Week 2 Takeaways for the 2024 NFL Season
What a wild week 2! So much happened, both good and bad. Aaron Rodgers earned his first win as a Jet, while former NYJ quarterback Sam Darnold is 2-0 in Minnesota. Nobody is out of the mix yet, even if your team’s early results are discouraging. With 17 games in the season, everyone has plenty of time to turn things around. Having at least one notch in the win column certainly makes you feel better though. So how did the 32 teams do? My week 2 takeaways for the 2024 NFL season will hopefully answer that question. At the very least, I hope you’ll enjoy them!
TNF: Tua Concussed as Bills’ Dominance over Dolphins Continues
This game could not have gone any worse for Miami, and that’s putting it lightly. The Dolphins got a bad omen on their very first drive. QB Tua Tagovailoa threw a great pass on 3rd and 13, but it hit WR Grant DuBose in the shoulder and bounced right to Bills CB Ja’Marcus Ingram. Buffalo scored a TD on the ensuing short field. Miami responded on a TD pass to RB De’Von Achane, but he was their only bright spot this whole game. Achane, who was questionable to play, ran 22 times for 96 yards and caught 7 passes for 69 yards and a TD. He led the team in all of those categories with Buffalo blanketing the team’s WRs.
It went downhill from there. Tagovailoa threw another INT on an overthrow, and two drives later, he got sacked on 4th and 2 by DT Ed Oliver. That happened because LG Isaiah Wynn is on the PUP list, and backup Robert Jones got hurt. So did LT Terron Armstead (shoulder), so Kendall Lamm and Lester Cotton were blocking on the play. Following the sack, Bills RB James Cook scored a TD in one play. That was one of 3 scores for Cook, who had 11 carries for 78 yards and 2 TDs, plus 1 catch for a 17-yard TD. He was so dominant that QB Josh Allen (13/19, 139 yards, TD) barely had to do anything against a porous defense.
The third quarter was Miami’s nadir. Tagovailoa was pressured by DE AJ Epenesa (again due to the backup linemen) and tried to throw the ball away. He didn’t get enough on it, and Ingram got his second INT of the game, this time a pick six. The very next drive, Tagovailoa ran for a gusty 4th-down conversion in the red zone, but he didn’t slide. He crashed head-first into (of all people) S Damar Hamlin (10 tackles) and stayed down. Tagovailoa (17/25, 145 yards, TD, 3 INTs) would leave with a concussion. If you know about his history, you know how bad this could be.
Backup Skylar Thompson (8/14, 80 yards) came in but really had no chance down 31-10, and that score held until the clock hit 0:00. Miami has now lost 12 of their last 13 games against Buffalo, but that’s not the main story here. All eyes are on Tagovailoa. Many are already calling for him to retire based on his numerous head injuries. The QB will have a hard time walking away from $167.1M guaranteed, so it would be up to the team to protect him from himself if that is indeed necessary. We can only hope that he gets well soon and does what’s best for his long-term health. But maybe the Fins should call Ryan Tannehill in the meantime?
Saints, Cardinals Pummel “Superior” Opponents
We briefly touched on the Saints in last week’s article, but you could argue that their offensive explosion came because of how bad the Panthers are. Playing in Dallas against their vaunted defense would be the true test. Sticking with that metaphor, New Orleans aced that test and set the curve. After scoring 47 points a week ago, they earned 44 this time, with TDs on all 5 of their first-half possessions. QB Derek Carr (11/16, 243 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) only made one bad throw all afternoon, and RB Alvin Kamara (20/115/3; 2/65/1 receiving) was vintage, avoiding tackles and embarrassing Cowboy defenders.
Dallas did not have a terrible offensive showing. They scored on their first three possessions as well, but they tallied 2 FGs and only one TD. The final score (44-19) looks lopsided because the game became that way after the Saints went up 21-13. New Orleans really clamped down on the Dallas attack, intercepting QB Dak Prescott twice and allowing just 3.2 yards per rush. Make no mistake though: the unit to blame was the Cowboy defense. Allowing 44 points on your home turf simply can’t happen. Meanwhile, the Saints are playing like real contenders. Their projections for last year were perhaps just one season too early.
