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    What We Learned From Week 4 of the N.F.L. Season

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    Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is sitting on top of Jerry’s World, the Giants got an instructive win, and Kirk Cousins reverted to form in the Vikings’ loss.Utterly dismantling a Carolina Panthers defense that has dominated the rest of the N.F.L. this season, Dak Prescott looked like a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback that Jerry Jones doubted he ever would be.After all, it was Jones who had originally preferred Paxton Lynch and Connor Cook to Prescott in the 2016 draft. The Dallas Cowboys owner was apoplectic when the Cowboys failed to trade into the first round for Lynch. That weekend, Prescott was little more than a consolation prize, and there were even members of the Cowboys’ front office who didn’t even view Prescott as a draftable player then.Jerry’s World is a wacky place, indeed.Prescott won — instantly — and was forced to wait six years to get paid.After using the franchise tag on Prescott in 2020, Jones finally gave the quarterback a long-term deal before this 2021 season. Now, Prescott appears ready to reward the Super Bowl-starved Jones. The biggest takeaway from Week 4 in the N.F.L.?Dak Prescott is singularly capable of ending the misery in Dallas.Against a Carolina defense that has been suffocating offenses — No. 1 in sacks, No. 1 in quarterback hits, No. 2 in points allowed through three weeks — Dallas’s new $160-million-dollar man coolly completed 14 of 22 passes for 188 yards with four touchdowns, no interceptions and a 130.3 passer rating in a convincing 36-28 win.Granted, the season is young. There’s still time for either Jones or Mike McCarthy to meddle with what’s working, via a bizarre trade in the middle of the season or mind-boggling clock mismanagement. Both are capable of sabotaging a potential champion, as we’ve seen. But one is in the booth and one is on the sideline. It’s Prescott with the ball in his hands every play and Prescott absolutely gives the Cowboys a real shot at ending a 25-year championship drought.With the score tied, 7-7, at the end of the first quarter, on fourth-and-1 near midfield, the Panthers had all of Dallas’s receivers blanketed. Prescott did not hesitate. He saw a crease and took off for 21 yards to keep the drive alive. Three snaps later, he knifed an 18-yard touchdown to tight end Blake Jarwin.Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold ran in for his second rushing touchdown to push Carolina ahead, 14-13, Carolina missed a field-goal attempt on its first drive of the third quarter and Prescott struck again.With Carolina deploying a single-high safety, Prescott was decisive again.Planting his right foot at the Panthers’ 44-yard line, he rainbowed a beauty to Amari Cooper for a touchdown that put Dallas ahead, 20-14. Few defenses in today’s N.F.L. ever cede a one-on-one opportunity along the boundary like that. Prescott read it and pounced on exactly the sort of throw these Cowboys need to consistently make against elite defenses. Further, the Cowboys’ offensive line did an excellent job picking up the exotic blitz.Dallas never looked back, eventually extending its lead to 36-14.Even in a league full of quarterbacks married to the sport, Prescott’s maniacal work ethic stands out as rare. Since 2016, he has drastically improved every aspect of his game: accuracy, athleticism, arm strength. If he was a caretaker as a rookie, he’s indisputably one of the best playmakers in the N.F.L. today.And the one aspect of his game that never wavered? His leadership. By most accounts, Prescott endeared himself to veterans, rookies and team staffers from Day 1. And his first coordinator in Dallas, Scott Linehan, once told me that even with Tony Romo still roaming the backfield, “When Dak was in the building, you knew he was the face of the franchise.”And now he’s grown into a franchise leader who can engage in a shootout with Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson, if needed.In a season-opening loss to Tampa Bay, Prescott threw for 403 yards on 58 attempts. But since then, the Cowboys have struck a more sustainable formula — they’re leaning on the ground game. With both Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard pounding away, Quinn has been able to retool what was a historically bad defense last year. The Cowboys’ offense is complementing its defense and Sunday provided evidence that the Elliott who was also handed big money has returned.Midway through the third quarter, Elliott hesitated at the line, let a hole develop and hit a top-end speed that Dallas hasn’t seen in ages for a 47-yard carry.Jones made it clear in training camp that he would “do anything known to man” to win a Super Bowl. Honestly, that’s been the case since he bought the team — and has usually resulted in bad decisions.Jerry Jones may never have really wanted Prescott, but Prescott is proving that he’s capable of giving Jones what he has always been after.Stephen Lew/USA Today Sports, via ReutersDaniel Jones and Saquon Barkley are a duo to build around.Through the Giants’ first three losses this season, it has been far too easy to pin all blame on the two players handpicked by General Manager Dave Gettleman to bring the team back to glory. But the truth is that quarterback Daniel Jones was playing perfectly fine — not great, but not horrid, either — and running back Saquon Barkley, meanwhile, looked fine in the early stages of testing his rehabbed right anterior cruciate ligament.In Sunday’s 27-21 comeback win over the New Orleans Saints, both Jones and Barkley were unquestionably special.Their numbers were impressive: Jones threw for a career-high 402 yards and Barkley had 126 yards from scrimmage. But the play that completely changed the complexion of this game in the always-deafening Superdome had to have to supplied the organization real hope that the pair could still be the franchise-carrying talents they were expected to be when they were drafted.Down 21-10, with seven minutes to go, Barkley split wide left and burned Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore for a 54-yard touchdown catch. Barkley noted afterward that he and Jones had discussed the coverage during the game: Seeing that Lattimore was sitting on an out route, Barkley knew he could simply go deep.Jones ran in the 2-point conversion, and a field goal on the Giants’ next drive tied the game at 21. Barkley’s 6-yard touchdown run in overtime ended the game.The Giants are now 1-3 with renewed confidence right in the teeth of their schedule.The Browns finished with 10 hits on Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, four by Myles Garrett.Jeffrey Becker/USA Today Sports, via ReutersMinnesota’s third loss was its worst.Blame Kirk Cousins. Blame an anemic offensive line.Either way, the Minnesota Vikings’ 14-7 loss at home to the Cleveland Browns was as demoralizing as it gets for an offense that could do no wrong in September. For three weeks, Cousins tore up three subpar secondaries. He didn’t throw an interception, nor did he show a tick of fear in the face of any pass rush. Statistically, he was playing as well as any quarterback in the N.F.L.Against the best defense he’s faced to date, Cousins again turned back into a pumpkin.That has been the rap on Cousins over his career: Against poor defenses, he’ll throw for 300-plus yards and three touchdowns with ease. But add a stingy pass rush and sprinkle on higher stakes, and be ready to be underwhelmed. Heading into this season, Cousins was 7-35 against teams that finished the season with a winning record.The Vikings want to believe he’s the answer. General Manager Rick Spielman and the front office did salary cap gymnastics to sign Cousins to a contract extension heading into the 2020 season.Unfortunately, this is who he’s been since entering the league nine years ago.The Browns finished with 10 hits on Cousins, four from Myles Garrett alone. Still, this was a 4-point game for three quarters and one big play could have busted things open. Just one. That throw deep to Justin Jefferson or Adam Thielen never developed. After Cleveland kicker Chase McLaughlin hit a 53-yard field goal to put the Browns up, 14-7, with six minutes remaining, Cousins’s deep shot the next possession was easily intercepted by cornerback Greedy Williams. The Vikings got the ball back twice more but fell short on each drive.Cousins gets the Detroit Lions next, but that’ll most likely serve as nothing but a couple of pills of Advil with the Vikings then facing six legitimate contenders in a row.And at some point, the Vikings must ask themselves exactly how far Cousins can take them.Jets receiver Corey Davis, left, caught a 53-yard touchdown pass from Zach Wilson on Sunday.Al Bello/Getty ImagesAround the N.F.L.Cardinals 37, Rams 20: It’s time to stop sleeping on the Cardinals, who smacked around a team that seemed borderline invincible to start the season. Kyler Murray didn’t turn the ball over, Arizona rushed for 216 yards and, now, the Cardinals are in total control of the N.F.C. West. The question now is if Coach Kliff Kingsbury can keep this offense humming and avoid a slide similar to last season’s, when Arizona started 5-2 and went 3-6 the rest of the way.Seahawks 28, 49ers 21: You cannot let Russell Wilson hang around. With every opportunity to bury Seattle early, San Francisco’s offense kept short-circuiting. And as he’s done his whole career, Wilson turned it on when needed, scoring 14 of the Seahawks’ 21 second-half points.Packers 27, Steelers 17: Everything for Pittsburgh turned on an offsides penalty before the half. Officials ruled that cornerback Joe Haden jumped before the snap, negating a blocked field goal-attempt that Minkah Fitzpatrick returned for a touchdown that would have given the Steelers a 17-14 lead. Alas, Ben Roethlisberger was forced to play from behind. As we’ve learned thus far in 2021, that’s not a pretty sight.Ravens 23, Broncos 7: Facing the best defense he’s seen this season, Lamar Jackson finished with 316 yards and a touchdown through the air and ran the ball only seven times to hand Denver its first loss of the season.Washington 34, Falcons 30: One of the biggest shocks of this season is how bad the Washington Football Team’s defense has performed. Of course, it didn’t matter against an equally porous Falcons defense. Running back J.D. McKissic supplied the heroics by going airborne at the goal line with 33 seconds left.Bears 24, Lions 14: Whenever hysteria reaches its fever pitch at Halas Hall, it seems like the Bears always have a get-right game on the schedule. The rebuilding Lions were the perfect medicine, and running back David Montgomery (106 yards, two touchdowns) continued to bludgeon linebackers as one of the best players we don’t talk nearly enough about.Bills 40, Texans 0: One day, there will be a “30 for 30” documentary written solely on how the 2021 Texans managed to win a football game. Not this week, though.Colts 27, Dolphins 17: Jonathan Taylor was a force on the ground (103 yards, touchdown), Carson Wentz was efficient enough on those two bad ankles (24-of-32 passing with two touchdowns) for Indianapolis to get a much-needed win after three emotionally taxing losses.Giants 27, Saints 21 (OT): Lost in the Giants madness this season is the fact that Daniel Jones has taken an obvious step forward. He’s not committing the backbreaking mistakes of 2020 and, on Sunday, he started taking more shots downfield, finishing with 402 yards and two touchdowns.Chiefs 42, Eagles 30: Andy Reid surely knows he needs to clean up his rickety defense. Kansas City again gave up yards and points in chunks. But as long as Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill exist, this Chiefs offense can outscore any team in the league. On 12 targets, Hill caught 11 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns.Jets 27, Titans 24 (OT): OK, so Titans receivers Julio Jones and A.J. Brown were both sidelined. Jets Coach Robert Saleh still got his first N.F.L. win behind a defense that hit Ryan Tannehill 14 times and a rookie quarterback, Zach Wilson, who played with the swagger the team has been missing. More

