Neil Reynolds of Sky Sports has the final say in his second week in the NFL; join Neal and the guests at Inside the Huddle, every Tuesday at 9 p.m. on the Sky Sports NFL, as they recall the weekend’s highlights …
A second week in the NFL wouldn’t help anyone who wants to get out of their nail biting habit. In eight games, one score was resolved – that’s half of all games played from Monday to Thursday! There was a lot of drama all over the place; that’s what caught my eye …
John Harbaugh’s men were playing with an impromptu attack line and running backs pounding in the street, but they reverted to type, running 41 times for 251 yards and three touchdowns. Of course, it helps when quarterback Lamar Jackson can hit the ball 16 times for 107 yards and score.
He’s sometimes awkward when he shoots – he threw two interceptions in a regular game and one in a two-point attempt – but he’s a Madden cheat when he plays for free and runs like he’s in his backyard.
Jackson’s mistakes can be forgiven when you consider how many swings he makes for offense versus his teammates. Ravens also found defensive passages when needed. Sounds familiar, isn’t it?
After a stunning home defeat to the Arizona Cardinals in the first week, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel admitted that he is interested in learning about his team’s culture and his dressing room. Those heavy words rang in the ears of the Titans as they headed to Seattle to take on the Seahawks.
Tennessee lost the Pro Bowl to Taylor Levan with injury during a pre-game warm-up, and they lost 30-16 with about 10 minutes left. This will put a strain on any culture, let alone one already under the microscope.
But the Titans responded by showing who they were for some time, riding Derrick Henry for 182 yards and three touchdowns at 35 carries. It was enough to wear down the Seahawks and see Tennessee flee the NFL’s most hostile stadiums with a 33-30 overtime win.
Other passers-by in the NFL are getting far more attention than Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, but few started out with such a hot hand. Carr has sensationally led the Silver and Black to a pair of quality wins over Baltimore and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh’s defensive ability to wipe out opponents’ defenders or force them to switch sides has long been legendary. But Carr, who was often interrogated, stared at them and threw 382 yards and landed twice. Add that to 435 yards and two of his first week points and you have a great start to your new campaign.