NFL Week 2 Recap

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Fred Tang, Staff Writer

Week 2 of the NFL season was the week where teams looked to either get their seasons back on track or keep their early momentum going.  Thursday Night Football saw the Jets beat the Bills to return to a 1-1 record while also knocking Rex Ryan and the Bills down to 0-2.  Winners of the Sunday daytime matches included the Giants, Cowboys, Texans, Patriots, Steelers, Rams, and Broncos.  In the Sunday primetime matchup, the Vikings shocked a national audience and elated the fans at U.S. Bank Stadium as they took down the Packers 17-14.

Week 2 showed a return to form for some playoff contenders, while also shining a light on unexpected stars.  The Cowboys kept their dreams alive by edging out the Redskins 27-23.  J.J Watt and DeAndre Hopkins (113 receiving yards and a touchdown) both had good performances as they took down the Chiefs 19-12 in their attempt to establish themselves as a playoff team.  The Patriots kept rolling behind Jimmy Garoppolo and LeGarrette Blount (123 rushing yards and a touchdown) as they beat the Dolphins 31-24.  Cam Newton passed for 353 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Panthers took down the 49ers 46-27. The Arizona Cardinals, looking to rebound from a poor start in Week 1, sent a strong message in their 40-7 win over the Buccaneers, recording 4 interceptions and a fumble recovery on the defensive side while passing and running for a total of 416 yards.  The Los Angeles Rams, who were embarrassed in their Week 1 game vs the 49ers, stunned everyone as they beat the Seattle Seahawks 9-3 in their first home game of the year.  Trevor Siemian (Cowboys) and Carson Wentz (Eagles) both continued to impress as they led their respective teams to wins.

Week 3 should look to be an important week for teams trying to remain in the playoff hunt.  A 0-3 start would most likely mean a season wasted and a lot of tension within the team.  Important matches include: Redskins @ Giants, Lions @ Packers, Vikings @ Panthers, Broncos @ Bengals, 49ers @ Seahawks, Steelers @ Eagles, and Jets @ Chiefs.