NFL Today, Week 2
SCOREBOARD
Monday, Sept. 18
Detroit at New York Giants, 8:30 p.m. EDT. Eli Manning and the Giants (0-1) will have to wait until pregame warmups to see if wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s sprained left ankle will keep him out for a second straight game. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, the league's highest-paid player, was in midseason form in Detroit's 35-23 season-opening win over Arizona with 292 yards passing and four touchdowns while engineering his 27th fourth-quarter or overtime comeback since 2011.
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STARS
Passing
- Tom Brady, Patriots, threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter for the first time in his career, eclipsed 300 yards passing in the first half for only the second time, and New England scored 30 first-half points en route to a 36-20 victory over the winless Saints. He finished 30 of 39 for 447 yards.
- Trevor Siemian, Broncos, tied a career high with four touchdown passes in Denver's 42-17 blowout of the Dallas Cowboys.
- Joe Flacco, Ravens, went 25 for 34 for 217 yards with a pair of touchdown passes and Baltimore breezed past Cleveland 24-10.
- Drew Brees, Saints, passed for 356 yards and two TDs in New Orleans' 36-20 loss to New England.
- Carson Wentz, Eagles, threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns, but his Hail Mary pass bounced off the hands of a couple defenders and fell incomplete as time expired in Philadelphia's 27-20 loss at Kansas City.
- Derek Carr, Raiders, had three touchdown passes to Michael Crabtree in Oakland's 45-20 rout of the New York Jets.
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Rushing
- Carlos Hyde, 49ers, ran for 124 yards on 15 carries in San Francisco's 12-9 loss at Seattle.
- Jay Ajayi, Dolphins, had 122 yards rushing on 28 carries in Miami's 19-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
- Derrick Henry, Titans, finished with a career-high 92 yards rushing, including 87 in the final two quarters of Tennessee's 37-16 win at Jacksonville.
- C.J. Anderson, Broncos, rushed for 118 yards and a score and also caught a TD pass in Denver's 42-17 rout of Dallas.
- Le'Veon Bell, Steelers, had 87 yards rushing on 27 carries in Pittsburgh's 26-9 win over Minnesota, his second game since ending a summer-long sabbatical due to a contract dispute.
- Kareem Hunt, Chiefs, ran for 81 yards and two scores in Kansas City's 27-20 victory over Philadelphia.
- Chris Thompson, Redskins, had two touchdown runs and finished with 77 yards rushing on just three carries in Washington's 27-20 win at the Los Angeles Rams.
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Receiving
- Michael Crabtree, Raiders, caught three touchdown passes from Derek Carr to help lead Oakland to a 45-20 rout of the New York Jets.
- J.J. Nelson, Cardinals, had five receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown as Arizona edged Indianapolis 16-13.
- Travis Kelce, Chiefs, had eight catches for 103 yards and a somersaulting go-ahead touchdown grab with 6:25 left in the game to help lead Kansas City to a 27-20 win over Philadelphia.
- Rob Gronkowski, Patriots, had a 53-yard catch and run to highlight his six-catch, 116-yard performance in New England's 36-20 win at New Orleans, but left the game in the second half with a groin injury.
- Jarvis Landry, Dolphins, caught 13 passes for 78 yards in Miami's 19-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
- Jason Witten, Cowboys, had 10 catches for 97 yards and a TD in a losing cause as the Cowboys were routed by Denver 42-17.
- Keenan Allen, Chargers, caught nine passes for 100 yards in the Chargers' 19-17 loss to Miami.
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Special Teams
- Chris Boswell, Steelers, kicked four field goals and made both of his extra-point tries in Pittsburgh's 26-9 win over Minnesota.
- Ryan Succop, Titans, made three field goals and four extra points to help Tennessee to a 37-16 victory at Jacksonville.
- Cody Parkey, Dolphins, hit his fourth field goal of the game from 54 yards with 1:05 to play to cap the Dolphins' fourth-quarter rally that spoiled the Los Angeles Chargers' home opener with a 19-17 victory.
