The Shenoa Report
September 11, 2025
Regular Season Week 2
Week one is in the books! I guess it’s a good thing that I am playing in two fantasy leagues, better chances at winning, because we all know that’s not in the NY Giants future. I won in both of my fantasy leagues so that helps with a Giants loss! Also, I went 10-6 in my picks. Hooray!
Let’s jump into the recap!
Cowboys @ Eagles 20-24
Guys. This season started off bonkers crazy. Eagles fullback Ben VanSumeren was injured during the opening kickoff. He’ll most likely be out for the season after a knee injury. While the medical staff was attending to VanSumeren things went down. Before the actual first play from scrimmage Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected from the game for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. You read that right. Carter SPIT on Prescott. It was disgusting, revolting, immature, and very foolish. Immediately, the Eagles were down two important players. After all that nonsense, the game actually started and continued until just after half time when a weather delay was called. The game didn’t end until after midnight. (I did not stay up for it) Remember when I said I picked up Jalen Hurts at QB on one of my fantasy teams. Well, my opponent started basically the rest of the Eagles offense. Seriously, AJ Brown, Saquon Barkley, Dallas Goedert… oh and for good measure George Pickens on the Cowboys. Suddenly, I didn’t want Hurts to throw to any of the above mentioned, including Barkley. (I have Barkley in another league, yes it pains me) I was in rare form cheering on Hurts on all of his running touchdowns. I felt dirty inside. Cheering for an Eagle. Yuck. But if it gets me wins? Also, Jalen is a stand up guy. I respect him. That’s all the nice things I am going to say about the Eagles. Jalen didn’t throw a passing touchdown or an interception but he did have 152 passing yards, 62 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns. Barkley rushed for 60 yards and one rushing touchdown. The Cowboys actually shocked me. They didn’t look horrible. Isn’t football fun?
Chiefs @ Chargers 21-27
The Chargers snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Chiefs with a “home” victory in São Paulo, Brazil, marking their first win over Kansas City since 2021. Fun fact: Jim Harbaugh has NEVER lost in week one as an NFL Head Coach. Justin Herbert (one of my fantasy QBs) had an amazing day with 318 passing yards and three touchdowns, including a clutch 19-yard scramble on third-and-14 that sealed the win. On the other side of the ball the Chiefs TE Travis Kelce ran the wrong route and took out WR Xavier Worthy who left the game suffering a dislocated shoulder and will be out multiple weeks, if not the whole season. This was not a good start for the Chiefs who, as you may remember lost, horribly, in the Super Bowl.
Cardinals @ Saints 20-13
Cardinals QB Kyler Murray woke up under the weather Sunday but you wouldn’t have known it after his performance in this game. This was night and day from last season where Murray said it wasn’t his job to get WR Marvin Harrison Jr. the ball. Harrison Jr. made a splashy debut with 71 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. The Saints continued to struggle with 13 penalties throughout the game and a dropped game-tying pass in the final seconds.
Dolphins @ Colts 8-33
Well I got this pick wrong. Colts fans, move forward with caution. Take the win, but be weary. Danny Dimes had moments of brilliance as a Giant too. Not to diminish what he accomplished on Sunday. Daniel Jones pulled off something in Week 1 that Peyton Manning never did in a single game with the Colts: he led the offense to score on all seven of their possessions—three touchdowns and four field goals—with zero punts. The Colts also snapped an 11 year streak of opening day losses. The last time the Colts started their season 1-0 was back in 2013. The Dolphins did not start their season well at all. There is so much disarray in this team. The Fantasy Focus gang thinks that Tyreek Hill should be traded by week 3. I’m not starting rumours, I’m speaking things into existence. Because I drafted Hill I need him to do much better and he’s not going to do things better in Miami.
