Week Two is in the books, and we have some trends already forming for the new NFL season. Some teams look great! Among these are the Patriots (of course!), the Bills, the Packers, the Chiefs, the Ravens, the 49ers, the Seahawks, and the Cowboys, all of whom have started 2-0. Other teams look terrible, including the Dolphins, the Jets (of course!), the Giants, Washington, Jacksonville, Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Denver, all of whom are currently winless at 0-2. Some surprising teams that have yet to record a win would be the Steelers and the Panthers, both of whom were expected to be quite a bit better than they have showed thus far.
Then, there are teams that appear to be a mixed bag, who are a little harder to figure out. The Saints would be one of those teams, just barely getting past Houston at home and then getting dominated by the Rams in Los Angeles, with Drew Brees going out with an injury. The Eagles also look a bit strange, having struggled a bit against Washington but earned a solid come from behind win, only to lose this weekend at Atlanta, another up and down kind of team thus far. The Titans appear a bit difficult to measure after the first two weeks, as do the Chargers, the Bears, and the Vikings.
So, let’s take a closer look at the week that was in the NFL:
Baltimore 23, Arizona 17 – Well, the Ravens won to remain unbeaten,
although they hardly looked great in so doing. They did not win by a
blowout this time around, as they did the week prior in Miami. The
Cardinals played tough and kept the game relatively close. Baltimore did
manage to dominate time of possession, hanging onto the ball for almost
two-thirds of the game. Lamar Jackson completed 24 of 37 passes for two
touchdowns, and added 120 yards rushing on 16 carries. Kyler Murray
completed 25 of 40 passes for 349 yards in a losing cause for the Cards.
The Ravens are 2-0, while the Cardinals remain winless for the season. My prediction: Accurate
Houston 13, Jacksonville 12 – A tough, gritty, low-scoring game that
was a throwback to the old days of the NFL. Not really all that
surprising, when you think about it, since both teams have solid
defenses, but somewhat problematic offenses. This was a very evenly
matched game, and the difference in time of possession was almost as
small as you ever see, with the Jaguars having held onto the ball for
30:01, while the Texans held it for 29:59. You do not frequently see
more even time of possession final stats than that. The two teams also
had similar yards gained, with Jax again enjoying a slim advantage, with
281 total yards of offense, versus 263 for Houston. The Texans had 17
first downs, to 16 for the Jaguars. The main advantage for the Texans
came in turnovers, where they had none, while the Jaguars suffered one.
But again, this was an amazingly even contest that could have gone
either way, really. Deshaun Watson completed 16 of 29 passes for 159
yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Carlos Hyde gained 90
yards on 20 carries for the Texans. For Jax, Gardiner Minshew completed
23 of 33 passes for 213 yards and one touchdown. The Texans earn their
first victory of the season, and pull into a first place tie with the
Colts and Titans, while the Jaguars fall to 0-2, and are now in sole
possession of last place in the division. My prediction: Accurate
Detroi 13, L.A. Chargers 10 – Now, this result came as a surprise to
me! I just did not expect the Lions to have quite enough to beat the
Chargers, but they did. In what was a surprisingly low-scoring affair,
the Lions ultimately outlasted the Chargers, scoring a late touchdown to
ice the game. Matt Stafford completed 22 of 30 passes for 245 yards and
two touchdowns, with two INT’s. Philip Rivers completed 21 of 36 passes
for 287 yards and no touchdowns, with one interception. The Lions notch
their first win of the season, while handing the Chargers their first
loss. My pick: Inaccurate
Indianapolis 19, Tennessee 17 – Not sure what it is about the Colts,
but the Titans, a tough team over the past few seasons, simply seem
incapable of beating them. They were at home, owned a 17-13 lead after
three quarters, and seemed to be in good position to hold on and earn
their second win to start off 2-0, and get a comfortable two game lead
over the Colts. But instead, they gave up a touchdown with less than
five minutes to play, when Brissett found T.Y. Hilton for a 4-yard
touchdown pass to take a lead that, ultimately, proved to be the
game-winner. Jacoby Brissett had a good day for the Colts, helping Indy
fans to forget Andrew Luck a little bit more easily and quickly than
expected. Brissett completed 17 of 28 passes for 146 yards, but three
touchdowns, although he had one INT. Marcus Mariota was not better,
completed 19 of 28 passes for 154 yards and one touchdown. The Colts
actually lost the turnover battle, giving up the ball twice, while
Tennessee was turnover free. Still, Indy escapes with a tough divisional
win on the road, and move into a first place tie in the AFC South with
Tennessee, as well as Houston, who also
won. My pick: Inaccurate
