Week 2: It ain't over till it's over
Kyler Murray's magic act in Vegas and Tua's career game highlighted what turned out to be a Comeback Sunday.
Phew. I don’t know about you, but I’m still trying to catch my breath after another off-the-wall NFL Sunday. And it’s only Week 2!
If 2021 was the year of the double-digit upsets, then 2022 is shaping up to be the year of the comeback. As Robert Saleh and Josh McDaniels said, in two vastly different circumstances, it’s not over until it’s over in the NFL.
On Sunday, we saw two late 20+point rallies, an NFL record in a single day. And almost a third, but well, the Falcons are gonna Falcon.
That doesn’t even include what the Jets, who trailed by 13 with 1:22 left in the game, did to the Browns. But, well, the Browns are gonna Brown. If there is some positive news for Cleveland, though, it’s that the rest of the AFC North melted down this week too.
We’ll get to that a little later. Let’s start with the wildest game of the week.
Kyler Murray answered his critics
Kyler Murray had a strange offseason. It started when the Cardinals got blown out in the playoffs, and Murray threw for just 137 yards (on 34 attempts) and was picked off twice. Not long after, he removed any mentions of the Cardinals on his Instagram as reports suggested he was frustrated with the team. It was one of my picks for the stupidest storylines of the early offseason, because it was clearly just about the contract extension that Murray wanted and the Cardinals were reluctant to get done.
Eventually, Murray and the Cardinals agreed to a $230.5 million extension, but that was immediately overshadowed by news that the contract included a weekly “independent study” requirement. Soon, that homework clause was removed, though the internet wasn’t done having fun at Murray’s expense (particularly his penchant for playing Call of Duty).
The season started off on a sour note, too, when the Cards got their butts kicked by the Chiefs. While Murray’s final stat line was fine, most of his production came in garbage time. Still, the 25-year-old QB was far from the biggest reason Arizona lost its opener, which makes this AP article about the game, including a clunky lede that points the finger at Murray, all the more head-scratching.
And when the Cardinals found themselves in a 20-0 hole against the Raiders, and Murray had passed for just 53 yards and thrown an interception at the half, the (mostly groan-worthy) Call of Duty jokes were flying early.
Then the Murray that we know — the one-time MVP candidate who can conjure up the type of plays you only see in, coincidentally, video games — made his presence known. In about 15 minutes of game time, the Raiders and Cardinals combined for no fewer than 11 unbelievable plays; Murray had a direct hand in more than half of them.
I want to single out two that I feel are uniquely Kyler: Arizona’s first two-point conversion in which Murray scrambled for approximately 85 yards in 21 seconds:
The other was on the Cardinals’ final offensive touchdown. After a little tough luck on the first three downs, Murray scooted to the corner of the end zone as time expired on fourth down:
Arizona’s defense won it in overtime on a scoop-and-score — barely! — but it was Murray’s improvisational, Madden-like skills that really sealed an improbable win.
It was also an important win because the NFC West, at least early on, looks to be just as competitive as it was last year. And since Trey Lance’s season is unfortunately over, Murray is once again the youngest (and still the most exciting) QB in that division.
The AFC North is totally up for grabs
It’s Week 2, so technically every team is still alive in its divisional race. However, I could at least hazard a guess as to who will emerge as the champs in all but one division: I’m at a loss to try to make sense of the AFC North right now. On Sunday, the four teams combined to go 0-4 and lost by a total of 11 points. How does that even happen? Well, each AFC North squad keeps repeating the same mistakes.
The Browns’ mental miscues add up
It’s been 29 years since the Browns started a season 2-0, the longest active streak in the NFL. It looked like that streak would end when Nick Chubb ran in a touchdown with 1:55 remaining to put the Browns up 30-17. Instead, that score helped lead to Cleveland’s loss.
Mistake #1: The Jets had no timeouts left, so if Chubb had taken a knee at the 1, the Browns could’ve run out the clock and taken a 24-17 win.
Mistake #2: Cade York, hero of last week’s win, missed the first extra point of his career.
Mistake #3: Confusion in the Cleveland secondary led to a wide-open Corey Davis scoring a 66-yard touchdown on the Jets’ second play of the ensuing drive.
Mistake #4: Amari Cooper couldn’t corral the onside kick. Jets ball.
Mistake #5: The Browns let 37-year-old Joe Flacco march down the field in less than a minute, capping off the drive with a dart to rookie Garrett Wilson.
Mistake #6: Jacoby Brissett, after scrambling for a first down, threw his first and only interception of the day to clinch it.
Altogether, it was a quintessential Browns loss, the kind that would invoke sympathy in previous years. Not so much now, though.
The Ravens still have a secondary problem
Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill are going to be a problem for most secondaries in the NFL, but not every defense is going to let them score three touchdowns in seven minutes to complete a 21-point comeback. The Ravens, however, did just that on Sunday.
Baltimore addressed its secondary issues in the offseason, but it’s still dealing with injury and depth concerns. Kyle Fuller was lost for the season with an ACL tear, Brandon Stephens was out on Sunday, Marlon Humphrey had to leave the game against the Dolphins late due to a nagging groin injury, and Marcus Peters played for the first time in more than a year.
