Week 2 of the NFL brought us some shocking upsets, an AFC thriller and some spectacular individual performances. Let’s recap some of the most important news from Sunday.
The Chiefs will always find a way
Trailing 25-23 and on a fourth and 16 with less than a minute to play, most teams had no chance.
Not the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs stole a 26-25 victory from the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. A pass interference penalty on the aforementioned fourth-and-16 attempt kept Kansas City’s final drive alive. The Chiefs took advantage with a 51-yard field goal by Harrison Butker as time expired.
It was a sloppy game by the Bengals. On their final possession, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase committed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that prevented a potential touchdown attempt. That kept the Chiefs within a field goal — as well as Cincinnati’s offensive woes.
Settling for four field goals against Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is a recipe for disaster. Twice the Bengals settled for field goals deep in the red zone. And they scored just 10 points from three turnovers – and even gave up seven. After an interception by Mahomes, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked and the fumble was recovered for a point on the next possession.
With the loss, the Bengals fall to 0-2. The Chiefs remain undefeated at 2-0.
The Saints’ offense marches on
After scoring 47 points in their Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers, the New Orleans Saints scored another 44 points against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. Alvin Kamara scored four single-handedly and the New Orleans offense dominated in the 44-19 victory.
It was a surprising disappointment on several levels.
Is the Saints offense really that good? What’s gotten into Derek Carr? It’s one thing for New Orleans to beat up the helpless Panthers like they did in Week 1. It’s quite another to beat up a talent-laden Cowboys defense that has had a dominant performance of its own earlier in the season. The Saints scored five straight touchdowns to start the game, sandwiching long drives between explosive plays.
Which week is more telling for the Cowboys: their win over the Cleveland Browns to start the season or their performance against the Saints, which was lackluster on both sides of the ball?
Of course, it is impossible to say today whether this game was just a slip-up at the beginning of the season or a sign of things to come. But the Saints certainly sent a message. Their offense should not be taken lightly.
The Vikings don’t give up
With rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy out for the rest of the season, the Minnesota Vikings aren’t looking at this year as a lost cause. Instead, the Vikings are 2-0 after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 on Sunday.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold took revenge on his former team by throwing for 268 yards and two touchdowns, including a 97-yard pass to receiver Justin Jefferson.
The 49ers were without star running back Christian McCaffrey. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy threw one pass for 319 yards, but was also intercepted once.
The Buccaneers are not to be underestimated
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers also caused a surprise on Sunday, winning 20-16 against the Lions in Detroit.
In a matchup of former No. 1 picks who were cut by their old teams, Baker Mayfield bested Jared Goff. Mayfield, Tampa Bay’s playmaker, passed for 185 yards, threw one touchdown and ran for another. Goff passed for 307 yards but had no touchdowns and two costly interceptions.
The Buccaneers are 2-0 and have avenged themselves against the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season. The Lions were favorites to make the Super Bowl, but are 1-1 after a loss to Tampa Bay.
The Jaguars are in the danger zone
Both the Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars were down 1-0 and desperate to win on Sunday, and it was the Browns who came out on top, 18-13.
Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson recovered somewhat, throwing for a measly 186 yards and a touchdown, and most importantly, he didn’t lose the ball.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was unconvincing. He completed just 14 of 30 passes for 220 yards and did not score a single point. He also had to accept a safety towards the end of the fourth quarter.
After looking inferior in Week 1, the Browns finally came back with an away win.
Jacksonville, on the other hand, missed the playoffs last year and is now 0-2.
