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Tuesday 17 sepTember 2024

A rough Sunday for some of the NFL’s best teams in 2023 led to the

three biggest upsets

By ROB MAADDI ter and define the season by
AP Pro Football Writer the way we play.”
It was a rough Sunday for The Cowboys (1-1) had won
some of the NFL’s best teams 16 straight regular-season
in 2023. games at home and were 6
The 49ers were stymied by 1/2-point favorites over New
the Vikings on the road. The Orleans, which demolished
Cowboys got destroyed woeful Carolina in the sea-
by the Saints at home. The son opener. But Derek Carr
Ravens blew a double-digit and the Saints ran over Dal-
lead in the fourth quarter las the same way Jordan
against the Raiders. The Lions Love and the Packers did
messed up in a home loss to in the same stadium in the
the banged-up Buccaneers. playoffs last January.
New season. Different chal- Carr, Alvin Kamara and
lenges. Last year’s records Rashid Shaheed were un-
don’t matter. stoppable in a 44-19 rout,
Even Patrick Mahomes and scoring touchdowns on the
the two-time defending Su- first six drives. Saints offensive
per Bowl champion Chiefs coordinator Klint Kubiak out-
struggled. They barely es- coached Cowboys defen-
caped with a win over the sive coordinator Mike Zim-
Bengals when Harrison But- New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr reacts after scoring on a keeper against the Dallas mer and New Orleans made
ker kicked a last-second 51- Cowboys during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. a statement against Micah
Associated Press
yard field goal after a de- Parsons and Co.
fensive pass interference on So much for point spreads. reached the AFC champion- saying we’re not any good, “There is a lot of things in this
fourth-and-16 gave them a Gardner Minshew rallied ship game before losing to that we’re good (or) that offense the way Klint does
chance. the Raiders (1-1) back from the Chiefs. Now, the Ravens the season is over after two things, the way he sets me
And, the Houston Texans a 23-13 deficit at Baltimore, have to climb out of a huge games,” Ravens coach John up for success, puts me in
needed a defensive stand leading the offense on three hole. Of the 32 teams that Harbaugh said. position for success, it allows
in the final minute to hold off scoring drives in the final 12 have started 0-2 since the “That’s what’s going to be me to do a lot of things I en-
Caleb Williams and the Bears minutes of a 26-23 victory. NFL expanded to 14 playoff said, and we understand joy doing as a quarterback,”
for a 19-13 victory in the last Reigning NFL MVP Lamar teams in 2020, only Cincinna- that, but they’re not here; Carr said. “It’s been a really
game of the day. Jackson couldn’t do much ti in 2022 and Houston in 2023 they’re not inside. No one cool marriage of that. And
Las Vegas, Tampa Bay and to prevent the Ravens, who made the postseason. Just inside is going to say that. me and Klint are just getting
New Orleans were the three were 8 1/2-point favorites, five of the 32 teams even fin- We know that we’re a good to know each other. We’re
biggest underdogs in Week from their first 0-2 start since ished with a winning record. football team, and we’re only two games in, and so
2, according to BetMGM 2015. Baltimore led the NFL “We’re not going to be de- going to go keep getting we are still learning each
Sportsbook. with 13 wins last season and fined by everyone that’s better and better and bet- other.” q