A Division Overview of the First Two Weeks of the NFL’s 100th Season
The beginning of the 100th NFL season has been nothing short of compelling, and may be one of the most hyped up seasons in recent memory. Even though there have only been two games thus far in the season, a lot has been revealed about the direction that many teams are going.
In the AFC East, the Patriots look to easily take the young division by storm after a dominating 2-0 start to the season, outscoring their opponents 76-3 in total. With the Dolphins looking to rebuild through this year’s draft and the Jets’ second-year quarterback, Sam Darnold, out with mono, the Patriots will only have to worry about the Bills in their division, who do not look quite as ready to be a playoff team this season.
The AFC West is also no surprise as the Chiefs are off to a hot 2-0 start with their offense led by 2019 MVP Patrick Mahomes, who is already up to seven touchdowns and over 800 passing yards this season. The rest of the division looks like a cakewalk for them as the Raiders seem to still be recovering from their offseason drama with Antonio Brown, as well as Denver’s early problems with newly acquired quarterback, Joe Flacco.
With Ben Roethlisberger now out for the rest of the year with an elbow injury, the AFC North now looks wide open for the taking for both the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. As Lamar Jackson looks like an early MVP candidate with seven touchdowns in two weeks, Baker Mayfield hopes to finally silence the media and prove why he was taken with the first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft with the help of newly acquired Odell Beckham Jr. via trade this summer. The two second-year quarterbacks look to lead their teams into the playoffs for the first time in their careers and prove their worth and leadership to their respective franchise.
Formerly projected as an easy division for the Colts to win going into the season, the sudden retirement of a prime Andrew Luck has left the AFC South open for the taking. Jacoby Brissett of the Colts is looking to fill the gap of Luck’s absence as the new starting quarterback of the team after signing a two-year extension worth $30 million, but the Titans also look to take the division with quarterback Marcus Mariota on his contract year, hoping to secure a large contract after this season. The Texans also look just as good to take the division with elite wide receiver Deandre Hopkins, and quarterback Deshaun Watson leading the offensive side with J.J. Watt and Jadaveon Clowney controlling the defensive end with their elite pass-rushing.
In the NFC East, Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot of the Cowboys look to take the league by storm and win the division, with their only challenge in the division being the injury-ridden Eagles. Dak Prescott is also looking to earn himself a contract worth over $35 million per year, and taking the division would only help his case. The Giants aim to rebuild the team with Saquon Barkley already emerging as their offensive star for the next decade, also announcing that first round pick, Daniel Jones, will start over Eli Manning for week three.
In the NFC West, the Seahawks, led by the highest paid player in the league, Russell Wilson, the Rams, who lost in the Super Bowl last season, and a young 49ers squad are all off to 2-0 starts as they look to improve upon their last seasons.
The NFC North looks to be close as all teams are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to make the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers, arguably the greatest quarterback talent of this generation, hopes to finally have a healthy season and make a deep playoff run with the best defense he’s had in years to back him up. The Bears also look like a tough squad to compete with because of their ferocious defense led by Khalil Mack, but Mitchell Trubisky seems to have already reached his ceiling for improvement with a lackluster first two weeks. The Vikings have stayed in the conversation because of star running back, Dalvin Cook, who is the league leader in rushing yards so far in the season.
The NFC South is an awkward division, as there is really no clear team that could make any sort of push in the postseason. Cam Newton of the Panthers looks like a shell of his former MVP-self and seems to have not recovered from his former injuries, leaving Christian McCaffery to carry the workload on offense. Drew Brees is out for at least six weeks, putting the Saints in a difficult position to compete for the first half of the season until Brees returns. The Falcons, even with elite receiver Julio Jones, look inconsistent as Matt Ryan has yet to find his groove with passing the ball. The Buccaneers lead the division so far, yet also lack any starpower on offense to really be seen as a threat to any major team in the conference.
With the season only just starting, it is already off to a phenomenal and entertaining start as the NFL celebrates its 100th season.