Week 2 gives bettors a full board, and the card has a little bit of everything: a favorite, an underdog, and a total that stands out right away.
The cleanest play on the board might be Raiders-Chargers, where the total sits at 43.5 even though both defenses have already shown cracks. The Bears’ Week 1 blowout win has also created what looks like an overreaction spot in their NFC North matchup with the Vikings.
Chicago piled up 59 points, but the numbers still weren’t pretty. The Bears finished 15th in Net Yards per Play at 0.2, with the defense doing plenty of the damage.
They were 22nd in opponent EPA per play and 20th in opponent success rate.
That’s why the argument here is to look past the scoreboard and at what actually happened underneath it. Defense still matters, and the source points to last season’s Cowboys as the reminder: a top-three offense and no playoff berth.
The Chargers, meanwhile, bring their own defensive issues into the week. After losing their defensive coordinator a year ago, Jesse Minter, who is now the head coach in Baltimore, there were questions about how that side of the ball would hold up.
Week 1 did nothing to calm them. Los Angeles lost to the Arizona Cardinals and now sits 27th in defensive DVOA, 23rd in opponent EPA per play, and 25th in defensive success rate.
That’s why the low-40s number feels off, especially with the Raiders’ offense described as competent with Kirk Cousins at quarterback and Ashton Jeanty starting to find his rhythm behind an improved offensive line.
There’s also a Sunday night angle worth backing. In the Chiefs-Colts game, the pick is Kansas City to win and cover.
The case starts with the idea that the Chiefs might be all the way back. Eric Bieniemy’s return as offensive coordinator is framed as a key move, Patrick Mahomes is said to look healthy, and the backfield tandem of Kenneth Walker and Emmett Johnson got off to a fast start.
The Colts are carrying the opposite kind of momentum. Their defense looked atrocious against the Ravens, and Daniel Jones’ lack of mobility suggests he may still be dealing with a nagging injury that is limiting what he can do best. The read here is simple: Kansas City runs away with it.
In Other News...
Kirk Cousins Just Opened A Raiders Question Fans Cant Ignore
Kirk Cousins first two outings for Las Vegas offered a quick reminder of how fragile an offense can look when the quarterback play swings from week to week. In Week 1, the Raiders leaned on the run game to carry the offense while Cousins labored, but Week 2 told a very different story, with the veteran finding his rhythm and helping unlock a more aggressive passing approach.
The contrast matters because Las Vegas does not need two separate versions of its offense depending on the Sunday mood of its quarterback. When Cousins was sharp, the Raiders were able to push the ball and finish drives, even with the run game taking a step back, and that kind of balance is what the staff will be chasing going forward. The bigger question now is whether the Raiders can count on that version of Cousins to show up with any real consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Face A Bigger Marvin Harrison Jr. Question Than Fans Realize
The Raiders are already being linked to a receiver hunt before next year, and the conversation has quickly moved beyond simply adding another target. Trade ideas around a star like Justin Jefferson will always come with the obvious price tag in draft capital, but the broader question is whether Las Vegas should even be exploring a younger, more complicated name like Marvin Harrison Jr. if the opportunity ever surfaced.
Hondo Carpenter raised the possibility of Harrison, but he also made clear there are real doubts about whether the Arizona Cardinals receiver would be the right gamble for Las Vegas. The issue is not just talent, but whether the fit and the cost line up for a Raiders team trying to build something more stable at the position, rather than chasing a headline move that might not solve the long-term problem. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders May Finally Have Help For Maxx Crosby But One Doubt Remains
Malcolm Koonce gave the Raiders a much-needed glimpse of what the pass rush could look like around Maxx Crosby in Week 2 against the Chargers. In just 28 defensive snaps, he logged 1.5 sacks, three tackles, a forced fumble and multiple pressures, and the bigger takeaway was the way he got off the line compared with the opener. His burst and conditioning stood out, and for a defense looking for another reliable rotational edge presence, it was the kind of performance that turns heads quickly.
The question now is whether Koonce can sustain that level when the opposition gets tougher up front. The Raiders have been searching for help to lighten Crosbys load, and Koonces tape offered reason for optimism, but there is still a noticeable hurdle when he goes against top offensive linemen. Until he starts finishing those rushes more consistently and getting home faster in those matchups, the pass rush remains more of a work in progress than a finished answer. [Read more 🡒]