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0 out of 32
Justin Berl / Getty Images
The NFL has been overthrown.
Week 2 saw two Super Bowl-friendly teams go up in smoke due to the serious injuries their quarterbacks suffered.
In Los Angeles, Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints suffered a thumb injury that will save him at least six weeks. The news is even worse for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have announced that Ben Roethlisberger would also need a surgery, an operation that will end his season.
To say that these injuries caused a shock wave in the league is a euphemism. NFC South is now wide open. The Baltimore Ravens seem to be the class of what is now a two-team race in the North AFC region – provided the Cleveland Browns organize it.
These injuries – and the rest of the events that took place during another crazy football week in the NFL – also upset the power standings here at Bleacher Report. The Saints are barely in the top 10. The Steelers are barely in the top 20. And the teams face each other at breakneck speed.
Well, except for the first place, that's it.
Like every week, Brad Gagnon, Gary Davenport and Brent Sobleski, Bleacher Report analysts for the NFL, have joined forces to stage a new week of action in the NFL and position the teams from worst to first.
These teams in the end are pretty much all that do not have change.
Note: "High" and "Low" refer to the highest and lowest individual rankings during a given week.
1 of 32
Mark Brown / Getty Images
high: 32
Low: 32
Last week: 32
Result of the week 2: Lost vs. New England 43-0
There is no bottom with the dolphins 2019. No nadir. It was not unreasonable to think that the 59-10 loss to the Ravens last week at home was as serious as possible. But it was also wrong.
The Dolphins still managed to look worse against the Patriots in two weeks they had lost seven times the previous week. The Dolphins only have 184 total attack yards and 11 first tries. After conceding two defensive goals in the second half, the Dolphins were outclassed for the season by opposing defenses.
Miami was outclassed 102-10 in two games to start the season.
This is not a typo. And the team continues its purge of alignment with security Minkah Fitzpatrick last choice of first round sent packing.
"The 2008 Detroit Lions were a terrible football team," Davenport said. "The same was true for the Cleveland Browns in 2017. Both of these lamentable teams were led from 0 to 16. But the Miami Dolphins of 2019 are revolutionizing the repulsion and setting a new gold standard by sucking. would be terribly fun if it was not so painful to watch. "
"The 2019 Dolphins could be one of the worst teams in the history of the NFL," Gagnon said. "This is only the second team in the history of the modern League to be exceeded by more than 90 points in its first two games, and it is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. could agree with that, which makes it even worse. "
2 of 32
Adam Hunger / Associated Press
high: 30
Low: 31
Last week: 31
Result of the week 2: Lost vs Buffalo 28-14
As Steve Serby reported for the New York PostDespite a miserable loss to the Buffalo against the Buffalo, Giants quarterback Eli Manning said he did not hear the footsteps of novice player Daniel Jones.
"When we are 0-2, there is pressure with everyone, that's how it happens," said Manning. "But you can not let that affect you, you can not let that change the way you prepare, the way you play, I have to make better shots and make better decisions and find ways to convert the third try. It's a quarter job. "
We would say that Manning makes fun of himself, but that seems to be the case with Big Blue. Despite the fact that the Giants are not going anywhere, the team continues to insist that taking advantage of Manning in Jones' favor is not expected.
"The earlier the Giants accept that they are terrible and see what they have in the boy," Davenport said, "the sooner they will start coming back to respectability in the NFC East."
3 of 32
Michael Hickey / Getty Images
high: 29
Low: 31
Last week: 27
Result of the week 2: Lost vs San Francisco 41-17
The Cincinnati Bengals gave the Seattle Seahawks all they could handle in the first week, limiting them to just 232 yards and at least suggesting the possibility of improving the NFL's worst defense a year ago .
So much for this idea.
San Francisco absolutely shredded the Bengals in the home opener for Cincy, with 41 points and a whopping 572 yards. This explosion included 259 rushing yards and almost 8.5 yards per game.
That makes the Bengal defense of 2018 beautiful and impossible to do.
It does not matter what the offensive does in a game like this. A team can not allow more than 600 yards of offense and well over eight yards each time the opponent hits the ball and still expects to win.
