NFL Week 2: Ravens Stun Chiefs, Henry Runs Wild

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Posted: Sep 21, 2021 | Updated: 1 year ago

NFL Week 2 was jam-packed with action, with two games coming down to 1 point, two being decided on a last-second field goal, and 1 going into overtime. Many of the stories going into NFL week 2 came to fruition, while a few teams that puzzled us in Week 1 continue to baffle us. Injuries to key players continue to pile up, this week hitting the QB position hard. In the end, high-flying offenses, aggressive defenses, and blossoming rookies took center stage, leading their teams to victory. Here is your NFL Week 2 action.

Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens

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Patrick Mahomes had never lost a September game. Lamar Jackson had never defeated the Chiefs. Andy Reid was 5-1 lifetime versus John Harbaugh. The Chiefs looked unstoppable once they got started versus Cleveland a week ago, meanwhile the Ravens were shocked by the Raiders on MNF. We were supposed to get a good game between two of the former three MVPs, but a Chiefs’ victory was set in stone.

We kicked off the NFL Week 2 Sunday Night Football matchup. The narrative began as it should. Tyrann “The Honeybadger” Mathieu intercepted Lamar on the first series of the game and returned it 34 yards for a score. The Ravens and Chiefs offense then traded scores giving the ball back to Baltimore, down 14-7

Then, it happened. The Honeybadger struck twice and you just felt like the game was slipping away at the end of the 1st quarter. Especially so, since the Chiefs were all systems go on the previous series, driving 92 yards down the field.

Instead of taking advantage of the momentum, however, the Chiefs did what the Chiefs do and eased up on the gas, allowing Baltimore to stay in the game, rather than going up by two scores. The teams traded punts a few times and soon the Ravens scored their second rushing touchdown to even the game.

Kansas City flexed on the next series and made quick work of a 67-yard drive, and reclaiming a touchdown advantage. They scored too quickly, however, allowing the Ravens to kick a field goal before the half. Kansas City led at halftime, 21-17.

Most of the second half played out very methodically, though still spectacularly. Mahomes and Jackson traded brilliant plays and score drives. The Chiefs would strike first to go up by two scores, then the Ravens would come back and make it a one-possession game.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, it seemed like it would stay this way, as Lamar just ran it in from 2 yards out to cut the lead to 35-30. But then, the Ravens D decided to change the narrative. A huge stuff from Odafe Oweh and a couple of strong plays from Anthony Averett and the Chiefs were forced to punt.

The Ravens took over with the football, ready to make a statement. They began a 14 play, 64-yard drive which took over 8 minutes off of the game clock. Lamar methodically led his team up the field, then ran it in a 1-yar touchdown, giving his team a 1 point lead. They failed on the 2pc and leftover 3 minutes on the clock, allowing Mahomes and company to work their magic.

And that they did. Mahomes and Travis Kelce quickly took over, traveling 41 yards in just 3 plays. The next was a handoff to CEH as they began the process of trying to run out the clock on their way to a score. That was a huge mistake. Like the Honeybadger did early, Oweh did late, striking twice. This time it was a forced fumble and fumble recovery to all but put the game on ice.

Kansas City did still have their time outs, however, so the Ravens would have to grind out one last first down. The late-game drama failed to disappoint on even this drive, as the Ravens faced a 4th and 1 with over a minute left on the clock. Harbaugh asked Jackson if he wanted and Superman took the team on his shoulders, running for 2 yards and sealing the victory. The Chiefs had been his kryptonite, but Lex Luthor failed to come prepared on SNF

The Baltimore Ravens stun the Kansas City Chiefs, 36-35

Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals

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Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers

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America’s Game of the Week for NFL Week 2 was the defensive struggle that we were all looking forward to. Oh, my mistake, most of America was anticipating a shootout between former Offensive Rookies of the Year. I, however, thought the Chargers’ D might rescript the story and was pleasantly surprised to watch it unfold.

