NFL 2019 Week 2 Recap
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers was the Thursday night game. A pair of NFC South rivals played an ugly game that ended in controversial fashion. Matt Gay hit a 40 yard field goal for the Buccaneers and Joey Slye answered from 32 for a 3-3 game after the first quarter. In the second quarter a 39 yard punt return had the Panthers taking over at the Tampa Bay 42. Yet all the Panthers could muster was a 37 yard Slye field goal for a 6-3 lead. After 26 minutes of ugly football, the Buccaneers took over at their own 28. Jameis Winston went deep to Mike Evans for a 41 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 25, Winston went to Brate for 5 yards and then to Chris Godwin for the 20 yard touchdown and the 10-6 Buccaneers lead. In the final 80 seconds, Cam Newton moved the Panthers in position for a 54 yard field goal try. Slye delivered again and the Panthers trailed 10-9 at halftime.
In the third quarter the Panthers took over at their own 38. Newton went deep to Greg Olsen for a 41 yard gain. Yet consecutive sacks of Newton ended the drive. Slye hit his fourth field goal from 51 yards out to make it 12-10 Panthers. The Buccaneers soon faced 2nd and 13 at their own 22. Winston went to Godwin for 24 yards with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Peyton Barber ran for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 17-12 Buccaneers. The Panthers fumbled the ball away but the Buccaneers missed a field goal. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, with the Buccaneers pinned to their own 2 yard line, Peyton Barber was tackled in his own end zone by Luke Kuechly for a safety. The Panthers were within 17-14, and a 21 yard return on the free kick had them taking over on their own 46.
On 3rd and 1 from the Tampa Bay 45, Christian McCaffrey got stopped cold. Riverboat Ron Rivera went for it, and Newton threw incomplete. With 9 minutes left, the Buccaneers took over at their own 33. On 3rd and 8 from midfield, Winston went to Godwin for a 14 yard gain. With a chance to put the game away, on 3rd and 5 from the Carolina 14, Winston threw incomplete. Gay hit the 32 yard field goal to cap the 11 play, 53 yard 6 1/2 minute drive. Trailing by 6, the Panthers took over with 2 1/2 minutes left after a touchback.Newton began by hitting Samuel for a 24 yard gain. With 1:45 to play the Panthers faced 1st and 10 at the Tampa Bay 11. Newton threw incomplete twice and then hit Moore for 8 yards. With 90 seconds left, the Panthers faced 4th and 2 at the Buccaneers 3 yard line. Defensive delay of game made it 4th and 1 from the 2. Normally Newton would use his big body to sneak it forward. Instead, McCaffrey got the carry around the end and got taken down for no gain. Bruce Arians got his first win as the Buccaneers coach. Meanwhile, Ron Rivera faced a ton of questions about Newton and the terrible play call that had the Panthers at 0-2 and sinking fast. 20-14 Buccaneers
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans — The Titans won at Cleveland by 30 points, so a buzz developed around them. The Colts put up a valiant effort in an overtime loss at the Chargers. The Colts began at their own 22 and soon faced 3rd and 12 at their own 33. Jacoby Brissett went to Eric Ebron for 13 yards. On the next play defensive pass interference meant a 46 yard gain and 1st and goal at the 8. Brissett hit Ebron for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. The Titans took over at their own 28. Marcus Mariota got the drive going with completions to Derrick Henry for 9 yards and Sharpe for 15 more. From the Indy 12, Henry fumbled but the Titans retained possession. On the next play Mariota went to Jennings for 11 yards. On the first play of the second quarter, Mariota hit David Quessenberry for the one yard touchdown to make it 7-7.
