Hello readers! Another week of the National Football League has come to an end. The week that was brought us exciting action and some crazy games. Such wild games as Minnesota almost coming back to beat Philadelphia, an overtime thriller in Detroit and Tennessee, and a comeback victory for the Giants in Glendale. All those exciting games and more in this week's recap post! Let's get to work!
NFL Week 2 Freaky Stat
The New York Giants 21+ comeback is the team's greatest since 1949.NFL Week 2 Recap
It was an alright play by the Eagles who somehow are 2-0. Kirk Cousins completed 31 of 44 passes for 364 yards with four touchdowns. A solid day for him and a marked improvement from last week. Alexander Mattison would not get much as he got 28 yards rushing on eight carries. Of course Justin Jefferson did Justin Jefferson things as he caught 11 balls for 159 yards. The players that caught passes from Cousins were Jordan Addison with one, TJ Hockenson with two and KJ Osborn with one. Overall the Vikings really could've done better with handling the football as they did fumble four times. Jalen Hurts completed 18 of 23 passes for 193 yards with a touchdown pass to Devontae Smith but also threw an interception in the game. Hurts also rushed in for two scores while getting 35 yards. The passing game was having its tough time but it would be the Eagles running game that put the hurt on the Vikings defense. Dandre Swift reached a career high with 175 yards rushing with a touchdown run that was from a 43-yard run. Overall, the Eagles offense put up good numbers compared to last week. Despite the fact that the score was so close, the turnovers were the reason why this game shouldn't have been as close. For the Vikings, they remain 0-2 in record as well as 0-2 in one-score games. For the Eagles, they get a long rest period with a 2-0 record.
Next week:
Minnesota: vs LA Chargers
Philadelphia: @ Tampa Bay
Minnesota: vs LA Chargers
Philadelphia: @ Tampa Bay
TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0
Chicago 17, Tampa Bay 27: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Bucs defense keeps the Bucs undefeated. Justin Fields would battle both the Buccaneers and the hot Florida sun. The quarterback threw 16 of 29 passes for 211 yards with a touchdown pass to Chase Claypool late in the 4th quarter. Fields did also see two passes intercepted by Christian Izien and Shaquil Barrett. Barrett's interception would be a 4-yard pick-six. The turnovers for Chicago would likely be the biggest factor in the loss as they really might've gotten the win. Justin Fields also put it into the endzone in the first quarter. Khalil Herbert had 35 yards rushing on seven carries. Chicago's offense put up 236 total yards. Tampa Bay had a solid day on offense as Baker Mayfield threw 26 of 34 passes for 317 yards with a touchdown pass to Mike Evans. The play came on a high toss from Mayfield in a play that Evans caught on a deep ball. Rachaad White had 73 yards rushing with a touchdown. Tampa also had a good day from kicker Chase McLaughlin who hit 2 of 3 field goals. For the Bears, they fall to 0-2 and will have to look to next week to get their 1st win of 2023. For the Buccaneers, they get to 2-0 without having that Tom Brady guy at quarterback.
Next week:
Chicago: @ Kansas City
Tampa Bay: vs Philadelphia (Monday night)
Chicago: @ Kansas City
Tampa Bay: vs Philadelphia (Monday night)
TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0
Baltimore 27, Cincinnati 24: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
Bengals defense had no answers for Lamar Jackson. Jackson had 24 of 33 passes completed for 237 yards with two touchdowns. The first touchdown was to Mark Andrews who reached the goal-line plane for six. The 2nd touchdown was a deep pass to Nelson Agholor for 17 yards. Gus Edwards rushed for 62 yards on 10 carries. Justice Hill had 41 yards rushing on 11 carries. Lamar Jackson rushed for 54 yards with 12 carries. Baltimore's offense had 415 total yards of offensive ball. Joe Burrow had a better game as he had 27 of 41 passes for 222 yards with two touchdowns to Tee Higgins on 3-yard and 4-yard plays. Good redzone efficiency for Cincy. Special teams for the Bengals in this game was a punt return from Charlie Jones that was a 81-yard score early in the 1st quarter. Cincy didn't quite put up the same offensive numbers as they did get 282 total yards. Pass protection was much better as Burrow was sacked only once for a 6-yard loss. For the Ravens, they get some measure of revenge from last year's Wild Card loss as they improve to 2-0. For the Bengals, they falter and drop to 0-2 and will need to get back to better play.
Bengals defense had no answers for Lamar Jackson. Jackson had 24 of 33 passes completed for 237 yards with two touchdowns. The first touchdown was to Mark Andrews who reached the goal-line plane for six. The 2nd touchdown was a deep pass to Nelson Agholor for 17 yards. Gus Edwards rushed for 62 yards on 10 carries. Justice Hill had 41 yards rushing on 11 carries. Lamar Jackson rushed for 54 yards with 12 carries. Baltimore's offense had 415 total yards of offensive ball. Joe Burrow had a better game as he had 27 of 41 passes for 222 yards with two touchdowns to Tee Higgins on 3-yard and 4-yard plays. Good redzone efficiency for Cincy. Special teams for the Bengals in this game was a punt return from Charlie Jones that was a 81-yard score early in the 1st quarter. Cincy didn't quite put up the same offensive numbers as they did get 282 total yards. Pass protection was much better as Burrow was sacked only once for a 6-yard loss. For the Ravens, they get some measure of revenge from last year's Wild Card loss as they improve to 2-0. For the Bengals, they falter and drop to 0-2 and will need to get back to better play.