"The joke was on all of us," Sobleski joked. "The Bengals looked like an improved team in the first week.Cincinnati went to Seattle, played in one of the toughest fields and stood firm against the Seahawks to reveal his true colors a week later against the 49ers – a 24-point home defeat (and it was not even so tight) against a West Coast team performing a two-way trip in the eastern time zone showed why many originally thought the Bengals are among the worst in the league. "
4 out of 32
Adam Hunger / Associated Press
high: 27
Low: 30
Last week: 23
Result of the week 2: Lost vs Cleveland 23-3
The New York Jets need a hug.
No kisses. Just hug.
Oh yes. Not even five teams and we make mono jokes.
It's not bad enough that the Jets lost a 16-0 lead early in the season. Or that starting quarterback Sam Darnold has come out indefinitely with mononucleosis. In Monday's unbalanced loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Jets also lost their replacement, Trevor Siemian, who was forced to leave the match due to an ankle injury.
This means that sophomore Luke Falk will likely be under center on Sunday as the Jets return to Gillette Stadium to face the New England Patriots.
Seriously. They need a hug.
This is not the fault of the Jets if their season is in a spiral of death. There is not much you can do with a third-string quarterback who just arrived in town.
But all the optimism surrounding the 2019 Jets has been replaced by a feeling all too familiar to Gang Green fans.
5 out of 32
Jack Dempsey / Associated Press
high: 28
Low: 29
Last week: 26
Result of the week 2: Lost 16-14 against Denver
The Vic Fangio era in Denver looks a lot like the Vance Joseph era in Denver.
This is not a good thing.
Sunday's home defeat against the Bears was a slaughter – Denver took a two-point lead in less than a minute in the match, allowing the Bears to get close enough for an attempt placement on the last second.
This kick went through and Denver fell to 0-2.
It can be said that Denver should not have been so close. The Broncos offense again struggled with an average of only 3.8 yards per ground run. Denver's chances of winning games in which Joe Flacco tries to get 50 passes (as he did against Chicago) are not particularly good.
Now, with the Broncos in possession of last place in the AFC West Division before moving to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers, Denver's chances of doing anything in 2019 are even worse.
6 of 32
Scott Taetsch / Getty Images
high: 26
Low: 26
Last week: 28
Result of the week 2: Lost vs Dallas 31-21
At some level, the Redskins deserve some credit. The team has at least been competitive with two opponents of the NFC East division who played in the playoffs last year.
After all, we are talking about an offense that has already lost his starting tailback and has a quarterback mate with perhaps the weakest receiver group of the NFL. The best offensive lineman on the team (tackle Trent Williams) is out of touch with would have he will never play another low for Washington.
The defense is not overflowing with talent, especially after the loss of defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. And it shows: the Redskins have now yielded more than 30 points in two weeks.
In short, the Redskins are just not a good team. They'll win a win here and there (New York in Week 4 and Miami in Week 6 are possibilities), but the Washington season was actually over before it started.
Hard to believe after nine games last season, they were in first place in the NFC East.
7 of 32
D. Ross Cameron / Associated Press
high: 23
Low: 27
Last week: 24
Result of the week 2: Lost vs Kansas City 28-10
For a quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs, it seemed like the Oakland Raiders would continue their momentum after their victory over the Denver Broncos.
Unfortunately, the NFL games have four quarters.
However, despite the fact that the Raiders were outclassed 28-0 after building a 10-0 lead, there were still some positives for the struggling Grudens in the second week.
Rookie back Josh Jacobs had another good game, with a lead of just under 100 rushing yards and an average of eight yards per race. It was the same for wide receiver Tyrell Williams, who found the end zone for the second week in a row. Darren Waller continued to play an important role in the passing game. And Benson Mayowa, the playmaker, has amassed 1.5 sacks after registering a pair in the first game.
Raiders still have some way to go.
But after two weeks, the team seems to be going in the right direction.
8 of 32
Todd Olszewski / Getty Images
high: 25
Low: 25
Last week: 25
Result of the week 2: Lost in Baltimore 23-17
In their first two games, the Arizona Cardinals showed signs of life and gave fans of the team a reason at least optimistic for the future.
The problem is that the cardinals showed these signs of life only in the fourth quarter, once they have fallen behind.
Rookie quarterback Kyler Murray approached 350 yards, but failed a touchdown pass. The Redbirds penetrated inside the 10-yard line four times Sunday in Baltimore, but they did not find the goal zone until the fourth quarter.
Murray was fun to watch and Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald both passed the 100-yard pass against the Ravens.
But the Cardinals are not good enough to bounce back after so many chances ruined by the red zone.