Raiders @ Patriots 20-13
The Raiders kicked off the Pete Carroll era with a gritty road win over the Patriots. Pete Carroll became the only coach to win debuts with four different teams! QB Geno Smith donned the black and silver in his debut going 24-of-34 for 362 yards, with a touchdown and 1 interception. Rookie RB Ashton Jeanty punched in his first NFL touchdown, while TE Brock Bowers racked up 103 receiving yards before exiting the game with a knee injury. Fun fact: Smith had nine pass plays of 20+ yards—more than any Raiders QB in a single game since at least 1991. Patriots Rookie QB Drake Maye, making his NFL home debut, threw for 198 yards and a touchdown. He also had an interception, but he also caught one of his own deflections for a 2-yard gain.
Steelers @ Jets 34-32
Heartbreaker at MetLife. I thought the Jets had pulled it off but then stupid A-aron had to ruin the Jets once again. Justin Fields looked electric, throwing for 218 yards and rushing for two touchdowns, including a gutsy fourth-down bootleg that gave NY a late lead. But it wasn’t meant to be. Stupid Steelers and stupid Rodgers. I couldn’t have been more of a Jets fan during this game. Jerks.
NY Giants @ Commanders 6-21
Well, that was a gut-punch to start the season. The Giants lost to one of their division rivals and it wasn’t just the score—it was also the missed chances that haunt every Giants fan. We had two trips inside the 5-yard line and came away with a measly three points each time, including a brutal sequence where QB Russell Wilson threw four straight incompletions from the 3-yard line late in the fourth. THERE HAS GOT TO BE BETTER PLAY CALLING!Wilson showed flashes of brilliance, especially scrambling for 44 of our 74 rushing yards, but the offense never found rhythm. WR Malik Nabers had a couple of highlight grabs, and the defense held Washington scoreless for most of the second half—until Deebo Samuel broke loose for a 19-yard dagger that sealed it. Fun fact (or cruel irony): Our opening scoring drive lasted 16 plays, 76 yards, and over 8 minutes… and ended in a short field goal. That kind of day. Cool. Cool, cool, cool. At least I got the pick correct.
Panthers @ Jaguars 10-26
The Jaguars new head coach Liam Coen, got his first win in Jacksonville. Coen was the offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers previously. RB Travis Etienne had 143 rushing yards and QB Trevor Lawrence threw a touchdown pass to TE Hunter Long and more importantly, didn't have an interception. Jacksonville’s defense forced three takeaways, including a Foye Oluokun interception off a tipped pass. On the other side of the ball, Carolina’s QB Bryce Young struggled again in a season opener throwing two interceptions, fumbling once, and even catching his own deflected pass. Fun fact: The game was delayed 1 hour and 16 minutes due to lightning, but the Jags struck harder after the delay scoring 17 unanswered points in the second quarter alone.
Bengals @ Browns 17-16
The Browns had more yards than the Bengals 327–141, they dominated time of possession, and still lost thanks to two tipped-pass interceptions and a pair of missed kicks by rookie kicker Andre Szmyt. QB Joe Flacco, in his first start as a Brown at age 40, threw for 290 yards and a touchdown, but the offense stalled in the red zone and the final drive ended with a sack and a missed 36-yard field goal.
If you are a Browns fan the silver lining is that the defense held Bengals QB Joe Burrow to 113 yards and the offense moved the ball well. But moral victories don’t count in the standings.
Buccaneers @ Falcons 23-20
After reading the recap of the Bengals game I clearly made the right decision to start Mayfield over Burrow in week 1. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield threw 3 touchdown passes, 2 of them going to rookie WR Emeka Egbuka, including the game-winner with just 59 seconds left in the game. Fun fact: This was Egbuka’s NFL debut—and it happened in the same stadium where he won a college national championship just eight months earlier.
49ers @ Seahawks 17-13
Well, the 49ers got the win but it seems like they lost a bunch of notable players to injury at the same time. Thankfully RB Christian McCaffrey did not make that list ,,, yet. I mean we’ve all been burned before by a CMC injury. QB Brock Purdy, TE George Kittle, RB Brandon Aiyuk, and WR Jauan Jennings were all injured during the game and will all miss time going forward. The Seahawks let wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett go in the offseason and replaced them with Cooper Kupp. It was a gamble, and at the moment, not the correct one.