Next week:
Baltimore: vs Indianapolis
Cincinnati: vs LA Rams (Monday night)
Baltimore: vs Indianapolis
Cincinnati: vs LA Rams (Monday night)
TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1
Green Bay 24, Atlanta 25: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
Green Bay 24, Atlanta 25: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
Younghoe Koo comes in the clutch for the Falcons. The game was a good one for Jordan Love who had 14 of 25 passes for 151 yards with three touchdown passes. Jayden Reed had two touchdown grabs and Dontayvion Wicks had one touchdown grab. Love also rushed for 23 yards, showing off his legs. AJ Dillon had 55 yards rushing on 15 carries. Green Bay had 224 total yards on offense. Atlanta was firing on all cylinders in this game. Desmond Ridder had 19 of 32 passes completed for 237 yards with a touchdown pass to Drake London on a short 3-yard pass. The point after from Younghoe Koo was missed. Ridder did throw an interception but he did get 39 yards rushing in the game with a touchdown from his legs. Bijan Robinson ran over the Packers defense for 124 yards on 19 carries. Tyler Allgeier had 48 yards rushing. The Falcons offense did well with 446 total yards with 211 yards from their ground game. The big play came from Younghoe Koo who hit the game-winner from 25 yards with 1:01 left in the game. Unfortunately, the Packers did not drive it down the field to try their own version of a game-winner. For the Packers, they fall to .500 with a 1-1 record. For the Falcons, they get to 2-0 record which is their best since 2017 (that team went to 3-0).
Next week:
Green Bay: vs New Orleans
Atlanta: @ Detroit
Green Bay: vs New Orleans
Atlanta: @ Detroit
TW: 2-2; CV: 2-2
Indianapolis 31, Houston 20: TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Colts run game helped the Colts the dub. Anthony Richardson started for the Colts as he hit 6 of 10 passes for 56 yards while scoring two touchdowns on the ground with 35 yards rushing. He would leave the game with concussion-like symptoms in the 2nd quarter. His backup Gardner Minshew would do the rest. The backup did well as he hit 19 of 23 passes for 171 yards with a touchdown pass to Kylen Granson. Indy would put up 28 points in the 1st half. Along with Richardson, Zack Moss rushed for 88 yards with a touchdown pass on a play to the right for 11 yards. Houston had a good game with CJ Stroud. Stroud had 30 of 47 passes for 384 yards with two touchdown passes to Nico Collins and Nathaniel Dell. The touchdowns would come on the 1st and 4th quarters. Dameon Pierce had 31 yards rushing on 15 carries. It was a good step forward for Stroud who had a rough first game against the Ravens last week. All in all, the Texans got 389 total yards from its offense. I think the damage that the Colts did in the first half would prove to be the dealbreaker for the Texans who had to play catch up. For the Colts, they get back to 1-1 ball with the win. For the Texans, it was a sign of good things to come but they are still staring at a 0-2 record.
Indianapolis 31, Houston 20: TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Colts run game helped the Colts the dub. Anthony Richardson started for the Colts as he hit 6 of 10 passes for 56 yards while scoring two touchdowns on the ground with 35 yards rushing. He would leave the game with concussion-like symptoms in the 2nd quarter. His backup Gardner Minshew would do the rest. The backup did well as he hit 19 of 23 passes for 171 yards with a touchdown pass to Kylen Granson. Indy would put up 28 points in the 1st half. Along with Richardson, Zack Moss rushed for 88 yards with a touchdown pass on a play to the right for 11 yards. Houston had a good game with CJ Stroud. Stroud had 30 of 47 passes for 384 yards with two touchdown passes to Nico Collins and Nathaniel Dell. The touchdowns would come on the 1st and 4th quarters. Dameon Pierce had 31 yards rushing on 15 carries. It was a good step forward for Stroud who had a rough first game against the Ravens last week. All in all, the Texans got 389 total yards from its offense. I think the damage that the Colts did in the first half would prove to be the dealbreaker for the Texans who had to play catch up. For the Colts, they get back to 1-1 ball with the win. For the Texans, it was a sign of good things to come but they are still staring at a 0-2 record.
