Once again it’s better late than never. The Inscriber Magazine will now take a look at the surprises of the 2023 season in week two.
The Buffalo Bills cruised past the Las Vegas Raiders with a 38-10 victory. Josh Allen was electric completing 31 of 37 passes, throwing for 274 yards and three touchdowns and more importantly did not turn the football over.
Defensively the Bills defense did not let Josh Jacobs get going as he finished with -2 yards on nine carries. So far he has been one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL, with a total of 28 carries for 46 yards, which is good for 1.6 yards per carry. His longest run so far has been seven yards. Jimmy Garoppolo struggled too throwing for only 185 yards along with two interceptions and he did throw for a touchdown.
For many the 20-17 victory by the New Orleans Saints over the Carolina Panthers was definitely surprising. Derek Carr had a quiet game throwing for 228 yards and an interception and Taysom Hill led the way running the football with nine carries for 75 yards.
Travis Kelce returned from injury in week two. Chris Jones re-signed earlier in the week and in his first action of the season recorded 1.5 sacks. Still it took a gritty effort from the Kansas City Chiefs to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-9. Patrick Mahomes shook off a slow start to throw for 305 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
One of the biggest surprises of the season is that the Los Angeles Chargers have lost both games to start the 2023 season. Especially after the dreadful performance of Ryan Tannehill in week one for the Tennessee Titans.
The loss has put Chargers head coach Brandon Staley on the hot seat already.
Desmond Ridder made plays especially late for the Atlanta Falcons to come up with the impressive last second win over the Green Bay Packers. While his numbers are not eye popping, he made the plays when needed. He finished throwing for 237 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
C.J. Stroud the Houston Texans rookie had a huge game against the Indianapolis Colts. He threw for 384 yards and two touchdowns, yet he was sacked six times in the 31-20 loss. Also, rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson was playing well before exiting the game with a concussion.
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields continues to underwhelm. He threw a pick-six on a screen pass that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers knew was coming, took six sacks, and had an earlier interception. He seemingly has regressed in year three.
Another awful first half for the New York Giants and it seemed a loss was inevitable.
While Daniel Jones led the comeback from a 28-7 deficit. Saquon Barkley was lost late in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle. Injuries to their offensive line has also played a role.
Ron Rivera definitely made the right choice for the Washington Commanders by naming Sam Howell their starting quarterback. He made an incredible throw to Terry McLaurin for a 30 yard touchdown pass to tie the game up at 21. This after earlier trailing in the second quarter 21-3 to the Denver Broncos.
While the New England Patriots lost to fall to 0-2, rookie cornerback helped keep Tyreek Hill in check. What came as a surprise after the game was the praise the corner got for his play. He also came up with his first career interception.
The Pittsburgh Steelers picked up their first win of the season and it was not pretty. Kenny Pickett has not played well yet has faced two of the better defenses in the NFL. Yet what is a surprise when it comes to the Cleveland Browns has been the play of quarterback Deshaun Watson. He has not looked good and seemingly is a shell of his former self.
Also, Watson picked up several penalties and nearly got himself ejected for making contact with an official. Seemingly the frustration of not playing well is getting to him. Even worse though was the injury to Nick Chubb who is now out for the season.