Titans @ Broncos 12-20
The Broncos spoiled Titans QB Cam Ward’s NFL debut with a win in Week 1. The Broncos defense is what won them the game. They continually had to bail out a turnover-prone QB Bo Nix. Nix threw for a touchdown to WR Courtland Sutton but also coughed up two interceptions and a fumble, while Denver’s defense racked up six sacks, including a game-sealing strip-sack by Ja’Quan McMillian in the final minute.
The Titans had three chances to tie it in the final five minutes but came up empty each time, including a drive derailed by a costly unnecessary roughness penalty on Jeffery Simmons. It was a sloppy game but the Broncos came out on top.
Fun fact: Cam Ward became the latest No. 1 overall pick to lose his season opener—making quarterbacks taken first overall just 1–15–1 in Week 1 starts since 2000.
Lions @ Packers 13-27
Are we back in 2005? The Lions looked HORRIBLE! What the heck happened? The Lions didn’t look like the team that led the league in scoring last season. They didn’t even reach the end zone until the final minute of the game. The Packers, on the other hand, came to play. LB Micah Parsons made his Packers debut and looked like he’d been there for years, wrecking the Lions line and setting the tone.
Texans @ Rams 9-14
Rams QB Matthew Stafford became just the 10th quarterback in NFL history to surpass 60,000 career passing yards—and he did it with style, throwing five “big-time throws”, the most of any QB that week. What’s a “big time throw”? It’s a tight-window, downfield laser pass. Not bad for a guy who missed most of preseason with a back injury! Now, if he could just find WR Davante Adams more often then we’d be all set. Well, at least one of my fantasy teams would be better off.
Ravens @ Bills 40-41
Never in doubt. Am I right? Dude. I’m not gonna lie, I went to bed mid 4th quarter. I’d already watched my Giants lose that day and the Bills were down 15 points. I couldn’t keep my eyes open and I couldn’t endure another loss from a team I love. So I went to bed. When I got home from work Monday evening we put the game on so I could watch the miraculous comeback. Down 15 with four minutes left, Bills QB Josh decided the game wasn’t actually over. He found Keon Coleman on a 4th and 2 from the Baltimore 10 to score a touchdown. When the Ravens got the ball back Derrick Henry FUMBLED the ball giving it back to the Bills. Allen scored again with his legs this time to bring the score within 2 points. The Ravens then went 3 and out giving the ball back to Buffalo once again. Allen orchestrated a nine-play, 66-yard drive to set up kicker Matt Prater’s game-winning field goal as time expired. It was insanity. Allen finished with 394 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, and 2 rushing TDs. This victory now ties Josh Allen with Joe Ferguson for second-most wins in franchise history. Allen has now led the Bills to four game-winning drives in his last five starts, and in Week 1, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 350+ yards, rush for a touchdown, and complete passes to nine different receivers in a season opener. That’s not just elite—it’s downright orchestral. Fun fact: Baltimore became the first team in NFL history to lose a game after scoring 40+ points and rushing for 235+ yards. Another fun fact: Bills teammates thought that Matt Prater was one of the coaches on the sidelines. Prater was added to the team just a few days before the game. The 41 year old kicker was staying in shape by practising at a high school in his home town before he got the call to be a Bill.
Vikings @ Bears 27-24
The Vikings stunned the Bears in a wild Monday Night Football opener at Soldier Field, and if you’re a Chicago fan… yeah, that one’s going to linger. Bears QB Caleb Williams looked sharp early, tossing a TD and rushing for another. The Bears led 17–6 midway through the third after a combination of CB Nahshon Wright’s 74-yard pick-six and the defense holding Minnesota to just 80 yards in the first half. I started the Bears defense on my fantasy team so I was stoked! But then came the fourth quarter and Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy.The rookie QB, making his first NFL start, threw two touchdowns (to WRs Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones) and ran for another on a 14-yard bootleg with 2:53 left that capped the comeback.
WEEK 2
Thursday, September 11th
Commanders (1-0) @ Packers (1-0) (8:15pm PRIME VIDEO)
I’ll be rooting for and picking the Packers to win this game. Duh. I’m a Giants fan and I need the Packers to stomp the Commanders.
