Week 1 always has a way of shaking up the conversation, even if it can feel like a dressed-up preseason dress rehearsal. Teams are still settling in, timing is still coming together, and a lot can change fast.
But a win is still a win, and getting out of the gate at 1-0 matters. With Week 2 on the horizon, the NFC picture already has a few teams separating themselves from the pack - and a few others giving plenty of reason for concern.
At the bottom of this early NFC ranking sits Atlanta, and it’s not hard to see why. The Falcons opened with a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and while it wasn’t a blowout, there isn’t much comfort in the way things look right now.
The quarterback situation is the big problem, and it may end up defining the season. Tua Tagovailoa is already hurt, and Michael Penix Jr. still isn’t ready to step in as the starter as he works back from his knee injury.
Atlanta does have enough talent on both sides of the ball to piece together some wins, but that quarterback mess is the kind of issue that can drag a team down all year.
Right above them is Arizona, and the Cardinals are a tougher team to sort out after Week 1. Their win over the Los Angeles Chargers was impressive, no doubt about that.
Still, there are real reasons for caution here. Arizona is leaning on a high-end backup at quarterback, the schedule is brutal, and the defense doesn’t have enough talent across the board.
The offense has some lively pieces and enough playmaking to keep things interesting, but plenty of people around the league already expected this team to be near the bottom this season, and that view hasn’t gone away after one week.
In Other News...
Former Cardinals Pick BJ Ojulari Just Got Another NFL Chance
BJ Ojulari is getting another shot in the NFL, this time with the Jacksonville Jaguars after a stop in Arizona that never really got off the ground. The former Cardinals outside linebacker arrived as a second-round pick in 2023, but a knee injury quickly derailed his momentum and kept him from establishing the kind of role the team had envisioned for him.
Now the Jaguars are taking a chance on a player whose talent still made him worth a look after Arizona moved on from him before the 2024 season. Jacksonville appears to be adding him in response to an edge-rush need after Week 1, giving Ojulari a fresh path to prove he can still carve out a place in an NFL pass rush. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Get An Early Edge As Seahawks QB Situation Shifts
Sam Darnolds unexpected injury has already added an early wrinkle to the NFC West race, and it lands right in the Cardinals path. Seattles quarterback was hurt on a soft-tissue glute injury in Week 1 and is expected to sit out at least the Week 2 meeting with Arizona, shifting the pressure onto the Seahawks before the division schedule has really gotten rolling.
Mike Garafolo has suggested the recovery could stretch toward four weeks, though Seattle may choose to move carefully with its starter rather than rush him back. For now, Drew Lock is lined up to take over, giving Arizona a chance to face a different look under center in a game that could matter early in the division standings. [Read more 🡒]
Mike LaFleur Just Put Trey McBride In Rare Company
Mike LaFleurs first win as a head coach gave him plenty to talk about, but he also made sure to single out one of the Cardinals most important offensive pieces. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, LaFleur praised Trey McBrides mental and physical toughness, his ball skills and the way he leads, painting a picture of a tight end who already does plenty of heavy lifting for Arizona and still has more room to grow.
LaFleur went a step further by comparing McBrides ability to control the pace of a play to Luka Doncic, which is rare company for any pass catcher. The bigger takeaway for the Cardinals is what came next: LaFleur said McBride is still improving, a reminder that Arizona may be watching its top tight end enter the kind of stretch where the ceiling keeps creeping higher. [Read more 🡒]