THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

8:20 PM New England Patriots (1-1) at New York Jets (1-1)

AFC East Clash Has Possible Serious Ramifications

    It is not uncommon for a team to look back upon its season and find that an early season win or loss was the main reason a team made or missed the playoffs. This matchup between these two AFC East foes could be just such an encounter. It is the first divisional game for the two franchises and, in what is shaping up as a very competitive East, every divisional game has an increased value.

Final Analysis: A straight sim game so NO LINE 

1:00 PM New York Giants (1-1) at Cleveland Browns (1-1)

Will Dog Pound Take Bite Out of G-Men?

     The Giants may have taken a huge positive step last week with their convincing, 23-3, rout over the rival Washington Commanders. QB Daniel Jones was outstanding connecting on 16 of 19 passes (84%) for 220 yards and a touchdown! They also got a healthy does of running out of tailbacks Tyron Tracy (6-70) and Devin Singletary (20-48-1). The balance might be the way this team needs to go in the future with the club relying on a solid defense, conservative but efficient play from Daniels, and a grinding running game. The Browns ran into an absolute defensive buzzsaw in the form of the Jacksonville Jaguars and were blanked, 30-0! QB DeShaun Watson would be sacked 10 times and complete only 40% of his passes (11-27) for 136 yards, HB Nick Chubb would get locked up for 42 yards on 19 carries, and the team would record a mere 8 total first downs on the day!

  New York has a good enough defense to give Cleveland fits. The pass protection for Watson has been, to put it politely, somewhat less than desirable as the QB has been dropped 10 times in each of the first two regular season contests! That means Cleveland must get a solid running game going with Chubb if they hope to be successful on offense. They won their first game of the year over the Dallas Cowboys due to a good ground game and an excellent defense but, still, the team posted only 16 points. Cleveland enters this one with a miserable 6-29 (20%) third down conversion rate.

  The G-Men have a somewhat similar dilemma. Last week they may have discovered that their best formula for success is, like the Browns, a good running game, conservative passing from Daniels, and a rock solid defense. So, it seems, whichever team can best run the football, and help out their quarterback in the process, should come out on top in this one. A key has to be the production, or lack of, from Cleveland DE Myles Garrett. To date, the top tier end has not posted a single sack and has a lone TFL. New York LT Andrew Thomas is very good and how this matchup plays itself out could be a huge factor. One has to figure, though, that Garrett cannot be held down forever. 

   Final Analysis: It is pretty evident how these two clubs have to play in order to win games consistently. The Giants seemed to have taken a step forward last week while Cleveland took a step back. Still, the formula for winning is the same and really has not changed. The sack totals Watson is enduring, though, is a real killer and, unless the Browns can get that figured out, losing is likely to continue. New York 21-15. 

 1:00 PM Green Bay Packerss (2-0) at Tennessee Titans (1-1)

Packers Griping Despite 2-0 Start?

   It is not very often a team starts their campaign going 2-0 yet finds room to complain about their quarterback play. That is, though, exactly what the Packers have been doing! All Jordan Love has done is complete 68% of his pass attempts for 455 yards (227.5 YPG) without throwing a single interception and compiling a very good 102.9 QBR! His ability to avoid the turnover has enabled Green Bay to enter this game leading the PFL with a +4 turnover margin. The bigger problem, if there is one, might be found in a running game that has had its two primary running backs, Josh Jacobs and Marshawn LLoyd, combine for 97 yards rushing on 28 carries (3.46 YPC).

   The Packers head to Tennesssee to face a Titans' team that lacks a full time coaching staff and does not possess enough weapons to truly challenge them this week. They should be able to get the attack going and control whatever Tennessee throws at them offensively.

   Final Analysis: Green Bay is a talented squad that should play well all year long. While there may be some frustration with the offensive production from Love ( 1 TD pass), the internal criticism is likely more due to a strong desire to win and a goal to attain perfection. For now, that goal will remain intact. Green Bay 30-18. 

1:00 PM Chicago Bears (0-2) at Indianapolis Colts (0-2) 

Winless Teams in Near Must-Win Situations

   Little has gone right for either of these two franchises. The Bears remain without steady leadership while the Colts cannot score. Indianapolis is coming off a, 21-0, whitewashing at the hands of the Green Bay Packers and the club has not scored a touchdown yet!

