For two teams that started the season with Super Bowl aspirations, the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Chargers have kicked things off trending in opposite directions.
On one side, you have the Bills and Josh Allen, who have lit the field on fire over the first two weeks.
Buffalo has scored at least 36 points over its first two games, one of which came against the vaunted Houston Texans defence.
Excluding kneel-downs, 10 of their 18 offensive possessions this season have ended in touchdowns.
It’s been a sensational start under new head coach Joe Brady, but he thinks it could be even better.
“With the crew that we have, I’m (unhappy) every time we don’t (score a TD), if I’m being honest, and that’s not cocky,” Brady told reporters this week.
And then you have the Chargers, who are less worried about scoring touchdowns on every possession, and more worried about scoring, period.
The off-season addition of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has not lived up to its billing through two weeks.
They have scored just 14 points in each game, and have lost both as home favourites.
If you want a real indication of how bad things have been: The Chargers are the second team in NFL history to lose back-to-back games by double digits at home against teams that had a sub-.200 win percentage the previous season, per OptaSTATS.
The 1926 Racine Tornadoes, who played just one more game after those two losses before folding.
Yes, it’s been rough, but Chargers QB Justin Herbert isn’t hitting the panic button just yet.
“I trust those guys in that locker room, and so I don’t think anyone is panicked or worried, because that’s not going to do us any good,” Herbert said this week. “It’s moving on to the next play and understanding we’re close, we’ve made mistakes, how do we fix them, how do we move on.”
One thing working in the Chargers’ favour this week is that the Bills defence hasn’t been as formidable as their offence.
Buffalo has allowed 31 points in each game, so maybe, just maybe, this is where Herbert and the Chargers can start to find some traction.
Otherwise, things could start to spiral quickly in L.A., especially with a gauntlet of an upcoming schedule.
Here are some other storylines to keep an eye on in Week 3:
Rams’ Adams vs. Broncos’ Surtain in primetime showdown
After duds in Week 1, both the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos bounced back in Week 2 to show why they were both popular Super Bowl picks this season.
The Broncos pulled off a nice comeback victory over a good Jacksonville Jaguars sqaud, while the Rams dominated the New York Giants on Monday night.
But now the two square off in primetime Sunday night, and one is destined to fall to a 1-2 record.
The result in this one could very well come down to who wins the battle between Broncos corner Patrick Surtain II and Rams wide receiver Davante Adams.
The two had plenty of battles back when Adams played for the Raiders, with each winning their fair share.
“I got a lot of respect for a lot of guys, but he is definitely up there as far as one of the guys I have the most respect for,” Adams said of Surtain this week.
The matchup between the two stars becomes especially important this week, with Adams’ running mate Puka Nacua expected to miss his second straight game due to injury.
When Nacua was out last week against the Giants, the 33-year-old Adams turned back the clock and had his best game as a Ram. He hauled in eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns, while generating a career-high 84 receiving yards over expected, per Next Gen Stats.
But the Giants don’t have a corner near the level of Surtain, who is widely considered the best at the position.
If you like high-level route running against lockdown coverage, then this is a game for you.
Backup QBs take centre stage
If your favourite team’s starting QB is still standing, count yourself lucky.
Week 2 saw some devastating injuries to several of the young, up-and-coming signal callers.
Caleb Williams (hamstring) will likely miss at least one game, Jayden Daniels (elbow) has already been ruled out for Sunday, and Jaxson Dart (knee) appears done for the season.
That means some veteran backups will be thrust into the spotlight this week.
Marcus Mariota will start for the Commanders, the Bears may be forced to start third-stringer Case Keenum with backup Tyson Bagent in the concussion protocol, while Jameis Winston will get his first crack at taking over the Giants offence.
We’ll see if any of the veterans have any magic left in the tank.
Game to watch: New England Patriots (1-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) — Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
There will be a lot of eyes on Patriots quarterback Drake Maye Sunday.
Coming off a year when he finished just a few votes shy of taking home league MVP, Maye has looked shaky through two weeks.
He’s thrown one touchdown to four interceptions, which is already half as many as the eight he threw all of last year.
The Patriots have scored just 30 points in two games, and if not for their defence, could very well be 0-2.
“I think we’re finding ourselves,” Maye said this week. “I think every time you get into a new season with new guys, new players and you’re battling injuries, every team in the league is trying to improve. Really for us, it’s about finding ourselves.”
They will have to find themselves against a Jaguars team looking to bounce back after a second-half collapse against the Broncos in Week 2.
Otherwise, if it’s another poor showing from Maye, well, let’s just say that the Boston sports radio shows will have their main topic for the week.
Forrest’s Favourites (Season record: 3-0)
Texans at Colts — Pick: Texans -1.5: In a battle of two 0-2 teams, we will side with the team with one of the best defences in football.
Panthers at Browns — Pick: Panthers -2.5: The Browns had a feel-good win last week, but their offence still leaves a lot to be desired. It will probably be tough for them to keep up with the Panthers, who have scored 71 points through two weeks.
Rams at Broncos — Pick: Rams -2: We’re betting on Adams to win a couple matchups against Surtain and let Matthew Stafford take care of the rest.
Full Week 3 Schedule (All times ET)
Thursday, Sept. 24
Atlanta Falcons 35, Green Bay Packers 14
Sunday, Sept. 27
Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. ET
Carolina Panthers at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET
New York Jets at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET
New England Patriots at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET
Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET
Tennessee Titans at New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m. ET
Seattle Seahawks at Washington Commanders, 1 p.m. ET
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers, 4:05 p.m. ET
Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4:05 p.m. ET
Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), 4:25 p.m. ET
Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints, 4:25 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Rams at Denver Broncos, 8:20 p.m. ET
Monday, Sept. 28
Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears, 8:15 p.m. ET