Mahomes on pace to throw 80 touchdowns
In case you missed it, here are the hot topics after the second Sunday of the NFL season:
80 touchdowns:
Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs is on pace to throw 80 touchdown passes this season.
Last season’s first-round draft pick threw six TDs against Pittsburgh to bring his total to 10 this year — surpassing Charley Johnson, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning for the most over the first two weeks of an NFL season.
“You never expect to have 10 touchdowns at this point in the season,” Mahomes said. “But I knew with this offence, and the weapons that we have, and the scheme coach (Andy)
Reid has drawn up, that we had a chance to be really, really good, and the possibilities are endless.”
Kansas City won 42-37 for its first victory at Pittsburgh in 32 years.
Hardly recognizable:
Yes, football fans, that is 14year veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick tearing through opposing defences.
And yes, that was Fitzpatrick wearing gold chains, a half-zipped jacket and a pair of Aviator sunglasses after his latest triumph.
After his second straight 400yard, four-touchdown game and Tampa Bay’s second straight surprising win, Fitzpatrick rummaged through receiver DeSean Jackson’s locker to outfit himself for his postgame interview.
Asked if any of what he was wearing was his, the thickly bearded Fitzpatrick responded: “The chest hair is mine.”
Filling in for the suspended Jameis Winston, Fitzpatrick insists he’s not letting all the success go to his head.
“I think we just have to stay humble,” he said, as one of the receiver’s pendants sparkled on his chest. “We’ve got to make sure we know how to handle success and all those things. We can’t change who we are.”
Really. Don’t let the gold chains fool you.
Kickers wanted:
Last week, Zane Gonzalez’s inability to convert a field goal from a makable range turned a potential win into a tie. This week, he missed four kicks and the Browns lost.
Gonzalez missed two field goals and two extra points in the second half, including one of each over the final 76 seconds, all of which played into a 21-18 loss to New Orleans. The last miss was a game-tying attempt from 52 yards that sailed well right of the goalpost.
“It snowballed,” Gonzalez said. “I was pulling them, and the last one I pushed it because I was overcompensating. I get paid to make those kicks, and I have to make them.”
Last week, Gonzalez had a 43-year field goal blocked as time expired in overtime and the Browns settled for a tie with Pittsburgh.
This week, another NFL tie came courtesy of similar kicking problems. Minnesota’s Daniel Carlson missed a pair of field goals in overtime, including one from 35 yards as time expired, in a 29-29 deadlock with Green Bay.
Also, Oakland’s Mike Nugent missed an extra point in the second quarter in what turned out to be a 20-19 loss to Denver.
Fine coming:
Damontae Kazee of the Falcons got ejected for a vicious helmetto-helmet hit on Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, as Newton was sliding in the open field.
A fight ensued, and after the game, the Panthers remained understandably livid.
“It was a malicious hit, intended to hurt” Newton, receiver Jarius Wright said.
Newton: “This game isn’t fit for cheap shots like that, but at the end of the day you can’t blame him. He’s playing as hard as he can. I’m playing as hard as I can.”
Kazee can expect to hear from the NFL soon. His pre-season hit to Jaguars receiver Marquise Lee’s knees knocked Lee out for the season, but did not result in a penalty or fine.