2022 NFL Week 2 Recap

Whether your side is down in the dumps or leading the league, the second week of NFL matchups did not disappoint. Divisional favourites are already starting to shine - with just 6 teams going 2-0 - and quarterback troubles continue for those still searching for a win.

Fourth-quarter comebacks, a Bayou brawl and a Tua Takeover headline Week 2 of the NFL, but there's plenty more to cover. So, let's get into it...

Chargers 24 - 27 Chiefs

The Chargers choking is the real story here. Sure, we saw Mahomes ball out, but not quite to his usual standard. The Chiefs were stoppable. The game was winnable. But LA’s loss was inevitable after a fatal error from the offense.

The Chargers held a lead heading into Q3, but had one interception ruling overturned and dropped another in the endzone - both would have essentially sealed the win. But the deciding play of the game came at 17 apiece early in the 4th...

Justin Herbert found Gerald Everett on back-to-back passes to put them on the Kansas 3-yard line. The gassed tight-end asked to be subbed out, but the Chargers ran a hurry-up offense. For some reason, Herbert went to the exhausted Everett yet again, who failed to run his route correctly and the result was a 99-yard pick six.

Instead of leading by 7, or even just a field goal, the Chargers were suddenly trailing 24-17.

The momentum shift couldn't be overturned and after Herbert suffered a heavy hit - resulting in his inability to run for an easy 1st down on 3rd&1 - the game was over for LA, still chasing a two-score deficit.

Both QBs had good days, but mistakes and injuries cost LA the win. Looking forward to seeing them face-off again in November either way.

Patriots 17 - 14 Steelers

This low-scoring grinder was pretty much a snoozefest, especially during a week with an 80-point scoreline in the mix.

Neither offense could get going throughout the matchup and it was clear the game would be decided by a defensive or special teams play. And a muffed punt was the answer.

The Pats lined up to punt and give Pittsburgh a chance to take the lead heading into the final 15, but returner Gunner Olsewski had other ideas. The muffed punt was recovered by New England, setting up a scoring drive that gave them a 17-16 lead.

Despite securing the win this week, my money's on Belichick hitting his 100th home-ground loss against the Ravens next Sunday.

There isn't even a single highlight from this one that's worth watching... sorry folks.

Panthers 16 - 19 Giants

Are they just unlucky or are they actually bad?

Both of the Panthers losses come at the hands of consecutive go-ahead 55+ yard field goals in the fourth quarter and overtime. Safe to say, that is quite unlucky... But, maybe these games don't go down to the wire if Mayfield plays anything other than completely average. After all, they had a chance to tie things up or even take the lead with their final drive.

Three consecutive home games should provide some temporary comfort for Carolina over the next few weeks, but I'm not expecting anything great from them this year.

The Giants now lead the NFC East as one-of-six 2-0 teams... Plus, their next three games could be easy wins if they continue their current form. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see a 5-0 start for Big Blue, especially if Barkley stays fit.

Will they be the NFL's worst-to-first story for 2022?

Sadly, nothing much to see highlight-wise in this matchup either. So here's a throwback to Daniel Jones' most athletic play of his career in the last Giants-Panthers showdown:

Jets 31 - Browns 30

The Browns had their first 2-0 start since 1993 in the palm of their hands, but committed one of the greatest chokes we've ever seen.

Cleveland somehow managed to fumble a 13 point lead in the final 1:22 of the game.

Before Sunday, NFL teams had won 2,229 consecutive games when leading by at least 13 in the final 2 minutes. The last team to blow such a lead? The Browns, way back in 2001... 21 years and not much has changed.

And Joe Flacco... What can I say? I guess I have an apology to write after last week's comments.

The Jets QB had a hell of a day - logging 307 passing yards, 4 touchdowns and zero interceptions. And more importantly, when his back was against the wall - 6 points down with 1:55 to play - he made it happen (though he was helped along by an onside kick recovery).

In any case, I'm sorry Joe, the letter's in the mail. But if we're honest, this is the game winning play:

Colts 0 - 24 Jaguars

Three interceptions, five sacks and zero points... it doesn't get much worse than that.

Matt Ryan looked utterly lost in his second week on the turf and takes Indy to 0-1-1. (still weird to see)

The first shutout of 2022 marks the Colts eighth straight loss in Jacksonville. This isn't just bad luck, this is a full-on trend.

