One thing we learned on Sunday of NFL Regular Season Week 2, it’s that we should probably just go ahead and stop all Tom Brady retirement talk until he’s actually retired. The overwhelming narrative after Week 1 was that Brady was washed up and the Patriots’ time of domination was over. All of this festered after a 42-27 home defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL season opener on Sept. 7.
The Patriots answered their 15-point season-opening stinker with a 36-20 win at New Orleans on Sunday. Brady? He’s fine. The Patriots? They are still good.
But there was a whole lot more happening in the NFL Regular Season Week 2. As we do each week, here’s a recap of winners and losers.
Texans 13 | Bengals 9
Deshaun Watson 👀💯 pic.twitter.com/DzOmiFS1qo
— Football Players 🏈 (@FootballPIayers) September 15, 2017
The Houston Texans (0-1), led by defensive end J.J. Watt and quarterback Deshaun Watson, met the Cincinnati Bengals (0-1), led by quarterback Andy Dalton, in Week 2. Houston got the win and improved to 1-1. Cincinnati fell to 0-2.
Deshaun Watson decided to dress in style for his first NFL start, one that came in prime time on his 22nd birthday. The Texans scored the game’s only touchdown when rookie Deshaun Watson busted out a 49-yard run to put his team up for good. Few young quarterbacks in NFL history have gotten better results than Watson. He ran five times for a team-high 67 yards and completed 15 of 24 passes for 125 yards with no interceptions and three sacks.
Bengals offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, who previously coached quarterbacks, was promoted to offensive coordinator after Ken Zampese was fired Friday following an 0-2 start. Bengals now need to get Dalton back on track.
Bills 3 | Panthers 9
Bills were in Cam Newton’s face all day long — almost forcing him off the field at one point after laying a big hit on the big quarterback. That was not a great look for him, as he was sacked six times on the day. But it was a struggle to move the ball. All of the scoring for the day was just field goals.
After a day where the offense really struggled, the Buffalo Bills had a long 4th down they had to convert in order to keep their chance to win the game alive. They didn’t.
Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers sure didn’t look 37 Sunday. He was terrific in Carolina’s 9-3 win over Buffalo, which pushed the Panthers to 2-0 on the season. Peppers had plenty of help from a Carolina defense that allowed only one first down the entire first half and still has not given up a touchdown in 2017.
After running for a first down Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, Newton did the impossible and raised the dab from its grave.
Bears 7 | Buccaneers 29
#Bucs QB @Jaboowins talks about Tampa Bay’s dominant defense: pic.twitter.com/21FLJCVVWN
— PewterReport (@PewterReport) September 17, 2017
Jameis Winston threw for 204 yards and one touchdown Sunday, helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers return from an unscheduled bye week forced by Hurricane Irma to open the season with a 29-7 rout of the mistake-prone Chicago Bears. The Bucs (1-0) dominated despite having a short week of practice following the massive storm that forced postponement of the team’s scheduled season opener at Miami.
For the Bears, Glennon’s first-half miscues led to two touchdowns. Rookie Tarik Cohen’s ill-advised decision to scoop a punt off the ground and run with it deep in Bears territory set up Tampa Bay’s first TD, Winston’s 13-yard pass to Evans. Glennon, who signed with Chicago as a free agent last winter, was 31 of 45 for 301 yards and two interceptions in his return to Raymond James Stadium. The Bears (0-2) finished with 310 yards total offense, 1 yard less than a Bucs offense that hasn’t had much work in the past month.
Vikings 9 | Steelers 26
Watch JuJu’s first career TD:
JuJu’s first career TD! IT’S LIT! 🔥 #Steelers pic.twitter.com/g9LjaTHq22
— Blitzburgh (@Steel_Curtain4) September 18, 2017
The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 to advance their record to 2-0 on the season. The Steelers played better on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings offensively in their 26-9 victory Sunday at Heinz Field. They made some plays down the field, ones they didn’t really make in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.
Le’Veon Bell’s 87 yards on 27 carries wasn’t very Bell like, but he’s getting closer to looking like himself, as well.
Sam Bradford, who played extremely well in the team’s Week 1 win against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, was listed as OUT for the game due to a knee injury. With Bradford out, Case Keenum was now in charge of the Minnesota offense.
The Vikings made the game much closer than the final score would indicate, but the Pittsburgh offense, combined with a stout Steelers defense, was just too much for a Case Keenum-led offense. Kudos to the Vikings defense, a very good unit, but just not enough to best the Steelers at Heinz Field.
