NFL Week 2 Takeaways

Remarkable comebacks, underwhelming performances by supposed contenders, and a season-ending injury to 49ers quarterback Trey Lance were all on display in Week 2 of the NFL. Chaos broke out everywhere during a riveting 13-game schedule.

After being shocked by the Dallas Cowboys without Dak Prescott last week, last season’s champion Cincinnati Bengals have lost their first two games. On a crazy day of NFL football, the Cleveland Browns stole defeat from the grasp of victory while the Green Bay Packers showed everyone that they were still around.

Even those who aren’t avid NFL supporters can still enjoy the festivities at the Super Bowl. You can only imagine how football fans, Super Bowl Bookies, and sports bettors feel about their favourite teams and players at this point in the season, which is only in week two.

Review our NFL Week 2 takeaways to make sense of it all.

San Francisco 49ers 27 – Seattle Seahawks 7

The outcome of this game is merely a minor blip in terms of Trey Lance’s well-being as a second-year quarterback. The 49ers chose Lance with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and hoped to measure his development this year.

Such evaluations of the rookie quarterback will now be postponed because Lance is anticipated to miss the rest of the season. But the 49ers’ current campaign won’t be a lost one. Although the decision to keep Jimmy Garoppolo as Lance’s backup quarterback was heavily criticized, it will undoubtedly be advantageous. The 49ers should be regarded as their team from the previous season.

Miami 42, Baltimore 38

Miami handed the ball to Tua Tagovailoa with a three-score deficit at the half, and he responded with six touchdowns and 469 passing yards. He eventually completed the comeback with a TD pass to Jaylen Waddle.

The Dolphins, led by first-year head coach Mike McDaniel, seem able to compete in a shootout. Tagovailoa made wise choices with the ball and handled the pocket with skill. His career’s most important statement game was this one.

A weakened defense allowed the Ravens to blow a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter, matching the biggest lead blown in franchise history.

Detroit Lions 36 – Washington Commanders 27

Through the opening two weeks of the 2022 season, the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs are tied for the top-scoring team spot. According to the discourse surrounding Lions quarterback Jared Goff, he was merely an LA Rams leftover or a stepping stone to Detroit’s inevitable future at the position.

Goff, however, is subtly establishing himself as the Lions’ quarterback of the future. In his second season, he was outstanding on this particular day, and his on-court chemistry with WR Amon-Ra St. Brown is evident.

Conversely, Washington’s defense displayed an inferior level of play during the most crucial parts of the game. With such a defensive-oriented coaching staff in DC, it will be challenging to ignore if this theme permeates the entire season.

Arizona 29, Las Vegas 23

If the Cardinals’ offense had been stronger earlier, they could not have needed overtime to eke out an unexpected victory over the Raiders. Arizona must find a way to break out of its recent major slump to prevent this season from imploding quickly. In Las Vegas, they were able to recover and prevail, but this won’t be the case always.

The raiders’ offense had a pretty awful second half. The Raiders were up 20-0 at the half, allowing the Cardinals to force overtime. With one play left in the extra period and the Raiders in position to kick the game-winning field goal, receiver Hunter Renfrow fumbled.

Green Bay Packers 27 – Chicago Bears 10

The Bears’ encouraging opening drive was a subterfuge for those who thought Chicago could maintain this game’s competitiveness. This game was quickly out of reach after five drives and no first down, and Green Bay again displayed its dominance.

It was unexpected that the Bears abandoned the run game early, and it was confusing that they returned to it when the game was already lost. One would hope that under such circumstances, fans would have a chance to evaluate second-year QB Justin Fields more thoroughly. However, the Bears’ coaching staff did not intend this to happen, as evidenced by the former first-round pick’s low pass attempt total of 11.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 – New Orleans Saints 10

After both teams had little offensive success during the first three quarters, a fight led to the dismissal of Mike Evans and Marshon Lattimore. In the fourth quarter, Tampa Bay’s defense and quarterback Tom Brady came to life, helping the Buccaneers to victory.

In an attempt to stretch the field against a top-notch Tampa defensive backfield, Winston undoubtedly became frustrated with the lack of offense in a 3-3 game. The Buccaneers’ defensive superiority was highlighted by an interception return touchdown, which exemplified the distance between NFC South rivals.

Conclusion

NFL Week 2 featured some exciting comebacks, brawls between sworn enemies, and a team that went 2-0 for the first time since 2016. Normally, it takes time for a new administration or coaching team to alter a losing mentality, but one franchise could have a chance to move up the division standings in just one year. Of course, the 2022 season has just begun, but folks can see the early results of a team under a new coach already.