September means different things to different people. To some, it is the beginning of the school year. To others, it is the start of fall. To me, it marks the arrival of the NFL season — and I could not be happier. While American football may feel far away in our Scottish corner of the world, I am here to tell you that it is still worthy of your attention and there is still time to get invested. To ensure you’re not going in blind, here are some major takeaways from the first two weeks of the NFL season.
The hype is real for some…and not others
Going into the season, the Los Angeles Rams were the darlings of the offseason, even overshadowing their division rival and recent Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks. The acquisition of Myles Garrett, combined with Aaron Donald coming out of retirement, was enough to get any football fan excited for the Rams debut. However, many were disappointed when the apparent super team fell flat against the San Francisco 49ers in the opening match in Australia. If this had been written a week ago, perhaps I would have been saying the hype was unwarranted, but a Monday night game against the New York Giants was just what the team needed to get back on track. Even without their best wide-receiver, Puka Nacua, or Garrett in the lineup, the Rams rolled to a 28-6 victory and proved that there was a reason they were the most hyped team of the summer.Â
The Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills have had no trouble proving that their offseason hype was warranted. Even an injury to Sam Darnold, the Seahawks’ starting quarter-back, could not stop them from beating the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals over the first two weeks. Drew Locke, their back up QB, has been able to hold it down, and when the rest of your team is solid, you thankfully don’t have to worry. And while the Bills have yet to make it to a Super Bowl with Josh Allen, he has no trouble winning regular season games. Victories against the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions are no joke, especially when they’re both teams predicted to make a playoff run, and the Bills are making sure everyone knows they’ve got their eye on the final in February.Â
Unfortunately, not all teams could stay on the hype train. My home team, the Los Angeles Chargers, were felled at the first hurdle, only to be trampled again at the second. Two opening games, viewed as lay-ups before Week 1, became multiple score victories for the other teams. The Bolts, who many predicted would make a playoff run, sit at the bottom of their division, with losses to the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders. The Dallas Cowboys, America’s darling, can never escape offseason hype, but the first two weeks have had mixed results. Sometimes, Week 1 can be an anomaly, however, a loss to a division rival like the Giants cannot be ignored. For a team that’s supposed to have a big bounce-back season, a loss to the G-men and a win against a battered Commanders team doesn’t fill me with confidence…or convince me that the summer hype was valid.Â
The NFC West may be even more competitive than expected
It is well known that the NFC West is one of the strongest divisions in the league, but with the Cardinals predicted to win only a handful of games and the Niners coming off a confusing, injury-riddled offseason, most of the focus has been on the Rams and Seahawks. However, after the first two weeks, all four teams may be more competitive than expected. With dominant wins over the Rams in Week 1 and Dolphins in Week 2, the Niners seem to be rolling and leaving injury-rumors, owner controversy and coach car crashes in the past. The Cardinals sit at 1-1, the same record as the Rams, after an impressive win against the Chargers. There’s no telling whether this performance will continue, but there’s hope that the team will at least put up a fight in an intimidating division. Nothing like a scrappy team to make the season even more exciting!Â
The NFC South may not be as horrible as expected
When one thinks of a division that is the opposite of the NFC West, they probably think of the NFC South. Yet there may be some hope in the hated-on group of four. After almost beating the Detroit Lions in overtime in their first game of the season, the New Orleans Saints pulled off an upset win against the Baltimore Ravens. Led by 2025 second-round pick, Tyler Shough, the team seems to be benefiting from competent quarter-back play and an effective game plan after years of disappointment in Louisiana.Â
Another year of Bryce Young also brings hope for the division. While the Panthers lost their opener to the Chicago Bears in one of the highest scoring matches of all time, they still scored a whopping 37 points (dwarfed by the Bears’ 59) and 34 points in a beat down of the Falcons the following week. The young quarter-back and his up-and-coming team seem to be taking steps forward — a good sign for a division that has been plagued by incompetence and mediocrity in recent seasons.Â
Unfortunately, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in the NFC South: the Atlanta Falcons barely look like a professional team and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers humiliated themselves by losing to the Browns…but it’s progress!
The injury plague has already hitÂ
Football is a contact sport: injuries come with the territory. However, the 2026-27 season really did not come to play. Right out of the gate, multiple starting quarter-backs have suffered injuries that have impacted their team — whether it be for a week or the rest of the season. It did not take long for Kyler Murray to go down in his debut with the Minnesota Vikings, and while he is set to return for Week 3, his injury history remains a concern. In the same division, the Seahawks have been coping with the absence of their Super Bowl-winning QB, Sam Darnold, who went down with a glute injury early in their opening game against the Pats.Â
Week 2 brought the downfall of two young, promising quarter-backs: Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams. The former suffered a gnarly elbow injury in his game against the Cowboys. The apparent dislocation was made worse by the fact that it was an injury to the same elbow that took him out of the game for most of last season. The latter, thankfully, received better news. While Williams was carted off the field against the Vikings, reports believe he suffered a hamstring strain and is considered week-to-week. Now all he just has to cope with being the butt of every joke, after the internet took to social media to poke fun at his dramatic exit from the game.Â
Looking to Week 3
Peeking ahead at the upcoming match-ups, there are a few that catch my eye. The Sunday Night game, Rams vs. Broncos, should be a heavy-weight matchup as the former attempt to bolster their hype even further, while the latter try to build on their comeback win against the Jags in Week 2. If Williams returns from his injury, Monday night’s Eagles vs. Bears should also be a treat.Â
Both teams in the Ravens vs. Cowboys matchup will be extra motivated to come out on top and prove they are valid playoff contenders, while I will be sneakily keeping an eye on the Jets vs. Lions game. If Aaron Glenn could learn how to manage a clock, the defensively-weak Lions may be vulnerable…it’s still the Jets though so don’t hold out too much hope.Â
I will be watching the Chargers vs. Bills game in the early window, but I expect that to be an annihilation that will leave me wishing I chose to support another team all those years ago. Regardless, I am beyond excited for Week 3 and after these takeaways, I hope you are too.