The Colts soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 30. Brissett threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 9 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from their own 42, Brissett scrambled for just enough. On 3rd and 15 from the Indy 44, Brissett went to TY Hilton for 19 yards. Brissett threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to Parris Campbell for the touchdown midway through the second quarter. One week after his worst career game, Adam Vinatieri missed another extra point as the Colts led 13-7. In the third quarter a 17 yard punt return had the Titans taking over at the Indy 40. From the Indy 28, Mariota found Davis for a 25 yard gain. Henry ran for the one yard touchdown to make it 14-13 Titans. The Colts then fumbled, giving the Titans another short field at the Indy 45. Cairo Santos hit a 49 yard field goal to make it 17-13 Titans. Tennessee got it back at their own 13 and moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Indy 20. Mariota was then sacked for a 7 yard loss. Making matters worse for the Titans, Santos missed the 45 yard field goal try with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
With 6 1/2 minutes left, the Colts took over at their own 31. From their own 41, Wilkins broke free for a 55 yard gain. On the next play Brissett threw a 4 yard touchdown pass to Hilton. Vinatieri’s nightmare season continued as he missed a 2nd extra point. The Colts led by 2 with 4 1/2 minutes left. With 3 1/2 minutes left and the Titans facing 4th and 1 at their own 34, the decision was to go for it. A killer day of game penalty instead forced the Titans to punt. The Titans got the ball back at their own 28 with 1:07 to play. With 13 seconds left the Titans faced 4th and 2 at the Indy 45. Mariota threw incomplete as Jacoby Brissett got his first win as a Colts starter. 19-17 Colts
Los Angeles Chargers at Detroit Lions — The Chargers barely survived at home last week in an overtime win against Indianapolis, while the Lions blew an 18 point 4th quarter lead in a tie with Arizona. The Chargers soon faced 2nd and 8 at their own 34. Philip Rivers went deep to Austin Ekeler for 35 yards and to Keenan Allen for 12 more. On 3rd and 4 from the Detroit 13, Rivers hit Allen for 10 yards. On 3rd and goal from the one, Ekeler got in to make it 7-0 Chargers. The Lions came back 75 yards. Matthew Stafford hit Kerryon Johnson for a 36 yard touchdown. Matt Prater missed the extra point. The Lions trailed 7-6 after the first quarter. Both offenses pretty much slept through the rest of the game, as did the viewers. In the second quarter Prater missed a 40 yard field goal try. Ty Long hit a 39 yard field goal on the last play of the half as the Chargers took a 10-6 lead to the locker rooms.
A hideous second half began with Stafford getting intercepted and the Chargers fumbling the ball back. Late in the third quarter Long missed a 39 yard field goal try. Stafford was intercepted again and in the fourth quarter the Chargers moved from their 15 to a 3rd and 1 at the Detroit 23. Rivers threw incomplete and Anthony Lynn opted not to go for it. Long came in for the 41 yard field goal try and again it was no good. The Lions took over at their 31 and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Chargers 35. Matt Patricia decided to go for it and Stafford hit Jones for 4 yards. On the next play Stafford hit Kenny Golladay for a 31 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Lions led by a field goal. The Chargers moved from their own 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 19 with 2 1/2 minutes left. On 3rd and 19 with just over one minute left, Rivers went to the end zone and was intercepted. It was hideously ugly, but it was a desperately needed win for Matt Patricia. 13-10 Lions
Buffalo Bills at New York Giants — Last week the Bills overcame a 16-0 deficit to gut out a 17-16 win over the Jets. Now they were back in the Meadowlands again against the Giants, who were humiliated at Dallas. After a touchback, the Giants rammed the ball down Buffalo’s throat. Saquon Barkley ran for 6m Fowler ran for 20, and Barkley then ran for 14, 8, and the 27 yard touchdown to quickly make it 7-0 Giants. After a touchback the Bills faced 3rd and 4 at their own 43. Josh Allen went to Cole Beasley for a 9 yard gain and then to McKenzie for 26 more. Allen ran for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.
The Bills got it back at their own 30 and Allen went to Knox for 18 yards. On 3rd and 10 from their own 48, Allen hit Brown for 14 yards. On 3rd and 5 at the Giants 33, Allen hit Brown for 7 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Giants 26, Allen hit Beasley for 12. Devin Singletary then ran for the 14 yard touchdown as the Bills led 14-7 early in the second quarter. The Bills got it back at their own 2 yard line. Allen hit Brown for 15 yards and Frank Gore for 9 more. On 1st and 20 from their own 35, Allen went deep to Beasley for a 51 yard gain. On the next play Allen went to Isaiah McKenzie for the 14 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Bills. The Giants would miss a field goal and suffer an interception to end the half.
