The List: Week 2 sees QB injuries, a sideline fire, and an off-field tragedy
The List: Week 2 sees QB injuries, a sideline fire, and an off-field tragedy
After last week’s Antonio Brown rant, I wanted my commentary to be mostly positive and light-hearted this time. However, reality got in the way and there were several negative moments, both on and off the field.
Winners
Rematches galore - The NFL’s Week 2 schedule featured three games that involved teams who faced off in prior Super Bowls. Buffalo defeated the Giants, 28-14, in a rematch of Super Bowl XXV. Seattle exacted revenge for a Super Bowl XL loss with a 28-26 win over Pittsburgh (more on this game later). San Francisco routed Cincinnati, 41-17, with the 49ers winning much like they did against the Bengals in Super Bowls XVI and XXIII. Super Bowls weren’t the only games that had replays of famous contests over the weekend. The Rams defeated the Saints in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship Game by a 27-9 score. The NFC’s representatives from the previous two seasons met, with the Falcons beating the Eagles, 24-20. Finally, Odell Beckham Jrs. phenomenal one-handed catch helped the Browns top the Jets, 23-3, in a rematch 50 years in the making. The teams met in the first-ever Monday Night Football game on September 21, 1970, with the Browns winning that one as well, 31-21.
Wild finish in Denver - Two weeks, two fantastic NFL endings. With his team down 13-6, Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco found Emmanuel Sanders with a 7-yard touchdown pass that cut the deficit to a single point with 31 seconds left. Denver opted to go for the 2-point conversion and the lead, but lost five yards after a delay of game penalty. Vic Fangio decided to go for the tie, but Brandon McManus missed the extra point. Wait, another flag. The Bears were offside, giving the Broncos the five yards back. Once again, Denver went for two and this time, Flacco hit Sanders with the conversion pass for a 14-13 lead. Mitchell Trubisky managed to get Chicago in range, but nothing is certain after Cody Parkey last season. His replacement, Eddy Pineiro, hit a 53-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Bears a 16-14 victory.
AFC South produces two stirring games - If you like defensive struggles, the AFC South games on Sunday were right up your alley. DeShaun Watson and Carlos Hyde did their best to spoil Gardner Minshew’s first start, but the rookie quarterback led Jacksonville on one final drive. Minshew hit D. J. Chark Jr. with a touchdown pass with 30 seconds left, but the Texans stopped Leonard Fournette on the two-point conversion attempt to escape with a 13-12 victory. In Tennessee, the ground battle featured Andrew Luck’s replacement, Jacoby Brissett throwing three scoring passes. The Colts stopped the final two Titans drives for a 19-17 win.
Top pick continues to excite - Kyler Murray completed 25 of 40 passes for 349 yards, becoming just the second rookie quarterback to throw for 300 or more yards in his first two games (Cam Newton was the first, amassing more than 400 yards in each of his first two starts in 2011). Murray did not throw a touchdown pass, though, and the Cardinals fell to 0-1-1 with a 23-17 loss to the Ravens.
New commercials show promise - Monday Night Football isn’t the only program celebrating 50 years of existence in 2019. Sesame Street partnered with Farmer’s Insurance to put together some silly commercials. The ads feature Academy Award-winning actor J. K. Simmons (of Law & Order and The Closer fame) helping the famous Muppets through problems including flying water heaters, broken cookie jars, and a lightning-struck lawnmower. Another new commercial for Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 features alpacas getting colorful new hairstyles, which are later copied by people. Although these new ads may not make any top 10 lists, they beat the 14 times every game we have to see Aaron Rodgers and his State Farm agent meeting his football agent’s new “Ma-homie.”
Losers
Cam losing his mojo? - Cam Newton threw for 333 yards on Thursday night, but he took 51 passes to do it and the Panthers fell to 0-2. He badly overthrew receivers several times and he seems to be losing a step as a runner. Maybe all those years of being a mobile quarterback are taking their toll on Newton, but whatever the case, the Buccaneers focused on Christian McCaffrey and caused Carolina’s offense to stall.
Bad week to be a QB - The week started with Jets quarterback Sam Darnold being diagnosed with mononucleosis (mono), an infection that causes fatigue, fever, sore throat, enlarged lymph nodes, and even a swollen spleen (a very dangerous thing to have, given the intensity of hits that quarterbacks take). Also called “Kissing Disease” because it can be transmitted through saliva, mono can take weeks or even months to overcome. Darnold says he is starting to feel better already, so he may be back in uniform this week, or he could be sidelined into October. His backup, Trevor Siemian, suffered a potentially serious ankle injury in Monday’s loss to Cleveland.
Two superstars at the position were injured on the field in Week 2. Saints QB Drew Brees tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb when he was hit on the hand by Rams All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald after releasing a throw in the second quarter on Sunday. He will have surgery this week and miss at least the next six games, with Teddy Bridgewater starting in his place. Also, Ben Roethlisberger injured his elbow during Pittsburgh’s loss to Seattle, and he will have season-ending surgery this week. Mason Rudolph will attempt to lead the Steelers back to respectability after an 0-2 start.The 0-2 teams are a mixed bag - A total of nine teams have 0-2 records after the Monday night game. Denver, Jacksonville, Washington, and even Cincinnati have shown enough fight to give fans hope for the rest of the season. Carolina has some offensive issues, but could possibly turn things around. The Jets and Steelers have their aforementioned quarterback issues, which leaves the Giants and Dolphins in the “just don’t get it” category. New York needs to figure out how to play defense against offensive tactician Bruce Arians and the Buccaneers in the upcoming week. Miami seems to be in “tank for Tua” mode already. They have been outscored 102-10 in the first two games, and we might be talking about them being an all-time bad team by the time the season ends. At least they got a first-round pick from the Steelers in the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade.
Never yell “fire” in a crowded stadium - The Titans lineups had just been announced and the players were barely on the field before the flame-throwing box started blazing. Thankfully, Nissan Stadium employees were able to control the fire, but the accident left a large charred spot on the sideline.
Refs swindle the Saints again - The Rams were deep in Saints territory with about six minutes left in the first half of a 3-3 game on Sunday. Troy Hendrickson knocked the ball out of Jared Goff’s hand, and Cameron Jordan picked it up and returned it 87 yards for a touchdown. There was only one problem, referee Walt Anderson had already blown the play dead. Replay overturned the fumble part of the play, but there was no score, and New Orleans got the ball deep in its own territory. The mistake added insult to the Saints’ loss of Drew Brees to injury.
“I play for her tonight” - No one would have blamed Browns defensive end Chris Smith for not playing on Monday night against the Jets after his girlfriend, Petara Cordero was struck and killed by a car last week. Smith and Cordero were driving on I-90 when their car began having tire issues, spun and hit the median. After both walked away from the vehicle without significant injuries, Cordero was struck by an oncoming car. The other driver later told police she had been drinking heavily, but she has not yet been charged in the incident. Cordero had given birth to the couple’s daughter last month. “I play for her tonight. She is my why,” Smith said hours before his team’s victory over New York.
-By: Kevin Rakas