Taylor Swift exhibits astonishment, Youngest NFL Professional secures victory
The NFL doesn't disappoint: A stunning touchdown is followed by a surprising injury. Then, the Chiefs and Bengals engage in a heated rivalry till the final whistle. The Cowboys struggle - and in Washington, a lone player secures all the points in the victory.
Mahomes evades Chiefs' nemesis Burrow at the last moment
The highly anticipated matchup of the second NFL week is the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs against their arch-rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow is the sole quarterback in the NFL with a winning record (minimum three games) against Chiefs' star Patrick Mahomes. In the first half, both quarterbacks demonstrate their talents, each scoring a touchdown. However, Mahomes seems to be affected by the rivalry, throwing an interception, giving the Bengals a 16-10 lead at halftime.
Both quarterbacks score another touchdown shortly after the break. The game then takes a sudden turn. An interception by Mahomes is nullified due to illegal contact by the Bengals. But moments later, he throws another one - and what a play: Cincinnati cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt makes an incredible acrobatic catch, pulling the ball to his body with one hand as it falls back towards the sideline. "Catch of the year," says US broadcaster CBS: "That was one of the best interceptions you'll ever see."
Unfortunately for the Bengals, just two plays after, Burrow also fumbles the ball, leading to a costly Chiefs touchdown. Taylor Swift, cheering from the honor box, gets emotional. With seconds left on the clock, the pop star goes wild as the Bengals receive a penalty, moving the Chiefs near the field goal line: Kicker Harrison Butker kicks a 51-yard field goal for the 26-25 victory. The Chiefs now have two wins, the Bengals two losses.
Carr and Saints dominate Cowboys
But the most impressive quarterback of this young season isn't Mahomes or Burrow, but... Derek Carr. Yes, Derek Carr. New Orleans started week 1 with a resounding victory over the Carolina Panthers, scoring the most points (47) in the team's history on the opening day. Those who thought that was due to the Panthers' weak defense were wrong: Carr and Co. also crush the Dallas Cowboys, who won in the first week and eye the Super Bowl this year with a formidable defense.
Carr throws for 243 yards and two touchdown passes, and scores one himself, in the stunning 44-19 victory. Notably, all 15 of his drives in the first two weeks result in points - either a touchdown or a field goal - until he throws an interception in the fourth quarter, when the game is already decided. Running back Alvin Kamara adds four touchdowns. Ironically, the Cowboys' defensive coordinator is Mike Zimmer, who was also the defensive coach of the Vikings when Kamara set his personal record of six touchdowns in 2020.
On the Cowboys' side, their 16-game home winning streak in the regular season ends. They also allow a record 35 points in the first half. Additionally, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, in his first game after signing a record-breaking four-year, $240 million contract, completes only 27 of 39 passes.
A Little Backstory for the Jets at the Tennessee Titans: The 24:17 victory is the first win for veteran Aaron Rodgers (176 yards, two touchdowns) as starting quarterback for the Jets after his gruesome injury in the first game of last season. A significant boost for this victory is the youngest player in the NFL: 20-year-old Braelon Allen. The running back scores two touchdowns, one of which comes from a pass from Rodgers, symbolizing a sort of generational bridge: Rodgers is the oldest player in the league at 40 years old.
St. Brown Gives Lions Fans a Heart-stopping Moment
A few minutes before the end of the third quarter, Amon-Ra St. Brown, who's playing well, catches a pass just one yard from the opposing end zone. But then, the shock for the Lions: The American wide receiver needs some time to get up after a tackle. He then limps off the field before collapsing and needing medical attention. With Detroit leading 16:13 against the Buccaneers, St. Brown has to watch from the sidelines. A severe injury would be a major blow for his team's high aspirations. St. Brown manages to continue playing, but limps off the field again in the final seconds of the game.
The 16:20 defeat, their first of the season, for the Lions, St. Brown can't prevent despite catching 11 passes (119 yards). This is also due to quarterback Jared Goff throwing two interceptions. It's not the fault of defensive star Aidan Hutchinson, who sacks the opposing quarterback three times in the first quarter and adds another 1.5 sacks later, only one sack short of the franchise record. At least: St. Brown's injury, fortunately, turns out to be minor, just a bruise.
In the final seconds of the third quarter, Jefferson exits the field hurting and requiring care in the blue on-field tent. He's subsequently escorted to the locker room with a thigh issue. Despite this, San Francisco suffers its eighth straight defeat in Minnesota (last victory in 1992), and the Super Bowl favorite begins its journey with a win and a loss.
The Packers Overcome Love's Issues
Meanwhile, Green Bay faces a setback from the preceding week. The situation this time: How do the Packers navigate the grueling knee injury of Jordan Love, sustained in the next-to-last play of week 1? Easy! With Malik Willis at the helm, Green Bay secures a 16-10 victory over the Colts. This triumph comes just three weeks after Green Bay signed Willis, the quarterback from the Tennessee Titans. The 2022 third-round pick had only led his team in three career games and never exceeded 100 passing yards in any of them. Yet, he throws for an impressive 122 yards in this matchup, including a touchdown pass and no interceptions. The game ends with a heart-pounding moment as Indianapolis attempts a Hail Mary to win, but they fall short.
Seattle clinches the win: In a rematch of the 2015 Super Bowl, one of the most thrilling games in NFL history, Seattle emerges victorious against the New England Patriots, 23-20. Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (33 completions for 327 yards) outshines Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (15 for 149). The Patriots counter with a robust ground game, keeping the game remarkably close. With just over a minute remaining, Seahawks kicker Jason Myers forces overtime with a field goal. He subsequently seals the victory with another 38-yard kick, providing Seattle with an unexpected second consecutive win.
Ravens' turnaround attempt falls short
Unfortunately, it doesn't go as well for Baltimore. Following their season-opening loss against the reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens, led by MVP Lamar Jackson, find themselves under pressure against the Las Vegas Raiders. And surprisingly, the underdog pulls off the upset: Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew engineers three successful drives with points in the fourth quarter, and Daniel Carlson kicks a field goal with 27 seconds remaining for the 26-23 comeback victory. Lamar Jackson tosses a few passes, but the Raiders manage to contain his dangerous running game. For the first time in 22 years, a reigning MVP starts the new season with two losses. Despite new Ravens running back Derrick "King" Henry scoring his second touchdown in his second game, Baltimore needs to significantly improve if they want to be Super Bowl contenders.
Kicker propels Commanders to victory
Things get intense in Washington: The Commanders defeat the New York Giants 21-18, and their success is all thanks to their kicker. Austin Seibert converts all seven of his field goal attempts after being benched in the season opener. In that loss, Cade York missed both of his attempts, giving Seibert the chance to secure the Commanders' first win of the season.
In the thrilling NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals, Mahomes manages to evade Burrow's pressure and leads his team to a crucial victory, scoring the game-winning 51-yard field goal with seconds left on the clock, while Taylor Swift watches excitedly from the stands. Later in the season, Derek Carr, the quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, outshines several top quarterbacks, including Mahomes and Burrow, by leading his team to an impressive 44-19 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
