National Football League Round-up, Week 2
Detroit Lions:
After a very impressive start to the season with a 35-14 victory over the New York
Giants, the Lions struggled in Carolina, losing 24-7 to the Panthers. All the progress
made from the offense from the opening Monday night appeared to take a step
backwards.
The issues from 2013 came back to haunt the Lions, as 3 turnovers were committed,
aiding in the defeat. Rookie kicker Nate Freese missed a pair of field goals, as well.
The Lions return home this week to play the Green Bay Packers. Both teams are 1-1 on
the season, and this is the first divisional game for the entire NFC North this season.
The running game has struggled early, averaging only 73 yards a game on the ground,
and Reggie Bush, a 1,000 yard rusher last season, has 41 yards on 15 carries through two
games this season. The passing game hasn’t missed much of a beat, but the key for the
rest of the season will be for offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi to add to the running
game and create more balance.
Around the League:
Cleveland Browns 26, New Orleans Saints 24
Kicker Billy Cundiff hit a 29 yard field goal as time expired to give Cleveland an upset
win over the New Orleans Saints. Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer completed 24 of 40
passes with one touchdown, while defensive back Tashaun Gipson returned a Drew Brees
interception 62 yards for a touchdown. The Browns are now 1-1 on the season while the
Saints are a surprising 0-2.
San Diego Chargers 30, Seattle Seahawks 21
Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers found tight end Antonio Gates three times for
touchdowns while San Diego also won in an upset, this one over the defending Super
Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. The Chargers offense handled Seattle’s notoriously
strong defense, as Rivers completed 75 percent of his passes and the team gained 377
yards of total offense. Both teams are now 1-1 on the season.
Green Bay Packers 31, New York Jets 24
Green Bay came back from an early 21-3 deficit to defeat the visiting New York Jets
and earn their first win of the season. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 346
yards and three touchdowns, including the game winning 80 yard touchdown to receiver
Jordy Nelson. A late timeout call from the Jets sideline negated a game tying 37 yard
touchdown with 3:31 left in the game, and the Jets failed to score afterwards. Both teams
are 1-1.
Other News:
Bills, Cardinals Off to Great Starts
The Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals have surprised the NFL by both starting 2-0 on
the season. Buffalo has the been the most surprising team early on, easily defeating the
Miami Dolphins 29-10 on Sunday and defeated the Chicago Bears 23-20 in overtime on
opening week. The Cardinals followed up an impressive 18-17 opening week win over
San Diego by going into New York with backup quarterback Drew Stanton getting the
start for an injured Carson Palmer and defeated the Giants 25-14. Buffalo will host San
Diego this week, while Arizona hosts division rival San Francisco.
Week 3 Games to Watch:
Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks, 4:10 p.m.
The Broncos travel to Seattle for a rematch of the most recent Super Bowl. Denver looks
to avenge its 43-8 defeat at the hands of the Seahawks in February.
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals, 4:10 p.m.
The Cardinals have an early lead on the NFC West division at 2-0 and hosts division
rival San Francisco. The 49ers are coming off a rough loss against the Chicago Bears on
Sunday after losing a 17-0 lead to Chicago.
Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m.
Kirk Cousins will step in for Robert Griffin III at quarterback while Griffin suffered a season ending ankle injury in Sunday’s 41-10 Redskin victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Philadelphia is coming off back-to-back comeback victories and are looking to take a commanding early lead in the NFC East.