   The Colts did get a solid game out of HB Jonathan Taylor (18-93), but QB Anthony Richardson threw for a woefully low 76 yards and, quite frankly, the offense is a mess. Richardson has completed only 50% of his attempts and rushed just 4 times for 5 yards. He should be a dynamic read option player, but the Colts have elected, thus far, to not unleash the young signal caller.

   Final Analysis: The Bears have no steady coaching staff. The Colts have to get their offense figured out ASAP. This is likely a very low scoring game, but ya have to figure Indy starts scoring sooner or later right? Chicago 17-14.

1:00 PM Houston Texans (2-0) at Minnesota Vikings (1-1)

Talent-laden Texans seek 3-0 Start. Vikes Look to Rebound From Tough Loss to Niners

   Houston enters the game as the #1 scoring team in the PFL (30.5 PPG) and are averaging 128.5 YPG rushing! The Vikings are averaging 24.5 PPG and do not have a rushing touchdown yet on the young season. 

   The Texans sacked Chicago rookie QB Caleb Williams 9 times last week in the Houston, 37-20, victory. HB Joe Mixon rolled up 106 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns, while Chicago back D'Andre Swift was completely bottled up gaining a mere 29 yards on 15 carries. The offensive balance and the defensive prowess are really gelling, at the moment, for the front running Texans.

  Minnesota dropped a hard fought, 22-20, game to San Francisco last week. QB Sam Darnold had another fine performance completing 85% of his throws (17-20) for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns. He did, though, suffer 8 sacks. Tailback Aaron Jones could not get going again last week (15-29) and the lack of a consistent running game might be starting to hurt the club. The defense racked up Niner QB Brock Purdy 10 times, but he was still able to throw for 375 yards and two scores. Purdy was forced to the air mostly due to a Viking run defense that was stellar, limiting top back Christian McCaffrey to 39 yards on 14 carries.

  A potential key in this one could be the early downs for the Texans. If Minnesota can get Houston into third down, they can win as the Texans have been converting at just a 33% third down clip (7-21) to date.

   Final Analysis: Houston is very talented and has been able to maintain a balanced offensive approach that has been hard to stop. The defense is very good as well. Minnesota might not be able to score enough to win this one.  Houston 28-18.

1:00 PM Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) at New Orleans Saints (2-0)

Surprising Saints Face Tough NFC East Opponent

   The Eagles are probably the most talented team in the NFC East. QB Jalen Hurts did not commit an interception after tossing two in Philadelphia's week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers. However, he would be sacked 11 times by the Atlanta Falcons' defense which tempered his, otherwise, stellar 328 yards passing on just 13 completions (25.23 YPC)! Philly has not been able to get HB Saquon Barkley going yet. The Ex-Giant star back ran only 8 times, in week 1, for 25 yards and, while he did touch the ball 18 times this past week, he followed up his week 1 performance with only 54 yards rushing! Simply put, the Eagles' running game has got to be much better than it has been thus far. The Saints have found different ways to win their first two games. In week 1, it was the bruising running of HB Alvin Kamara combined with 364 yards passing and 2 touchdowns from QB Derek Carr enroute to a high scoring, 32-29, win over a game Carolina Panthers' squad. This past week, though, it would be a suffocating defense that did not allow the Dallas Cowboys a single offensive score in the, 8-2, win. Kamara ran the ball as usual, but was held in check, finishing with 59 yards on 23 carries and Carr threw for only 148 yards. In a bit of an oddity, both Dallas and New Orleans had safeties with New Orleans getting two field goals from K Riley Patterson to account for all the offensive output...

   Final Analysis: Neither team has been good inside the red zone. Philly has 1 touchdown in 5 RZ trips (20%) while the Saints have 1 with 8 ventures (12%). However, the Eagles are a -3 in turnover ratio while New Orleans is dead even. In a stunning stat, the Saints have ceded 11 yards rushing in two games and that does not bode well for a Philly team that needs to run the ball better. The Eagles have the better talent, but the Saints might have the better formula right now. New Orleans 20-18.

1:00 PM Los Angeles Chargers (0-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)

Joltless Bolts to Be Tested By Tough Steelers' D?

    It is, at times, hard to figure out just exactly why QB Justin Herbert is not playing at the level many expect  him to be at. The Charger QB has only been sacked 6 times, so he has not been under duress, yet the beleagured signal caller has thrown 5 interceptions, has a very low 65.1 QBR, and his poor play is certainly the single biggest reason for the early season hole his team finds itself in. The defense has done its part with edge rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack accounting for 6 sacks thus far and the secondary has swiped 4 picks, but the offense is generating just 15.5 PPG. The lack of scoring punch does not bode well for the Chargers as they face a Pittsbugh defense that is playing at a very high plateau. The Steelers are allowing an AFC low 8 PPG and have let an opponent get into the red zone just once!

