NFL Notebook Dump: Crazy Collapses, Tua Shines, Hurts Dominates + Fantasy News and Notes from Week 2

Coming off of a wild Week 1, the drama of Week 2 may have raised the bar even higher.

While most of the big home favorites took care of business, we were treated to three of the wildest fourth-quarter comebacks in recent memory – two of which unfolded simultaneously in Cleveland and Baltimore.

Not to be outdone in the late window, the Raiders insisted on blowing a 20-0 lead to Arizona, which capped off the incredible comeback with a walk-off fumble recovery for a touchdown in overtime. Meanwhile, the Falcons and Texans nearly pulled off upsets against the Rams and Broncos, respectively, while the Cowboys' defense stepped up to send the Bengals to an 0-2 start.

This week, we'll take more of a structured, game-by-game approach to breaking down all of the relevant fantasy news and notes from Week 2. Let's dive in.

Jaguars 24 – Colts 0

The good:

• Coming off of a shaky Week 1 performance against Washington, Trevor Lawrence played perhaps the best game of his young NFL career. He posted a career-best 121.5 passer rating while completing 25 of 30 passes for 235 yards and two scores. 

• Christian Kirk was on the receiving end of both touchdowns. Kirk (6-78-2) caught all six of his targets and has already firmly established himself as Lawrence's favorite downfield option. Kirk finished Week 2 as the WR7 in PPR formats.

• James Robinson: 23 carries, 64 yards, TD (37-yarder)
• Evan Engram: eight targets, seven catches, 46 yards
• Ashton Dulin: 5-79
• Josh Allen: two sacks
• The Jaguars find themselves in first place in the division heading into a difficult Week 3 matchup against the Chargers, though Justin Herbert (ribs) may be limited. With the Colts and Titans faltering out of the gate, the AFC South does appear to be up for grabs at this point.

The bad:

• Playing without Michael Pittman (and Alec Pierce), the Colts' offense was a disaster from start to finish. They moved the ball on the opening possession of the game before Matt Ryan tossed a brutal interception on a 3rd-and-10 from the Jacksonville 40. 
• Ryan tossed two more interceptions in the fourth quarter on back-to-back throws. The Jags' defense also had back-to-back picks against Carson Wentz last week and now leads the NFL with a plus-five turnover differential.
  • Parris Campbell led Indianapolis in routes run (30) but was targeted only once. As of now, Dulin (six targets in Week 1) is looking like the No. 2 behind Pittman.
• Jonathan Taylor: nine carries, 54 yards (long of 21 yards)
  • Taylor looked good, per usual, but after falling behind early the Colts were essentially in desperation mode for most of the afternoon. He finished Week 2 outside the top 30 at his position in PPR leagues.
• Indianapolis went 2-of-10 on third down and finished the game with only nine total first downs. They've now dropped eight straight games to the Jaguars in Jacksonville. 
• Travis Etienne had three catches for 33 yards, but he carried the ball only nine times compared to 23 for Robinson.
  • Robinson out-snapped Etienne 45 to 26 in a game the Jaguars controlled on the ground for virtually the entire second half.
  • Etienne has already shown flashes of explosiveness, but for the time being he's clearly being utilized as the long-yardage option, while Robinson gets all of the goalline work.

Jets 31 – Browns 30

The good:

• Despite one of the most shocking collapses in recent memory, Nick Chubb finished the week as the No. 1 fantasy running back, racking up 32.3 points in PPR formats. Chubb rushed 17 times for 87 yards and three scores. He also caught three passes for 26 yards.
  • Through two weeks, Chubb leads all running backs in fantasy points. 
  • Kareem Hunt: 13-58
• Amari Cooper bounced back from a concerningly quiet Week 1 to post nine catches on 10 targets for 101 yards and a score. Still a little jarring to see Cooper wearing Johnny Manziel's #2, but I'll get used to it.
• Joe Flacco: 26-of-44, 307 yards, 4 TD
  • It wasn't as extreme as last week's Flacco Raid offense, but the Jets once again leaned heavily on the pass. 
• Garrett Wilson: 8-102-2
  • After a quiet Week 1, Wilson was targeted a game-high 14 times and certainly looked the part of a high-first-round talent. 
  • Wilson was one of six receivers to finish with at least 30.0 FP (PPR) in Week 2, joining Cooper Kupp, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill
• Corey Davis: 66-yard TD on blown coverage