Next week:
Indianapolis: @ Baltimore
Indianapolis: @ Baltimore
Houston: @ Jacksonville
TW: 3-2; CV: 3-2
Kansas City 17, Jacksonville 9: TW: Chiefs; CV: Jaguars
An ugly win for the defending champs but they survive. Patrick Mahomes completed 29 of 41 passes for two touchdowns and had a pass intercepted by Andre Cisco. Skye Moore and Travis Kelce were the players that caught those passes from Mahomes that resulted in scores. Kelce made his 2023 debut after missing last week's game against the Lions. Isiah Pacheco had 70 yards rushing on 12 carries for the Chiefs. Kansas City's offense on 3rd down wasn't pretty as they went 4 of 13 from 3rd down. Penalties were also a factor as they had 12 infractions for 94 yards. Jacksonville had their chances to really put the hurt but didn't do it. Trevor Lawrence had 22 of 41 passes for 216 yards. Not quite the game that most people were hoping from him. Kansas City's defense kept him honest as they sacked Lawrence four times. Travis Etienne had 40 yards rushing. The Jaguars offense would be held to 271 total yards. Brandon McManus would be the offense for the Jags as he hit 3 of 3 for field goals. For the Chiefs, they escape the jungle of Jacksonville with a 1-1 record. For the Jaguars, they fail to get revenge on the Chiefs as they go to 1-1.
Kansas City 17, Jacksonville 9: TW: Chiefs; CV: Jaguars
An ugly win for the defending champs but they survive. Patrick Mahomes completed 29 of 41 passes for two touchdowns and had a pass intercepted by Andre Cisco. Skye Moore and Travis Kelce were the players that caught those passes from Mahomes that resulted in scores. Kelce made his 2023 debut after missing last week's game against the Lions. Isiah Pacheco had 70 yards rushing on 12 carries for the Chiefs. Kansas City's offense on 3rd down wasn't pretty as they went 4 of 13 from 3rd down. Penalties were also a factor as they had 12 infractions for 94 yards. Jacksonville had their chances to really put the hurt but didn't do it. Trevor Lawrence had 22 of 41 passes for 216 yards. Not quite the game that most people were hoping from him. Kansas City's defense kept him honest as they sacked Lawrence four times. Travis Etienne had 40 yards rushing. The Jaguars offense would be held to 271 total yards. Brandon McManus would be the offense for the Jags as he hit 3 of 3 for field goals. For the Chiefs, they escape the jungle of Jacksonville with a 1-1 record. For the Jaguars, they fail to get revenge on the Chiefs as they go to 1-1.
Next week:
Kansas City: vs Chicago
Jacksonville: vs Houston
Kansas City: vs Chicago
Jacksonville: vs Houston
TW: 4-2; CV: 3-3
LA Chargers 24, Tennessee 27 (F/OT): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Rain would fall in Nashville as well as the Chargers parade. Justin Herbert had a solid day in the passing game as he hit 27 of 41 passes for 305 yards with two touchdowns to Keenan Allen. The first touchdown came on a 1-yard play that would eventually give the Chargers a 11-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter. The 2nd touchdown as from a 12-yard toss that would give the Chargers a 21-17 lead. Joshua Kelley would see most of the snaps on the ground as he rushed for 39 yards on 13 carries. The 1st stringer Austin Ekeler was inactive for this game with an ankle injury. Los Angeles had 342 total yards in the game. Ryan Tannehill did better in this game as he hit 20 of 24 passes for 246 yards with a touchdown pass to Nick Westbrookikhine (can they even fit that last name on a jersey). Derrick Henry was a driving force for the Titans offense as he put up 80 yards on 25 carries with a touchdown run. The touchdown run was from a huge leap that would make Earl Campbell proud. Ryan Tannehill also had a 12-yard run for a touchdown. The play that would tie the game that would lead to overtime was a Cameron Dicker from 33 yards. The game winner was a 41-yard field goal from Nick Folk and the Titans get the dub. For the Chargers, they get to 0-2 after another faltering performance from both offense and defense. For the Titans, they get back to .500 with a 1-1 record.
LA Chargers 24, Tennessee 27 (F/OT): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Rain would fall in Nashville as well as the Chargers parade. Justin Herbert had a solid day in the passing game as he hit 27 of 41 passes for 305 yards with two touchdowns to Keenan Allen. The first touchdown came on a 1-yard play that would eventually give the Chargers a 11-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter. The 2nd touchdown as from a 12-yard toss that would give the Chargers a 21-17 lead. Joshua Kelley would see most of the snaps on the ground as he rushed for 39 yards on 13 carries. The 1st stringer Austin Ekeler was inactive for this game with an ankle injury. Los Angeles had 342 total yards in the game. Ryan Tannehill did better in this game as he hit 20 of 24 passes for 246 yards with a touchdown pass to Nick Westbrookikhine (can they even fit that last name on a jersey). Derrick Henry was a driving force for the Titans offense as he put up 80 yards on 25 carries with a touchdown run. The touchdown run was from a huge leap that would make Earl Campbell proud. Ryan Tannehill also had a 12-yard run for a touchdown. The play that would tie the game that would lead to overtime was a Cameron Dicker from 33 yards. The game winner was a 41-yard field goal from Nick Folk and the Titans get the dub. For the Chargers, they get to 0-2 after another faltering performance from both offense and defense. For the Titans, they get back to .500 with a 1-1 record.