Until Arizona becomes more effective in this respect, victories will be hard to come by.
9 of 32
David J. Phillip / Associated Press
high: 22
Low: 28
Last week: 22
Result of the week 2: Lost 13-12 in Houston
There was good news and bad news for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second week.
Unfortunately, most news has been placed in the latter category.
Gardner Minshew, the rookie quarterback, played very well. His 23 finals in 33 attempts for 213 yards with a touchdown were a better line of statistics than Houston's Deshaun Watson. It was the same for the 56 yards to go from Minshew.
However, this line of statistics has given no results. After Minshew finds the young D.J. Chark has 30 seconds to make the Jaguars meet at the limit of one point. Head Coach Doug Marrone decided to score two points and win. A Leonard Fournette round came close to the end zone and the Jags were 0-2 to start the season.
Add one heated marginal confrontation with star cornerback Jalen Ramsey in the first quarter (and Ramsey's subsequent commercial demand), and it was not the best day for Jacksonville's third-year coach.
Given the evolution of the season so far, the chances of a fourth year are decreasing.
10 of 32
Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images
high: 22
Low: 24
Last week: 15
Result of the week 2: Lost 20-14 against Tampa Bay
The Carolina Panthers have real problems.
Losing home three points against the defending champions of the NFC in the first week was one thing. Falling six days later against a team of buccaneers at best (at best) is another. That's two straight losses at Bank of America Stadium to open the year – and nine losses in Carolina's last 10 games dating back to last season.
It is not difficult to determine the reason for the slow start, either.
Cam Newton looked awful Thursday. The most valuable former NFL player has missed more than half of his passes against Tampa, missing open receivers in addition to a bad opportunity. He was also a complete non-factor running the ball – again.
"The Panthers can say that Newton is in good health until Carolina's face is blue," said Davenport. "But the gestures speak louder than words." Not trusting your 245-pound quarterback to gain a half-meter with the game-in-game was a deafening statement about the Panthers' faith (or the fact that it's not the same thing). lack of faith) in the appellant. "
11 of 32
Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images
high: 21
Low: 23
Last week: 29
Result of the week 2: 20-14 at the Carolina
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been competitive in their two games in 2019. Without a pair of pick-six Jameis Winston in the first week, the Buccaneers could be 2-0.
This is happening very fuzzy, at least compared to last season.
In 2018, the Buccaneers led the NFL in passing offense and placed third overall, while offering the league's sixth-worst defense. After two games in 2019, the Bucs averaged more than 120 yards offensively, but they also lost nearly 80 yards in defense.
It's almost as if Todd Bowles knew a little about the role of defensive coordinator.
Tampa has not played really power yet, and a stay at MetLife Stadium in the third week offers a chance to win another match.
Then we'll see if the Buccaneers have really improved, while Tampa will face the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints on the road, week after week.
12 of 32
Gregory Shamus / Getty Images
high: 20
Low: 24
Last week: 30
Result of the week 2: Won vs. Los Angeles Chargers 13-10
The Detroit Lions should be 2-0.
If the Lions had not taken a big lead in the desert at the end of last week, Detroit would be 2-0. As it stands, the Lions remain undefeated after knocking out the Los Angeles Chargers at Motown.
The Lions did not collect the style points during the win. Detroit was overtaken by the Chargers by 85 meters. Detroit only managed 3.4 yards per run and had trouble moving the ball much of the afternoon.
But the Lions played when they needed to, well defensively and got good efforts from young back Kerryon Johnson and wide receiver Kenny Golladay.
Lions are not Super Bowl contenders. Or a candidate in the playoffs. With coming games in Philadelphia and at home against the Chiefs, this first loss is imminent.
But the Chargers have discovered the hard way what happens if you underestimate them.
13 out of 32
Joe Sargent / Getty Images
high: 20
Low: 20
Last week: 14
Result of the week 2: Lost vs Seattle 28-26
The Pittsburgh Steelers are officially in trouble.
A week after being waxed on the road by the New England Patriots, the Steelers fell to 0-2 after losing the nail of fear against the Seahawks at home. Losing two games in a row early in the year is not ideal, but two teams qualified for the playoffs last year after starting 0-2.
The Steelers, however, lost more than the match. Ben Roethlisberger spent the second half as a spectator after being injured in the elbow late in the first period. Back James Conner left in the second period due to a knee injury.
Oh, and the Ravens won to go to 2-0.
