NFL Week 2 breakdown: Another prime-time thriller. Is Derek Carr an early leader for MVP?
Week 2 in the NFL already has seen two prime-time thrillers. Can Lions-Packers live up to that standard Monday night?
The fourth time was the charm for Lamar Jackson, who finally was on the winning end of a showdown with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs after going winless in his previous three meetings against KC.
In Pittsburgh, Derek Carr lifted the Raiders to another impressive win over an AFC North stalwart. The season is only two weeks old, but is Carr an early frontrunner for MVP honors?
Tom Brady, meanwhile, continues to be remarkable. The 44-year-old quarterback already has nine touchdown passes and is on pace to shatter the single-season record.
Sunday's biggest moments
- Mike McCarthy said the clock he was watching powered off during a crucial stretch at the end of Dallas' win over the Chargers.
- The Cowboys felt right at home during their win over the Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
- Colts QB Carson Wentz suffered an ankle injury in his team's loss to the Rams.
- Urban Meyer had a message for fans after the Jaguars fell to 0-2 to start the season: "Don’t give up on us."
- Brett Favre 2.0? Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett had high praise for quarterback Baker Mayfield after Sunday's win against the Texans.
- Mike Zimmer thought the Vikings were in prime position to push past the Cardinals, but Greg Joseph missed "an easy one."
- The Vikings’ radio team had the most heartbreaking call of the game-ending missed field goal.
- It couldn't get much worse for Zach Wilson against the Patriots.
- Brandon Graham, a key defensive player for the Eagles, is out for the season.
- Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa was carted off the field in his team's loss to the Bills.
- Texans QB Tyrod Taylor had to leave Sunday's loss to the Browns with a hamstring injury.
- Steelers RB Najee Harris had one of the top highlights of the season against the Raiders.
- Steelers offensive lineman Trai Turner was ejected for apparently spitting on an opponent.
- Rams LB Kenny Young was ejected for making contact with an official.
- Joe Burrow threw interceptions on three consecutive pass attempts against the Bears.
- Fans crushed the NFL over a taunting penalty in Seattle.
- Matt Prater booted a 62-yard field goal with plenty of room to spare.
- The defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers are among multiple teams that have reached out to free-agent CB Richard Sherman.
Key NFL Week 2 storylines
- Winners and losers: While Tom Brady continues to be absolutely remarkable, the Bucs' division rival - the Saints - were a dud in their follow-up to Week 1's impressive win.
- 32 things we learned in Week 2: Derek Carr and Kyler Murray appear to be early contenders for MVP honors.
- How Cowboys' new brand of resiliency paid off in win: The Cowboys have routinely come up short in tight games, but Dallas left with more than a moral victory in its close call with the Chargers, Jori Epstein writes.
- Derek Carr is driving the Raiders' bus: Carr has provided the glue for a lot of silver-and-black grit so far this season, Jarrett Bell writes.
NFL Week 2 rundown
- Ravens 36, Chiefs 35: Lamar Jackson overcame a shaky start to deliver an electrifying performance in another prime-time thriller.
- Cowboys 20, Chargers 17: The Cowboys zapped the Chargers with a last-second field goal by Greg Zuerlein.
- Titans 33, Seahawks 30 (OT): The Titans capped a second-half rally with a big road win in Seattle.
- Cardinals 34, Vikings 33: Good fortune helped the Cardinals improve to 2-0.
- Buccaneers 48, Falcons 25: Tampa Bay extended its winning streak to a franchise-record 10 games.
- Bears 20, Bengals 17: Rookie Justin Fields might be getting his opportunity to start sooner than expected.
- Patriots 25, Jets 6: Rough outing for rookie QB Zach Wilson, who threw four interceptions.
- Bills 35, Dolphins 0: With their sixth straight win over the Dolphins, the Bills tied their longest winning streak in the series.
- Rams 27, Colts 24: Things went from bad to worse for the 0-2 Colts, who might be without QB Carson Wentz.
- Panthers 26, Saints 7: A week after throwing five touchdowns against the Packers, Jameis Winston was intercepted twice and sacked four times.
- Broncos 23, Jaguars 13: With this loss, the Jaguars extended a franchise-record for consecutive losses to 17, dating back to last season.
- Browns 31, Texans 21: Cleveland got a bounce-back win after last week's huge loss to Kansas City.
- 49ers 17, Eagles 11: Missed opportunities doomed Philadelphia.
- Raiders 26, Steelers 17: A long touchdown play from Derek Carr to Henry Ruggs helped the Raiders open the season 2-0, with both wins coming against AFC North teams.
- Washington Football Team 30, Giants 29 (Thursday): Unheralded and undrafted Taylor Heinicke out-dueled 2019 first-rounder Daniel Jones in a wild game that featured five lead changes, including three in the fourth quarter.
Eyes on the (fantasy) prize
Unlike in Week 1 with Elijah Williams, there’s no slam-dunk player to target above everyone else on this week’s fantasy waiver wire.
However, the surprise performer of the week was definitely Falcons RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson. The one-time kick return specialist lined up all over the field and made big plays when he touched the ball. Patterson scored a rushing touchdown and caught five passes for 58 yards and another score. However, starting running back Mike Davis played almost twice as many snaps as Patterson did, ran for more yards and caught two more passes.
Perhaps an emerging wide receiver might be a better investment. Third-year wideout K.J. Osborn of the Vikings tallied five receptions for 91 yards and a 64-yard TD. And Cardinals rookie Rondale Moore caught seven passes for 117 yards – the bulk of those coming on a 77-yard touchdown bomb. Both could be productive third receivers on potent passing offenses.
Speaking of the Cardinals’ passing game, tight end Maxx Williams had seven catches and 94 yards, tied for the most catches and second in yards among tight ends in Week 2.
Rams running back Darrell Henderson had to leave Sunday’s game early with a rib injury, opening the door for Sony Michel to carry the ball 10 times for 46 yards. If Henderson is limited going forward, Michel becomes a decent flex option.
Coming this week
Monday: Week 2 wraps up when the Green Bay Packers host the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Packers will attempt to win their home opener for a ninth consecutive season.
Tuesday: USA TODAY Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 2.
Thursday: Week 3 kicks off with the Houston Texans hosting the Carolina Panthers (8:20 p.m. ET, NFL Network). Before the game, make sure to check out our expert picks for every Week 3 game.
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