Week 2 of the NFL season ended as one to forget for two high-profile quarterbacks and two Super Bowl LIX contending teams.
Around The NFL
Josh Allen barely needed to throw the ball in the second half the Buffalo Bills were doing it that easy in their 31-10 win over the Miami Dolphins. The big talking point to come out of the game, however, is Tua Tagovailoa leaving the game with another concussion.
Fantastic last week, the San Francisco 49ers were stunned by the Minnesota Vikings 23-17. Sam Darnold got the better of his old team for 268 yards and two touchdowns, including a monster 97-yard effort to Justin Jefferson. Dominated by the 49ers in Week 1, the New York Jets picked up a 24-17 win over the Tennesse Titans – Aaron Rogers’ first as a Jet.
The Los Angeles Chargers had a bye beat the Carolina Panthers 26-3 in a game that has had major repercussions for Carolina’s young quarterback.
The experiment is over imo. pic.twitter.com/UbTYRWXIyS
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) September 15, 2024
The New England Patriots continue to exceed expectations but fell short of the Seattle Seahawks 23-20 in overtime. Similarly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are again a force to be reckoned with this season. Baker Mayfield completed 12 of his 19 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown as the Bucs beat the Detroit Lions 20-16.
Despite an improved performance from New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, the Washington Commanders escaped with a 21-18 win. Josh Jacobs ran riot to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 16-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately for Anthony Richardson, he couldn’t build on his Week 1 brilliance in Week 2.
The Las Vegas Raiders entered Week 2 of the NFL season as the biggest underdogs in the league. Still, they completed a comeback 26-23 straight-up victory over the highly-fancied Baltimore Ravens. Las Vegas’ win total now sits at 7.5 games (Over – $1.91).
Four touchdowns and another stellar performance from Derek Carr led the New Orleans Saints to a massive 44-19 win over the Dallas Cowboys. The Saints had scored on 15 consecutive drives to start the NFL season before putting their offence into neutral late in the game.
"[The Saints offense] is the best story in the NFL right now."@minakimes is IMPRESSED with the Saints' offense 👏 pic.twitter.com/1E1mHdTwDI
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 16, 2024
One of the most poorly-coached games in recent memory saw the Jacksonville Jaguars fall to the Cleveland Browns 18-13. Doug Pederson is in the hot seat with the Jaguars now $2.10 to finish with Under 6.5 wins.
Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. officially announced themselves as one of the most dangerous duos in the NFL with a resounding 41-10 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Harrison caught all four of his catchable targets to have 130 yards and a touchdown to his name by halftime. Things went from bad to worse for the Rams as Cooper Kupp limped off the field with an ankle injury.
Conspiracy theories ran wild as a late flag allowed Harrison Butler to kick the winner for the Kanas City Chiefs. The Cincinnati Bengals season looked on track before the Chiefs got lucky on a 4th-and-16. While correct, the decision it’s one that can fly under the radar at times.
Bo Nix looked every bit like a rookie as the Denver Broncos fell to 0-2 following their 13-6 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Justin Fields looks like he has secured the Steelers quarterback job for the time being, though. Caleb Williams is looking a lot like an NFL rookie, too. The timing of the league is taking a toll on the number one pick. He can no longer scramble his way out of trouble, and the Houston Texans made him pay on their way to a 19-13 win.
Finally, Kirk Cousins showed exactly why they Atlanta Falcons got him in on big money as he led a late-game drive to a 22-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kirk Cousins to Drake London for the TD and the lead vs. the Eagles. What a drive by Kirk.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 17, 2024
3 Takeaways From NFL Week 2
Tua goes down
Concussion research is limited and not every concussion is created equal. Some experts think one concussion increases the risk of another. Some don’t. The confidence in which sections of the internet so confidently suggest Tua Tagovailoa should do anything following his latest concussion are misinformed at best, and performative and disingenuous at worst.
Tua takes a hard hit. He appears to be concussed. #BUFvsMIA pic.twitter.com/SwBpjQQaM1
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) September 13, 2024
It will only ever come down to Tagovailoa and how he feels based on the information provided – by experts.
He offered a glimpse into his thinking when he suffered two concussions in 2022:
“I considered [retirement] for a time, having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kind of conversations, but it will be hard for me to walk away from this game with how old I am.”
Now we wait…
In the meantime, the Dolphins are out to $23 in the Super Bowl LIX market and $2.10 to make the NFL Playoffs.
Yes, the Bryce Young experiment is over (for now)
Bryce Young is one of the unluckiest players in recent memory.
The talent is there, but the support is not. More specifically, the support from ownership is not.
David Tepper is the worst owner in sports, and Young is collateral damage at the moment.
The young quarterback has been benched following his horror performance in Week 2. He posted a career-low 6.4 QBR against the Chargers and became the first quarterback selected No.1 in the common draft era to be benched for noninjury reasons in only their second season.
Bryce Young Benched. Why?…Film Dont Lie.
He's struggling with seeing the field & his footwork is NOT where it should be. There are plays wide open.
All 22 QB Breakdown: Bryce Young pic.twitter.com/g8aXfqMou6
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) September 16, 2024
Young could have been a different player had be been drafted anywhere else. He still might. But as we head into Week 3, the 34-year-old Andy Dalton has been listed as the Panthers starter.
The Raiders are $1.40 and -5.5 favourites early in the week to make it 0-3 for the Panthers.
The Bengals & Ravens are in trouble
The Cincinnati Bengals can feel aggrieved following their Week 2 loss to the Chiefs. There are plenty of examples of that call late in the game going unpunished. Nonetheless, they’re now 0-2 thanks to their nightmare performance in Week 1.
Meanwhile, the Ravens blew a 10-point lead for the 11th time in three seasons to be 0-2 for the first time since 2015.
It’s no surprise that 0-2 teams struggle to make the playoffs. Still, 279 teams have started an NFL season 0-2 since 1990. Only 32 of those teams have bounced back to feature in the playoffs.
The Ravens ($1.72) and Bengals ($1.70) are both still expected to make the playoffs. Their Week 5 meeting could be one of the biggest games of the NFL season.
NFL Odds & Futures
Despite the up-and-down results from Week 2, little has changed in the Super Bowl LIX winner market.
The Chiefs escaped with a win and remain as $7 favourites alongside the 49ers, who, while losing, did so in a fashion that isn’t too concerning.
Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions haven’t been convincing early but are among the contenders at $10. Meanwhile, the Ravens ($11) and Bengals ($15) are still fancied after starting the season 0-2.
TOP 6 SUPER BOWL LVIII ODDS
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| TEAM | CURRENT PRICE | LAST WEEK’S PRICE | |
| San Francisco 49ers | $7 | $7 | |
| Kansas City Chiefs | $7 | $7 | |
| Detroit Lions | $10 | $10 | |
| Baltimore Ravens | $11 | $11 | |
| Philadelphia Eagles | $13 | $13 | |
| Buffalo Bills | $15 | $15 | |