The bad:

• Hard to overstate how badly the Browns blew this game. A Nick Chubb touchdown put Cleveland up by 13 points with 1:55 to play. The Browns immediately gave up a 66-yard touchdown to Corey Davis, who was wiiiiide open on an inexcusable broken coverage. The Jets then recovered a well-executed onside kick and proceeded to march down the field on a nine-play drive capped off with Garrett Wilson's second touchdown of the day.
• On the ensuing Browns possessions, Jacoby Brissett tossed a horrendous interception to end the game.

• The Browns' defense absolutely deserves most of the blame for the late collapse. I try not to be a revisionist in these situations, BUT both Chubb and Kareem Hunt had opportunities to slide down in-bounds during Cleveland's final scoring drive. With the Jets out of timeouts, Cleveland could've kneeled out the clock. Regardless, there's no excuse not to protect a two-score lead with under two minutes left.
  • The Browns also missed the extra-point following Chubb's late touchdown, keeping the lead to 13 points.
• It goes without saying that Cleveland blew a huge opportunity to move to 2-0 and grab an early lead in the AFC North. With matchups against Pittsburgh (TNF) and Atlanta coming up, the Browns conceivably had a shot at starting 4-0.
• Breece Hall continued to split time with Michael Carter, with Carter winning the snap battle 42 to 20. Both backs carried seven times, though Carter (5-27) was utilized more as a pass-catcher.
  • Ty Johnson (13 snaps) also factored into the rotation on some third downs, which doesn't appear to bode well for Hall, in particular.
• Elijah Moore: 3-41 (five targets)
• Cleveland's passing game simply might not be good enough to support another receiver other than Cooper. David Bell (1-6) and Donovan Peoples-Jones (1 target) were completely invisible.

Dolphins 42 – Ravens 38

The good:

• Both quarterbacks balled out with monster fantasy performances. Lamar Jackson and Tua Tagovailoa were by far the top two fantasy QBs in Week 2, each topping 40FP while only one other signal-caller (Jalen Hurts) even reached 30.0 FP. 
  • This was pretty easily the defining game of Tagovailoa's career, to date. While throwing to the two fastest receivers in the league certainly helps, Tagovailoa was on-target for the entire second half, racking up 469 yards and six touchdowns, though he did toss two picks in the first half.
• For some reason, Tua's release looks much smoother as a righty:

• Tyreek Hill: 11-190-2 (13 targets)
• Jaylen Waddle: 11-171-2 (19 targets)
  • Hill and Waddle are pretty clearly the top receiving duo in the league right now. The pair finished the week as the top two fantasy scorers at the position.
• Mike Gesicki (4-41-1) got back on track after struggling through the preseason, as well as Week 1. It remains to be seen whether Gesicki is a long-term fit in Mike McDaniel's offense, but this was an encouraging step in the right direction. 
  • Gesicki played 44 snaps, while Durham Smythe saw 35
• Jackson was up to his old tricks, throwing for 318 yards and three TDs while adding nine carries for 119 yards and a 79-yard TD on the ground.
• Rashod Batemen: 4-108-1 (75-yard TD)
• Mark Andrews: 9-104-1 (11 targets)
• Isaiah Likely: 4-43
• Devin Duvernay took the opening kickoff back 103 yards for a touchdown.
  • Note: Duvernay later exited the game with a concussion

The bad:

• The Ravens' secondary made some big plays in the first half to help build a 28-7 lead but completely fell apart over the final two quarters. Tua made some impressive throws to pull Miami back into the game, but Hill and Waddle were running circles around the Ravens' defensive backs, who had multiple, inexcusable broken coverages in the fourth quarter alone.
  • Through two weeks, the Ravens rank dead last in total yards allowed and passing yards allowed. Of course, game script plays a factor in that – Joe Flacco's 59 attempts in Week 1 are an outlier – but Baltimore has some major issues.