Late in the third quarter, the Giants took over at their own 24. Eli Manning hit Fowler for gains of 12 and 14. Early in the fourth quarter the Giants faced 4th and 2 at the Buffalo 15. They went for it and Manning hit Latimer for 9 yards. Manning found TJ Jones for a 4 yard touchdown to complete the 12 play, 76 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. The Giants were within 21-14 with 12 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, Allen hit Brown for 12 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Giants 40, Allen hit Brown for 17 yards. Singletary ran for 20 yards to set up 1st and goal at the 3. The Giants got a stop on defense, and Steve Hauschka made the 21 yard field goal Yet unnecessary roughness on the defense caused Sean McDermott to take the points off the board with 1st and goal at the 2. Gore banged it in from one yard out with 6 minutes left in regulation to put the game on ice. 28-14 Bills
Arizona Cardinals at Baltimore Ravens — Last week Baltimore put up 59 points, but for the second straight week Arizona showed grit. In the first quarter the Ravens took over at their own 6 yard line. Lamar Jackson hit Boyle for 14 yards and Brown for 18 more. Jackson then ran for 19 yards. Jackson then hit Brown for gains of 6 and 9 and found Mark Andrews for a 27 yard touchdown to complete the 94 yard drive and make it 7-0 Ravens. Baltimore got it back and John Harbaugh decided to go for it on 4th and 3 from the Arizona 43. Jackson threw incomplete. The good field position led to the Cardinals moving to a 3rd and 1 at the Arizona 4 yard line. Kyler Murray threw incomplete. Cliff Kingsbury decided not to go for it. Zane Gonzalez hit the 22 yard field goal to get the Cardinals within 7-3. In the second quarter Justin Tucker hit from 33 to make it 10-3 Ravens. Again the Cardinals drove very deep. On 4th and 2 from the Baltimore 47, Cliff Kingsbury went for it and Murray hit Byrd for 5 yards. However, on 3rd and goal at the 3, Murray threw incomplete. Gonzalez hit from 21 to get the Cardinals within 10-6.
Baltimore soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 21. Jackson ran for gains of 5 and 18 yards and then hit Andrews for 24 and Mark Ingram for 20. Jackson hit Hill for 10 and Hayden Hurst for the final yard as the Ravens led 17-6 at halftime. In the third quarter the Cardinals drove inside the Baltimore 5 yard line for the 3rd time in the game. On 3rd and goal Murray again threw incomplete. On 4th and goal at the 2, for the third time, Kingsbury settled for a field goal. Gonzalez hit from 21 as the Cardinals trailed 17-9. The Ravens responded with a staggering 16 play, 70 yard drive that consumed 9 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 6 from their own 24, Jackson hit Ingram for 10. On 3rd and 7 at the Arizona 46, Jackson hit Andrews for 9. On 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 22, Jackson hit Andrews for 8. On 3rd and 20 from the Arizona 24, Jackson scrambled for 19. On 4th and 1 from the Arizona 5, John Harbaugh took no chances. A field goal would make it a 2 score game. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Justin Tucker hit the 28 yarder to make it 20-9 Ravens.
This time the Cardinals from their own 21 struck quickly. Murray went deep to Larry Fitzgerald for a 54 yard gain. Murray then went to Byrd for 6 and Kirk for 18 down to the one. David Johnson got the yard on the ground and Murray hit K Johnson for the 2 point conversion to get the Cardinals within 20-17 with a full 13 minutes left in regulation. The Ravens moved from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Arizona 38. Jackson threw incomplete twice and on 3rd and 10 a pass to Snead only gained 5 yards. Tucker hit the 51 yard field goal as the Ravens led by 6 with 9 minutes left. Arizona punted twice and with 3:13 to play the Ravens took over at their own 45. With 3 minutes left and the Ravens facing 3rd and 11, John Harbaugh had a decision to make. The Cardinals were out of timeouts, so a safe run would bleed 40 seconds off the clock. Instead the Ravens went big and bold. Jackson went deep to Brown for a 41 yard gain. At the 2 minute warning, the Ravens faced 3rd and 1 at the Arizona 6. Ingram got the yard and Jackson took a pair of knees to end the hard fought game. 23-17 Ravens
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins — Last week the Patriots won by 30 and the Dolphins lost at home by 49 for a 79 point differential. The largest blowout in NFL history was Chicago over Washington 73-0 in the 1940 NFL Championship Game. Could the Patriots beat the Dolphins 100-0? The Dolphins had beaten the Patriots in 5 of the last 6 meetings in Miami including last year’s Christmas lateral miracle. Yet the oddsmakers were unimpressed, installing the Patriots as 19 point road favorites. In the first quarter the Patriots took over at their own 40. Michel ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Patriots. In the second quarter Stephen Gostkowski missed a field goal and one xtra point. However, Tom Brady did throw a 20 yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown, his first touchdown reception with the Patriots. The Patriots only led 13-0 at halftime, but there would be no comeback.