And Antonio Brown scored a touchdown in his debut with the New England Patriots.
The Steelers are now in desperate mode before moving to San Francisco to face a team of Niners who has just rushed for 572 yards in a stellar win against the Bengals. They will play San Francisco without Roethlisberger, whose season is over.
Still, despite everything that was going wrong in Steel City, Gagnon was trying to find a good positive side for all the dark clouds.
Could Mason Rudolph be the solution? It is too early to say, but the Pittsburgh season is steered in a direction that could give Rudolph the opportunity to assert his claim to the role. apparent from the heir.And considering the appearance of Ben Roethlisberger even before being hurt, it is fair to ask himself when he begins to think how much his life would be over. easy as a retiree. "
Forever optimistic, he is.
14 of 32
Adam Hunger / Associated Press
high: 18
Low: 19
Last week: 19
Result of the week 2: Won at New York Jets 23-3
Given the final score of Monday's game between the Browns and the Jets, one would think that Cleveland had straightened the ship and fainted in the face of the Tennessee Titans' home defeat last week. Maybe even believe that they have gained a bump in these rankings.
We would be wrong.
There were bright spots for the Browns, of course. Defensive end Myles Garrett was a force and Baker Mayfield found Odell Beckham Jr.r for a 89-yard goal that opened the game.
But this result had more to do with the Jets being terrible than the Brown being good. Garrett also counted two penalties for personal fouls. Mayfield was imprecise most of the night and threw a pick.
"The Browns have won a match against an over-matched team," Davenport said. "But an attack that some have built as potentially one of the best in the league is still topical.The next match will not be against Luke Falk and the Jets, it will be Jared Goff and the Rams. I have not seen anything from this team which indicates that it is up to this challenge. "
15 of 32
John Friends / Associated Press
high: 17
Low: 19
Last week: 20
Result of the week 2: Won 24-20 against Philadelphia
After two games, the Atlanta Falcons are one of the toughest teams to find in the NFL. During the first week, the Falcons looked awful in the face of an unbalanced defeat by the Minnesota Vikings, during which Matt Ryan and his team-mates did nothing serious.
On Sunday night against the Eagles, Ryan threw three touchdown passes, Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley were over 100 yards at the front, the Falcons had 367 yards and Atlanta had the win.
The win did not solve all the Falcons' problems – Ryan also went back three times and the match is still at a standstill. But the Atlanta defense played much better than in Minnesota, especially in the first four.
With the Saints defeated after Drew Brees 'injury and the Panthers' defeat, Sunday's win could have done more than put the Falcons back on track.
That may have put Atlanta in charge in NFC South.
16 of 32
James Kenney / Associated Press
high: 16
Low: 18
Last week: 16
Result of the week 2: Lost vs Indianapolis 19-17
The second week was dedicated to the Tennessee Titans – and not in a good way.
Titans tend to look like gangbusters one week and win to run away, then flat the next week and lose to a team they (on paper) they should be able to handle.
This was the case against the Colts. A week after eliminating the Browns in Cleveland, the Titans failed to generate a total attack of more than 250 meters against rivals AFC South. The defense also deserves some responsibility, allowing Indy to travel the length of the field and tear the game under his feet.
At the end of the day, the Titans are what we thought we were. They will not lose 11 games – but they do not win 11 either.
And in some ways, there's nothing worse than being stuck in the middle – it's not good enough to play in the playoffs, but not bad enough to deserve a high draft.
17 of 32
Andy Lyons / Getty Images
high: 13
Low: 17
Last week: 21
Result of the week 2: Won at Cincinnati 41-17
It may be time to start taking the San Francisco 49ers seriously.
The 49ers have not yet faced the top two teams in the league so far this season, but after coaching the Cincinnati Bengals in the second week, the Niners have won two consecutive victories over the road to open the year.
The evisceration of Sunday by Queen City was particularly impressive. Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers' offense were a frenzy, totaling 572 yards and 8.4 yards per game. San Francisco did not miss a beating on the ground despite the loss of Trevin Coleman, a halfback, last week, averaging more than six yards per run and 259 yards on the ground.
The 49ers will open their slate home next week against Pittsburgh before leaving early this week.
Given the Pittsburgh difficulties this year and the absence of Ben Roethlisberger, it is quite possible that the 49ers can qualify at 3-0.
Just like absolutely no one has predicted.
