= 1024px)" srcset="https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/t\_editorial\_landscape\_12\_desktop/league/gxphfi7cnm9fvo3s9db8">4f2cd891-4286-4753-8a90-7a61260c3354 thumbnail
Each Sunday, three of The Athletic*'s NFL writers react to the biggest news, plays and performances from the day's games.*
And then there were two.
The Kansas City Chiefs (pending Sunday night's result at the Seattle Seahawks) and the Minnesota Vikings are the lone remaining unbeaten teams in the NFL. The Chiefs, with Patrick Mahomes, have experience as a top dog. Not many people had the Vikings at 6-0, but here they are after grinding out another victory, this time a 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Speaking of surprises, the New York Giants are 4-2-1 despite being on their third quarterback this season. J.J. McCarthy led the Giants to a 27-21 overtime win against the Houston Texans.
The San Francisco 49ers suffered their first loss, a sloppy 29-20 defeat at the Atlanta Falcons. A much-needed bye week will give the injured 49ers a chance to get some of their many stars back.
NFL writers Mike Jones, Ted Nguyen and Dan Pompei share their thoughts on the surprising Vikings and Giants, the hobbled 49ers and the resurgent Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Vikings keep winning games despite below-average quarterback play from Kyler Murray? Do they need to make a move, whether benching Murray or possibly making a trade at the deadline, to boost their Super Bowl chances?
Jones: Brian Flores' game-wrecking defense continues to keep the Vikings in games and give them a chance despite offensive inconsistencies. A change at quarterback isn't likely to produce miraculous results. Carson Wentz came in and led Minnesota to a 39-point outing in relief of Murray in Week 1, but he then directed a nine-point outing while passing for just 143 yards the following week. There aren't a lot of game-changing options sitting on benches around the league. The 49ers like Mac Jones too much to part with him. The Bengals like Joe Flacco as a good insurance policy for Joe Burrow and aren't likely to want to deal him either. The Raiders still like Kirk Cousins as their starter, otherwise they would have turned to Fernando Mendoza by now. Otherwise, there aren't any backups talented enough to come in and provide much of a spark. Coach Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings are better off taking the patient approach as Murray continues to settle into the offense. In Sunday's win, he didn't light up the statsheet (14-for-24 for 150 yards and a touchdown, five carries for 39 yards). But he's beginning to look more comfortable. The flashes are there.
Nguyen: Murray just had his best game of the season before the bye week. They were close to connecting on some big plays Sunday but couldn't capitalize. I think you still give Murray a couple of games to get it together. In-season quarterback trades rarely work out. If the Vikings are really desperate to make a move closer to the deadline, they should consider trading for Cousins. He's playing the best that we've seen in years and came into this week tied for the most touchdown passes in the league. Obviously, he's familiar with O'Connell's system. If the Raiders keep losing and they want to go to Mendoza, they might be open to trading Cousins.
Pompei: It's too soon to bench Murray, who has started five games and won all of them (though he was injured early in the first game). That being said, his performances have not been very impressive, and if he keeps playing as he has, the Vikings may begin to slide. The interesting thing about the Vikings is their defense is so dominant that they don't need a quarterback hero. All they need is a passer who doesn't lose the game and can lead a game-winning drive now and then. They might have that player in Wentz, who performed well in the first game of the season. Or they might have had that player in J.J. McCarthy, who looked pretty good in Houston. But it's unlikely they will find another quarterback on the trade market who can give them more than Murray or Wentz.
The Giants ran the ball well, J.J. McCarthy was solid and the defense was strong. Is it time to start taking them seriously as a team that could win a playoff game?
Jones: That was a good, hard-fought outcome for the Giants. They sputtered a bit offensively, but kept plugging away and achieved the needed breakthrough when it mattered most. But, I'm not ready to crown them as a true contender. Good on McCarthy for taking care of the football and throwing with accuracy (20-for-28 for 252 yards and no interceptions) in his first start with the Giants and against what traditionally has been a quality defense (Houston hasn't been itself all year). But I always hold my breath when it comes to newly-installed starting quarterbacks. Let's see what happens next week when he faces a defense whose coordinator has a full game's worth of film in the system to dissect. IF the Giants can continue to follow this recipe and McCarthy can continue to trend upwards, then New York can definitely win a beleaguered NFC East. Whether they could beat another playoff team depends largely on the draw. An opponent from the NFC South? Sure. NFC West or North? Nah. I doubt it.
Nguyen: I have been a Giants skeptic and they keep losing key players to injury, but coach John Harbaugh has worked his magic with the Giants. They are a well-coached team that plays a physical brand of football. McCarthy looks to have raised the ceiling for the Giants offense with his mobility and ability to throw the ball downfield. I'm still dubious of his floor so we'll need to see him string some good games together before we can look at him as a potential difference maker for a playoff team. With the NFC East in flux, the Giants are definitely contenders.
