Week 2 of the 2018 NFL Season continued Sunday, September 16, 2018, with the Buccaneers defeating the defending champions Philadelphia Eagles 27-21. Ryan Fitzpatrick continued to delight for Tampa, throwing for 402 yards with four touchdowns, including a pair of 75-yard strikes to wide receiver DeSean Jackson and tight end O.J. Howard. The Kansas City Chiefs, led by second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes and six touchdown passes, defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 42-37 on the road to improve to 2-0.
Jacksonville, meanwhile, avenged their 2017 AFC Championship Game meltdown against the New England Patriots, defeating Tom Brady and Bill Belichick 31-20. Blake Bortles threw for 377 yards for the Jaguars with four touchdowns, while receiver Keelan Cole hauled in seven catches for 116 yards and one touchdown.
LA Rams dominate Arizona 34-0
The Rams, with second-year wonder boy head coach Sean McVay, crushed the hapless Arizona Cardinals 34-0 in a game where the Rams would lose their kicker, Greg Zuerlein, in pregame warm-ups to a groin injury, forcing running back Todd Gurley to convert three two-point conversions.
Gurley, running for three touchdowns on the day, was all the Rams needed as Arizona was held to 137 yards of total offense by a dominating Rams defense who have allowed 13 total points in two games this season.
Falcons defeat Panthers in NFC South showdown
Matt Ryan threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns while running back Tevin Coleman ran for 107 yards as Atlanta defeated the Carolina Panthers 31-24 in a crucial early-season NFC South divisional match-up. Cam Newton threw for 335 yards and three touchdowns while running back Christian McCaffrey totaled 139 yards from scrimmage including 14 receptions. However, Carolina came up short on their final drive with the game ending on a Newton incompletion at the Atlanta 31-yard line.
Carolina faces undefeated Cincinnati in Week 3. Atlanta will have another division showdown with the New Orleans Saints, who salvaged a 21-18 win in Week 2 over the Cleveland Browns.
Packers and Vikings tie 29-29
Kirk Cousins led the Vikings from a 20-7 deficit in the third quarter, throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to receiver Adam Thielen with 31 seconds remaining in the game. He then converted to the two-point conversion to receiver Stefon Diggs to force over-time. During the overtime session, rookie kicker Daniel Carlson missed two field goal tries, including one from 35 yards as time expired, salvaging a tie for the Packers in an important NFC North divisional game. The result was the second tie in the first two weeks of the season after Cleveland tied Pittsburgh 21-21 in Week 1.
CBS Sports noted that Aaron Rodgers, hobbled with a knee injury suffered Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, threw for 281 yards with one touchdown while tight end Jimmy Graham led the way with six catches and 95 yards receiving. Green Bay travels to Washington in Week 3 while Minnesota will be at home against the 0-2 Bills in a game where the Vikings defense may score three times against the atrocious Bills and rookie quarterback Josh Allen.