• Sophomore Jinx Strikes Again?
  After a sensational rookie season in which he led the Cowboys to a 13-3 record and won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, Dak Prescott has started poorly in 2017. He has completed just 60.6% of his passes. Of course, throwing 89 passes in two games means your running game isn't clicking - just 169y in the two games as Ezekiel Elliott (8y on 9 carries Sunday) faces the distraction of fighting his suspension. (Sunday night, NFL Network commentator LaDanian Tomlinson accused Elliott of quitting during the game.) Dallas also fell behind Denver early in last Sunday's 42-17 loss. After the game, coach Jason Garrett put the blame on Dak. "When they play that style of defense, you have to be able to consistently attack with the passing game. ... We really needed to have [consistent] success throwing the ball. We were not able to do that." To his credit, Prescott didn't disagree. "If I make more plays, we give ourselves a chance in that game. I just simply didn't make the plays. There's no excuse for it."
  
• Leonard Skynerd
  A week after gaining 100y in his NFL debut, Jacksonville rookie Leonard Fournette gained only 40y at home against Tennessee. Because the Jags fell behind early, he carried the ball just 14 times instead of the 26 in the Week 1 victory over Houston.
• Other Rookie Downslides
  Other rookies cited here for their Week 1 success regressed to the mean in Week 2.
  RB Tarik Cohen, Chicago
  Week 1: 5 carries, 66y, 8 receptions, 47y, 1 TD
  Week 2: 7 carries, 13y; 8 receptions, 55y, 0 TD
  QB DeShone Kizer, Cleveland -
  Week 1: 20 of 30, 222y, 1 TD, 1 INT
  Week 2: 15 of 31, 182y, 0 TD, 3 INT
  RB Dalvin Cook, Minnesota
  Week 1: 22 carries for 127y (longest 33), 3 receptions for 10y
  Week 2: 12 carries for 64y, 2 receptions for 0y
  The most sensational rookie from Week 1, KC 's Kareem Hunt, who sparked the opening Thursday night upset of the Patriots, had another good day last Sunday.
  Week 1: 17 carries for 148y, 5 receptions for 998y, 3 TDs
  Week 2: 13 carries for 81y, 3 receptions for 28y, 2 TDs
• Still Working Out the Kinks at StubHub Center
  With nine seconds to play, Chargers' rookie kicker Younghoe Koo lined up a FG attempt that could win the game against the visiting Dolphins, who led 19-17 at the 30,000-seat soccer stadium in Carson CA the Chargers call home until the stadium they'll share with the Rams opens in 2020. But the boot sailed wide right. Nevertheless, the staff fired the victory cannon. Just practicing? Koo had a FG blocked in Week 1 that would have sent the game with the Broncos into OT.
• What a Way to End a Streak
  LB Lawrence Timmons had started 101 consecutive NFL games before being listed as inactive for the Dolphins victory over the LA Chargers Sunday. When Hurricane Irma scuttled Miami's opener against Tampa Bay, the team flew to California for a week of practice while their city recovered. But Timmons was not with the team Sunday. The Dolphins apparently knew where he was but would not divulge that information.
• Really Bum Knee
  Minnesota QB Sam Bradford played one of the best games of his career against the Saints in Week 1 - 27 of 32 for 346y, 3 TDs, 0 INT. (One writer wrote after New England thumped NO in Week 2: "Last week, the Saints' atrocious passing defense made Sam Bradford look like Tom Brady, and Brady actually is Tom Brady.") Bradford sat out Game 2 with a sore knee and watched Chase Keenum take over for the 26-9 loss to the Steelers. Doctors have a problem treating Sam's knee because it has so much scar tissue from previous procedures that the MRI is hard to read. So why take a chance against one of the best defenses in the league? Pittsburgh had seven sacks in Week 1 and got two more against the Vikings.
• Celebration Blues
  After Steelers WR Martavis Bryant caught a TD pass against Minnesota Sunday, he and teammate Antonio Brown celebrated by pretending to be playing a game of dice. Under last year's more stringent NFL rules governing celebrations, the performance would have drawn a 15y unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. But after numerous complaints, the No Fun League relaxed the rules this year. However, the two Steeler receivers forgot the companion new rule - that the 40-second play clock for the PAT starts as soon as the TD is signalled. So the Steelers, who like to go for two more than any other team, waited for the two to join them. As they finally lined up, they were stunned when the officials called a delay of game penalty. So they settled for a one-point kick. When Pitt RB JuJu Smith-Schuster scored a TD later in the game, four Steelers still played dicebut got off the field in time for the PAT.

