Around The NFL breaks down what you need to know from all of Sunday's action in Week 2 of the 2021 NFL season. Catch up on each game's biggest takeaways using the links below:
Buffalo Bills
2021
·
1-1-0
Miami Dolphins
2021
·
1-1-0
Chase Goodbread's takeaways:
- Easy day for Allen. Despite a blowout 35-0 score, it was a relatively pedestrian day for Bills QB Josh Allen. A dominant Buffalo defense and a running game that averaged 4.8 yards per carry did a lot of the heavy lifting. Still, Allen managed to flash his unorthodox style in a positive way. Remember the longtime adage that quarterbacks should never throw across the field? Allen apparently doesn't, but his violation of that rule resulted in a big touchdown throw to Stefon Diggs. After rolling right and finding nothing, he threw back left into the end zone for a score to Diggs, who had fallen down on the play and got up to find an open space in the end zone. Allen is always going be Allen, and golden rules aside, it's going to work more often than not.
- Pass pro woes. Given the way he was protected, it shouldn't be surprising that Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa got knocked out of the game. Things up front were such a mess for Miami, as it not only gave up sacks but allowed the Bills to rush completely unblocked at times. Tagovailoa was sacked on two of his first three snaps, and on the play he was injured, the Bills' A.J. Epenesa blew past RT Jesse Davis. It wasn't any better for backup Jacoby Brissett. Buffalo tallied six sacks, including a pair for rookie Gregory Rousseau, and 11 QB hurries.
- Wake-up call. For the most part, the Dolphins sleep-walked through the first quarter. Beyond the problems on the offensive line, the defense couldn't even lay a hand on Bills RB Devin Singletary on a 46-yard TD run up the middle. On special teams, the punt unit gave up a 20-yard return to Isaiah McKenzie that helped set up a touchdown. By quarter's end, Miami found itself down 14-0 -- too much of a deficit to ask of a backup quarterback in Brissett. If the Dolphins hope to improve to 2-1 next week, they'll have to do a better job of getting off the bus.
Next Gen stat of the game: Bills RB Devin Singletary reached a speed of 20.29 mph on his 46-yard TD run.
NFL Research: Josh Allen became just the second Buffalo Bills QB to amass 10,000 career passing yards in his 45th career start. Jim Kelly did so as well.
Chicago Bears
2021
·
1-1-0
Cincinnati Bengals
2021
·
1-1-0
Kevin Patra's takeaways:
- Justin Fields time in Chicago. The first-round rookie took over just before halftime when Andy Dalton suffered a knee injury. It was a wild ride for Fields, who flashed playmaking ability coupled with growing pains. A late interception when the rookie QB didn't see a defender dropping kept the Bengals in the game late. However, on the ensuing drive, Fields showed what he brings to the table with his legs, shedding a Trey Hendrickson tackle to pick up a key first down to help ice the clock. Like most rookie QBs, the highs were high and the lows low. Fields didn't protect the ball on a blindside rush, got blasted, and fumbled (recovered). Fields' stat line isn't pretty (6/13, 60 yards, INT), but he also had a couple of great throws negated by penalty, and Allen Robinson dropped a gorgeous deep throw that should have been a TD. Dalton played solid before exiting. Depending on the severity of the injury, however, the door might be open for head coach Matt Nagy to stick with the dynamic rookie moving forward. The offense is simply more dangerous with Fields, even if the Bears have to live with some rookie mistakes.
- Joe Burrow melts down. The second-year QB threw three INTs on consecutive passes deep in the second half, including a pick-six when he never saw linebacker Roquan Smith. The sequence was a disaster for Burrow, who looked rattled in the pocket all afternoon. Whether it's lack of trust in his O-line, questionable play-calling, or still knocking off the rust following his ACL injury, Burrow struggled most of the game. His second INT against a zone corner reading the play the whole way was a ball that should have never been thrown. Before the catastrophic three-play stretch, the Bengals' offense was in hibernation. Burrow attempted just one pass of 15 air yards before his turnover parade. It's a wobbly operation that should be more explosive given their weapons on the outside. Calling play-action dump-offs for two yards isn't creative or entertaining.
- Roquan Smith is going to be a rich man. The 24-year-old linebacker was the best player on the field Sunday, destroying everything the Bengals attempted. Smith led the Bears with eight tackles, a pick-six, a sack, a QB hit, and a tackle for loss. After Chicago's defense struggled in Week 1, this was a performance we've come to expect from the Bears. A menace in the middle, Smith displayed Sunday why he is the next linebacker in line for a huge payday.