• Chase Edmonds: five carries, 33 yards; one reception, eight yards
• Ravens not named Lamar Jackson: 16 carries, 36 yards

Patriots 17 – Steelers 14

The good:

• This game was 100 percent as ugly as advertised, but you have to give credit to the Patriots for doing just enough on offense to avoid falling to 0-2 for the first time in more than two decades.
• Hard running by Damien Harris sealed the game for New England late, and Harris finished with 15 carries for 71 yards and a score. 
  • Harris appeared to injure his knee near the end of the fourth quarter but after the game told reporters that he's "fine, dog." Major exhale for fantasy managers.
• Rhamondre Stevenson: eight carries, 47 yards
• Nelson Agholor: 6-110-1 (44-yard TD)

• Jakobi Meyers: 9-95
• Pat Freiermuth found the endzone again but finished with only 22 yards on four catches
  • Through two games, Freiermuth ranks sixth in the league in fantasy points (PPR) behind Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Darren Waller, Gerald Everett and Zach Ertz

The bad:

• The Steelers' offense looked just as inept this week as it did in Week 1 against Cincinnati. Mitch Trubisky completed 21 passes for just 168 yards (5.1 YPA).
  • Diontae Johnson had a respectable six catches for 57 yards, but at this point he's the only Steelers receiver worth a starting spot. 
  • Chase Claypool: 4-26 on six targets
    • Claypool did not carry the ball after rushing six times in Week 1
  • George Pickens: one catch for 23 yards
• Mac Jones looked much better than last week, but he threw a bad interception to Minkah Fitzpatrick that led to a Steelers field goal.
• Hunter Henry was one of my favorite late-round targets this year, but he's off to a rough start. After logging two catches for 20 yards in Week 1, Henry was shut out in Week 2 on only one target. 
  • Jonnu Smith out-snapped Henry 39 to 34
• DeVante Parker: no catches on only two targets
• Najee Harris once again found little room to run against a Pats defense that was daring Trubisky to throw the ball more than five yards. Harris posted just 49 yards on 15 carries with no run longer than eight yards.
  • Good note from PFF: Harris has gained 10 yards before contact on his 25 carries this season, compared to 62 yards after contact.

Giants 19 – Panthers 16

The good:

• Well, the path to a 4-0 start for the Giants remains intact as they look ahead to home matchups against Dallas in Week 3 (inexplicably the MNF game) and Chicago in Week 4.
  • Much like last week, it wasn't remotely pretty, but the Giants' defense generated some key stops, and the offense was able to control the clock for much of the fourth quarter. New York ran 27 plays in the fourth, compared to only nine for Carolina. 
• Somehow, neither Daniel Jones nor Baker Mayfield committed a turnover.
  • Jones: 22-of-34 for 176 yards and a TD
  • Mayfield: 14-of-29 for 145 yards and a TD
• Christian McCaffrey: 15 carries, 102 yards (long of 49); four catches, 26 yards
• Saquon Barkley had a fine afternoon (21-72; three catches, 16 yards), but Carolina was better-prepared to slow him down than Tennessee was last week. Thanks to that monster Week 1 performance, Barkley still ranks second among running backs in PPR scoring behind only Nick Chubb.

The bad:

• For the second straight week, Carolina found itself on the wrong end of the time-of-possession battle. After running just 50 plays in Week 1 against Cleveland, the Panthers only ran 54 on Sunday.
• New York dominated the clock, winning time of possession 36 minutes to 24 minutes.
• DJ Moore: 3-43-1
  • Obviously, the touchdown salvaged an otherwise pedestrian day for Moore, who was extremely quiet in Week 1, as well. Quarterback play will be an issue all season for the Panthers, whose schedule toughens up considerably over the next five weeks: vs. NOR, vs. ARI, vs. SF, at LAR, vs. TB
• Through two weeks, only Chicago (97) and Seattle (96) have run fewer plays than Carolina
• Kadarius Toney: two catches, zero yards on three targets
  • Toney was dealing with a hamstring injury heading into Sunday and saw limited snaps (29), relative to David Sills (67) and Sterling Shepard (66)
• Kenny Golladay play only two snaps and, believe it or not, was not thrilled about it

Buccaneers 20 – Saints 10

The good:

• Fantasy-wise, there were very few positive takeaways from this game. Leonard Fournette carried 24 times but was mostly stifled, finishing with just 65 yards.

