Buying And Selling Based On The First 2 Weeks
We’re stats-oriented people and we know that large samples are best from which to analyze individual and collective performance in any sport. But is there anything that can be gleaned from the first two weeks of the NFL season?
Our podcast crew considered and weighed in on five teams: the Chiefs, Panthers, Chargers, Texans, and Bengals. This raised questions like:
Can Kenneth Walker and the Chiefs keep up this stellar run game?
Is Bryce Young playing at an MVP level?
How much of Justin Herbert’s poor play can be attributed to Mike McDaniel and the new offense?
How much of the Texans’ slow start can be blamed on their offensive line?
Do the Bengals finally have a defense that can take them back to the Super Bowl?
One of the stronger takes came from our R&D analyst Bryce Rossler, who wrote an article asking “What Do We Believe In From The First 2 Weeks Of The NFL Season?”
“How long are we going to let this Acolyte Elven Archer farm low-level boars for experience points?” Bryce asked, pointing out that three seasons of past sample for Young weigh more for him than two games against below-average defenses.
Also part of the dialogue, as he is often on our podcast, was Patrick Mahomes and what he’s done through two games. As our CEO Matt Manocherian said. “Mahomes looks like Mahomes. He looks good there. I don’t wanna get too ahead of ourselves but you have to admit he looks less creaky than he has in a little bit.”
You can listen to our podcast episode and/or read more from Bryce to get a better feel for what everyone had to say. Enjoy Week 3 as the sample sizes get a little bigger!
The 2026 NFL Draft Website has scouting reports for more than 400 of the top players. With that, we’ve got ratings and rankings. It’s basically everything a GM would want to know about the NFL’s top rookies at the start of the 2026 season (we’ll be getting to the 2027 Draft at a later date).
Our statistical information package includes Total Points, our proprietary metric that values everything that happens on the field, as well as position-specific performance data in the form of raw totals, averages, and percentile rankings. And we explain our stats in our glossary.
Also From SIS
Since 2003, the first season in which we tracked Runs Saved, only a few teams have been better than the 2026 Cubs.
Our annual episode looking back at the most unlikely things to happen in 2026 featuring our Mark Simon, Tyler Kepner of The Athletic, and Chelsea Janes at SNY.
What We’re Reading/Watching
Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston highlights our injury data from 2025, which we’ll again be tracking closely in 2026.
Brendan Gawlowski’s article on FanGraphs is about baseball but has application for other sports too.
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More from the SIS Community
On Off the Charts, members of the R&D team, and special guests dig into statistical insights, tactical analysis, and personal opinions, aimed at providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the week's key matchups and the intricacies of the sport. On The SIS Baseball Podcast, we interview current players and coaches about defensive excellence and review the latest baseball news.
The Fielding Bible Website
The FieldingBible.com website is a great resource for your defensive stat needs. It features player and team stats, Defensive Runs Saved leaderboards, and more. Be sure to look for The 2026 Fielding Bible Awards in late October.