Pompei: It's too early to judge the Giants, but that was a quality win on the road. They are a work in progress, and McCarthy remains an unknown despite two quality performances. There are encouraging signs, from McCarthy's energy to Cam Skattebo's hard running, to the stout defense. There is a toughness and resilience about this team that is typical of Harbaugh teams, and those qualities should serve them well as the season gets long. Up to now, it has helped that their NFC East division opponents have been more down than up. But it's a long season, and the Giants will have many opportunities to define themselves after a bye week against the Philadelphia Eagles and the following week against the Washington Commanders.
Did the 49ers just run out of healthy players on offense, or do they have bigger problems that could ruin their Super Bowl dreams?
Jones: Limited weapons on offense certainly factored into their struggles in their first defeat of the season. But even without Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel, Brock Purdy still had reliable playmakers like George Kittle (eight catches for 88 yards) and Christian McCaffrey (six catches for 61 yards) to lean on, and San Francisco still outgained Atlanta 400-295 yards. Ball security was the big issue. Purdy made uncharacteristic mistakes, throwing two interceptions. Kaelon Black lost a fumble, as did Kittle. When you're at less than 100 percent, you really can't get away with committing self-inflicted wounds. Ultimately, the 49ers will be okay. They just need to get healthy. The bye comes at a good time for them. They may have to make do for a little longer after that. It'll be interesting to see if they make a move to add more offensive reinforcements at the trade deadline, but nothing about Sunday's loss suggests that their Super Bowl hopes are dashed.
Nguyen: Injuries definitely played a role in Sunday's loss, but the 49ers could have won this game if it weren't for uncharacteristic self-inflicted mistakes. McCaffrey missed time in this game and his backup Black fumbled. Receiver Jordan Watkins was unable to bring down a couple of passes that would have went to Evans. But there were inexcusable mistakes like Purdy not throwing the ball far enough out of bounds on a throwaway that was intercepted. A legitimate long-term concern is the slump of kicker Eddy Pineiro, who missed another extra point in this game. On the season, he's missed three field goals and four extra points. That's concerning. They may have to explore other options at kicker if this continues.
Pompei: One road loss doesn't mean the 49ers aren't one of the elite teams in the NFL. It isn't a shock that they lost a game without Nick Bosa, Evans, Samuel, Demarcus Robinson, Ricky Pearsall, and a hobbled McCaffrey. The expectation is most of their injured offensive players will be back on the field soon, and their offense should be as dangerous as any if/when that happens. The bigger issue may be keeping their players healthy for the long haul. The 49ers are one of the oldest teams in the league, and avoiding injuries has been a problem for a few seasons.
Were the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just missing Baker Mayfield and are they the best team in the NFC South after a 43-13 thrashing of the Carolina Panthers?
Jones: The Buccaneers opened the year 0-3 with Baker Mayfield as their starting quarterback, so you can't just say he was the missing piece. But the Bucs definitely appear to have figured things out. Some of those early struggles have to do with acclimating to a new offense, and things coming together for a retooled defense. Coach Todd Bowles' squad came to life on Sunday thanks largely to a truly dominant performance from the defense (four takeaways), only 88 rushing yards and 178 passing yards allowed. Baker Mayfield had an old-school high school stat line (7-for-11, 64 yards and a TD). Tampa's backs gashed the Panther defense for a combined 258 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Pretty wild. It's highly unlikely we'll see a similar such performance, but the Bucs certainly have the talent necessary to contend for the NFC South crown once again as long as they can stay healthy.
Nguyen: The Buccaneers have one of the most talented rosters in the league but they've been playing below their standard. Their defense found itself while Mayfield was out and backup Jalon Daniels did an admirable job keeping things afloat, but he's a rookie with limitations. Mayfield can be chaotic but he definitely raises the ceiling of this team. This was a snowball type of game, but they had a smart defensive game plan. The Panthers' offense has been productive but their lack of a run game is concerning. The Buccaneers stayed back in coverage and shut down their run while devoting their resources in defending the pass, which caused Panthers quarterback Bryce Young to struggle. Overall, this could definitely be a turning point for the Buccaneers.
Pompei: They were missing Mayfield before Sunday, but they also were missing big plays from their offensive playmakers and defensive stars. Everything came together for the Bucs on Sunday the way it was supposed to, per general manager Jason Licht's offseason plan. Mayfield didn't have to be a hero against the Panthers, but if he plays as well as he can, the Bucs absolutely can be the best team in the NFC South. They have as much talent as any of their division opponents. Last year, eight victories won the division. If it's the same story this year, the Bucs could be NFC South champs by going 6-4 the rest of the way. And the good news for them is their fate will be in their control with five remaining games in the division, including next Sunday against the Falcons. After Sunday, the Bucs are 1-0 in the NFC South.