Next week:
LA Chargers: @ Minnesota
Tennessee: @ Cleveland
LA Chargers: @ Minnesota
Tennessee: @ Cleveland
TW: 4-3; CV: 3-4
Las Vegas 10, Buffalo 38: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Back to normal for the Bills Mafia and Buffalo. Jimmy Garoppolo who had a good game against Denver did not look as impressive in this game. He completed 16 of 24 passes for 185 yards with a touchdown pass to Davante Adams early in the 1st quarter. The play came on a redzone trip on the Raiders opening drive. Garoppolo had two interceptions that adding the three fumbles would create five giveaways to the Bills. Something you can't do against the Bills. Tre Tucker rushed for 34 yards on his only carry in the game. Zamir White had 22 yards rushing. The Raiders offense put up 240 total yards. Josh Allen had a rough week against the Jets last week. This week he went back to the drawing board and prevailed. He threw 31 of 37 balls for completion for 274 yards with three touchdown passes. Gabe Davis, Khalil Shakir and Dawson Knox were the players for the Bills that caught the Allen passes. Buffalo's running game did wonders. James Cook had 123 rushing yards on 17 carries. Damien Harris had 33 yards with a touchdown and Latavius Murray had 22 rushing yards with a touchdown. The Bills offense put up 450 total yards. Oddly enough Josh Allen only put up seven rushing yards. For the Raiders, they fall to 1-1 with a struggling offense. For the Bills, they take the leap back to 1-1 and avoid the dreaded 0-2 mark.
Las Vegas 10, Buffalo 38: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Back to normal for the Bills Mafia and Buffalo. Jimmy Garoppolo who had a good game against Denver did not look as impressive in this game. He completed 16 of 24 passes for 185 yards with a touchdown pass to Davante Adams early in the 1st quarter. The play came on a redzone trip on the Raiders opening drive. Garoppolo had two interceptions that adding the three fumbles would create five giveaways to the Bills. Something you can't do against the Bills. Tre Tucker rushed for 34 yards on his only carry in the game. Zamir White had 22 yards rushing. The Raiders offense put up 240 total yards. Josh Allen had a rough week against the Jets last week. This week he went back to the drawing board and prevailed. He threw 31 of 37 balls for completion for 274 yards with three touchdown passes. Gabe Davis, Khalil Shakir and Dawson Knox were the players for the Bills that caught the Allen passes. Buffalo's running game did wonders. James Cook had 123 rushing yards on 17 carries. Damien Harris had 33 yards with a touchdown and Latavius Murray had 22 rushing yards with a touchdown. The Bills offense put up 450 total yards. Oddly enough Josh Allen only put up seven rushing yards. For the Raiders, they fall to 1-1 with a struggling offense. For the Bills, they take the leap back to 1-1 and avoid the dreaded 0-2 mark.
Next week:
Las Vegas: vs Pittsburgh (Sunday night)
Las Vegas: vs Pittsburgh (Sunday night)
Buffalo: @ Washington
TW: 5-3; CV: 4-4
Seattle 37, Detroit 31 (F/OT): TW: Lions; CV: Lions
Tyler Lockett called game. Geno Smith had a better game this week as he hit 32 of 41 passes for 328 yards with two touchdown passes to Tyler Lockett. The first touchdown was from a redzone trip on a 3-yard play that gave the Seahawks a 24-21 lead early in the 4th quarter. The 2nd was from another trip to the redzone on a 6-yard play that sealed the deal for the Seahawks. Seattle's run game and defense also scored touchdowns. Kenneth Walker III drove down the field for two touchdown trips on 43 yards rushing in the game. Cornerback Tre Brown picked off a Jared Goff pass for 40 yards for the pick-six. The Lions honored running back Barry Sanders in an unveiling of a statue outside Ford Field. Inside Ford Field would be a trying game for the offense. Jared Goff had 28 of 35 passes completed for 323 yards with three touchdowns but also tossed an interception for the aforementioned pick-six. Kalif Raymond caught one and Josh Reynolds caught two of the three passes from Goff. David Montgomery rushed for 67 yards with a touchdown run. Both teams put up good offensive numbers as the Seahawks had 393 total yards and the Lions putting up 418 total yards. Riley Patterson hit the game-tying field goal that put the game at 31 each. For the Seahawks, they get to 1-1 on a better offensive showing. For the Lions, the loss drops them to 1-1 on the season.
Seattle 37, Detroit 31 (F/OT): TW: Lions; CV: Lions
Tyler Lockett called game. Geno Smith had a better game this week as he hit 32 of 41 passes for 328 yards with two touchdown passes to Tyler Lockett. The first touchdown was from a redzone trip on a 3-yard play that gave the Seahawks a 24-21 lead early in the 4th quarter. The 2nd was from another trip to the redzone on a 6-yard play that sealed the deal for the Seahawks. Seattle's run game and defense also scored touchdowns. Kenneth Walker III drove down the field for two touchdown trips on 43 yards rushing in the game. Cornerback Tre Brown picked off a Jared Goff pass for 40 yards for the pick-six. The Lions honored running back Barry Sanders in an unveiling of a statue outside Ford Field. Inside Ford Field would be a trying game for the offense. Jared Goff had 28 of 35 passes completed for 323 yards with three touchdowns but also tossed an interception for the aforementioned pick-six. Kalif Raymond caught one and Josh Reynolds caught two of the three passes from Goff. David Montgomery rushed for 67 yards with a touchdown run. Both teams put up good offensive numbers as the Seahawks had 393 total yards and the Lions putting up 418 total yards. Riley Patterson hit the game-tying field goal that put the game at 31 each. For the Seahawks, they get to 1-1 on a better offensive showing. For the Lions, the loss drops them to 1-1 on the season.
