Matt LaFleur conceded he did not call a good enough game as a head coach after the Green Bay Packers' collapse in their shock 27-22 defeat to the New York Giants.

Playing in their first game in the United Kingdom, the Packers looked in command at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after building a 20-10 half-time lead.

From there, however, the Packers scored just two points, which came on an intentional safety given up by the Giants at the end of the game, as New York produced a remarkable comeback.

A 15-play, 91-yard drive capped by a two-yard rush for Gary Brightwell saw the Giants tie the game at 20-20 before Saquon Barkley, who finished with 106 yards from scrimmage, averaging over six yards per touch, gave New York the lead with a two-yard run on a direct snap.

Green Bay responded with a drive to the Giants' six-yard line but failed to punch in the tying score, Aaron Rodgers seeing a fourth-down throw to Allen Lazard batted down before he was sacked on a failed Hail Mary attempt in the final seconds.

The Packers had dictated matters in the first half through the ground attack and the short passing game, but the run was a non-factor in the second, as Green Bay was forced to punt after gaining only 46 yards on their first two drives before the failed effort to tie the game.

While LaFleur credited the Giants' defense and their coordinator Wink Martindale for forcing the Packers away from the run, he did take responsibility for an anaemic second-half showing.

Asked if he anticipated going pass-heavy, LaFleur told his post-game press conference: "Just depended upon what they were giving us. Like I said, we had a lot of run-pass cans [options].

"They played a lot of single high [safety coverages], manned us up. Do you want to run into a loaded box or try to get it through the air?

"Unfortunately that didn't work for us. Like I said, give credit. Wink is a guy I got a lot of respect for. He out-coached us in the second half, and they outplayed us.

"Give New York all the credit. They out-coached us, they outplayed us. They definitely wanted it more. It was the tale of two halves. They kicked our butt in the second half. You can't do that in this league.  

"Obviously the plan and the play calls that I gave weren't good enough. 

"We just got to regroup. Everybody's got to look in the mirror and ask themselves what they can do better because it was a collective effort right there in terms of not being able to come out on top. 

"They kept playing. Give New York a ton of credit. I don't think the mindset for our guys was ever to let up. Certainly you look at the results out there. There was too many mistakes. It wasn't just one person; it was a collective effort like I talked about.  

"It starts with myself. I got to be better. I got to be better for this team. We got to demand that we get better in certain areas. It's just disappointing."

The New York Giants produced a stunning comeback to upset the Green Bay Packers 27-22 and move to an improbable 4-1 with victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Green Bay, playing in the United Kingdom for the first time in front of a raucous crowd dominated by Packer fans, dominated the first half and led 20-10 at half-time.

Two touchdown throws from Aaron Rodgers to Allen Lazard and Marcedes Lewis along with a pair of Mason Crosby field goals seemingly had Green Bay in command.

The second of those three-pointers came after the Giants' first touchdown drive, capped by a double reverse touchdown by tight end Daniel Bellinger, which served as a harbinger of what was to come in the second half.

A field goal from Graham Gano cut the deficit to seven points and, after a Dexter Lawrence sack stopped a promising Packers drive, the Giants drove 91 yards on 15 plays with star running back Saquon Barkley back in the locker room nursing a shoulder injury, Gary Brightwell's two-yard rushing touchdown tying the game. 

Barkley returned for the next drive after a quick Packers three-and-out and, having set up the Giants' first score with a 40-yard scamper, he gave New York the lead, getting them into the red zone with a 41-yard catch-and run before taking a direct snap two yards to complete the turnaround.

Green Bay responded with a drive deep into Giants' territory but, on fourth-and-one from the New York six, Rodgers saw his pass to Allen Lazard batted into the air, sealing a remarkable win to drop the Packers to 3-2, an intentional late safety taken by Brian Daboll's men proving immaterial.

The Green Bay Packers have been one of the most consistent teams in the NFL under the leadership of Matt LaFleur.

As a head coach, LaFleur has compiled a 42-11 regular-season record, winning three NFC North titles and guiding the Packers to the NFC Championship Game in two of his three campaigns in charges.

Yet the failure that has contributed to their inability to get to the Super Bowl during LaFleur's tenure has also been consistent.

In the NFC Championship Game at the end of the 2019 season, the Packers were gashed on the ground by Raheem Mostert and the San Francisco 49ers in a 37-20 blowout.

Mostert racked up 220 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a remarkable display, and a year later as the Packers hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau Field at the same stage, they suffered a similar if less statistically dramatic downfall.