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      The Jets and Giants Manage Week 4 Wins

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      We enlisted two experts — one locally focused, one nationally — to offer their opinions on the first winning weekend of the 2021 N.F.L. season.This season, we’ve enlisted two experts — one familiar with the ins and outs of New York’s football teams, the other a nationally focused football analyst — to answer an essential question as a service to readers: Are these teams good yet?Devin Gordon, who has written about sports for ESPN and GQ and is the author of “So Many Ways to Lose: The Amazin’ True Story of the New York Mets, the Best Worst Team in Sports,” observed both the Giants and the Jets from a locally focused perspective.Diante Lee, an N.F.L. analyst at Pro Football Focus, offered a national view.GiantsThe Giants rallied to beat the New Orleans Saints, 27-21, in overtime.Insider’s perspective:Folks, we have a watchable football team: The Giants are officially worth your viewing attention. Look, the Giants (1-3) still aren’t good, to be clear, but they are no longer winless. Deep into the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Saints, one of the N.F.L.’s better teams, playing in their emotional post-Hurricane Ida return to the Superdome, a pattern appeared to be repeating itself. Freewheeling quarterback Daniel Jones was making the occasional spectacular play, running back Saquon Barkley was tantalizing the audience with flashes of his pre-injury self, and the Giants were making a game of it. All that remained was for the Giants to lose in heartbreaking fashion, presumably on a last-second field goal, like in the previous two weeks.Instead, Jones and Barkley gave fans a glimpse of the playoff-caliber team the Giants might soon become (but definitely aren’t yet), winning in overtime on Barkley’s second touchdown gallop of the game. His first score, a 54-yard dump-and-run from Jones, brought the Giants within 3 points after the ensuing 2-point conversion late in the fourth quarter. Barkley’s second, on the opening drive of overtime, gave the Giants their first victory of the season.In New Orleans’s new world without Drew Brees, their offense has suddenly grown stagnant. It’s a three-prong plan: Feed Alvin Kamara, toss in some dashes of Taysom Hill, and forbid Jameis Winston from doing anything complicated. For three and a half quarters, the strategy worked. But when the Saints needed a first down, they couldn’t manufacture one. And the young frisky funnible Giants? All of a sudden, they’re the ones who can score from anywhere.Verdict: Get on the bandwagon early!Outsider’s view:Finally, there’s evidence of a pulse fluttering about in the chest of the Football Giants.In their first win of the season, the Giants managed legitimate scoring drives, winning in overtime when Saquon Barkley fought through contact for a 6-yard touchdown run following a huge 23-yard pass to Kenny Golladay on a third down play.Daniel Jones looked exactly like a quarterback in a contract year, repeatedly pushing the ball downfield when he saw one-on-one coverage. He finished on Sunday with the first 400-yard passing performance of his career, and he spread the wealth in spite of receivers Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard being out: Four Giants had more than 70 yards receiving.Jones filled the stat sheet, but more important to the Giants’ future, Barkley looked like the playmaker of old. Barkley has been desperate to again make explosive plays that decide games and, to set him up, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett got Barkley the ball as far away from the box as possible. Barkley’s 54-yard third quarter touchdown came as a receiver in an empty formation, and he scored again on a key run after the catch in overtime on a screen play.Four weeks in, we can firmly conclude that the defense won’t be what it was in 2020. The Giants surrendered 400 yards of offense to a Saints offense missing many of its most explosive players. The bend-don’t-break approach was enough on Sunday but can’t generate enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks to mount a sustained challenge. The real test is next week against the Dallas Cowboys’ explosive passing game.Verdict: We’ll know for sure next week.Zach Wilson was 21 of 34 for 297 passing yards and two touchdowns Sunday in an overtime win against the Titans.Adam Hunger/Associated PressJetsThe Jets fought off the Tennessee Titans to win, 27-24, in overtime.Insider’s perspective:It must be fun to root for Derrick Henry, the N.F.L.’s best running back, because it sure is demoralizing to root against him. He plays this trick in the early going, luring us into a false sense of satisfaction. Look, it’s almost halftime and he’s only got 39 yards! He might even get stuffed at the line of scrimmage once or twice. It was easy to think the Jets might be doing well.Silly goose. Henry, who rushed for 2,027 yards last season, is a heavyweight fighter working the body, and by the fourth quarter the opposing defense’s gut is mush. N.F.L. wonks often say that Henry gets stronger as the game goes on, but it’s more the defense that gets weaker, and then steam-rolled. On Sunday at MetLife Stadium, Henry crossed the 100-yard mark on his first carry of the fourth quarter, then bullrushed his way into the end zone to put the Titans ahead, 17-10. End of story, right?With Titans receivers Julio Jones and A.J. Brown out, the Jets could be certain of the entirety of the Titans’ playbook — Derrick Henry, Derrick Henry, Derrick Henry. The Titans had a similar advantage: The Jets’ only weapon is their rookie quarterback Zach Wilson’s rocket right arm. After a first half in which Wilson failed to lead the Jets on a touchdown drive for the fourth straight game, he connected twice for 50-plus yard passes on rollouts to his right, including a 53-yarder to Corey Davis to put the Jets in front, 24-17, late in the fourth quarter.Finally, the Jets figured out how to slow down Henry: grab a lead, and force the Titans to throw. Up by a field goal with two minutes remaining in overtime, the Jets almost seemed to give up on Henry and play the clock. Could time expire before Henry got into the end zone? Yes. Henry got the Titans close enough for a game-tying field goal, but kicker Randy Bullock missed it. The Jets got their first win, and even better, they don’t have to tackle Derrick Henry anymore.Verdict: Maybe consider checking in at halftime first?Outsider’s view:After three weeks of counting moral victories and nursing wounded egos, the Jets have something tangible to celebrate — a win.The young team put together a fourth-quarter performance beyond their years and then outlasted the Tennessee Titans in overtime. The Jets converted three different third-down attempts on their final drive to get into range for a successful 22-yard field-goal attempt.After seeing tough defenses in three consecutive games, rookie Zach Wilson was finally able to work through his progressions against the Titans. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur didn’t ask Wilson to be a world-beater, but when the offense needed to take a shot, tied 17-17 midway through the fourth quarter, Wilson delivered with a 53-yard touchdown pass to Corey Davis to take the lead.Wilson will still need to improve his decision making down the field, whether pass rushers are chasing him down or not. Wilson’s lone interception, his eighth this season, came on a pass to a receiver who wasn’t open, a sign that he’s probably too comfortable pushing things. Without much of a running game to set up play-action passes, and a receiving corps that cannot win against tight coverage play after play, the Jets’ best hope on offense is to be good enough. Against the Atlanta Falcons next week, Wilson and company just might be.Verdict: Almost! More

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      Are the Giants and Jets Watchable Yet?