Next week:
Seattle: vs Carolina
Detroit: vs Atlanta
Seattle: vs Carolina
Detroit: vs Atlanta
TW: 5-4; CV: 4-5
San Francisco 30, LA Rams 23: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
San Francisco takes care of the Rams in a big NFC West showdown. Brock Purdy and company felt at home as SoFi Stadium had more red than blue in the stands. Purdy completed 17 of 25 passes for 206 yards. He didn't throw a touchdown but didn't throw an interception in the game. The offense for the Niners would be from their run game as Christian McCaffrey rushed for 116 yards with a touchdown run, including a 51-yard run. Deebo Samuel had 38 yards rushing with a touchdown run. Purdy would rush for a touchdown. Jake Moody did the rest as he hit three field goals. The Rams played alright in the game. Matthew Stafford hit 34 of 55 passes for 307 yards with a touchdown pass to Kyren Williams. Stafford would hit two passes that would be intercepted by Deommodore Lenoir and Isaiah Oliver. Kyren Williams rushed for 52 yards with a touchdown on 14 carries. Puka Nacua comtinues his great start as he caught 15 passes for 147 yards. The rookie is the first wide receiver in NFL history with at least 10 catches for 100 yards in his first two games. The scoring for the Rams would come in the 1st half but wouldn't do much more in the 2nd half. The total yards for the Rams was 386 with most of the yardage was from the pass. For the 49ers, they get to 2-0 on the year with high expectations. For the Rams, they drop to 1-1 on the season.
San Francisco 30, LA Rams 23: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
San Francisco takes care of the Rams in a big NFC West showdown. Brock Purdy and company felt at home as SoFi Stadium had more red than blue in the stands. Purdy completed 17 of 25 passes for 206 yards. He didn't throw a touchdown but didn't throw an interception in the game. The offense for the Niners would be from their run game as Christian McCaffrey rushed for 116 yards with a touchdown run, including a 51-yard run. Deebo Samuel had 38 yards rushing with a touchdown run. Purdy would rush for a touchdown. Jake Moody did the rest as he hit three field goals. The Rams played alright in the game. Matthew Stafford hit 34 of 55 passes for 307 yards with a touchdown pass to Kyren Williams. Stafford would hit two passes that would be intercepted by Deommodore Lenoir and Isaiah Oliver. Kyren Williams rushed for 52 yards with a touchdown on 14 carries. Puka Nacua comtinues his great start as he caught 15 passes for 147 yards. The rookie is the first wide receiver in NFL history with at least 10 catches for 100 yards in his first two games. The scoring for the Rams would come in the 1st half but wouldn't do much more in the 2nd half. The total yards for the Rams was 386 with most of the yardage was from the pass. For the 49ers, they get to 2-0 on the year with high expectations. For the Rams, they drop to 1-1 on the season.
Next week:
San Francisco: vs NY Giants (Thursday night)
LA Rams: @ Cincinnati (Monday night)
LA Rams: @ Cincinnati (Monday night)
TW: 6-4; CV: 5-5
NY Giants 31, Arizona 28: TW: Giants; CV: Giants
The Cardinals had a 20-0 halftime lead and... it's gone. Daniel Jones and the Giants offense had a rough start. After being shutout at home 40-0 against Dallas, the Giants didn't get their first score of 2023 until the 3rd quarter on the Giants first drive. The score was a Daniel Jones run with 13:48 left in the quarter. Jones finished with 26 of 37 passes for 321 yards with two touchdown passes with an interception. Along with the rushing touchdown, Jones had 59 yards rushing. Saquon Barkley had a receiving touchdown and a rushing touchdown while getting 63 yards rushing. Isaiah Hodgins was the other player who received a pass from Jones. The Giants offense woke up and hung 439 total yards on the Cardinals. Joshua Dobbs started for the Cardinals and did alright with 21 of 31 passes completed for 228 yards with a touchdown pass to Malcolm Brown. The touchdown would put the Cardinals up 28-7 with 9:34 left in the 3rd quarter. They wouldn't score another touchdown in the game. Arizona's run game was solid as James Conner rushed for 106 yards with a touchdown early in the 1st quarter. Joshua Dobbs would get a touchdown run as well late in the 2nd quarter. The Cardinals looked good at halftime but somehow couldn't keep the foot on the gas. For the Giants, they saved their season and get to a 1-1 record despite having a 68-31 point differential. For the Cardinals, they drop to 0-2 with the Cowboys coming up in Week 3.
