Wow, what a week! Before covering anything else, we should address the elephant in the room, Thursday Night Football. I think we can all agree that the history here is important. Nearly 25 years of experience, a multi-sport professional career including a same-day-multi-sport-double-header, and he’s even called a game with Obama. I think we can all agree that Joe Buck will look great in a gold jacket, not to mention he won’t be able to rib Troy Aikman quite so much for his Hall of Fame status. I didn’t really pay attention to the game though.

The lack of preseason has reared its ugly head at knees and ankles this week: Saquon Barkley (ACL), Nick Bosa (ACL), Cortland Sutton (ACL,MCL), Marlon Mack (Achilles), C.J. Uzomah (Achilles) are all likely out for the season, then George Kittle (sprained knee), Julio Jones (hamstring), Drew Lock (sprained shoulder), Davante Adams (hamstring), Michael Thomas (high ankle sprain), Phillip Lindsay (sprained toe), Le’Veon Bell (hamstring), Parris Campbell (MCL,PCL), Christian McCaffrey (ankle), Chris Godwin (concussion), Kenny Golladay (hamstring), and Tyrod Taylor (chest) all missed time this week with various ailments. The 49ers, in particular, were gutted: in addition to Kittle and Bosa, Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a high ankle sprain, Raheem Mostert sprained his MCL, and Solomon Thomas tore his ACL as well.

Doom and gloom aside, there was still some great football on TV… unless you are a Falcons fan, in which case, it may be time for some self-reflection. After falling behind 0-20 with three fumbles, the Cowboys put together an amazing 11-play drive for a Zeke TD run to close out the first quarter. Then, after a flurry of scores back and forth including three rushing touchdowns by Prescott, the Cowboys successfully converted a crazy spinny onside kick in the final two minutes and drove the ball down for a game-winning 46-yard field goal, beating the Falcons 40-39. Before this game, teams that scored 39 points with 0 turnovers were 440-0, now 440-1.

In place of hospitalized Tyrod Taylor (whose lung was punctured in a pre-game procedure :scream:), Justin Herbert planted his flag, becoming the first player to score a rushing and passing touchdown in the first half of his debut game since 1954. He led the Chargers against AFC West rival and defending Super Bowl Champions - the Kansas City Chiefs - and took them to overtime, but the brewing upset was eventually foiled by Harrison Butker, who nailed a 58-yarder (after having a 53-yarder wiped by a penalty and another 58-yarder wiped by timeout).

The SNF matchup this weekend turned out to be everything anyone could have hoped for. Looking like yet another Bill Belichick fever dream, down 5 the Patriots put together an 80-yard drive leading to a first-and-goal at the 1-yard line with 3 seconds on the clock and Cam Newton under center. PLOT TWIST! Cam tackled for a loss, time expires, Seahawks win.

There is no Autumn Wind in the new Las Vegas Raiders stadium, but they still blew over the Saints in their first home game. With a punishing run attack, Gruden’s team is getting to play some old-school football in a brand new home, and at 2-0, it seems like all the off-season questions about the Raiders’ QB have evaporated in the Nevada desert heat.