• Chris Olave caught five passes for 80 yards but had a fumble late that basically sealed the game for Tampa Bay. Olave was targeted a game-high 13 times.
• Michael Thomas: 6-65-1. Thomas now has three touchdowns on the year.

The bad:

• It was not a banner offensive day for either team. While the Bucs' defense delivered the victory, Tom Brady slogged through a frustrating day without Chris Godwin and Julio Jones. Brady also lost Mike Evans early in the fourth quarter after yet another major altercation with Marshon Lattimore.

• Lattimore was also ejected after the fracas but will not be suspended. However, the NFL announced Monday morning that Evans will face a one-game ban. His appeal will be heard Tuesday by none other than Madden 2002 legend James Thrash.

• With Jones and Godwin banged up, losing Evans for next week's showdown with the Packers is a massive blow for a Bucs offense that's generated only two touchdowns through two games.
• As you can see in the video, Bruce Arians was conspicuously hanging out on the Buccaneers' sideline for reasons unknown. While Arians is currently working in some sort of advisory role for the Bucs, it was a little strange to see him down on the field.
• Tom Brady: 18-of-34, 190 yards, 1 TD
  • Through two weeks, Brady ranks 28th among QBs in fantasy points.

• Jameis Winston looked like pre-LASIK Jameis, tossing three picks, including a back-breaking pick-six, in addition to taking six sacks. 
• The Saints were without Alvin Kamara, so Mark Ingram functioned as the No. 1 running back. Ingram ran well – 10 carries, 60 yards – but coughed up a killer fumble deep in Bucs territory late in the third quarter.
• New Orleans' first drive of the game went for 11 plays and ended in a field goal. Next nine drives: punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, fumble, interception, interception, interception (pick six)
• After an explosive Week 1, Jarvis Landry came back down to earth Sunday, catching four of five targets for 25 yards. As noted last week, there's a good chance Landry's Week 1 will go down as his best performance of the season.

Lions 36 – Commanders 27

The good:

• As most predicted, the Bills, Chiefs and Lions are the three highest-scoring teams through two weeks. Much like last week, the Lions' defense had some letdowns, but the offense was relentless.
• Jared Goff: 20-of-34 for 256 yards and four TDs
• Amon-Ra St. Brown had a massive game, catching nine passes for 116 yards and two scores, while adding two carries for 68 yards. 

• St. Brown finished as Detroit's leading rusher on an afternoon when D'Andre Swift (5-56) and Jamaal Williams (12-53) shared most of the rushing load. 
  • Swift was limited by an ankle injury, which explains the lack of carries, but he still out-snapped Williams 31 to 21. Swift ran a route on 21 of his 31 snaps and found the endzone on one of his two receptions. He also ripped off an impressive 50-yard run.
  • The Lions continue to utilize Williams as the primary short-yardage back, so Swift's opportunities around the goal line may remain somewhat-limited. Last week, Williams vultured a pair of short-yardage TDs from Swift.
• Despite an unbelievably poor first half, Washington's offense still generated 27 points thanks to four second-half touchdowns.
• Carson Wentz overcame an interception and a safety to post another stellar fantasy line, as he finished 30-of-46 for 337 yards and three scores. Heading into Week 3, Wentz ranks fourth in the league in total fantasy points behind only Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts.
• Curtis Samuel had another big week, catching seven passes for 78 yards and a score. Samuel wasn't as involved in the ground game, however, rushing just once for 21 yards.
• Jahan Dotson: four catches, 59 yards, TD
• Terry McLaurin: four catches, 75 yards
• Logan Thomas: three catches, 37 yards, TD

The bad:

• Washington's first-half drives: three-and-out punt, three-and-out punt, safety, three-and-out punt, three-and-out punt, punt, punt.
  • First half total yards: Detroit – 244; Washington – 27
• While it was 22-0 in favor of Detroit at half, Washington's defense actually made a few impressive red-zone stands to prevent the game from getting even more out of hand.
• Antonio Gibson (40) and J.D. McKissic (34) split snaps relatively evenly, though Gibson was heavily favored as the primary runner.
  • Gibson: 14 carries, 28 yards, TD
• McKissic: three carries, nine yards; seven catches, 54 yards
• DJ Chark: no catches on four targets

