From Bryce Young being benched to Derek Carr's redemption, Sky Sports' Neil Reynolds has the final word on Week Two of the 2024 NFL season; Week Three begins when the New York Jets host the New England Patriots live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am in the early hours of Friday
Tuesday 17 September 2024 17:16, UK
The second week of NFL action in this young 2024 season served up enough drama and intrigue to last us until Christmas!
With Kirk Cousins delivering a late game-winning touchdown pass to help the Atlanta Falcons to a 22-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, it meant 12 of the 16 contests played in Week Two were decided by a single score.
Here are some of my big takeaways from an action-packed, headline-filled round of games...
It was not that long ago that the Kansas City Chiefs were the darlings of the NFL, the new kids on the block who could finally end the New England Patriots' reign of terror. Now, many neutrals view the Chiefs as the new Patriots - always winning, always playing in Super Bowls and always getting every bounce of the ball.
But I genuinely believe that good teams make their own luck. Sunday's 26-25 win over the Cincinnati Bengals - who outplayed the Chiefs for much of the game - was a perfect example. Good teams make opponents feel the pressure down the stretch, their aura can make the other team do stupid things.
Kansas City appeared in real trouble facing a fourth-and-16 late in the fourth. But Mahomes cranked up some of that pressure we just talked about by scrambling around and firing a pass downfield to Rashee Rice. The receiver was hit early, a pass interference penalty was called on rookie defensive back Daijahn Anthony and, moments later, Harrison Butker kicked the game-winning field goal from 51 yards as time ran out. It was a reminder of just how tough KC are to beat and this 'threepeat' thing is very much in play.
Star players can change games in an instant and I saw evidence of that first hand on Sunday as Justin Jefferson caught a spectacular 97-yard touchdown pass from Sam Darnold that almost blew the roof off US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. It was a key play that helped the hometown Minnesota Vikings record a 23-17 win over the favoured San Francisco 49ers.
But Darnold and Jefferson were not the only players to help the Vikings start this new season with two wins. Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler made plays out of the backfield, back-up receivers Jalen Nailor and Brandon Powell came up big with the game on the line and Brian Flores called a masterful plan on defense.
Too many Vikings defenders made big plays to list them all here. But this unit was excellent, sacking Brock Purdy six times and coming up with an interception. Coaches often talk about needing everybody to come up with a big win and that was certainly the case for the Vikings.
While Darnold continues to write a wonderful redemption story in Minnesota, the same could be said for Derek Carr, who has the New Orleans Saints at 2-0 following Sunday's stunning 44-19 away win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Alvin Kamara led the way on the ground, but - for the second week in a row - Carr played a major role as he hit on 11 of 16 throws for 243 yards and two touchdowns. Unwanted by the Las Vegas Raiders and largely overlooked by the rest of the NFL during his time with the Saints, Carr is now becoming the talk of the league.
With Dak Prescott being paid $60m-per-year to lead the Dallas Cowboys, the quarterback cannot throw two interceptions in a home loss of that nature. Sure, the Cowboys were bad across the board, but the blame is often going to fall on the highest-paid player in NFL history who is expected to deliver a Super Bowl.
Prescott's Cowboys - who went from winning 33-17 on the road in Week One to losing 44-19 at home in Week Two - are not the only team feeling some heat. Their opponents in Week Three - the Baltimore Ravens - are supposed to be one of the best teams in the league but they fell to 0-2 with a home loss to the Raiders. That is the first time Baltimore have started 0-2 since 2015.
Jacksonville are 0-2 and quarterback Trevor Lawrence has expressed his frustrations to the media, the Indianapolis Colts are 0-2 and have given up 474 rushing yards in two games. There are quite a few teams across the league yet to truly find themselves and, with each passing week, the pressure on them builds.
The Carolina Panthers have been awful in the first two weeks of the season. They only won two games in 2023 and might actually be worse this time around. In defeats against the Saints and the Los Angeles Chargers, the Panthers have been out-scored 73 points to 13.
Sunday's home loss to the Chargers was particularly embarrassing. No touchdowns scored and just seven first downs. That has put rookie head coach Dave Canales firmly on the hot seat with impatient owner David Tepper fuming as he watches on.
Canales has taken drastic action and sent 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young to the bench. Andy Dalton will start for the foreseeable future and you have to wonder what the coming years will hold for Young? The gap between him and Houston's CJ Stroud (taken second overall) continues to widen. Stroud is a star and Young is about to ride the pine and sit on the bench.
In New Orleans' big road win against the Cowboys, running back Alvin Kamara totalled 180 yards from scrimmage (rushing and receiving) and sent a big 'don't you forget about me' message to the rest of the NFL by scoring four touchdowns. I was guilty of overlooking a player who was one of the league's brightest stars five years ago. At the age of 29, Kamara clearly has gas left in the tank.
It ended up coming in a losing cause but the one-handed interception by Cincinnati's Cam Taylor-Britt might be the prettiest play you see all year. It was the kind of grab that would have gone viral and shaped a whole career - much like Odell Beckham Jr - had it come on the offensive side of the ball. Stunning.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed no signs of fear as they marched into one of the NFL's most hostile environments in Detroit, took on the Lions and left with a 20-16 win. Todd Bowles has his team 2-0 and believing in a fourth straight NFC South crown. Baker Mayfield threw for one touchdown pass and ran for another but the defense also played a major role this time around with two late interceptions of Jared Goff.
There were signs of life from the Chicago Bears' offense in the first half of their 19-13 loss to the Houston Texans, but only glimpses. Caleb Williams continues to flash the occasional play or two that points to why he was chosen first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. But there is still more bad than good. It cannot be easy, though, when Williams is getting sacked seven times like he was on Sunday Night Football.
The Bears' hype train was at full speed when I visited Chicago this summer but now it is in danger of flying off the tracks. Chicago have scored just one offensive touchdown in two games and Williams has yet to throw a touchdown with two rather testing games now under his belt. I'll be watching closely to see how quickly Williams can grow into his NFL career.
Week Three begins on Thursday night when the New York Jets host the New England Patriots live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am in the early hours of Friday; Also stream with NOW.
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