It could have gone either way from the start, as the Dallas offense took the field and went on a scoring drive to start the game, with Tony Pollard punching it into the end zone. It was an uncharacteristically long drive for the Cowboys, however, as it took them nearly 7 minutes, forcing them to use 15 plays to cover 74 yards. Much different than the ways they scored against the Bucs a week ago.

The next few drives made it look like the game was headed to a defensive showdown quickly, as Trevon Diggs for the Cowboys and rookie Asante Samuel Jr for the Chargers recorded the first interception of their season and career respectively. The Cowboys were having none of that.

After the Chargers got on the board with a field goal, the Boys finally got their offense on track, quickly traveling 75 and hitting paydirt. Zeke punched the ball in from 5 yards, giving Dallas a two-score lead. The Chargers needed to answer back before the Cowboys ran away with the game.

Their next drive began with a rough field position, as the Chargers started from their own 3-yard line. Thankfully, this did not stop them. They bucked up and drove 97 yards over the next 5 and a half minutes, punching it in with a Justin Herbert touchdown pass to Mike Williams. A successful 2pc and the Bolts were within a field goal.

The shootout was on early in the 2nd quarter with a score of 14-11. And just as quickly as it started it ended. Samuel forced an incomplete pass from Dak to Cooper. Vizcaino missed a field goal, and we headed to the half without an additional score.

The second half began with the Charger getting the football and grinding 5 and a half minutes off of the clock. The drive resulted in some redemption for their kicker as he tied up the game at 14. Dallas was looking to seize control of this game yet again.

Unfortunately, the quick score was not there, and even worse, the score was not there at all. A big sack by Derwin James on 3rd down led to a Cowboys punt, after taking 4 and a half minutes off of the clock. This was not the game that Dallas signed up for. They needed to take control.

But it was the Chargers who seized the moment, or so they thought. The Bolts went on an 11 play, 74-yard drive, churning 5 more minutes off of the clock. They were only 9 yards away from a score when the Dallas D finally came through with a Damontae Kazee interception in the end zone. The momentum had shifted and LA was deflated.

Dallas made the most of this opportunity, bolting up and sticking the Chargers with their own style. Dak and company drove the field, eating the clock, and taking a 3 point advantage. LA met in kind, however, wasting away 6 and a half minutes of clock to tie the game yet again. Dallas was getting the ball back with 4 minutes left to play.

Strong play from Kenneth Murray, Joey Bosa, and James made it difficult for the Cowboys to move the ball as the clock continued to tick. And starting from their own 15 did Dallas no favors. Eventually, however, Dak was able to hook up with Cooper for a 12 yard gain into Los Angeles territory. A couple of plays later, and Greg the Leg booted a 56-yard field goal through the uprights as time expired.

The Dallas Cowboys ground out a well-fought victory over the Los Angeles Chargers as time expired, 20-17

Tennessee Titans at Seattle Seahawks

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Titans vs Seahawks was a tale of two halves, heck, it’s really a tale of two quarters and the two players that dominated them. Let me introduce you to Let Russ Cook and King Henry.

In the first quarter, the offenses were getting settled while the defenses dictated the pace of the game, leading to an exchange of field goals. And then the Seahawks let Russ cook. After the Titans took a 6-3 lead at the start of the 2nd, Russell Wilson immediately turned up the heat.

In their first possession of the 2nd quarter, it only took Wilson and company plays to travel 83, with a 63-yard dagger being plunged into the Titans by Tyler Lockett. It wasn’t bad just because it was a big play and a quick score, but rather because the Titans defended clumsily ran into each other as Lockett streaked by for the score. That, and also the events that followed.

Just two plays later he was sacked and coughed up the football into the hands of Kerry Hyder. This set Seattle up just 6 yards away from a score. A very easy score that Chris Carson ran in after just 2 plays. The Titans were able to stop the bleeding a little by following it up with a third field goal, but the Hawks settled that by driving the field for another Carson score right before the half. Seattle led 24-9 at halftime.

