The NFL weekend in check
Several heart-stopping finales and the end of a great series
September 18, 2023, 8:14 a.m
Week two of the NFL season brings the first answer to the question of how the New York Jets are reacting to the frustrating news of Aaron Rodgers’ exit for the season. There are also several spectacular scenes in the final seconds. And Tom Brady plays a role, albeit passively.
How are the New York Jets reacting to the Rodgers shock?
We remember: Aaron Rodgers, the most spectacular transfer of the season, was on the field for the New York Jets for exactly one drive before the superstar quarterback tore his Achilles tendon. A few hours after the shock, the bitter confirmation follows: the season is over for the veteran. Zach Wilson still led his team to the opening win, but in week two the Jets also had a painful landing on the field: they lost 10:30 to the Dallas Cowboys, Rodgers replacement Wilson produced three interceptions and was sacked three times. The quarterback’s record is enhanced by a 68-yard touchdown: Wide receiver Garrett Wilson caught a short pass from his quarterback and then carried the ball far, far into the Cowboys’ end zone.
For the Cowboys, quarterback Dak Prescott gave the Texans the lead with two touchdown passes before halftime; after the break, only Brandon Aubrey scored points: the kicker scored a total of five field goals.
Top earner completes the false start
Before the start of the season, the Cincinnati Bengals made their quarterback Joe Burrow the league’s top earner with a new mega contract, but this has not yet been reflected in successes on the field: After the disastrous 3:24 against the Cleveland Browns at the start, the Bengals also lost Week two: 24:27 against the Cleveland Browns, who started perfectly. Charlie Jones produced the first Cincy touchdown of the season with an 81-yard punt return. Burrow then found Tee Higgins twice for touchdowns in the second half. However, it wasn’t enough to win because quarterback Lamar Jackson made two passes on the other side: once he served Mark Andrews and once he passed on newcomer Nelson Agholor. The final whistle didn’t mean the end of the trouble for the Bengals: Burrow announced that he had injured his calf again. Nothing is yet known about the severity of the injury and possible consequences.
The New York Giants made the comeback of the game day
The Arizona Cardinals went into the break 20-0, then the Giants struck back and averted disaster. It wasn’t until 4:25 minutes before the end that Isaiah Hodgins equalized what had previously been a wild game with his touchdown catch. The Giants were down 7:28 in the third quarter, then Saquon Barkley brought his team back within striking distance with two touchdowns. Hodgins finally equalized and Graham Ganos put the final point in a spectacular football game: the kicker hit the final score from 34 yards with 19 seconds left.
The sensation is followed by sporting drama for the Detroit Lions
At the start of the season, the Detroit Lions completely surprisingly beat the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs, but in week two there was a bitter defeat: the Lions around German wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown lost 31:37 against the Seattle Seahawks. After a wild rollercoaster ride over four quarters (7:7, 0:7, 10:7, 14:10) with changing leads Kicker Riley Patterson had taken the Lions into overtime with a 38-yard field goal with the clock running out, but a controversial touchdown by Tyler Lockett brought the decision in favor of the Seahawks, who had suffered badly against the Los Angeles Rams in week one bikes had come (1:30 p.m.).
The fans of the Denver Broncos also experienced a heart-stopping finale
With a spectacular Hail Mary play from the middle line, quarterback Russell Wilson found a detour Brandon Johnson for a touchdown, but because the subsequent two-point conversion failed, the Broncos were unable to save themselves into overtime at the Washington Commanders. In the end it was 35:33 for the Capitals, who turned a 21:3 deficit and already looked like the sure winner after two touchdown runs by Brian Robinson in the final quarter – before Wilson fired his huge last pass towards the end zone and so on everyone had to tremble again (or were allowed to hope). However: It was no longer of any use.
The champion is struggling into the season
The start of the new season is a shock for the champions: the Kansas City Chiefs lose 20:21 in week one against the Detroit Lions. There is good news for the first time on the second day of the game: Travis Kelce, quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ favorite pass receiver, returned to the field and there is also the first win of the season to celebrate. However, the path to get there is tough: the first points only come in the second quarter, and the Chiefs lose the turnover battle 1:3. Tight end Kelce scored the champions’ second touchdown in his first game after a short injury layoff. That was enough to make the decision in a low-scoring, unspectacular game.
Mr. Irrelevant remains (almost) unbeatable
In 2022, the San Francisco 49ers selected Brock Purdy as the last player in the draft, and the quarterback will be honored as “Mr. Irrelevant” of his draft year. But then the young man writes a “Cinderella” story: Due to injuries, Purdy suddenly becomes the starting quarterback in the second half of the season and thus the successor to playmaking legends like Joe Montana and Steve Young. And Pury delivers: He leads the 49ers to the conference finals and who knows what would have been possible there had he not been injured early in the game. Now “Mr. Irrelevant” is back and continues to work on his impressive statistics. In his 49ers’ 30:23 win against the Los Angeles Rams, Purdy impressed with another confident performance. Although he didn’t throw a touchdown pass, he did run into the end zone himself once. His impressive record as an NFL professional is now nine wins in ten games.
Two quarterbacks produce a record together
Anthony Richardson and CJ Stroud are 42 years old together – and set an NFL record in the Houston Texans’ game against the Indianapolis Colts: Never in the history of the league have two starting quarterbacks brought fewer combined years of life onto the field. Richardson quickly put the Texans ahead with two rushing touchdowns, but then had to leave the field due to a concussion. His counterpart Stroud also experienced a painful afternoon: the rookie was sacked six times and lost a fumble. After all, he also successfully sent a teammate into the end zone twice. In the end it was no use: Richardson’s Colts won 31:20.
Gameday Brady stats
Tom Brady hasn’t played for the New England Patriots for three years; it was only last week that the superstar was officially farewelled in the 20:25 opening defeat of the former football great power against the Philadelphia Eagles. Brady, who won another Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after his great era with the Patriots, had produced huge statistics in the Patriots uniform: they won the Super Bowl together six times, Brady became the GOAT – the greatest player of all time . The Patriots, on the other hand, now produced negative statistics without their former leader: With the 17:24 against the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots started the season with two home defeats for the first time since 1975 and for the first time since 2001 with a 0:2 record. That never happened to them with Tom Brady as their starting quarterback.
The end of a great series
Quarterback Jared Goff had thrown 383 passes in a row without producing an interception – then Seattle cornerback Tre Brown came along, grabbed a pass from Goff and, to make matters worse for the Lions, carried the ball into the end zone for a pick-six. This ended the third-longest streak of passes without an interception in NFL history. Incidentally, it is one of the few quarterback records that is not held by Tom Brady: The superstar produced 399 passes in a row for the Buccaneers in 2022 without an interception, but he did not break Aaron Rodgers’ 402 (in 2018 for the Green Pay Packers). .