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Santiago Leon and Dan Madden recap the 2024 NFL Week 2.
Contributors
Santiago Leon – @sleon
Dan Madden – @danimal2478
Top Headlines
- Panthers have benched Bryce Young, and Andy Daulton will be starting
- Jermaine Johnson’s injury impacts Haason Reddick.
- Bucs are 2-0
- Saints are 2-0
- Marvin Harrison Jr. impressive Week 2
- Isaiah Pacheco ankle injury, fibula?
2024 NFL Week 2 Recap
SF 17 MIN23
The Vikings just made a statement. That wasn’t a win over the lowly Giants, that was a win over the mighty San Francisco 49ers. One of the best teams in the NFL just came into U.S. Bank Stadium and left with a loss that should put the entire league on notice.
Sam Darnold threw two touchdown passes and led a clutch scoring drive in the fourth quarter as the Vikings (2-0) emerged with an impressive 23-17 win over the defending NFC champion 49ers (1-1) on Sunday.
SEA 23 NE 20
— Jason Myers hit a 31-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Seattle Seahawks to a 23-20 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The game-winner capped a three-for-three day for Myers, who ensured the game went into OT with a 38-yard field goal with less than a minute left in regulation. Myers also hit from 44 yards in the second quarter.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith led Seattle on an eight-play, 71-yard drive to the New England 13 to set up the winning score. Smith was 33 of 44 for 327 yards on the day, with a 56-yard touchdown to DK Metcalf in the first half.
Metcalf finished with 10 catches for 129 yards.
NYG 18 WAS 21
— Jayden Daniels got the wind knocked out of him, missed a snap and came back like nothing went wrong. He led the Washington Commanders down the field over and over without a touchdown to show for it and made sure they still put points on the board.
When it mattered most, Daniels got the job done and picked up his first win as an NFL quarterback, beating the New York Giants 21-18 on Sunday thanks to a franchise-record seven field goals from new kicker Austin Seibert.
“I feel blessed,” Daniels said. “Can’t really complain. It wasn’t the prettiest game, but a win is a win.”
Daniels engineered the go-ahead, 65-yard drive in the final minutes to get the ball into the red zone, setting up Seibert’s 30-yard field goal that won it as the clock expired. Seibert’s 7-for-7 performance came days after he replaced Cade York, who missed each of his two attempts in the season opener.
“I guess that’s a great way to kind of welcome myself to the team and win a football game, so I’m happy with it,” said Seibert, who was good from 27, 45, 26, 27, 29 and 30 yards out. “No reason to make it bigger than it is. Just go out there and do what I do.”
The Commanders (1-1) came back to win an ugly game after the Giants lost kicker Graham Gano to an injury on the opening kickoff. Not having Gano forced New York (0-2) to go for it on several fourth-down situations after punter Jamie Gillan missed an extra point attempt early.
LAC 26 CAR 3
— Justin Herbert threw two touchdown passes to Quentin Johnston, J.K Dobbins ran for 131 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown, and the Los Angeles Chargers drubbed the Carolina Panthers 26-3 on Sunday.
The Chargers (2-0) methodically wore down the Panthers, piling up 219 yards on the ground while holding Carolina to just 159 total yards and seven first downs.
Second-year quarterback Bryce Young had another miserable game, finishing 18 of 26 passing for 84 yards with one interception and was booed repeatedly by the home crowd while falling to 2-16 as a starter.
NO 44 DAL 19
Kamara scores 4 TDs, Saints end Cowboys’ 16-game home streak in regular season with 44-19 win
Alvin Kamara scored four touchdowns, including a 57-yarder on a screen pass, and the New Orleans Saints ended Dallas’ 16-game home winning streak in the regular season with a 44-19 victory over the Cowboys on Sunday.
Derek Carr threw for 243 yards and two TDs to go along with a 1-yard sneak for a score, and the Saints (2-0) got touchdowns on their first six drives a week after setting a franchise record by starting the season with points on nine consecutive possessions in a 47-10 rout of Carolina.
It was actually the second straight loss at AT&T Stadium for the Cowboys (1-1) after their 48-32 wild-card shocker against Green Bay last January.
IND 10 GB 16
— Malik Willis acknowledges he wasn’t ready the last time he had to start an NFL game. The Green Bay Packers quarterback knew he’d be more prepared the next time an opportunity arose.
With plenty of help from his new teammates, Willis went out and proved it Sunday by helping the Packers beat the Indianapolis Colts 16-10 on Sunday.
Acquired by Green Bay on Aug. 27 in trade from Tennessee, Willis threw his first career touchdown pass to help the Packers withstand the absence of the injured Jordan Love.
CLE 18 JAX 13
— Deshaun Watson ran for a touchdown, Dustin Hopkins kicked three field goals and the stingy Cleveland Browns did just enough to hold off the Jacksonville Jaguars 18-13 on Sunday.