   If the Chargers can get Herbert and the offense untracked, they can beat anyone. This might not be the week for that, however. The game still figures to be a tight one as Pittsburgh has had quite a few offensive problems as well, coming in averaging only 10 PPG! Neither Justin Fields or Russell Wilson have a touchdown pass on the season and halfback Najee Harris is averaging a paltry 2.4 YPC!

   Final Analysis: Two clubs that are really struggling on offense, but the Steelers are playing the better brand of defense. Pittsburgh 17-13.

1:00 PM Denver Broncos (1-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)

Broncos and Young Nix in Florida to Face Rugged Bucs

   How rookie QB Bo Nix plays this season will, in all liklihood, determine the Broncos' yearn. In week 1, the Ex-Oregon Duck was harrassed all game long by a swarming Seattle Seahawks' defense that sacked him 8 times and never let him get comfortable. Last week, Nix bounced back nicely completing 27 of 33 pass attempts (81%) for 216 yards, a touchdown, no picks, and 1 sack. Much of his success, though, was due to a re-emergence of HB Javonte Williams who powered the ball 22 times for 79 yards. A key play in the game came when Nix ran a designed draw play an electric 29 yards on a third and long situation to move the chains. Tampa Bay remained undefeated as QB Baker Mayfield was, well, perfect! Mayfield would complete every one of his 15 throws for 189 yards and 3 touchdowns to finish with a perfect 158.3 QBR! HB Rachaad White toted the pigskin time and again rushing 34 times for 144 yards, while the Bucs' defense crushed Detoit QB Jared Goff to the tune of 13 sacks!

   Final Analysis: Nix and the Broncos have settled into a conservative approach. They may have some trouble running the ball against a very good Tampa Bay front seven and that could force Nix into bad situations. Tampa Bay has shown it can win with Mayfield combined with the grueling running of White and a hard hitting defense. Tampa Bay 27-16.   

4:05 PM PM Carolina Panthers (1-1) at Las Vegas Raiders (1-1)

Panthers Hope to Claw Vegas

 Second year QB Bryce Young is starting to hear the grumblings already. He is playing better, but his 4 interceptions and 86.1 QBR has dampened his 297 YPG passing stat. He could use more from the running game, in particular from HB Chuba Hubbard who has carried the ball only 11 times! And the defense has posted an NFC worst 5 sacks and 1 takeaway leading to a -3 team turnover ratio. The Raiders have been a bit surprising with a pretty solid running game. Little known newcomer, Ex-New Hampshire Wildcat HB Dylan Laube has rushed 16 times for 138 yards (8.6 YPC) and a touchdown so far! QB Gardner Minshew has played to about his skill level, but he has been sacked 13 times and has 2 picks to his 2 touchdowns.

   Final Analysis: The Panthers need to get the ground game going to help out Young and his WR corps. Vegas leads the AFC in turnover margin mostly due to a defense that has 5 takeaways (4 INTs and a Fumble Recovery) and that could spell trouble for the turnover prone Young. The Raiders have also been pretty stout against the run allowing only 64.5 YPG.  Las Vegas 23-17.

4:05 PM Miami Dolphins (1-1) at Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

Pair of 1-1 Clubs Try to Stay Above .500

   The Miami Dolphins fell apart in the second half of a tight game against the rival Buffalo Bills getting outscored 26-6 in the back end of the game. The running game was virtually shut down as HB Raheem Mostert could not double up on his sparkling week 1, 145 yard effort against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Buffalo's defense would stuff him for 13 yards on 10 carries which, in turn, put too much pressure on a weak offensive line to give QB Tua Tagovailoa time to get the ball to his speedy wideouts. The Dolphin defense actually played well again, holding the Bills to 199 total yards of offense, but the lack of Miami offense and two interceptions doomed the team. Seattle's normally potent defense got shredded by Patriots' RB Rhamondre Stevenson who ripped through them for 155 yards on 35 carries. The inability to stop the run, then put the secondary into too many unpredictable down and distance situations setting up rookie QB Drake Maye to hit them for 260 yards and 2 touchdowns while getting sacked just 4 times. Seattle also had a tough time getting HB Kenneth Walker going. He rushed 16 times for 54 yards and when the Seahawks cannot run the ball, it seems, they suffer offensively.