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      We enlisted two experts — one locally focused, one nationally — to offer readers their opinions.This season, we’ve enlisted two experts — one familiar with the ins and outs of New York’s football teams, the other a nationally focused football analyst — to answer an essential question as a service to readers: Are these teams good yet?Devin Gordon, who has written about sports for ESPN and GQ and is the author of “So Many Ways to Lose: The Amazin’ True Story of the New York Mets, the Best Worst Team in Sports,” observed both the Giants and the Jets from a locally focused perspective.Diante Lee, an N.F.L. analyst at Pro Football Focus, offered a national view.GiantsThe Giants (0-3) lost, 17-14, at home to the Atlanta Falcons (1-2) on Sunday.Insider’s perspectiveIn last week’s edition, I introduced the concept of “funnible” — the evolutionary state in which a young team is extremely fun to watch but also still, at root, terrible at football — and offered the 2021 Giants as a textbook example. Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, a team the Giants should have run circles around — and frequently did at times — was a master class in funnible football.Like last week, the Giants once again lost on a field goal as time expired, but let’s focus on a specific play: midway through the third quarter, with the Giants behind, 7-6, but driving into Falcons’ territory and facing a crucial third-and-4. Daniel Jones called an audible, and those of us watching at home could hear the chaos at the line of scrimmage. “WHAT IS THE PLAY?” a Giants player shouted. “WHAT IS THE PLAY?”Whatever the play was, it didn’t work. The Giants got flagged for holding and there ended the drive. The game did not turn on this play, just to be clear, but if you’re a Giants fan, your confidence probably did.For one drive in the fourth quarter, though, the Giants showed why they’re worth watching every week: jump-ball specialist Kenny Golladay drew a pass interference call in the end zone, Saquon Barkley vaulted three stories over the pile for his first touchdown since 2019, and Jones ran in a keeper for the 2-point conversion. They held a 14-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson dropped a potential game-sealing interception of a Matt Ryan pass in the end zone. Sure, the Falcons’ game-tying touchdown came a few plays later but … consider me tantalized.Verdict: They’re bad but compelling. — Devin GordonOutsider’s viewEvery player on the Giants’ roster better bring their jogging shoes for practice this week — there will be laps upon laps to run after Sunday’s bad loss to the Falcons. A walk-off field goal from Atlanta kicker Younghoe Koo sent the Giants to 0-3 and a guaranteed them spot at the bottom of the N.F.C. East standings.With ten days to prepare against a defense that’s allowed 80 combined points in its first two contests, it should have been a feel-good win at home as the Giants retired Eli Manning’s jersey. Leave it to the Giants’ offensive line to finish the game by producing the least effective rushing attack the Falcons have faced all season (3.7 yards per carry).While Jones was sacked only once, the pass protection unit continues to lose its one-on-one matchups. The passing game was able to manage in Week 2 against Washington, but downfield opportunities were much harder to come by against a Falcons defense that plays much less man-to-man coverage.The Giants’ defense looks like it’s regressing from the 2020 season to now, but that wasn’t the team’s major issue on Sunday until the final drive of the game. With a tackle for loss and a sack, Leonard Williams still looks to be one of the five best interior defensive linemen in the league, and the coverage was better this week (given, this was against Ryan, whose arm is closer to an N.F.L. backup’s at this stage in his career) — but if the Giants can’t move the ball on offense, defensive improvements won’t matter.I shudder to think of what this offense might look like against a much better defense on the road, with the New Orleans Saints up next. This season is shaping up to be a few steps backward after 2020’s baby step forward.Verdict: Not watchable, and trending in the wrong direction. — Diante LeeThe Jets allowed more sacks of rookie quarterback Zach Wilson (five) than they scored points in Sunday’s 26-0 loss to the Broncos.David Zalubowski/Associated PressJetsThe Jets lost, 26-0, to the Broncos (3-0) in Denver on Sunday, falling to a 0-3.Insider’s perspectiveWhen it comes to eluding capture on a football field, it’s hard to overstate the importance of groin muscles. So it was already alarming enough when the Jets announced last week that Zach Wilson, their rookie quarterback, would be managing a minor groin injury for the rest of the season. But there was also the urgency of now: The Jets were about to depart for Denver, where the thin air makes offensive linemen gasp for oxygen and Broncos linebacker Von Miller makes offensive coordinators gasp in horror.So how’d it go? Well, the Jets allowed more sacks (five) than they scored points (zero). Speaking of zero, that’s how many first-half touchdowns they have scored through three games this season. The Broncos shut them out Sunday, and that doesn’t begin to capture how far the Jets were from scoring. Over 11 drives, they managed just 162 yards of total offense. Several low points come to mind, but let’s go with the taunting call against their special teams unit, which came when they were down 17-0. After a Broncos fair catch. That’s next-level dopey.Not all 0-3s are created equal. The Giants are winless, but not hopeless. They have “Danny Dimes” and Barkley and chances are they will beat some decent teams this season. The Jets still haven’t played a meaningful second-half snap. Wilson has been running for his life on a gimpy groin. If you grab a pair of binoculars and search the horizon for a silver lining, perhaps it is that the kid remains unafraid to fling it. His right arm will be the Jets’ only draw this season. But how much longer will it be attached to his shoulder?Verdict: Too early to just end the season, but not by much. — Devin GordonOutsider’s viewLet’s start with the (only) good news: Most defenses in the N.F.L. aren’t as good as the ones the Jets have faced the last two weekends.The Jets were blanked, 26-0, by the Denver Broncos, and for the second consecutive week, seemed out of contention the moment they faced a two-score deficit. Whether it was by design of the game plan or his own volition, Zach Wilson tried to do whatever he could to avoid the four-sack nightmare he experienced against New England. Wilson looked to throw the ball underneath — out of harm’s way — even to the detriment of the offense. Going into the fourth quarter, he had fewer than 100 yards passing and only three completions deeper than 10 yards.In the fourth quarter, Wilson figured fortune would favor the bold, and he was punished for his ambition. The first of his two interceptions on Sunday was as poor a throw as those he threw in the second half against New England, trying to fit the ball into double coverage. The second was an inaccurate deep throw on the run in garbage time.In a league like the N.B.A., rebuilding teams with potential franchise prospects can be a fun kind of bad. It’s not so enjoyable in the N.F.L. and Wilson isn’t singularly great enough to make anyone trust this process.Verdict: Find a nice brunch instead. — Diante Lee More

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      N.F.L. Week 3 Predictions: Our Picks Against the Spread

