Knuck if you Shough: Previewing Week 3

Mina Kimes praises the Eagles' receivers broadly, noting they 'look awesome' in the context of Sean Mannion's improved passing attack and better use of motion to get receivers open. While not explicitly named in the excerpt, A.J. Brown is the Eagles' primary receiver and benefits from this improved offensive scheme.

Adonai Mitchell is being targeted heavily by the Jets offense; they threw it to him over 12 times against Green Bay, indicating the team is leaning into getting him targets and developing his role in the passing game.

Baker Mayfield historically has been better against the blitz than most quarterbacks, and the numbers support that. While the Vikings' Brian Flores blitz is different than most teams', Mayfield is not a quarterback that shrinks against the blitz, which could work to his advantage in this matchup.

Robinson is described as 'really good' and represents one of the few reliable offensive weapons for the Falcons, providing a bright spot in an otherwise struggling offense that has failed to reach the red zone through two weeks.

Mina Kimes notes that Blake Corum (or Kyron Williams) may see targets against the Broncos' linebackers as part of the Rams' strategy to establish the run game before threatening Stafford with the pass rush.

Nix played well in the second half against Jacksonville, and the Broncos' offensive line is very good. The Broncos' loss to Jacksonville was not a collapse but rather execution errors and mistakes, with Nix performing adequately despite the team's inability to finish drives.

Thomas Jr. had two drops in the Jaguars' game against Denver and appeared to short-circuit at certain points, including an interception late in the game. His performance has been inconsistent, and he hasn't lived up to expectations as a receiver after his rookie year, raising questions about whether he can be the difference-maker the Jaguars need.

Bryce Young has been lighting it up through the first two weeks; the Panthers offense has held up its side of the equation well, supporting optimism heading into Week 3 against the Browns.

Bryce Young has been lighting it up for the Panthers offense through two weeks; Mina Kimes notes the Panthers offense has held up their side of the equation well.

Bucky Irving is central to the Buccaneers' game plan against Minnesota; this is a Bucky Irving screen game and running game. The speaker identifies Irving's usage as the key question for Tampa's offense in this matchup.

Irving is featured in Tampa Bay's screen and run game; Mina Kimes likes the offensive scheme design around him as a complement to the Buccaneers' strong offensive line.

Ward played fine in Week 2 against Philadelphia, showing improvement compared to his Week 1 performance. The Titans offense overall looked better, suggesting Ward is settling into the role and developing as the season progresses.

Olave is described by Mina Kimes as 'definitely a top 10 receiver' and 'freaking awesome.' He has been healthy and productive, and Shough has complete faith in him. Kimes notes the Saints have accomplished their offensive success despite missing first-round draft pick Jordan Tyson, underscoring Olave's importance to the passing game.

Mina Kimes recalls that DeAndre Swift ran for 125 yards in last year's Eagles-Bears matchup when the Eagles played light boxes. However, with Case Keenum as the Bears' quarterback this week, Brian Fangio's defense will likely not employ light boxes, making Swift's rushing opportunities much less favorable.

Denzel Boston had two explosive plays in Week 2 against Tampa Bay: a 50-yard touchdown where he broke a bunch of tackles, and a fade route touchdown; however, Mina Kimes contextualizes these as benefiting from short fields created by Buccaneers mistakes rather than elite quarterback play from Deshaun Watson.

Deshaun Watson's Week 2 performance against Tampa Bay was graded on a Deshaun Watson scale; while not great, he was okay, averaging 3.7 air yards per attempt with a lot of short passes and explosive plays, but benefited from short fields created by Buccaneers mistakes rather than elite play.

Mina Kimes notes that DeVonta Smith has been great in the Eagles' improved passing attack, contributing to the coherent offensive scheme under Sean Mannion where receivers are getting open through motion and better play-calling.

Metcalf, presumed to be the Steelers' best player, has had a tough time catching the ball early in the season. The Steelers offense has been described as equally bad as the Falcons' offense, and Metcalf's struggles catching contribute to the overall offensive dysfunction.

Maye looks uncomfortable under pressure and lacks confidence compared to last season. Against the Seahawks and Steelers defenses, he has struggled, particularly in zone coverage situations. However, he performs better when blitzed, showing accuracy and quick release. The Patriots offense is scared due to pass protection issues, which has permeated the entire offensive room and play-calling.

Mina Kimes mentions Drew Lock as a backup quarterback who is "hooping" and describes him as "the spiciest, most fun backup," suggesting he may see playing time soon. This is in the context of discussing backup quarterbacks and potential changes.