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Defense
- Chris Jones, Chiefs, had three sacks and an interception in Kansas City's 27-20 win over Philadelphia.
- Aqib Talib, Broncos, returned an interception 103 yards for a touchdown with 53 seconds left in Denver's 42-17 rout of Dallas.
- Tyrann Mathieu, Cardinals, intercepted Jacoby Brissett on the first play from scrimmage in the extra period, helping Arizona to a 16-13 overtime victory at Indianapolis.
- Robert McClain, Buccaneers, returned an interception 47 yards for a touchdown in Tampa Bay's 29-7 win over Chicago.
- Julius Peppers, Panthers, had two of Carolina's three sacks in a 9-3 win over Buffalo, his first home game since re-signing with the team that drafted him in 2002.
- Chandler Jones, Cardinals, had two sacks and forced a fumble in Arizona's 16-13 overtime win at Indianapolis.
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STREAKS & STATS
New Orleans' 36-20 loss to New England on Sunday dropped the Saints to 1-11 in September since 2014, having begun 0-2 in four straight campaigns. The Saints have finished 7-9 the past three seasons. ... Kansas City's Kareem Hunt has five TDs in his first two career games and is the first in NFL history with at least three rushing TDs and two TD catches in a player's first two games. ... Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger has thrown a touchdown pass in each of his last 45 home games, the NFL's third-longest streak ever. Only Drew Brees (60 games) and Tom Brady (47) have longer streaks. ... The Chargers' 19-17 loss to Miami marked the 11th time they've dropped games by eight points or fewer since the start of last season, three more than any other NFL team. ... For the first time in franchise history, San Francisco has gone the first two weeks of the season without scoring a touchdown. In the two games, the 49ers have had one offensive drive inside the opponents' 10-yard line.
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MILESTONES
Tom Brady has 52 career games with three or more touchdown passes and no interceptions, passing Peyton Manning (51) for the most in NFL history. Brady also joined Warren Moon as the only quarterbacks 40 or older in NFL history to pass for at least 400 yards and three TDs in a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He was 30 of 39 for 447 yards and three TDs in New England's 36-20 win at New Orleans. ... Adam Vinatieri's 29-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter of Indianapolis' 16-13 overtime loss to Arizona gave him 177 from 20 to 29 yards, one more than Morten Andersen. ... Cardinals coach Bruce Arians tied the late Don Coryell for No. 2 on the franchise's career wins list with 42. ... Cleveland left tackle Joe Thomas passed the 10,000-mark with his remarkable streak of consecutive snaps played. He hasn't missed a snap since breaking into the league in 2007. He reached 10,000 in a row on the first play of Cleveland's second series in a 24-10 loss at Baltimore. ... Los Angeles Chargers tight end Antonio Gates had a touchdown catch in a 19-17 loss to Miami, giving him 112 for his career - passing Tony Gonzalez (111) for the most by a tight end in NFL history. ... Indianapolis' Frank Gore had his 75th career touchdown run in the Colts' 16-13 overtime loss to Arizona. Gore, who also has 16 career receiving touchdowns, is the sixth player in NFL history with at least 75 rushing TDs and 15 receiving scores, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Marcus Allen, Jim Brown, Marshall Faulk, Walter Payton and LaDainian Tomlinson.
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SHUT DOWN
The Denver Broncos held Ezekiel Elliott to the worst game of his career - 8 yards on nine carries - in a 42-17 blowout of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in a game that included an hour-long lightning delay. Elliott, who's playing while his appeal of a six-game suspension for domestic violence works its way through the courts, came into the game averaging 108 yards rushing per game and more than 5 yards a carry in his career, which is in its second season.
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SECOND CHANCE
Phil Dawson made a 30-yard field goal in overtime to give Arizona a 16-13 victory over Indianapolis, a few minutes after pushing a 42-yard field goal wide right as time expired in regulation. "The defense saved me," Dawson said. "Missed one with the game on the line and the game could have turned out another way."