Leonard Fournette only had 55 yards rushing in the Buccaneers' 31-26 win, but he had a 20-yard score in the second quarter that gave Tampa Bay a lead they never relinquished, and he averaged four yards after contact, again illustrating the Packers' struggles to stop the run.

The offense and special teams were more at fault last season as the 49ers beat the Packers at Lambeau in the Divisional Round, but a nine-yard run from Deebo Samuel gave the Niners a key third-down conversion on their game-winning drive.

When the Packers have needed to stop the run in critical games, they have come up short, and the signs of that problem being fixed in 2022 are not good.

The Packers are allowing at least four yards on 57.8 per cent of carries by their opponents, the highest rate in the NFL, and giving up 4.91 yards per rush on first down. Green Bay's rush average allowed of 4.97 yards per carry is the 11th-worst in the NFL.

Three of the Packers' first four games have seen them surrender over 100 yards rushing, conceding 167 in allowing a poor New England Patriots team to take them to overtime.

Green Bay's issue is not getting into the backfield, as the Packers rank eighth in run disruption rate, according to Stats Perform data.

So why are the Packers still having issues stopping the run? The short answer is tackling.

Their tackle success rate of 73.6 per cent is tied for the fifth-worst in the NFL, with their problems coming chiefly on the left side of their defense. Left inside linebacker De'Vondre Campbell has missed four tackles and seen a further two broken, while edge rusher Preston Smith – listed as the starting outside backer on the left side – has also had a pair of tackles broken.

It is certainly not fair to pin all the Packers' run defense struggles on Campbell, but it is clear they are not doing enough as a collective to bring ball-carriers down if they evade the disruption Green Bay creates in the backfield.

This week the Packers face the New York Giants in London and meet a running back in Saquon Barkley who is doing an excellent job of racking up yardage on plays where the defense generates a run disruption.

Indeed, Barkley, the NFL's rushing leader through four weeks, is averaging 3.54 yards per carry when faced with a run disruption, above the average of 3.02.

However, his yards after contact per attempt average of 1.96 yards is below the average of 2.01. So while he might be able to evade defenders who get behind the line of scrimmage, tackle-breaking runs from the 2018 second overall pick should be at a premium.

In that sense, he is something of a test case for the Packers. Green Bay has poured plenty of resources into the problems stopping the run but, if Barkley enjoys significant success fighting through contact at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it could be a sign that run defense and, more specifically, tackling is an issue that could doom a Super Bowl-ready team once more and require more targeted attention next offseason.

Daniel Jones is expected to be the starting quarterback for the New York Giants against the Green Bay Packers, having recovered from injury.

The fourth-year QB suffered an ankle injury in the win against the Chicago Bears in Week 4 and was briefly taken out of the game, though he made his return to training on Friday.

Jones did not receive an injury status in London on Friday, leaving him set to lead the offense at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

"Early in the week I started feeling better pretty quickly and realised that I was recovering quickly," he said after practice.

While Jones should be passed fit, the Giants' offensive options have been ravaged by injuries, particularly in the wide receiver area with Wan'Dale Robinson (knee), Kadarius Toney (hamstring) and Kenny Golladay (knee) all unavailable.

Despite the Giants' aerial presence taking a hit, Jones remains optimistic, saying: "We've had guys step up throughout the year."

New York are likely to rely heavily on their rushing game again, where Jones and Saquon Barkley have offered a dual threat – the latter standing as the NFL's rushing leader in 2022.

Jones is similarly effective on the ground, having at least six rush attempts in all four contests so far this season and accumulating 193 rushing yards, plus two touchdowns, with Barkley praising the character of his QB.

"He's a gritty guy, he's a tough guy. It does speak volumes when your quarterback has that mindset." he said.

The Giants stand 3-1 heading into the matchup against the Packers, tied with the Dallas Cowboys and behind the Philadelphia Eagles (4-0) in the competitive NFC East.

After a scintillating game between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints last week, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium plays host to NFL action again as the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers lock horns.

The Giants travelled across the pond for Sunday's London game beset by injuries at wide receiver in their stuttering offense.

No receiver had 20 or more yards in their 20-12 victory over the Chicago Bears last week.

It was the second time in six games that has happened for New York, the team having had just one such instance over their previous 231 outings, but they still improved to a surprise 3-1 record.

Victory against the Bears came with just 71 passing yards, with the Giants yet to have over 200 passing yards in a game so far this season.

Their gross passing yards total this term stands at 642, the second-lowest tally across the NFL behind only the struggling Bears (471).

Rushing has been the name of the game for the Giants offensively.

