By Lucas Camacho
If Week One was just the warmup act, then we really got our money’s worth in Week Two. From a surprise beatdown on Thursday all the way to the interesting start to Monday (what the heck was Adam Schefter wearing…?). We also got two times where a kick through the uprights hit the field goal camera in the same day (ouch)! We got recaps and analysis of every game last week. Let’s jump right into it.
BILLS 31 – DOLPHINS 10
I remember remarking to a colleague saying that I didn’t know who was going to win this game. I just remember saying “if the Dolphins win, it’ll be close, if they don’t…it’ll be because Buffalo blew them out.” The latter turned out to be true as the Bills delivered a statement win. Running Back James Cook ran over the Dolphins with three touchdowns. While the sun may be shining in Buffalo…it’s getting dark in Miami. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa exited early with yet another concussion. That’s the fourth concussion that Tua has suffered in the last five years. Miami may not want to discuss it: but Tua’s career may be close to being over. That would be a disaster for Miami, which is why they don’t want to discuss it. With recent studies coming to light about the long-term effects of sustaining multiple concussions, it may not be up to Tua or the Dolphins about how long he can keep playing…
SAINTS 44 – COWBOYS 19
After last week, the Cowboys expected to do to the Saints what they did to the Browns. Instead, in a complete 180, the Cowboys found themselves on the business end of a dominating performance. We’re not sure how the Cowboys found themselves so outmatched after looking so good in the season opener, but this is not how they wanted to open up their season at home. Quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 293 and a touchdown but was also intercepted twice. The Cowboys admitted after the game they needed a “reset.” As for the Saints, everyone thought last week’s offensive showing was just because they were playing the Panthers. But no, and if the Saints can do this again…the scary implications of the Saints having a legitimately scary offense should shake the league to its core. Running Back Alvin Kamara and Wide Receiver Rashid Shaheed led the way for the Saints, who are looking forward to next week’s game to prove their new offense truly is for real.
BUCCANEERS 20 – LIONS 16
There wasn’t a score in the entire final quarter of the game, and that was okay for the Buccaneers to win big on the road against the Lions. Quarterback Baker Mayfield may be off to his best start of his career; he currently have five passing touchdowns through the first two games (with another coming on the ground). With how scary the Saints’ offense looks, it’s good to see the Buccaneers’ defense coming up big without some of their best defenders in the form of Antoine Winfield Jr. and Josh Hayes. As for the Lions, I have long written about how troubling their second half offensive woes have been. But this time, they couldn’t even rely on their FIRST HALF offense, scoring only two field goals in the first half. The Lions offense recorded 463 total yards, but only managed 16 points. Lions fans may not want to admit it…but the problem lies with Jared Goff. There was a reason the Rams traded him away before their vaunted Super Bowl run, and this was it. When Goff hits his ceiling, he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. When he hits his floor…you see exactly the kind of game we saw the Lions have against the Buccaneers. The Lions need Goff…because they have no other options.
COLTS 10 – PACKERS 16
There is a legitimate concern among Packers nation as to whether the team can hold on without Jordan Love at the helm. The answer: yes, so long as they face mediocre teams. It wasn’t pretty, but the Packers hung on against the Colts for their first win after Love’s exit last week. The answer was simple: run the ball. Running Back Josh Jacobs carried the ball 32 times for 151 yards of offense. As for the Colts, what happened? They were supposed to have an incredible run defense, and yet they’ve surrendered 405 rushing yards to start the season. There is another problem to discuss: the Colts didn’t let Quarterback Anthony Richardson run the ball. He was their leading rusher last week against the Texans, but he had only one designed run play despite the Packers clearly ready for him throwing downfield (as evident by Richardson’s three interceptions). The Colts have a good team, but they don’t seem capable of figuring out what to do with it.
JETS 24 – TITANS 17
After an agonizing year of waiting, Quarterback and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers finally led the Jets to their first victory with him at the helm. Look, going 18 for 30 for just 176 yards and two touchdowns may not sound exciting to you, but Rodgers did what he did best: lead his team down the field for the game winning score. They will need more consistency moving forward, however, as this is looking like a competitive year in the NFL. As for the Titans, Quarterback Will Levis’ costly turnovers be killing this team. It killed the Titans’ momentum early in the game, and it was something the Titans never recovered from last week. Levis doesn’t seem to be the answer for this team, but their quarterback options are limited until next year’s NFL Draft. They’ll need veterans Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley to step up to compensate for any mistake Levis makes going forward.
49ERS 17 – VIKINGS 23
Time for my first surprised reaction of this article (HOLY MOLE HOLES!). The 49ers, considered the most complete and balanced team in the NFL, were upset on the road by the Vikings. Quarterback Sam Darnold is definitely having a career year, and it helps when you have the assistance of the best wide receiver in the NFL, Justin Jefferson. However, Jefferson will be worth monitoring this week as he departed in the third quarter with a right quad injury. After grabbing four catches for 133 yards and a touchdown, it would be nearly fatal for the Vikings if Jefferson can’t go next week against a very good-looking Houston Texans team. As for the 49ers, this may serve as a humbling moment. They had high expectations for this year, so this was a wake-up call that the league wasn’t going to roll over for them, and any mistake they make could cost them dearly. One problem was their lack of coverage against Jefferson. Anyone that says Jefferson isn’t the best receiver in the league is fooling themselves, and so it was puzzling how come the Niners didn’t take special care to ensure Jefferson didn’t burn them like he did for that 97-yard touchdown. This is a problem for the 49ers to address as they face other receivers that are just a little below Jefferson’s caliber.
