Here are 10 things from NFL Week 2 that intrigue me:
1. Can the Los Angeles Rams score their first point of the season in the first game in Los Angeles since 1994? The Rams set offensive football back three decades with their performance against the 49ers on Monday night. They got shut out and barely moved the football. Now they get a fierce Seattle defense. Case Keenum will start at quarterback, but how long before they go to Jared Goff? Should be soon.
2. Seahawks offensive line vs. Rams defensive line: The Seattle offensive line gave up three sacks last week against Miami, but it was worse than that. Russell Wilson got out of a lot of trouble with his legs. The Rams defensive line, which didn't do much against the 49ers, has done a nice job against Wilson in recent years. They've hit him a bunch. He injured an ankle last week, so that could limit his mobility. The Rams sacked him 10 times in two games last season.
3. How will the Bengals defense try and slow Antonio Brown? Brown got his season off to a great start against the Redskins last Monday night with eight catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns. He is arguably the best receiver in the league. Brown took a flagged hit from Vontaze Burfict in last year's playoff game that kept him out the next week against Denver. Burfict is serving a suspension because of that hit. In the playoff game, the Bengals used different players to cover him in man, and they also used double coverage in zone against him. I would think that would be the strategy again here.
4. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense vs. the Vikings defense: Rodgers threw for just 199 yards last week against the Jaguars, and the Vikings are a much better defense. In two games last season against Minnesota -- going 1-1 -- Rodgers averaged 251 yards a game and had three touchdown passes. In both games his yards per attempt was under 7.0, which is rare in his career. He didn't have Jordy Nelson in those games, so that will be a factor in this one, even though Nelson didn't look all the way back last week from his knee surgery.
5. Will Kirk Cousins bounce back against the Cowboys? For a guy playing for a mega-contract, Cousins didn't get off to a great start to his season against the Steelers on Monday night. He wasn't terrible, but he threw two picks and didn't throw a touchdown pass. This was supposed to be a season where the Redskins were dynamic on offense. Now we have to see if Cousins can bounce back against the Cowboys this week. I think he can.
6. Can Carson Wentz and Jimmy Garoppolo do it two games in a row? They both looked good in winning their start last week. But now there is tape on them, which will help the defense. Wentz will also be making his first road start against the Bears. That's tough for a rookie. Garoppolo will be facing a Dolphins defense that did a nice job against Seattle last week. Both young QBs are 1-0, but will either get to 2-0? One will -- at least.
7. Andrew Luck against the No-Fly Zone secondary of the Broncos: Luck was sensational last week against the Lions in large part because he had to be. The Colts defense is a mess. Luck threw for 385 yards and four touchdowns. And lost. Now he faces a Denver defense that is one of the best in the NFL, and has been rested for 10 days since brutalizing Cam Newton. Luck beat the Broncos in the playoffs at Denver in January of 2015. Can he do it again?
8. Jameis Winston vs. the Cardinals aggressive defense: Winston had a great game last week at Atlanta, throwing four touchdown passes to four different Bucs receivers. But now comes a second straight road game against a team that lost at home last week. The Cardinals will throw a bunch of different looks at him and his offensive line. Winston plays smart, so there could be some big plays when he beats the blitz.
9. Will the league's running backs get going? There were only two 100-yard rushers last week. That tells you the way the game is played now. But guys like Adrian Peterson and Ezekiel Elliott, two players expected to have big seasons running it, weren't even close to 100 in Week 1. Is this the week the runners start getting their yards?
10. Will J.J. Watt get back to looking more like J.J. Watt against the Chiefs? Watt played 49 plays on defense last week in the opener against the Bears, his first action since offseason back surgery. He didn't get a sack, but he had three pressures and a tackle. He said he knocked off some rust last week, so expect more this week against the Chiefs.