They boast the NFL's most net rushing yards (770), the fourth-most average carries per game (33.5) and the second-highest average gain per carry (5.75).

While the Packers are heavy favourites to slow New York’s fast start to the season, the odds of them halting running back Saquon Barkley's renaissance look slim.

No player in the NFL is averaging more yards per game than Barkley's 115.8, while a Packers defense that has traditionally struggled against the run is surrendering 4.97 yards per rush, the 11th-most in the league.

Packers linebacker Rashan Gary will be part of a defense hoping to prevent the Giants' charge after recording two sacks in the 27-24 overtime win against the New England Patriots.

He has at least one sack in all four of Green Bay's contests this season and no Packers player has ever registered a sack in each of the opening five games of a campaign.

In total, the Packers, who also hold a 3-1 record, have 11 sacks this season, five of which have come from Gary himself.

Only six teams have more than Green Bay's sack total and just three NFL players have more than Gary so far in 2022.

Offensively, Aaron Rodgers has already racked up some big gains with the Packers recording 17 passes of 20 or more yards this season, only behind the Detroit Lions (18) and Denver Broncos (21).

The veteran QB had two passing TDs in each of his last three contests, all of which have been victories for Green Bay as they bounced back well from a disappointing opening loss to the Vikings.

After no little drama so far in the NFL, the action continues in Week 5 with another Sunday crammed full of appetising games.

Following a thriller between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints in London last week, England's capital plays host to the latest international series matchup as the New York Giants face the Green Bay Packers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Elsewhere, pre-season Super Bowl favourites the Buffalo Bills welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Philadelphia Eagles look to continue their winning streak on the road against the Arizona Cardinals.

With all that and more on offer, Stats Perform has delved into Opta data to preview this weekend's contests.

New York Giants (3-1) @ Green Bay Packers (3-1)

The Giants head to London on the back of a 20-12 victory against the Chicago Bears, where they did not have a single receiver with 20 or more receiving yards for the second time in six games, stretching back to last season. Prior to that, the Giants had one such instance in their previous 231 outings.

Last week, Aaron Rodgers went 21-for-35 (60.0 per cent) in the Packers' 27-24 overtime win against the New England Patriots, which tied the Tennessee Titans for the most overtime wins since 2017 (six).

In that game, Rashan Gary had two sacks and boasts at least one sack in all four games this season. No Packers player has recorded at least one sack in the team's first five matches of a campaign, since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.

Philadelphia Eagles (4-0) @ Arizona Cardinals (2-2)

The Eagles head to Arizona as the only undefeated side remaining in the 2022 season, but they have lost four straight road games against the Cardinals, coming as part of a 3-10 record since 1993 – their last win in Arizona coming in 2001.

Philadelphia maintained their winning streak against the Jaguars after fighting back from a 14-0 deficit, their first win when trailing by at least 14 points after the first quarter since 2014, also against the Jaguars, while their last such win prior to that was against the Jets in 1993.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray threw two touchdowns and ran for another last week, tying Daunte Culpepper as the second-fastest quarterback to reach 75 passing TDs and 20 rushing career TDs, doing so in 50 games. Only Josh Allen (48 games) has been quicker to that total.

This season, the Cardinals have outscored their opponents 49-13 in the fourth quarter, boasting the best differential (+36) in that regard, while the Eagles are -20 this season in the fourth (9-29), ranking 27th in the league.

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3) @ Buffalo Bills (3-1)

The Steelers boast a stellar overall record against the Bills, winning seven of the last nine matchups. However, they are 1-2 in games against Josh Allen, who has been responsible for at least one touchdown in his last 18 consecutive home games, tying Jim Kelly for the franchise record.

Sunday's game will mark Kenny Pickett's first career start, having thrown three interceptions in the second half against the New York Jets last week, making him the first Steelers debutant to throw three interceptions since Terry Hanratty in 1969.

He faces a challenge to get the Steelers' offense ticking, Pittsburgh having gained 1,115 total yards through the first four weeks of the season, the team's lowest tally since the 2010 season (1,078 yards).

Stefon Diggs is the man to watch for the Bills, boasting 406 receiving yards this season – 253 more than his closest teammate in the rankings (Isaiah McKenzie, 153), which is the largest such gap in an NFL team this season.

Elsewhere…

The Chicago Bears head to Minnesota to face the Vikings and rank last in the NFL for net passing yards, with 390 so far, some 168 fewer than the Giants with the second-lowest total (558). The Bears are the first team with fewer than 400 net passing yards in the first four games of a season since 2005.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is looking to enhance his touchdown record on the road against the Cleveland Browns, having thrown at least one TD pass in 35 different games since making his debut in Week 2 of the 2020 season – tying him with Kirk Cousins for the most games with a TD pass over the last three seasons.