After halftime, the King began a slow ascent to his throne. The Titans had control of the ball first and they drove the field, capping it off with a 9-yard score from Derrick Henry. Sadly, little else would come from this quarter as the Titans squandered a long drive on a missed field goal. They entered the 4th still down by a score.

Then, Wilson struck again, delivering his finishing move in the form of a 68-yard touchdown strike to Swain. It looked like the Titans were done.

Henry would have something to say about. It only took him 2 plays to rip a 60 yard run of his own, scoring a touchdown to make it a one-score game yet again. And then the Titans’ D made an impact, forcing a quick 3 and out from Seattle. The game was now within their grasp.

Apparently, though, they were not quite ready to seize it. The Titans went on a strong 10 play, 5-minute drive, but failed to cap it off with a score, ultimately just narrowing their margin for victory. Their defense would not have it, however, as they stepped up again, forcing another 3 and out.

The Tennessee offense had one final shot, and this time they executed. The Titans drove the field 78 yards over the course of 12 plays, finishing off regulation with Henry’s third rushing touchdown of the game. Vrabel opted to kick the extra point rather than go for the win, so the game headed to overtime.

In the end, King Henry had 41 touches for 237 yards and 3 touchdowns. He collected his final, key yards in the extra period, setting up a game-winning Titans field goal.

The Tennessee Titans storm back to claim a 33-30 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in overtime.

Los Angeles Rams at Indianapolis Colts

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Going into this game many wanted to know how good the Rams’ offense could be against another top defense from the year before. That, and if the Colts were ready to return to that form. The answer for LA came late in the 1st quarter.

The Rams took over on their own 10-yard line after the Colts failed to convert on fourth down, their first drive of the game. Stafford and company went to work. They maneuvered the 90 yards over the course of 5 minutes and 8 plays. The strong Stafford to Cooper Kupp connection from a week ago, drove it home again to start the game.

Soon afterward, the Colts began to impose their will on the game. The Rams, however, seemed more than okay playing a defensive game, as the two teams traded field goals and turnovers until halftime. By this point, we had already seen flashes of brilliance for what both teams could be.

After the half, the Rams decided they would stop allowing the Colts to dictate the flow, going on a quick 74-yard drive which was settled with a 2-yard touchdown run by Henderson. They took a two-score lead, putting the ball back into the Colts’ court. Two series later, Indy answered.

The Colts were finally able to put together a long, sustained drive, traveling 74 yards over 11 plays while taking over 5 and a half minutes off of the clock. The score went to Zach Pascal, whom Carson Wentz heavily relied on a week ago. This week, the tandem connected 5 times for 38 yards.

With the Indy offense now finishing drives, the D decided to step up and do their part again. Over the next two series, they laid their claim on this game by forcing a 3 and out with a huge sack from Muhammad, then following it up with another 3 and out. Except it wasn’t.

The Rams botched the snap, and in the end, the Colts’ special teams scoped up the score, claiming their first lead of the game. The two-score deficit and high-powered Rams offense were officially in the past.

Not quite, LA’s offense re-emerged. Four quick strikes took the Rams 70 yards down the field and Stafford silenced the crowd yet again with his second touchdown strike to Kupp. The Rams reset the tone yet again.

Both teams would drive for a field goal before Indy got the ball back, down by 3, with a little under 2 and a half minutes to play. Wentz had Eason lead this drive from the sideline, as he had already sustained minor injuries to both of his ankles this game. It was time for the backup to make a miracle happen.

Sadly, Eason couldn’t make the comeback happen, as backup QBs don’t fully understand the folly in targeting Jalen Ramsey. The All-Pro defensive back made him pay by intercepting the pass and putting an end to the game.

The Los Angeles Rams hold off the Indianapolis Colts, 27-24

In Other Action

New England Patriots 25, New York Jets 6

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From beginning to end, this was an ugly one, and sadly enough, it could have been much worse. The Patriots defense intercepted rookie QB Zach Wilson 3 of the Jets’ first 4 possessions and 4 times on the game. JC Jackson led the Pats D in that category, picking off 2 of the passes.