49ers 27 – Seahawks 7

The good:

• Even after losing Trey Lance, San Francisco dominated time of possession (38 minutes to 22 minutes) and led comfortably from start to finish. San Francisco racked up 189 rushing yards but did need 45 carries to get there. With Elijah Mitchell out for several more weeks, Jeff Wilson looks to be the featured back.
  • Wilson: 18 carries, 84 yards
  • Deebo Samuel: four carries, 53 yards (including a 51-yarder); five catches, 44 yards
    • Tyrion Davis-Price: 14 carries, 33 yards before exiting with a high-ankle sprain.
    • Davis-Price is expected to miss multiple weeks, meaning the 49ers are down to Wilson and Jordan Mason as the only true running backs on the 53-man roster.
• The 49ers were again without George Kittle
• Very few positive takeaways for Seattle. Geno Smith completed 24-of-30 passes but didn't reach 200 yards. 
• More than half of Smith's yards went to Tyler Lockett, who bounced back from a rough Week 1 with nine catches on 11 targets for 107 yards

The bad:

• By far the biggest news from this game is the 49ers will be without their starting quarterback for the remainder of the season. Lance suffered a fractured and dislocated ankle during a running play in the first quarter and was carted off of the field.

• In a bizarre twist, the Niners will pivot right back to Jimmy Garoppolo, who came on in relief of Lance and finished 13-of-21 for 154 yards and a TD to Ross Dwelley.
• With Garoppolo under center, the 49ers should be a more consistent passing team, but they finished last season fifth in total rushing attempts, so don't expect a dramatic shift in philosophy. If nothing else, more of that rushing load will be distributed among running backs, with less of a chance of the quarterback punching it in near the goal line. 
• Worth noting: The 49ers' Super Bowl odds are virtually unchanged post-Lance injury. Following Sunday's win, the odds actually moved from 22/1 down to 20/1 at some books.
• Seattle's offense took a significant step back after looking good for at least the first half against Denver last week. Perhaps the Broncos aren't a great measuring stick (more on that in a bit), but the Seahawks couldn't get much of anything going Sunday.
  • Seattle ran only 47 offensive plays and finished with 216 total yards.
  • The Seahawks also had 10 penalties cost them 106 yards
• Rashaad Penny: six carries, 15 yards
  • Kenneth Walker made his NFL debut and rushed four times for 10 yards
  • Travis Homer led all Seahawks running backs in snaps (22), though the vast majority of his work came in garbage time
• DK Metcalf: four catches, 35 yards on six targets
  • Seattle has friendlier matchups against Atlanta and Detroit coming up, but Metcalf owners aren't resting easy

Rams 31 – Falcons 27

The good:

• Cooper Kupp continues to be the most dependable elite player in fantasy football. Despite a late fumble that nearly cost Los Angeles the game, Kupp posted another monster line, catching 11 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Kupp is averaging 31.8 fantasy points per game through the first two weeks, which trails only Stefon Diggs (35.5) in PPR formats.
• After causing widespread panic with a Week 1 no-show, Allen Robinson got on the board for the first time in a Rams uniform. Robinson was targeted five times, catching four for 53 yards and a score.
  • Robinson should've had another touchdown, but the play was (very confusingly) called back due to a late medical timeout for which the officials did not blow the whistle until well after the ball was snapped.
• Cam Akers saw a much larger workload this week, carrying 15 times for 44 yards. Akers appeared to have the advantage over Darrell Henderson (10 carries, 47 yards, TD), though Henderson won the snap battle 35 to 27 and was typically used on passing downs.
  • Henderson: 19 routes run, compared to eight for Akers
• Tyler Higbee: 7-71
• Drake London had another big week, catching eight Marcus Mariota passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. 
  • London is currently the betting favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year at the DraftKings Sportsbook:

The bad:

• The Rams led 28-3, and then 31-10, before allowing a touchdown to Olamide Zaccheaus, followed by a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown. On the Rams' ensuing possession, Cooper Kupp fumbled on a third-down conversion, setting the Falcons up at the Los Angeles 37-yard-line, down 31-25 with 3:32 to play. 
• Thankfully for the Rams, they were playing the Falcons, so that drive inevitably ended with a Jalen Ramsey interception of Marcus Mariota.

