NFL Standings, Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs remain atop the AFC West
By Drew Brooks
Week 2 of the NFL regular season is now over and the Kansas City Chiefs remain atop the AFC West. Let’s glance at the NFL Standings from around the league.
Week 2 of the NFL regular season is now in the books and, following last week’s trend, we’ve seen some surprises. These surprises include the New England Patriots joining the one loss club as opposed to the undefeated club, quarterback Patrick Mahomes setting an NFL record for most touchdowns thrown in two games, and another tie—this time between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers.
Let’s briefly look at how each game turned out and the standings after two weeks.
AFC East
Miami Dolphins 2-0-0
The Dolphins looked great to begin their game. They scored 20 unanswered points in the first half, but failed to score after that. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed 17/23 passes for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns. Meanwhile, running back Frank Gore passed Curtis Martin on the all-time rushing list, moving into 4th. The Dolphins won the game 20-12.
New England Patriots 1-1-0
Running back Sony Michel got his first carries of the year for the Patriots, finishing with 10 carries for 34 yards. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense got the best of the Patriots. The Patriots didn’t turn the ball over once, but were unable to score in the first quarter. Quarterback Tom Brady threw for 234 yards and 2 touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough and the Patriots fell to the Jaguars 31-20.
New York Jets 1-1-0
After having a great game last week, quarterback Sam Darnold started slowly against the Dolphins. He finished the game completing 25/41 passes for 334 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. The Jets were shutout in the first half, but returned the favor to the Dolphins in the second half. Their second half effort wasn’t enough, however, and they lost 20-12.
Buffalo Bills 0-2-0
After last week’s disastrous start, the Bills opted to start quarterback Josh Allen over Nathan Peterman. Unfortunately for the Bills, Allen did not perform well enough to get a win. Allen completed 18/33 passes for 245 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Going into halftime trailing 28-6, the Bills were never able to overcome the deficit. The Los Angeles Chargers won 31-20.
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs 2-0-0
This season has started exceptionally well for the Chiefs. Last week, they won their ninth straight against the Chargers. This week, they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field for the first time since 1986. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes picked up right where he left off last week, throwing two touchdowns in the first six minutes of the game. Mahomes ended up throwing more touchdowns than he did incompletions. He would continue to throw another touchdown before the quarter ended, leaving the Chiefs up 21-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Steelers came back in the second quarter, but in the second half the Chiefs outperformed the Steelers. Mahomes finished the game completing 23/28 attempts for 326 yards and 6 (count em, 6!) touchdowns. He also set the record for most touchdowns thrown in two games. The Chiefs won by a final score of 42-37.
Denver Broncos 2-0-0
The Broncos stole a win in the final seconds of the fourth quarter from their division rival, the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders led for most of the game until the 4th quarter, when the Broncos stopped the Raiders and marched downfield to kick game winning field goal. Running back Phillip Lindsay saw more action than Royce Freeman this week, logging 107 yards and 14 carries as well as 1 catch for 4 yards. Freeman only received the ball 8 times, rushing for 28 yards and a touchdown. Kicker Brandon McManus’ field goal allowed the Broncos to win 20-19.
Los Angeles Chargers 1-1-0
The Chargers jumped all over the Bills early and never trailed. Quarterback Philip Rivers completed 23/27 passes for 256 yards and 3 touchdowns. Running back Melvin Gordon scored three touchdowns—one rushing and two receiving—until the Chargers pulled him in the second half to share the love. Running back Austin Ekeler took advantage of the extra playing time, rushing for 77 yards on 11 carries. The Chargers beat the Bills 31-20.
Oakland Raiders 0-2-0
Heading into halftime, the Raiders led the Broncos 12-0. The Broncos whittled away at that lead, however, and stole a win from the Raiders late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Derek Carr completed 29/32 attempts for 288 yards and 1 touchdown. However, his performance wasn’t enough to give the Raiders their first win and they fell to the Broncos 20-19.