What we learned Sunday in the NFL, Week 2: Beware the Bengals and 3 more takeaways from a wild day
The Bills and Texans are undefeated, Seattle might not be the best defense in the league and it could be Kirk Cousins’ time to shine in Washington. That and more as we look back on Sunday in the NFL.
Andy Lyons
By Danny Kelly
Just how good is the Cincinnati defense? Week 2 added a little bit of context to the discussion.
After beating the Ravens in their place to start the season, Cincy came back this week to shut down Matt Ryan and a resurgent Falcons offense. This came a week after Atlanta looked like it could be among the class of the NFC by amassing 568 yards of total offense (448 passing) against the Saints. Matt Ryan and the high-flying Falcons were brought back down to earth as Ryan threw 44 times, got picked off three times, and was limited to 231 yards passing.
The Bengals held Ryan and the Falcons to 3-of-12 on third downs, sacked him three times, hit him nine times, and racked up 12 passes defended. They flew around and played tough, physical football for the second week in a row.
The Seahawks had generally received the nod as the best defense in the NFL going into this season, but it looks like Bengals might give them a run for their money with their second straight strong showing (Carolina is, too, but more on that later). Meanwhile in San Diego, Seattle's defense, which shut Aaron Rodgers down in Week 1, struggled to get off the field in 100-plus degree heat, allowing Philip Rivers and the Chargers offense to convert 10 third downs on 17 tries en route to giving up 30 points.
NFL Week 2 Results
Rivers went 28-of-37 for 284 yards and three touchdowns, all to Antonio Gates. Gates straight victimized Seattle linebackers and safeties all day long. Gates hauled in seven catches for 96 yards and had a couple of big conversions on those key third downs.
Even Seattle's All-Pros in the Legion Of Boom looked human in this one. Kam Chancellor couldn't stop Gates on several key plays, and Richard Sherman was beat by Keenan Allen and Eddie Royal on a few others.
While playing the run strong, Seattle’s defense looked gassed much of the game and committed a few stupid, costly penalties that kept Charger drives alive and the ball in their hands. At the end of the day, the Chargers completely dominated in time of possession, 42:15 to 17:45, a telling stat for how the game went. Rivers played out of his mind, but Seattle’s defense looked ... vulnerable ... for the first time in a while.
2. Kirk Cousins takes over ... again
By Eric Sollenberger
Robert Griffin III laid face-down in agony for several minutes. Things were looking pretty bleak for Washington after the third-year quarterback stepped awkwardly off his left foot and dislocated his ankle early in the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But Washington’s favorite backup, Kirk Cousins, took the field against a Jacksonville defense that was torched for 34 second-half points in last week’s come-from-ahead loss and proved he can get the job done. Cousins threw for 250 yards and looked good in his decision-making and accuracy, lending credence to the Joe Theismann types who thought he might fit Jay Gruden’s system better than RGIII.
While Cousins looked impressive, the real story was a tale of two cities' offensive lines. Washington's front five gave Cousins time to get through his progressions and opened up big enough holes for Roy Helu Jr. and Alfred Morris to keep the play action effective. Jacksonville, on the other hand, allowed 10 sacks on the day while helping Toby Gerhart to only eight total yards rushing. The lack of a rushing attack in turn allowed Washington to play to its strengths in the pass rush, leading OLB Ryan Kerrigan (four sacks) to a career day.
3. Panthers in power position in the NFC South
By Danny Kelly
Speaking of some of the best defenses in the NFL, the Panthers set themselves up well in the NFC South, as they've raced to a 2-0 start. Carolina stifled a high-octane offense in Detroit by allowing only seven points to a unit that easily put up 35 on the Giants last week. Matt Stafford averaged just 6.0 yards per pass attempt. The Lions couldn't get their run game going either, rushing 18 times for 70 yards.
Cam Newton’s return didn’t hurt. After missing Week 1, Newton passed for 281 yards and a touchdown, and the win puts Carolina firmly in control of the NFC South for now.
While the Falcons offense looked unstoppable in Week 1 against a Saints defense that was supposed to be among the NFC's best this year, Atlanta couldn't get much done there in Week 2. Surprisingly, the Saints' struggles on defense continued as they gave up 26 points to the Browns in a losing effort. New Orleans' 0-2 start comes despite some strong play from the offense, but will that be enough to fight back into the division race?
Carolina once again looks to be in the power position in the NFC South early on this season, and have set themselves up well to defend their division title.
By Ryan Van Bibber
*may not actually be perfect in a literal, comprehensive sense of the word
Both teams own undefeated 2-0 records and sit atop their respective divisions ... just like you predicted they would back in August. Part of that is a function of schedule. The Bills opened in Chicago against a Bears team that looked like it wasn't ready for the year to start. Winning the home opener against the Dolphins was a little more convincing. They're leaning on the run to minimize exposure for EJ Manuel. Sammy Watkins came on strong this week with 117 yards and a touchdown. Buffalo hosts the Chargers next week. After that, they'll travel to Houston. Speaking of ...
The Texans are 2-0 mostly because J.J. Watt is the best player in the NFL right now. Even when he doesn't have a sack, he's dictating what opposing offenses do (Oakland's didn't do much of anything). This week, he caught a touchdown pass. He's as bored playing against the Raiders as we are of watching them. If Houston can pleasantly overlook Ryan Fitzpatrick for 14 more games, it could make things interesting in an AFC that's struggling to take shape.
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