Next Gen stat of the game: All 13 pass attempts for Justin Fields came from inside the tackle box.
NFL Research: Joe Burrow became the first QB since Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 3, 2018 versus Pittsburgh to throw three interceptions on three consecutive pass attempts.
Denver Broncos
2021
·
2-0-0
Jacksonville Jaguars
2021
·
0-2-0
Chase Goodbread's takeaways:
- Receiving goods. The Broncos' receiving corps showed off talent and depth Sunday without injured wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. Courtland Sutton took up most of Jeudy's slack with career highs in catches (nine) and yardage (159), and beat Chris Claybrooks deep on a 55-yard reception, which set up the key touchdown that gave Denver a 17-7 lead. Tim Patrick pulled in a TD catch, as did TE Noah Fant, and Patrick drew a DPI call on a deep ball of his own for a 35-yard flag. Jeudy might be a key member of this offense, but against a Jaguars defense that gave up nearly 400 total yards, you wouldn't know Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was short-handed.
- Lawrence needs help. Too many Trevor Lawrence pass attempts and too few James Robinson carries isn't a great formula for the development of the Jaguars' young gunslinger. The two-week combined tally: 84 against 16. For the second week in a row, Lawrence was stuck in too many tough down-and-distance situations, feeding into his tendency to hold the ball, let deeper routes develop, and eschew the dump-off option. His receivers don't get enough separation for the Jaguars offense to function that way, either. He's golden-armed, to be sure, but he's already thrown five picks on the year and needs the play-calling to put less on his shoulders.
- Held at bay. The last time Broncos pass rushers Von Miller and Bradley Chubb were on the field together before Sunday, they combined for three sacks against the Jaguars in the fourth game of the 2019 season. This time, the Jaguars' offensive tackles -- Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor -- did a surprisingly good job against them. Robinson, on the left side, handled Chubb until an ankle injury put him out for the game, while Taylor worked mostly against Miller, who notched a third-quarter sack on which he was obstructed by only a bump from a tight end.
Next Gen stat of the game: Teddy Bridgewater was 22 of 24 for 211 yards, two touchdowns on passes of fewer than 10 air yards.
NFL Research: Teddy Bridgewater joined Peyton Manning as the only Broncos QBs to complete 75% of his passes with at least two TD passes and no interceptions in a game.
New England Patriots
2021
·
1-1-0
New York Jets
2021
·
0-2-0
Michael Back's takeaways:
- A New York debut to forget. Everything went downhill quickly for No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson, whose first two pass attempts at MetLife Stadium were interceptions. Neither were solely on the Jets rookie as J.C. Jackson caught a tipped pass and Corey Davis' drop let a ball fall in the lap of Adrian Phillips, but they resulted in the Patriots' first 10 points by the end of the first quarter. There was no one else to blame for Wilson's next two picks in the second and third quarter and those bad throws aided the Patriots' rout. The 152 yards on the ground New York gained was a positive stat lost in the mire of Wilson's bad day. It ended with him going 19 of 33 for 210 yards and four INTs.
- Another Belichickian victory against the rival Jets. The Patriots took advantage of every Jets mistake and limited those of their own for a routine win coach Bill Belichick knows so well. Defensively, the Patriots feasted on a rookie QB whose troubles mounted even without much pressure, but they still managed to sack Wilson four times (Josh Uche had a pair of sacks) in the process of a four-takeaway game with cornerbacks Jackson, Phillips and Devin McCourty making the big plays. On offense, rookie QB Mac Jones wasn't asked to do much, but was able to make every throw asked of him. New England's play-calling was superb; handing off to Damien Harris (16/62, TD) and James White (5/20, TD) in the red zone, dissecting the Jets pass defense with short throws to wide-open receivers and even throwing in some trick plays with an early lead. Jones' day ended with him going 22 of 30 for 186 yards (no TDs or INTs), and the stress-free day was a breeze compared to his contemporary.
- Jets defense shows life. Coach Robert Saleh is still looking for his first win after Week 2, but he will be proud of a defense that maintained its intensity for four quarters. That was evident on the final sequence of the day -- holding New England out of the end zone and settling for a 26-yard field goal with two minutes left to play and the game out of reach. Hard luck struck the Jets defense even before Wilson's four-INT day after Marcus Maye's forced fumble of Kendrick Bourne was erased thanks to an early whistle. Saleh's defense sacked Jones three times (one fumble forced), held the Patriots to just three of 12 on third down and played winning football despite the offense consistently putting it in bad situations.
