Questions and answers: Are the Vikings and Saints real? When will we see the magic of Trevor Lawrence?

Each week of the NFL season brings a ton of new questions… and answers some old ones, too. Let's recap what we learned in Week 2… and what we'll be looking at in Week 3 and beyond.

ASKED: How far can the Vikings go?

We're not ready to give up all of our “Sam Darnold is terrible” attitudes from the past few years; if we have to give up such cherished beliefs, what else do we have left? But it must be admitted that Darnold looked – well, not “rejuvenated,” that would mean he was rejuvenated from the start – let's say “inspired.” He threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns, getting a third of his total yardage in this absolute seed behind Justin Jefferson:

Kevin O'Connell has the Vikings in top form after Sunday's 23-17 win over the 49ers. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is working wonders. It gets tougher from here on out – the Texans and Packers are waiting – but it's clear this team isn't going to be the NFC North upset everyone expected.

ANSWERED: Are the Saints real?

A win against the Panthers isn't exactly the mark of a champion. Beating Dallas in Dallas is when you can start thinking about the division crown. The Saints have been treading water since Drew Brees retired, but Sunday's total rout of Dallas — 44-19 and it didn't even seem that close — is the kind of game that makes us reevaluate everything we know about this team.

Considering the Saints' quarterback is Derek Carr and their best runner is Alvin Kamara – both of whom we know very well by now – the X-factor is clearly new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who has managed to assemble and then deploy a whole host of weapons. (Kamara gets 115 yards and three touchdowns on the ground? Three receivers over 60 yards? It happened!) The question of Dallas' viability looms over the Cowboys every year, but the Saints have made it clear to the league that they want to return to their former glory very soon.

ASKED: When will we experience the magic of Trevor Lawrence?

You know what they say about Lawrence — No. 1 overall draft pick since Peyton Manning, savior of Jacksonville, blah blah. Now it's the start of year four and Lawrence is just… OK? If that's the case? Jacksonville lost a very winnable game to Cleveland 18-13 on Sunday and it was largely due to Lawrence's inability to find receivers, get the Jaguars into the end zone and — at the end of the game — avoid getting sacked in the end zone himself. Those are not the actions of a top-tier star quarterback — and Lawrence is paid like one and has all the expectations of one.

After two games, Jacksonville is two games behind Houston at the top of the table. The only surprise is that the gap is not even bigger. After all, DUVALLL is not written with wins.

ANSWERED: Is Arizona on the right track?

You have to admit that you've had doubts about Kyler Murray's suitability as an NFL quarterback, whether it's because of his size, his susceptibility to injury, or his decision-making. But if you had those questions, you now have your answer: When he's healthy and surrounded by the right playmakers, Kyler Murray is a dangerous quarterback. Murray and the Cardinals crushed the Rams 41-10 on Sunday, a loss that leaves lasting psychological scars.

Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. could be the next great QB/WR duo. They combined for 130 yards and two touchdowns, easily making Harrison's unspectacular rookie debut last week irrelevant. Harrison was the best player on the field in college; why would anyone think he's the worst in the NFL? James Conner (122 rushing yards, 1 touchdown) has also found his mojo this season, and the result is an offense that's as lethal as expected. But don't underestimate the Cardinals' defense either; it takes weight to stop a Sean McVay/Matthew Stafford offense the way Arizona did on Sunday. We're not ready to call Arizona NFC favorites yet, but the team has all the tools to make a playoff run.

ASKED: How much trouble are the Bengals and Ravens in?

You could have made a lot of money betting that both the Ravens and Bengals would be 0-2 at this point in the season if you're the kind of person who likes to bet on other people's misfortune. Two AFC playoff contenders who already have a huge mountain to climb just to get to the postseason? Unimaginable! But that's the way it is, so let's get started.

If you're looking for the “better” loss, look at the Bengals. After last week's ugly and unexpected loss to New England, Cincinnati has regained its footing and nearly beaten the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, but lost on a late field goal. The Bengals may or may not be a postseason threat, but they have a nice little stretch ahead of them here – Washington and Carolina before a showdown with Baltimore – that can help them quickly overcome these early-season woes.

Baltimore, on the other hand, blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead against Las Vegas – Las Vegas! – en route to a 26-23 loss. That's a sign of a general collapse, uncharacteristic of a team coached by John Harbaugh. Baltimore has a bumpy road ahead in the immediate future – Dallas, Buffalo and the divisional game against the Bengals – so this team has no time to waste if it wants to put itself in position to be a Super Bowl contender.

ANSWERED: Are the Bears ready to move up?

If you know a Bears fan, give them a hug today. This fan base hasn't had much to cheer about since, well, 1985, so there was (legitimate) reason to celebrate when they got Caleb Williams in the draft this year. Now? Not so much. Williams threw two interceptions — ugly ones at that — and never looked comfortable in Sunday night's 19-13 loss to Houston. Granted, a lot of that isn't Williams' fault — it's clear the Bears' O-line was inferior, and the last thing you want to show a rookie quarterback is a swarming, hungry defense like the one Houston had to field against Williams. Anytime you take seven sacks, you're hurting.

Chicago needs to adjust its protection for Williams immediately or this season will go south. With Detroit (see above), Minnesota (also see above) and Green Bay (to be announced) in the division, Chicago can't afford to make a mistake. The Bears have a catch-up game against Indianapolis next week and a tough game against the struggling Rams before they can breathe a sigh of relief with a game against Carolina. They'll need to show more than they have before we can deal with them.