Week 2 of the NFL season began on Thursday with the Browns defeating the Bengals. After a crazy Sunday of Week 1, let’s look at the slate of games for the rest of this week’s action.
Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers
Broncos head coach Vic Fangio’s atrocious clock management at the end of Monday night’s loss to Tennessee was mind-boggling. Drew Lock and the offense struggled to move the ball down the field and put up points. Pittsburgh’s offense took a half to get going, but once they did, Big Ben and company looked really good, and the Steelers defense dominated Daniel Jones and completely shut down Saquon Barkley on the ground. Pittsburgh looks to improve to 2-0 on the season, while the Broncos look to keep pace with the Chiefs in the AFC West division with a win.
New York Giants at Chicago Bears
Daniel Jones was under constant heat and pressure against Pittsburgh, with the Steelers taking away his running game, limiting Saquon to 6 rushing yards on 15 carries. He was also picked off twice. After dealing with the Steelers dynamic duo of Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt last week, Jones will have to deal with Khalil Mack in this game. The Bears are lucky to be 1-0 after rallying from 17 points down in the fourth quarter against Detroit. D’Andre Swift dropped a wide-open touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford, and the Bears held on. Mitchell Trubisky rallied the Bears with three touchdown passes in the final 15 minutes of the game. The Bears look to improve to 2-0 and look for a consistent performance from Trubisky, while the Giants look to establish a run game with Saquon and avoid another 0-2 start.
Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys
Atlanta’s revamped defense got off to a bad start last week. Russell Wilson exposed the Atlanta defense for 322 yards and four touchdowns, leaving the Falcons to play catch-up for the majority of the second half. The Cowboys are furious after a controversial offensive pass interference call on Michael Gallup late in the game, cost them a chance at a win over the Rams. The Dallas defense gave up 422 yards. while being dominated in time of possession. Both teams look to avoid 0-2 start this week as the battle in Dallas.
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers
The Lions blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead in the fourth quarter, and after driving down the field with a chance to win the game, running back D’Andre Swift dropped the potential game-winning touchdown with less than ten seconds to play. The Packers offense was unstoppable as Aaron Rodgers threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns, including 156 yards and two scores to Davante Adams. Green Bay’s running game also destroyed the Vikings for 158 yards. A win against Detroit this week puts the Packers in the driver’s seat for the NFC North.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans
The Jaguars pulled off a huge upset last week as they defeated the Colts and spoiled Philip Rivers debut in the blue and white. Minshew mania went off for three passing touchdowns off of a 95% completion percentage. Despite an abysmal performance from kicker Stephen Gostkowski, the Titans came back late and defeated the Broncos. This week, these two teams clash in Tennessee as the Titans look to put themselves ahead of the pack AFC South, while the Jaguars look to continue their underdog story with another upset win over the Titans.
Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts
The Vikings were destroyed last week as the defense surrendered over 500 yards to the Packers offense. The Vikings offense was terrible in the first half, throwing the ball five times before having to play catch up and throw the ball to try to come back. The Colts were upset last week by the Jaguars as Phillip Rivers continues to turn the ball over late in games. This week, both teams look to avoid an 0-2 start and get back on track to get back before it is too late in the season.
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
The Bills started out their season with a victory over the Jets. Josh Allen was very accurate, completing over 70 percent of his passes, which is notable as his career completion percentage is under 60 percent. The Dolphins offense was terrible in their Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots as Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three interceptions. This week, the Dolphins look to get their first win of the season as the Bills look to continue their fight for the division title with a win.
San Francisco 49ers at New York Jets
The reigning NFC Champions were upset last week as Kyler Murray and the Cardinals went on the road and got the win. This week, the 49ers look to bounce back and get their first win of the season. The Jets also fell in their first game as the Bills took care of business at home. This week, the struggling 49ers offense goes up against the weak Jets defense as both teams look to get win number one of the 2020 season.
Los Angles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles
The Rams opened up Sofi Stadium last Sunday night with a win over the Dallas Cowboys. Aaron Donald was a beast (as usual) and carried the defense to hold the loaded Dallas offense to 17 points. The Eagles blew a 17-point lead against Washington and fell 27-17 after a poor offensive line performance and terrible second-half defense. This week the Rams look to start 2-0 and stay atop the NFC West, while the Eagles look to bounce back from a lopsided defeat.
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Panther offense performed well last week against the Raiders, but the defense struggled as they ultimately fell in a high scoring battle. The Buccaneers started the Tom Brady era with a loss to the New Orleans Saints, with Brady throwing two interceptions and struggling to lead the offense down the field. This week, the Panthers look to pull off an upset over the Buccaneers to get Matt Rhule his first career win as an NFL head coach, while Brady looks to get his first win in Tampa Bay.
Washington Football Team at Arizona Cardinals
Washington pulled off a 17-point comeback and scored 27 unanswered points to start the Ron Rivera era with a win in comeback fashion. The Cardinals started off their season with a win as DeAndre Hopkins made his mark with 14 receptions and 151 yards. The Cardinals made a statement with an upset victory over the reigning NFC Champions as they look to make a run for the playoffs. This week, both teams look to improve to 2-0 after both having top 10 pick in April’s draft.
Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers
The Chiefs impressed Week 1 with 138 rushing yards and a touchdown from rookie running back, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and three passing touchdowns from reigning Super Bowl MVP, Patrick Mahomes. The defense recorded four sacks and 13 pressures as well. The Chargers scraped away with a win over the Bengals after a missed field goal by Randy Bullock as time expired. This week, both teams look to go 2-0 and get in the driver’s seat in the AFC West.
Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans
The Ravens started off the season with a big win over the Cleveland Browns as reigning MVP Lamar Jackson threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns. The Texans got dominated by the Chiefs on opening night as QB Deshaun Watson was pressured on 33% of his dropbacks and was sacked four times. This week, the Ravens look to continue their hot start with another win, while the Texans look to bounce back.
New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks
The Patriots started the Cam Newton era with a win over the Miami Dolphins as he set a new single-game record for rushing yards by a QB in Patriots franchise history. The Seahawks dominated the Falcons as Russell Wilson threw for four touchdowns. this week, the Seahawks defense looks to contain Cam and get their second win, while the Patriots look to continue winning without Tom Brady.
New Orleans Saints at Las Vegas Raiders
Despite an injury to top option for Drew Brees, the Saints took care of business and defeated the Buccaneers. This week, they travel to Allegiant Stadium and face the Raiders, who defeated the Panthers in an offensive shootout last week. Both teams look to improve to 2-0 as the Saints lose Michael Thomas for a few weeks.