At least the Saints had some high-level play on their resume. What Arizona did to the Rams came out of left field. And right field, and center field, and wherever else Arizona felt like striking from. Rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr, who was invisible in his debut last week, caught 4 passes for 130 yards and 2 athletic TDS…in the first quarter. That’s all he did, but it was all he needed to do. QB Kyler Murray (17/21, 266 yards, 3 TDs; 5/59 rushing) had the most efficient outing of his career and earned a perfect 158.3 passer rating in the 41-10 win. RB James Conner (21/122/1) bullied the LA front all game long, imposing his will on unprepared tacklers.
The Rams were mediocre on offense, but with their injuries, we probably should’ve expected that. Already missing WR Puka Nacua (knee), the team lost fellow receiver Cooper Kupp to an ankle injury. That left QB Matthew Stafford (19/27, 216 yards), down several starting linemen, nobody to throw to. He got no assistance from his running game either (2.7 YPC), so he basically faced the Cardinals alone. Defensively, the Rams saw their young defense exposed. Nobody could cover or tackle, and that’s not hyperbole. With such a damaged team, LA may already be cooked unless reinforcements come back in a hurry.
Buccaneers Withstand Aidan Hutchinson’s Big Day in Detroit
This game was a much-anticipated playoff rematch. Detroit won comfortably in last year’s divisional round, and the Lions have gotten even better on paper. If I then told you that Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson finished with an absurd 4.5 sacks, you’d probably think that Detroit won easily. Well, the Hutchinson statement is true. He put a clown suit on Bucs backup RT Justin Skule and made life miserable for QB Baker Mayfield. His play amounts to an early statement in the DPOY race. Alas, aside from the running game (RBs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for 176 scrimmage yards and a TD), little else went right for Detroit.
QB Jared Goff (34/55, 307 yards, 2 INTs) was uncharacteristically lost despite having a clean pocket. One of his INTs wasn’t hit fault, but the other was, and he couldn’t move the chains consistently. Coach Dan Campbell also made a crucial error right before halftime. Inside the TB 10-yard line, Goff spiked the ball to stop the clock with under 10 seconds to go. However, the Lions had 12 men on the field. That foul incurred a 10-second runoff, and the half ended. Those points could’ve changed the entire game. Detroit lost 20-16, but at 20-19, they could’ve kicked a field goal instead of going for it on 4th down twice at the end of the game.
While the Lions regroup, Tampa is a surprising and well-earned 2-0. Unlike their blowout of Washington, this was a much more gritty win. QB Baker Mayfield (12/19, 185 yards, TD, INT; 5/34/1 rushing) hung on despite pocket chaos. He had no help from the ground game, as he was the team’s leading rusher, but WR Chris Godwin (7/117/1) served as a reliable target time and time again. The defense played great, holding a potent offense to just 16 points. We are seeing a completely unexpected NFC South. Three teams (TB/NO/ATL) are legitimate playoff contenders…and one is Carolina. Sorry Panthers fans.
Raiders’ Road Comeback Sends Ravens to 0-2 Start
Some games just look like mismatches. Las Vegas appeared lifeless against the Chargers last week, while the Ravens are considered one of the AFC’s elite teams. A game between these two teams in Baltimore felt certain to end in a particular way. The Raiders punted on each of their first three drives, while the Ravens scored a field goal on their first possession. Baltimore didn’t separate from there though, with neither team reaching the end zone in the first half. Still, the Ravens led 9-6 at the midway point and seemed in control of the contest despite their general sloppiness.
An immediate TD for WR Zay Flowers (7/91/1) to open the 3rd quarter felt like a dagger given the Raiders’ ineptitude on offense. The Ravens made too many mistakes though, giving Las Vegas time to find their mojo. QB Lamar Jackson (21/34, 247 yards, TD, INT; 5/45 rushing) threw a bad INT, and K Justin Tucker missed a 56-yard FG. This has become a bit of a concerning trend for the best kicker in NFL history; Tucker has now struggled from 50+ for a little more than a year, and we should probably keep an eye on that. For Baltimore, RB Derrick Henry (18/84/1) became the bulk of the offense.
I’d be remiss if I did not give Raiders DE Maxx Crosby some credit for Baltimore’s struggles. He wreaked havoc, earning 6 tackles (4 for loss) and 2 sacks against a QB who is notoriously hard to catch. In the meantime, his teammates on offense got going. QB Gardner Minshew (30/38, 276 yards, TD, INT), who only threw short passes in the first half, started airing the ball out. He wisely got elite WR Davante Adams (9/110/1) involved, and he went to rookie TE Brock Bowers (9/98) often as well. The latter is a star in the making, and he contributed well both as a receiver and as a blocker.