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      The Panthers look to keep the sack crown against the Texans, the Bucs and Rams preview a potential N.F.C. championship matchup, and Aaron Rodgers will try to keep the good vibes going against the 49ers.Are you not entertained?Four of the six prime time games in this young N.F.L. season were decided by one score. Lamar Jackson’s plunge to convert a fourth down and seal Baltimore’s win over Kansas City capped Week 2. Most teams that lost in Week 1 fought back to .500, but the weekend yielded a long list of injuries with at least four starting quarterbacks having either been ruled out or questionable to play in Week 3.That means that divisional rivals will try to eke out an edge in the early standings, a slew of replacement quarterbacks will try to prove their worth and a potential N.F.C. championship preview will be on display in Los Angeles.Here’s a look at N.F.L. Week 3, with all picks made against the spread.Last week’s record: 7-9All times Eastern.Here’s what you need to know:Thursday Night’s GameSunday’s Best GamesSunday’s Other GamesMonday Night’s MatchupThursday Night’s GameCarolina Panthers at Houston Texans, 8:20 p.m. NFL NetworkLine: Panthers -7.5 | Total: 43.5With Tyrod Taylor recovering from a hamstring injury and Deshaun Watson still designated to the bench, Texans Coach David Culley said the rookie Davis Mills will start against the Panthers (2-0). Mills, a third-round draft pick out of Stanford for the Texans (1-1) this spring, will face a young Panthers defense that leads the league in sacks (10) through two weeks (although six came against a meager Jets offensive line in Week 1).In both their wins this season, the Panthers began the third quarter with a double-digit lead, fueled by Sam Darnold’s budding connection with his new receivers. If the early offensive output continues and the Texans struggle with a new quarterback, expect the Panthers to cover the spread easily. Pick: Panthers -7.5Sunday’s Best GamesMatthew Stafford and the Rams will try to test a Buccaneers secondary thinned by injuries.Zach Bolinger/Associated PressTampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m., FoxLine: Buccaneers -1 | Total: 55A battle between undefeated teams makes predicting this outcome the toughest choice of the week. Both the Rams (2-0) and the Buccaneers (2-0) rank in the top 10 in passing yards and top five in passing touchdowns.But the Bucs’ secondary is young and has struggled with injuries, so the team reached out to the veteran free agent cornerback Richard Sherman after placing starter Sean Murphy-Bunting on injured reserve. Rams Coach Sean McVay will look to have Matthew Stafford unload downfield, and that aggression against a secondary in flux may be just enough for the Rams to win. Pick: Rams +1Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City, 1 p.m., CBSLine: Kansas City -6.5 | Total: 55.5404 yards. That’s the amount of rushing yardage Kansas City’s defense has surrendered through two games. That’s … not good. But the Chargers (1-1) are a pass-first team, as evinced by Justin Herbert tying Mahomes and Dan Marino for the most 300-yard passing games through a player’s first two seasons (10). Herbert could break that record Sunday against Kansas City (1-1).That’s doable based on his two performances against Kansas City last season, the first an overtime loss in which Herbert threw for 311 yards and a touchdown and earned the starting job. (Herbert had 302 yards and three touchdowns in a Week 17 win in which Kansas City rested some starters.) If Los Angeles’ running backs can at least keep the Chiefs honest, the Chargers will be able to at least keep this one close. Pick: Chargers +6.5Derrick Henry ran for 182 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns in the Titans’ overtime win in Seattle last week. Ben Vanhouten/Associated PressIndianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m., CBSLine: Titans -5 | Total: 48Carson Wentz’s sprained ankles (yes, both ankles) mean the Colts (0-2) could potentially start Jacob Eason, a second-year quarterback, against Tennessee. Eason’s margin for error will be small against the Titans (1-1), who are coming off an overtime win in Seattle where Derrick Henry’s 182 rushing yards on 35 carries reminded everyone how effective Tennessee is at clock control.The strength of Indianapolis’ defense is its defensive lineman and linebackers, who could frustrate Tennessee’s rushing attack, but Eason’s inexperience could lead to turnovers and give Henry more opportunity to score. Pick: Titans -5Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers, 8:20 p.m., NBCLine: 49ers -3.5 | Total: 48The Packers (1-1) and San Francisco (2-0) use similar offensive strategies that rely on motion and a strong running game to set up the pass. The 49ers’ running back room, though, has been decimated by injuries, most recently with JaMycal Hasty ruled out with a high ankle sprain and Elijah Mitchell (shoulder) and Trey Sermon (concussion), questionable for Sunday night.Both teams allowed the Lions to play competitive first halves before pulling away. Now facing each other, if the 49ers’ rotating cast of running backs starts slow, the healthy Packers roster could take advantage. Pick: Packers + 3.5New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots, 1 p.m., FoxLine: Patriots -3 | Total: 41.5Who dat? Saints fans must be asking themselves that question after a shellacking last week at Carolina, where running back Alvin Kamara was limited to only 32 all-purpose yards and Jameis Winston threw two interceptions.The Patriots’ defense is more experienced than Carolina’s, and could find similar success against a Saints (1-1) team trying to find its new identity in the post-Drew Brees era. The Patriots and Coach Bill Belichick may have fans asking more questions afterward. Pick: Patriots -3Seattle Seahawks at Minneapolis Vikings, 4:25 p.m., FoxLine: Seahawks -2 | Total: 55Two games, two close finishes.The Vikings (0-2) have played competitively so far this season, and could easily be 2-0. They face a Seahawks (1-1) defense that allowed the Titans to score 21 second-half points en route to a Tennessee victory in Week 2. Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins have thrown for more than 240 yards in each of their games and if both Minnesota and Seattle play to form, this game will be a shoot out. That gives the Vikings hope to at least cover the spread. Pick: Vikings +2Sunday’s Other GamesThe Bears’ rookie Justin Fields will make his first career start against the Browns on Sunday.Jeff Haynes/Associated PressChicago Bears at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m., FoxLine: Browns -7.5 | Total: 46.5Bears fans finally got what they cheered for.After quarterback Andy Dalton injured his knee on a scramble last week, Coach Matt Nagy said the rookie Justin Fields will start Sunday against the Browns (1-1). Excitement over Fields dominated training camp and the preseason, and he could slide in as starter for the Bears (1-1).He’ll need to play well to match the Browns, who have scored at least 28 points in their first two games. Wide receiver Jarvis Landry must miss at least three games on injured reserve with a knee injury, and Odell Beckham’s status is still unclear as he continues to recover from knee surgery. Still, the Browns’ defense could fluster a rookie quarterback into a mistake or two. Pick: Browns -7.5Atlanta Falcons at Giants, 1 p.m., FOXLine: Giants -3 | Total: 48.5If Saquon Barkley’s limited production through the first two weeks (83 rushing yards on 23 carries) continues, then Daniel Jones may find success against the Falcons (0-2), whose defense has allowed eight passing touchdowns. Jones must continue to protect the ball, as he did last week, and his receivers cannot drop touchdowns, as Darius Slayton did last week against Washington.Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan has already thrown three interceptions and it’s clear that the Falcons are in rebuilding mode. The Giants (0-2), while still winless, are hoping to compete in the N.F.C. East so it’s reasonable to think they’ll be fired up to get a win at home. But considering the Giants’ unpredictability with mistakes and penalties, the Falcons could at least make this one competitive. Pick: Falcons +3Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m., FoxLine: Cardinals -7.5 | Total: 52Winning in the N.F.L. is hard. It is unlikely that the first-time N.F.L. coach Urban Meyer and the rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence — two men who rarely lost in college — will find it any easier to get their first N.F.L. win against the Cardinals (2-0).Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray has made an early case for the Most Valuable Player Award, ranking second in total passing yards (689) and touchdowns (7). His aerial onslaught should continue against the Jaguars (0-2) whose defense has allowed nearly 300 passing yards in each of their first two games. The Jaguars’ team Twitter account this week posted a message from Meyer that promised, “we’re going to get better.” He didn’t say it’d be this week. Pick: Cardinals -7.5Washington Footballers at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m., FoxLine: Bills -10 | Total: 45.5This isn’t the Giants’ defense that Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke torched for 336 yards. Heinicke and the Football Team (1-1) will collide with a Buffalo defense that has not allowed an opposing team to throw for 200 yards. Against the Bills (1-1) and Josh Allen, Washington will struggle to keep pace on the scoreboard. Pick: Bills -10Jets at Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m., CBSLine: Broncos -11 | Total: 41.5The Jets (0-2) never expected Zach Wilson to be perfect as a rookie. His growing pains most likely will continue against the Broncos (2-0), whose defense is just as good, if not better, than the New England Patriots’ unit to whom Wilson threw four interceptions last week. Denver linebackers Josey Jewell and Bradley Chubb are on the injured reserve list after injuries this week, and those losses may hurt the team later as it pushes to contend in the A.F.C. West. But against the Jets, Coach Vic Fangio can manage with what he has to rattle Wilson. Pick: Broncos -11Baltimore Ravens at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m., CBSLine: Ravens-10 | Total: 50Two strong first-half starts for Detroit (0-2) fizzled as quarterback Jared Goff committed crucial turnovers in the team’s two losses. The Lions will meet a Ravens (1-1) defense that’s on the upswing after limiting Kansas City last week and escaping with the win. The young Lions’ defense has often faltered after Goff’s mistakes and if that continues Baltimore can run up the score early. Pick: Ravens -10Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m., CBSLine: Steelers -4.5 | Total: 44.5The Steelers’ (1-1) struggles against the Raiders last week could be amplified in an A.F.C. North rivalry game against the Bengals (1-1). Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is questionable to play with a pectoral injury, and the availability of defensive starters like linebackers T.J. Watt and Devin Bush and cornerback Joe Haden is also questionable for Sunday.Pittsburgh could use a break but Cincinnati’s defense stiffened against the Bears last week in a tight 20-17 loss, even as quarterback Joe Burrow threw three interceptions. Burrow may also be without receiver Tee Higgins, who injured his shoulder last Sunday and is day to day. But another strong performance and a deep ball from Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase could help the Bengals upset an injury-laden Steelers roster. Pick: Cincinnati +4.5Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby has 10 quarterback hits and two sacks — including this takedown of Ben Roethlisberger during Las Vegas’ win last week in Pittsburgh — through two games this season.Philip G. Pavely/USA Today Sports, via ReutersMiami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 p.m., CBSLine: Raiders -4 | Total: 45.5Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s rib injury adds to a series of problems for the Dolphins (1-1). Through two games, the offensive line has allowed eight sacks, the fourth most in the league. Coach Brian Flores said backup Jacoby Brissett will start, but it is unlikely that he will emerge unscathed from facing a Raiders (2-0) defensive line that features Maxx Crosby, who has 10 quarterback hits and two sacks so far this season.Raiders Coach Jon Gruden said quarterback Derek Carr and running back Josh Jacobs are questionable with ankle and toe injuries, though he expects Carr to play. But the Raiders’ defensive pressure can compensate for the offensive struggles. Pick: Raiders -4Monday Night’s MatchupPhiladelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m., ESPNLine: Cowboys -4 | Total: 51.5Jalen Hurts faces a Dallas Cowboys defense that is still tinkering with its lineup because injuries forced defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to come up with a new scheme. Dallas (1-1) allowed Justin Herbert to throw for 338 yards last week as rookie linebacker Micah Parsons shifted to defensive end to replace DeMarcus Lawrence, who will miss at least six weeks with an ankle injury. Dallas expects defensive end Randy Gregory to return from the Covid list, and that may be enough to pressure Hurts. But Dallas’ secondary is still weak, and the Eagles’ offense could score enough to at least cover the spread. Pick: Eagles +4How Betting Lines WorkA quick primer for those who are not familiar with betting lines: Favorites are listed next to a negative number that represents how many points they must win by to cover the spread. Steelers -4.5, for example, means that Pittsburgh must beat Cincinnati by at least 5 points for its backers to win their bet. Gamblers can also bet on the total score, or whether the teams’ combined score in the game is over or under a preselected number of points. More

