Editor's note: The game recaps below are transcripts from the Harris Football Week 2 film review podcasts. We would encourage you to listen to the full episodes right here. Chris has bravely accepted the burden of watching every game each week, capturing details and context not available via box scores. Here's a taste of this week's review…
Washington Commanders 41, Las Vegas Raiders 24
Let’s talk Raiders/Commanders, with no Jayden Daniels. Only minimal problems for Marcus Marioooota (as Cousin Josh would call him), and really the only problem came on Washington’s second drive, an option keeper that he runs for 22 yards but fumbles at the end. Otherwise, I would characterize the Commanders all game as extremely physical. The plan was obviously to involve Deebo Samuel a lot, though it doesn’t show up as a huge day in the box score. He almost housed the opening kickoff, he had Wildcat carries in the first quarter, traditional handoffs and receiver screens.
Samuel also dropped one in the first quarter and popped it up almost to get intercepted. But as it turned out, with the way the Raiders were not rolling, Mariota got a lead and simply never needed to force it with his arm. You basically had two long throws — play action, by which time the Raiders D was jumping to stop the run. The first, we wuz robbed. Terry McLaurin, a bomb shot wide open and he stretches at the goal line and HOW WAS HE RULED DOWN?
Replay seemed to clearly show his knee was not down — another replay assist that was incorrect. But the Commanders didn’t challenge, because why would you think you have to challenge if the idiot doing the replay assist is the one who tells you he’s down? He was clearly not down, and so we’re getting all the people who have Terry McLaurin in a fantasy league together to file a class-action lawsuit.
OK, we’re not doing that, but if you lost a close one you have reason to gripe — and then to make it worse, McLovin’ strained his quad on the play and didn’t return. Although the game was pretty much a blowout, the injury is definitely something to think about going forward. In McLaurin’s absence, the other deep ball was play-action to Luke McCaffrey for a highly meaningless touchdown.
The Commanders backfield, that’s a pretty good-sized mystery given Austin Ekeler’s torn Achilles. You’ve seen the box score; I can tell you when they played. The starter was Chris Rodriguez, and after the Coconut Deeboni’s long opening kick return, Rodriguez got four straight carries, whereupon Mariota snuck it up the middle for the game’s first touchdown. Rodriguez played the entire second series, too, but then Jacory Crosky-Merritt entered for the third series, and to start the second quarter. I thought he had some really nice physical runs up the gut, the Commanders missed a field goal but were moving it well, and then with four minutes left in the half, the third-down option appears to be Jeremy McNichols.
Third-down snaps in this game among Washington running backs were seven for McNichols, two for Rodriguez, one for JCM. But yeah, late third quarter, McNichols takes a nothing inside handoff, withstands a hit, and then the Raiders just didn’t tackle him and he spun free and housed it. And at the goal line after McLaurin was ruled down, it was JCM in the game for three snaps. He was stuffed, Mariota was stuffed, then JCM scored. The upshot: 21 snaps Rodriguez, 21 JCM and 14 McNichols … which translates to something of a great big mess.
For the Raiders, it would turn out to be the Tre Tucker game. What can you say? The guy goes 8 for 145 and three touchdowns, and not all of it garbage time. In the second quarter, Tucker had three possession catches and then his first score to tie the game at 10. OK. And then to start the fourth quarter — this was 34-10, you wanna argue then maybe it’s a bit too basura to believe, OK — Tucker scores on a crosser. And then four minutes left in the game he scores on a bomb. Hey, it’s more than anyone else was doing.
Jakobi Meyers had a big catch on the first Vegas offensive snap of the game, play-action bootleg and a deep ball. Brock Bowers two-point conversion, wahoo — not a very functional offense. Geno Smith did his best, but his numbers are wildly misleading. Down 24 entering the fourth quarter, he had 124 yards and one touchdown, but he faced free runners in his face all day and was sacked 5 times in the first two-and-a-half quarters.
Tucker’s a fast little dude. There are so many receivers, but maybe his name will come up in waivers at least for deep leagues.
