We are somehow already on the verge of Week 3 in the NFL season, and there are plenty of good and bad trends emerging for every NFL squad.
Whether its lack of a running game, a faulty offensive line, or injuries, every team has its issues.
Let’s take a look at a recent ESPN.com article highlighting good or bad trends for every NFL team thus far this season.

Let’s start closest to home.
Minnesota Vikings
The early surprise:Â A rough start for a revamped offensive line.
The verdict: Real. The Vikings devoted premium assets to revamping their offensive line this offseason, signing center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries to deals that totaled $106 million while drafting left guard Donovan Jackson in the first round. But the line has yet to gel, in part because of injuries, and it has been a contributor to quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s struggles. Kelly is the only starter who ranks among the NFL’s top 60 in pass block win rate, and in the run game, the Vikings rank No. 28 in the league with an average of 1.91 yards gained before contract. Kelly suffered a concussion in Week 2, and that — along with left tackle Christian Darrisaw‘s ongoing recovery from a 2024 left knee injury, has complicated matters. — Kevin Seifert
Green Bay Packers
The early surprise:Â The Packers lead the league in QB pressures.
The verdict: Real. After ranking a pedestrian 17th in the NFL in quarterback pressures last season, they’re No. 1 in the league with 38 after two weeks, according to ESPN Research. They’re also second in sacks. The reason it could be sustainable is simple: the arrival of Micah Parsons. On a limited snap count, Parsons ranks second in the NFL in individual pressures with nine. — Rob Demovsky
Chicago Bears
The early surprise:Â Chicago’s defense ranks 32nd in points allowed.
The verdict: Real. And that’s the scary part. The Bears’ defense is supposed to be the backbone of this team while Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams and the offense get established, but Chicago has allowed 73 points over its past five quarters and let the Lions average 8.8 yards per play in Week 2, the highest rate they allowed in a game since 1961. Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy coming back to earth after the Vikings scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter is a bad look for the Bears. What’s worse were the 52 points allowed to Detroit, the most Chicago has given up in a game since 2014. — Courtney Cronin
Detroit Lions
The early surprise:Â The Lions are tied for the NFL’s most receiving touchdowns.
The verdict: Real. With so many offensive playmakers returning, Lions QB Jared Goff could very well continue this trend. Goff and Detroit scored five touchdowns during the 52-21 Week 2 beatdown versus Chicago — All-Pro WR Amon-Ra St. Brown scored three of those — but Goff will also be throwing to WR Jameson Williams, rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa, TE Sam LaPorta and RB Jahmyr Gibbs this season. Detroit was able to set a franchise record by averaging 8.8 yards per play on offense against the Bears and produced a game with at least 500 total net yards, five passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns for the first time in franchise history. — Eric Woodyard
Kansas City Chiefs
The early surprise: Patrick Mahomes leads the Chiefs in rushing.
The verdict: Mirage-ish. The Chiefs certainly hope it’s a mirage. But Mahomes has had to scramble to give the Chiefs a legit option on the ground. Although Isiah Pacheco is healthy, he has struggled with his limited touches. Kareem Hunt is mostly a short-yardage and third-down back. Still, it’s wild that Mahomes is the second quarterback since 1950 to record double any other player on his team in rushing yards in each of the first two games of a season, joining Cam Newton (2020). — Nate Taylor
Denver Broncos
The early surprise:Â The Broncos are tied for 28th in the league in turnover margin.
The verdict: Real. If the Broncos really consider themselves ready to slug it out with the AFC heavyweights — and they spent a lot of time this offseason saying they were, from coach Sean Payton on down — they cannot live on the minus side of the turnover margin. The Broncos are minus-3 after two games, and only Cleveland and Miami are worse (both at minus-4). Quarterback Bo Nix, who went without an interception 10 times as a rookie, did throw four in his first two starts combined last year and is tied for most interceptions this season after two weeks with three. Toss in that the Broncos are also one of 10 teams with more than 120 penalty yards after two games and that is not the profile that’s going to succeed in their own division, let alone the AFC playoff race. — Jeff Legwold
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Here’s a look at the Week 3 schedule for our area teams:
Sunday, September 21st
Packers @ Browns – 12:00 FOX (Listen on ESPN 102.3 AM 1000 KSOO)
Bengals @ Vikings – 12:00 CBS
Broncos @ Chargers – 3:05 CBS
Cowboys @ Bears – 3:25 FOX
Chiefs @ Giants – 7:20 NBC (Sunday Night Football)
Monday, September 22nd
Lions @ Ravens – 7:15 ABC/ESPN
Source:Â ESPN.com
The Top 10 NFL Career Rushing Leaders
Gallery Credit: Bert Remien