With the first few weeks of the NFL season on the books, we can finally move away from the “bold predictions” that plague the early points of the season. From surprise starts to expected dominance, the plot of the 2019 NFL season has started to take shape. 

Pittsburgh in Pain

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the season as one of the prime AFC contenders, with a typically sturdy defense and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returning for yet another year at the helm of the offense. The team’s expectations were shattered, however, when Roethlisberger went down with a season-ending elbow injury in Week 2. 

Mason Rudolph, a second-year pro and former third-round draft pick, will have to step in and lead the team for the remainder of the season. While the organization views the former Oklahoma State standout as the quarterback of the future, the rest of the league will have to wait and see what the backup can do, and whether or not the Steelers can remain contenders in Roethlisberger’s absence.

In Need of a Miracle

Drew Brees, the patron saint of passing yards, also went down with an injury in Week 2. Although Brees’ injury is not season-ending, New Orleans still has to navigate the waters for six weeks or more before Brees is back to full strength. Can either Teddy Bridgewater or Swiss Army knife Taysom Hill keep the team afloat until the Savior returns? It’s hard to tell, but for now it looks like the Saints aren’t the premier NFC contender they started the season as.

Dallas’ Dominance

Not to toot my own horn, but I spent a good deal of the offseason defending the hire of Kellen Moore as the Cowboys offensive coordinator. With the Saints temporarily sidelined, the Cowboys have a strong argument to be considered the team to beat in the NFC. 

Kellen Moore has crafted a system that has brought out only the best aspects of its many stars. Dallas simply needs to prove that the offensive performances so far haven’t been flukes and that the caliber of play from quarterback Dak Prescott is not the oasis you think you see as you wander the desert, only to find yourself surrounded by more desert. Time to prove Prescott is worthy of a franchise-quarterback paycheck and chase a ring.

Minshew Mania

Arguably the best thing to come out of the early 2019 season has been Jaguars backup quarterback Gardner Minshew II. Minshew replaced an injured Nick Foles in week one and has taken the internet by storm with his odd persona and glorious mustache. 

Minshew has become a sort of folk hero with the abundance of peculiar stories about him, ranging from working out in the locker room wearing nothing but his jock strap to downing a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and smashing his own hand with a hammer to get a medical redshirt in college. With the Jalen Ramsey trade-request drama, he must be protected at all costs. The Jags deserve some light in their otherwise dreary franchise and remain competitive during Foles’ recovery.