• After getting the ball back, the Rams opted to run three plays before taking a safety to run clock and avoid another potential blocked punt.
• Kyle Pitts' fantasy owners are officially allowed to begin entering a state of minor panic. In Week 1, Pitts had just two catches for 19 yards, but he was targeted seven times. This time around, Pitts repeated that 2-19 line but on only three targets. After the game, Arthur Smith offered very little sympathy:

• Cordarrelle Patterson: 10 carries, 41 yards; no catches on one target
• Tyler Allgeier: 10 carries, 30 yards after being a healthy inactive in Week 1

Broncos 16 – Texans 9

The good:

• For fantasy purposes, very, very few good things happened in Denver. Russell Wilson was 6-of-20 passing at one point before finishing 14-of-31 for 219 yards, one TD and one pick.
  • Courtland Sutton: seven catches, 122 yards
• Javonte Williams: 15 carries, 75 yards

• Melvin Gordon: 10 carries, 47 yards
  • Williams out-snapped Gordon 47 to 23 and was in on most goal line and passing situations
• The Texans moved away from Rex Burkhead, who didn't log a single carry, in favor of Dameon Pierce. Pierce finished with 15 carries for 69 yards.
  • While Burkhead wasn't as involved as last week, he's still the clear top option on third downs and obvious passing situations.
• Nico Collins: four catches, 58 yards on nine targets

The bad:

• Yikes all around. Other than Sutton hogging most of the Broncos' passing yards, this was another ugly week for Denver filled with more questionable coaching decisions.
• Denver didn't score a touchdown until early in the fourth quarter and continued to struggle in both third-and-short and red zone situations. Had the Broncos played virtually any team other than the Texans, they're probably staring at an 0-2 start.
  • Denver: 3-of-12 on third down
• From a game-management perspective, it's difficult to remember a team struggling as much as the Broncos have through two games. Nathaniel Hackett's play clock struggles continued Sunday, to the point that the Broncos home crowd – when it wasn't booing its offense – resorted to counting it down like an NBA shot clock.

• At one point, Hackett dialed up a third-down designed run for… tight end Andrew Beck that was predictably snuffed out by the Texans defense. Faced with a 4th-and-2 after the bizarre call, Hackett couldn't make up his mind, and the Broncos took a horrendous delay of game that knocked them out of range for a long field goal attempt.

• O.J. Howard: one catch, seven yards on one target after scoring twice in Week 1
• Injuries continue to pile up for Denver, which lost both Patrick Surtain (shoulder) and Jerry Jeudy (chest) in this game. Both are considered day-to-day ahead of Week 3.
   

Cardinals 29 – Raiders 23

The good: 

• Coming off of a Week 1 that called into question whether the Cardinals were even an average NFL team, they rallied back from a 20-0 deficit to shock the Raiders in overtime. Kyler Murray looked sluggish in the first half, throwing for only 53 yards, but he turned it on in the second and almost single-handedly willed Arizona to touchdowns (and a pair of two-point conversions) on its final two drives
• Arizona ran more offensive plays in the second half than the Bears ran in the entire game against Green Bay

• Murray finished with 277 yards on 31 completions with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 28 yards and another score. 
• Zach Ertz: 8-75 on 11 targets
• Marquise Brown: 6-68 on 11 targets
• Greg Dortch: 4-55-1
• Arizona was again without Rondale Moore
• Josh Jacobs: 19-69 
• Darren Waller: 6-50-1

The bad:

• This was a stunning collapse by the Raiders, who were in complete control after ending the first half with an interception of Murray followed by a field goal to push the lead to 20-0. In the second half, the offense completely shut down. Las Vegas had only four drives and ran only 19 total plays in the second half thanks to a brutal defense – particularly the secondary – that simply couldn't get off of the field.
  • The Cardinals' final touchdown drive, which sent the game into overtime, went for 18 plays. 
  • The Raiders are now 0-2 with matchups against the Titans, Broncos and Chiefs upcoming
• Credit to the Raiders' defense for stopping the Cardinals on their first overtime possession. But shortly after, Hunter Renfrow fumbled after a reception and two as picked up Byron Murphy and returned 59 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

• Renfrow also fumbled two plays earlier but the Raiders were able to jump on it.
  • Renfrow: 7-59
• Davante Adams had only two catches on seven targets for 12 yards. He did find the endzone on the type of play that helped him rack up so many easy touchdowns in Green Bay.