18 of 32
Bill Kostroun / Associated Press
high: 14
Low: 14
Last week: 18
Result of the week 2: Won at the New York Giants 28-14
All salute the kings of the MetLife stadium.
For the second week in a row, the Buffalo Bills played on the road in New Jersey. And by beating the unfortunate New York Giants by two touchdowns, the Bills have gone up to 2-0 this season and have opened a few eyes on the NFL.
"In their last 76 minutes of football, the Bills beat the Jets / Giants 45-14," said Gagnon. "They may not be a Super Bowl team, but they have the weapons on both sides of the ball to fight in January, and they will be tough all year long. wild point of the map. "
The third week, the home opener will face the Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) and a real boost to open the 2019 season with three wins in a row. Then we will find out how good Josh Allen and these bills are.
In week 4, Tommy Terrific and the big bad patriots of New England come to town.
19 of 32
Dylan Buell / Getty Images
high: 12
Low: 16
Last week: 12
Result of the week 2: Lost in Green Bay 21-16
During week 1, the Vikings won their decisive victory against the Atlanta Falcons. The Dalvin Cook midfielder was again great against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, racking up more than 150 yards on the ground.
But the Vikings were disappointed after falling into an early 21-0 hole, largely because the quarterback of the team, worth $ 28 million, had attempted 32 assists .
In the absence of a better word, Kirk Cousins was awful against the Packers. Of those 32 pass attempts, only 14 were completed for 230 yards.
OK, if you count both interceptions – one of them was an absolute retarder and a bullet that should never have been thrown.
The ranking of the cousins for the game was 52.9.
Last year, when the Vikings signed an $ 84 million pact with an $ 84 million pact over three years, he was supposed to lead Minnesota to the Super Bowl.
He has not yet shown that he could even lead the Vikings to the playoffs.
20 of 32
James Kenney / Associated Press
high: ten
Low: 16
Last week: 17
Result of the week 2: Won in Tennessee 19-17
If you like stingers, the Colts of Indianapolis are the team for you in 2019.
A week after falling into overtime, the Colts have come down over Nashville again. But this time, it was the Colts who emerged victorious, Jacoby Brissett finding T.Y. Hilton for a winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter in Nashville.
Brissett's numbers were far from impressive: he scored less than 150 yards in the win. But Brissett also threw three touchdown passes, and just as he did against the Chargers, Brissett kept the Colts in position to win the game late.
When Andrew Luck qualified his career as more than one person, several people considered the 2019 Colts as any factor in the South AFC.
But no one has yet escaped with the division and if the Colts continue to play, they risk staying in the race much longer than expected.
"Jacoby Brissett is not an obstacle," said Sobleski. "It's not just a replacement who has been pushed into a leading role, he's a talented young caller capable of training comparable to the playoffs, as Sunday's 19-17 victory saw. Indianapolis on rival Tennessee Titans A The 69.1% achievement percentage and the Intercepted Ratio of 5 to 1 so far is fantastic given the circumstances. "
21 out of 32
Leon Halip / Getty Images
high: 9
Low: 15
Last week: 8
Result of the week 2: Lost in Detroit 13-10
Sunday's loss to the Lions in Detroit was a very busy match. It is a franchise of the Philip Rivers era that has excelled in an area in which no one wants to excel: the lost games that the team is supposed to win.
It was a game where the Chargers had a 5.5 yard average, wide receiver Keenan Allen made his way with Detroit cornerback Darius Slay in the afternoon. and the Lions only managed six points on three quarters.
Despite the fact that Lions were largely overwhelmed and that they controlled the action almost throughout the afternoon, the Chargers still found a way to lose. The offense has missed several opportunities. Los Angeles committed nine penalties for 70 yards. The defense faltered late. And Rivers sealed the fate of the Bolts with a late interception that killed potential bound gambling potential.
It's getting worse. Security Adrian Phillips, who himself replaced the injured Derwin James, goes out indefinitely after break the forearm in the loss.
"The Chargers are a good team," said Davenport. "But it seems like every year they come out flat and lose a match like this, just to remind all of them that they are not great."
22 of 32
David Zalubowski / Associated Press
high: ten
Low: 12
Last week: 9
Result of the week 2: Won 16-14 in Denver
A nasty victory beats a nice defeat, especially when a team lost the previous week. So when Eddy Piniero scored a 53-yard winning goal at the end of the game, there was enough to do a little party on the Chicago side in Denver.
Very little.