In the third quarter an interception of Ryan Fitzpatrick led to a 28 yard Gostkowski field goal. The Patriots got it back and moved 65 yards. Brady got the last yard himself as the Patriots led 23-0 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Patriots poured it on. Ryan Fitzpatrick had two interceptions returned for touchdowns. Stephen Gilmore took his 54 yards to pay dirt while Jamie Collins ran his back 69 yards for a score. Just before the 2 minute warning, Brady hit James White for the final touchdown. It would be hard for Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick to find fault in a 43 point road win, but Gostkowski missed his 2nd extra point. With 4 seconds left, the Dolphins had 1st and goal at the 8 and a chance to avoid the shutout. Josh Rosen was in the game. Rather than throw to the end zone, he threw a 3 yard pass. It didn’t matter since it was intercepted. While the Patriots fell short of a 100 point win, they did win by 43. Meanwhile, losing by 43 was an improvement over losing by 49. Former Belichick assistant Brian Flores has seen his Dolphins lose by a combined 102-10 in 2 games, both at home. This is not why the play the games. 43-0 Patriots
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins — Dallas has Super Bowl dreams, while Washington just wants to escape the cellar. An interception of Dak Prescott with 5 minutes left in the first quarter set up the Redskins at the Dallas 38. The second quarter began with Adrian Peterson banging in a one yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 Redskins. Later on the Cowboys were pinned back at their own 3 yard line. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 8 yards and Prescott added 15 more. Prescott hit Michael Gallup for gains of 9 and 10 and Randall Cobb for 3 more. Prescott then found Devin smith for a 51 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. Dallas got it back and soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 19. Prescott found Cobb for 9 yards. On 3rd and 1 at their own 37, Prescott got around the end for a 42 yard gain. With 20 seconds left in the half on 3rd and goal at the 5, Prescott threw incomplete. Yet defensive holding was a killer penalty. 9 seconds still remained, and now it was 1st and goal at the 2. Prescott hit Jason Witten for the score to make it 14-7 Cowboys at halftime.
In the third quarter after a touchback, Prescott hit Amari Cooper for 13 yards. Elliott had gains of 13 and 6. Prescott hit Gallup for 12. On 1st and 20 from the Washington 46, Prescott hit Gallup for 16. On 3rd and 4 from the Washington 30, Prescott found Cooper for 18. Prescott hit Cooper for the 10 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Cowboys. The Redskins fought back and got a break when the Cowboys jumped offsides on 3rd and 1 from the Washington 34. On the next play Case Keenum hit McLaurin for a 27 yard gain. On 4th and 7 from the Dallas 31, Jay Gruden decided to go for it. Keenum hit Quinn for 12 yards. Keenum hit Paul Richardson for a 9 yard touchdown to get the Redskins within 21-14 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.
After a touchback Prescott went to Jarwin for a 22 yard gain. A 3 yard touchdown was nullified by offensive holding. One minute into the fourth quarter, Maher hit a 25 yard field goal to give the cowboys some breathing room up 21-14. With 11 minutes left Jay Gruden decided to go for it on 4th and 3 from the Dallas 46. Keenum threw incomplete. From the Washington 43, Prescott hit Witten for 18 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Elliott got in with 5 minutes left to put the Cowboys up 31-14. Washington did get a garbage touchdown, but nothing more. Jerry Jones was so pleased with the win that he is bringing Jason Garrett and the entire coaching staff back next week. 31-21 Cowboys
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans — A pair of division rivals played a truly hideous game. