While Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion has been the talk of the league in Week 2, the Green Bay Packers could attempt to tread water without quarterback Jordan Love, the early Dallas Cowboys hype train looks to run through the New Orleans Saints, Joe Burrow meets Patrick Mahomes once again and the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans cap Sunday’s action.

The Athletic’s Mike Sando, Jeff Howe and Zak Keefer break down the weekend ahead.

Which storyline from Week 1 didn’t get talked about enough?

Sando: How bad the Carolina Panthers looked. It was realistic to expect some progress this season, but after losing 47-10 at New Orleans and losing top defensive lineman Derrick Brown for the season, what is the path forward?

Howe: I was impressed by the way Jalen Hurts rebounded from the Philadelphia Eagles’ horrific start, which was partly on him, of course. They opened with two turnovers, including an ugly interception and a botched snap by the center, but Hurts led the Eagles to three touchdowns and a field goal on the next four drives to seize control against the Packers. Hurts deservedly got criticized for his two picks, but they wouldn’t have won that game without his mental toughness.

Keefer: Maybe this is because they’ve been in the spotlight for the better part of five seasons, but I thought the Kansas City Chiefs’ opening-night win over the Baltimore Ravens was extremely impressive. Not only do the Chiefs have one of the stiffest defenses in the league, but with Xavier Worthy, they also have another offensive weapon who should alleviate some of the midseason struggles they had on that side of the ball last season. The Ravens are as consistent as any team in football, and the Chiefs have now beaten them in six of the past seven games. That’s impressive. It’s not a stretch to say Kansas City can win 14 or 15 games this season and cruise to a No. 1 seed. A three-peat, assuming all the key pieces stay healthy, is very much in play.

It’s only Week 2, but did you see anything from the Cowboys to make you believe this year can end any differently? Were the Saints just playing a bad Panthers team, or is there something to believe in, in New Orleans?

Sando: It’s hard to say this Cowboys season will end any differently after watching the San Francisco 49ers dominate the New York Jets on both lines. Dallas needs regression elsewhere in the NFC to avoid falling short. On the Saints, the great start suggested they might not be a disaster. I think people forget they finished 9-8 last season.

Howe: I was fully on board with the Cowboys taking that long-awaited jump last season, but another playoff dud ruined all the goodwill they had built. They’re again one of the most talented teams in the league, so it’s looking like a similar regular season is in store. There probably isn’t anything they can do before mid-January to extinguish the doubts from the last playoff performance. The Saints are 25-26 over the past three seasons. They’ve proven capable of looking good at times and mediocre at others. This will be more about the Panthers unless the Saints prove otherwise over the next five games against high-quality opponents.

Keefer: The problem with the Cowboys is their postseason collapses of the past few years have overshadowed how consistent and productive they’ve been throughout the regular season. As long as Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are on the field, this is one of the best offenses in football, and the way the defense played Sunday at the Cleveland Browns speaks to how much that unit can disrupt the game. As for the Saints, I’m not taking anything away from them, but this was more about Carolina — the Panthers are the least talented team in football, and it’s not even close. I’m looking forward to how New Orleans does with a much more legitimate test Sunday versus Dallas.

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Colts-Packers is an intriguing game as well. How can Green Bay tread water without Love (listed as questionable Friday) if he has to miss significant time? Though Anthony Richardson flashed the special ability in Week 1 that makes him so unique, what else do you need to see from him to believe he can take a step forward this year?

Sando: I don’t see how the Packers can tread water with Malik Willis as their interim starting quarterback. There isn’t any evidence to suggest he can play well enough consistently enough to win. For Richardson, let’s see him string together games without an injury. Then we can focus on the finer points of his play.

Howe: The Packers needed a strong September to counterbalance a challenging schedule over the final three months, so they’re in trouble if Love misses this stretch against the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings. They’ll need mistake-free play from Willis, a great running game, some chunk catch-and-runs from their talented receivers and takeaways on defense. That’s a lot that has to go right while Love gets healthy. Richardson looks ready to take the next step. He just needs to stay healthy to get there.

Keefer: Mike is right — nothing we’ve seen so far from Willis suggests he can step into the starting role in Green Bay and beat a pretty solid Indianapolis team. He has also only been with the Packers for about three weeks, so it’s not like he has mastered the playbook yet. As for Richardson, this season is about becoming more than a highlight reel: His highs are unreal, but he missed too many open throws Sunday — including a walk-in touchdown for A.D. Mitchell — and that was the difference in the game. But remember: That was his fifth NFL start. This will take time. He’s shown enough promise to make you think he’ll get there.

Which Texans offseason addition was more impressive Sunday: Joe Mixon or Stefon Diggs? Caleb Williams’ performance left a lot to be desired, but what positives did you take away from his debut?