San Francisco 41, Cincinnati 17 – What is it about the San Francisco
49ers that the Bengals never seem capable of beating them? Whether the
Bengals are supposed to be decent or not, and whether the 49ers are very
good or not, San Fran always seems to torture the Bengals. Whether it
is in Cincy or in ‘Frisco, it almost always seems to work out in favor
of the ‘Niners, including those two Super Bowls. This one got
embarrassing, as the Bengals were dominated, 41-17, in front of their
home fans. Jimmy Garoppolo completed 17 of 25 passes for 297 yards and
three touchdowns, with one INT. Matt Breida had 121 yards on 12 carries,
while Raheem Mostert had 83 yards on 13 carries. Overall, San Francisco
racked up 572 yards of offense, making the Bengals defense look
completely ineffectual in the process. Andy Dalton completed 26 of 42
passes for 311 yards, with two touchdowns and an INT, and the Cincy
running game was virtually non-existent. Bad loss for the Bengals, while
San Francisco is looking very strong with this 2-0 start. My pick: Inaccurate
Green Bay 21, Minnesota 16 – Green Bay 21, Minnesota 16 – The Packers took a sizable 2-0 lead in
the first half, and then fought hard to prevent what was a strong
comeback bid by Minnesota in the second half to hang on and win an
important divisional game. Aaron Rodgers completed 22 of 34 passes for
209 yards and two touchdowns, while Kirk Cousins completed 14 of 32
passes for 230 yards, with one TD and two INT’s. Dalvin Cook continues
to provide a strong running game, gaining 154 yards and one touchdown on
20 carries. Green Bay’s Aaron Jones piled up 116 yards and one
touchdown on 23 carries. The Packers now take a clear lead in the
divisional race with a perfect 2-0 start, while Minnesota falls into a
last place tie with Chicago, the other team that Green Bay beat, at
1-1. My pick: Accurate
Dallas 31, Washington 17 – The ‘Boys managed to earn an important
divisional win on the road in the nation’s capital, overcoming an early
touchdown lead by Washington to effectively dominate the remainder of
the game. The Cowboys offense put up 474 yards, to only 255 by
Washington. Dak Prescott completed 26 of 30 passes for 269 yards and
three touchdowns, although he also threw one INT. Ezekiel Elliott added
111 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries on the ground. In a losing
cause for Washington, Case Keenum completed 26 of 37 for 221 yards and
two touchdowns, although the Dallas “D” held Adrian Peterson to a
pedestrian 26 yards on 10 carries, although he did score one touchdown
early. The win gives Dallas sole possession of first place in the NFC
East at 2-0, since the Eagles lost to Atlanta over the weekend.
Washington drops their second to start the season, and are tied for last
place in the NFC East with the 0-2 Giants. My pick: Accurate
Buffalo 28, N. Y. Giants 14 – If you are a Giants fan, you are thinking
to yourself one thing: Uh-oh! Same problems as recent seasons: bad
defense, and a weak offensive line, even if they have shown
improvements. Plus, facing one of the toughest defenses in the league,
the G-Men again looked very pedestrian, as they dropped another game for
a dismal 0-2 start to the season. Buffalo’s Josh Allen looked quite
good, completing 19 of 30 passes for 253 yards and one touchdown, also
adding 21 yards and a touchdown in 7 carries. Frank Gore picked up 68
yards and another touchdown on 19 carries. Eli Manning completed 26 of
45 passes for 250 yards and one touchdown, but two interceptions. Saquon
Barkley picked up 107 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries for the
G-Men, who are now tied with Washington for last place in the NFC West.
Buffalo, meanwhile, is 2-0, and looking surprisingly strong, tied with
New England for first in the AFC East after two weeks of play. My pick: Accurate
Seattle 28, Pittsburgh 26 – Seattle 28, Pittsburgh 26 – The Steelers are off to their worst start to
a season since 201, as they dropped a home game to the Seahawks.
Pittsburgh also lost longtime starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to
an injury that will sideline him for the duration of the season. It was
a tight contest, unlike the blowout loss to New England in week one.
However, Seattle played a bit better, taking a solid 28-19 lead midway
through the final quarter, and then hung on for the win. Russell Wilson
completed 29 of 35 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns.
Roethlisberger completed 8 of 15 passes for 75 yards before being
knocked out of the game, but Mason Rudolph, his replacement, looked
decent, completing 12 of 19 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns,
although he also threw one INT. Seattle’s offense gained 425 total yards
in this contest, compared to just 261 yards for Pttsburgh. They also
dominated the time of possession battle, hanging onto the ball for
35:46, to just 24:14 for the Steelers. The Seahawks keep pace with the
49ers and Rams in the NFC West at 2-0, while the Steelers fall to 0-2,
and are in a first place tie with the Bengals for last place, one game
behind Cleveland and two full games now behind first place Baltimore in
the AFC North.
