NFL Warmth Index Week 2: Brandon Aubrey Lifts Cowboys; Ben Johnson’s Bears Ice Chilly

A number of groups with lofty expectations to start out the season, together with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins, already face an uphill climb to succeed in the playoffs.

Since 1990, solely 12.2% of the groups that began 0-2 have reached the postseason. Nonetheless, nobody across the league is counting out Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs after dropping the Tremendous Bowl LIX rematch to the Philadelphia Eagles. Kansas Metropolis will attempt to get a win on the highway in opposition to the New York Giants in Week 3.

In the meantime, the Bears underneath new head coach Ben Johnson have been drubbed by his former workforce, the Detroit Lions, and now have a league-worst minus-34 level differential. Chicago hosts the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX).

The Cardinals, Bengals, Colts and 49ers have all began 2-0, making it a second straight season at the least 4 groups that missed the playoffs the earlier yr enter Week 3 undefeated. 

Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at who’s scorching and who’s chilly from Week 2. 

WHO’S HOT

The All-Professional and UFL alum continued to indicate why he’s essentially the most clutch kicker in soccer.

Aubrey drilled a 64-yard discipline purpose with no time remaining to ship the Cowboys’ dwelling contest in opposition to the Giants into additional time. He then nailed a 46-yard discipline purpose with no time remaining within the further interval for a 40-37 Dallas victory. 

Aubrey turned the primary participant to transform a game-tying discipline purpose with no time remaining in regulation and a game-winning discipline purpose with no time remaining in additional time in the identical sport. His 64-yard discipline purpose is the third-longest in league historical past, trailing solely Justin Tucker’s 66-yarder and Aubrey’s personal 65-yard discipline purpose. 

He now has 4 profession discipline objectives of 60-plus yards, tied with Brett Maher for essentially the most in NFL historical past. 

Perhaps Goff doesn’t want Sean McVay or Ben Johnson to place up huge numbers.

The Lions quarterback handed for 334 yards with 5 touchdowns and no interceptions in his workforce’s 52-21 win over his former OC Johnson and the Bears. 

The win provides Goff 5 begins during which his workforce has scored at the least 50 factors, tying him in that class with Corridor of Famer Peyton Manning for the fourth-most since 1950. The others are Tom Brady (eight), Drew Brees (six) and Len Dawson (six). 

Jared Goff torched the Bears for 334 passing yards and 5 touchdowns with no picks or sacks. (Picture by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photos)

Jones is following within the footsteps of Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold as the subsequent quarterback reclamation venture to revive his profession at a brand new cease. 

Jones threw for 316 yards with two landing passes and a dashing landing in a 29-28 comeback win over the Denver Broncos. Jones is presently second within the league in passing yards (588) and sixth in passer score (111.1).

The Colts are the primary workforce in NFL historical past to attain on their first 10 offensive possessions of a season and have become the primary workforce within the Tremendous Bowl period to not punt in both of their first two video games of the yr. 

Mr. Limitless quelled speak of being changed by rookie Jaxson Dart by throwing for 450 yards and three touchdowns in New York’s late-game loss to the Cowboys, though he did throw an interception in additional time that led to the Dallas victory. 

Wilson is the sixth participant in NFL historical past with at the least 400 passing yards and three landing passes with three completely different groups, becoming a member of Kirk Cousins, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Warren Moon, Carson Palmer and Vinny Testaverde. 

Per Subsequent Gen Stats, Wilson accomplished seven of 11 deep passes (move makes an attempt of 20-or-more yards) for 264 yards and three touchdowns with an interception in opposition to the Cowboys, essentially the most deep passing yards by any quarterback in a sport since at the least 2016. 

The 39-year-old defensive lineman saved Arizona from blowing a 27-3 lead within the third quarter. A sequence of miscues, together with permitting the Carolina Panthers to get better an onside kick, led to a possible game-winning drive by Bryce Younger on the finish of the sport.

Nevertheless, Campbell sacked Younger to finish the sport. On the day he eclipsed Larry Fitzgerald on the franchise’s all-time video games performed checklist at 263, Campbell completed with 5 mixed tackles and two sacks. He now has 112.5 profession sacks, No. 37 on the all-time checklist and third amongst lively gamers behind Von Miller (130) and Cameron Jordan (123).

WHO’S COLD

Johnson made a poor resolution when he mishandled the ball on a kick return late within the sport and failed to acknowledge the ball was dwell.

As Johnson walked towards the sidelines, gamers on the Seattle Seahawks kickoff workforce raced after the unfastened ball, with George Holani recovering it behind the tip zone for the rating and a 24-14 lead with 12:46 left within the sport. 

“It was simply poor judgment by a younger participant,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stated.

Requested in the event that they labored on that scenario in observe, Tomlin stated: “Each day of our lives.” 

Pittsburgh gamers supported Johnson within the locker room afterward, however it is going to be fascinating to see if Tomlin places him again to return kicks this week. 

Kelce has made numerous clutch catches for Kansas Metropolis and is headed to Canton. However on Sunday, his drop close to the tip zone within the fourth quarter that Philadelphia security Andrew Mukuba picked off modified the momentum of the Tremendous Bowl rematch with the Eagles. 

With Kansas Metropolis on the verge of at the least tying the sport or taking the lead, the Eagles turned the miscue into factors on Jalen Hurts’ 1-yard landing and went on to win 20-17. 

It’s Kansas Metropolis’s first 0-2 begin since 2014, the one yr Andy Reid has not made the playoffs as Chiefs coach. 

“If I can put it on his physique and never thus far out in entrance of him,” Patrick Mahomes informed reporters, “then he can catch it, take the hit and get in the long run zone.”

READ MORE: ‘Annoyed’ Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes Search For Solutions After First 0-2 Begin

Ben Johnson, Head Coach, Bears 

Johnson heard the boos at Ford Discipline upon his return to Detroit, the place he was a star offensive coordinator. Then he felt the ache delivered by the gamers he used to teach, because the Lions produced an onslaught of offensive firepower to bury the Bears 52-21.

“We knew coming into this sport that that is private,” Lions defensive again Brian Department informed reporters. “Actually all of the video games are private, however this one, we felt like we’ve been betrayed, from the workers to the gamers.

“And we love Ben, we nonetheless love Ben. He’s an awesome coach. He’s an awesome mastermind, however yeah, it was time to get on the market.”

Together with his Bears sitting at 0-2, Johnson is discovering out issues are a lot completely different if you transfer one chair over from OC to move coach. 

Ben Johnson’s return to Detroit began with boos and ended with a Lions thrashing of his Bears. (Picture by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Photos)

Perhaps Sam Darnold was higher than we thought. McCarthy regarded good for one quarter in main Minnesota to a comeback win over Chicago in Week 1. He regarded terrible in a loss to the Falcons at dwelling in Week 2, main the Vikings to only two discipline objectives.

Total, the numbers aren’t nice. McCarthy has accomplished 58.5% of passes for 301 yards, with two touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s been sacked 9 occasions, posting a 52.6 passer score. McCarthy will reportedly miss Week 3 with a sprained ankle.

In the meantime, in his first two weeks with the Seahawks, Darnold has accomplished 68% of his passes for 445 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions for an 88.8 passer score. He led Seattle to a win over the Steelers on the highway on Sunday. 

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for greater than a decade, protecting the Los Angeles Rams for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma Information Tribune. Observe him on X at @eric_d_williams.

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