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      Are the Jets and Giants Watchable Yet?

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      We enlisted two experts — one locally focused, one nationally — to offer readers their opinions.This season, we’ve enlisted two experts — one familiar with the ins and outs of New York’s football teams, the other a nationally focused football analyst — to answer an essential question as a service to readers: Are these teams good yet?GiantsThe Giants lost Thursday night’s game against the Washington Football Team, 30-29.Insider’s perspectiveLook, winning is great, but for sports fans who want a more robust flavor profile with their raw W’s and L’s, there is a superior experience: The young frisky team right on the cusp of being on the cusp. Still fundamentally terrible — but the fun variety. Funnible. The 2021 Giants are officially funnible.The Giants should have won on Thursday night against the Washington Football Team. They should’ve knocked off a fashionable playoff pick on their home turf. Instead, they did what funnible teams do: They blew the game in a brilliant kaleidoscope of ways.A 58-yard Daniel Jones touchdown sprint in the second quarter was erased by a holding penalty. A 43-yard Daniel Jones touchdown pass that would have iced the game in the fourth was erased when Darius Slayton dropped it in the end zone. At one point, the Giants actually won the game — the clock had struck zero, and they were leading on the scoreboard — and somehow still lost. (Missed field-goal attempt, offsides, second chance, ballgame.)Now the straight-up fun part: Daniel Jones! All of a sudden, the Giants’ biggest question mark is looking like an exclamation point. And it wasn’t just his legs (fastest quarterback in the N.F.L. last season — look it up). He made good decisions and his throws were sharp-ish. Most critical of all, against what was supposed to be a top-five N.F.L. defense, he didn’t commit a single turnover. Yes, Giants fans, he didn’t even fumble.The fun part, Part 2: The Giants’ second biggest question mark heading into the season, Saquon Barkley, ripped off a vintage Saquon 41-yard run, and you could almost see his confidence in his surgically repaired knee grow with each step.Saquon might be back. Daniel Jones might be legit. The Giants are definitely 0-2. But in Week 3 the maybe-even-lousier Atlanta Falcons come to the Meadowlands. Let the funnible begin.Verdict: Terrible + fun = Funnible. — Devin GordonOutsider’s viewFor decades, the N.F.C. East has been described as the most competitive division in the N.F.L., the best backhanded compliment there is. Any N.F.L. fan could have slept through Thursday night and guessed the result: divisional rivals going down to the last possession, and a result leaving one side happy but no one feeling good.Offensively, the Giants face the same issue as last season — blocking up front. Of Saquon Barkley’s 57 rushing yards, 48 came on two carries. There was more success with Daniel Jones on read options than Barkley between the tackles.The weight of the offense rested on the right arm of Jones, and protecting the quarterback didn’t go any better. Washington’s Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen and Montez Sweat crushed the pocket from the opening whistle, and got more menacing in the second half when the Giants couldn’t threaten the defense with the run.Yes, Jones played as well as he ever has against that kind of pass rush. But his effort was ultimately wasted because of poor defense, which opened the season by giving up 600 yards and four touchdowns to quarterbacks who were backups entering training camp.The best news leaving Thursday: The Giants have 10 days to recover.Verdict: Nope. Try again next week. — Diante LeeThe Jets’ rookie quarterback, Zach Wilson, was sacked four times and threw four interceptions in Sunday’s 25-6 loss to the Patriots.Frank Franklin Ii/Associated PressJetsThe Jets lost to the Patriots, 25-6, on Sunday.Insider’s perspectiveOf all the crimes against football that the Jets have committed in recent years, the worst of the bunch has been their stubborn insistence on being dull. This is a franchise that hasn’t had a star of any kind since Darrelle Revis, who was never on TV because he played cornerback, and hasn’t had an electrifying playmaker since running back Curtis Martin, who retired in 2007. So if you’re trying to find it in your heart to pity Jets fans, consider this: We have been waiting this whole century just for someone entertaining to watch.No one expected the Jets to be good this year — no one ever expects the Jets to be good. That’d be ridiculous. But heading into the fall, Jets Nation was feeling confident that it had a player to focus on who at least cleared the entertaining threshold: the rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, the laser-armed second overall pick in the draft out of Brigham Young.So when Wilson threw his third interception of the first half Sunday against the New England Patriots, it was early enough to stay focused on the bright side: At least he’s slinging it! And what an arm! His fourth interception, though, on the opening drive of the second half, was a sobering reminder that the Jets are, for now at least, still very much the Jets, and that Bill Belichick still eats rookie quarterbacks for breakfast. Belichick’s own rookie quarterback — the Alabama product Mac Jones — meanwhile, did nothing to chase away the ghost of You Know Who, but he executed Belichick’s joyless offense with do-your-job efficiency and collected the first N.F.L. victory of his career. Good for him.Sometimes you can tell just from the final score that a game was a stinker, and this one ended, 25-6, in the Patriots’ favor. Stalled drives, missed extra points, field goal after field goal — it’s right there in the point totals. It’s only Week 2 for the Jets, and it’s only the second game of the Zach Wilson era, but it feels the same as it ever was.Verdict: Keep moving — nothing to see here. — Devin GordonOutsider’s viewWelcome to the N.F.L., rookie.Jets fans were seeing the ghost of Sam Darnold in quarterback Zach Wilson during Sunday’s loss in East Rutherford, N.J. NFL Network’s RedZone channel probably had a massive viewership spike in the New York metropolitan market after 2 p.m., with the game well in hand by the third quarter.Patriots defensive backs J.C. Jackson and Adrian Phillips caught passes from Wilson before a Jets receiver did, and each of Wilson’s four interceptions were progressively worse decisions — the fourth being a pass that seemed intended for New England safety Devin McCourty.Wilson is the latest baby-faced quarterback to end up on the mantel of Bill Belichick, who has lost to only six rookie quarterbacks in his New England tenure — never at home. From 2006 to the start of this season, here are some of the combined statistics of the 20 games rookie quarterbacks have played against the Patriots’ defense: a 55 percent completion rate (the lowest in 2020 was the Eagles’ 56 percent), 19 touchdowns to 30 interceptions (2020 worst: Denver’s 21:23 ratio), and 53 sacks (2020 worst: the Eagles’ 64). Belichick turns rookie quarterbacks into the worst passing offenses in the N.F.L.Meanwhile, Belichick’s rookie quarterback, Mac Jones, was consistently forced to dump the ball off underneath, and almost all of the Patriots’ yardage came after the catch. Jets Coach Robert Saleh’s defense performed well given how much time it spent on the field in the first half, and their “bend but don’t break” approach kept New England from blowing the game open early.The Jets are playing rookies more than anyone else in the league at the moment. This is as torn down as a tear-down gets, and it probably won’t be until the Jets face the Titans (Week 4) and Falcons (Week 5) that the young guys will be able to showcase their potential.Verdict: Not yet, and it’ll be a while. — Diante Lee More

