Week 2 in the National Football League has come and gone, and only two things seem clear: the Jets are who we thought they were, and the Chiefs’ Kareem Hunt is spearheading the next generation of running backs.
The slate of games started on Thursday night, when the Texans took down the struggling Bengals in Cincinnati. Other than J.J Watt’s unbelievable charitable efforts for the victims of Hurricane Harvey, the pieces seem to be coming together for the team on the field. DeShaun Watson has taken his opportunity as the starting quarterback and run with it, racking up 67 yards and a touchdown on five carries in his first career start. But, for the Bengals, their field general, Andy Dalton. isn’t looking like the “Red Rifle” that led the team to playoff appearances in four out of his five years as a starter. Even rumors have popped up that if Dalton is benched in the near future for his subpar play, players are calling for the front office to sign the controversial ex-49ers QB Colin Kaepernick. Constant buzz about his political leanings and protests has steered many owners away from the possibility of adding him to their roster. But it is a storyline to keep an eye on as the season progresses, as Kaepernick is a viable option for Cincy if Dalton’s performance continues to disappoint.
As for the games on Sunday, most were either never in question from the first snap, like the Patriots’ easy 36 to 20 win over the Saints, the beatdown the Denver Broncos put on the Dallas Cowboys in Mile High, or slugfests that featured offenses that are simply incompetent (A.K.A the Bills and the Panthers combining for a score of… wait for it… 12 points. Twelve, ladies and gents. And no, there were no touchdowns in sight.) On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tom Brady, in his second game at the age of 40, threw for 447 yards and 3 TD’s. Even at his ancient age for the sport, Brady is still breaking records. In his storied 17-year career, he has never thrown three touchdowns in one quarter…until Sunday.
But, thankfully, there were a few games to salvage some excitement from the day of football. In Kansas City, a close contest between the surprisingly confident Chiefs, with solid play by Alex Smith and dominating running by the standout Kareem Hunt (81 yards and 2 TD’s), and the King of September himself, Carson Wentz, came down to the wire. Both teams look poised to take a firm grip on their respective divisions, but it is too early in the season to say if they are in the top tier of their respective conferences. Out west, the Chargers debuted in the City of Angels. But the trend of losing in San Diego didn’t change after moving a few miles south. The team performed well enough to win, but fell short in the final minute after a field goal by Dolphins place kicker Cody Parkey, falling to 0-2 by a score of 19 to 17. One bright spot that did come out of the disappointingly empty stadium (the StubHub Center can only seat 30,000, the game saw barely 25,000 attend) was Antonio Gates’ record-breaking touchdown catch in the third quarter. With his 112th score of his career, Gates is now the all-time leader in touchdown receptions by a tight end to add to his Hall of Fame caliber resume.
That’s a wrap on this week’s WLOY Sports Blog, but check out the next update on the world of sports later this week!