SEAHAWKS 23 – PATRIOTS 20
Maybe the world is flat after all: the Seahawks are 2 and 0 to start the season after an overtime victory over the Patriots. It was an amazing performance by Quarterback Geno Smith, who finished 33 for 44 for 327 yards and a touchdown. The Seahawks might want to work on with their receivers this week, as five of those misses by Smith were dropped passes. That might fly against the Patriots, but what happens when they face the more serious defenses? As for the Patriots themselves, it’s odd to see the same pass defense that shut down Joe Burrow get dominated by Geno Smith (it’s like being able to beat Batman and then get your butt kicked the next week by Spongebob Squarepants). Nevertheless, with an offense that doesn’t exactly strike fear into opponents, the Patriots are going to have to rely on their defense more than usual if they want a shot of a winning season, and this kind of play is not acceptable going forward.
GIANTS 18 – COMMANDERS 21
Well, it wasn’t pretty, but reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels has his first career NFL victory. It looks like the run game may be the key for the Commanders going forward as Brian Robinson Jr. ran for 133 yards. Austin Ekeler contributed as a pass-catching back with three catches for 47 yards. There might be hope for this fledgling, scandal-plagued Commanders team after all. The same can’t be said for the Giants. Yes, this was a good game for Daniel Jones, but this should be taken with a grain of salt as Jones’ best career games have come against the Commanders (he has thrown 12 touchdowns and three interceptions against them in his career). Nevertheless, they have a huge kicking problem. Kicker Graham Gano may be down, and they definitely need a contingency…unlike in this game where there was none. It’s almost painful watching something always going wrong to derail the Giants. On a bright note, it was good to see rookie Malik Nabers getting more looks, hauling in 10 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown.
BROWNS 18 – JAGUARS 13
This wasn’t a great day for the Browns, but it was good enough and a step in the right direction as the Browns took down the Jaguars on the road. It was a nice bounce-back after getting destroyed last week by the Cowboys. They used more linemen to get the ground game rolling for Deshaun Watson, who didn’t turn the ball over this week and even rushed for a touchdown. However, these penalties continue to be a problem for the Browns, and they’ll have a chance to polish up their act next week against the hapless Giants. As for the Jaguars, it may be time to press the panic button. They’re 0 and 2 so far with games coming up against the Bills and the Texans. I would also like to remind you that only one team in NFL history has ever made the playoffs after an 0 and 4 start: the 1992 San Diego Chargers. What needs to happen is some big changes on offense, starting with giving more looks to the rookie, Brian Thomas Jr. He made another amazing catch for 66 yards to salvage his day, bringing his total for the year to five catches and averaging 22.6 yards. This kid NEEDS more looks.
RAIDERS 26 – RAVENS 23
Time for the second big surprise of this recap article (HOLY MOLE HOLES!). The Las Vegas Raiders, who stunned us all last year with a victory against the Chiefs on Christmas, pulled off a major road upset against Super Bowl contenders, the Baltimore Ravens. After 6 quarters of football that saw the Raiders’ offense completely stagnate, Quarterback Gardner Minshew and company came to life in a huge way. Davante Adams shredded the Ravens’ vaunted defense with 9 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. I also can’t get enough of rookie Tight End Brock Bowers, who hauled in another 9 catches for 98 yards (second on the team to Davante Adams). And how about Defensive End Maxx Crosby absolutely shutting down reigning MVP Lamar Jackson? Everything clicked at the right time for DA RAIDERS! As for the Ravens, this is a surprising start for a team with Super Bowl ambitions. Starting 0 and 2 is NOT how you want to start a season, but it’s not fatal. Jackson needs more out of his team, as his 247 passing yards for a touchdown (and one interception) was not enough to power the Ravens past the Raiders (DA RAIDERS!). There is some work to do to get the Ravens back on track before a tough part of their schedule goes through Dallas, Buffalo, and Cincinnati.
CHARGERS 26 – PANTHERS 3
After a methodical victory over their division rivals last week, the Chargers were looking to make a statement that they were legitimate. They did so with a massive 26 to 3 rout, but it probably would have been a bigger statement…if it wasn’t against the hapless Carolina Panthers. Running Back J.K. Dobbins is loving being a Charger, carrying the ball 17 times for 131 yards and a touchdown. There is a concern about Justin Herbert’s health after being rolled up during the second half (bringing back bad memories for a lot of Chargers’ fans). When this article was written, the X-rays on Herbert’s right leg was negative for any problems, but it is something to watch going into next week’s game against the Steelers. As for the Panthers, enough is enough. Changes have to be made, and they have already started. Monday morning, it was announced that Bryce Young was being benched for veteran Andy Dalton. It is concerning for the Panthers and their fans that they haven’t gotten much out of their number one draft pick. Still, Andy Dalton is a more than capable quarterback who can turn things around for the Panthers. The best part is that it’s not too late, as we are only two weeks into the season. We’ll see if the Panthers’ fortunes change next week against DA RAIDERS!