The Bears may have had the W against the Broncos, but this team does not look much like the 12-4 team that won the NFC North in 2018. For the second week in a row, the Bears did not look like they were doing it. have failed to register 275 yards in total offense. Le quart Mitchell Trubisky a lancé pour seulement 120 verges.
Et s'il n'y avait pas eu de retard sur l'appel du passeur à Bradley Chubb, les Bears n'auraient pas été en position de réussir ce coup gagnant.
Heureusement, les Bears ont encore le temps de comprendre. Les trois prochains matchs de Chicago seront opposés aux équipes qui ont raté les séries éliminatoires en 2018, et le plus difficile des trois (contre le Minnesota en deux semaines) aura lieu à Soldier Field.
23 sur 32
Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images
Haute: seven
Faible: 12
La semaine dernière: 3
Résultat de la semaine 2: Perdu à Los Angeles Rams 27-9
Ici, au classement Blowerer Report NFL, nous ne croyons pas aux malédictions. C'est superstitieux hooey.
Sauf dans le cas des Saints de la Nouvelle-Orléans, qui sont absolument maudits.
En 2017, la saison s'est terminée avec le «miracle du Minnesota». La campagne de 2018 s'est terminée dans le chagrin du pire appel de l'histoire de l'après-saison. Et la saison 2019 n’a même pas atteint le mois d’octobre avant que le destin ne mette les Saints dans les toilettes.
Au moment où Drew Brees a quitté le terrain, incapable même de saisir un ballon de football après avoir frappé sa main au lancer tout en poursuivant sur une passe au premier quart, les Saints ont perdu toute chance de reprendre le NFC dans le Super Bowl. By Ian Rapoport de NFL.com, Brees manquera au moins six semaines avec un ligament déchiré au pouce.
Teddy Bridgewater n'emmène les Saints à Miami que s'il achète un billet à tout le monde. Avec Bridgewater sous le centre, les Saints risquent de rater complètement l’après-saison. Il est peut-être l’un des remplaçants les mieux payés de la ligue, mais il n’a pas bien joué contre les Rams.
C'est un coup dévastateur qui laisse les Saints en ruines et fait des Falcons l'équipe à battre dans la NFC South.
24 sur 32
Tim Warner / Getty Images
Haute: 9
Faible: 11
La semaine dernière: 11
Résultat de la semaine 2: Gagné contre Jacksonville 13-12
De toutes les équipes qui ont remporté la semaine 2, les Texans de Houston ont le moins de raisons d’être heureux.
Bien sûr, Houston a obtenu une victoire dont il avait cruellement besoin après avoir perdu un cœur brisé à la Nouvelle-Orléans lors de la première semaine. Mais en dehors du score final, il n'y avait pas une tonne de points positifs à signaler.
Le quart Texans Deshaun Watson a à peine récolté 150 verges et a été dominé par la recrue des Jaguars Gardner Minshew. Houston n'a réussi que 263 verges d'attaque et 17 premiers essais. Et la ligne offensive prétendument réaménagée de Houston a donné quatre sacs de plus.
Cette ligne est en fait sur le point de permettre plus de sacs qu’il ya un an – et en 2018, ils en ont donné 62.
Si l’entraîneur-chef de Jacksonville, Doug Marrone, n’avait pas repris ses esprits à la fin du match, les Texans auraient été menés en prolongation pour une deuxième semaine de suite.
Il n'y avait pas de honte à cela à la Nouvelle-Orléans. Mais à la maison contre une mauvaise équipe de Jaguars, c'est une autre histoire.
25 sur 32
John Amis / Associated Press
Haute: 6
Faible: 15
La semaine dernière: 5
Résultat de la semaine 2: Perdu 24-20 à Atlanta
Les Eagles de Philadelphie ont des problèmes à l'arrière de la défense. Au cours de la première semaine, Philly a accordé 380 verges pour la passe et trois touchés à Case Keenum dans une victoire contre les Redskins de Washington. Dimanche soir, Matt Ryan totalisait 320 verges et trois autres scores – et cette fois-ci, les Eagles se sont retrouvés à mi-chemin du score final.
Ajoutez à cela les blessures qui ont durement frappé l'offensive et, de l'avis de Sobleski, il n'y avait guère d'autre choix que de laisser tomber les Eagles de plusieurs places dans le classement de cette semaine.
