1. Anyone who was waiting for a Tom Brady regression will be waiting for quite a while
Entering his age 44 season, there were quite a few speculations (as there are every year) about whether we’d finally see the regression of Tom Brady. Last year the questions were hitting an all time high after lackluster performances to start the year, but after passing for 655 yards and 9 touchdowns within the first 2 games, its safe to say Brady is still playing at an elite level.
2. The West Divisions of the NFL remain the best divisions
While many are not surprised by the early season success of the NFC West, every team except for Seattle walks into week 3 without a loss, you could not say the same about the AFC West. The Chiefs obviously are a super bowl front runner and feature the best QB in the league, but the other teams in that division are surprising quite a few as well. The Raiders sit at 2-0 after dismantling a Pittsburgh defense that absolutely shut down an explosive Bills Offense just last week. The Broncos moved to 2-0 after a career day from Cortland Sutton(9 receptions 159 yards) and forcing Trevor Lawrence into 2 picks. And while the Chargers loss on the final play of the game to Dallas, they showed that they are not the same team that went 7-9 last year. Both of these divisions have clear super bowl contenders and i wouldn’t be surprised if the super bowl matchup was a bout between 2 teams from these stacked divisions.
3. Zeke is no longer the best running back on the Dallas Cowboys
Watching Sunday’s bout between the Cowboys and Chargers, it was evidently clear that Ezekiel Elliott is no longer the best running back on the Cowboys. Sure, he reached 97 total yards on 18 touches but he only averaged 4.4 yards a carry compared to the 8.4 yards that Pollard averaged. Pollard, who had 140 total yards while also handling kick and punt return duties, is the much more explosive back while also being the superior pass catcher as well. Even though dallas is strapped to Zeke because of the extension they gave him 2 years ago, they would be wise to give the bulk of their carries to Pollard in the future.
4. Even with all the injuries, the Ravens identity remains in their run game
Heading into week 1, the Ravens we’re in between a rock and a hard place as their team had been dismantled by injuries, specifically, their entire backfield. They lost running backs 1,2, and 3 on the depth chart, including rising star JK Dobbins who had just ran for 800 yards and 9 touchdowns yards his rookie year. Most could’ve assumed that Baltimore would begin to lean on the passing game and the arm of Lamar Jackson which had seemed to be the case against Oakland on the MNF opener. The results weren’t what Baltimore was expecting as they started off strong but only managed to score one touchdown in the 2nd half/OT. Week 2 though, was a totally different story. After an opening drive that resulted in a Tyrann Mathieu pick six, they went back to the run game and leaned on their run game to not only come back, but win game, rushing for 251 yards as a team in a physical domination. Although the injuries have been racking up for Baltimore, they remain at their best when they run the football.
5. The Rams may be the best team in the NFL
When the Rams made the trade for Matthew Stafford, many believed that it would catapult LA into super bowl contention. So far, so good. After a beautiful debut on sunday night football against Chicago, he continued his success against the Colts, leading his team to a win in OT. The Rams defense also looks very strong once again, led by all pros Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, this unit looks to be among the best in the NFL. As long as this team can stay healthy and consistent, they are a super bowl favorite.
6. Kyler Murray is taking the leap into superstardom
Kyler Murray has easily been one of the most impressive players of the 2021 NFL season so far. After a good but not great season last year, many were expecting him to truly breakout and join the ranks of the elite QBs and he’s done exactly that. After torching the Tennessee defense last week, he picked up right where he left off against Minnesota, passing for 400 yards and 3 touchdowns. If he can keep this play up, the 3rd year QB from Oklahoma can be lifting his first MVP trophy by February.
TheDyspatch 