Storylines From the First Two Weeks of the NFL Season

The 2023-24 NFL season is underway, and it is shaping up to be one of the most competitive years in recent memory. Only two weeks into the season, new contenders hoping to make a jump and major injuries to key players have drastically shifted the dynamics of the league.

What happened to the Bengals?

After dropping two games to divisional opponents in arguably the hardest division in the league, it’s hard not to doubt the Cincinnati Bengals’ chances going forward, especially with Joe Burrow reaggravating his calf injury that was brushed off by both the team and the media during the preseason. 

The Bengals were one game away from the Super Bowl last season despite starting off 0-2 as well, but it might not be that easy going forward for the NFL’s 2nd-highest paid player in an increasingly competitive AFC. 

The Chiefs are here to stay

The Kansas City Chiefs were embarrassed (in their terms) by the Lions in the NFL’s season opener in the absence of Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. Their offense wasn’t the same without their superstar tight end, whose dominance in the middle of the field leaves gaps behind the defense for their subpar receiving core to gain extra yards. 

Without the extra attention demanded by Kelce, Mahomes’s ability to move the ball downfield was restricted, showing that even the most talented player in the league needs help, too. 

On the defensive side, it was clear that Jones’s Week 1 holdout had a large impact on winning as well. After signing a new contract and rejoining the team following their Thursday night loss, Jones tallied 1.5 sacks and the Chiefs defense held Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars to just 9 points. It’s safe to say that the Chiefs aren’t regressing anytime soon.

The Cowboys are contenders

Year after year, NFL fans across the country hear the same phrase chanted by Cowboys’ fans before the start of the season: “This is our year.” For the first time in a while, the Cowboys are trending towards becoming serious contenders for a Super Bowl appearance.

After consecutive blowout wins in which they held their opponents to a combined 10 points to start the season, the Cowboys defense is proving to have one of the strongest front sevens in football, led by the current DPOY favorite Micah Parsons.

However, only time will tell whether Dak Prescott and the offense will be able to stay strong in tougher matchups where the opposing team isn’t held to 10 points or less. In order for the Cowboys to escape their inevitable postseason crumble, their offense will have to become more battle tested during the course of the year.

Injuries end the Jets’ season

It’s a hard knock life for the New York Jets. The biggest headline of the off-season was the acquisition of Aaron Rodgers to a Jets offense ranking bottom 5 in yds/g. Throughout the preseason, the Jets were ready to rewrite the legacy of their franchise with a future hall-of-famer leading the team both on and off the field.

Rodgers and the Jets walked into their Monday night matchup against the Buffalo Bills with high hopes to begin their quest towards ending their 12 year long playoff drought. That is, until Rodgers exited the game with a season-ending Achilles injury in just his fourth play in a Jets uniform. 

The team immediately stood behind their once again starting quarterback Wilson, but support was not enough. Although the Jets put together an electric win against the Bills off of a punt return taken for a touchdown in overtime, they fell to the Cowboys 30-10 this past Sunday night. 

Rodgers is now hinting at a potential playoff return, but making it to the playoffs is unlikely for an offense putting up 12 first downs in Week 2.