Five Wide: 2024 Week Two

By Thomas Willoughby

A nice treat for me, this week, as I got to enjoy a Sunday sans-Falcons. And what a Sunday it was. I beat Astro Bot on the PS5, which is a delight. I got to watch Redzone, and I got to watch the internet melt down in real-time as another DPI call handed the Chiefs a tight win.

Oh come on, people. It was textbook. The Bengals defender slammed into Rashee Rice well before the ball was there to be caught. As blatant a DPI call as you’re going to get in 2024. Simply do not give the referee a decision to make. Not that hard.

Anyway, there are some other bits that happened in week 2.

Protect Tua Tagovailoa

I think it would be precinct to start with Thursday Night Football, where the Bills defeated the Dolphins 31-10. The major story, however, wasn’t so much which way the result landed, but the health of Tua Tagovailoa.

Tagovailoa, infamously, suffered mulitple concussions in the 2022 season. Tua’s season was ended prematurely, he used that offseason to learn how to fall, and managed to make it through 2023 concussion-free (that we’re aware of). On Thursday night, however, following a collison with Damar Hamlin, we saw a familiar scene. Tagovailoa was removed from play, and is currently in concussion protocol. Tua says he will continue his NFL career. Questions have to be asked over the best route for him, however.

I think the most frustrating aspect of the most recent incident is the manner of it. Sliding head-first into a Safety isn’t how you’re supposed to protect yourself. On top of that, the NFL introduced the “guardian cap” this offseason, to add an additional layer of protection to the head area. Only 6 players wear one. It’s confusing, given his history, that Tagovailoa would not be one of them.

If Tagovailoa does return this season, I sincerely hope he is going so with the very best medical advice that he is safe, both long and short term, to do so. I hope that, whatever he decides to do, he’s doing so with his, not the organisation paying him hundreds of millions of dollars, best interest at heart.

Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Fun's back on the Cards

Marvin Harrison Jr, welcome to the NFL. What a performance, man. I whacked on Redzone for the late slate, and at one point he had 2 catches, both resulting in touchdowns. He nabbed 2 more, ended with 130 yards, and the Cardinals beat the Rams 41-10.

The Cardinals are in an interesting spot this season. They were, mostly, really bad last season, until Kyler Murray came back. And, from there on, they looked the part. It’s easy to forget how good Kyler Murray is, and I think it’s because he’s so memeable. He’s quite short and looks funny when he runs around. But he’s so fun to watch. Like he slips out of tackles like no one I’ve seen. 

I think the Cardinals are going to be good this season. If that Murray/Harrison Jr connection properly hits, they’ve a super interesting offensive group that could hang with the best the NFC has to offer. Or at least until October 25th, when Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 comes out, and Murray’s attention is once again solely on prestiging.

Green Bay Pukers

Don’t really know what I can say about this, to be honest. Malik Willis, now a Packer and filling in for an injured Jordan Love, took a third down snap that was intended to be a passing play. He instead took off, killing the drive. Matt LaFleur asked Willis why he didn’t pass the ball. This is what he said.

A theory Myers has is that he’d taken on too much liquid. The game was played in 29C heat, and, in an attempt to stay hydrated, simply drank too much. Jack Draper, Britain’s current number 1 tennis player, suffered a similar fate when he couldn’t stop puking on the court during his US Open semi-final. 

The Packers won. Not convincingly, but they won. Expect whoever’s under centre for Green Bay to play with gloves, and carry a spare pair in his back pocket, moving forward.

Get that man into a studio

Want to give Bo Nix a shout out. His quarterback play might be bad, but his analysis of his own game is second to none.

You simply cannot buy that sort of insight. Bo Nix has been pretty bad in his first two games as an NFL quarterback. 0 touchdowns, 4 interceptions (all of which thrown to the other team). The Broncos aren’t in a good place, I don’t think, and he’s not really been helped, but at least he knows where he can improve. Once he starts throwing to his team, it’s over.

Young man, there's no need to feel down

Well. That didn’t last very long. After last week’s dressing down, the Carolina Panthers, having been beaten 26-3 (at home, no less), are making a change at QB. Bryce Young, of whom the Panthers bankrupted themselves for only a year ago, has run out of rope. Andy Dalton is in, Bryce Young is being asked to work hard. Mad.

I think this is probably it for Young in Carolina, at this stage. He’s been put in a really horrible situation, undoubtably, but he’s not really shown anything to suggest he’s capable of being the guy long term. 11 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 3122 passing yards over 18 games. That just isn’t good. 

The crazy thing is I wouldn’t bet against him being successful in the NFL. Baker Mayfield spent time in Carolina and is looking rejuvenated in Tampa Bay. Sam Darnold spent time in Carolina and looked really impressive in a surprise win over San Francisco this weekend. There’s a career out there for him. But how many QBs get benched and successfully win back their job and thrive? Legitimately the last one I can think of, off-hand, is Alex Smith in 2009. 

I hope he gets out of there and lands somewhere good. Put him in San Francisco for a year to rehab his reputation and he’ll be leading the Las Vegas Raiders by 2027.

Featured Image Credit: Rick Scuteri-AP Photo

Thomas Willoughby

NFL ANALYST & SOCIAL MEDIA

THOMAS IS A WRITER, AND REGULAR GUEST ON THE TOUCHDOWN REVIEW SHOW PODCAST, FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. YOU CAN FIND HIM @WILLO290592 ON TWITTER

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