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 39 yard field goal for the Texans. In the second quarter Josh Lambo hit from 40 to tie the game and Fairbairn answered from 22 to end the half with the Texans up 6-3. After a scoreless third quarter, a key play came with 13 minutes left in regulation. On 1st and 20 from his own 20, Minshew was sacked and the Texans recovered at the Jacksonville 11. On 4th and 1 from the Jacksonville 2, Bill O’Brien decided to go for it. Deshaun Watson got in to make it 13-3 Texans. with 6 minutes left in regulation, Lambo hit from 32 to get the Jaguars within 13-6. With 3 1/2 minutes left, Jacksonville began their final drive. With 2:19 left, on 4th and 1 from their own 41, Leonard Fournette barely got the yard. With 1:18 left on 3rd and 9 from the Jacksonville 43, Minshew hit Conley for 12 and Chark for 14 more. With 52 seconds left on 4th and 10 from the Houston 31, Minshew scrambled for 18 yards. With 30 seconds left, Minshew hit Chark for the touchdown. Doug Marrone decided to go for the 2 point conversion and the win on the road rather than play for overtime. It was a gutsy call. The run attempt failed. The armchair quarterbacks will go crazy, but that is what they do. Captain Grumpy Tom Coughlin made the exact same decision in his first season as the Jaguars coach when they were a 1995 expansion team. That attempt also failed in a one point loss. 13-12 Texans
Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers — 14 years after these teams played a controversial Super Bowl, they played a game with far less at stake but with more exciting action. After a scoreless first quarter, the first break came in the second quarter when the Seahawks fumbled and the Steelers took over at the Seattle 22. On 3rd and 5 from the 17, Ben Roethlisberger threw incomplete but defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. James Conner ran it in to make it 7-0 Steelers. After a touchback, the Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 36, Russell Wilson hit Turner for 15 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 26, a run lost 2 yards. The field goal was good, but unnecessary roughness on the defense caused Pete Carroll to take the points off the board. On the next play Wilson hit Will Dissly for the 14 yard touchdown and a 7-7 tie. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, Chris Boswell hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Steelers. On the last play of the half, a field goal to tie the game from 58 yards out was no good. The Steelers had the lead but a big problem. Roethlisberger had an injured elbow and would not play the second half. Before the day was out, Conner would be out as well.
Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph played the second half. Early in the third quarter Rudolph was intercepted, setting the Seahawks up at the Pittsburgh 40. On 3rd and 10 from the Pittsburgh 25, Wilson hit Vannett for 13 yards and Dissly for the 12 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Seahawks. After a touchback, Conner ran for 14 yards. Rudolph went deep to Juju Smith-Schuster for a 45 yard gain. The drive stalled in the red zone. Boswell hit from 33 to get the Steelers within 14-13. After a touchback Wilson hit Carson for 8, Tyler Lockett for 7, Carson again for 10, and Lockett again for 5. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 37, Rashaad Penny ran all the way for the touchdown to make it 21-13 Steelers. After a touchback, the Steelers began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 8 at the Seattle 48. Rudolph found Johnson for a 17 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 26, Rudolph escaped for 7 yards. Rudolph threw an 8 yard touchdown pass to Vance McDonald with 11 minutes left in regulation. Mike Tomlin went for the 2 point conversion to tie the game butRudolph threw incomplete as the Steelers trailed 21-19.
After a touchback the Seahawks soon found themselves facing 1st and 15 at their own 22. A run gained 5 yards. Wilson went deep incomplete. Initially no pass interference was called, but under the new rule Pete Carroll successfully challenged the call. It was reversed to defensive pass interference for a 38 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Pittsburgh 28, Wilson went to DK Metcalf for the touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Seahawks had a 28-19 Lead. With 5 1/2 minutes left and the Seahawks at their own 11, Wilson fumbled and the Steelers recovered at the Seattle 3 yard line. One play later Rudolph hit McDonald for the touchdown to get the Steelers back within 2 points. After a touchback, the Seahawks tried to run out the clock. On 3rd and 16 from the Pittsburgh 48, Wilson scrambled for 15 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Pittsburgh 33, Pete Carroll decided to go for it. Carson gained 2 yards and Wilson knelt down. Things got much worse for the 0-2 Steelers after the game. Big Ben Roethlisberger will have to have surgery on his elbow and will be out for the entire season. Mason Rudolph is now the starter. 28-26 Seahawks.
