Biggest Winners and Losers in the NFL: Week 2
With another week going by, let us look at the three teams that gained the most momentum, while also analyzing three teams that will try to get back on track next week.
Winners
Las Vegas Raiders
Coming into 2020, there was a lot of buzz around the Las Vegas Raiders and their move from Oakland. Head Coach Jon Gruden came into the year trying to get the Raiders back to the playoffs after a promising start to 2019 ended sourly. In 2020, the Raiders have made a statement by first defeating the Panthers, but then defeating the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football and the first game in the Raiders new stadium. Derek Carr proved the haters wrong, throwing for three touchdowns with zero interceptions in the 34-24 victory. Las Vegas is now 2-0 to start the year, tied for first with the defending champs, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders will travel to New England and try to continue their hot start against Cam Newton and the Patriots.
New England Patriots
Even in a game where they lost, the New England Patriots are big winners in Week 2, mainly because of Cam Newton. Many people were not sure if Newton had anything left, but on Sunday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks, he proved them wrong. Newton took Russell Wilson and Seattle to the brink on Sunday Night, falling two yards short from a last-second victory. Newton threw for 397 yards and totaled three touchdowns and throwing one interception. This is huge for New England, who will look to ride Newton at home against the Raiders in Week 3, hoping Newton keeps playing at the level he is now.
Los Angeles Rams
After a disappointing 2019, the Rams appear to have gotten their swagger back, starting the year 2-0, their latest win against the Philadelphia Eagles. Jared Goff had himself a day, throwing three touchdowns on 267 yards with only seven incompletions. The Rams also ran for 191 yards, getting back to their identity in 2018. With a beat-up 49ers squad, the Rams can set the tone of the division with a win against the Buffalo Bills, a tough AFC East opponent in Week 3. If Los Angeles continues to run the ball at this rate, the NFC should fear what the Rams can do in 2020.
Losers
San Francisco 49ers
Did they win? Yes, but at what cost. Even in a victory over a talentless New York Jets team, the 49ers limped their way out of the stadium. In the game, San Francisco lost defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas for the season, both with torn ACL’s. Running backs Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert both have knee injuries. TE George Kittle missed the game with a sprained MCL along with CB Richard Sherman landing on IR and QB Jimmy Garoppolo spraining his ankle. This is a nightmare scenario for San Francisco, who needs to get healthy fast if they want to compete in 2020.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons made history on Sunday, but not in a good way. Atlanta is the first team ever to have a 20-point lead, forcing three turnovers, and not give the ball away and lose the game. The Cowboys won on a last-second field goal by a score of 40-39, after recovering an improbable onside kick. With expectations yet again failing in 2020, the Falcons have hit rock-bottom and need to find a way out before this season ends in mediocrity, the way it has been for the last couple of years.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos were a sleeper team coming into 2020, but an 0-2 start and three key injuries have wiped away those expectations for now. Denver lost QB Drew Lock with a shoulder injury for 2-6 weeks, WR Courtland Sutton for the season with a torn ACL, and RB Phillip Lindsay for 2-4 weeks with a toe injury. It is going to be extremely hard for Denver to compete in the AFC West will all these injuries in 2020. Luckily, they are still young, so even if this is a lost season, they have a lot to look forward to in 2021 if 2020 does not go the way they want it to.
Information from profootballreference.com
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