After two weeks of football, the takes are still hot. Welcome back to Five Hot Takes. This is a weekly feature where I take a look at five hot takes from the week and then counter them with an argument of my own. Whether or not you agree with them will be up to you.<\/p>\n
So without delay, let’s dive right into the narratives going on right now.<\/p>\n
Statistically? Yes. In terms of quality? Not even close. Rodgers is being strangled by a limited receiving cast (Jordy Nelson<\/a><\/strong> is rusty coming back from\u00a0missing all of\u00a02015) that can’t get separation. Davante Adams<\/a> <\/strong>for instance, is struggling terribly, failing to catch the ball or gain separation.<\/p>\n Rodgers was great against the Jacksonville<\/strong> Jaguars<\/strong>,\u00a0moving well\u00a0in the pocket\u00a0and buying the receivers time to get open. While he wasn’t good against the Minnesota<\/strong> Vikings<\/strong>, his jitters were offset by a receiving cast that really struggled. He still made a few great plays on his own that day.<\/p>\n Bottom line: the Green Bay Packers<\/strong> need to provide Rodgers with better play-calling and fresh receivers.<\/p>\n Not really. The reason the Saints<\/strong> “held” the Giants<\/strong> to 16 points was because the Giants offense kept shooting themselves in the foot. On the very first drive, Larry Donnell<\/a><\/strong> and Odell Beckham<\/a><\/strong> dropped back to back would be touchdown\u00a0catches in the end zone.\u00a0In the second quarter, Shane Vereen<\/a> <\/strong>fumbled in the middle of a drive, Victor Cruz<\/a> <\/strong>fumbled on a 40-yard pass play,\u00a0and Eli Manning<\/a><\/strong> fumbled on a sack (on an otherwise excellent day for him).\u00a0Later in the game, Sterling Shepard<\/a><\/strong> (on an otherwise outstanding performance) slipped on the turf on a would be touchdown, and Cruz and Beckham dropped an additional\u00a0two touchdown passes.<\/p>\n So really, the Saints defense still played terribly, allowing big holes and separation. It was the Giants receivers and turnovers that really played up the story.<\/p>\n The team is 2-0, but I don’t feel too confident about them as a whole so far. Joe Flacco<\/a><\/strong> performed relatively\u00a0well in Week One, but got away with a lot of turnover-worthy throws in Week Two that the Cleveland<\/strong> Browns<\/strong> defense never caught on to. It was really a big break against an awful defense. The Buffalo<\/strong> Bills<\/strong> game had a bit more to like, but it was also against a terrible defense.<\/p>\n True, it is better to win ugly than to lose outright, but this Ravens<\/strong> team needs to be tested.<\/p>\n Not quite. The offense is not off to a good start by any means, but that can be explained and fixed. Russell Wilson<\/a><\/strong> is playing hurt, and his much needed mobility is not there currently. Thomas Rawls<\/a><\/strong> is also playing hurt, and poor offensive line play is preventing the team from getting any comfort.<\/p>\n This is an offense filled with young talent, and when healthy, I guarantee they will be a lot better.<\/p>\n Box score aside, this was more of a failed opportunity for quarterback Kirk Cousins<\/a><\/strong>. The receivers and offensive line put him in the best position to succeed in Week\u00a0Two and he failed. He could not hit open receivers downfield with precision, kept throwing late to receivers, showed off limited vision when surveying the field, and continued to lock in on targets, regardless if they were open or not (his interception is a great example of how terrible his lock on was).<\/p>\n With a more capable quarterback, it’s hard for me not to say the Redskins<\/strong> would have won that game, especially with star quarterback\u00a0Tony Romo<\/a><\/strong> injured for the Cowboys<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Main Photo:<\/p>\n2.\u00a0The New Orleans Saints Defense Stopped the New York Giants<\/h3>\n
3. The Baltimore Ravens Are Off to a Great Start<\/h3>\n
4. Time\u00a0to Panic About the\u00a0Seattle Seahawks Offense<\/h3>\n
5. The Dallas Cowboys Outplayed the Washington Redskins<\/h3>\n