Carson Wentz will make his comeback for the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend after a break of almost a year. In Atlanta, the Falcons and the Saints meet for an absolute division hit, while Aaron Rodgers’ knees remain the big issue for the Green Bay Packers. Between the Houston Texans and the New York Giants it comes to the crisis summit and in Detroit Matt Patricia welcomes his old love – including Josh Gordon. As usual, the complete RedZone conference will be live on DAZN from 7 pm on Sunday.
Recap: Click here for the match report.
Julio Jones vs. Marshon Lattimore is the name of the matchup that many fans and experts are looking forward to in this game. One of the best wide receivers of the NFL in direct duel with one of the greatest cornerback talents. Due to calf problems Jones stopped the first two training sessions of the week, but the Wideout will probably be able to play. Jones was ahead of Lattimore last season with 12 matches for 247 yards in two games.
On the other hand, the Falcons will again have to do without Devonta Freeman’s services. The running back will also be cancelled this week due to a sprain at the knee, so Tevin Coleman slips into the role of the starter once again. Pass-Rusher Takkarist McKinley is also threatened with a forced break, and Atlanta is still missing Safety Keanu Neal (cruciate ligament rupture) and linebacker Deion Jones (foot). On the other side, the Saints will probably have to do without Linebacker Manti Te’o.
After disappointing and only partially convincing performances in the first two weeks, both head coaches are already under some pressure and can use the victory in a direct division duel. The Falcons must build on their good Red Zone performance against the Panthers while keeping the rolling Saints machine around Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas in check with a decimated defense. New Orleans, on the other hand, will have to show that the serious deficiencies in the secondary from week 1 were more of a slip than a rule. Lattimore’s performance against Jones is likely to play a decisive role here.
The big question that this duel is all about: How fit is Aaron Rodgers? The star quarterback stopped training again this week and expressed concern about the condition of his knee over the past few days: “It would be great if it were better than last week. But there are some factors I can’t control.”
Rodgers showed a strong performance against the Vikings, even with a leg that was not fully loadable (30/42, 281 YDS, 1 TD). Now it remains to be seen whether the Packers’ game plan, designed for fast passes, was due more to Minnesota’s defensive front or Rodgers’ injury. On the Redskins’ side, however, it’s a matter of getting their own offense back on track: Against the Colts Washington remained without a touchdown, especially the Running Game was a disaster (all Running Backs recorded less than 1.8 yards/carry).
Good news might be that the stricken offensive Linemen Trent Williams and Brandon Scherff can probably play despite knee problems. The extent to which the Packers without linebacker Jake Ryan (Injured Reserve) will be able to keep the Redskins quarterback Alex Smith’s Underneath passing game in check is likely to become one of the keys to the game. In Running Back Chris Thompson and Jordan Reed Smith has apparently already found his favored goals: In the first two weeks, the duo caught 19 passes for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Carson Wentz is back! After the Eagles quarterback had only been able to train to a limited extent so far, head coach Doug Pederson announced at the beginning of the week that Wentz would be able to fully train all units with immediate effect and take the starter’s place again at the weekend. After five starts in the Regular Season and three playoff games, Nick Foles’ time under Center ends again. After his strong performances at the beginning of the year, including the Super Bowl MVP award, Foles looked shaky so far this season. Wentz’s return should give the Eagles-Offense a new dimension – even if the 25-year-old is not yet back to 100 percent.
Despite Wentz, the Eagles-Offense still surrounds many question marks. Both the backfield, in which Jay Ajayi (back) and Darren Sproles (thigh) will probably both drop out, and the receiving corps, where Mike Wallace (foot) will be long absent and Alshon Jeffery (shoulder) will probably have to watch another week, go strongly decimated into Sunday. Jordan Matthews, who has just signed up, could therefore play a larger role directly. From 2014 to 2016 Matthews already caught 225 passes for 2673 yards and 19 touchdowns in Philadelphia.
The Colts are also plagued by numerous injuries that could make it even more difficult to clash with perhaps the best and lowest defensive line in the league. Tackle Anthony Castonzo (thigh) drops out again and Jack Doyle (hip) and Marlon Mack (foot) threaten to miss the game. So you shouldn’t expect too much from the running game of the Colts. That means even more responsibility on Andrew Luck’s shoulders. He looked good in the first two games, with the Eagles now waiting for the Indy quarterback’s toughest test yet.
The only open question before the Vikings meet the Bills seems to be how clearly the hosts win this matchup. After two weeks of NFL football, the Bills look like the worst team in the league (the worst by far, if it weren’t for the cardinals), the offensive line seems overstrained, the receiving corps can hardly win any matchups and Josh Allen shows that he is actually not yet ready for the starter job. To make matters worse, LeSean McCoy (Ribs), the offense’s most explosive player, goes into the duel with perhaps the league’s best defense.
After the controversial draw in the NFC North duel against the Packers, the Vikings are likely to take their place with a good dose of anger in their stomach. Running Back Dalvin Cook (thighs) and Everson grips will fail, but with Latavius Murray a solid backup is available to play a greater role in the game plan. In addition, Center Pat Elflein (shoulder) is expected back on the field after a break of several weeks.
After the kicking debacle and the subsequent dismissal of kicker Daniel Carlson, Dan Bailey will make his Minnesota debut after the second-best kicker in NFL history was surprisingly dismissed by the cowboys. “He’s known for just being precise and kicking touchbacks. This is encouraging for us,” said Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer about the commitment. If everything goes as expected, Bailey should already have several opportunities to excel against the vulnerable Bills Defense.
At halftime twice. Lost the game twice. Against the Dolphins, it’s time for the Raiders to finally reward themselves with a victory for the team’s performances, some of which are quite appealing. Positive in any case: The offense, which looks good against the Broncos, can in all likelihood travel to Florida with a full chapel, even the battered Marshawn Lynch will be able to participate without a snap limit.
On the other side of the ball, the shoe is still squeezing, especially the pass rush was extremely toothless in the first two games. “It’s hard to find good pass rushers,” explained head coach Jon Gruden – a statement that at least invites you to frown, given Khalil Mack’s trade. Without Mack, the rookie pass rushers Arden Key and Maurice Hurst are all the more responsible. Both have already shown their talent, at least to some extent, and the Dolphins Interior Line without Guard Josh Sitton (shoulder) is now expected to break through.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins hope to build on their strong start to the season. While Ryan Tannehill is getting rid of the rust and seems to find Adam Gase’s offense better, the running game in Miami already looks good. This could be the key to victory for the hosts as the Raiders’ run defense (5.7 yards/run) is the worst in the league so far. At the same time, the Dolphins need to get their passport rush going better. The Oakland-O-Line is one of the best units in the league – perhaps a good time for Cameron Wake to find a better start to the season?
Page 1: Firecrackers in the South, Packers in Washington, Wentz vs. Luck
Page 2: Crisis summit in Houston, Jaguars vs. Tennessee, Ravens vs. Denver
Page 3: Niners at Mahomes, Rams vs. Chargers, Cowboys in Seattle