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      Washington Beats Giants on Last-Second Field Goal

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      Washington won a thriller on a last-second field goal, sending Daniel Jones and the Giants to another 0-2 start.The Giants moved the ball sharply, at times impressively. Then they settled for a field goal.Repeat.On a solid night for Daniel Jones — 22 for 32 for 249 yards passing, and 95 yards rushing — the Giants couldn’t convert when it really mattered on Thursday night in Washington. Five times, their offense headed back to the sidelines and turned the game over to kicker Graham Gano. Five times, he made the field-goal attempt presented to him. But the points left on the board were costly in the Giants’ 30-29 loss to the Washington Football Team.Giants quarterback Daniel Jones rushed for one touchdown and passed for another.Rob Carr/Getty ImagesThe cruelest twist? Washington won the game on a 43-yard field goal of its own, a penalty-aided second attempt by Dustin Hopkins with no time left.Both the Giants and the Football Team were eager for a win after losing in Week 1. Last season it only took a 7-9 record for Washington to win the woeful N.F.C. East. That gave even the 6-10 Giants plenty of hope going into this season. A 0-2 start — for the fifth straight year — is not what they had in mind.Jones’s good passing performance was matched by Washington’s Taylor Heinicke, who took the reins after the Football Team Player Ryan Fitzpatrick was injured in Week 1. It was just Heinicke’s second career start at age 28, but he was 34 for 46 for 336 yards and crucially led his team to three touchdowns to the Giants’ two.The game seesawed back and forth. The Team took a 27-26 lead with 4 minutes 33 seconds left on an acrobatic, spinning touchdown catch by Ricky Seals-Jones.After Washington got the ball back, Heinicke made an ill-advised pass at his 22 that was intercepted by James Bradberry with 2:22 left. The Giants suddenly had a chance to steal the game.Once again, though, they settled for a Gano field goal and a 29-27 lead.Needing only a field goal to steal the win back, Washington executed a classic 11-play, 50-yard two-minute drill. Hopkins missed a 48-yarder at the end of it, but an offside penalty against Dexter Lawrence gave him a second shot from five yards closer, at the 43. With no time on the clock, he converted it and the Team (1-1) was the winner.The Giants also got bad news in the game after offensive lineman Nick Gates, a co-captain, went down with a gruesome leg injury in the first quarter. He was carted off the field, and the team later said he had fractured the leg, very likely ending his season.Much ado was made about receiver Kenny Golladay giving Jones an earful on the sidelines late in the game. Golladay did not meet the press, but Jones said: “I think he was frustrated at the situation. I don’t think it was to me or anyone in particular.”It was the kind of frustration felt by many Giants fans, still awaiting their team’s first playoff victory since a Super Bowl win in 2012. More

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      Saquon Barkley (and Fans) Returned. But So Did Last Season’s Giants.

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      Despite the return of the Pro Bowl running back, a ballyhooed defense and a readmitted home crowd, the Giants looked listless in a loss to the Denver Broncos.Running back Saquon Barkley dodged and bulled his way to a 5-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage in Sunday’s game between the Giants and Denver Broncos. Barkley, the cynosure of the Giants’ offense until a torn knee ligament kept him out of 14 games last season, seemed whole again, and the home fans at a packed MetLife Stadium leapt to their feet in response.Moments later, the Giants third-year quarterback, Daniel Jones, threw a 42-yard pass to his favorite receiver, Darius Slayton, which advanced the Giants into Denver territory. There was more unbridled euphoria in the grandstand.Fans were back for the opening game.Michelle Farsi for The New York TimesThe Giants honored the 20th anniversary of 9/11.Michelle Farsi for The New York TimesBut then the Giants lost eight yards on the next two plays, squandering any chance of scoring even a field goal. One drive later, the Giants ran three desultory plays without gaining a yard and punted. Soon they were trailing Denver by three points. Then by 10 points, then by 17.A new Giants season suddenly looked no different than last year’s 10-loss disappointment. The fans slumped back into their seats.The opening day of a football season always has an air of rebirth — until it feels like a repeat.As the final seconds of Denver’s thorough 27-13 thumping of the Giants wound down — the home team would score a meaningless touchdown on the game’s final play — the MetLife stands were mostly empty. That had been the case last season, because of pandemic restrictions. The void this time, however, felt different, especially since the remaining soundtrack of the event was the raucous cheering of a few thousand Broncos fans.In the end, Barkley rushed for only 26 yards on 10 carries. Jones, charged with reducing the costly turnovers that have been the scourge of his first two seasons as a starter, lost a fumble deep in Denver territory at a pivotal juncture of the game. The Giants’ much ballyhooed defense repeatedly failed to force the Broncos off the field as Denver converted seven of 15 third-downs — and all three fourth-down tries.It left Joe Judge, the second-year Giants coach, cognizant of why Giants fans scurried for the MetLife Stadium exits by the midpoint of the fourth quarter, if not earlier.“We have to earn their respect,” Judge said of the fans. “We have to give them something to cheer about. There was great energy and a great atmosphere in the stadium but we’ve got to do more as a team to make them want to stay and cheer.”Rather than rebirth, the Giants were on repeat.Michelle Farsi for The New York TimesRunning back Saquon Barkley was not enough to reverse last season’s disappointment.Michelle Farsi for The New York TimesThe star of the game was the resurgent Denver quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who completed 28 of 36 passes for 264 yards and two touchdown passes. The less-observed constituent who had significant impact on the outcome was the Broncos’ offensive coordinator, Pat Shurmur, the former Giants coach who on Sunday flummoxed his old team’s defense.Jones completed 22 of 37 passes for one touchdown. Neither quarterback had an interception and each was sacked twice, although Bridgewater faced only sporadic pressure from the Giants pass rush.After a 15-play drive that took nearly nine minutes, Denver opened the game’s scoring in the second quarter with a 23-yard field goal by Brandon McManus. On their next possession, the Giants came out aggressively on first down with Jones throwing a 17-yard pass over the middle to receiver Kenny Golladay, one of the team’s foremost off-season free agent acquisitions.Four plays and a defensive pass interference penalty later, the Giants pushed into the Broncos’ end of the field. On a first down, Sterling Shepard, the longest-tenured Giant, ran a lengthy crossing route and caught a precise Jones pass before diving into the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown that gave the home team a 7-3 lead.In roughly two minutes at the end of the first half, led by the poise, elusiveness and accuracy of Bridgewater, Denver had regained the lead. Bridgewater completed six consecutive passes, the last a 2-yard touchdown toss to Tim Patrick that sent the Broncos into the game’s intermission with a 10-7 lead.Denver picked up where it left off after receiving the second-half kickoff. Although the Broncos’ running game was nonexistent, the Giants’ pass defense was still overwhelmed, in part because the feeble Giants offense kept it on the field for so much of the game.Giants fans showed their displeasure with the team’s performance late in the game.Michelle Farsi for The New York TimesJones fumbled on his run in the fourth quarter, all but sealing the loss for the Giants.Michelle Farsi for The New York TimesIt took the Broncos 16 plays to traverse 75 yards, as Bridgewater continually used his legs to extend plays. On the final play of the drive, a fourth-and-1 at the Giants 4-yard line, Bridgewater scrambled to his right as he was closely pursued by Giants safety Xavier McKinney, who was grasping at Bridgewater’s headgear and shoulder pads. On the run, Bridgewater flipped the football into the end zone where Albert Okwuegbunam made an acrobatic catch in traffic for the Broncos’ second touchdown, extending their lead to 17-7.On the following possession, the Giants did mount a comeback — of sorts.After the Giants advanced to the Denver 22-yard line, Jones burst through the middle of the Broncos defensive front for a 7-yard run then wrapped two hands around the football in an attempt to prevent a fumble. But Denver linebacker Josey Jewell punched the ball free from Jones’s grasp and Jewell’s teammate Malik Reed fell on the football at the Denver 15-yard line. Once again, a promising Giants possession ended with a Jones turnover that resulted in a 36-yard McManus field goal that increased the Giants deficit to 20-7.The game was, at that point, all but over.Von Miller of the Broncos hugged his mother after the season opening win on the road.Michelle Farsi for The New York Times More