• James Conner picked up an ankle injury in the victory, but it's not believed to be severe. If he misses any time, expect a relatively even split between Eno Benjamin and Darrel Williams.
  • With Conner limited, Williams rushed eight times for 59 yards and a score. Benjamin also had eight carries, picking up 31 yards.

Cowboys 20 – Bengals 17

The good: 

• Led by Micah Parsons, the Cowboys defense deserves most of the credit for this team sitting at 1-1. Last week, the defense acquitted itself well against Tampa Bay, and it came up with an even bigger effort against one of the most high-powered offenses in the NFL.
• Parsons has four sacks through two games and was single-handedly wrecking the Bengals' gameplan for most of the afternoon.
  • Dallas sacked Burrow six times and held Cincy to just 254 total yards

• Cooper Rush, now 2-0 as a starting quarterback, looked plenty comfortable directing the Cowboys' offense to touchdowns on its first two possessions. Things sputtered a bit after that, but after the Bengals tied the game at 17, Rush led a six-play drive in under a minute to put the Cowboys in range for Bret Maher to drill a 50-yard field goal as time expired.
  • Rush completed 3-of-3 passes on the drive for 30 yards.
• Noah Brown: 5-91-1
• CeeDee Lamb: 7-75
  • Lamb's line was nothing spectacular, but he was targeted a game-high 11 times – more than a third of Rush's total pass attempts. Given how inept the passing game looked last week with Dak Prescott, this feels like close to a best-case outcome for Lamb

The bad: 

• I came away from last week's loss to the Steelers feeling really good about the Bengals offense. Despite five turnovers by Joe Burrow, Cincinnati moved the ball with ease and should've won the game, had it not been for some exceptionally flukey plays. 
  • This time around, the Bengals will get no such benefit of the doubt. Again, credit Dallas' defense for keeping Burrow uncomfortable. Every single first down Cincinnati gained felt like a monumental accomplishment. Even the Bengals' lone touchdown drive took a grueling 19 plays and nearly nine minutes of game time.
  • The Bengals so-called "improved" offensive has to be a significant concern. Burrow took seven sacks in Week 1 and was pounded for six more sacks – he scrambled his way out of three or four more – on Sunday. 
  • The constant pressure forced Cincinnati to settle for quick throws, all but eliminating their potential for explosive plays with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
  • The Bengals' longest offensive play went for 19 yards (a completion to Higgins)
• Chase: 5-54
• Higgins: 6-71-1
  • Higgins returned to action after being knocked out of Week 1 with a concussion
• Tyler Boyd: 2-17
• Joe Mixon: 19 carries, 57 yards; three catches, 26 yards
  • Through two games, Mixon has just 139 yards on 46 carries
• Ezekiel Elliott: 15 carries, 53 yards

Packers 27 – Bears 10

The good:

• Not a ton to take away from this one. It went about exactly as I expected, with the Packers controlling the game throughout but being sure to look just shaky enough to inspire some doubt heading into next week's game at Tampa Bay.
  • Save for a botched handoff between Aaron Rodgers and AJ Dillon, it was a clean night for the Packers' offense. As anticipated, Aaron Jones played a much larger role, and Green Bay was content to keep the ball on the ground and control the clock.
• Aaron Jones: 15 carries, 132 yards, 1 TD; three receptions, 38 yards, 1 TD
• AJ Dillon: 18 carries, 61 yards; one reception, six yards
• Sammy Watkins: 3-93
• Allen Lazard made his season debut and caught a short touchdown from Rodgers
  • Lazard: 2-13 on three targets

• David Montgomery: 15 carries, 122 yards
• This interception, as narrated by Jaire Alexander

• Here's a better look at just how much ground Alexander covered:

The bad:

