7 teams avoided crisis in Week 2
Crisis averted. For now, at least. As Week 2 of the NFL’s 2021 regular season approached, a handful of teams with contender aspirations found themselves in positions of desperation.
They had lost their season openers and badly needed victories to avoid opening the season with 0-2 records, as the chances of reaching the playoffs decrease greatly for teams that go winless in their first two outings.
But the Ravens, Cowboys, Titans, Bills, Browns, Bears and Washington all managed to deliver. For some, it wasn’t pretty. with five of their matchups determined by three points or fewer. But a win’s a win, as they say.
Here’s a look at what their Week 2 victories mean, and the potentially crippling situations they managed to avoid.
Washington Football Team: Aiming to win the NFC East for a rare second consecutive season, Washington couldn’t afford to lose to the visiting divisional-rival Giants on Thursday night.
Taylor Heinicke shook off a slow start and rebounded from a fourth-quarter interception, the defense did just enough to contain Daniel Jones, and the offense moved into field goal range in the final minute, setting up Dustin Hopkins for the game-winner. A Giants penalty gave him a second chance when he missed the original would-be winning kick.
By winning, Washington avoided falling into an early last-place slot in the division as the Giants now have.
Dallas Cowboys: A loss to Tampa Bay in Week 1 came as no surprise, but the Cowboys at least competed. But Dallas needed more than a moral victory in Week 2 despite dealing with a rash of injuries to key players.
They took a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter, but the hosting Chargers rallied to tie the score with 3:54 remaining. Mike McCarthy nearly botched the closing clock management and field position situations, but Greg Zuerlein, who missed two field goals and an extra-point attempt in Week 1, nailed a 56-yarder with time expiring to lift the Cowboys.
Another loss for the battered Cowboys could have sparked panic and intense scrutiny of McCarthy, who already is under a lot of pressure. But instead, the Cowboys will host NFC East foe Philadelphia next Monday with the chance to open up a lead in the division, depending on how Washington fares.
Cleveland Browns: The Browns blew the golden opportunity to open the season with a statement win over the Kansas City Chiefs and fumbled away that game in the fourth quarter. They needed a strong rebound in Week 2 and managed just that, defeating visiting Houston 31-21.
Embracing an identity that closely resembled that of last year’s group, the Browns rode a punishing run game (Nick Chubb led the way with 95 rushing yards and a touchdown while Kareem Hunt added another 51) and physical defense to avoid a second week of embarrassment.
A loss would have intensified scrutiny over whether Baker Mayfield is capable of leading the Browns to the next level. Questions lingered about whether last year’s playoff success was a sign of growth or merely an aberration.
Baltimore Ravens: A wild, overtime loss in Las Vegas in Week 1 heightened pressure on Lamar Jackson and Baltimore, whom many view as contenders in the AFC. An 0-3 record against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs only added to the sense of urgency this week.
Jackson recovered from two firstquarter interceptions and got the offense going. The defense forced takeaways in the third and fourth quarter while Jackson took the lead with 3:14 left and hung on for the 36-35 victory.
Buffalo Bills: Buffalo entered the season with expectations of contending for a Super Bowl and wound up getting shocked in a Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh, a team seemingly on the decline.
Next came an AFC East matchup in Miami, and the Bills took care of business with a 35-0 blowout to maintain its billing as the best team in the division. The Bills got their ground game going again and their defense delivered a robust performance in which Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was knocked out of the game. Now they’ll prepare for what should be a beatable opponent in Washington.
A loss would have set off all kinds of alarms about this team. Josh Allen already is under scrutiny after signing a six-year, $258 million contract extension this summer, and he’s out to prove that he and the Bills can build on last year’s playoff victory – the franchise’s first since 1995.
Tennessee Titans: After an embarrassing loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, the Titans seemingly were headed for another after falling behind 24-9 in the second quarter at Seattle. New offensive coordinator Todd Downing already is feeling the heat, and judging by the first half of the Week 2 contest, he still hadn’t figured out how to utilize his personnel.
Meanwhile, Mike Vrabel’s defense appeared to be languishing once again. But then came the second half. After rushing for just 35 yards in the first two quarters, Derrick Henry erupted and finished the game with 182 yards and three touchdowns while also catching six passes for 55 yards. Meanwhile, Julio Jones racked up 128 receiving yards on six receptions. Ryan Tannehill finally looked comfortable, and the Titans rallied to force overtime before winning 3330 on a 36-yard Randy Bullock field goal.
Now the Titans need to build on this victory because the AFC South certainly appears to be theirs for the taking, particularly given the injury and inconsistency woes that Carson Wentz and the Colts are enduring during this opening stretch.
Chicago Bears: Unlike some of the other teams on this list, Chicago’s odds for contention appear slim. But in another much-needed win that falls under the “it wasn’t pretty, but we’ll take it” category, the Bears endured the injury to Andy Dalton and growing pains by Justin Fields to defeat the Bengals 20-17 a week after a blowout loss to the Rams.
Chicago can thank its defense, which notched four takeaways, for a strong backing. If not for three Joe Burrow interceptions, Cincinnati very well could have won.
More than anyone, Matt Nagy probably needed this victory the most. The coach already is on the hot seat, and a loss to lowly Cincinnati after the drubbing by the Rams could have put him on even shakier footing.