Sunday, September 14th
Rams (1-0) @ Titans (0-1) (1pm CBS)
Rookie QB Cam Ward is going to get his first start at home for the Titans. Ward didn’t do well last week and hopes to bounce back this week. That said, I am still picking the Rams to win this game.
Jaguars (1-0) @ Bengals (1-0) (1pm CBS)
Joe Burrow is 3–0 against Jacksonville in his career and he’s vowed to be more aggressive this week after a lackluster game in week one. This bodes well for the Bengals. Also, the Jags struggle on the road. They are 1-11 in their last 12 away games. I’m picking the Bengals to win their home opener.
Browns (0-1) @ Ravens (0-1) (1pm CBS)
The Ravens have beaten the Browns in 6 out of their 7 last matchups. The Ravens lost last week and I don’t think they’ll let it happen two weeks in a row. I am picking the Ravens to win this game.
Bills (1-0) @ Jets (0-1) (1pm CBS)
I’ll be rooting for and picking the Bills to win this game. Hooray for division rivals!
Patriots (0-1) @ Dolphins (0-1) (1pm CBS)
Speaking of division rivals, Dolphins QB Tua is 7–0 all-time vs. the Patriots, including three straight wins at Hard Rock Stadium where he’s averaged 300+ yards and 3 TDs. I’d like to see those numbers if those TD passes go to Tyreek Hill (fantasy implications). The Patriots haven’t won in Miami since 2019 and are just 16–43 all-time in South Florida. That said, it’ll probably be a close game but I am picking the Dolphins to win this game.
49ers (1-0) @ Saints (0-1) (1pm FOX)
I’m pretty sure the 49ers offense is going to run through McCaffrey. The 49ers are already banged up. They lost 4 players due to injury in week one. Mac Jones will likely get the start at QB for the injured Brock Purdy. Hopefully the Saints won’t be able to stop CMC. The Superdome is no joke. New Orleans has won 6 of the last 10 against San Francisco and the crowd will be loud. That said, I’m still picking the 49ers to win this game.
NY Giants (0-1) @ Cowboys (0-1) (1pm FOX)
These are dark days. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is 13–2 all-time vs. the Giants, including 8 straight wins at home. I am not delusional. I’ll be rooting for, and hoping for a Giants win, but I’m pretty sure we’ll be last in the division after this loss. That’s me not picking the Giants to win. Go G-MEN!
Bears (0-1) @ Lions (0-1) (1pm FOX)
I think that the Lions will bounce back and win their home opener. If they don’t, it’s definitely time to hit the panic button.
Seahawks (0-1) @ Steelers (1-0) (1pm FOX)
I am back to not liking the Steelers. I’d like to see Aaron Rodgers lose as much as possible this year. I’ll be rooting for the Seahawks but, unfortunately, I don’t think they’ll beat the Steelers. I’m picking the Steelers to win this game.
Broncos (1-0) @ Colts (1-0) (4:05pm CBS)
I think this game is going to come down to whomever has the better defense. I don’t think Danny Jones is as good as his debut might lead you to believe. I’m picking the Broncos to win this game.
Panthers (0-1) @ Cardinals (1-0) (4:05pm CBS)
I am picking the Cardinals to win this game. The Panthers just aren’t good.
Eagles (1-0) @ Chiefs (0-1) (4:25pm FOX)
I’m pretty sure this is going to be a repeat of the last Super Bowl. I’d like to see the Chiefs beat the Eagles, but it is not likely. I am picking the Eagles to win this game.
Falcons (0-1) @ Vikings (1-0) (8:20pm NBC)
I’m picking the Vikings to win this game for no other reason than they are playing at home.
Monday September 15th
Buccaneers (1-0) @ Texans (0-1) (7pm ABC, ESPN)
I’ve decided to start Joe Burrow over Baker Mayfield this week. We’ll see if that was the right choice. I’ll be rooting for the Bucs but I’m going to pick the Texans to win their home opener.
Chargers (1-0) @ Raiders (1-0) (10pm ESPN)
I am also starting Justin Herbert in another league and therefore will be picking the Chargers to win this game. I need him to connect with WR Keenan Allen early and often.
GO G-MEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the edit Eric!
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