San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Bengals — These teams met in a pair of close Super Bowls in the 1980s, but this game was not close or exciting. The 49ers began just shy of midfield. Jimmy Garoppolo threw a 38 yard touchdown pass to Marquise Goodwin to make it 7-0 49ers. From the Cincinnati 31, Red Rifle Andy Dalton went deep to Boyd for a 47 yard gain. Dalton threw a one yard touchdown pass to Tyler Eifert for a 7-7 game. The 49ers got it back at their own 16. Garoppolo hit Goodwin for 14 and ran for 9. Garoppolo found Raheem Mostert for a 39 yard touchdown. The 49ers led 14-7 after the first quarter. In the second quarter Garoppolo was intercepted, but the Bengals missed a field goal. The 49ers got it back at their own 42. On 3rd and 1 just past midfield, Matt Breida broke free for a 34 yard gain. Jeff Wilson ran it in from 2 yards out to make it 21-7 49ers. The teams exchanged field goals as the 49ers took a 24-10 lead to the locker rooms. In the second half the 49ers broke the game open. Garoppolo hit Deebo Samuel for a 2 yard touchdown in the third quarter to make it 31-10 49ers. Robbie Gould tacked on a 38 yard field goal for a 34-10 49ers lead. On the first play of the fourth quarter Wilson ran for a 4 yard touchdown and a 41-10 49ers advantage. Gould would miss a field goal, but by then it did not matter. Cincinnati got one garbage time touchdown but by then it mattered even less. 41-17 49ers
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers — Things started badly early for the Vikings. The Packers needed only 4 plays after a touchback to score. On the first play from scrimmage, Aaron Rodgers went deep to Devontae Adams for a 39 yard gain. Jones ran for gains of 6 and 15. Rodgers hit Jamaal Williams for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. Dan Bailey then missed a 47 yard field goal try. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 41. Aaron Rodgers hit Valdes-scantling for 14 yards. On 3rd and 5 at the Minnesota 40, Rodgers went deep too Adams for 21 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Minnesota 13, Rodgers hit Adams for 6 yards. Rodgers hit Geronimo Allison for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Packers. The Vikings then fumbled the ball away at the Minnesota 33. The second quarter began with Jones running for a 2 yard touchdown. The Packers had a 21-0 lead, but the Vikings hung tough as momentum swung.
2 plays after the touchback, Dalvin Cook raced for a 75 yard touchdown to get the Vikings within 21-7. With 90 seconds left in the half, the Vikings took over at their own 27. From their 36, a short pass from Cousins to Beebe went for 61 yards. On 1st and goal at the 3, Cousins went to Diggs for the touchdown. However, after further review their was offensive pass interference. The touchdown was nullified. From the 13, a run went nowhere and Cousins threw incomplete twice. Bailey hit the 31 yard field goal to get the Vikings within 21-10 at the half. In the third quarter the Packers fumbled and the Vikings took over at the Green Bay 42. On 3rd and 13, Cousins went to Diggs for a 45 yard touchdown. This time the score stood but Bailey had his extra point try blocked. The Vikings were within 5, and 9 minutes still remained in the third quarter. I didn’t matter. Green Bay’s defense clamped down. With 5 minutes left in regulation, the Vikings faced 1st and goal at the 8 with a chance to win. The 84 million dollar guaranteed man Cousins went to the end zone and was intercepted for the third time on the day. The Packers are 2-0, and again Rodgers knows he no longer has to do it all himself. Green Bay has a defense. 21-16 Packers
Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders — The Chiefs always beat the Raiders, Derek Carr always struggles against the Chiefs, and now the Raiders found out their hard hitting rookie safety Jonathan Abraham would be out for the season after playing only one game. Patrick Mahomes was expected to torch the Oakland secondary. By the time this game ended, the Chiefs had only 31 yards rushing. Passing was another matter. The Raiders finally have a bell cow running back, as Josh Jacobs gained 99 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Oakland 32, Carr went to Carrier for 25 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Chiefs 43, Carr found Tyrell Williams for 19 yards. Despite 2nd and 2 at the Chiefs 10, Jacobs gained only one yard and then nothing on 3rd and 1. Jon Gruden opted for the field goal. Daniel Carlson hit from 28 to make it 3-0 Raiders. The Silver and Black got it back at their own 25. From their own 47, a defensive pass interference call on a bomb went for 43 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Carr hit Williams for the touchdown. The Raiders led 10-0 after the first quarter. Then reality set in and fans saw one of the biggest blowouts in a quarter since the 1987 Super Bowl between Washington and Denver. Mahomes had only 35 yards passing in the first quarter.