My pick: Inaccurate
My pick: Inaccurate
New England 43, Miami 0 – One week after losing what was probably their
worst home loss in franchise history, the Dolphins lost in yet another
blowout at home. This time, the offense did not even manage any points,
getting shutout by the visiting Patriots, 43-0. New England dominated
the time of possession, and scored 30 unanswered points in the second
half. Tom Brady completed 20 of 28 passes for 264 yards and two
touchdowns. Sony Michel added 85 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries.
Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered a disastrous day, completing 11 of 21 passes
for 89 yards, with no touchdowns and three INT’s, sparking debate for
Josh Rosen to replace him as starter. Rosen played, completing 7 of 18
passes for 97 yards and one INT. In their two games thus far, the
Dolphins have allowed more points in the first two games since any team
in NFL history dating back to the 1973 New Orleans Saints, who also
allowed 102 points in their first two games. They also match those
Saints for the worst point differential in their first two games, with
-92. Only the 1923 Rochester Jeffersons had allowed more points in their
first two games, and most of us have never heard of that team. Indeed,
the defending champions began to pour it on a bit in the second half,
making this game a laugher as well, although not quite as horrendous for
Miami as the previous week. Still, the Dolphins also failed to score,
and allowed 43 points. Right now, it is not even close: the Fins are the
worst team in the league. And as for the Patriots, they still might be
the best team in the league, having outscored Pittsburgh and Miami by a
combined 76-3. They may be able to load up point differential in their
favor next week, when the suddenly hapless Jets come to town. As for
Miami, let’s see if they begin to play at least a little bit better
soon. My pick: Accurate
Kansas City 28, Oakland 10 – In what may or may not be the last
meeting in Oakland for this storied rivalry, the favored Chiefs were
able to more or less easily and convincingly dispatch of their weaker
rivals in silver and black. The Chiefs offense won the time off
possession battle, and produced more yards and first downs than the
Raiders. KC’s offense produced 464 yards, more of it through the air.
Patrick Mahomes continued his excellent play, completing 30 of 44 pass
attempts for 443 yards and four touchdowns. Derek Carr completed 23 of
38 passes for 198 yards, with one touchdown and two INT’s. Josh Jacobs
ran for 98 yards on 12 carries, although none of that was enough to get
past Kansas City, who are now alone atop the AFC West at
2-0. My prediction: ccurate
Chicago 16, Denver 14 - A tough, defensive game that was ultimately
decided on the very final play. Yes, it was a 53-yard field goal by
Chicago placekicker Eddy Pineiro that lifted the Bears over Denver, and
earned them their first win of the season, albeit barely. Both offenses
were limited in what they were able to do, although the losing team,
Denver, actually produced more yards, more first downs, and had an
advantage in time of possession over Chicago. Mitch Trubitsy completed
16 of 27 passes for 120 yards. Joe Flacco, in a losing cause for the
Broncos, completed 36 of 50 passes for 292 yards, with one touchdown and
one interception. But in the end, the Chicago defense kept the team in
the game, and the Bears offense did just enough to make the team’s
defensive efforts pay off with a win. The Bears earn their first win of
the season, while the Broncos remain winless and in sole possession of
last place in the AFC West. My pick: Accurate
L.A. Rams 27, New Orleans 9 - So much for the revenge factor for the Saints, eh? Not only did they lose this, and in a blowout at that, but they lost their starting quarterback for several weeks to come. Prior to leaving the game early, Drew Brees had completed 3 of 5 passes for 38 yards, and one INT. Jared Goff completed 19 of 28 passes for 283 yards and one touchdown. Todd Gurley II added 63 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries on the ground for the Rams. Los Angeles really dominated this game, handing the Saints their first loss of the season, and staying in a first place tie atop the NFC West with Seattle and San Francisco. New Orleans, meanwhile, drops to 1-1, and are in a first place tie with Atlanta and Tampa Bay in the NFC South. My prediction: Inaccurate
Sunday Night Football - Atlanta 24, Philadelphia 20 - The Falcons won the battle of the birds,
ultimately surviving the Eagles in a back and forth affair. Their
offense produced 367 total yards, to Philly’s 286 yards. Matt Ryan
completed 27 of 43 passes for 320 yards, with three touchdowns, as well
as three INT’s. Carson Wentz completed 25 of 43 passes for 231 yards,
with one touchdown and two INT’s. Josh McCown also played a bit for
Philly, completing 3 of 5 pass attempts for 24 yards. Julion Jones had
an athletic 54-yard touchdown pass by Matt Ryan late in the fourth
quarter to take the lead, and the Eagles were simply not able to answer.
With the win, the Falcons earn their first win, which is good enough to
get them into a three-way first place tie with New Orleans and Tampa
Bay atop the NFC South. The Eagles, meanwhile, fall to 1-1, and now are
in second place in the NFC East, behind 2-0 Dallas. My prediction: Inaccurate
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