   Both teams want to be able to run the ball in order to cover some weaknesses in the passing game. For Seattle it is QB Geno Smith while, for the Dolphins, it is a weak offensive line. Seattle likes to blitz a lot as evidenced by the fact that LBs Tyrel Dodson, Jerome Baker, and Boye Mafe have combined for 24 TFLs and rank 1st, 2nd, and 4th, respectively as the team leaders in that category.  Miami plays a much different defensive scheme. Their top player in TFLs is DT Danny Shelton with 7 and that total would rank 4th if he were with Seattle! 

   The Seahawks have been much better on third down (10-25-40%) than Miami (5-21-23%) which is an indicator of how important first and second down is to these two clubs. Seattle's red zone D has been excellent and they have allowed just 1 touchdown out of 7 red zone defensive stands (12%). 

   Final Analysis: Both teams boast solid secondaries that could slow down the passing game of their opponent. That means the running game will probably be a big factor and that heavily favors Seattle with Walker over Miami with a weaker O-line and Mostert. Seattle 28-22.

4:25 PM Baltimore Ravens (2-0) at Dallas Cowboys (0-2)

Two Teams Heading in Opposite Directions? Jerruh's World Not Sold Out!

    The Baltimore Ravens come to Jerruh's World undefeated and with two impressive wins under their belt. The Dallas Cowboys, meanwhile, entertain the Ravens as the lowest scoring team in the NFC and the second worst rushing team in all of football. On a two game skid to start their campaign, ATT&T Stadium will not be a sell out according to the Dallas Morning News...

   Baltimore opened their year with a big win over the Kansas City Chiefs on a Thursday night and followed that up with a, 26-16, defeat of the Las Vegas Raiders, QB LaMar Jackson was superb completing 16 of 20 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns and finished with a 152 QBR despite being sacked 8 times. The run defense could have been better as a pair of Vegas backs, Kareem Hunt and Dylan Laube, combined for 18 carries and 125 yards rushing.

   The Cowboys seem in complete offensive disarray at the moment. As stated above the running game has been virtually non-existent and QB Dak Prescott has not been able to fill the void. Prescott would be dropped 8 times and have a long completion of just 13 yards as his Pokes lost, 8-2, to New Orleans! The defense actually played very well recording a safety and surrendering just two field goals, but the effort came up short. The defense would get after Saints' QB Derek Carr and restrict him to just 148 yards passing and, at the same time, stymie HB Alvin Kamara for 59 yards rushing on 23 carries!

   Final Analysis: For the second consecutive week the Dallas' defense has played tremendous football only to watch an inept offense squander the game away. The defense allowed the Cleveland Browns to muster a meager 160 yards of offense and doubled that up by holding Baltimore to only 209 yards! If the team can figure out some way to get the offense going, they could be a tough out. The Ravens are very talented and well coached and will make few mistakes. They should easily shut down the Cowboys if Dallas plays anything like it has in weeks 1 and 2 and, if that happens, the Ravens should not need much to put this one in the win column. Baltimore 21-12.

GAME OF THE WEEK

4:25 PM San Francisco 49ers (2-0) at Los Angeles Rams (2-0)

Week 3 NFC West Showdown! Upstart Niners Hoping to End Rams' Divisional Dominance. LA Continuing Winning Ways With New Coaching Staff.

    The San Francisco 49ers have not been seen as a serious contender in recent times within the PFL. But, they have won their first two contests and can take a massive step in the right direction should they be able to topple the Rams this week at SOFI Stadium. The Rams' new coaching staff, as has been well documented, has been playing under the shadow of the departed, and very successful, coach Mike Kleinknecht. A big win here could jettison the team to another West Division crown and silence the naysayers and doubters.

   Both teams are among the league leaders offensively. The Rams are 5th in scoring averaging 28 PPG while the Niners are right behind at #7 averaging 26 PPG. The two clubs are ranked #1 and #2 passing the ball with San Fran leading the PFL putting up 275 YPG through the air and LA is right there passing at a 260 YPG clip! Niners' QB Brock Purdy has thrown for 661 yards with 4 touchdowns and a 105.7 QBR. Matt Stafford has thrown for 559 yards and 6 touchdowns while posting a 122.3 QBR. There are a few differentials separating the two signal callers, however. Purdy has been sacked 15 times compared to Stafford's 7 while Stafford has flipped 3 interceptions compared to Purdy's 1. The two teams are tied (with 34) for first downs in the league along with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Arizona Cardinals. Both teams are very close in third down conversion rate with the Rams at 46% and the Niners at 44%. However, there is an intriguing difference here as San Fran has found themselves in 29 third down situations (tied for third most in the league!) while LA has faced third down just 15 times!