• Green Bay had an excellent night on the ground but is still working through some issues at receiver. Next week's game will shed significantly more light on just how much progress – if any – the likes of Lazard, Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson have made in the early going
• Montgomery gashed the Packers for a few big plays, but other than that this Bears offense looks like it might be the worst in the NFL. Playing the Bears is like playing one of the service academies. Justin Fields' running ability does add a little spice, but he gained only 20 yards on eight carries and was sacked three times.
• Field completed just 7-of-11 passes for 70 yards and a pick.
  • Darnell Mooney: one catch, negative-4 yards on two targets
  • Cole Kmet: zero catches on one target
• Chicago ran 41 plays and was 1-of-8 on third or fourth down conversions 

Bills 41 – Titans 7

The good:

• After a resounding Opening Night win over the Rams in Week 1, the Bills left little doubt as to why they're the near-consensus Super Bowl favorites. The game was tied 7-7 after the first quarter before Buffalo went on a 34-0 run highlighted by a trio of Stefon Diggs touchdowns on another monster night for Josh Allen (26-of-38, 317 yards, 4 TD).
  • The Bills did a better job of playing it safe with Allen, who only ran once for 10 yards. 
• Diggs: 12-148-3 on 14 targets
  • The Bills were without Gabriel Davis
  • Jake Kumerow: 2-50
  • Isaiah McKenzie: 2-37 on three targets
• James Cook: 11 carries, 53 yards, most of which came in garbage time. Cook, who fumbled on his first NFL carry last week, still looks to be the No. 3 back behind Devin Singletary and Zack Moss.
• NFL MVP odds after two weeks:

The bad:

• As the score implies, this was mostly a disastrous night for the Titans, who scored on their first drive but never really threatened after that. For the second straight week, Derrick Henry found no running room, finishing with just 25 yards on 12 carries.
• The Titans also lost starting left tackle, Taylor Lewan, in the first half due to a knee injury. Lewan had to be carted to the locker room, so it's very possible he could miss time.
• With the game well out of reach late in the third quarter, we got our first look at rookie Malik Willis. Understandably, Willis did not look overly prepared. He nearly threw a pick on his first NFL pass attempt and later had a sloppy fumble on what would've been a nice pickup on an option play. 

• Willis finished 1-of-4 passing for six yards to go with four rushes for 16 yards
• Ryan Tannehill: 11-of-20, 117 yards, two interceptions
  • Robert Woods: 4-39 on five targets
  • Treylon Burks: 4-47 on six targets

Eagles 24 – Vikings 7

The good: 

• The Eagles jumped out to an early 14-0 lead and never truly looked back, though they did commit a few sloppy turnovers in the second half that allowed Minnesota to threaten to get back into the game. Jake Elliott had a 41-yard field goal attempt blocked (and returned deep into Philly territory), and Jalen Hurts was intercepted on a screen pass – a questionable play call, at best – at the Eagles' 28 yard line.
• Luckily for Philly, the Vikings followed both big defensive plays with interceptions by Kirk Cousins, who was picked three times in the second half – twice by Darius Slay and once by Avonte Maddox.
• Hurts was dialed in from the jump and had arguably the best game of his entire career. After throwing for more than 250 yards in the first half, Hurts finished with 333 yards on 26-of-31 passing with one touchdown and the interception. He also ran for 57 yards and two scores on 11 carries.

• Dallas Goedert: 5-82
• A.J. Brown: 5-69
• DeVonta Smith bounced back from a Week 1 shutout to post seven catches for 80 yards. Fantasy owners can exhale.
• Miles Sanders: 17-80
• Philadelphia is now 12/1 to win the Super Bowl at the DraftKings Sportsbook.

The bad:

• Cousins looked good early but completely fell apart in the second half. He made some incredible, tight-window throws, but the three picks completely sunk any chance of a Minnesota comeback. Credit to the Eagles' secondary for blanketing Justin Jefferson all night. Jefferson was held to only 48 yards on six catches (12 targets).
  • Adam Thielen: 4-52
  • Irv Smith had the lone touchdown on the night for the Vikings, but – in a touching tribute to Christian Watson – he dropped another one on a gorgeous deep ball from Cousins.

• Dalvin Cook: six carries, 17 yards
• Kirk Cousins: 27-fo-46, 221 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
• Jalen Reagor: one carry, 17 yards; one catch, seven yards
• Reagor was boo'd heavily virtually anytime he was involved in a play

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