Week 2 of the NFL is always an interesting one as we find out what teams we over-reacted about in the opener. Maybe the New Orleans Saints aren’t as good as we thought. Maybe the Green Bay Packers aren’t as bad as we thought, and maybe the Las Vegas Raiders really are ready to make that next step.
The Raiders, Packers, Carolina Panthers, and Tennessee Titans are among the teams that made big statements in Week 2. On the flip side, the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts may be in trouble after losing their starting quarterbacks to injury, while the Minnesota Vikings are a surprising 0-2.
Carr, Murray Enter MVP Race
With big starts to the season, quarterbacks Derek Carr and Kyler Murray are getting some MVP talk in the early going. Both have their teams off to 2-0 starts, and both quarterbacks are lighting up the stat sheets.
Murray is now +750 to win the MVP, the third-best odds behind Patrick Mahomes (+500) and Tom Brady (+700). The former first overall pick directed a comeback 34-33 home win over Minnesota on Sunday. He racked up 400 passing yards with three touchdowns and also ran for 31 yards and another score.
Murray is second in the NFL with 689 passing yards, and he is also second with seven touchdown passes for the 2-0 Cardinals. Murray does have three interceptions while completing 73.5% of his passes, and he has rushed for 51 yards on ten carries while scoring twice on the ground. Arizona is -7.5 for Week 3 at Jacksonville.
Carr, meanwhile, is up to +2500, putting him in the same area as Aaron Rodgers (+1800) and Justin Herbert (+2500). He directed the Raiders to a 28-17 win in Pittsburgh while throwing for 382 yards. Carr was 28-for-37 with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
In two wins this season, Carr has thrown for an NFL-leading 817 yards. He has four touchdown passes, one interception and has completed 67% of his passes. Carr did suffer an ankle injury on Sunday and will have an MRI early this week to determine his Week 3 availability against Miami.
Jones Jumps Lawrence
While Mac Jones directed the New England Patriots to another win, Trevor Lawrence struggled with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Lawrence is no longer the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite as he slipped to +550, behind Jones at +350. Chicago’s Justin Fields is third at +600, with Pittsburgh’s Najee Harris at +800.
Jones completed 22-of-30 passes on Sunday for 186 yards as the Patriots used their defense and ground game to beat the New York Jets 25-6. Jones has 467 yards in two games with one touchdown, no turnovers, and he’s completed 74% of his passes. The Patriots are -3 at home against the Saints in Week 3.
Lawrence has five interceptions already this season to go with 450 yards and a 50% completion rate. He has run for just 19 yards while throwing for four touchdowns. The winless Jags host Arizona in Week 3.
Fields got his first real action on Sunday after Andy Dalton left the Bears win with an injury. The first-rounder from Ohio State was 6-for-13 for 60 yards with an interception while rushing for 31 yards on ten carries. The 1-1 Bears are +7.5 at Cleveland in Week 3, and Fields will start if Dalton is unable to go.
Harris ran ten times for just 38 yards on Sunday against the Raiders. He added five receptions for 43 yards and his first NFL touchdown. Harris has 130 total yards in two games, and the 1-1 Steelers are -4.5 against Cincinnati on Sunday.
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