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      What to Watch for in the N.F.L.’s Week 1 Games

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      Aaron Rodgers could achieve a career milestone and marquee players like Odell Beckham Jr., Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey will all return from injury in the first weekend of the season.Whether a product of the pandemic, collateral damage from an eliminated preseason or just the way things go in football, the 2020 N.F.L. season was marred by significant injuries and postponements.As different as the league may look this season, football fans will find a more familiar N.F.L. this season, replete with fans in the stands. Here are some story lines to pay attention to during Week 1’s matchups.All times Eastern.Aaron Rodgers and Travis Kelce could reach career milestones.Cleveland Browns at Kansas City, 4:25 p.m., CBSGreen Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints, 4:25 p.m., FoxReaching Week 1 is a milestone in and of itself, considering the Covid protocols and vaccination push it took to get here. But Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce is on milestone watch already, heading into Sunday’s regular-season opener against Cleveland. Coming off a season in which he ranked second among all N.F.L. pass catchers with 1,416 yards receiving (a record for a tight end), Kelce, who has 7,881 career receiving yards, can become the fastest tight end in league history to reach 8,000. He needs 119 yards against the Browns to claim the record, currently held by Tampa Bay’s Rob Gronkowski.Aaron Rodgers’s potential final season as a Packer begins against the Jameis Winston-led Saints. Rodgers, the reigning league most valuable player, needs to gain 231 yards passing against a Saints defense that was top-five against the pass last season to surpass Hall of Famer John Elway for the 10th-most passing yards in N.F.L. history.Throwing to one of the league’s top receiving threats in Davante Adams is as much a safety net as Rodgers could ask for, but Rodgers will also have one of his favorite targets in Randall Cobb, the veteran receiver the Packers brought back to the team this off-season at Rodgers’s request.Whose A.C.L. healed the best?San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m., FoxJets at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m., CBSDenver Broncos at Giants, 4:25 p.m., FoxWe didn’t see much of Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on the field last year (he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last October), so Cleveland’s offense leaned instead on the punch that Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt gave their rushing attack. It helped, too, that quarterback Baker Mayfield had the most efficient of his first three seasons, posting a career-best 95.9 passer rating.Sunday’s rematch of January’s divisional-round playoff game, a 22-17 Kansas City win, gives Beckham the perfect stage to show he’s still the same electric receiver he once was and — if he and Mayfield can re-establish their chemistry — that the Browns’ 2020 breakthrough wasn’t an anomaly.In San Francisco, losing defensive end Nick Bosa to an A.C.L. injury in Week 2 plunged the 49ers out of serious contention almost immediately. He’s back and ready to pounce on the Lions.The Panthers’ do-everything running back Christian McCaffrey and Giants running back Saquon Barkley also return this weekend, but how much they’ll contribute in their debuts remains to be seen. Barkley appeared in two games last season before tearing his right A.C.L. and skipped the preseason, but is fully ready, Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. The Giants will likely not ask too much of him Sunday against the Broncos because he’s pacing to be a focal point in an offense that was plagued by receivers’ dropped passes and turnovers by quarterback Daniel Jones, who’ll be chased by Denver’s Von Miller, returning from a season-ending ankle injury.McCaffrey was sidelined for all but three full games in 2020 with several injuries, but plays a huge role in the Panthers’ passing game, which may not need much of a lift against the Jets. Sam Darnold already has a more solid receiving duo in Carolina, in Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore, than he may be used to.Rookie standouts will try to make a second-year leap.Los Angeles Chargers at Washington Football Team, 1 p.m., CBSIf Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert plans to make a leap in Year 2, facing the Washington Football Team’s dominant defensive end Chase Young is probably one of the most difficult ways to start. Young, the 2020 defensive rookie of the year, will meet Herbert’s Chargers Sunday afternoon. It will be the second straight season where the reigning offensive and defensive rookies of the year will meet in their season opener: Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray faced Bosa’s 49ers in Week 1 last season.In 2020, Young anchored one of the league’s best defenses, which allowed just over 300 yards per game, second fewest in the N.F.L. Herbert finished the season with the most passing touchdowns (31) and completions (396) of any rookie in league history. More

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      NFL Week 1 Picks Against the Spread and Predictions