Next Gen Stats: Zach Wilson was 15 of 23 for 132 yards and four INT when not under pressure.
NFL Research: Patriots CB J.C. Jackson has had an INT in each of his last three games versus the Jets. The last player with one or more INT in three straight games versus the Jets was Patriots safety Lawyer Milloy in 1998-99. The last CB? NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent Sr. in 1994-95 with the Dolphins.
San Francisco 49ers
2021
·
2-0-0
Philadelphia Eagles
2021
·
1-1-0
Kevin Patra's takeaways:
- DeMeco Ryans' stingy defense slows Eagles attack. Despite a secondary ravaged by injuries already, the Niners defense kept the big plays to a minimum, and Nick Bosa (two sacks) harassed Jalen Hurts all afternoon. Outside of on 91-yard bomb, the 49ers negated the big plays by Eagles receivers (one other reception went for more than 14 yards). While Hurts did damage late with his legs, the 49ers defensive line played better than Week 1, slowing an array of Eagles runs. With stellar tackling, particularly from Fred Warner, this is the type of defense we expected from San Francisco in 2021. Three players generated at least three QB pressures. Interior pressure from the D-line helped the secondary, and a huge fourth-down stop at the goal line late in the first half completely changed the complexation of the contest.
- Jalen Hurts fearless downfield but comes up short. The second-year QB couldn't connect on a bevy of deep shots, but kept slinging it. Hurts gave his receivers a chance to make plays downfield, heaving seven passes of 20-plus air yards but connected on just two. Hurts used his legs to help finally puncture a stout Niners defense late. The Philly offense struggled to sustain drives in the second half against a defense that didn't miss tackles on the screens and dump-offs. After dicing up 49ers pressure in the first half (3/4 137 yards vs. blitz), Hurts went 0-4 under pressure in the second half, per Next Gen Stats. Even with the loss, Hurts showed he's an exciting player still growing in Nick Sirriani's offense. He'll hit more of those deep shots moving forward.
- 49ers offense grinds it out. It wasn't pretty for Kyle Shanahan's offense. The Eagles' stout defensive line controlled the game early, negating the ground game. On 27 handoffs, the Niners popped just two for 10-plus yards. San Francisco started the game with three straight three-and-outs. A 97-yard TD drive to close the half finally brought life to the offense that lived in Strugglesville. Jimmy Garoppolo made some solid throws, but also missed a host of tosses high. Jimmy G didn't put pressure on the Eagles' secondary, completing just three passes of 10-plus air yards and attempting just a single pass of 20-plus air yards. Still, Garoppolo played point guard well enough to get the ball into Deebo Samuel's hands, scoring on two long drives. Surprisingly, rookie QB Trey Lance didn't play a snap.
Next Gen stat of the game: The Eagles defense blitzed on 3 of 30 49ers dropbacks (10.0%, Garoppolo 0-3 vs blitz).
NFL Research: Samuel's 282 receiving yards in Weeks 1-2 are the second-most by a 49ers player in first two weeks of a season since Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's 285 yards in 1989.
Cleveland Browns
2021
·
1-1-0
Houston Texans
2021
·
1-1-0
Nick Shook's takeaways
- Break out the broken records, folks: The Browns are at their best when they run it well. Though Baker Mayfield finished with a solid line (19-of-21 passing, 213 yards, one touchdown, one interception), Cleveland's offense didn't truly find a consistent rhythm until Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt got going. That improved pace shined at the perfect time, with Chubb and Hunt once again teaming up to close a game out on the ground. Cleveland almost exactly split its rushing production between halves (79 yards in the first, 77 in the second), but it wasn't until Chubb ripped off a 26-yard touchdown run with 5:52 left that Browns fans could breathe easily. In a strange game, Cleveland's tried-and-true method again proved to be the most reliable. The only difference this time around: FirstEnergy Stadium was packed with fans for the first time since the 2019 season.
- Counting these Texans out would be foolish going forward. For a decent stretch Sunday, it seemed as if the Browns might have flirted with doing so. Houston had the Browns on their heels defensively for most of the game, and if Tyrod Taylor hadn't been knocked out by a hamstring injury, it's fair to wonder if this game might have played out differently. Taylor was stellar before leaving at the half, Brandin Bryant consistently caused problems for the Browns' secondary for most of the game and Mark Ingram and David Johnson ran hard. Houston's defensive front proved to be a scrappy bunch, too, and Davis Mills even put together a commendable performance. His interception ended up being a key mistake, though, and dug the Texans a hole they weren't quite equipped to escape. Even with that result considered, make no mistake: Houston is no pushover.