Sando: Mixon became the sixth player since the start of the 2020 season to carry at least 30 times and average at least 5.0 yards per rush in a game. That’s tough work and more impressive than Diggs, whose six receptions were not remarkable.

Howe: Wow, this would be a great barroom debate. Mixon gives the Texans an element they didn’t have last season when they finished 22nd in rushing, and C.J. Stroud was going to be great regardless of Diggs’ arrival because they’re already so good at receiver. But if Diggs comes as self-advertised and recaptures the difference-making ability, it might be enough to get the Texans over the top in the playoffs. For now, I’d say Mixon is the better answer, though. As for Williams, I’m not worried about him long-term, but I don’t know how many positives there were Sunday. More than anything, the Bears look ready to play at a high level on defense and special teams, and that could mean more to their success this season than anything.

Keefer: I covered Sunday’s Houston Texans-Colts game, and I thought Mixon was running like he was five years younger. He absolutely torched the Colts in the second half. The week before in practice, he told his offensive linemen, “Let’s go get 150 to start it off.” He finished with 159 and salted the game away late in the fourth. If he can become a consistent threat in Bobby Slowik’s scheme, this will be one of the top offenses in football. As we saw, the receiving room is stacked. As for Williams, the most encouraging takeaway was how he handled it; this was a dud of a debut, but he handled it like a veteran, praising his defense and special teams and vowing to get back to work. Having the humility to bury a bad game and start over the following week is vital for a young quarterback. He’ll get a good look at how one of the best in the league, Stroud, does it Sunday.

C.J. Stroud’s softspoken, laid-back persona belies an edge he’s always played with — and now leads with.

He doesn’t unleash it often. But when he does, teammates feel the fire.

Quarterbacks don’t get far in this league being polite, writes @zkeefer.https://t.co/VRHPvZUFq4 pic.twitter.com/niFjqLyJeI

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 12, 2024

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We had a pair of post-Achilles injury returns in Week 1 from the Falcons’ Kirk Cousins and the Jets’ Aaron Rodgers. Thoughts on both QBs? Are they rusty and in need of time, in good shape or is there some cause for concern?

Sando: They both looked good throwing the ball. The questions I have deal more with the offensive design and their play callers. Rodgers showed he can throw the ball well. But will this be a dynamic attack? Cousins threw the ball fine, but he was under pressure and got hit hard, which affected his play. Cousins also was in the shotgun or pistol way more frequently than in the past, with zero under-center play-action looks, which he has thrived on. Is that best for Cousins?

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Howe: I thought Rodgers looked good at times. The 49ers overwhelmed the Jets, who weren’t ready to compete with one of the league’s best teams. It was a nice starting point for the QB, though. Cousins was a little more concerning just because the Atlanta Falcons had so many chances to take control of the game and simply couldn’t. Maybe it’s because T.J. Watt looked like the best defender on the planet last week, so I’m interested to see more from Cousins and the Falcons as a whole.

Keefer: It’s too early to panic in either case — especially with experienced QBs like these two — but that was some bad offensive football from both teams. Rodgers still throws one of the prettiest balls in the league, but he didn’t look to be moving around the pocket all that great — certainly not like he did for most of his time in Green Bay. Some of this was probably the 49ers defense, which was excellent, but other than one good drive in the first half and the free-play touchdown, they didn’t do a thing. On the Falcons’ front, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense made Cousins’ life pretty miserable for most of the day — Watt was flat-out unstoppable at times. Can they protect him better? Cousins will likely settle in more as the season progresses, but Mike’s concerns about the scheme are valid. We’ll learn more Monday night.

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(Photo of Jordan Love: Wagner Meier / Getty Images)

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning ran away from a family stigma Saturday. 

Manning scored a touchdown on the longest play of his college career when he took off on a 67-yard run, extending the Texas lead over UTSA. 

It was Manning’s second touchdown in three snaps on offense. Manning entered the game off the bench after Texas starter Quinn Ewers left due to an injury. Ewers’ status is unclear. 

On Manning’s first play in, he connected with wide receiver DeAndre Moore for a touchdown to put Texas up 21-0.

UTSA responded with a 53-yard touchdown run by Robert Henry just two plays into its next possession to cut the lead to 21-7. But Manning answered just as quickly.

The Longhorns’ next drive started with an eight-yard run by running back Quintrevion Wisner. On the next play, Manning took off on the 67-yarder to extend the lead to 28-7 going into halftime. Manning threw three more touchdown passes in the second half as Texas dominated to win 56-7.

Manning’s long run was an unfamiliar sight for fans used to watching his two uncles, former NFL stars Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. 

Peyton and Eli were known for being old-fashioned pocket passers who rarely took off on runs. Both former quarterbacks were often joked about for their lack of speed, especially later in their careers. 