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      Dak Prescott vs. the Bucs’ pass rush, dueling Alabama quarterbacks and a rematch of January’s Browns-Chiefs playoff game make for a compelling start to the regular season.It’s back.The N.F.L. regular season is upon us, with an additional, 17th game for every team, with some hard-earned certitudes. From now until February, the league will try its darnedest to again complete its schedule without interruption — from Covid-19, hurricanes, whatever — until Super Bowl LVI can be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.What happens between now and then, though, is up to variables on and off the field. It’s fair to assume that only a handful of contenders have a shot at a championship, but what about as a week-to-week chaos agent? Well, that role could be filled by nearly any team. This week’s matchups include playoff rematches, the debuts of rookie quarterbacks and the returns of star players from injuries.Here’s a look at Week 1, with all picks made against the spread by a new columnist who takes over the duty for the 2021 season.Here’s what you need to know:Thursday’s OpenerSunday’s Best GamesSunday’s Other GamesMonday’s MatchupHow Betting Lines WorkThursday’s OpenerDallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:20 p.m., NBCLine: Buccaneers -8| Total: 52Dak Prescott’s welcome back assignment from an ankle injury that ended his 2020 season will be to outperform Tom Brady while evading the pass rush of the Buccaneers, the defending Super Bowl champions. The Bucs retained all 22 starters from last season, including the defense that sacked Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes twice and hit him nine times in last season’s title game.Protecting Prescott will be trickier without right guard Zack Martin, who tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday and is unlikely to play. Dallas’s defense, which ranked 28th last season in points allowed, has a new coordinator in Dan Quinn and added linebacker Micah Parsons via the draft. But will that be enough to consistently stop Brady? Pfft. Pick: Buccaneers -8Sunday’s Best GamesJadeveon Clowney, right, joins a Cleveland Browns team looking to avenge a narrow loss to Kansas City in last season’s A.F.C. divisional round.Jason Getz/USA Today Sports, via ReutersCleveland Browns at Kansas City, 4:25 p.m., CBSLine: Chiefs -6 | Total: 53A rematch of last season’s A.F.C. divisional playoff gives new players on Cleveland and Kansas City the opportunity to show their value. Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who is playing for his fourth team in four years, will attempt to pressure Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City’s upgraded offensive line — it has got five new projected starters, including tackle Orlando Brown and guard Joe Thuney — looks to prevent jarring hits like the one in last season’s playoff game that sent Mahomes into the concussion protocol.Odell Beckham Jr.’s return from a knee injury will give Kansas City’s defense another threat to account for. But if Mahomes is well protected, it will be risky to bet against him. Pick: Kansas City -6Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints (kinda), 4:25 p.m., FoxLine: Packers -4 | Total: 50Hurricane Ida’s devastation in New Orleans caused this game to be relocated to Jacksonville, Fla., adding another disruption to teams whose off-seasons were full of them. The Packers and a disgruntled Aaron Rodgers finally settled their differences for perhaps one final try at a Super Bowl. The Saints, who have operated in Texas since late August, begin the post-Drew Brees era with Jameis Winston at quarterback. His test will be finding targets to carry the load of Michael Thomas, the team’s top receiver who is out for six weeks after having foot surgery in the off-season.The Packers have had roster continuity and have not dealt with similar logistical hurdles. Pick: Packers -4Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m., CBSLine: Bills -6.5 | Total: 49The Steelers deteriorated toward the end of last season while the Bills improved. Pittsburgh drafted Najee Harris in the first round to boost an abysmal rushing attack that netted only 3.6 yards per attempt, ranking last in the league. But quarterback Josh Allen’s ascent into one of the league’s best players should continue with Buffalo’s addition of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to complement Stefon Diggs, who led the N.F.L. in receiving yards and catches last season. Bills fans should get their tables ready. Pick: Bills -6.5Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, center, and receivers A.J. Brown, left, and Julio Jones will try to relieve Derrick Henry from the burden of carrying the Titans’ entire offense.Mark Zaleski/Associated PressArizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m., CBSLine: Titans -2.5 | Total: 52Julio Jones. Derrick Henry. A.J. Brown. The Cardinals’ defense will be the first unit to try to contain Tennessee’s new-look offense. Will it focus on stopping Henry and creep defenders close to the line of scrimmage? Will it double-team Jones and leave Brown in man coverage? Vice versa? Regardless of the strategy, Arizona will do so with a young linebacker corps and questions at cornerback after Patrick Peterson departed in free agency and his replacement, Malcolm Butler, retired during training camp. Even with J.J. Watt now on the edge, countering the Titans’ attack will be more than the Cardinals can handle so early in the season. Pick: Titans -2.5Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams, 8:20 p.m., NBCLine: Rams -7.5 | Total: 45.5The Rams and the Bears added veteran quarterbacks in the off-season and received different receptions from their fans. Los Angeles fans embraced Matthew Stafford as their hope to reach the Super Bowl, while the Bears faithful called unsuccessfully for Andy Dalton to be benched for the rookie Justin Fields. Perhaps Coach Matt Nagy is showing Fields mercy as he starts Dalton against a Rams defense anchored by Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. That unit led the N.F.L. in nearly every statistical category last season and, despite losing some free agents, there is enough talent to frustrate Dalton in prime time. Pick: Rams -7.5Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m., FoxLine: Seahawks -2.5| Total: 49.5The Colts hoped new scenery would resurrect the 2017 version of Carson Wentz, who helped lead the Eagles in the regular season on a run to a title, but a foot injury and a stint on the Covid list robbed him of valuable training camp reps with his new teammates. He’ll face a Seahawks defense that surrendered the second-most passing yards in the league to opposing teams last season but that hopes linebacker Bobby Wagner and safety Jamal Adams can turn the unit into a more consistent threat. (Adams’s 9.5 sacks last season were the most ever by a defensive back.)Seattle will lure opponents into trying to keep up with the scoring pace of Russell Wilson, D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, as it did last year. Wentz will be the first to find out how much tougher that has become. Pick: Seahawks -2.5Sunday’s Other GamesLos Angeles Chargers at Washington Footballers, 1 p.m., CBSLine: Chargers -1| Total: 44.5Oddsmakers predict this will be a tossup because the Chargers enter this season as an unknown under their new coach, Brandon Staley. On paper, the team should improve with quarterback Justin Herbert, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Award winner; a remodeled offensive line; and the return of safety Derwin James. But it may take time for the team to fully grasp Staley’s system and for the offensive line to jell. Blocking Washington’s pass rush, led by Chase Young, last season’s Defensive Rookie of the Year Award winner, is a tough first task. Pick: Washington +1Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m., FoxLine: Falcons -3.5 | Total: 48The Eagles placed their faith in Jalen Hurts when they traded Carson Wentz to the Colts, and selected his former Alabama teammate DeVonta Smith in the first round of the draft to boost a receiving corps often criticized for its lack of production. They’ll relish going up against a Falcons defense that allowed the most passing yards in the league last season.Atlanta focused on improving its offense in the draft, selecting tight end Kyle Pitts with the No. 4 overall pick, and it’s possible that could carry the Falcons in this game. But it is also possible that Philadelphia can upset a team that is somewhere between rebuilding and contending. Pick: Eagles +3.5The rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase, center, was reunited with his L.S.U. teammate Joe Burrow when the Bengals drafted him fifth overall in April. Dylan Buell/Getty ImagesMinnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m., FoxLine: Vikings -3 | Total: 48The Bengals elected to reunite quarterback Joe Burrow with his Louisiana State teammate receiver Ja’Marr Chase in the draft rather than pick up an offensive lineman to protect their second-year quarterback as he returns from major knee surgery. Chase caught only one of five targets in the preseason; the rookie attributed the drops to a lack of concentration. That excuse makes sense with Chase adjusting to playing again after opting out of the 2020 college football season. But his acclimation to the N.F.L. intensifies against a secondary which now includes cornerback Patrick Peterson, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection. Pick: Vikings -3San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m., FoxLine: 49ers -7 | Total: 45It’s full rebuilding mode in Detroit, where the team’s new coach, Dan Campbell, helms a defense that ranked last in yards allowed last season and will try to restore the confidence of Jared Goff, 26, a franchise quarterback the Rams sent packing in the off-season.That fledgling experiment will be fodder for the 49ers’ elite motion-based rush and a San Francisco defense sharpening its teeth after being wiped out by injuries last season. Coach Kyle Shanahan has elected to start Jimmy Garoppolo over the rookie Trey Lance, but either quarterback could win this one. Pick: 49ers -7Jets at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m., CBSLine: Panthers -5.5 | Total: 45Sam Darnold gets an early opportunity to show his former team what he could have been with quality coaching and a consistent receiver. Rusher Christian McCaffrey is back after missing much of the 2020 season with various injuries, and Darnold has one of the league’s most underrated receiving duos in D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson, who both posted 1,000 yards last season.Zach Wilson, whom the Jets drafted with the No. 2 overall pick to replace Darnold, has his work cut out for him. Pick: Panthers -5.5Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots, 4:25 p.m., CBSLine: Patriots -3 | Total: 43.5The Dolphins added receiving threats in Will Fuller V and Jaylen Waddle to help the second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s development as a downfield passer. But that may not be evident in his first game this season against the Patriots, as Coach Bill Belichick will surely employ a plan to confuse the young passer.Tagovailoa faces his successor at Alabama, Mac Jones, who so impressed the New England coaching staff with his ability to process information before and after the snap that they released Cam Newton at the end of camp. Jones will need to draw on that savvy against Miami’s aggressive defense. Pick: Patriots -3Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans, 1 p.m., CBSLine: -2.5 Jaguars | Total: 44.5The Texans officially named the veteran journeyman Tyrod Taylor as their starting quarterback, relegating Deshaun Watson to the bench. Their cloudy quarterback situation directly contrasts with Jacksonville’s. The Jaguars’ optimism over Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, is high. The buzz surrounding him and the first-year N.F.L. coach Urban Meyer should pick up even more after they face a Houston defense that ranked 30th in yards allowed last season and got worse after releasing J.J. Watt. Pick: Jaguars -2.5Denver Broncos at Giants, 4:25 p.m., FoxLine: Broncos -3 | Total: 42The Giants’ assessment of Daniel Jones as the franchise’s future gets real insight as he faces a Broncos defense rife with talent. Linebacker Von Miller returns from an ankle injury that sidelined him last season, and his presence could disrupt Jones from finding new teammates like receiver Kenny Golladay and tight end Kyle Rudolph. Those additions, along with the Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley’s returning to the lineup, should help the third-year starting quarterback as the season progresses. But against the Broncos’ defense, which should be on the field less because of the risk-averse play of Teddy Bridgewater, it may not be enough. Pick: Broncos -3Monday’s MatchupBaltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders, 8:15 p.m., ESPN & ABCLine: -4.5 | Total: 51The Ravens lost depth at running back when the starter J.K. Dobbins and the reserve Justice Hill both sustained season-ending injuries in training camp. But quarterback Lamar Jackson still commands respect as a runner and passer, and Monday provides him and the team an opportunity to showcase the evolution of their scheme with the addition of the veteran receiver Sammy Watkins. Las Vegas gave up 389 yards per game last season, ranking 30th in the league. The unit hopes to have improved under the new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and defensive lineman Yannick Ngakoue, but the Ravens’ experience should give them an edge. Pick: Ravens -4.5How Betting Lines WorkA quick primer for those who are not familiar with betting lines: Favorites are listed next to a negative number that represents how many points they must win by to cover the spread. Baltimore -4.5, for example, means that Baltimore must beat Las Vegas by at least 5 points for its backers to win their bet. Gamblers can also bet on the total score, or whether the teams’ combined score in the game is over or under a preselected number of points. More