2022 NFL Week Two Score Report and Comments

Well, that MNF doubleheader was underwhelming.  Both games home non-competitive wins, and the reality of football hit hard in the first game when the game had to be stopped for an extended period after a second Buffalo player came crashing in on a tackle already being made, compressing the neck of Buffalo's Dane Jackson the Buffalo player hit his teammate Jackson with a helmet-to-helmet shot by accident.

• 17 in the second for Philly and 24 in the third for Buffalo did in any thoughts of competitive games for the night, and no points in the fourth quarter for either game.
• 43.56 points per game this week, 48.63 last year for Week 2.
• Season average for the 32 games so far is way down:  42.81 this year vs. 48.31 last year vs. over 50 two years ago.
• One of the big numbers:  Home teams went 11-5 this week for 17-14-1 for the year.  Last year:  8-8 for 15-16.
• As might be expected with the low scoring, the Over only went 5-10-1 this week, meaning, out of the first 32 games of the season, only ten have gone over -- 10-21-1.  (Last year:  8-8 for 15-17)
• Against the spread:  Only three covers on Sunday, and one game kicked at even.  (The Detroit string of not being favored, at least per Caesar's, still stands.)  5-9-1 for the week, 13-17-1 for the year.  (Last year:  7-9 for 11-21.)
• Straight up:  9-6 for 19-11-1.  (Last year:  11-5 for 18-14.)
• Team with more penalties was 8-8 this week for 16-14-1.  (Last year:  5-10 for 15-15)
• 196 penalties for the week (12.25 per game).  Last year:  220.  (13.75)
• 400 penalties for the season (12.38 per game)  Last year:  434.  (13.5)
• Four Cliffhangers this week for 10 for the season.  Last year:  3 for 6 for the season.
• Nine games finished within one score, 18 so far for the season.  Last year:  8 for 17.
• Five non-competitive games again this week, 10 so far for the season.  Last year:  5 for 12.  Each of the last three Week 2's now have had five non-competitive games.
• Six Last Chance Misses this week, 12 so far for the season.  Last year:  Two for eight.  (Actually had to do the spreadsheet again on my laptop and saw I missed two!)
  

And the NFL mantra continues:  You might as well just start watching during The Witching Hour -- the fourth quarter that turns losses into wins and wins into losses.  (NFL Redzone actually calls the early-window fourth quarter just that -- and it applied this week!)

This was the Week of the Comeback.

• Easily the biggest upset of the week was Miami popping off after being down 21 against Baltimore and winning.
• And if there's any idea why Miami is 2-0 right now, it appears as if there is an early-season push for Tua Tavaglioa.  SIX touchdown passes in the game.
• The Jets scored two touchdowns in one minute in the last two minutes of the game (in which 21 points were scored) to down Cleveland.
• Not a comeback, but Tampa and New Orleans were 3-3 and then the Tom Bradys went off for 17 to get the 20-10 win.
• 22 unanswered in the middle of the fourth to overtime for the Cardinals to beat the Raiders after the visitors were down 20-0 at halftime.  (Gee, you think the league is trying to tell the Raiders more housecleaning is needed?  YA THINK???)

Additional comments:

• The Packers actually did a touchdown celebration at Lambeau Field Sunday night in the style of the illegal (Federal law, not NFL) tea that Aaron Rodgers is using for his mental health.
• The league is investigating former Bucs head coach Bruce Arians, who was on the sideline for some reason and got involved with the latest Evans-Lattimore scrap, for which Evans has been suspended again for a game.  (If you want my impression, since it's a big game he got suspended for anyway, the suspension should've been for the rematch!)
• They didn't even give Jimmy Garropolo a playbook during training camp -- they were so certain he was gone anyway that the 49ers feared he'd give his new team the plays.  Now, Jimmy G is the starter for the rest of the season after Trey Lance had season-ending surgery on his ankle -- two injuries, he probably broke it twice!
• There is an investigation in Las Vegas today, as a fan has been alleged to have struck Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray after the game.  (Gee, you think the league is trying to tell the Raiders more housecleaning is needed?  YA THINK???)