ARCH MANNING ANNOUNCES DECISION ON EA SPORTS’ COLLEGE FOOTBALL VIDEO GAME 10 DAYS BEFORE RELEASE

But Arch has shown he brings a different element to the table. 

Manning put a similar sequence together when he entered a game for Ewers during a blowout against Colorado State Aug. 31. He went 5-for-6 for 95 yards with his first touchdown pass and his first rushing score on the next drive. Texas won 52-0. 

The five-star recruit out of Isidore Newman School in New Orleans saw time in just two Longhorns games last season with Ewers as the team’s starter.

Ewers returned as the team’s starter this year for head coach Steve Sarkisian after a College Football Playoff loss to Washington last season. And he was productive in the win Saturday, going 20-for-27 for 260 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. 

Quinn Ewers (3) of the Texas Longhorns celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass in the second quarter against the Michigan Wolverines Sept. 7, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Manning was the Longhorns’ third-string quarterback last season, but with Maalik Murphy transferring to Duke, Manning is now second-string behind Ewers.

If Ewers’ injury keeps him out of action for a significant amount of time, Manning could be in line to make his first collegiate start. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

All things being equal, Adam Krikorian would rather win than lose.

“It is much easier,” he said.

And Krikorian would know since he’s won a lot, capturing 15 national championships as a water polo player and coach at UCLA and 24 world and Olympic titles as coach of the U.S. women’s team.

But if winning is easier, losing, Krikorian believes, is more revealing.

“Adversity is a test of character more than anything,” he said. “It’s easy to be the person you aspire to be when you’re winning and when you’re having success. Trying to be that person when you’re not at the top of the mountain is a much more difficult thing to do.

“Much more honorable as well.”

That philosophy was put to the test on the biggest stage and under some of the cruelest circumstances of Krikorian’s career last month at the Paris Olympics. The U.S. women, heavily favored to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive gold medal, lost their last two games despite trailing for just one second of those final 64 minutes.

In the blink of an eye, the team had gone from a spot on the medal podium to leaving the Summer Games empty-handed for the first time. Years of sacrifice, dedication and training had gone unrewarded.

“A lot of tears,” Krikorian said of the moment. “The feelings and emotions are endless. There’s anger, there’s frustration, there’s a ton of sadness.”

But there was also opportunity because Krikorian has never seen himself as just a coach. He’s also a leader. And that’s exactly what the 13 sobbing women gathered around him on the pool deck needed.

So they closed ranks, took responsibility and, through the tears, saluted the women who beat them. Winning isn’t always about the final score; sometimes it’s how you react to that result.

“This is what life is; the reality of life,” he said then. “You don’t stand on top of the podium every single time. We lost to a better team. In these heartbreaking moments, you’ve got to learn from it. You’ve got to put it in perspective.”

Krikorian’s approach has become rare. That makes the lessons he’s teaching of grace, sportsmanship and humility even more important, said Richard Lapchick, president of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida.

“In an era when ethics and values are often forgotten in the pursuit of victory, Coach Krikorian told his team that they had an opportunity to show greatness in defeat. He told him to show their character and the players followed their coach. He told them that they could rise above the loss and show that it was OK to lose as long as you play hard and show class in defeat,” Lapchick said. “Hopefully, all of his players will remember that lesson as they go through life after sports.”

Like the fictional soccer coach Ted Lasso, Krikorian speaks in inspirational aphorisms as often as he does in complete sentences and many of those maxims come from John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach and Krikorian’s mentor, who also put character above victory.

“He’s got this great quote,” Krikorian begins before reciting one of Wooden’s favorite lessons.

No written word nor spoken plea can teach our youth what they should be. Nor all the books on all the shelves. It’s what the teachers are themselves.

“One of my goals when I started coaching was to inspire people, to be someone that could bring the best out of others,” Krikorian continued. “And I have a set of values that I try to follow. When you have those things that are your guiding light, it makes it pretty easy.”

Goalie Ashleigh Johnson, a three-time Olympian, said the U.S. team has long fed off Krikorian’s convictions.

“Adam’s leadership shines through,” said Johnson, a two-time gold medalist and winner of multiple world championships.

“We have a lot of discussions about perspective, about what we want, where we want to go. And a lot of that isn’t just how we want to be seen as athletes, how we want to be as people and who we represent. Just realizing we’re getting to have fun for our career, not many people get to do that. So even the disappointing moments are things that you face with perspective and joy.”

Krikorian learned about perspective the hard way. The coach saw his brother, Blake, die of a heart attack at 48, just before the start of the 2016 Rio Games, and his father, Gary, at 81, two months before the Tokyo Olympics. He also lost four of his college teammates and one of his UCLA players at young ages.

Jim Toring was 23 when he was hit by a bus in Paris on a national team trip. Brett Stern was 31 when he was killed in a car accident in Irvine. Brian Bent died of sleep apnea at 29 and Terry Baker of cancer at 43. Marco Santos, whom Krikorian coached to a national team, died of ALS three weeks shy of his 29th birthday.