The Browns (1-1) dominated much of the rainy day, sacking Trevor Lawrence four times and holding Jacksonville in check for nearly three quarters.
The Jaguars (0-2) woke up late, with Lawrence finding rookie Brian Thomas Jr. for 66 yards to set up a touchdown and then adding a field goal to make it a one-score game.
NYJ 25 TEN 17
— Braelon Allen, the NFL’s youngest player, ran for a 20-yard touchdown with 4:31 left to put Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets ahead to stay as they beat the Tennessee Titans 24-17 on Sunday.
Rodgers threw for 176 yards and two TDs and got to kneel down for his first victory as the Jets’ starting quarterback. One of those TD passes by the 40-year-old Rodgers was to the 20-year-old Allen, marking a score by the NFL’s oldest and youngest players.
The Jets (1-1) ruined the home opener for Titans first-year coach Brian Callahan, whose offense was rolling until a pair of back-to-back turnovers by second-year quarterback Will Levis.
TB 20 DET 16
— Baker Mayfield had an 11-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Detroit Lions 20-16 on Sunday in a playoff rematch.
Tampa Bay (2-0) fell behind only once in the closely contested game, and it stopped Detroit (1-1) when it had two chances to drive for a go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes.
The Lions turned it over on downs at the Bucs 6 with 53 seconds left and again at their 26 with 2 seconds left.
Mayfield, meanwhile, was efficient through the air by completing 12 of 19 passes for 185 yards, including a tiebreaking 41-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin in the second quarter. He also ran four times for 35 yards. Godwin had seven catches for 117 yards.
LV 26 BAL 23
— Gardner Minshew and the Raiders brushed aside years of frustration and criticism with a memorable performance on a splendid afternoon for underdogs.
Minshew led three scoring drives in the fourth quarter, Daniel Carlson kicked a go-ahead 38-yard field goal with 27 seconds left and Las Vegas rallied to beat the Baltimore Ravens 26-23 on Sunday.
Baltimore appeared headed toward its first win of the season after Derrick Henry plowed into the end zone for a 23-13 lead with 12 minutes left. But the Raiders (1-1) stormed back behind Minshew.
LAR 10 AZ 41
There were plenty of highlights to choose from in a spectacular day for the Cardinals’ offense. Murray threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns, rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. caught his first two NFL touchdown passes and the Cardinals rolled past the Los Angeles Rams 41-10 on Sunday.
“He was lights out,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said of Murray. “He’s a premium player for a reason. You take him against anybody. That’s how I feel and that’s what he did today.”
The Cardinals’ offense — highlighted by the Murray-to-Harrison combo — dazzled on the way to a 24-3 halftime lead.
CIN 25 KC 26
Butker drilled the 51-yarder as time expired, giving Kansas City the 26-25 victory.
“I try to block it out,” Butker said of the crowd noise. “It’s hard not to feed off it, but I try to block it out. What I don’t like is when you’re trotting onto the field and everyone is clapping, and I’m like, ‘The game’s not over yet. I still have to make this kick.’”
Patrick Mahomes threw for 151 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, but it was his incomplete pass intended for Rashee Rice on fourth-and-16 from the Kansas City 35 that turned out to be decisive. Anthony arrived a split-second early and moved Rice from behind with his body, and flags flew with 38 seconds remaining to keep the Chiefs alive.
The penalty came just after Kansas City had a long gain on fourth down wiped out by a penalty of its own.
PIT 13 DEN 6
— Justin Fields and the Pittsburgh Steelers squeaked past the sputtering Denver Broncos 13-6 on Sunday with Russell Wilsonreprising his bitter role as sideline spectator in the Mile High City.
Wilson’s much-anticipated return to Denver to face the team that replaced him first with journeyman Jarrett Stidham, then with rookie Bo Nix, fizzled into a footnote when he was relegated to emergency QB status as a strained calf sidelined him for the second straight week.
That didn’t stop Steelers coach Mike Tomlin from giving Wilson a game ball in the victorious visitors locker room.
CHI 13 HOU 19
Texans keep Williams out of end zone again to beat Bears 19-13 on Sunday Night
C.J. Stroud threw for 260 yards and a touchdown and Ka′imi Fairbairn kicked four field goals to help the Houston Texans top the Chicago Bears 19-13 on Sunday night.
Fairbairn connected from 56, 47, 59 and 53 yards, and Houston’s defense put heavy pressure on Caleb Williams for much of the game.
Stroud’s 28-yard scoring pass to Nico Collins put Houston up 10-3 early in the second quarter, and the Texans led 16-10 at halftime
Santiago Leon is the Founder and CEO of the Sports Cast. He covers NFL, NBA, and world soccer. He’s also founder of sleon productions, which he specializes in technology and serves clients with solutions to make their business grow.