Eventually, Las Vegas tied the game at 23 on an Adams TD, and you knew that the tide had turned. Baltimore went 3 and out on the ensuing possession, and the Raiders took their good field position and converted it into a game-winning 38-yard FG for K Daniel Carlson. This 26-23 road victory is a massive confidence booster for LV. Following last week’s dispiriting effort, the Raiders are staring at a 2-1 record with Carolina on tap. As for Baltimore, I expected some regression to the mean, especially since they lost 3 starting offensive linemen. This sort of start is rather surprising though, and it has the Ravens in the AFC North cellar.
NFC East Has a Very Interesting Week
In the scheme of things, the “battle” between the Giants and Commanders isn’t all that meaningful. Neither is likely to be in the mix when we start talking about playoffs. If anything, we should probably be discussing the teams’ QBs: future cut Daniel Jones and rookie Jayden Daniels, respectively. That’s not what this is about. I actually wanted to discuss these teams’ kickers. This site is very pro-kicker relative to other outlets, so occasionally a takeaway should be designated for that position. It’s only fair. Besides, this was a very intriguing case of what a kicker can do for you…for better or worse.
The Giants normally have a very good kicker in Graham Gano, and they expected to have him in this game. However, he hurt his hamstring during the opening kickoff and did not return. P Jamie Gillan attempted but missed one PAT, and New York never tried another. They missed two 2-point conversions en route to 18 points. Conversely, new Commander Austin Seibert went 7/7 on his FGs, scoring every one of Washington’s points. If you did the math, you’ll know that the Commanders won 21-18 strictly due to the kicking comparison between these teams. PSA to all teams: make sure someone else can kick in an emergency.
I won’t repeat what I said about the Cowboys, but the division’s other playoff team from 2023, Philadelphia, had quite an odd Monday night game against Atlanta. Nobody but Falcons RB Bijan Robinson did much in the first half. Robinson (14/97; 4/25 receiving) showcased both his speed and power against the Eagles’ vaunted defensive line. Still, the Falcons could not convert in the red zone and only notched 2 FGs before the break. Philly had just 7 points themselves, as a 4th-and-4 gamble at Atlanta’s 9 came up empty. That would be crucial later on, with both teams kicking into gear in the third quarter.
The Eagles found something in their run game in the second half. RB Saquon Barkley (22/95; 4/21 receiving) and QB Jalen Hurts (23/30, 183 yards, TD, INT; 13/85 rushing) were unstoppable running the football and held the ball 10 minutes more than Atlanta could. If you’re wondering, yes, the Eagles went 3/3 on tush pushes. A 9:34 drive gave Philly an 18-15 lead in the 4th quarter, and when Atlanta failed on 4th down at their own 39 with 5:38 to go, the game felt over. As expected, the Eagles churned almost 4 minutes of clock and reached the red zone. On 3rd and 3 with 1:46 remaining and the Falcons out of timeouts, they cracked.
OC Kellen Moore dialed up a bootleg pass in the flat to Barkley. It was a great call, and Hurts put the ball on the money, but Barkley simply dropped it. The clocked stopped, saving the Falcons 40 seconds, and the Eagles had to kick an FG to to up 21-15. That’s when Atlanta QB Kirk Cousins (20/29, 241 yards, 2 TDs) got to work. He calmly guided the Falcons down the field with chunk plays to WR Darnell Mooney (3/88/1), then later hitting WR Drake London (6/54/1) for a tying TD with 34 seconds to spare. London foolishly celebrated by mimicking a machine gun, drawing a 15-yard penalty and setting up a 48-yard PAT.
K Younghoe Koo, one of the league’s better kickers, didn’t flinch. He nailed the kick, giving the Falcons a 1-point lead. Philadelphia got the ball back, but Hurts threw an INT to star S Jessie Bates III, sealing the 22-21 win for Atlanta. This was the kind of game you sign Cousins to win. Whereas past Falcons QBs would’ve wilted, Cousins put the team on his back and willed Atlanta to victory. A 1-1 start is optically different from 0-2, especially with the Chiefs looming next week. They’re back on track. As for Philly, this was yet another end-of-game collapse. Simple execution would’ve won it, but they too are 1-1 and back to the drawing board.