Cardinals 16 | Colts 13
Jacoby Brissett showed the Indianapolis Colts he’s a pretty quick learner. After leading the Colts to 10 points on their first two drives Sunday, the offense bogged down and Brissett made the biggest mistake of the game by throwing an interception on the first play of overtime. The result: Arizona 16, Indianapolis 13.
Chuck Pagano got thoroughly outcoached again.
Penalties were killers for the Colts. They gave up 70 yards to penalties and repeatedly bailed out the Cardinals or gave them better field position. These are mistakes you cannot make when you are without your franchise quarterback and still hope to win. This team has to be more disciplined in this area or they will constantly lose close games.
The Cardinals finished the first half against the Colts in a 10-3 hole and Palmer threw an interception in the first half. Palmer didn’t get any better in the third quarter, but came alive in the fourth quarter with a long touchdown pass that cut the Colts’ lead.
Patriots 36 | Saints 26
TOUCHDOWN NUMBER 3! Tom Brady throws it to Chris Hogan for his 3rd touchdown of the 1st quarter #Patriots #NEvsNO pic.twitter.com/1thMIjzZxq
— Casey Baker (@CaseyBake16) September 17, 2017
After a lackluster performance on opening day against the Kansas City Chiefs, the New England Patriots looked like a different team in their week two game against the New Orleans Saints. Brady threw for three touchdowns in the first quarter, the first time he’s done that in his career, and got reacquainted with old buddy Rob Gronkowski on a 53-yard score.
“The NFL’s tough, man. Every game is tough, every quarter is tough, every play is tough, and you can’t take it for granted,” Brady said after New England’s 36-20 win. “In order to win, you’ve got to go out and compete as hard as you can on every play. We did a good job of that today.”
New Orleans Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro had a seat on the bench for much of his team’s 36-20 defeat to the New England Patriots at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and the 2013 first-round pick was at a loss when asked about a possible reason for his benching.
“I know Gronk had two catches on me, really great catches, and that was about it. That’s all that really happened,” Vaccaro said after the game, per ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett. “The next thing I know, I’m sitting next to coach [Sean] Payton.”
The fact is that for the second week in a row, the Saints offense was up and down. Not much went right for the Saints on Sunday.
Browns 10 | Ravens 24
.@weddlesbeard on the home-field advantage courtesy of the #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/DYyUVUOifG
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 17, 2017
The Ravens needed somebody to produce on offense today. While Ben Watson, Joe Flacco and Jeremy Maclin all produced. Baltimore relentlessly harassed two Cleveland quarterbacks, Joe Flacco ramped up his production with a pair of touchdown passes and the Ravens breezed past the Browns 24-10 on Sunday.
Most of the defense’s damage came against Browns rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer, who left with a migraine headache in the second quarter after four ineffective series: a three-and-out, a lost fumble, an interception and a punt.
The Baltimore Ravens announced offensive lineman Marshal Yandasuffered a season-ending ankle injury during Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. This setback is a significant blow to the Ravens.
Playing against the Baltimore Ravens defense turned out to be a real headache for Cleveland Browns rookie DeShone Kizer. Long before he threw the last of his three interceptions Sunday, Kizer left the game with a migraine. He returned in the third quarter, but the former Notre Dame starter never quite found a comfort level in a 24-10 defeat.
After playing well in a season-opening loss to Pittsburgh, Kizer struggled in his first road game against another strong defense.
“I don’t feel like I was ever in a rhythm today,” Kizer said. “Baltimore has a good defense that made it hard for us.”
Eagles 13 | Chiefs 20
Andy Reid had high praise for the way his team rebounded in 2nd half especially Alex Smith “He kept the guys around him fighting” #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/G09PU2wrox
— Chris Lilly (@wibwChrisLilly) September 17, 2017
The Philadelphia Eagles’ 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday was their first game in Arrowhead Stadium in more than a decade. Chiefs rookie Kareem Hunt reached the end zone twice, Travis Kelce took a shovel pass 15 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.
Kelce finished with 103 yards through the air, highlighted by his somersaulting score. Hunt had 81 yards on the ground, building on a record-setting debut in which he piled up 246 yards from scrimmage in a season-opening victory in New England. Alex Smith had 251 yards passing for the Chiefs (2-0). Cairo Santos was 2 for 2 on field goals.
The Chiefs’ defense, missing star safety Eric Berry to a season-ending injury, kept the Eagles in check most of the game.
The Eagles’ young quarterback had 333 yards and two TDs passing, despite all that pressure. Wentz also ran for a team-best 55 yards. ”Great young quarterback,” said Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford, ”and he’s able to do a lot of things with his feet. He’s a smaller Big Ben (Roethlisberger).”