Lawrence looks like he's finding his stride after an underwhelming rookie campaign. The college superstar connected with Christian Kirk who caught all six targets for 78 yards and 2 touchdowns - perhaps they'll be this year's Stafford & Kupp?

Either way, the Jags look good at the top of a mediocre division, and the Colts look, well... pretty terrible.

Dolphins 42 - 38 Ravens

The blockbuster game of week 2 was nothing short of electric.

Lamar Jackson clocked an NFL-record 11th game with 100-yards rushing for a QB. He had a near-perfect game but it still wasn't enough against Miami and Tua Tagovailoa's breakout performance.

The Ravens offense didn't have a single turnover, only had one penalty for 5 yards, scored 38 points, and somehow still lost.

I guess Miami's dedication to speed may be starting to pay off, as Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle caught 2 touchdowns each and accounted for 361 of Tua's 469 passing yards. The star of the show threw for 6 TDs in total and led a comeback from 35-14 down with just 12:12 on the clock.

That's right. The Dolphins outscored Baltimore 28-3 in the last 12 minutes of the game. This comeback will be hard to top.

Buccaneers 20 - 10 Saints

Snoozefest number 2 (minus one moment).

Following a nap-worthy first half, the game was finally brought to life with a cornerback-wide receiver showdown, after the whistle.

We've seen Mike Evans and Marshon Lattimore go at it many times before and Sunday night was nothing new.

A frustrated Tom Brady was struggling to find the endzone (or even field-goal range) as the first half ended 3-0 to the Saints and tensions were certainly heightened. After words were exchanged between Brady and Lattimore, Evans came flying out of nowhere to protect his QB.

Both Evans and Lattimore were ejected as a result of the altercation and Evans is now suspended for one game, much to the disappointment of my fantasy team...

Despite missing his number one target for most of the second half, Brady still had a good-enough game to secure the W. He threw for 188 yards and a touchdown, which ended up being the deciding factor for the win.

So, in a pretty boring game at least there was something exciting.

Commanders 27 - 36 Lions

In what should have been the easiest two fixtures of their schedule, the Commanders have given up an average of 29 points and 157 rushing yards.

Now, I'd love to see Wentz do well in Washington, but he has no chance if the defense doesn't bother playing.

I'd also love to see Jared Goff flop in Detroit (as a Rams fan and long-term hater) but I can't avoid it any longer, he's actually playing well.

The Lions have put up 35+ points in back-to-back games for the first time since 1952. Amon Ra St. Brown has set an NFL-record six straight games with at least 8 catches and a touchdown.

Whether you like Goff or not (I don't), you have to admit the offense is looking pretty special. They could actually be quite a good side if the defense starts showing up.

Seahawks 7 - 27 49ers

Misfortune headlined this bittersweet win for San Francisco.

Trey Lance's season ending ankle injury puts a halt to his breakout season after beating Jimmy Garoppolo for the top spot in Red and Gold. No doubt the 49ers will be thanking anything and everything that they kept Jimmy G on board. Maybe they still have a shot at the playoffs? Guess we'll have to wait and see if he was benched for good reason.

Not much to say about the Seahawks other than bad. Just bad.

I praised Geno Smith for his 17-16 comeback against Russell Wilson last week, but it looks like he's already running out of juice. He threw for 197 yards and 1 interception, while the defense bagged Seattle's only touchdown of the night. Even the Hawks run-game was non-existent. Just ask the 1.5pts Rashad Penny got me in my fantasy game... Shocking.

No highlight's to see here either.

Falcons 27 - 31 Rams

In an attempt to redeem their infamous 28-3 Super Bowl failure, the Falcons came back from 28-3 in Los Angeles on Sunday and very nearly stole the win.

The Rams defense are playing all sorts of games at the moment (other than football), but the offense are picking up right where they left off, with Stafford and Kupp linking up for 13 catches, 128 yards and a touchdown.

Despite recording some good numbers, I'm still convinced Stafford is desperate to see how many interceptions he can throw while still winning the game. He's now thrown 5 INTs in just two games... Something's going on here.

Don't get me wrong, Atlanta mustered a good comeback, and their special teams showed up with a punt blocked for a TD. But the Rams were really trying to lose this one...

I'm inclined to check Stafford's betting account for any wagers on most interceptions of the season... I mean, this really looks like it's on purpose:

Cardinals 29 - 23 Raiders (OT)

Mediocre Murray turns magic in Las Vegas.