And Ashton Jeanty, it continues to not be very good. In the second quarter he got in a little bit of rhythm, had a burst right up the gut where he made a nice accelerating cut and met the Washington safety in the hole and he absolutely leveled him. But there’s not much room and there’s not much commitment to him. The Raiders played Zamir White on 10 third downs and Jeanty on two, so even in a hurry-up or third-and-long situation, he’s not really even out there … which, y’know, one day he will be. But it’s the first month of his first season and it just takes a little while for some guys. I can’t say I see him being bad at football, but he’s not breaking a lot of tackles and he’s getting stuffed a bunch in the backfield. Not a good start for him in September at all.
Carolina Panthers 30, Atlanta Falcons 0
I don’t care who they were playing, Carolina’s defense shutting anyone out didn’t seem very likely to me — and unfortunately the story has to start with Michael Penix. The first few drives were OK, they kinda marched right down. The first one, they threw effectively but the new kicker missed a field goal. The second drive, a couple good Bijan Robinson runs to get them going but on 3rd-and-1, Penix got called for delay of game. Got pressure, threw an incompletion, but the Panthers fumbled away the punt and the Falcons recovered. Penix does nothing and they miss another field goal. Even the fourth drive, a screen to Robinson, good gain … but the drive stalled.
Atlanta used up their timeouts before halftime, so Carolina let them complete a couple meaningless underneath catches to Kyle Pitts. I wouldn’t get fooled by that stat line. And then the Falcons ran out of time before they could try another field goal. The dam started to burst. It was only 10-0 at the half, but the first Falcons drive of the third quarter … you just can’t have it. Penix tries to throw a give-up checkdown screen to Bijan in the flat, not checking first to see if a defender was standing there — and he was. It’s an easy pick-six. Now the Falcons are feeling pressure.
Next drive, they get to midfield. On 4th-and-4, they go for it. Penix has Ray Ray McCloud wide open, middle of the field, and he short-arms it into the ground. Turnover on downs.
They’re trying to drive again late third, Drake London had his couple meaningful catches of the day, but it’s 4th-and-8 and they don’t want to kick. Penix throws a deep out-route looking for McCloud — that one’s not as egregious, it’s fourth down and you have to throw it to the sticks. But the defender knew that, too. He picked it off and that was Penix’s last throw of the day. Kirk Cousins came in after that.
Just a disaster of a day for the Falcons. Bijan looked good, I have absolutely no worries with him. Don’t worry about Nate Carter in the box score getting seven carries; they were all in give-up mode at the very end. Penix … y’know, I’m positive he’s bought himself more rope than this. I can’t believe Atlanta will make a change, but it was really bad — and obviously when you score zero points, not too many fantasy points to be had, either.
For the Panthers, they came out throwing, too. Wait, who’s No. 87? Had me scrambling to my roster page. “Brycen Tremayne,” he got the first two catches of the game, but he ran five routes overall. Not too interested there yet.
On their first drive, 4th-and-2, they go for it. Tet McMillan gets a rub route deep ball to get them into the red zone. They call two passes (though Choober was in there), the second of them Bryce Young scrambles for a touchdown. Hubbard was solid on the second drive, but McMillan had a borderline drop to end the drive.
I really love what I’ve seen from McMillan, you know that. I’m shocked he didn’t get credited with any drops in this game. To me, he had two, including a third and long drop on the first drive of the third quarter. I’m just saying the kid isn’t perfect, but he’s really good — and the box score won’t show that he was inches away from a long touchdown in the second half. He got a deep post shot into the end zone that was a good decision and a good throw, and the defender simply got there and barely knocked it away. I’m still starting him every week.
The backfield…I am finely tuned to Chuba Hubbard, a flag player. I want that to be a good call. But in the second quarter, it felt like Rico Dowdle kind of got the offense going. And fourth quarter, I don’t think there’s any arguing that the Panthers felt like Dowdle had a hot hand and they rode him. The game wasn’t all the way out of reach, and Dowdle got a bunch of carries in a row, including down to the 5-yard line. At that point, he came out and Hubbard caught one to take it down to the one. But who came right back in? Rico Dowdle to score the touchdown that iced the game. I’m not looking for trouble where there might not be any.
I’m still happy to have Hubbard, but I thought that was a little bit of an uh-oh moment.