The Houston Texans travel to face the Jacksonville Jaguars on the back of eight straight wins against their opponents, which stands as Houston's longest streak against any opponent all-time. Houston have yet to post a win this season, however.

The Detroit Lions have set an NFL record already in this campaign, becoming the first side to score 140 or more points and concede 140 or more points across the first four games of a season. They travel to the New England Patriots.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is confident the time zone change for Sunday's game against the New York Giants in London will not impact his side's performance.

Packers head coach Matt LeFleur opted to do the bulk of their preparation in Green Bay before flying to London on Thursday evening, with a Friday morning local time arrival.

LaFleur said the game "feels like a Thursday night game" for the coaches in terms of preparation turnaround, but Rodgers laughed that off from a player's perspective.

"Listen, coaches are creatures of habit, even more than players," Rodgers told reporters on Wednesday.

"Anytime there's a minute adjustment to the schedule, it throws them all out of whack, so I wouldn't read too much into that.

"Obviously the time we're leaving might put a little stress on the schedule, but that's way down at the bottom of the concerns… We'll be ready to go."

Rodgers had no complaints about the decision to travel late in the week, although he admitted he would have liked to take in London for a cultural experience.

"We're all excited," he said. "I think the reason I said I wanted to go over early was just to experience a little bit of that culture, to be able to get out and see some sights and interact with fans, go to a pub and have a Guinness or whatever the local brew is.

"That's what we all want to do, those of us that want to go over early."

The four-time NFL MVP said he had his own techniques to deal with jetlag, preferring to keep them secret for a "competitive advantage", but offered some insight into the coming days.

"You knock yourself out," he laughed. "You've got to stay up as late as you can Friday and then it starts to fall into place. But there's no excuses, we'll be trying to sleep on the way out.

"We'll go through the process on Friday, trying to sleep Friday night, hoping for a bit more rest Saturday, have a normal day, get some sleep but both teams are dealing with the same issues."

The Packers have won three straight games to hold a 3-1 record and sit second in the NFC North, while the Giants are also 3-1.

Rodgers has made 89 of 129 attempts with a completion rate of 69 per cent for six touchdowns with three interceptions across four games this season.

This will be the first of the 32 NFL games held in London to feature both teams with winning records.

The Green Bay Packers got the victory but it was far from pretty as Aaron Rodgers had a poor night and the quarterback admitted that "way of winning is not sustainable".

The Packers won 27-24 in over-time against the New England Patriots, who were fielding a third-string rookie quarterback in Bailey Zappe for the majority of the game.

Green Bay trailed 10-7 at the long break after Rodgers had the lowest passer rating (11.2) of any half in any game he has started throughout his career, including a pick-six right on half-time. That was only the fourth pick-six of Rodgers' career and second at Lambeau Field.

Eventually, Rodgers got the Packers off the hook, driving them down the field in over-time to set up Mason Crosby's 31-yard game-winning field goal.

Rodgers finished the game with a completion rate of 60 per cent on 21-of-35 passing for 251 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

"This way of winning, I don't think is sustainable because it puts too much pressure on our defense," Rodgers told reporters. "Obviously, I've got to play better and will play better.

"I think we're going to have to play a little bit better against starting quarterbacks and if our defense isn't playing as well as they can."

On his poor first-half, Rodgers added: "I settled in and usually don't have two terrible halves, so I kind of returned to the form I expect from myself, and we started moving the football."

The win means the Packers improve to a 3-1 record, with running back Aaron Jones playing a key role with 110 rushing yards on 16 carries.

Green Bay may have wrapped up the win in regulation time when Rodgers found Romeo Doubs with a 40-yard pass in the endzone with 2:02 remaining, but the rookie wide receiver clearly did not secure the catch.

Despite that, Packers head coach Matt LeFleur threw the red flag to challenge what he thought was a touchdown, costing his side a timeout that would have helped his side win in regulation time.

"I'm not too proud of that moment," LaFleur said. "That was an emotional decision, and I think it's a great learning lesson that you can never make those emotional decisions in the heat of battle.

"You know better. You've got to survive the ground. [Packers assistant quarterbacks coach] Connor Lewis was in my ear, he's up in the box and he's in my ear, and he said, 'I don't think so.' And he said that we shouldn't challenge it.