The New England defense also recorded 4 QB sacks and 6 tackles for loss. Josh Uche led in that category, recording 2 of each.

For the offense, Patriot RBs had themselves a nice day. Damien Harris had a punishing 26-yard touchdown run to go with 64 all-purpose. James White also added a score with his 65 total yards.

Denver Broncos 23, Jacksonville Jaguars 13

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The Broncos’ offense controlled the game throughout, holding onto the football for almost 39 minutes. After their first touchdown drive, the Jaguars’ offense only touched the football for 15 minutes the rest of the game.

This feat was accomplished with both strong and efficient quarterback play from Teddy Bridgewater. He connected on 26 of 34 pass attempts for 326 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Courtland Sutton was by far his favorite target, hooking up 9 of 12 times for an astounding 159 yards.

The Denver defense dominated, limiting the Jaguars to 193 yards of total offense. What’s even more impressive is that after Jacksonville’s first drive they only allowed them 110 yards for the rest of the game. The D also turned them over twice, including rookie Patrick Surtain’s first career interception. Von Miller and the defense also added a sack and 4 tackles for loss.

Buffalo Bills 35, Miami Dolphins 0

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Start to finish, this was another ugly one. The first series of the game was a 3 and out on which the Dolphins lost 7 yards before punting it away. Two plays later, Devin Singletary scores on a 46-yard touchdown run for the Bills. The game devolved from there. The Buffalo rush attack would go on to 143 yards on the game, scoring 3 touchdowns. The final 2 were scored by Zach Moss.

Josh Allen threw for another 2, despite struggling with efficiency for a second straight week. He did re-establish his connection with Stefon Diggs, however, as the two of them hooked up for a score.

The Buffalo D was sweltering, limiting the Dolphins to 253 total yards. Bills D turned the Fins over 3 times while hitting them for 6 sacks and 9 tackles for loss. Rookie Greg Rousseau led the bunch with 2 sacks and 2 tackles for loss. Buffalo established dominance on their DL.

San Francisco 49ers 17, Philadelphia Eagles 11

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The 49ers offense held the ball for 20 minutes in the second half, and 31 minutes in the final 3 quarters, keeping the potentially lethal Eagles offense on the sidelines. Over the course of eating up the clock, they put 17 points on the board and quashed any shot Philly had a comeback.

The defense, led by Nick Bosa, recorded 2 sacks and 5 tackles for loss, and their special teams blocked a field goal. In addition to his 2 sacks, Bosa also forced a fumble.

Jimmy G’s favorite target was Deebo Samuel yet again, as the pair connected 6 times for 93 yards.

In defeat, Jalen Hurst dazzled again with 190 yards through the air and 82 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Sadly, he did not get the ball enough after the first quarter, limiting what could have been a spectacular performance.

Las Vegas Raiders 26, Pittsburgh Steelers 17

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Derek Carr followed up his 400-yard passing performance from week 1 with 382 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air in week 2. And this came against the stout Pittsburgh D which humbled Josh Allen last week. This time, however, Carr wasn’t just force-feeding Darren Waller. He hit these totals by connecting with 9 different receivers, and 4 of them at least 5 times.

The game was blown open near the start of the 4th quarter when Carr hit Henry Ruggs for a beautiful 61-yard touchdown. This came right after the Steelers scored a touchdown and gave the Raiders a 23-14 lead. On the final drive of the game, Carr came up with a huge pass to Waller, en route to securing a field goal for Las Vegas.

The Vegas D was also strong. Rookie Trevon Moehrig had his first career interception, while free agent Solomon Thomas sacked Big Ben a couple of times. The Raiders came up with an additional 4 tackles for loss.

Chicago Bears 20, Cincinnati Bengals 17

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The Bengals surged back late, as Joe Burrow threw 4th quarter touchdowns to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but it could not make up for earlier miscues.