- The Browns' biggest weakness is still at the second level of their defense. Cleveland allowed Houston to convert seven of 13 third-down attempts largely because they repeatedly failed to tackle the ball carrier in the open field. Defensive coordinator Joe Woods also has some explaining to do, directing a largely vanilla defense that didn't show any significant creativity until a key sequence late in which he sent Grant Delpit on a blitz (resulting in the Browns' lone sack of the day) and then dialed up a well-timed stunt on the defensive line, leading to a quarterback pressure that produced an incompletion. The Browns weren't able to get too aggressive last season because of personnel deficiencies; That's no longer a valid excuse, and they need to be better going forward.
Next Gen Stat of the game: After recording just one rushing yard gained over expectation (RYOE) in Week 1, Nick Chubb gained +40 RYOE in Sunday's win. The NFL's leader in RYOE per attempt (at +1.75 for the season) in 2020 gained +3.64 RYOE/ATT against the Texans.
NFL Research: With his 26-yard rushing touchdown, Nick Chubb has at least one scrimmage TD in eight straight games dating back to Week 12, 2020 (longest active streak in the NFL). He joins HOF RBs Jim Brown (twice) and Leroy Kelly (nine-game streak in 1968) as the only Browns players to do so since at least 1950.
Jelani Scott's takeaways:
- Is the Panthers' front seven for real? After tearing through the Jets with gusto in the opener, the Panthers had a chance to prove Week 1 wasn't a fluke against a better O-line. It's hard to argue they didn't achieve that task. Anchored by Brian Burns, Haason Reddick and Morgan Fox, Carolina again brought consistent pressure against a unit littered with All-Pro caliber talent. The promising bunch accumulated four sacks and 10 QB hits, and made Jameis Winston (11 of 22, 111 yards, two INTs) look a lot more like the risky decision-maker he's been known to be. Tack on Alvin Kamara's quiet day (30 scrimmage yards) and Carolina couldn't have asked for a better way to nab its first division win.
- How will the Saints D account for its losses? The outlook for the Saints defense felt iffy going in. The subtraction of Marshon Lattimore, Marcus Davenport and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson put the group at an early disadvantage that Carolina capitalized on. The Saints allowed 305 yards through the air and another 89 on the ground; six of the seven Panthers who caught a pass recorded at least one reception of 10-plus yards. It's hard to believe we live in a world where the Saints struggle more with Sam Darnold than Aaron Rodgers but, hey, here we are.
- Panthers find balance. Credit to Joe Brady for scheming a well-balanced attack. D.J. Moore gave rookie Paulson Adebo, who drew the matchup with Lattimore out, fits to the tune of eight receptions (11 targets) for 79 yards and a score. Christian McCaffrey shined as usual -- 137 scrimmage yards, TD on 30 touches -- while Dan Arnold and wideout Brandon Zylstra, who unexpectedly logged the game's first score, combined for six catches and 99 yards. Similar to last week, Carolina's first half trumped its second, a trend worth keeping an eye on. But, at least at the early going, Darnold and Co. look as well-rounded as Matt Rhule could hope for.
Next Gen stat of the game: Panthers DE Morgan Fox recorded 8 QB pressures, 0.5 sack, TO forced by pressure on 17 pass rushes (47.1 pressure pct).
NFL Research: McCaffrey has tied Le'Veon Bell with the most games (19) in first five seasons with 50+ rushing yards and 50+ receiving yards, since 1950.
Los Angeles Rams
2021
·
2-0-0
Indianapolis Colts
2021
·
0-2-0
Adam Maya's takeaways:
- Matthew Stafford has a favorite receiver. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods have effectually shared go-to target duties for the Rams over the past four years. With a new quarterback, a No. 1 receiver seems to have emerged. Kupp topped 100 yards and caught a touchdown for the second straight week -- his exact line Sunday was (9-163-2). He had 103 yards after the catch alone, per Next Gen Stats, continually creating separation on a day in which his QB wasn't his sharpest. The fifth-year veteran is one of the league's best players to not make a Pro Bowl. That probably won't remain the case after 2021, so long as he stays healthy.
