Five Things to Keep an Eye on in Week 2

Will Josh Allen show flashes that he can be the Bills quarterback of the future? After another Nathan Peterman disaster, Sean McDermott has decided to trot out Josh Allen, the Bills rookie quarterback, for their matchup with the Chargers. Allen surely has some potential given his frame and rocket arm, but his decision making has been categorized as suspect. It will be interesting to see how he fares against a Chargers defense that can really get after the quarterback.

Two Divisional Matchups Between Winless Playoff Hopefuls. The Texans face the Titans and the Giants take on the Cowboys, in two contest between playoff hopefuls where all teams will look to avoid starting 0-2. Houston, Tennessee, the Giants, and Dallas all had playoff aspirations heading into the 2018 campaign, and while going 0-2 doesn’t end their seasons, it significantly decreases their chances of playing into January.

Alex Smith vs. Andrew Luck. This is not your premier quarterback match-up, but it is definitely an intriguing one. Alex Smith and the Redskins were among the most impressive teams in Week 1 and will look to improve to 2-0 at home against the Colts and Andrew Luck. Luck played in his first game action last week since the 2016 season and played well. It will be interesting to see how he and the Colts fare in the nation’s capital.

Can the Buccaneers offense sustain without Jameis? I think it is safe to say that Dirk Koetter’s offense won’t explode for 48 points against the Eagles as they did in Week 1, with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm against the Saints. The question becomes whether or not Tampa Bay’s offense can be productive enough to give themselves a fighter’s chance. If they can move the ball and put up crooked numbers against the defending Super Bowl champions, there will officially be a quarterback controversy in south Florida.

The Falcons Offense. Matt Ryan and company were putrid, particularly in the red zone, to open the season. Considering that their offseason was littered with questions and critiques surrounding their play-calling, their Week 1 struggles were even more surprising. I would imagine that they right the ship at home against the Panthers, but if they cannot Steve Sarkisian might be looking for work.