If anyone had reason to be bitter about fate it was Krikorian. But he channeled that grief in a different direction.

“It just made me — I can’t explain why — appreciate my life even more,” said Krikorian, who keeps a journal and talks regularly with Peter Haberl, the team’s sports psychologist. “I’m grateful for all that I have and the health and the life I’ve been able to live.”

U.S. women’s water polo coach Adam Krikorian celebrates with his players after the team’s gold-medal win over Spain at the Tokyo Olympic Games in August 2021.

(Gary Ambrose / For the Times)

His players have had their perspective tested as well. In the lead-up to this summer’s Olympics, team leader Maddie Musselman learned her husband, Patrick Woepse, had stage 4 lung cancer. Then days before the opening ceremony, Lulu Conner, the sister-in-law of U.S. captain Maggie Steffens, suffered a fatal medical emergency in Paris.

Before that three players survived a deadly shooting at a country music festival in Las Vegas, another narrowly escaped a terrorist bombing in a Belgian train station and two more were injured in a balcony collapse at a hotel in South Korea.

Given those real-life tragedies, it was easy for Krikorian and his players to look at what happened in the pool in Paris — where the U.S. lost its semifinal to Australia in a penalty shootout, then fell to the Netherlands in the bronze-medal match on a goal in the final second — as just games.

And in every game, there’s a winner and a loser.

A couple of weeks after returning from Paris, over a late breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon at a cafe near his South Bay home, Krikorian acknowledged the two losses still haunt him. But he continues to embrace the lessons of those losses.

“Success in life is usually defined by not how you respond to the wins but how you respond to the losses and how you deal with adversity,” he said.

“I would love, as we all would, not to have to deal with adversity. But it’s a reminder that it’s just part of life. There’s an acronym, FEAR, that I heard once. It’s either Fear Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise. That’s my choice.”

Krikorian didn’t learn that from Wooden. That perspective, he said, came from life experiences as well as from his father, who played football at Occidental with future NFL coach Jim Mora and future AFL champion quarterback Jack Kemp.

“I’m 50 years old, so I’d like to think I’ve matured,” Krikorian said. “I don’t know if I had the same perspective when I was 20. I’m a product of my parents, understanding kind of where this whole thing fits in life. And I think about my father quite a bit.

“The one thing that he was always instilling in us as children was just to be able to handle defeat in a classy way. So for me, in some ways, it’s about honoring my father.”

Krikorian’s two children — Annabel, a 15-year-old track athlete at Mira Costa High and Jack, an 18-year-old swimmer — have also adopted their grandfather’s philosophy about sportsmanship.

“I’m always impressed with how encouraging and respectful my son is, complimenting even his biggest rivals,” Krikorian said. “Always shaking hands and wishing them luck. I think it catches some kids off guard at times.”

With the L.A. Games four years away, Krikorian’s future with the U.S. team remains uncertain. He nearly stepped down after winning a third straight gold medal in Tokyo but now acknowledges he’s excited about the possibility of coaching in the Olympics in his adopted hometown.

It’s unclear if Adam Krikorian will be coaching the U.S. women’s water polo team at the Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games in 2028.

(Luca Bruno / Associated Press)

The decision, however, may not be his. Jamie Davis, the CEO of USA volleyball the past eight years, will assume a similar role with USA Water Polo on Oct. 1, replacing Christopher Ramsey, the man who first hired Krikorian out of UCLA in 2009.

Given the tragic history that has surrounded Krikorian’s teams, however, the coach said he’s questioned the wisdom of returning.

“This sounds ridiculous, but it’s like I don’t want to coach in 2028 because I’m fearful of someone else dying,” he said. “It’s an irrational thought to have but it’s a thought that’s come up.”

Johnson, who became the only Black woman to play on a U.S. Olympic water polo team when Krikorian named her to the roster in 2016, said the program would be different without him.

“I love playing under Adam,” said Johnson, the most decorated goalkeeper in women’s water polo history.

“The attitude that you see and the wins, the successes that we’ve had, the development that you’ve seen, is a reflection of Adam’s influence on us. I’m sure he’s influenced a lot of people. The empathy, the leadership, he’s definitely transformed this program for the better.”

And those last things, not the wins and the titles, are what Krikorian wants to be remembered for.

“A lot of people, when they introduce me to friends, they introduce me as, ‘Oh this guy is a three-time gold medalist and he won 15 national championships at UCLA’,” Krikorian said. “Although it makes me feel good as I appreciate it, there’s always been a part of that that’s been slightly annoying. I don’t want anything that has to do with water polo on my tombstone. That’s not how I wanted to be remembered.

“Ultimately, you’re judged on who you are as a person.”