"Just made an emotional decision, and it was almost like throwing a Hail Mary. That could have came back and bit us in the butt."

The Packers next face the New York Giants (3-1) in London on Sunday.

The Las Vegas Raiders rode a massive game from running back Josh Jacobs to a 32-23 home win against the Denver Broncos, marking their first win of the season.

Desperate for a result after an 0-3 start, the Raiders largely played a risk-averse style as they trusted Jacobs to carry the ball 28 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Derek Carr posted 188 yards and no touchdowns.

The Raiders led 19-16 at halftime after Russell Wilson completed first-half touchdown passes to both Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, but when starting running back Javonte Williams was forced to leave the game with an injury, the offense began to stall.

A pair of field goals gave the Raiders a 25-16 lead, which was trimmed to 25-23 when Wilson was able to scamper in for a three-yard rushing touchdown.

But the Raiders would not be denied, marching down the field one more time and punctuating it with Jacobs' second touchdown

The Broncos were yet to concede 100 rushing yards to any player in a single game this season, which was broken by Jacobs, and also had not faced a 100-yard receiver, which was broken by Davante Adams as he collected nine catches for 101 yards.

K.J. Hamler led the Broncos in receiving yards, and all 55 of his yards came on one catch as Wilson completed 17 of 25 passes for 237 yards and two scores.

Dynamic duo deliver for the Packers in overtime

Arguably the best running back duo in the league, Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon were both strong in the Green Bay Packers' 27-24 overtime win against the New England Patriots.

After backup Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer suffered an injury in the first quarter, it was up to rookie fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe to lead New England the rest of the way, and he was more than respectable. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown, leading two touchdown drives in the second half to force overtime.

Rookie Packers receiver Romeo Doubs was the man to tie the game at 24-24 with his 13-yard touchdown catch, giving him touchdowns in back-to-back games as he tries to establish himself as Rodgers' top target.

In overtime, the Packers mounted a 13-play, 77-yard game-winning drive that featured seven runs, with Jones reaching 110 yards on 16 carries while Dillon had 73 yards on 17 carries.

Rodgers finished with a solid line of 21 completions from 35 attempts with 251 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Tom Brady acknowledges there have been problems with "execution" right throughout the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense this season.

The Bucs ranked second in both total touchdowns (63), yards (6,901) and points (511) in 2021, trailing only the Dallas Cowboys in each category.

But after losing 14-12 to the Green Bay Packers in Week 3 this year, Tampa Bay rank joint-27th in total TDs (four), 25th in yards (892) and joint-21st in points (51).

Never has Brady thrown fewer TD passes through his first three starts of a season (three), while only in four seasons has he had fewer passing yards at this stage (673).

"We've just got to do a better job," said Brady, who insisted a finger injury had "zero" impact on the Packers result.

"I wish it was one thing; we're not running as good as we're capable, the passing game hasn't been very good, our screen game. There are a lot of things."

He added: "Our job is to go out there and score points, so we're just not doing it. We're not going to score points if we don't execute well.

"They [the Packers] did a better job than us – good defense, good, physical defense, I give them a lot of credit.

"They forced us to make a lot of good plays, and we just didn't do a great job in execution."

Still, Brady is not panicking, saying: "We're 2-1. There's a lot of football left. We'll keep working at it.

"It doesn't get any easier next week, going up against the Chiefs, but no one feels sorry for us, nor should we. We've just got to go back to work."

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers emerged 14-12 victors against Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday's battle between the legendary quarterbacks.

Despite the presence of arguably the two greatest quarterbacks of this generation, it was the defenses who reigned supreme as the Bucs were only able to score three points in the first half, before holding the Packers scoreless in the second half.

Both teams were missing a number of receiving weapons, and taking advantage of his expanded role was Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs, catching three passes including a touchdown on Green Bay's very first drive.

The Packers' second drive ended in a touchdown as well, with Rodgers finding Allen Lazard for a 12-yard score with eight minutes remaining in the second quarter, and it would be their last points of the night as their next nine drives resulted in seven punts, one fumble and one interception.

Rodgers finished 27 of 35 for 255 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Brady struggled to find any connection with his makeshift receiving core, except with Russell Gage, who caught 12 of his 13 targets for 87 yards and the Bucs' only touchdown to cut the margin to 14-12 with 14 seconds remaining.

But Brady was not able to complete the two-point conversion, and the Buccaneers could not recover the onside kick, ending the game. Brady finished 31 of 42 for 271 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions.

Trevor Lawrence announces his arrival with emphatic blowout

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was called a generational prospect when he was selected first overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, and he began to fulfill that promise as he pounded the Los Angeles Chargers 38-10.