The Bears’ defense was stellar for most of the game, limiting the Bengals’ offense to 82 yards and 0 first-half points. In the second half, they brutalized Cincy even further. After the Bengals scored a field goal to start the second half, they turned it over on 4 consecutive drives. This including a huge interception returned for a touchdown by Roquan Smith to extend the Bears lead to 17-3. The Chicago D also contributed 4 sacks and 6 tackles for loss, while holding the Bengals to 276 yards on the game.

The Bears were fortunate to have their defense play such a great game as the Bengals’ D limited them to 239 yards. Andy Dalton left the game with an injury allowing Justin Fields to see his first action. Sadly, the debut didn’t go great for the rookie, as he threw for 60 yards and his first interception.

Cleveland Browns 31, Houston Texans 21

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Baker Mayfield was efficient only missing on 2 throws, but the real star of the game was the Browns rushing attack. They ran for 156 yards on the ground. Nick Chubb paced all RBswith 95 yards and put the game out of reach with a huge score at the start of the 4th quarter.

The Browns defense created 2 turnovers and forced 8 negative plays, including a sack. Sione Takitaki got the Browns in action early, by recovering a muffed punt to set up their first touchdown, he also contributed a tackle for loss.

Carolina Panthers 26, New Orleans Saints 7

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The Panthers D proved suffocating all day long, limiting the Saints’ offense to a pathetic 159 yards. Carolina sacked Saints QB Jameison Winston 4 times and intercepted him twice, in addition to recording 3 other tackles for loss. Haason Reddick led the pass rush with 1.5 sacks, as rookie Jaycee Horn recorded his first career interception.

On the offense, CMC accumulated another 137 total yards of offense to lead the Panther weapons. Sam Darnold was strong in the second start of his rebranding, as he threw for over 300 yards and 2 touchdowns, guiding his team to a 2-0 start.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Atlanta Falcons 25

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The Buccaneers set an NFL record for most consecutive wins while scoring 30 or more points by extending their streak to 9. Tom Brady threw for 276 yards and 5 touchdowns, send 2 apiece to both Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski.

The game itself was with one score heading into the fourth quarter, but back-to-back pick 6s for Bucs’ S Mike Edwards turned the game into a blowout. All total, the Bucs D came up with 3 turnovers and a sack

MNF Update: Green Bay Packers 35, Detroit Lions 17

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Aaron Jones exploded into the Monday Night spotlight of NFL Week 2, scoring 4 touchdowns to help bury the Detroit Lions. Three of those touchdowns came through the air from Aaron Rodgers, who enjoyed a comeback game himself. Rodgers threw a 4th touchdown pass to Robert Tonyan and connected with Davante Adams 8 times for 121 yards. All total, Jones had 115 all-purpose yards.

The Packers had a much-needed win, storming back in the second half after New Orleans embarrassed them in the season opener. But that is not how the game started, as Detroit gave them fits up until halftime.

The Lions opened the game, traveling the length of the field, with Jared Godd throwing a beautiful pass-and-catch to Quintez Cephus. Murmurs could be heard as Detroit took it to the team that was supposed to detonate in this contest. Some of the anxiety eased when Rodgers hooked up with Jones on the very next series, but not for long. Goff soon led the Lions down the field yet again, finishing it off with a highlight-reel touchdown to TJ Hockenson.

With the reality of a second Detroit lead sinking in, Rodgers calmly drove the Pack on another scoring drive, ending with another TD pass to Jones. Unfortunately, he let the Lions too much time to respond, as they were able to tack on a field goal for a lead at halftime.

One can only wonder what the Green Bay locker room looked like at halftime, but it couldn’t have been great. The sting of humiliating defeat suffered in New Orleans still lingered, and the now the Lions were clawing open a fresh wound. Green Bay was the better team, this way their game, they own the Lions, were thoughts and headlines that prevailed the past few days. But now, the harsh reality set in: they were losing to the Lions at halftime. Something had to be done.

And that they did. The ackers stormed back in the second half, scoring 21 unanswered points and shutting out the Lions the rest of the way. Rodgers, Jones, and the rest of Green Bay had found themselves, now is the time to move forward.

NFL Week 2 Sunday Top Highlight

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