Drew Lock is the spiciest, most fun backup quarterback in the league; he's aggressive with his arm talent and willing to let it fly to receivers like JSN with no regard for tight windows, creating explosive play potential.

Garrett Wilson and the Jets receivers face a favorable matchup against Detroit's secondary, which just lost Devante Maddox; the Jets receivers are good and getting more comfortable, creating real opportunities in the passing game if Gino Smith takes care of the football and the offensive line holds up.

Gino Smith has been good relative to expectations and is willing to throw it deep; he drew a couple of penalties giving receivers chances, and his arm doesn't appear cooked as there was concern about entering the season. He's playing well enough that the Jets offense can develop and receivers can grow more comfortable.

Mina Kimes identifies Jalen Hurts as the key to the Seahawks' ability to score points in their games so far. She describes him as "special" and notes he's been particularly impressive against Washington's secondary, which has been "a lot less impressive" than Hurts' performance level.

Mina Kimes expresses confidence in Jalen Hurts through the early season, noting that the marriage with Sean Mannion is starting to click. She observes improved middle-of-the-field passing, a more coherent passing attack with better use of motion to get receivers open, and greater proficiency attacking zone coverage than predecessors. Hurts appears confident throwing into zone voids with anticipatory throws, and the receivers look awesome. Against Case Keenum and the Bears, this should be a favorable matchup.

JSN (Jalin Hyatt) benefits from Drew Lock's aggressive deep-ball tendencies and willingness to fit throws into tight windows; Lock has demonstrated he will let it fly to JSN with no regard for coverage difficulty, creating explosive play opportunities.

Winston is expected to be better than his Monday night performance against the Rams, but Mina Kimes cannot bring himself to pick him or the Giants despite them being favored at home. The expectation is that blitzing Winston will be effective unless he proves otherwise, similar to what the Rams did.

Mina Kimes expresses reluctance to pick Jameis Winston in the Rams-Titans matchup, citing concerns about the Titans' defensive front (specifically Jeffrey Simmons) and the Rams' inability to run the ball effectively. The concern is that if the Rams can't establish the run game against Tennessee's strong defense, Winston will be forced to throw frequently, which plays into his turnover-prone tendencies: "we know the book on James is going to give it back to you."

Jaden Daniels went down with an elbow injury, forcing Marcus Mariota to start for the Commanders. Mina Kimes notes she would have been worried for Daniels in the tough Seahawks matchup, though she feels more confident in Mariota's ability to handle it due to his mobility.

Mina Kimes identifies a potential chess match in the Broncos-Rams game: the Rams deployed Trent McDuffie in the slot against the Giants (Week 2) after not using him there in Week 1. Kimes suggests considering targeting Jalen Waddle in the slot if the Rams continue that deployment, as it could create a favorable matchup against their corner rotation.

Jeremiah Love couldn't run the football much against Seattle in Week 2; Arizona's game script got away from them. Love was drafted third overall, and if Arizona can't establish a better ground game than what's been shown so far, that pick will look like a rough decision going forward.

Burrow still gets hit a lot despite the Bengals' improved offensive line, which was better than anticipated coming into the season. He took numerous hits against Houston, including some unnecessary ones when scrambling, indicating ongoing pass protection concerns even with the line improvements.

Love is severely impacted by injuries on the Packers' offensive line; with Zach Bacobole out for the season and Anthony Belton moving to tackle, the playbook has been cut in half. Love had a 2.3-second time to throw against the Jets, and the offensive line situation remains dire and scary in Green Bay, forcing the team to rely on quick-hitting plays rather than the full playbook.

Tyson, the Saints' first-round draft pick, has not been available. Mina Kimes notes that the Saints have been successful offensively despite his absence, suggesting the offense is functioning without a key offensive weapon.

Kyler Murray is expected to be an upgrade over Carson Wentz for the Cardinals; Mina Kimes is intrigued to see how he performs this week, noting his last game was cut short. If Murray reaches mediocre offensive production, the Cardinals could be the best team in their division given their strong defense.

Mina Kimes expresses interest in watching Kyler this week because last week's game was cut short, suggesting she wants to see a full game performance from the Cardinals quarterback.

Mina Kimes notes that the Rams may deploy Kyron Williams (or Blake Corum) in receiving roles to attack the Broncos' linebackers, as part of their early-down run game strategy to establish the run before threatening Stafford with the pass rush.

Mina Kimes notes that Lamar Jackson was killing the Cowboys defense on the ground in Week 2, but expresses nervousness about this matchup because Dallas' ability to create gap pressure—particularly through linebacker blitzing like the Saints did in the second half—could disrupt his scrambling. The Ravens have a rookie center who has struggled in pass protection, which compounds the concern.