Lawrence completed 28 of 39 passes for 262 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers – completing touchdown passes to Zay Jones, Christian Kirk and Marvin Jones Jr.

As well as getting arguably Lawrence's best showing as a professional, the Jaguars continued to get production from running back James Robinson, posting 100 rushing yards and a touchdown from 17 carries, while also catching three passes for 16 yards.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert came into the game nursing fractured rib cartilage and he struggled throughout, although some late garbage-time action padded his stats to a respectable 25 of 45 for 297 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

The Green Bay Packers' trip to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday will be a tale of two veteran quarterbacks, though each has different form in previous fixtures heading into the latest encounter.

Tom Brady has thrown 11 touchdowns with zero interceptions in his last five games against the Packers, while Aaron Rodgers has eight touchdown passes and nine interceptions in his five career games against the Buccaneers – the only NFL team he has thrown more interceptions against than touchdowns.

In 2022, both quarterbacks have two touchdown passes from their opening two games of the season with neither team excelling in the air, the Buccaneers having 402 receiving yards, putting them 26th in the rankings, while the Packers are 19th with 494 yards.

The Packers have been far more effective with the ball on the ground, accumulating 314 rushing yards and ranking sixth in the NFL, while the Buccaneers are 14th with 224 yards – 192 of which have come from Leonard Fournette.

Defensively is where Tampa Bay have shone, allowing the fewest points in the NFL this season (13); a tally which stands third in their best-ever starts to the season behind 1992 (10 points) and 2003 (12 points).

The Packers are no pushovers though, allowing their opponents a total of 33 points in the opening two matches and ranking seventh in that regard. Second-half defence has been integral to that, giving up just nine points.

With the teams looking well-matched on both sides of the field, it may come down to individual mistakes in possession and the Buccaneers have the edge in that aspect, fumbling just once this season compared to the Packers four.

Is two games enough of a sample size to glean pertinent information about an NFL team's prospects? Probably not.

Has that ever stopped anyone from making definitive statements about teams and the potential outcome of their season? You already know the answer to that one.

But one thing nobody -- not even the loudest talking head -- can say for certain is that they know who the frontrunner is in the NFC.

In the AFC, plenty are already falling over themselves to crown the Buffalo Bills. An extremely compelling case can be made for the Chiefs and maybe even the Los Angeles Chargers if they can keep Justin Herbert from further injury.

The NFC, though? That's an extremely tough conference to decipher at this early stage.

That is not to say there aren't standout teams. To the contrary, there are six that look to have an excellent shot of representing the NFC in the Super Bowl as they all reside in the top 10 of Stats Perform's power rankings.

Two of them will face off at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Green Bay Packers in what could be the final meeting between Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, who met in the NFC Championship Game two seasons ago. The Super Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams will visit the San Francisco 49ers in a rematch of last year's title game in Week 4.

But which of that group has the best shot? Stats Perform has used its advanced data to examine the case for each of the six.
 

Philadelphia Eagles

Record: 2-0

Power ranking: 1

The Eagles have firmly lived up to their offseason hype so far, with Jalen Hurts piloting an efficient offense that is the most explosive in the NFL through two weeks.

Indeed, the Eagles are fourth in yards per play on offense while, prior to Thursday's game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, no team in the NFL had produced more plays of 10 yards or more than Philadelphia's 39.

A.J. Brown, their blockbuster draft-day trade acquisition, has quickly built a superb rapport with Hurts. The former Tennessee Titans wide receiver has registered a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup with a defender on a play where he is targeted, on 14 of his 21 targets and is averaging 8.2 burn yards per route (the league average is 3.6).

The threat Hurts provides in the run game has helped Philadelphia rack up 189.5 yards per game on the ground, second only to the Browns. While a small sample size, the Eagles' early success on the ground is illustrative of just how difficult they are to stop with the diversity of their attack.

There's more reason for doubt on defense, with a three-interception effort against the Minnesota Vikings in which the Eagles allowed only seven points following a 38-35 shootout with the Detroit Lions. Yet a very favourable schedule may not see any defensive failings properly tested until Week 12 against the Packers and allow Philadelphia to move into prime position to compete for the NFC's top seed.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Record: 2-0

Power ranking: 4

Tampa Bay's average margin of victory across two games is 13 points. The Bucs eased past the Dallas Cowboys 19-3 and eventually emerged from a fist fight with the New Orleans Saints as 20-10 victors.

Yet it's tough to declare their start to the season as overly impressive, at least by Brady's lofty standards.

