NFL Standings, Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs remain atop the AFC West
By Drew Brooks
AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals 2-0-0
Wide receiver AJ Green had a monster first game during Thursday Night Football for the Bengals, catching three touchdowns in the first half alone. He finished the night with 5 catches for 69 yards and 3 touchdowns. Quarterback Andy Dalton completed 24/42 passes for 265 yards and 4 touchdowns, leading the Bengals to a 34-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens—the same exact score they beat the Indianapolis Colts by last week.
Baltimore Ravens 1-1-0
Quarterback Joe Flacco had a good performance under the lights on Thursday Night Football, completing 32/55 attempts for 376 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Wide receiver John Brown also had a good came, catching 4 passes for 92 yards and 1 touchdown. Flacco and Brown’s efforts weren’t enough for the Ravens, however, and they lost 34-23 to the Bengals.
Cleveland Browns 0-1-1
The Browns came so close to their first win since 2016. They led the New Orleans Saints at halftime 6-3. In the third quarter, the Browns took a 12-3 lead. However, the Saints came back in the fourth quarter. The Browns have to be disappointed, as they only lost the came by three points and their kicker, Zane Gonzalez, missed two extra points and two field goals. The Saints ended up winning 21-18.
Pittsburgh Steelers 0-1-1
After last week’s tie with the Browns, the Steelers thought things couldn’t get worse. Wrong. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs came into town and tore apart the Steelers. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger put up great numbers, completing 39/60 passes for 452 yards and 3 touchdowns, but the Steelers couldn’t overcome the Chiefs’ early offensive success. The Steelers lost 42-37.
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars 2-0-0
The Jaguars probably couldn’t have fished for a better start to the year. In the AFC Championship rematch, the Jaguars beat the Patriots and joined the dwindling list of this season’s undefeated teams. Even though running back Leonard Fournette was inactive with a hamstring injury, quarterback Blake Bortles led the team, completing 29/45 passes for 377 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception. The Jaguars beat the Patriots 31-20.
Tennessee Titans 1-1-0
Despite starting quarterback Marcus Mariota’s absence, the Titans got the job done against the Houston Texans. Backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert completed 13/20 passes for 117 yards and 1 touchdown. Safety Kevin Byard and running back Derrick Henry joined Gabbert in passing, each throwing 1 pass each. Byard threw for 66 yards and 1 touchdown, while Henry threw for 8 yards. The Titans pulled off a 20-17 victory against the Texans.
Indianapolis Colts 1-1-0
Quarterback Andrew Luck put up good numbers, completing 21/31 attempts for 179 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton led the team in receptions with 7 for 83 yards and a touchdown. The Colts beat the Washington Redskins 21-9.
Houston Texans 0-2-0
Despite putting up excellent numbers offensively, the Texans couldn’t get the job done against the Titans. Quarterback Deshaun Watson completed 22/32 passes for 310 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. On the receiving end of those passes, wide receivers Will Fuller and DeAndre Hopkins led the team. Fuller caught 8 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown, while Hopkins caught 6 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately for the Texans, they couldn’t stop the Titans and fell to 20-17.