"Un retour presque miraculeux des Eagles signifie simplement que l'équipe est toujours perdue. Les receveurs des Falcons ont exposé la secondaire de Philadelphie, et le talentueux front défensif des Eagles n'a pas dominé le front des Falcons reconstruits. Des questions sur Carson Wentz la durabilité est à nouveau au premier plan. Philly n’a pas encore tout résumé, et sa chute dans le classement reflète son statut actuel. "
26 sur 32
Justin K. Go / Getty Images
Haute: seven
Faible: 8
La semaine dernière: 13
Résultat de la semaine 2: A remporté à Pittsburgh 28-26
Les Seahawks de Seattle ont remporté leur premier match de la saison contre les Bengals de Cincinnati, mais l’équipe n’a pas eu l’air très prometteur de le faire. Il allait falloir déployer davantage d’efforts pour assurer une victoire sur la route contre une équipe de Steelers qui vient d’être fustigée par les Patriots.
Les Seahawks l'ont compris.
Ben Roethlisberger n'a pas été blessé au coude en seconde période, mais la défense de Seattle a été beaucoup mieux défendue lors de la deuxième semaine, plaçant les Steelers à seulement 261 verges et 81 verges au sol. Le match de Seattle, en revanche, a amassé 152 verges en 33 courses. Les Seahawks ont également réussi un effort de 300 verges et trois passes de la part du quart-arrière Russell Wilson.
Le calendrier ne devient pas plus facile pour Seattle; Lors des cinq prochains matchs, Seattle accueillera les Saints de la Nouvelle-Orléans, les Rams de Los Angeles et les Ravens de Baltimore.
Mais les Seahawks – comme une grande partie de la NFC West – sont sur le point de démarrer.
"Je dois donner ceci aux Seahawks: ils se battent toujours", a déclaré Gagnon. "Ils ont perdu par plus de quatre points seulement deux fois lors de leurs 21 derniers matches, et ils ont découvert une grosse route bouleversée face à un adversaire désespéré dimanche. La situation de quart de Pittsburgh n'est pas une excuse non plus, parce que Mason Rudolph a bien joué. Seattle sera à la chasse toute la saison. "
27 sur 32
Todd Olszewski / Getty Images
Haute: 5
Faible: seven
La semaine dernière: ten
Résultat de la semaine 2: Gagné contre Arizona 23-17
Au début de la saison, vous ne pouvez pas demander de meilleurs deux premiers matchs que ceux avec lesquels les Ravens de Baltimore ont lancé 2019. Après avoir démoli la pire équipe de la NFL cette année, les Ravens ont accueilli la pire équipe de la ligue en 2018.
Les Cardinals de l’Arizona sont certes une équipe améliorée par rapport au désordre de 3-13 de l’année dernière, mais les Ravens ont pris les choses en main à domicile pour passer à 2-0 et potentiellement établir rapidement une première mi-temps dans la AFC Nord.
L’histoire de ces deux victoires a été celle du quart-arrière Lamar Jackson, en deuxième année, qui n’a été que remarquable. Jackson a non seulement accumulé plus de 100 verges au sol, mais il a encore une fois réussi à lancer le ballon, en passant pour 272 verges et deux buts sans interception.
"A team can only beat those who are placed before it, and the Ravens did exactly what they're supposed to do by handling their business against the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals," Sobleski wrote. "Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson is developing into a superstar before our very eyes. The Ravens' next matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs will be appointment viewing."
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Quinn Harris/Getty Images
High: 4
Low: 6
Last Week: seven
Week 2 Result: Won vs. Minnesota 21-16
The Pack is back, baby!
May be.
After holding off the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field on Sunday, the Packers are the last remaining unbeaten team in the NFC North. Propelled Sunday by a big day from young tailback Aaron Jones, the Packers have now opened the season with wins over their two biggest rivals.
After last year's disappointing campaign, it's a welcome start to the Matt LaFleur era in Titletown.
But there was at least one cause for concern for the Packers in Week 2. This was a game the Packers led 21-0 early in the second quarter, but Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense didn't manage a single point the rest of the way.
"After a hot start in Week 2," Davenport wrote, "the Green Bay offense was ice-cold the rest of the way against the Vikings. This was a game where Minnesota piled up substantially more offense, only to be done in by four turnovers. Green Bay's defense has been a pleasant surprise this year, but the offense hasn't been what we've come to expect from a Rodgers-led squad."