The Bucs have scored only two offensive touchdowns as they have battled injuries at the wide receiver position and struggles on the much-changed interior of the offensive line.

Rather than Brady making a hot start to the season he initially decided against playing, it is the Bucs' defense that has led the way.

There were 182 seconds left in their game with the Saints by the time they surrendered a touchdown for the first time this season, with the Bucs conceding only 4.25 yards per play, the third-fewest in the NFL.

Rodgers and Green Bay will provide an early and stern test of their credentials, but there is evidence to suggest the Bucs will eventually have a recipe for a potential second championship run in three seasons.

For all the protection issues in front of him, Brady has delivered a well-thrown ball on 81.7 per cent of his pass attempts and has thrown just one pickable pass in 60 throws. Given the defense's level of play and the weapons the Bucs still have to return, it stands to reason they will soon be delivering much more complete performances that will greatly enhance their reputation as contenders.

Los Angeles Rams

Record 1-1

Power ranking: 3

Thrashed by Buffalo on the night they raised their Super Bowl banner before having to survive a remarkable late scare against the lowly Atlanta Falcons, the Rams do not look like a team ready to repeat.

They still sit third in the power rankings, but there are plenty of red flags surrounding the Rams in this embryonic season.

It is the pass protection that stands as the most pressing concern, Matthew Stafford was under constant duress in the opener and injuries up front have hurt the Rams' cause further, hindering Stafford to the point where he is averaging almost half a yard under expectation in expected passing situations.

With 58 total points allowed, there are clearly vast improvements to be made on defense, too.

However, Aaron Donald already has a league-leading 17 pressures and Jalen Ramsey came up with the game-clinching interception in the endzone against Atlanta, and that often decisive star power makes the Rams a tough team to count out, especially with a game against an Arizona Cardinals team they have consistently dominated on the horizon in Week 3.

San Francisco 49ers

Record 1-1

Power ranking: 5

The greatest threat to the Rams from inside their own division comes from the team who suffered an injury that would have ended the hopes of most teams in the league.

San Francisco lost quarterback Trey Lance in just his second game of his first season as starter in the 49ers' 27-7 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Yet, by keeping Jimmy Garoppolo around on a restructured contract, the 49ers gave themselves an insurance policy, one that can keep them firmly in the mix even without Lance.

Garoppolo has helped the 49ers to the brink of Super Bowl glory in the 2019 season and the NFC Championship Game last term and, while the Niners' ceiling without Lance is perhaps lowered, the floor of Super Bowl-calibre roster has been raised by the former New England Patriot's return to the line-up.

Though they suffered an upset at the hands of a Chicago Bears in Week 1, the 49ers have one of the most complete rosters in the league and their defense is off to a magnificent start, allowing the second-fewest yards per play (4.08) in the NFL.

It was anticipated the safety position may be a weakness. Instead, it has so far been an unexpected strength, as has an inexperienced and remodelled offensive line that has won 81.6 per cent of its pass-blocking matchups. It will be tough to identify an obvious flaw on this team if the pass protection continues to excel, with the play in the trenches made even more critical because of Garoppolo's long injury history.

Minnesota Vikings

Record: 1-1

Power ranking: 8

Hopes the Vikings could become one of the most dynamic offensive teams in football under Kevin O'Connell were damaged by Monday's 24-7 defeat to the Eagles.

Despite another vintage primetime meltdown from Kirk Cousins, the Vikings have the makeup of a team that could contend to go deep in the NFC playoffs if things break right.

They demonstrated how dangerous O'Connell's offense can be in their opening win over the Packers, with Justin Jefferson weaponised by the former Rams assistant's complex attack.

Even though he was kept in check by Philadelphia, Jefferson's 8.5 burn yards per target are the fifth-most among receivers with at least 10 targets in the first two games.

The offensive line remains a problem, but the early signs are that the Vikings' defensive front will be one that tilts games in their favour, having already registered six sacks for negative yardage.

Cousins is delivering the ball accurately, posting a well-thrown rate of 86.5 per cent and, though there are questions about his ability to perform under the brightest spotlight, a schedule that features 10 games against 2021 non-playoff teams could give the Vikings the edge of their division rivals in the fight to get to the NFL's postseason pressure cooker.

Green Bay Packers

Record: 1-1

Power ranking: 9

The Packers got the poor start out of the way in a Week 1 loss in Minnesota that left Aaron Rodgers visibly exasperated. Normal service was resumed, however, in the routine Week 2 win over the Bears.