NY Giants 31, Arizona 28: TW: Giants; CV: Giants
The Cardinals had a 20-0 halftime lead and... it's gone. Daniel Jones and the Giants offense had a rough start. After being shutout at home 40-0 against Dallas, the Giants didn't get their first score of 2023 until the 3rd quarter on the Giants first drive. The score was a Daniel Jones run with 13:48 left in the quarter. Jones finished with 26 of 37 passes for 321 yards with two touchdown passes with an interception. Along with the rushing touchdown, Jones had 59 yards rushing. Saquon Barkley had a receiving touchdown and a rushing touchdown while getting 63 yards rushing. Isaiah Hodgins was the other player who received a pass from Jones. The Giants offense woke up and hung 439 total yards on the Cardinals. Joshua Dobbs started for the Cardinals and did alright with 21 of 31 passes completed for 228 yards with a touchdown pass to Malcolm Brown. The touchdown would put the Cardinals up 28-7 with 9:34 left in the 3rd quarter. They wouldn't score another touchdown in the game. Arizona's run game was solid as James Conner rushed for 106 yards with a touchdown early in the 1st quarter. Joshua Dobbs would get a touchdown run as well late in the 2nd quarter. The Cardinals looked good at halftime but somehow couldn't keep the foot on the gas. For the Giants, they saved their season and get to a 1-1 record despite having a 68-31 point differential. For the Cardinals, they drop to 0-2 with the Cowboys coming up in Week 3.
Next week:
NY Giants: @ San Francisco (Thursday night)
Arizona: vs Dallas
NY Giants: @ San Francisco (Thursday night)
Arizona: vs Dallas
TW: 7-4; CV: 6-5
NY Jets 10, Dallas 30: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
Dallas takes care of business against the Aaron Rodgers-less New York Jets. Zach Wilson didn't do a lot in the game as he threw 12 of 27 passes for completion for 170 yards with a touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson for the interesting Wilson-to-Wilson connection. Zach would also toss three interceptions in the game as well as being the leading rusher with 36 yards rushing. All in all, the Jets offense put up only 215 total yards. Dak Prescott had 31 of 38 passes for 255 yards with two touchdowns. Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker were the players that caught the passes from Dak Prescott. Tony Pollard had 72 yards rushing with 25 carries. The Cowboys offense was on fire as they had 382 total yards. Brandon Aubrey had a good day as well as he hit 5 of 5 field goals with 55 yards being his longest in the game. The Cowboys defense didn't get a pick six but limiting the Jets scoring to just 10 points in the 2nd quarter and not much else isn't too much to complain about. Even Jerry Jones wouldn't. For the Jets, they fall to 1-1 on 2023 with the Patriots coming up. For the Cowboys, they get to 2-0 on the year looking pretty good so far.
NY Jets 10, Dallas 30: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
Dallas takes care of business against the Aaron Rodgers-less New York Jets. Zach Wilson didn't do a lot in the game as he threw 12 of 27 passes for completion for 170 yards with a touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson for the interesting Wilson-to-Wilson connection. Zach would also toss three interceptions in the game as well as being the leading rusher with 36 yards rushing. All in all, the Jets offense put up only 215 total yards. Dak Prescott had 31 of 38 passes for 255 yards with two touchdowns. Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker were the players that caught the passes from Dak Prescott. Tony Pollard had 72 yards rushing with 25 carries. The Cowboys offense was on fire as they had 382 total yards. Brandon Aubrey had a good day as well as he hit 5 of 5 field goals with 55 yards being his longest in the game. The Cowboys defense didn't get a pick six but limiting the Jets scoring to just 10 points in the 2nd quarter and not much else isn't too much to complain about. Even Jerry Jones wouldn't. For the Jets, they fall to 1-1 on 2023 with the Patriots coming up. For the Cowboys, they get to 2-0 on the year looking pretty good so far.
Next week:
NY Jets: vs New England
Dallas: @ Arizona
NY Jets: vs New England
Dallas: @ Arizona
TW: 8-4; CV: 7-5
Washington 35, Denver 33: TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
We were robbed from another great potential overtime thriller. Sam Howell had a good game as he hit 27 of 39 passes for 299 yards with two touchdown passes to Terry McLaurin and Logan Thomas. Brian Robinson had a solid game on the ground with 87 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Washington's offense put up great numbers as they hung 388 total yards on the Broncos defense. Russell Wilson did a good job in the game as he hit 18 of 32 passes for 308 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Marvin Mims would get the first touchdown from Wilson on a deep pass for 60 yards. Brandon Johnson scores would come from 16 yards and on the 50 yards that put the game at a 2-point difference. Jaleel McLaughlin rushed for a touchdown on a 1-yard run that got the scoring going for Denver. Russell Wilson had 56 yards rushing and Javonte Williams had 44 yards rushing on 12 carries. The game had its drama as at one point the Broncos had a 21-3 lead early in the 2nd quarter only to see the Commanders decrease the lead to 21-14. Early in the 4th quarter the Commanders would get to a 35-24 lead. A Wil Lutz and Wilson pass would cut it down to a 35-33 difference. On the two-point conversion attempt, Wilson tried to get the ball to Cameron Sutton on what looked like a poor throw. Nevertheless, the Commanders survived. For the Commanders, they survive the close game and move to 2-0 on the season. For the Broncos, they're still looking for answers as they go to 0-2.