   Defense could determine the victor. The Rams, despite no longer having the services of all-time great DL Aaron Donald, have still found their way to the opposing QB for some 17 sacks, while San Fran has rolled up 11. The number of third downs San Fran seems to encounter could pave the way for the Rams' pass rush to become a factor. That means HB Christian McCaffrey has to be impactful. The San Francisco top back has just 86 yards on the ground on 28 carries (3.1 YPC). He might, though, be able to find some wiggle room versus a Rams' defense that has given up 178 rushing (89 YPG) yards thus far.

   Final Analysis: Both teams could use a running game in this one. San Fran has absorbed more sacks and really needs McCaffrey to get it going here. The obvious lack of true success on first and second down is leading to too many third down situations and, consequently, too much pressure. San Fran has, arguably, played the tougher slate with games against the Jets and Vikings while LA has beaten the Cardinals and Lions who have a combined 0-4 record. If McCaffrey gets going, San Fran should win. but he has not as of yet so...Los Angeles 26-22.  

4:25 PM Detroit Lions (0-2) at Arizona Cardinals (0-2)

Somebody Gonna Get That First W. Somebody Else Gonna be in Big Trouble.

   It is still very early in the season but, as the old saying goes "It's getting late early." The loser of this matchup will have a major hill to climb in order to have any shot at the playoffs. The winner keeps their season afloat for at least another week...

   The Lions have as much talent as any team in the NFC. They have, though, had considerable problems trying to pass protect for QB Jared Goff. Goff was sacked 9 times and threw two interceptions in a week 1, 28-7, loss to the Rams as the Lions fell behind 28-0 at the half! Goff would then suffer an incredible 13 more sacks by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as Detroit was solidly whipped, 37-14, last week. The defense was unable to stop the Bucs' running game giving up 167 yards rushing. The lone bright spot was the outstanding performance by WR Jameson Williams who caught five balls for 190 yards and two long touchdowns.

   Arizona has had their own share of problems, particularly stopping the run. In week 1, the D gave up 146 yards rushing to the Buffalo Bills in a narrow, 20-13, defeat. Last week, Rams' HB Kyren Williams was able to find his way for 92 yards rushing as the Cards came up a bit short again, 28-24. If a few things went their way, they could just as easily be 2-0 but, as they say, that is how the cookie crumbles. The second problem is pass protecion for QB Kyler Murray. Murray has been able to put up solid numbers despite being sacked 21 times! He had 304 yards and a touchdown against the Bills and then added 288 more yards and another touchdown versus the Rams.

   Final Analysis: Both teams have had all types of problems in pass protection and, unless that gets resolved, the sack totals are likely going to keep mounting up. The Lions have players up front that can get after Murray especially DE Aidan Hutchinson who has 3 sacks already. Arizona does not have quite the pass rush capability as Detroit and that could be the difference here. Detroit 26-20.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

8:20 PM Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) at Atlanta Falcons (0-2)

KC Searching For Right Mix. ATL In Must-Win Deal?

     In past years, the Kansas City Chiefs have dominated the regular season with an over-powering offense and a sack happy defense that saw the club roll to lopsided victories week after week. So far this campaign, however, the Chiefs seem to be still trying to figure out how to get back to the style of football they have become accustomed to playing. KC has been an elite pass rushing unit for years now, but they have recorded only 6 sacks to date (14th in the AFC) and have allowed an AFC most 556 yards passing! At the same time, the normally hi-octane offense has sputtered a bit. They are scoring at a 19.5 PPG rate hi-lited by an AFC low 61 yards rushing! This is, clearly, not the Chiefs we have become used to seeing. The Falcons, meanwhile, lug in an 0-2 slate and really cannot afford to start 0-3. The offense has been, well, anemic averaging an amazingly low 6 PPG! They have converted just 8 times out of 26 third down situations (30%) and the offense has gotten into the red zone an NFC worst 2 times thus far! To compound matters, the Falcons have been flagged 12 times (2nd most in the NFC) already for 67 yards.