Green Bay's problem is that the Packers have a roster in which several holes can be picked. The offensive line has struggled amid left tackle David Bakhtiari's prolonged absence, while the Packers' hopes of fixing their continually porous run defense have not come to pass as yet. They have surrendered 5.56 yards per play on the ground, the fourth-most in the NFL.

Rodgers has yet to build a rapport with a young receiver corps as the Packers look to put the Davante Adams saga and eventual trade to the Las Vegas Raiders behind them. Though the lack of a connection may be more down to a paucity of faith in his inexperienced wideouts' ability to catch the ball, rather than any worries about their success in creating separation.

Second-round pick Christian Watson has recorded an impressive 14.4 burn yards per target on the small sample size of seven targets. With Rodgers delivering a well-thrown ball on 89.3 per cent of his attempts, it might not be too long before Watson becomes a more integral part of the passing game, though the diversity the Packers gain through having running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon on the field at the same time can keep the offense performing efficiently regardless of how the wideouts progress.

Jones, unquestionably one of the most complete backs in the NFL, has produced a big play on three of his eight targets this season, with defenses forced to respect both the run and the pass when he and Dillon line up in two-running back personnel groupings.

The Packers' secondary, despite being shredded by Jefferson in Week 1, is in the top 12 in open percentage allowed while the strength of their defensive line has Green Bay in the top 12 in pass rush win percentage.

Both the front and the back of the Green Bay defense have the talent to rise much higher on those lists and, if such strides are accompanied by Rodgers developing an understanding with his new weapons, the Packers will likely soon have a compelling case for being the conference's elite.

Tom Brady has brushed off concerns about an injury to the ring finger of his throwing hand despite the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback appearing in discomfort at practice on Thursday.

The 45-year-old has had a slow start in the first two games of the season, throwing for fewer than 225 yards in back-to-back games for the first time since Week 14 and 15 of the 2019 season.

Brady has thrown two touchdown passes for 402 yards with a 59 per cent completion rate, but despite that the Bucs have a winning record at 2-0, largely due to their defense.

The seven-time Super Bowl winner revealed earlier this week he had injured his right ring finger in Sunday's 20-10 win over the New Orleans Saints.

Brady appeared in discomfort at practice on Thursday, too, but downplayed any issue ahead of Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers.

"Great. I feel great," Brady told reporters with a hint of sarcasm. "It's football season."

Brady was not named on the Buccaneers' injury report earlier this week.

He had told the 'Let's Go!' Podcast on Monday: "I banged it up pretty good, but it didn't affect me at all in the game. It's just going to be sore throughout the week. But it's one of those bumps and bruises that comes along with playing.

"Different things – you get hit and you get kicked and you get kneed – all these things that come up. It's demolition derby out there.

"It's who can recover fast enough in order to put yourself in position to practice, prepare and then go play the next week, so lots of bumps and bruises to take care of over the season."

Aaron Rodgers showed that he still owns the Chicago Bears after leading the Green Bay Packers with two touchdown passes in a 27-10 victory at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Running back Aaron Jones was outstanding with two touchdowns for the Packers, who bounced back from their 23-7 Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Green Bay have now won their home opener in 10 consecutive years.

Rodgers was the center of attention, given his history against NFC North rivals Chicago, improving his all-time record against the Bears to 24-5. On Sunday, he had two touchdown passes, completing 19-of-25 for 234 yards, meaning in his past four games against the Bears he has 14 touchdowns with no interceptions.

The Packers QB brought up his 450th career passing touchdown for Jones' first as Green Bay piled on three second-quarter touchdowns after Justin Fields had run into the endzone to give the Bears an early lead.

In the second half, Rodgers also tied a career-high 14 consecutive completions, matching a mark he set back in 2014 against the New York Jets.

Beyond Rodgers' contribution, Green Bay had almost 200 rushing yards from Jones (15 carries for 132 yards) and AJ Dillon (18 carries for 61 yards) adding variety to their offense. Wide receiver Sammy Watkins had three receptions for 93 yards including a fourth-quarter 55-yard gain to flip the field.

Jones got the first 'Lambeau Leap' of the season after weaving his way into the endzone, before he also ran around the edge from Rodgers' pass to open up a 17-7 lead. Rodgers found Randall Cobb to pick up 20, before sending a laser to Allen Lazard for their third TD before half-time.

Fields, who twice fell short of a running touchdown on the goal-line in the fourth quarter, completed seven-of-11 attempts for 70 yards with one interception, with David Montgomery running 122 yards from 15 carries. Jaire Alexander's late interception sealed the win for the Packers.