I managed to catch up on some NFL highlights yesterday. I worked on Sunday, so I missed the majority of the morning and all of afternoon. However, after Joe Burrow’s grade 3 turf toe injury and Brock Purdy sidelined them for a few weeks, my mom dubbed the name “Toegate”. Thank you for that mom. Love you! 🤣 Anyway, here’s what stood out to me after Week 2: Atlanta’s a good team so far. Denver has a good offensive line. The 49ers are resilient no matter how beat up they are. The Bears are looking overrated. Titans quarterback Cam Ward has a definitive future for damn sure, so don’t overlook Tennessee or they will bite you. New Orleans might finally have a good coach. Emeka Egbuka could have rookie of the year considerations. And are the Colts…that good??? This whole Week 2 of the NFL was a wildfire of entertainment and thrilling finishes, including a high-scoring affair between the Giants and Cowboys. It’s great to be a football fan this season! My goodness!

TEAMS CONSIDERED

15) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

14) DENVER BRONCOS

13) ARIZONA CARDINALS

12) WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

11) DALLAS COWBOYS

10) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Mac Jones was a great backup in Shanahan’s offense. He turned in a good day with 279 pass yards and three touchdowns. I wasn’t sure how San Fran allowed 21 points until I watched the highlights from Sunday. New Orleans was gritty and competitive for a team with no expectations. I’ll give Kellen Moore credit for that. But just like last week against Seattle, Robert Saleh’s defense countered with a big stop on fourth down. If the last possession comes down to the defense for the entire season, I’ll have plenty of gray hairs by the end of this season.

9) ATLANTA FALCONS

Atlanta was in a defensive battle with Minnesota, but they were the better team outright. Bijan Robinson, Michael Penix, Drake London, and the defense was better overall and pressured the heck out of JJ McCarthy. This is a step that Atlanta needed to be formidable in the South and maybe the NFC this season.

8) LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

The Chargers did a good job on the road. Their defense slowed down Vegas’s offense and got the better of Geno Smith all night. They forced three interceptions, stopped them on fourth down a few times, and allowed only nine points. They’re a win away against Denver next week to be in full control of the AFC West at 3-0, which is the earliest success and start of all divisions in both NFL conferences this season.

7) INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Indianapolis won a thriller against a seemingly motivated (and hyped???) Broncos. Indy looked bleak at times, but Danny Dimes and company did every possible thing to keep the team alive. Denver’s penalty during the game-winning kick helped Indy move closer to get an easy walk-off win. Tyler Warren is also looking like a future star of the league. The Colts know this: they’ll go as far as Danny Dimes will take them. Enough said.

6) LOS ANGELES RAMS

The Rams had another tough defensive battle with their second straight AFC South opponent. It took a while and Cam Ward and the Titans had them on their heels on multiple occasions. L.A. even had their field goal blocked. Despite it all, the Rams defense got it done and the team dominated the fourth quarter. Does it get easier??? No. They travel to Philly next week. But there is one positive: snow won’t be involved this time.

5) GREEN BAY PACKERS

Green Bay was clearly the better team from the jump. When I mean by jump, I mean Micah Parsons getting the best of a suspect Washington offensive line to jump Jayden Daniels. Green Bay’s offense was on point for most of the game. Jordan Love looked confident, and several receivers and Tucker Kraft were annihilating the pass coverage. Green Bay looks confident, and we’ll find out if they can handle their success throughout the season.

4) TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Tampa won another thriller in back-to-back weeks. This must feel good for Baker because he lost a lot of those thrillers in his career. They also avenged that loss against Houston two seasons ago…at Houston. Defense put a stranglehold on CJ Stroud until the fourth quarter. That was enough for Baker and company to take care of the rest on a crucial last drive to win. Tampa will be a hard out the whole season as long as everyone’s healthy.

3) BALTIMORE RAVENS

Baltimore bounced back in a big way. They sent Joe Flacco to the bench with a possibility of fans stitching another quarterback loss on a Browns fan’s (or fans’) jersey. I could explain more but we’re focused on the Ravens. They should be fine, but losing 2024 sack leader Kyle Van Noy for multiple weeks hurts their pass rush.

2) BUFFALO BILLS

Josh Allen and the Bills sent the Jets crashing down hard, leaving Justin Fields concussed. They’re gaining momentum off their big comeback win against Baltimore and looking like a Super Bowl contender. Real early, but they’re looking good as of right now.

1) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Jalen Hurts wasn’t perfect, but he wasn’t bad either. It was a hard-fought grinder in their Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs. AJ Brown finally arrived with a few more receptions unlike last week. Philly’s defense struggled stopping Pat Mahomes, but they made the rest of the offense struggle and work for every yardage. The Eagles have now won three straight meetings since their Super Bowl loss in the first meeting with Kansas City.