Malik Willis has only two carries through two weeks, far fewer than Kirk Cousins and Gino Smith; despite being brought in as a dynamic rushing threat and being under center 69-73% of the time (compared to barely under center last year), the Dolphins have not built a robust option game with him and Devon Etienne, two of the most athletic explosive guys in the NFL.

Marcus Mariota will start for the Commanders after Jaden Daniels' elbow injury. Mina Kimes identifies a tough matchup against the Seahawks' defense, emphasizing that Mariota cannot afford to drop back on third-and-long situations. While Mariota was effective in the Cowboys game and in stretches last year, the Seahawks' run defense makes this a brutal spot; Kimes notes she would have been worried for Daniels in this situation but feels more confident in Mariota's mobility, though it remains a difficult matchup.

Marvin Harrison Jr. assessments have dominated the conversation around the Cardinals offense to some degree, which makes the offense struggle even more. The speaker suggests the Cardinals should focus on running the ball and not put too much on Jacoby Brissett's shoulders, implying Harrison Jr. is receiving disproportionate offensive attention.

Mina Kimes emphasizes that Matthew Stafford's performance is highly dependent on pass protection: when kept clean, he's dominant ('night-night'), but when pressured he struggles significantly. She cites his poor performance against San Francisco and notes that the Giants didn't pressure him at all, yet he still struggled. The Broncos' defensive line—featuring Nick Benito and Zach Allen—looks good even without Jonathan Cooper, and Stafford's 2.9-second time to throw (86th percentile when kept clean) suggests Denver's pass rush could be disruptive in this matchup.

Penix Jr. faces a prime opportunity against the Packers' weak cornerback group; his perimeter-attacking style of play aligns well with Green Bay's defensive weaknesses, particularly given the Packers' strength at safety. Coming off two games where the Falcons offense never reached the red zone, this Thursday night standalone game represents a chance to prove he can play and potentially secure the starting job.

Stevenson had a strong game against Pittsburgh, including a 39-yard touchdown run on a cover-six look. The Patriots ran the ball effectively when defenses presented split-safety looks, with Stevenson getting great blocks from Morgan Moses and receiving help from DebraJo Douglas clearing out the safety.

Mike McDonald reported that Sam Darnold is practicing and it's possible he will play in the Seahawks-Commanders game, though the status remains uncertain. The broader context suggests caution about rushing Darnold back: Mina Kimes notes it feels like a week where you don't necessarily need to push it, given the Seahawks' strong defense.

Mina Kimes expresses frustration that the Eagles' running game is not dominant, noting that the offense will never look as good as it did during Saquon Barkley's 2,000-yard season when the offensive line was road-grading opponents. She argues that the current Eagles offensive line is not at that historical level, so expectations should be adjusted accordingly. The Eagles can't run the ball effectively in Week 3.

Mina Kimes highlights Tavon Austin (referred to as 'Tavian Wicks' in the transcript, likely a speaker error for Tavon Austin or another Eagles receiver) as having been so good that his strong performance is overshadowing the fact that another receiver (Makai Lemon) hasn't contributed much.

Pollard looked explosive and had a nice day against Philadelphia, particularly on under-center runs with nice cutbacks for big gains against the Philly front. The Titans offense looked better overall in Week 2, and Pollard's performance suggests the run game could be effective against the Giants' run defense, which looked vulnerable against the Rams.

Mina Kimes expresses less confidence in Tony Pollard's ability to produce against the Titans' defense compared to the Titans' own offensive prospects. The context is that the Titans' front (led by Jeffrey Simmons) has impressed defensively, making it a difficult matchup for the Giants' running game.

Lawrence has had an impressive run of games since his last matchup against Denver, but hasn't faced many top-level defenses during that stretch. The Patriots defense presents a significant challenge with tight man coverage that will test whether Lawrence and the Jaguars have answers, particularly if Brian Thomas Jr. cannot perform at the level expected.

Shough has shown a stark split between first and second halves through two weeks: first half QBR of 15 (29th league-wide), negative 0.1 EPA per dropback (27th), and 33% success rate (28th); second half QBR of 81 (5th league-wide), 13th EPA per dropback, and 12th success rate. The improvement is not situational (not playing from behind), but rather driven by faster decision-making (2.55 time to throw, second fastest in football in second halves) and better performance when kept clean. Mina Kimes notes that if the Saints can replicate second-half efficiency consistently, the offense becomes credible.