Welcome to "Six Points" for Week 2, a quick trip around the league with Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen.

1. The Chip Kelly and Johnny Football connection

Johnny Manziel vs. Marcus Mariota in Week 2 could be the matchup when the Browns and Titans play Sunday. They almost were teammates at Oregon. All that's missing for this matchup is Chip Kelly on the sidelines calling plays ... for Manziel.

Huh?

Consider the backstory here. Kelly initially was target No. 1 for the Cleveland Browns after owner Jimmy Haslam fired head coach Pat Shurmur following the 2013 season. Cleveland met with Kelly after Oregon beat Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. Only Kelly wasn't ready to make the jump to the NFL, or so he thought until he changed his mind a week later and decided to become the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, who then hired Shurmur as his offensive coordinator.

The story of Manziel and Mariota almost becoming teammates traces back to June 2010 when they both attended Kelly's Oregon camp before their senior high school seasons. The Ducks were willing to sign two quarterbacks for their signing class of 2011. Manziel was offered a scholarship and verbally committed to the Ducks. Mariota was a more fascinating story. At the time of the Oregon camp, he had never started a high school game for Honolulu powerhouse St. Louis High. But Ducks quarterbacks coach Mark Helfrich traveled to Honolulu on a recruiting trip in the spring of 2010 and observed Mariota taking the starter reps, which led to an invitation to that Oregon camp in June. Mariota went to the camp and impressed Kelly and Helfrich enough to also earn a scholarship offer.

Manziel could have kept his word but it was his right to change his mind and he did, flipping his verbal commitment to Texas A&M before signing day.

"We had Johnny and Marcus both committed," said Helfrich in a light-hearted manner, "and we ended up with the taller, faster, better-looking guy." Manziel and Mariota each went on to win Heismans and became first-round draft picks. Their similarities end there, for the time being, but Manziel with Kelly in Cleveland may have been fascinating.

So Johnny almost went to Kelly's Ducks, and Chip almost landed with Manziel's Browns. Ultimately, Kelly almost coached Manziel -- twice.

2. Riches awaiting the next free-agent class

Last week, one contract extension after another got done. First it was Patriots offensive tackle Nate Solder, then Bills defensive lineman Marcell Dareus, then Giants quarterback Eli Manning and finally Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green.

But longtime NFL executive and now-ESPN analyst Joe Banner thinks with the record salary-cap room available to teams after this season, and with teams expected to average close to $30 million in salary-cap room next offseason, teams have made a big mistake by not locking up even more players over the past 18 months, and on the other side agents are making equally big mistakes now by taking deals with so many riches ahead.

"Supply and demand is the most out of line in favor of the players it has been in the 20-plus years that I've been around the league," Banner recently texted. "I'm not sure many realize the gold mine ahead if they are smart."

Those words are an incredible statement given the recent movement. Each time one of these players signs an extension, it's one fewer player in the free-agent pool this offseason. And with each fewer player, and with the existing cap room that teams are scheduled to have, the ones who do hit the market could hit it big.

Players in contract years who perform well this season will be putting themselves in line for major pay raises next season -- some of the biggest raises in NFL history.

3. It's 2008 again in Atlanta

The Dolphins passed up Matt Ryan, left, in 2008 and selected Jake Long with the No. 1 pick. Ryan was taken at No. 3 by the Falcons. US Presswire

Jake Long signing with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday brings the No. 1 pick of the 2008 draft to block for the No. 3 pick, Matt Ryan.

Falcons coach Dan Quinn was pretty pumped late Wednesday night about adding Long to the offensive line mix: "Despite his [injury] history, the one thing you immediately sense is how much he loves football and how competitive he is -- exactly the type of player we want on this team," said Quinn.

Long is coming off his second torn ACL surgery. He also has had major shoulder surgery and has ended the past four seasons on injured reserve. It doesn't mean he was a "bust" pick for the Miami Dolphins. He was voted to the Pro Bowl his first four seasons at left tackle. Nevertheless, the Dolphins have endured frequent criticism for passing on Ryan at the game's most important position. It happened when new Dolphins executive vice president of football operations Bill Parcells dispatched GM Jeff Ireland, offensive coordinator Dan Henning and quarterback coach David Lee on a road trip before the draft to work out and spend time with three quarterbacks in that 2008 draft -- Ryan, Joe Flacco and Chad Henne.

The verdict? All were quality quarterbacks but without a lot of separation. When in doubt, the NFL blueprint is go with the safe pick in the first round. Long became the choice of Parcells and the Dolphins, as Parcells remembered that another former Michigan tackle, Jumbo Elliott, was a vital cog at left tackle in New York.

4. Tennessee waltz

For the second straight week, Tennessee will be on the road, this week in Cleveland. But after back-to-back road games in Tampa and Cleveland, the Titans then can settle into the comforts of home. For a while. As in, a long while.

The Titans' next road game will not be until November. November!

They now have four straight home games -- against the Colts on Sept. 27, against the Bills on Oct. 11, against the Dolphins on Oct. 18, against the Falcons on Oct. 25 -- before having to travel to Houston for their next road game at the Texans on Nov. 1.

Such a long home stretch should give rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota even more of a chance to settle into his starting job in front of a friendly, less-hostile crowd. And Tennessee better make those games count. Three of Tennessee's last four games are on the road, including at the Jets and at the Patriots before finishing the season at the Colts.

5. Is it Tavon time ... finally?

Tavon Austin could see more handoffs after running effectively against the Seahawks. AP Photo/Tom Gannam

When Tavon Austin lined up in the Rams' backfield and took a handoff from Nick Foles to run 16 yards for a touchdown in their win over the Seahawks, it was one of the ways Rams coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead had always envisioned Austin could be utilized when they made him the eighth pick of the 2013 draft.

It was a clever design on the scoring play. The diminutive 5-foot-9 Austin lined up in a pistol-like formation directly behind Nick Foles in the shotgun. Ask the Seahawks defenders. It was difficult to see and track Austin on the play. Austin was a Texas high school running back who was used as a jack-of-all-trades player at West Virginia. In fact, Austin delivered one of the greatest single-game collegiate performances on Nov. 17, 2012, when he had 517 all-purpose yards against Oklahoma, 344 of them coming when he was lined up at running back.

When Frank Cignetti was named offensive coordinator for the Rams after Brian Schottenheimer bolted for the same job at the University of Georgia, one of his goals was to simplify the offense but still find ways to take advantage of Austin's hybrid talents. Cignetti saw a very focused Austin take huge leaps in preparation during the offseason program. He particularly praised his improved pass-route running; in the meantime, Austin's return skills still must be respected. He had a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Seahawks, as well.

6. Buffalo facing its own tight ends

Buffalo is known for its chicken wings and now, its tight ends, too. Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski grew up in Buffalo, and his family still lives there. New England's other tight end, Scott Chandler, played five seasons for Buffalo.

Now Gronkowski and Chandler will help lead the Patriots back to Buffalo, and one thing can be counted on: New England will try to use its Buffalo connection to beat back the Bills. It has happened before. In the seven games Gronkowski has played against the Bills, he has caught 37 passes for 543 yards and nine touchdowns -- an average of over one touchdown per game.

Patriots tight ends also are coming off an opening-night win in which they combined to catch four touchdown passes -- three for Gronkowski and one for Chandler.

Now each man returns to Buffalo, and New England's strength is what Buffalo has helped produce. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Tom Brady target his twin tight ends again Sunday in an area they know well, against a defense they have exploited.