Washington 35, Denver 33: TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
We were robbed from another great potential overtime thriller. Sam Howell had a good game as he hit 27 of 39 passes for 299 yards with two touchdown passes to Terry McLaurin and Logan Thomas. Brian Robinson had a solid game on the ground with 87 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Washington's offense put up great numbers as they hung 388 total yards on the Broncos defense. Russell Wilson did a good job in the game as he hit 18 of 32 passes for 308 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Marvin Mims would get the first touchdown from Wilson on a deep pass for 60 yards. Brandon Johnson scores would come from 16 yards and on the 50 yards that put the game at a 2-point difference. Jaleel McLaughlin rushed for a touchdown on a 1-yard run that got the scoring going for Denver. Russell Wilson had 56 yards rushing and Javonte Williams had 44 yards rushing on 12 carries. The game had its drama as at one point the Broncos had a 21-3 lead early in the 2nd quarter only to see the Commanders decrease the lead to 21-14. Early in the 4th quarter the Commanders would get to a 35-24 lead. A Wil Lutz and Wilson pass would cut it down to a 35-33 difference. On the two-point conversion attempt, Wilson tried to get the ball to Cameron Sutton on what looked like a poor throw. Nevertheless, the Commanders survived. For the Commanders, they survive the close game and move to 2-0 on the season. For the Broncos, they're still looking for answers as they go to 0-2.
Next week:
Washington: vs Buffalo
Denver: @ Miami
Washington: vs Buffalo
Denver: @ Miami
TW: 9-4; CV: 8-5
Miami 24, New England 17: TW: Patriots; CV: Dolphins
Patriots are 0-2 for the first time since 2001. Tua Tagovailoa was effective but didn't put up 500+ yards of offense. The quarterback put up 21 of 30 passes for 249 yards with a touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill. Tyreek Hill's touchdown was from a goal-line scoring opportunity with 15 seconds left in the 1st half. It would eventually lead to a 17-3 lead. Tua would also toss a pass to rookie defensive back Christian Gonzalez. New England's rush defense would also face another struggle as they couldn't stop Raheem Mostert with 121 rushing yards with two touchdown runs in the 2nd and 4th quarters. If there was a positive for the Patriots was that Tyreek Hill would only get 40 receiving yards compared to the 215 yards he had last week against the Chargers. Miami put up 389 total yards. Mac Jones would start off slow again on offense but the quarterback put up 31 of 42 passes for 231 yards with a touchdown pass to Hunter Henry in the 4th quarter. Jones would throw an interception but fortunately didn't go for a pick-six. The 2nd touchdown for New England would be from Rhamondre Stevenson that would cut the Dolphins lead to seven points. Stevenson got 50 yards rushing in the game. New England would revert back to its hibernation in scoring during the 1st half. It was a habit that happened to be one during the 2022 season. In order to keep up with the Dolphins you need to score in all quarters of a game. For the Dolphins, they take sole possession of 1st place in the AFC East at 2-0. For the Patriots, they go to last place in the AFC East with a 0-2 record. The last time that the Patriots went 0-2, they won the Super Bowl at least.
Miami 24, New England 17: TW: Patriots; CV: Dolphins
Patriots are 0-2 for the first time since 2001. Tua Tagovailoa was effective but didn't put up 500+ yards of offense. The quarterback put up 21 of 30 passes for 249 yards with a touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill. Tyreek Hill's touchdown was from a goal-line scoring opportunity with 15 seconds left in the 1st half. It would eventually lead to a 17-3 lead. Tua would also toss a pass to rookie defensive back Christian Gonzalez. New England's rush defense would also face another struggle as they couldn't stop Raheem Mostert with 121 rushing yards with two touchdown runs in the 2nd and 4th quarters. If there was a positive for the Patriots was that Tyreek Hill would only get 40 receiving yards compared to the 215 yards he had last week against the Chargers. Miami put up 389 total yards. Mac Jones would start off slow again on offense but the quarterback put up 31 of 42 passes for 231 yards with a touchdown pass to Hunter Henry in the 4th quarter. Jones would throw an interception but fortunately didn't go for a pick-six. The 2nd touchdown for New England would be from Rhamondre Stevenson that would cut the Dolphins lead to seven points. Stevenson got 50 yards rushing in the game. New England would revert back to its hibernation in scoring during the 1st half. It was a habit that happened to be one during the 2022 season. In order to keep up with the Dolphins you need to score in all quarters of a game. For the Dolphins, they take sole possession of 1st place in the AFC East at 2-0. For the Patriots, they go to last place in the AFC East with a 0-2 record. The last time that the Patriots went 0-2, they won the Super Bowl at least.
