Rating the biggest surprises of the 2022 NFL season for all 32 teams

While an NFL season isn't determined in two games, a couple of games is an appropriate sample to start picking up on some trends. Some are expected and others are a bit of a surprise, and it's the latter category that we're tackling below, as our NFL Nation writers are picking out which surprise trends have real staying power and which are a mirage, a blip on the 17-game NFL radar.

Some of the trends listed below have fans feeling pretty good, like the Detroit Lions racking up bushels of touchdowns, Jalen Hurts playing at a potential MVP clip for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills being awesome at pretty much everything. Others elicit a bit more concern, from the Cincinnati Bengals' lack of first-half touchdowns and the Los Angeles Rams frustrating fantasy owners with their usage of running backs Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson Jr.

Let's get to the real-or-mirage assessments, starting with the NFC East:

Jump to a team:ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CINCLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | INDJAX | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MINNE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SFSEA | TB | TEN | WSH

The early surprise: Only two touchdowns allowed in two games

The verdict: Real. OK, the Cowboys will allow more than 17 touchdowns this season, but the second-year jump of the defense under Dan Quinn is real and what they expected. They have slowed down offenses quarterbacked by Tom Brady and Joe Burrow in the first two games. While those teams have other issues, the accomplishment can't be taken lightly. For the Cowboys to succeed, even if Dak Prescott were healthy, the defense has to carry the day, and with three of the next four games against NFC East foes with varying levels of QB play, things are setting up decently for