- Indianapolis doomed by rough start. The Colts drew the short end of the schedule stick in having to face the Seahawks and Rams in the first two weeks of the season, despite both contests coming at home. The NFC West opponents figure to be two of the conference's best teams, if not the league's. Its biggest obstacle in the early part of Sunday's game, though, was its own offense. The Colts had first-and-goal from the 1 on their opening drive and came up empty as Jonathan Taylor was stuffed on three consecutive tries before Wentz was sacked. Wentz started out 7 of 7, but squandered a third-down conversion when he overthrew Nyheim Hines on the following possession, leading to a field goal. Indy moved inside the Rams' 5-yard line on its third drive, only to see Wentz unleash an errant shovel pass that was picked off. That took at least 14 points off the board.
- It starts and ends with Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. The Rams are widely regarded as having the NFL's top defense by virtue of finishing No. 1 in total and scoring defense last year. Donald and Ramsey are the main reasons. While L.A.'s defense often bent in its narrow Week 2 win, its All-Pro duo ultimately broke the Colts. Donald was a total menace in the trenches, heading the aforementioned goal-line stand and chasing down Wentz for a crucial third-down stop in the fourth that forced the Indy QB out the game. Ramsey then sealed the victory with a late interception of Jacob Eason. This wasn't the cleanest performance from the Rams, but their margin for error is so much bigger because they boast the best lineman and cornerback in the game.
Next Gen stats of the game: Matthew Stafford has two-plus pass TD of 10-plus air yards in each of his two career games with the Rams (three TD in Week 1). Former Rams QB Jared Goff never had more than two games with two-plus downfield pass TD in an entire season.
NFL Research: Carson Wentz was sacked at least three times for the 12th consecutive game. This is now the third-longest streak since the merger, trailing just Randall Cunningham (19 games) and Greg Landry (13 games).
Las Vegas Raiders
2021
·
2-0-0
Pittsburgh Steelers
2021
·
1-1-0
Nick Shook's takeaways:
- Derek Carr haters, line up for your reckoning. Whatever the Raiders figured out in that frantic fourth quarter Monday night is working, and Carr is the one powering their attack. Carr put together a second stellar performance in as many weeks, finishing with a passing line of 28 of 37 for 382 yards, two touchdowns and a 126.2 passer rating. He even shook off what appeared to be a worrisome injury to return and lead the Raiders to a road win. Carr has been in the crosshairs of Raiders doubters seemingly since he was drafted back in 2014, and even after management gave him a strong vote of confidence in the offseason, he didn't seem to be on solid footing. Well, he's on fire after two weeks, and it's time the rest of the league recognizes.
- Steelers are still a work in progress offensively, and a lot of it has to do with their OL. Trai Turner's ejection for spitting on an opponent didn't help, of course, but even with the veteran playing, the Steelers still had issues protecting Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben was pressured on 13 of his 42 dropbacks, completed just 4 of 11 pressured passes, threw an interception in the process and was sacked twice by Solomon Thomas. Najee Harris had his first memorable game of his career, but not because of his rushing stat line: Harris rushed 10 times for 38 yards, making his mark with a viral stiff-arm and a 25-yard touchdown reception. Otherwise, running the ball wasn't a viable option for the Steelers, and a nine-point deficit ended up proving insurmountable. The Steelers have a stingy defense, but they'll need more offensively. It starts with the guys up front.
- Last week, I wrote that Carr's receiving corps was still buffering; the playback certainly resumed Sunday. Henry Ruggs III finally flashed the big-play potential that made him a first-round pick in 2020, catching a strike from Carr over the middle for a 61-yard touchdown that proved to be the dagger. Darren Waller was once again productive, catching five passes for 65 yards, while Hunter Renfrow proved to be a trustworthy target on third down. Bryan Edwards had a touchdown erased by penalty, but continued his upward trajectory, and Foster Moreau came through in the clutch with a touchdown grab. Suddenly, the Raiders have plenty of options through the air, and even without Josh Jacobs, they had enough to secure a nice win in a tough environment.
Next Gen Stat of the week: After recording a pressure rate of 54.5% in Week 1, the Raiders finished with a 31% pressure rate Sunday. Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue led the way for Las Vegas' pass-rushing attack, combining to account for 11 pressures (Crosby: six; Ngakoue: five), and each caused a turnover via pressure despite neither recording a sack.
NFL Research: Derek Carr has 817 pass yards over his first two games of 2021, the most in any two-game span in Raiders franchise history. Carr is also the first Raider with 350-plus passing yards, two-plus pass TDs in at least three straight games (since last game of 2020 for Carr).
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