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What we learned from NFL Week 2

 
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (27) runs past a tackle attempt by Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, rear, during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) MONH119
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (27) runs past a tackle attempt by Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, rear, during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) MONH119
Published Sept. 18, 2017

1. Former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, 74, wasn't on the set for his current gig as an analyst on Fox's NFL Sunday show because he was working on his Florida Keys home in Tavernier that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Irma. He told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Don't feel sorry for me. I can rebuild. I have the money. I feel bad for people who lost their house and don't know what to do. Those are the ones to feel sorry for, the ones who need help right now."

2. Did the Bears trade for Jay Cutler between Weeks 1 and 2 and I missed it? I didn't expect Mike Glennon to pick apart the Bucs defense, but I didn't see him turning the ball over three times (two interceptions, one fumble lost) in the first half of Chicago's 29-7 loss. Still, coach John Fox said afterward that he doesn't plan to bench Glennon for 2017 first-round draft pick Mitch Trubisky. But Fox reportedly wasn't aware of the plan to draft Trubisky, so …

3. Under Fox, the Bears have yet to win a game in September. They're 0-8 and have lost by an average of 15.6 points.

4. From the Department of I Can't Believe Tom Brady Hadn't Done That Before: In the Patriots' 36-20 demolition of the Saints, the quarterback threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter for the first time in his career. He now has 52 games with three or more touchdown passes and no interceptions, moving past Peyton Manning for the most in NFL history.

5. Chiefs coach Andy Reid continues to torture Philadelphia, the team that fired him after the 2012 season. By defeating Eagles coach Doug Pederson (his onetime offensive coordinator in Kansas City), Reid improved his record against his former assistant coaches to 9-3.

6. Chiefs rookie running back Kareem Hunt again rewarded fantasy owners who took a flier on him late in drafts. He followed up his three-touchdown debut with two more scores Sunday. He's the third player since 1970 to score five touchdowns in his first two games.

7. Words you'd never think you'd see: (Insert team name here) misses Sam Bradford. The Vikings QB, suffering from pain in his left knee, was inactive. Case Keenum started against the Steelers in his place, and it didn't take long to see the dropoff. Five of Keenum's first 10 passes were incomplete; Bradford threw five incompletions all game against the Saints in Week 1.

8. For the sixth time in his career, Panthers QB Cam Newton was sacked six times. The Panthers lost the previous five games. On Sunday, Carolina, despite failing to score a touchdown, beat the Bills anyway 9-3.

9. You wonder which scenario the Panthers would prefer: a 2-0 record or a healthy Greg Olsen. The tight end, quarterback Cam Newton's favorite target, suffered a broken right foot in the first half against the Bills and said afterward, "I am going to miss a lot of games." Last season he became the first tight end in NFL history to gain 1,000 receiving yards in three straight seasons.

10. Browns rookie QB DeShone Kizer temporarily left a 24-10 loss to the Ravens because of a migraine. Cleveland fans would like to know how he recovered so quickly; their migraine has lasted about 30 years. Browns LT Joe Thomas has had no such issues, passing the 10,000 mark during the game with his incredible streak of consecutive snaps played. He hasn't missed a snap since coming into the NFL in 2007.

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11. It was Throwback Running Back Day in Indianapolis. Chris Johnson (Cardinals) and Frank Gore (Colts) failed to re-create 2009, rushing for 90 yards combined.

12. We should all be Tyrann Mathieu fans today. If you root for the Cardinals, you're happy because his interception early in overtime against the Colts set up a winning field goal. For the rest of us, we're just thankful he spared us from watching Arizona and Indianapolis try to play football for a full extra period.

13. The Titans and Jaguars played a Thursday Night Football game on a Sunday afternoon, with Tennessee pulling off a 37-16 win. The Titans' offense started slowly but scored 31 points in the second half. Tight end Delanie Walker helped pour it on, scoring the first rushing touchdown of his career — off a jet sweep.

14. Titans running back Derrick Henry, a 2016 second-round draft pick, is on the verge of supplanting DeMarco Murray as the lead ball carrier in Tennessee, if he hasn't already. He ran for 92 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries against the Jaguars.

15. No team is more unlucky than the Chargers. Trailing the Dolphins 19-17 with one minute left, San Diego drove 54 yards to get in position for a winning field goal, only to see the attempt drift wide right. Since the start of last season, the Chargers are 4-11 in one-score games. Good news for San Diego: Antonio Gates caught his 112th touchdown pass, breaking a tie with Tony Gonzalez for the most by a tight end in NFL history.

16. The Seahawks used to dominate the 49ers at home. Before Sunday, they had won their past five of those games by an average of 20 points. Sunday they escaped with a 12-9 win. Two ways to look at their offense right now: 1.) It knows how to grind. 2.) It is in trouble. Given how they've skimped on their offensive line, I'm going with the latter.

17. Its passing game struggling to find a rhythm after the departures of DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, Washington committed to the run in a 27-20 road win over the Rams. Before leaving the game with a rib injury, Rob Kelley rushed for 78 yards on 12 carries. Chris Thompson, who will no doubt be a popular fantasy waiver claim this week, gained 77 yards, 61 of which came on one carry.

18. I have found a question for which there is no answer: Would you rather root for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones or commissioner Roger Goodell? Jones reportedly is holding up Goodell's contract extension and has balked at Goodell's salary, which was $31 million in 2015. Is it just a coincidence that a six-game ban is looming over Jones' star running back Ezekiel Elliott?

19. Elliott might as well have been suspended. In the Cowboys' 42-17 loss to the Broncos, he gained only 22 yards rushing and receiving on 13 touches. The Broncos rushed for 178 yards, 118 of those from C.J. Anderson.

20. As bad as the Cowboys' run defense was in a loss to the Broncos, it's nowhere nearly as bad as the Jets'. New York might go 0-16 and be the first team in NFL history to allow a million rushing yards. In the Jets' opener, they allowed 190 yards. In a 45-20 loss to the Raiders, they allowed 180. So maybe they're getting better?

Contact Thomas Bassinger at tbassinger@tampabay.com. Follow @tometrics.