RAMS 10 – CARDINALS 41
One LA team’s great day…was a disaster for the other. The Rams were routed by the Cardinals on the road 10-41. To make matters worse, the Rams’ wide receiver corps took another huge blow after Cooper Kupp was knocked out of the game. When this part of the article was being written, it was announced that Cooper Kupp would miss several weeks, and that a trip to the IR list was a real possibility. Puka Nacua is already on this list, and it’s hard to see how the Rams get by without their two best receivers for their big matchup against a ticked off 49ers team. As for the Cardinals, people were wondering when they would unleash top rookie Wide Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. The answer came with a four catch, 130 yard performance that resulted in two touchdowns. They REALLY need to give him the ball more if they’re going to knock off the 49ers from the top of the division (especially since the 49ers are ill-prepared for a top notch wide receiver like they were against Justin Jefferson).
STEELERS 13 – BRONCOS 6
This feels like a high scoring baseball score rather than a football score. The Steelers triumphed against the Broncos in the first game of the World Series (oops, sorry, wrong sport). Nevertheless, the Steelers defense has only given up 16 points this season, and they look legit. They still have to determine how to balance Justin Fields with Russell Wilson once the latter returns (and I’m sure Wilson was hoping to play and get some revenge on the Broncos after their falling out last year). They’ll also need more than just 13 points given how wide open the AFC currently is. As for the Broncos, they need answers on how to help Quarterback Bo Nix. Granted, the scheduling doesn’t favor the Broncos at all after facing a defense heavy Seahawks and Steelers, and now they have to go to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers. The Broncos have until next Sunday to figure out how to protect Nix from the Buccaneers’ pass rush…or they are going to be wiped out.
BENGALS 25 – CHIEFS 26
Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good, and the Chiefs got lucky. In a game where we saw Taylor Swift more than we saw Travis Kelce, the Chiefs survived against their bitter rivals, the Bengals. In their defense, the Bengals performed much better this week than their humiliating performance against the Patriots. However, a controversial 4th down penalty dashed the Bengals’ hopes of getting an upset on the road. Now they’re down 0 and 2, but if they can play like this (and if they don’t get the business end of a toss-up penalty call), the Bengals can right the ship in a crucial do-or-die game against the Commanders. Meanwhile, the Chiefs looked amazing on offense last week against the Ravens…so what happened? Travis Kelce disappears from the passing game, Patrick Mahomes only threw the ball 13 times in the first half, and they only scored 10 points in the first two quarters? The Chiefs may have won, but their offense took a major step backward. If I may offer some advice, I have three keys that can help get the offense back up and rolling again: 1) GIVE, 2) XAVIER WORTHY, 3) THE BALL! The Chiefs can’t afford any mistakes when you see who is lurking: the Chargers and DA RAIDERS (last time)!
BEARS 13 – TEXANS 19
This was the matchup everyone was waiting for: the number one pick of this year’s Draft going toe-to-toe against the reigning Rookie of the Year. It did not disappoint. The Texans held on for a victory in their first home game to cement their status as legitimate playoff contenders. It wasn’t CJ Stroud’s best performance, but it was good enough to get the job done. The Texans are going to need to find a way to get Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell, and Nico Collins involved. They also need to get back to their balanced offense as Joe Mixon didn’t have nearly as good a game this week as he did last week. The Texans are unstoppable if they use all of their weapons collectively with Stroud at the helm. As for the Bears, this may have been a loss, but it was a productive one. Caleb Williams now got to see in person what level he needs to play at to win Rookie of the Year like Stroud. He also looked better this time around (although two of his best plays of the game were negated by a penalty and a drop by rookie Wide Receiver Rome Odunze). The problem is that the offensive line needs to give Williams enough time; he’s been pressured a lot against the Titans and the Texans going 2 for 14 combined for only 20 yards. Between that, the costly mistakes, and the non-existent run game: the Bears need to do more if they want Caleb Williams to truly shine into the player, we all know he can be.
FALCONS 22 – EAGLES 21
Okay, one last time (HOLY MOLE HOLES!). In a absolute stunner, the Falcons upset the Eagles on the road. Quarterback Kirk Cousins’ final drive in the final minutes was absolutely flawless. Cousins finished throwing 20 for 29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. This was a much better game for Cousins in his second game back from his Achilles injury last year. The Falcons seemed to gel perfectly in the final minutes to seal the win. As for the Eagles, the same red flags that went up last year have not gone away. There doesn’t seem to be an explanation for how the Eagles, as stacked as they are, can just disappear at the most inopportune moments. It’s what caused their free-fall last year, and it cost them the chance to go 2 and 0. These mistakes need to stop, they need to refocus, or else…history will repeat…again…and again…and again…
Photos by USA Today and/or AP