Gambling on Murray's ability to run rings around literally everyone, the Cardinals join Miami to become the first two teams of ‘22 to erase 20-point deficits in the fourth quarter.

Now, a great team shouldn't fall behind by 20 in the first half, but give Arizona some credit for crawling back to take this one to overtime and steal the win with a scoop and score.

Although they struggled to get anything going in the first two quarters, Kyler Murray lit up the field in the final 15. His scrambling ability was on full display, as he ran a mile and a half to put them within one score. I'm not sure even Lamar would have made this happen:

Texans 9 - 16 Broncos

Snoozefest number three.

Now I know every QB will take some time to settle into a new team - and that's understandable - but with all the promise of Russ balling out in Denver, this is seriously underwhelming.

Sure, they got the win, but 16 points at home against the Texans is nothing to be proud of. Houston sits right at the bottom of every Super Bowl spread you can find - so there literally isn't an easier game they'll play (by the bookies standards at least).

In other news, Davis Mills is doing roughly as we expected: 171 yards and 0 touchdowns. Sounds about right.

Bengals 17 - 20 Cowboys

We now live in a world where Cooper Rush has not lost a start...

Although Rush pulled out the win in this match-up, the Dallas defence did most of the heavy lifting, so I'll hold off on apologising for last week's comments just yet.

Trevon Diggs made consecutive clutch plays that halted a rally from Burrow's Bengals and forced a punt with just 1:09 on the clock. To his credit, Rush returned with a 4-for-4, 33-yard drive in 53 seconds to put Brett Maher in field goal range...

Let's see how the back-up QB fares in the next few weeks, then a heartfelt apology may be heading to Dallas.

Bears 10 - 27 Packers

Now I'd love to say Aaron Rodgers is back, but I'm still not sure. He did have a nice game, with 2 touchdowns and 234 yards, but this one wasn't entirely down to him... The Pack really won by outrushing the Bears 203 yards to 180.

Aaron Jones logged 132 yards and a touchdown to top the running back stats, while AJ Dillon picked up the scraps, with a cool 61 on the ground - not bad for a back-up RB.

This could be the start of some nice momentum for Green Bay, but it's not tough to beat a Justin Fields that was doing his best to mimic Rodgers week 1 performance - throwing zero touchdowns and 1 interception.

Either way I'm looking forward to the Brady-Rodgers showdown next week.

Titans 7 - 41 Bills

I'm starting to feel quite embarrassed by my bet on the Titans this season... Thanks to Ryan Tannehill I'm pretty sure that's just money down the drain.

The Titans QB was subbed off for rookie Malik Willis midway through the third quarter after throwing a pick-six. It's no surprise given Tannehill did nothing all game except throw 2 interception and hand-off the ball for a 75-yard touchdown. Willis didn't fare too well either, almost throwing an INT on his first pass. It's not looking good in Tennessee.

On the other hand, the Bills are easily looking like Super Bowl favourites after just two games.

Stefon Diggs is hands-down the receiver of the week with 3 touchdowns and 148 yards - he even sat on the bench for the entirety of the fourth quarter.

If Josh Allen can keep up his form and the Buffalo defence continues stopping the likes of Derrick Henry so easily, I can't see anyone getting in their way.

It could be a breeze for the Bills until game 6 in Kansas City, but I'd love to see Tua give them a run for their money in Miami next week.

Vikings 7 - 24 Eagles

If Jalen Hurts can put up 24 on the same defence that held reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers to just 7 points last week, I wonder what he'll do to the Commanders.

Hurts was a dangerous and dynamic QB all night, putting up 333 passing yards, with an average of 10.7 per attempt. He also ran for 57 yards, making plenty of Vikings defenders miss along the way.

Kirk Cousins on the other hand, now holds the worst Monday Night Football record in NFL history at 2-10.

The loss isn't much of a shock given he was finding the Eagles defense more times than his favourite receiver. Darius Slay caught two of the first five passes intended for Justin Jefferson, who left Philly with just 48 yards.

The Birds look set to dominate a weak NFC this year, turning predictions to a Bills-Eagles Super Bowl. No complaints here.

And that's it for week 2 of my NFL recaps. Some rough calls already, but nothing to worry about - I'm quite sure Flacco will be back to giving the Jets fans what they're used to - pure disappointment.

See you next week for more biased and unfair opinions.