By SleepyJ
With Week 2 of the 2020 NFL season now in the books, we have even more news, injuries and notes to dissect and analyze yet again. Each week here, I will be highlighting my "Frauds and Gods" of the NFL to let you know which players, coaches, teams and overall offensive/defensive units I'm buying, and which ones I'm selling, based off public reaction and the overall sentiment in the market. These aren't directly related to bets for the upcoming weekend, but they will serve as more or less a guide for you on which performances you shouldn't be overreacting to, and which ones you should be paying close attention to.
FRAUD – Atlanta Defense
The Falcons defense has become the laughing stock of the NFL. They have given up more points in two weeks than any other team, and Dan Quinn is on the hot seat right now after blowing a huge lead to Dallas in Week 2. The Atlanta offense should get a medal for how well they have played the last two weeks, but it has all been for naught. Dak Prescott and Russell Wilson have combined for 8 TD’s over the last two weeks against this putrid Falcons defense. Atlanta has a Super Bowl offense, but a Toilet Bowl defense.
FRAUD – Dan Quinn
I really have nothing else to say, except that I thought this guy knew defense. He clearly does not. The end is near and the seat is getting hotter by the second. Dan Quinn has had some of the worst defenses in the league during his tenure in Atlanta. If you thought Mike Smith was bad, think again. This guy is trying to win the award for the worst head coach in Falcons history. No, he did not take the Falcons to the Super Bowl. The Falcons brought him along for the ride.
FRAUD – Kirk Cousins
What has he done to take this franchise to the next level? The answer is easy - absolutely nothing. Cousins posted an eye-popping 9.3 QBR (!) in week two. The Colts were shorthanded to begin with in that game, as they entered with TE Jack Doyle and RB Marlon Mack on the sidelines. Parris Campbell also left the game early and was carted off the field, taking yet another one of Phillip Rivers' weapons away. This game was gift-wrapped for the Vikings, and Kirk Cousins decided to return the present. Sean Mannion is the Vikings backup quarterback, in case you were wondering.
FRAUD – The Sunday Night Football Referee Crew
Countless bad calls in the game hurt both sides. Football is a contact sport, but some crews think it’s patty-cake. Games like this don’t get your crew to be referee in the Super Bowl. It’s a shame that these guys impact a game the way that they do, in the year 2020 no less.
FRAUD – Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield has shown he’s a below average quarterback in the first two weeks of this season. Had Baker been the guy that was forced to carry the torch, this Browns team would be 0-2 so far this season. Luckily for Browns fans, the roster on the offensive side of the ball is very deep. Baker is being outplayed by a quarterback in Gardner Minshew who has a cooler mustache, too.
GOD – Harrison Butker
Ice runs through his veins, man. Icing the kicker simply does not apply to Harrison Butker. He is the #1 kicker in the league today and he makes the kicks when they have to count. If the Chiefs go 16-0, he is one of the guys they have to put on the Chiefs' Mt. Rushmore by the end of the season. He will be the next big thing for kickers in this league for years to come, and he's a perfect match for this high-flying offense.
GOD – Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson is the best quarterback in the NFL. Although I think it’s close, this guy is a just a stone cold killer. Have you ever seen Wilson rattled, like ever? Wilson has nine touchdowns in two games, and he simply put the Falcons defense to shame in Week 2. Wilson makes players around him better, and if he had a top notch defense, this team would be lifting up another Lombardi Trophy. He already has won the "M" in MVP and we are only heading into week 3. This MVP trophy is Wilson's to lose from here on out.
GOD – Calvin Ridley
Move over Julio Jones, the NFL has a new top 5 overall wide receiver in Atlanta. Calvin Ridley does it all, and he’s still very raw. In fact, he might go down as one of the best to ever do it providing Matt Ryan sticks around and the Falcons defense plays the way they do for the next 10 years. Bottom line: is Ridley is the real deal. Y’all better recognize and put some respect on this young dude's name.
GOD – Joe Burrow
All you have to do is watch Joe Burrow play the quarterback position. The kid has the goods to be a very good quarterback in the NFL for a long time. He can run, he can pass and his calmness in the pocket has been his best attribute to the watching eye. If Burrow continues to grow over the next two years and his playmakers stay in tact, then he's a sure fire pro-bowl quarterback in just the next few years.
GOD – Matt LeFleur
Say what you want about Green Bay Packers head coach Mat LeFleur, but this guy can use the talent he has and turn them loose on any defense. In Week 1 it was Aaron Rodgers. In Week 2, it was Aaron Jones. Did I mention that LeFleur led the Packers to a 13-3 record in his first season as head coach? Green Bay is the highest scoring team in the NFL over the first two weeks of the season. The Packers are 2-0 and have put up two 40-point games, both on division rivals. Ladies and gentleman, you're looking at one of the soon-to-be highest paid head coaches in the NFL right now - he just has to get the pen and paper and sign on the dotted line.