Winners and Losers: NFL Week 2
WINNER: The NFC South (minus the Panthers)
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In what was expected to be one of the weaker divisions in the NFL, the (NFC) South’s got somethin’ to say.
The New Orleans Saints are breaking records left and right to open the year, starting 2-0 behind back-to-back blowout wins, this week over the Dallas Cowboys 44-19, shattering the Cowboys’ 16-game home win streak.
The Saints are the fifth team in NFL history with 44+ points in their first two games, the last one being these same Saints in 2009, their lone Super Bowl-winning year.
The defending division champ Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also 2-0 behind the arms and legs of now-franchise quarterback Baker Mayfield, beating the Detroit Lions in Mo-Town.
The Bucs avenge their playoff loss from last season, shaking off a career-high 4.5 Aiden Hutchinson sacks.
Last, but certainly not least, the Atlanta Falcons earn their first win of the season in a highly dramatic fashion, besting the Philadelphia Eagles 22-21 behind a sensational Kirk Cousins game-winning drive, culminating in a Drake London touchdown, his first of the year.
Kirko Chainz orchestrated a 70-yard, 1:05 drive with no timeouts, and no sweat either. Atlanta wins their first in Philly since 2012 and moves to 1-1 ahead of next week’s Sunday Night Football matchup with defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City.
Oh, and the Panthers played.
LOSER: Trevor Lawrence
Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson (72) sacks Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Woof.
That’s the sound that both Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence must’ve muttered and the thousands of Cleveland Browns fans screamed in the River City after an 18-13 Jags loss this weekend, one where Jacksonville did very little until too late.
A Cleveland goalline stand halfway through the fourth quarter kept their lead that they never gave up, and the hapless Jags fall to 0-2 for the first time since 2021, a year they started 0-5.
Due to a one-game partnership, “TreverBank Stadium” was the new name for EverBank Stadium, and Jacksonville thankful are pleased that stays at just one game.
Lawrence lost the battle of former Clemson Tiger quarterbacks, throwing 14/30 for 220 yards and no scores, Deshaun Watson on the other side threw 22/34 and 186 yards but a rushing touchdown on top.
Lawrence has lost seven-straight starts - his last win on November 26, 2023, almost 300 days ago. With that in mind, he does have the highest drop rate at 16.1%, so it’s not all on him.
“We suck right now,” Lawrence said at the postgame presser, and it seems that he’s hitting the nail on the head.
WINNER: Malik Willis and the Love-less Packers
Willis thrives with help from the Packers' defense, running game in victory over Colts - The Associated Press (Patrick McDermott / Getty Images Sport / Getty)
Picking the Indianapolis Colts this week seemed like the easy, safe pick. No Jordan Love, no dice for the Green Bay Packers, right?
Malik Willis said not so fast.
The second-year backup quarterback from Liberty impressively showed up, tossing 12/14, 122 yards and a touchdown to win 16-10 and saving Green Bay from their first 0-2 start since 2006.
Willis ran for 41 more yards, second on the team being a dazzling performance from Josh Jacobs who sprinted for 151 yards with a workhorse 32 carries.
The Pack stuffed the Colts on the defense side too, holding quarterback Anthony Richardson to 17/34, 204 yards and one score - but three interceptions plus a sack.
Indy had no trouble running the ball, gaining 140 total yards on just 18 carries but none reached across the goalline.
LOSER: Da Bears’ Offense
https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-have-caleb-williams-at-qb-and-some-of-the-same-problems-protecting-him-065823612.html
Sticking in the NFC North, Sunday was not kind to the Chicago Bears, scoring just 13 in another weak offense performance, this time not enough to beat Houston down in Texas.
Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams disappointed again, throwing 23/37, 174 yards, two picks, and no touchdowns.
The second half was especially poor, with the Bears starting with three straight punts, two picks, another punt, a field goal and then a turnover on downs to end their offensive misery.
Credit to Houston, they planned perfectly for this. Over 40% of all of Williams’ dropbacks resulted in a heavy blitz, and the Texans earned their success with seven sacks, five of which while blitzing.
In the Bears’ first two weeks, they have 353 combined yards of offense, 0-11 on third down passing when throws are at least 15 yards in the air, and Williams has just a 14% completion rate when pressured.
The offensive line must be better, and Chicago will have some wiggle room with their next four games: 0-2 Colts, 0-2 Rams, 0-2 Panthers and 0-2 Jaguars.
WINNER: Viva Las Vegas
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders sacks Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
In a fun twist of irony, the Las Vegas Raiders didn’t care too much what their hometown betters thought pregame who the winner would be in their road game against the Baltimore Ravens - the purple birds nine-point favorites.
The Raiders rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, scoring three drives in the final 10 minutes to earn the improbable win.
This drops the Ravens to 0-2, the first time a reigning quarterback MVP (Lamar Jackson) has this record since 2002.
Even better for Vegas, they’re still undefeated against Baltimore as Las Vegas, beating the Ravens twice since leaving Oakland.
The wildest part of the win was the very weak rushing attack: the Raiders managed just 27 yards on 1.6 yards per carry, a stark decline from 72 yards and 3.2 per rush in last week’s loss to Los Angeles.
Las Vegas didn’t break 275 yards, and they only had a positive chance to win with under four minutes to go in the game.
LOSER: Bo Nix and whatever the Broncos are cooking
DENVER, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 15: Denver Broncos quarterback #10 Bo Nix lays on the turf after a sack in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Empower Field at Mile High on September, 15, 2024. (Photo by Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)
Bo Nix’s game-losing interception to the Pittsburgh Steelers summed up the start of the Denver Broncos season - “Yeah dropped back. Threw it to the other team.”
Make that back-to-back games with losses, just like last season’s first two games. New quarterback, same results.
Nix threw for 246 yards and a somewhat accurate clip, but suffered two sacks along with his pair of picks.
The problems don’t end there - Denver managed just 64 rushing yards on 19 carries, starting running back Javonte Williams 11 for 17.
The Broncos’ problems loom larger in the coming weeks, traveling to the 2-0 Buccaneers next weekend and then a date in MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets to close out September.
The race for the #1 pick continues.