In the second quarter Mahomes had nearly 300 yards passing. Yes, in the second quarter alone. He started the second quarter with a 44 yard bomb to Demarcus Robinson to get the Chiefs on the board. A 14 play, 95 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive came next. On 3rd and 10 from the Oakland 32, a 22 yard deep ball was nullified by offensive holding. So on 3rd and 20, Mahomes went deep again for a 42 yard touchdown to Mecole Hardman. The Chiefs led 14-10 with 6 minutes left in the half. The Chiefs got it back with 3 1/2 minutes left and quickly followed up their 95 yard drive with a 94 yard drive. On 2nd and 11 from their own 5, Mahomes went to Williams for 32, Robinson for 43, and Travis Kelce for the 27 yard touchdown to make it 21-10 Chiefs with 1:41 left in the half. The Raiders could not even get to the half without further carnage. They punted on 4th and 22 from their own 13, and a 10 yard return of a short punt had the Chiefs taking over at the Oakland 39 with 47 seconds left. One play and 7 seconds later, Mahomes went to Robinson for the 39 yard touchdown. 4 touchdowns put the game away by halftime. Mahomes finished with 443 yards passing, and that was with the second half being scoreless. Mahomes had a 5th touchdown bomb wiped away by a penalty. Carr was intercepted twice, including on 1st and goal at the 4 for a touchback. The Raiders may be slightly improved, but this was their reality check. The Chiefs are far better, 28-10 Chiefs
New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams — This was supposed to be the revenge game for the non-call that the Saints insisted was why the Rams beat them in the NFC Title Game. Early on it was all field goals. Greg Zuerlein hit from 24 for the Rams in the first quarter. Wil Lutz answered from 34 in the second quarter to tie the game. Zuerlein hit from 22 to end the half with the Rams up 6-3. Lutz answered from 52 in the third quarter. The game was tied 6-6, but the key moment came in the first half when Drew Brees went out with an injured thumb. Teddy Bridgewater played the rest of the game. It took forever for the Rams offense to get going, but once they did the Saints could not keep up.
In the third quarter after a touchback, Jared Goff hit Cooks for 15 and Cooper Kupp for 27 more. Todd Gurley ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 13-6 Rams. A 32 yard punt return had the Rams getting it back at the Saints 26. Goff hit Cooks for the 2 yard touchdown as the Rams led 20-6 after three quarters. With 11 minutes left in regulation and the Saints facing 4th and 14 at the Rams 24, Sean Payton opted for the field goal. Lutz hit the 42 yarder to get the Saints within 20-9, but the Rams then quickly closed the door. On 3rd and 2 from their own 33, a short pass from Goff to Kupp went for 66 yards down to the one. On the next play Goff got the yard. The Saints did not get their revenge, and the Rams made their statement that they are still the defending NFC Champions. Sadly for the Saints, Brees and his bad thumb will be out injured for several weeks. 27-9 Rams
Chicago Bears at Denver Broncos — Both teams looked horrendous in their opening game, especially on offense. This was a battle of who wanted it least for the first 59 minutes. Brandon McManus hit a 43 yard field goal as the Broncos led 3-0 after the first quarter. In the second quarter the Bears moved the ball on a pair of long drives but could not punch it in. Eddie Pineiro hit from 40 and then again from 52 to make it 6-3 Bears. In the third quarter the Denver defense broke down. From the Chicago 20, David Montgomery ran for 12 and Cordarelle Patterson got around the end for a 46 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Mitchell Trubisky threw incomplete but defensive holding on Chris Harris meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and goal at the one, Montgomery got in as the Bears led 13-3 after three quarters.
After a touchback, the Broncos finally came alive. Joe Flacco went to Fast for 24 yards. Despite 1st and 10 at the Chicago 14, Flacco threw 3 straight incompletions. McManus hit from 32 to get the Broncos within 13-6. The Broncos got it back and moved from their 24 moved on a 16 play, 74 yard, 8 minute drive. On 4th and 2 from the Chicago 45 with 9 minutes left, Vic Fangio went for it. Flacco hit Lindsay for 4 yards. With 4:45 to play on 3rd and goal at the 2, Flacco was intercepted. The defense held and the Broncos got the ball back at their own 38 with 2:48 left. On 4th and 10 from the Chicago 43 with 2:25 left, Flacco hit Sutton for just enough as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. With one minute left on 4th and 3 from the Chicago 12, Flacco hit Sutton for 5 yards. Flacco went to Emanuel Sanders for the 7 yard touchdown. The home crowd held their breath as Vic Fangio went for the 2 point conversion and the win rather than overtime. Flacco hit Sanders and the Broncos led 14-13. The Broncos were heroes. Only 30 seconds remained. After a touchback, Trubisky hit Burton for 20 yards. With 9 seconds left, the Bears faced 4th and 15 at their own 40. Trubisky went deep to Robinson for a 25 yard gain. With one second left, Pineiro came in for a 53 yard field goal try. Matt Nagy is bald because h tore his hair out over last year’s kicker. The Bears now have a kicker. Pineiro nailed it and the Bears had the win. It was also sweet for Trubisky, who has had his critics. 16-14 Bears
Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons was the Sunday night game. The battle of the birds was a good one. Matt Bryant hit a 50 yard field goal for a 3-0 Falcons lead in the first quarter. In the second quarter Carson Wentz was intercepted, but the Falcons did not capitalize. A field position game had the eagles starting the second quarter at the Atlanta 43. On 3rd and 6 from the Atlanta 8, Wentz was sacked for an 8 yard loss. Elliott hit the 34 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. The Falcons then missed a field goal and Wentz was intercepted again. The Falcons took over at their own 35. Matt Ryan went to Ridley for gains of 15 and 12. Ryan went back to Ridley on 3rd and 6 for the 34 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Falcons. Matty Ice was later intercepted with 38 seconds left in the half at the Atlanta 41. Elliott hit the 41 yard field goal to end the half with the Eagles down 10-6.