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Evan Vucci/Associated Press
High: 4
Low: 5
Last Week: seven
Week 2 Result: Won at Washington 31-21
Maybe the Cowboys didn't need Ezekiel Elliott after all.
To be fair, Elliott played a part in the Cowboys 10-point win in Washington Sunday, posting his first 100-yard game of the season and finding the end zone.
Not bad for a guy who hasn't been with the team two full weeks yet.
But for the second week in a row, the star for The Star was quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott missed on just four of his 30 pass attempts, throwing for 269 yards and three scores. He's looked every bit an elite quarterback in Kellen Moore's offense.
The Dallas defense did its part as well, holding Washington to 255 total yards in a game where Dallas nearly doubled up their rivals in yardage.
Through two games, Prescott looks like a superstar, and the Cowboys look like the class of the division.
And Dak's contract is growing by the week.
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Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
High: 3
Low: 3
Last Week: 4
Week 2 Result: Won vs. New Orleans 27-9
It happened under rotten circumstances, but Sunday's decisive win by the Rams over the Saints in a rematch of last year's NFC title game was a tone-setter. A message-sender.
With Drew Brees on the shelf indefinitely, one of the Rams' biggest challengers in the NFC is done. The Rams have again established themselves (along with the Dallas Cowboys) as the class of the NFC.
Much as with last week's win in Carolina, the Rams didn't post gaudy numbers against the Saints. Jared Goff threw just one touchdown pass, and as a team, the Rams averaged fewer than four yards a carry on the ground. L.A.'s 380 total yards of offense was a good outing—but not a great one.
But it was a businesslike effort in which the Rams played efficiently in all phases. The team had just one turnover and held the Brees-less Saints out of the end zone and under 250 total yards.
"Concerns over Todd Gurley's lingering knee issues, a rebuilt offensive interior and the loss of Ndamukong Suh are quickly fading, because the Rams are clearly counted among the NFC's best after an impressive 2-0 start," Sobleski said. "The roster is loaded, especially on offense. Gurley and Malcolm Brown form one of the league's best backfield duos. More importantly, Brown effectively spells Gurley when head coach Sean McVay wants to give his lead back a break. With Cooper Kupp back and healthy, the Rams' trio of wide receivers is impossible to cover all at once."
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Daniel Shirey/Getty Images
High: 2
Low: 2
Last Week: 2
Week 2 Result: Won at Oakland 28-10
At the beginning of the second quarter of Sunday's game in Oakland, the Raiders held a 10-point lead and had kept the high-flying Chiefs from scoring a single point.
Then Patrick Mahomes decided playtime was over and proceeded to single-handedly destroy the Raiders.
In the second quarter alone, Mahomes had 278 yards and four touchdowns. It was the most yardage any player has thrown for in a quarter since Drew Brees posted 294 in 2008.
And that might not even be the scariest thing that happened in the game.
"After allowing a 10-spot in the first quarter, the Chiefs defense absolutely clamped down on the Raiders," Davenport said. "We know that Mahomes and the offense are going to get theirs, but if the KC defense actually starts stopping people? That's how this team beats the Patriots and claims the top spot in the AFC."
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Eric Espada/Getty Images
High: 1
Low: 1
Last Week: 1
Week 2 Result: Won at Miami 43-0
It's hard to glean a lot from what the Patriots did to the hapless Dolphins in Week 2. It's the NFL equivalent of Clemson playing Northeastern Montana Tech.
But the Patriots also didn't play a sloppy game in South Florida—a place where they have struggled in the past. There wasn't any taking of feet off gas pedals. The Pats came to town, annihilated the 'Fins and left.
In two games this season, the defending champions have outscored Pittsburgh and Miami 76-3. Tom Brady and the offense have been lethally efficient. The defense has two more touchdowns than it has allowed this year.
Oh, and in his Patriots debut, Antonio Brown led the team in receiving yards and found the end zone.
It's a foregone conclusion that the Patriots will win the AFC East for the 43rd year in a row in 2019.
The question now is with the Pats playing this well, can n'importe qui beat them?
It's probably not happening anytime soon. New England doesn't play a team that made the 2018 postseason until November.
"These Pats are starting to feel like the 2007 team that went 16-0 and won 12 games by double-digit margins," Gagnon said. "They're just so far beyond the competition. They're one of only four teams in NFL history to outscore their opponents by a combined 70-plus points in the first two weeks of the season, and the other three all did so in the 1960s and 1970s, when a 20-point margin was considered a nail-biter."
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