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RUNNIN' REDSKINS
Washington rushed 39 times for 229 yards in a 27-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Chris Thompson finished with 77 yards - including TD runs of 71 and 7 yards - on three carries. Rob Kelley, who suffered a thigh injury midway through the second quarter, had 78 yards on 12 carries. Samaje Perine finished with 67 yards on 21 carries.
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I AM NOT SAM
Minnesota played without quarterback Sam Bradford, who sat out the Vikings' 26-9 loss at Pittsburgh with an injured left knee. Case Keenum struggled to get anything going in Bradford's absence, throwing for just 167 yards on 20 of 35 passing. Vikings rookie Dalvin Cook ran for 64 yards, but Minnesota failed to generate any sustained momentum.
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TOUGH SEAHAWK
Seattle wide receiver Paul Richardson suffered a dislocated right ring finger in the first quarter that popped through the skin. The finger was put back in place and the skin stitched up so he could return and eventually made the winning catch - a 9-yard grab from Russell Wilson with 7:06 left that gave the Seahawks a 12-9 victory over San Francisco. "That was the goal once I got it sewed up, still go win," Richardson said. "I wasn't just trying to get out there, 'Oh he's tough, he's finishing out the game.' I wanted to go make a difference."
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HEAD BANGING
Browns rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer, who left with a migraine headache in the second quarter of Cleveland's 24-10 loss at Baltimore after four ineffective series: a three-and-out, a lost fumble, an interception and a punt. The former Notre Dame starter was replaced by second-year pro Kevin Hogan, who would become the third quarterback in two games to be intercepted by the Baltimore defense. Kizer said the headaches are hereditary, and that he hasn't had one crop up in a game since high school. He received medication, underwent concussion protocol, and finally received clearance to return in the third quarter with Baltimore up 21-10.
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ONE FLORIDA
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers began their games Sunday with tributes to those affected by Hurricane Irma. Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler Jr., who grew up in St. Petersburg and played at the University of Florida, carried the state flag onto field. The Jaguars and first responders held a giant American flag during the national anthem. Both teams and the Miami Dolphins, who play at the Los Angeles Chargers, wore "ONE FLORIDA" decals on their helmets.
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SIDELINED
Carolina tight end Greg Olsen broke his right foot in Carolina's 9-3 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday and is expected to miss significant playing time. Olsen has never missed a game because of injury during his previous 10 NFL seasons. ... Baltimore guard Marshal Yanda is out for the season with a fracture in his ankle and rookie linebacker Bam Bradley tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Defensive tackle Brandon Williams hurt his foot in the third quarter and did not return. ... Cleveland wide receiver Corey Coleman hurt his hand on a fourth-quarter play. Linebacker Jamie Collins suffered a concussion. ... Denver rookie left tackle Garett Bolles was carted off the field with a lower left leg injury in the third quarter against Dallas. The Cowboys lost two defensive backs in the first half: Chidobe Awuzie went out with a hamstring injury and Nolan Carroll was ruled out with a concussion. ... Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski had a groin injury in New England's 36-20 win. Running back Rex Burkhead had a rib injury in the second half. ... Washington starting running back Rob Kelley suffered a rib injury midway through the second quarter and didn't return. Tight end Jordan Reed suffered a chest injury in the third quarter and safety Montae Nicholson hurt a shoulder in the fourth quarter.
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SPEAKING
"Being 0-1 with a 10-day break felt like a year." - New England's Tom Brady, alluding to a Thursday night loss to Kansas City in Week 1. The Patriots bounced back Sunday with a 36-20 win at New Orleans.
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"That's Marshawn being Marshawn, playing for his hometown team. If you grow up as a kid and grow up rooting for a team and then you get to play for them, wouldn't that be a dream? I'm just happy for him. He's living a childhood dream." - Oakland left tackle Donald Penn on teammate Marshawn Lynch, who celebrated his first home game for his hometown team by running for a touchdown and delighting the fans with a lengthy sideline dance in the fourth quarter of the Raiders' 45-20 victory over the New York Jets.
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