Week 2 of the 2020 NFL season was painful. Literally.
Torn ACLs claimed the No. 2 overall picks from the 2018 (Saquon Barkley) and 2019 (Nick Bosa) drafts, and other injuries put several other stars and starters out for various lengths of time.
Our panel of experts is here to sift through the carnage and help you with Week 3's biggest upsets, fantasy football flops and potential sleepers. We also asked our experts about the huge Monday Night Football matchup, who has been the best player through two weeks, and which team has the best defense so far.
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Chiefs-Ravens on Monday night. What's the individual battle you're most excited to see?
Mike Clay, fantasy writer: Patrick Mahomes vs. the surging Ravens defense. Did Mahomes have a down game in Week 2? Is that even possible? The Chargers certainly did a nice job containing Mahomes and the Chiefs' explosive offense, and now Kansas City will face off with an elite Baltimore defense that has allowed a league-low 22 points while forcing a league-high five turnovers through two weeks.
Jeremy Fowler, national NFL writer: Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill vs. Ravens CB Marcus Peters. The great speedster vs. the great gambler. Hill and Peters can create splash on every snap and love to battle for the ball downfield. The Ravens might decide to put Marlon Humphrey on Hill and let Peters roam for picks in the open field. For either guy, Cheetah's burst is the ultimate test of pass-coverage mettle.
Dan Graziano, national NFL writer: Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman vs. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. There's no secret to what Baltimore wants to do on offense. The Ravens want to run the ball, and run it again. The Chiefs gave up 183 rushing yards to the Chargers on Sunday in a game they needed overtime to win and have allowed 301 rushing yards so far in two games. If Baltimore can control the game on the ground (and if it's willing to go for it on fourth-and-short in overtime rather than punting it to Mahomes like the Chargers did), the Ravens have a chance to come out of there 3-0.
Mina Kimes, NFL analyst: Mahomes vs. the Baltimore front seven. Last week, the Chargers' fearsome pass-rush made Mahomes (and his offensive line) look human in the first half -- largely without sending extra rushers. The Ravens manufacture much of their pressure by blitzing, which teams are generally afraid to do to Mahomes. I'm curious to see how Baltimore goes after him.
Seth Walder, sports analytics writer: Ravens defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale vs. the Chiefs' pass protection. Last season Martindale choreographed an unblocked pass-rusher on 192 plays, most in the league. The Ravens lead the category again in 2020. If it's possible to stop Mahomes, getting a free rusher on him seems like a good start.
Field Yates, NFL analyst: The Ravens' cornerbacks vs. the Chiefs' wide receivers. Blue chippers, speed, dynamic playmakers, mismatches. These two groups have it all. We'll see whether Sammy Watkins is available after leaving early due to a head injury in Week 2; if he is, it's just another layer of intrigue to this high-quality tilt.