Yet the Eagles fumbled the second half kickoff and the Falcons recovered at the Philly 33. Ryan went to Devonta Freeman for 28 yards and to Julio Jones for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 17-6 Falcons. Yet on their next series it was Ryan who was intercepted to set up the Eagles at the Atlanta 27. On 4th and goal at the 4, Doug Peterson decided against a field goal to make it a one score game. His very curious gamble paid off when Wentz hit Nelson Agholor for the touchdown. Pederson then gambled again on the 2 point conversion try. This time the gamble failed as the Eagles trailed 17-12. Ryan was then intercepted for the third time, but the Eagles could not capitalize.
In the fourth quarter the Eagles took o ver at their own 27. Wentz hit Howard for 8 and Agholor for gains of 9 and 16 on 3rd and 3 to have the Eagles at midfield. On 3rd and 9 from the Atlanta 29, Wentz found Hollins for 17 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the 3, Wentz gained 2. Wentz got the last yard for the score to cap the 13 play, 73 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive with 3:13 to play. Pederson again went for the 2 point conversion and Wentz hit Ertz to have the Eagles up 20-17. The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34 and the Eagles defense jumped offsides. With 2:10 to play, the Falcons were down to their last gasp with 4th and 3 at their own 46. Ryan went to Jones, who turned a short pass into a 54 yard touchdown. Now the Falcons had the 4 point lead. With 1:58 left, the Eagles took over on their own 32. On 3rd and 2 from their 40, Wentz hit Darren Sproles for 3 yards. With 1:21 left, the Eagles were down to a last gasp of their own with 4th and 14 at their own 39. Wentz went deep to Agholor for a 43 yard gain. With 38 seconds left, the Eagles faced 4th and 8 from the Atlanta 16. With everything on the line, Wentz went to Ertz, but the gain was only 7 yards. After further review, the Eagles were short of the sticks as the home crowd finally exhaled at the end of a thrilling finish. 24-20 Falcons
Cleveland Browns at New York Jets was the Monday night game. A pair of bad teams promised us they were more improved. They lied. The Jets blew a 16-0 second half lead at home and lost. The Brows got blasted by 30 points at home. This game would separate the bad from the horrendous. The one man who improved the Cleveland Browns last year was passed over for the head coaching job. Gregg Williams is now the defensive coordinator of the Jets. In the first quarter the Browns moved 76 yards in 11 plays. Despite 2nd and goal from the 5, Baker Mayfield threw incomplete twice. Seibert hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Browns. The Brows got it back at their own 48 and Seibert hit a 48 yard field goal to make it 6-0 Browns. In the second quarter the Browns got it back at their own 47. On 4th and 2 from the Jets 24, Freddie Kitchens decided to go for it. Mayfield hit Taylor for a 5 yard gain. Nick Chubb then ran for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 13-0 Browns. The Jets did manage a field goal to avoid a shutout, but the Browns got the ball back at the Jets 40 with 35 seconds left in the half. That allowed Seibert to hit from 43 as the Browns led 16-3 at intermission. Late in the third quarter the Browns got the ball back at their own 11 yard line. One play and 11 seconds later, the Browns scored again as Mayfield fired a short pass over the middle to O’Dell Beckham, who outraced everyone for an 89 yard touchdown. 23-3 Browns