamstring injuries tend to linger. And that’s especially problematic for players who make their living with their legs. Just ask Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, who was never the same last year after pulling his hamstring in Week 4 — an injury from which the Ravens never recovered, either. A fully healthy Williams really is the key to everything in Chicago. He’s grown so much in his first two seasons and looked primed to be an MVP contender this year, now with a stronger grasp of Johnson’s offense. Yes, he was struggling on Sunday in the rain against a tough Vikings defense. But even in that game, he showed how good he is at making something out of nothing and keeping defenses off balance. His presence alone is a huge part of what makes the Bears’ powerful running game go, too. Tyson Bagent might be a fine backup, but he’s just not nearly the QB Williams is. Few are. And unfortunately, it’s possible Williams won’t be himself again this season. That would be a shame, because there was a chance for this to be a super season in Chicago, if you catch my drift. This will get lost in the headlines about Williams, but don’t dismiss the brilliant job Brian Flores’ Vikings defense did against the Bears — and the miracle they’ve pulled off so far this season. A week ago, the Bears put up 59 points and 552 yards. Flores’ defense held that unit to 297 yards and three points. Williams was out there for all but the final seven-and-a-half minutes Sunday, and the Vikings had him throttled. Flores' defensive masterpiece comes on the heels of a brilliant fourth quarter against Green Bay, in which the Vikings forced two turnovers and twice stopped the Packers on fourth down in the red zone to spark a wild comeback victory. The Vikings are now 2-0 despite some bad quarterback play from Carson Wentz, who took over for injured starter Kyler Murray, and it’s all because of Flores’ defense. Maybe one club out there team will remember that in the coming offseason, and look beyond the fact that he’s suing the NFL for racially discriminatory hiring practices, and offer him a head coaching job. He certainly deserves it. He’s the best defensive coordinator in football right now, and he was a better head coach than you probably remember in Miami, where he guided a rebuilding franchise to a 24-25 record and two winning seasons in three years. He deserves a second chance, regardless of whether that lawsuit is settled. There were signs last season, and they are even more obvious now: These aren’t the same old Philadelphia Eagles. They’re not going to wear teams down with a best-in-the-league offensive line anymore, and they’re not going to beat teams into submission with a punishing, clutch defense. So if they’re going to win as much as they’re used to winning, it’s going to be on the shoulders of quarterback Jalen Hurts. That was really clear on Sunday in Tennessee when Hurts nearly cost the Eagles the game by throwing two terrible interceptions, but then bailed them out with a brilliant final drive. Down 20-17 with 1:56 to go, Hurts drove the Eagles 65 yards for a touchdown, completing 6 of 8 passes for 61 yards and a 3-yard scoring pass to Darius Cooper along the way. That included two brilliant throws to — and catches by — DeVonta Smith, proving they can be a heck of a duo even without A.J. Brown. Afterward, his teammates were clear that Hurts was the main reason the Eagles escaped with a win. "That motherf---er balled out today," left tackle Jordan Mailata said. "Jalen really got in his bag today." In NFL Fallout, Ralph Vacchiano breaks down the impact of the biggest events every Sunday.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/cwtlzE3