Titans 36 | Jaguars 9
Derrick Henry, Delanie Walker and Jalston Fowler each ran for touchdowns, and the Tennessee Titans dominated the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half for a 37-16 victory.
Jacksonville’s home opener felt eerily similar to most of the team’s performances the previous five years: Lackluster offense and mistakes all over the field. Blake Bortles threw two interceptions, including one on a ball tipped at the line, and fumbled once. He completed 20 of 34 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown to Allen Hurns in the closing minutes. Much of Bortles’ yardage came in garbage time.
Marcus Mariota, returning to the place where he broke his right leg last December, completed 15 of 27 passes for 215 yards. He had a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith in the final quarter. Tennessee’s performance surely eased some concerns about a 10-point home loss to Oakland in the opener.
Jets 20 | Raiders 45
.@MoneyLynch is making football fun again! The Oakland native loving playing for his hometown @RAIDERS @ABC30 pic.twitter.com/kfcn8e6od4
— Chris Alvarez (@ChrisABC30) September 17, 2017
Oakland Raiders blew out New York Jets on Sunday. Marshawn Lynch ran for a touchdown in his first home game with Oakland and Derek Carr threw three touchdown passes to Michael Crabtree to lead the Oakland Raiders to a 45-20 victory. Cordarrelle Patterson and Jalen Richard added long touchdown runs to help put the game away and give the Raiders (2-0) wins in the opening two games of the season for the first time since their AFC championship season in 2002.
After falling behind 14-0, the Jets got back into the game and were set to take possession late in the first half trailing by only four. But Kalif Raymond dropped a punt that Johnny Holton recovered for Oakland at the 4. Three plays later, Lynch ran it in from the 2 to make it 21-10 at the half.
Dolphins 19 | Chargers 17
ANTONIO GATES NOW HAS MORE TD RECEPTIONS (112) THAN ANY OTHER TIGHT END IN NFL HISTORY! RECORD BREAKER IS EVEN BETTER W/TITANIC MUSIC!
🏈🚢🎶 pic.twitter.com/e9HDIzFUll
— 🚢Titanic TD🏈 (@TitanicTD) September 17, 2017
The Dolphins got the ball back with 3:02 left, and Cutler got them into position for another big kick from Parkey, the Jupiter, Florida, native claimed off waivers two weeks ago.
Jay Cutler passed for 230 yards and Jay Ajayi rushed for 122 in the delayed season opener for the Dolphins, who spent the past nine days in California after leaving South Florida early to avoid Hurricane Irma. Parkey did most of their scoring, connecting from 30, 28 and 35 yards before burying his longest kick in the waning moments.
Younghoe Koo missed a 44-yard field goal attempt with 5 seconds left after Philip Rivers maneuvered the Chargers (0-2) into scoring range in the final minute before a crowd of 25,381 in their first home game since relocating to the Los Angeles area after 56 seasons in San Diego.
Rivers passed for 331 yards, and Antonio Gates set an NFL record with his 112th touchdown reception as a tight end.
Cowboys 17 | Broncos 35
This offense 🔥🔥🔥🔥#BeatTheCowboys pic.twitter.com/COztDwe7ga
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 17, 2017
Broncos crushed Cowboys 42-17. The Cowboys looked nothing like the team that dominated the Giants in their opener. They were seeking their first win in Denver since 1992 and instead lost to the Broncos for the sixth straight time.
Trevor Siemian tied a career high with four touchdown passes and the Denver Broncos held Ezekiel Elliott to the worst game of his career — 8 yards on nine carries — in a 42-17 blowout of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in a game that included an hour-long lightning delay.
Aqib Talib’s 103-yard interception return for a touchdown with 53 seconds left was the final indignity for the Cowboys (1-1), who watched Von Miller end a career-long five-game sackless streak by dumping Dak Prescott twice.
The star in the backfield on this day was C.J. Anderson, who rushed for 118 yards and a score and also caught a TD pass for the Broncos, whose only big blemish in their fifth straight 2-0 start was the left leg injury to tackle Garett Bolles, their No. 1 draft pick who got hurt on the opening drive of the second half.
49ers 9 | Seahawks 12
Russell Wilson avoided two potential sacks and found Paul Richardson in the front corner of the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown with 7:06 left and the Seattle Seahawks held on for an unsightly 12-9 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
It was an offensive nightmare as both teams had combined for 14 total quarters without a touchdown this season.
Wilson was erratic at times and magical at the end. He was 23 of 39 passing for 198 yards. He rushed for another 34 yards, 27 coming on the decisive scoring drive. Wilson was 4 of 5 on the drive and aided by a 20-yard pass interference penalty against Dontae Johnson.
