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NFL 2019: ICY HOT TD Week 2

(originally written 9/17/19)

What the hell is NFL ICY HOT TD, anyway? I'll tell you—ICY HOT TD = In Case You Had Other Things To Do.

While some of us are able to watch NFL football all Sunday long and follow it up with postgame analysis/highlight shows well into the night...many of us can't. I aim to bring those fans bits of trivia, data, and news they likely missed on Game Day.


Such as:

 

  • On Thursday Night Football, Tampa Bay had to stop Christian McCaffrey on 4th-and-1 to preserve their 20-14 win at Carolina. Not much else to report.

  • New England thumped the Dolphins 43-0, their most lopsided win over Miami in 108 all-time games. The Dolphins have been outscored 102-10 so far this season, and with plays like this it's not hard to see why:

  • In Baltimore's 23-17 home victory over Arizona, their QB Lamar Jackson rushed for 120 yards—the most ever for a QB who also threw for 250+ yards. Jackson leads the league with a 145.2 rating. 2019 marks only the 7th time in the Ravens' 25-season history they've begun 2-0.

  • Cardinals QB Kyler Murray became the 2nd to ever throw for 300+ yards in his first two NFL games (Cam Newton, 2011).

  • The Bengals were stomped by San Francisco 41-17, the most points they've ever allowed in a home opener. The 49ers have won two straight season-opening road games for the first time since 1989.

  • Though his Lions managed to squeak by the visiting Chargers 13-10, QB Matt Stafford's 181-pass pickless streak came to an end.

  • Green Bay beat the visiting Vikings 21-16, partially because Vikes QB Kirk Cousins threw an ill-advised late pick. He has now turned the ball over nine times in the 4Q 2018-19, most in the NFL.
     

  • Host Houston beat Jacksonville 13-12, but Texans QB Deshaun Watson was sacked four more times—the eighth straight game he's been sacked four times or more. This ties a record shared with Blake Bortles and Jeff George (since '82, when sacks became official). Jags RB Leonard Fournette came about an inch short of scoring the game-winning two-pointer with 29 seconds left.

  • Buffalo stopped the host Giants 28-14. It is the Giants sixth 0-2 start in the past seven years, partially because they're only 5-for-23 on 3rd down (21.7%), tied for third-worst in the NFL. (Dallas, at 61.9%, is first).

  • The 28-26 road win by Seattle over Pittsburgh was the 100th all-time for Pete Carroll (including postseason). You must know as a 49ers fan it pains me to say anything positive about Pete Carroll. I'm STILL getting used to respecting Richard Sherman.

  • In that same game, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson threw his 200th career TD pass, helping Seattle end a 20-year winless streak in Pittsburgh (that only covered two other games, but still.) In fact, Seattle hadn't even scored in those 20 years.

  • The Steelers are 0-2 for only the second time under Mike Tomlin, who's been in place for 13 seasons now.

  • Not only did the Saints lose to the Rams 27-9. Not only did they lose QB Drew Brees. Not only was DE Cam Jordan denies a fumble-recovery TD. Not only did the Saints fail to score an offensive TD for just the 4th time in the (coach) Sean Payton era. But Rams WR Cooper Kupp did this io the Saints defense:

  • In a strange coincidence, Brees will miss his first Saints games against an opponent other than Carolina; all three of his previous missed games as a Saint set up losses to the Panthers.

  • Indiana squeaked past Tennessee in Tennessee, 19-17, partially because substitute kicker Cairo Santos missed a 45-yard FG in the 4Q. Former Colt QB Andrew Luck finished his career 11-0 vs. the Titans, but successor Jacoby Brissett had been 0-2 previously.

  • Dallas traveled to Washington and won 31-21, partially because QB Dak Prescott completed 18 straight passes at one point. He's at 82% for the year, an NFL record for two opening games (minimum 35 attempts). Prescott is the first Dallas QB with seven passing TD in the opening two games since Don Meredith in 1966. The Cowboys' Jason Witten became the 5th TE with 70 career TD receptions.

  • It wasn't all bad for the Redskins: RB Adrian Peterson passed Jim Brown for 5th on the all-time rushing TD list (107). Walter Payton is next with 111.

  • After going to Oakland and winning 28-10—blowing away an early 10-0 deficit—Kansas City is now 9-1 in its last 10 games vs. the Raiders. Chiefs QB Pat Mahomes, who went scoreless in the 1Q for the first time, racked up 278 pass yards in the 2Q, the NFL's most in 11 years. Still, Raiders QB Derek Carr broke Ken Stabler's franchise passing yards record; he now sits at 19,196.

  • On a last-second field goal, Chicago upended the Broncos 16-14; Denver had won 12 consecutive September home games. The Broncos are now 0-2 for the first time since 1999.

  • On Sunday Night Football, Atlanta held on to beat the visiting Eagles 24-20, on a late screen pass that WR Julio Jones took 54 yards to the house. The veteran passed Roddy White as the Falcons all-time receiving yards leader (10,868). Matt Ryan threw his 300th career TD pass in the win; he's now tied for 11th all-time. Eagles WR Nelson Agholor had a chance at the game-winning TD late but dropped a good pass up the left sideline.

  • I'll leave you with this catch from Cleveland's 23-3 win over the Jets on Monday Night Football:

Sources: NFL Primetime, ESPN.com, ProFootballTalk.com, YouTube.com, ProFootballReference.com, Baltimoresun.com and various TV and radio broadcasts

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