   QB Patrick Mahomes has completed only 58% of his attempts on the season (37-70). While it is true he is averaging 318 YPG, he has 4 TD passes and 3 picks while being sacked an incredible 21 times! The sheer number of sacks is killing the offense and limiting the ability to run the ball effectively. HB isiah Pacheco has been among the league leaders in rushing for awhile now and his 21-62-3 YPC stat line is way below his normal numbers. Obviously, KC joins a group of teams that has to figure out a way to protect their quarterback better.

   Atlanta has played very good defense and has been able to hang their hat on the play of that side of the ball. They may catch the Chiefs in a state of flux here and pull off the upset. The D has allowed just 11 PPG with 15 sacks while giving up only 57 YPG versus the run. If they can keep Pacheco under wraps another week, and get after Mahomes like others have, they can win this one. 

   Final Analysis: Both teams really seeking answers to their offensive woes. The Chiefs, though, have a much higher ceiling to their attack than Atlanta has, although the Falcons do have quite a bevy of weapons in the form of TE Kyle Pitts, WR Drake London, and HB Bijan Robinson. However, Atlanta likes to put an emphasis on speed and free agent acquisition WR Tyquan Thornton has become the primary receiving target with 14 receptions for 191 yards. Sooner or later one has to believe the Chiefs will get this straightened out. Will it be this week?  Kansas City 27-18.  

EARLY MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

7:30 PM Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) at Buffalo Bills (2-0)

Upstart Bills to Get Fired Up Jags in Meaningful AFC Clash

   The Jacksonville Jaguars were able to put their week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins behind them and turned in an impressive, 30-0, rout of the Cleveland Browns last time out. QB Trevor Lawrence was sharp completing 11 of 16 passes for 250 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 turnovers, and just 4 sacks. RB Travis Etienne recorded his second consecutive 100+ yards rushing effort steam-rolling Cleveland for 158 yards on 28  carries and was over-powering despite his two fumbles. The Buffalo Bills, meanwhile, got one of their biggest regular season wins in a while as they bested the Miami Dolphins, 36-16, in a prime-time Thursday Night Football battle. The offense was not great, recording only 199 total yards, but the defense was excellent shutting down the Dolphins' running game completely, and harrassing QB Tua Tagovailoa all game long.

   Buffalo has been winning with a rock solid defense and an opportunistic offense. They will need to contend with the running of Etienne and the passing of Lawrence in this one. They may be able to limit Etienne as the D is tops in the AFC verus the run allowing only 44.5 YPG. If they can slow him down, then they can concentrate on Lawrence. He has been sacked 12 times, and the Bills do have 16 traps to their credit, but he has been very good at protecting the football with no picks as of yet. Jacksonville might be able to get after QB Josh Allen, but their defense has not posted a single take-away yet and they may need 1 or 2 to win this one. The lack of take-aways has J-Ville coming in with a -3 turnover number compared to the Bills' +2.

   Final Analysis: Buffalo has been dedicated to running the football and keeping Josh Allen upright. They have done both well with HB James Cook toting it 49 times and fellow back Ray Davis an additonal 10 times. Jacksonville has been a bit vulnerable to the run allowing 94.5 YPG and that could really aide the Buffalo cause. Still, the Jags looked awfully good last week and it is wholly possible they may be able to continue that success here. Expect a rugged game but gonna go with the Jags. Jacksonville 23-20.

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

8:15 PM Washington Commanders (0-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-0)

DC's Rook Jayden Daniels OK But O is Missing Punch. Cinci Bunch Riding High After Dumping KC

    The Commanders have gotten good enough play out of rookie QB Daniels, but the running game has been dreadful and the team is averaging just 10 PPG. Daniels has completed 63% (31-49) of his pass attempts and his averaging 197.5 YPG without a pick, but he also does not have a touchdown pass on the season yet. Backs Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson should be one of the better tandems in the league, but they have combined for just 23 carries and 49 yards in the first two games. Cinci QB Joe Burrow has not been great. He has completed only 59% of his throws (32-54) and has tossed 3 picks to just 4 touchdowns to date. However, the running game has been steady with Chase Brown and Zach Moss totalling 190 yards on 39 combined carries. The Bengals are tied for second in the PFL averaging 28.5 PPG.

   The problem for Washington has to be if the offense can score enough to stay with the Bengals. Cinci is allowing just 57.5 YPG against the run and, if DC cannot run the ball, it is not likely the young Daniels can carry the club to victory. 

   Final Analysis: Washington's inability to run is putting way too much on the arm of Daniels. They will probably have trouble running this week as well. Cincinnati 26-16.