• Not Again?
  After three weeks, no one would call you crazy if you predicted that Alabama will meet Clemson in the CFP Final for the third season in a row. After losing 11 players to the NFL draft, including QB DeShaun Watson, the Tigers dismantled Louisville on the road 47-21, gaining 613y, 106 more than last year.
• Flags a Flutter
  The South Florida-Illinois game "featured" 31 penalties, 16 on USF for 155y, 15 on the Illini for 138y. There were also four INTs, three thrown by the Big Ten visitors. USF won go 3-0.
• Surprise 3-0 Teams
  California - The Golden Bears' slate includes two victories over Power Five teams, North Carolina and Ole Miss . Three wins would have been acceptable for the whole season under new coach Justin Wilcox - that's how low the expectations were in Berkeley.
  Duke - After a 4-8 season, David Cutcliffe, one of the best coaches few people know about, the Blue Devils boast victories over Northwestern and Baylor.
  Iowa - Can't get too excited but the Hawkeyes have defeated Wyoming, Iowa State (on the road), and North Texas.
  Minnesota - New coach P.J. Fleck has led victories over Buffalo, Oregon State, and Middle Tennessee, that last one being the most impressive since the Blue Raiders beat Syracuse before falling to the Gophers 34-3.
  Mississippi State - The Bulldogs weren't expected to beat LSU. Now they're being touted as the second best team in the entire SEC. We'll see about that.
  San Diego State - The Aztecs have two Pac-12 scalps - Arizona State and Stanford. They have their sights set on a New Year's bowl.
  Vanderbilt - The Commodores upset Kansas State and started with a road win over aforementioned Middle Tennessee. After their heroes beat KSU, Vandy fans chanted WE WANT BAMA! They get them this Saturday on what will be just the Dores' sixth appearance on CBS's SEC Game of the Week.
  Virginia Tech - The Hokies were not mentioned among potential ACC leaders but started the season by defeating West Virginia, expected to be in the top 1/3 of the Big 12.
  Wake Forest - The Deacons should be 4-0 after beating Appalachian State this coming week before hosting the Seminoles in Week 5.
• Surprise 0-3 Starter
  Baylor - The Bears got off to an even worse start than Texas when they lost to FCS Liberty in the opener. Then they proved the previous week was no fluke when they fell to Texas San Antonio, again at home.
• Shell-Shocked Panthers
  Oklahoma State torched Pitt for 49 points in the first half with 516y of offense on 46 plays for an average of 11.2 per play. The Cowboys scored a TD on each of their seven possessions in the first 30 minutes. QB Mason Rudolph's 423y through the air was a school record but not an NCAA record. That distinction belongs to Andre Ware's 517 first-half passing yards for Houston against SMU in 1989. Rudolph's passer rating for the first half was an unheard of 257.3.
  
• Poor Timing
  Nebraska had never lost to a MAC team in its history (although they had played only five games against the current members of the league). Just days after the school announced a contract extension for head coach Mike Riley, the Cornhuskers lost 21-17 at home to Northern Illinois. Since 2010, NIU has also beaten Northwestern, Purdue, Iowa, and Minnesota. NU QB Tanner Lee, from Jesuit High School New Orleans who transferred from Tulane, threw two pick sixes in Q1. The Huskers came back from the 14-0 deficit to take a 17-14 lead, but NIU immediately answered back and held on.
  

Disappointing start for the Saints, to say the least.

• The offense kept bogging down in the red zone even before Zach Strief went out with a knee injury, which is expected to sideline him several weeks at least.
• I couldn't believe Payton kept settling for FGs even as the Saints fell further behind because Sam Bradford was having a spectacular night against N.O.'s secondary.
• The first two FGs might be forgiven but the third time too? 2:43 was left in Q3 and the Saints trailed 19-6. And the running plays called inside the 5? You've got a Hall of Fame QB! Let him throw the ball!
• Both QBs played well, but Sam was slightly better.
  Bradford: 27-32, 346y, 3 TD
  Brees: 27-317, 291y, 1 TD
  Neither threw an INT. Bradford stood comfortably in the pocket on 90% of his passes. Of course, Brees might have had at least one more TD if Payton had let him pass inside the 10.
• Why did CB De'Vante Harris stay in the game so long when Bradshaw was torching him? Why wasn't he giving more help?

It's only one game, but already alarm bells are ringing.

• From Monday night, we can draw either of two conclusions:
  The Saints are not as good as anticipated.
  The Vikings are much better in 2017.
• Let's hope it's the latter, although it could be both.

With New England coming to town with 10 days rest to play the Saints with 6 days rest, it's almost certain our heroes will start the season 0-2 with road games to follow both Week 3 and Week 4.

An 0-4 start will put the wheels in motion for the end of the Payton-Brees-Loomis era in New Orleans.