Next week:
Miami: vs Denver
New England: @ NY Jets
Miami: vs Denver
New England: @ NY Jets
TW: 9-5; CV: 9-5
New Orleans 20, Carolina 17: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
A late push by Carolina would fall short in an NFC South showdown. Derek Carr would not get a lot of production in this game as he hit 21 of 36 passes for 228 yards with an interception. The interception was grabbed by Panthers strong safety Vonn Bell. It would be the Saints running game that would get things going. Taysom Hill rushed for 75 yards with a 19-yard run being the longest in the game for him. Tony Jones would get the scoring done for the Saints as he rushed for two touchdowns while getting 34 yards. Jones' first touchdown would be a 2-yard run on a draw play. The 2nd touchdown be from the same yardline. New Orleans put up 341 total yards of offense. Bryce Young would start slow but heated up later in the game. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 153 yards with a touchdown pass to former Viking Adam Thielen. The touchdown and the two-point conversion would get the Panthers to a 3-point Saints lead. Miles Sanders rushed for 43 yards with 14 carries. Eddie Pineiro would hit three field goals in the game with a 54-yard kick being the longest in the game. For stats, the Panthers would have the ball for 27 minutes but they had a tough time converting 3rd downs as they finished 4 of 14 chances on 3rd down. Not to mention that they wouldn't score their first touchdown until the last few minutes in the game. For the Saints, they achieve a 2-0 record and suddenly have a two-way battle against the Falcons in the NFC South. For the Panthers, they drop to 0-2 in 2023.
New Orleans 20, Carolina 17: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
A late push by Carolina would fall short in an NFC South showdown. Derek Carr would not get a lot of production in this game as he hit 21 of 36 passes for 228 yards with an interception. The interception was grabbed by Panthers strong safety Vonn Bell. It would be the Saints running game that would get things going. Taysom Hill rushed for 75 yards with a 19-yard run being the longest in the game for him. Tony Jones would get the scoring done for the Saints as he rushed for two touchdowns while getting 34 yards. Jones' first touchdown would be a 2-yard run on a draw play. The 2nd touchdown be from the same yardline. New Orleans put up 341 total yards of offense. Bryce Young would start slow but heated up later in the game. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 153 yards with a touchdown pass to former Viking Adam Thielen. The touchdown and the two-point conversion would get the Panthers to a 3-point Saints lead. Miles Sanders rushed for 43 yards with 14 carries. Eddie Pineiro would hit three field goals in the game with a 54-yard kick being the longest in the game. For stats, the Panthers would have the ball for 27 minutes but they had a tough time converting 3rd downs as they finished 4 of 14 chances on 3rd down. Not to mention that they wouldn't score their first touchdown until the last few minutes in the game. For the Saints, they achieve a 2-0 record and suddenly have a two-way battle against the Falcons in the NFC South. For the Panthers, they drop to 0-2 in 2023.
Next week:
New Orleans: @ Green Bay
Carolina: @ Seattle
TW: 10-5; CV: 10-5
Cleveland 22, Pittsburgh 26: TW: Steelers; CV: Browns
New Orleans: @ Green Bay
Carolina: @ Seattle
TW: 10-5; CV: 10-5
Cleveland 22, Pittsburgh 26: TW: Steelers; CV: Browns
This game ended at 11:43 pm Eastern time! Crazy! DeShaun Watson had a meh game as he completed 22 of 40 passes for 235 yards with a touchdown pass to Jerome Ford that would give the Browns a 10-7 lead in the 2nd quarter. On the first play from scrimmage, Watson tossed a pass that was tipped and recovered by Alex Highsmith and ran it back for the Steelers. Jerome Ford racked up yardage as he put up 106 yards on the Steelers defense, including a 69-yard run. Nick Chubb would play in the game but he would leave the game with a left knee injury in the 2nd quarter. Pierre Strong Jr would find the endzone on a dive play into the endzone. Cleveland showed off their offensive power with 408 total yards. Kenny Pickett had a alright game as well with 15 of 30 for 222 yards passing with a touchdown to George Pickens with an interception. The touchdown would come on a deep 71-yard dime that gave the Steelers the lead but would miss on the ensuing two-point try. Najee Harris would rush for 43 yards in the game on 10 carries. Jaylen Warren had six carries for 20 yards. TJ Watt had a stellar game as he picked up a forced fumble and returned it to the endzone for a score as well as becoming the Steelers franchise leader in sacks with 81.5 sacks (should be noted that the sack wasn't an official statistic until 1982). Overall, the Steelers offense would put up less amount of offensive yards with 255 but would make it up with their defensive play. For the Browns, they fall to 1-1 with Nick Chubb being out for a fair bit of time. For the Steelers, they get to 1-1 with a jumpstart to their season.
Next week:
Cleveland: vs Tennessee
Pittsburgh: @ Las Vegas
Cleveland: vs Tennessee
Pittsburgh: @ Las Vegas
TW: 11-5; CV: 10-6
Records
Cardinal Viking:
2023:
Week 1: 10-6
Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 10-6
Total: 20-12
2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2
My record:
2023:
Week 1: 9-7
Week 1: 9-7
Week 2: 11-5
Total: 20-12
2012: 164-90-2
2013: 162-92-1
2014: 172-83-1
2017: 164-92
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1
2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2022: 166-103-2
See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 3 Picks post!
-Tom