The secondary doesn’t deserve all the blame for the Ravens’ collapse this week, and while communication troubles can be fixed, the unit can’t seem to stay healthy for the second straight year. That’s a concern.
The Steelers need more from their quarterback
Last year, Pittsburgh made the playoffs despite having a useless lump with a 35.6 QBR under center because they had a good defense, led by Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt, and a little luck.
The Steelers won in Week 1 with that same formula, if you sub in Mitchell Trubisky for Ben Roethlisberger. They couldn’t replicate that in Week 2, in part because Watt is out for a while with a torn pec. But the defense still, mostly, did its job against the Patriots. Meanwhile, the offense has been, at best, boring and, at worst, ineffective. That’s especially true at quarterback. Through two games, Trubisky has completed 59 percent of his throws for 362 yards, two touchdowns, one pick, and lots of “throwing it short of the sticks on third down.”
It’s no wonder fans are chanting for Kenny Pickett. At least he could inject some much-needed fun into the offense.
The Bengals haven’t figured out how to protect Joe Burrow
For the second straight week, the Bengals started off slow. For the second straight week, the offense finally clicked, but it was too late. For the second straight week, the opponent hit a game-winning field goal. For the third straight season, Cincinnati’s offensive line can’t keep Joe Burrow upright.
Burrow, who was sacked 70 times in the regular season and playoffs last year, has already been sacked 13 times in two games this year. That’s after the Bengals revamped their offensive line in the offseason.
I still think that with a little more time to jell (Burrow missed the preseason after his appendectomy), Cincinnati’s offense can return to its explosive self that we saw in 2021. And I don’t believe that Burrow will be sacked at his current pace (it would equal 111 sacks over a 17-game schedule). I remain concerned, though, that Burrow will take many more hits than he needs to.
NFL power rankings by name
Sunday was a notable day for many players and coaches across the league, some of whom share a first or last name.
NFL Wilson power rankings
1. Garrett Wilson
The Jets’ first-round rookie receiver returned to Ohio in a triumphant way. First, he caught the first touchdown of his career and hit the crowd with an O-H (I-O, Garrett!).
Then, after dealing with a back injury, he came back on the field and eventually raced past the Browns secondary for the game-winner:
His final line: eight catches, 102 yards, two TDs, and this iconic photo:
2. Jeff Wilson Jr.
You never know which 49ers running back will be called into duty in a given week. Following Elijah Mitchell’s Week 1 injury, it was Jeff Wilson Jr. — aka the player at the center of Joc Pederson and Tommy Pham’s fantasy football feud — who got the start this time. He responded with a strong running effort (84 yards on 18 carries) and looked like the player he was before his 2021 injury. More importantly, the Niners needed that kind of rushing attack once Trey Lance was lost for the day (and season) to a broken ankle.
3. Russell Wilson
Russ got his first win as the Broncos’ starting quarterback, and the Broncos ended their five-game losing streak. But yeesh, it shouldn’t have been so difficult at home against the Texans. At one point late in the first half, he was 4 for 15 for 48 yards, and then he threw an interception on Denver’s first drive of the second half.
In the fourth quarter, Wilson led back-to-back scoring drives to put the home team on top, but nothing seems to be going well for the supposedly new and improved Broncos. Yes, Nathaniel Hackett has had a rooooough start to his head coaching career, and the entire offense lacks chemistry right now. Things can improve, but so far, this sums up the Wilson/Denver pairing more than anything:
NFL Mike power rankings
1. Mike McDaniel
When the Dolphins hired Mike McDaniel, the first-time head coach had a clear mission: to bring out the best in Tua Tagovailoa and to assemble the fastest receiver group in the NFL. So far, check and check.
Tua totaled a career-high 469 yards and six touchdown passes this week, four of which came in the fourth quarter, to complete the Dolphins’ epic comeback against the Ravens. McDaniel is now 2-0, with wins over Super Bowl winners Bill Belichick and John Harbaugh. Maybe opposing defensive coordinators will start to adjust to his scheme, but questionable hygiene practices aside, this guy is the real deal:
2. Mike Jackson
Last week, Mike Jackson made his first NFL start after bouncing around the league for a few years. He recovered two second-half fumbles to help Seattle upset the Broncos.
This week, the Seahawks’ only score came, in very Seahawks fashion, on Jackson’s 85-yard return:
I guess Jackson couldn’t … stop ‘til he got enough.
3. Mike Evans
On the one hand, Mike Evans once again let Marshon Lattimore get to him and both were ejected.
Not great, even if it’s another juicy chapter in this beef. On the other hand, someone had to have Tom Brady’s back after he instigated a fight because the only thing Brady will throw hands with is a Microsoft Surface.
Evans isn’t worried about a suspension, and for the Bucs’ sake, he better be right. They face Aaron Rodgers and the Packers next week, and considering all of Tampa’s WR injuries, Brady will need Evans ready to go. To play, that is. Not to fight.