Seattle should have found the end zone earlier, but had dropped passes on two drives inside the 49ers’ 10 in the first half. C.J. Prosise dropped a potential touchdown near the goal line on Seattle’s first drive. Tanner McEvoy was unable to corral a high pass from Wilson in the end zone on the second drive.
Robbie Gould kicked three field goals to amount for San Francisco’s output, but the 49ers remained without a touchdown through two games. Carlos Hyde rushed for 124 yards, including a 61-yard run in the first half, but Brian Hoyer was 15 of 27 for 99 yards passing and an interception.
Redskins 27 | Rams 20
.@KirkCousins8 wins the game for the #Redskins! #HTTR #WASvsLAR pic.twitter.com/0jzitRjSA3
— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) September 17, 2017
With formidable opponents looming in Weeks 3 and 4, the Washington Redskins simply couldn’t afford to follow their season-opening defeat with a cross-country trip that ended with a loss at the Los Angeles Rams. Redskins (1-1) steadied themselves after a rocky season opener, leveling at .500 heading into a difficult stretch in which they face back-to-playoff teams
The Redskins also handed Rams coach and former Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay, Jay Gruden’s protégé and Cousins’ mentor, the first defeat of his young NFL head coaching career.
It seems Cousins has a solid working relationship with running back Chris Thompson and Jamison Crowder. And the 5-8 Thompson did the job of several men Sunday, rushing 6 and 61 yards, respectively, for the Redskins’ two touchdowns in the second quarter. Thompson, whom the team signed to a two-year contract extension five days before the start of the season, accounted for the first three of the offense’s touchdowns this season.
The Los Angeles Rams have improved. And Sunday’s loss was a prime example. The Rams had a chance to tie against Washington in the final two minutes despite struggling to stop the run and committing untimely mistakes on offense. The 27-20 loss is both a reminder of how far they have come and how far they still have to go to become consistent winners.
Packers 23 | Falcons 34
Aaron Rodgers is now the fastest QB in NFL history to throw 300 TD passes.#GBvsATL | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/W3ZyPY2k3b
— 247Sports (@247Sports) September 18, 2017
Falcons raced to another big lead on Packers. The Green Bay Packers put up a fight in the second half, but in a rematch of last year’s N.F.C. championship game, they once again found themselves on the losing side, falling to the Atlanta Falcons, 34-23.
Packers were outgained by 155 yards and outscored 24-7 in the first half. Ryan, who threw for 392 yards and four touchdowns against Green Bay in the playoffs, was not quite as prolific in this game, completing 18 of 28 passes for 252 yards and one touchdown.
With a shovel pass to Ty Montgomery that accounted for just 1 yard, Aaron Rodgers became the fastest quarterback in N.F.L. history to record 300 career passing touchdowns. Rodgers accomplished the feat with his 4,741st career pass, easily beating the previous record, which was set when Peyton Manning did it 5,306th attempt. He did it in 13 fewer games than Dan Marino, who was the record-holder when measured that way.
Packers lost several key players to injuries. Mike Daniels, perhaps the team’s best defender, was lost early in the game to a hamstring injury, and Jordy Nelson sat out the bulk of the game with a an injured quadriceps.
Lions 24 | Giants 10
Matthew Stafford threw for two touchdowns, rookie Jamal Agnew broke the game open with an 88-yard punt return in the fourth quarter and the Detroit Lions beat the New York Giants 24-10 on Monday night.
The Lions (2-0) sacked Eli Manning five times and Stafford put together another big game while sending the Giants (0-2) to a second straight disappointing performance in a season where so much was expected. Star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. returned from a sprained left ankle, but New York still struggled offensively.
Ezekiel Ansah had three sacks as Detroit joined Atlanta and Carolina as the only unbeaten teams in the NFC through Week 2.
The first half of Monday’s Lions-Giants game featured some sloppy play, mostly by New York, and some highlights, mostly by Detroit. The latter category included a pair of nice Matthew Stafford touchdown passes — and a remarkable make by Matt Prater on a 56-yard field goal.
Stafford, who never was known for his mobility early in his career, ran for a career-high 207 yards last season and set up both of the Detroit Lions’ first-half touchdowns with big scrambles against the New York Giants on Monday.
Manning was 22 for 32 for 239 yards for New York, while Stafford was 15 for 21 for 122 yards.
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Follow NFL Regular Season Week 2 – Highlights, Scores, Best Plays. See photos and videos accounting for games of the 2017 NFL Regular Season Week 2.
