NFL Week 2 Takeaways: Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins Explosive Offense Is For precise - Bleacher record

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Megan Briggs/Getty pictures

In Week 2 of NFL action, we saw some exciting comebacks, fireworks between bitter opponents and a crew that reached 2-0 for the primary time given that 2016.

usually, a new regime or coaching team of workers wants time to alternate a dropping subculture, however one franchise may additionally have a chance to move from ultimate to first in its division inside a year. Of route, we're within the early stages of the 2022 season, but which you could already see the early returns for a squad beneath a new course.

This previous offseason, large receivers signed huge contracts as the market exploded after Christian Kirk signed a 4-yr, $72 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In an early kickoff, one crew erased a 21-factor deficit—thanks in part to its new famous person wideout who took over within the fourth quarter, which explains why receivers have become top rate avid gamers.

speaking of wideouts, we may be watching the steady rise of a brand new famous person who came into the league as a fourth-round decide on final 12 months.

Let's delve into the largest takeaways from Sunday's games.

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Tyreek Hill (AP picture/Nick Wass)

AFC West groups made headlines right through the offseason. The Las Vegas Raiders bought wideout Davante Adams and move-rusher Chandler Jones. The la Chargers beefed up their protection, trading for Khalil Mack and signing cornerback J.C. Jackson. The Denver Broncos discovered a new franchise QB in Russell Wilson.

meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins made wholesale alterations to support elevate quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in his third season.

The club hired former San Francisco 49ers run video game coordinator and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel to take over the pinnacle-coaching place. The front office additionally signed left address Terron Armstead and wideouts Tyreek Hill and Cedrick Wilson Jr.

On Sunday, we saw Hill's offensive impact on full monitor.

in the third quarter, he cramped up and left the video game. youngsters, he again to assist propel the Dolphins to a comeback victory over the Baltimore Ravens, erasing a 21-element fourth-quarter deficit.

Tagovailoa linked with him for forty eight- and 60-yard touchdown passes. Fellow wideout Jaylen Waddle put the exclamation element on Miami's late-video game rally with a seven-yard landing reception with 14 seconds left within the video game.

Tagovailoa made early error, throwing two interceptions in the first half, however the Dolphins offense has enough explosiveness to reduce down large leads. Hill and Waddle every recorded 11 receptions and two touchdowns for a combined 361 yards.

With six touchdowns and 469 yards through the air to offset the two picks, Tagovailoa upstaged Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns and additionally rushed for 119 yards and a ranking on the floor.

The Dolphins have an electric offense if you want to preserve them in games, even when they're down with the aid of diverse ratings.

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Amon-Ra St. Brown (Kevin Sabitus/Getty photographs)

right here's an outstanding question: How did Amon-Ra St. Brown fall to the fourth round of the 2021 draft?

After a powerful rookie campaign, hauling in 90 passes for 912 yards and 5 touchdowns, St. Brown has persevered to move on a tear. On Sunday, the USC product tied an NFL record, per ESPN's container Yates:

St. Brown has picked up more steam in contemporary outings, racking up at the least 109 receiving yards in three of his previous 4 video games with at the least one score in every of the remaining six contests relationship back to last season.

essentially lining up in the slot with the capability to shift out huge, St. Brown has some similarities to wide receiver Cooper Kupp, whom the los angeles Rams selected within the third circular of the 2017 draft.

St. Brown isn't mentioned among the league's appropriate huge receivers, but he is neatly on the way up the ladder with fantastic numbers and consistency. Quarterback Jared Goff has a go-to receiver who can lead the Lions' aerial assault every week.

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Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore breaks up a move for Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans (AP image/Butch Dill)

on every occasion the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints take the box, you are doubtless going to see a feisty one-on-one fight between four-time professional Bowlers Mike Evans and Marshon Lattimore. they have feuded for years (from time to time bodily between the white lines), and their competitiveness turned into another on-field skirmish Sunday.

After the video game, Evans defined why he pushed Lattimore to the floor:

Lattimore has blanketed Evans in recent outings, which possible explains the Buccaneers extensive receiver's frustration with the Saints cornerback.

In Sunday's matchup, Evans caught three passes for sixty one yards, which protected a forty one-yard reception. Lattimore recorded two tackles and a circulate breakup earlier than the referees ejected both of them within the fourth quarter with the game tied at three.

Neither the Saints nor the Buccaneers generated a ton of offense—both squads accomplished with fewer than 309 complete yards. on the other hand, Tampa Bay beat New Orleans 20-10, earning its first victory over its division rival within the usual season with Tom Brady as its quarterback.

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Brian Daboll (left) and Daniel Jones (appropriate) wealthy Schultz/Getty images

though the ny Giants have not appealed to people who savor lots of offense, they may be off to a 2-0 delivery for the first time due to the fact that 2016, which indicates some promise for the group's future under new head train Brian Daboll.

ultimate week, Daboll went for a two-point conversion on the team's last offensive force, and big Blue beat the Tennessee Titans 21-20 after Randy Bullock missed a 47-yard field intention.

On Sunday, the Giants put together a different gritty victory over the Carolina Panthers, successful 19-16 at home. large Blue best scored one landing, but former Panthers kicker Graham Gano made all four of his field dreams, together with a pair of 51-plus-yarders within the fourth quarter.

during this contest, the Giants did not have their starting area-rushers, Azeez Ojulari (calf) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (MCL sprain) or beginning cornerback Aaron Robinson (appendicitis) but nevertheless restricted the Panthers to 275 total yards and forced two turnovers. Baker Mayfield best accomplished 14 of 29 passes for a hundred forty five yards and a landing.

even with how the wins appear, Daboll and his coaching staff have injected new power into the club with its most beneficial birth in six years. working again Saquon Barkley seems rejuvenated with 282 yards and a touchdown from scrimmage. next week, massive Blue will host the Dallas Cowboys, who may not have starting quarterback Dak Prescott (thumb surgical procedure) under center.

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Garrett Wilson (AP photograph/Ron Schwane)

Quarterback Joe Flacco became again the clock with a strong performance in an exhilarating 31-30 street win over the Cleveland Browns, throwing for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns Sunday. With that spoke of, Gang green's 2022 rookie class stole the exhibit.

First-circular decide on Garrett Wilson and 2nd-rounder Breece corridor scored three of the Jets' four touchdowns in a comeback victory over the Browns. the former hauled in eight passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns, which blanketed a go-ahead 15-yard reception with 22 seconds left in law.

hall accumulated 50 dashing yards and 10 receiving yards with a touchdown reception. He outpaced Michael Carter (23 yards) on the ground, though the latter caught all 5 of his objectives for 27 yards.

On the protecting side of the ball, first-circular cornerback Sauce Gardner had an excellent day trip with six tackles (five solo) and a pass breakup. Fellow rookie move-rushers Jermaine Johnson II and Micheal Clemons mixed for three tackles and a quarterback hit.

If the Jets can get good quarterback play from Flacco and Zach Wilson when he returns from knee surgical procedure, this group has the younger playmakers to trend within the right path. possibly head coach Robert Saleh should put together those receipts he talked about this week.

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Matt Ryan (Mike Carlson/Getty images)

we are able to talk about the Indianapolis Colts' damaging traits. They haven't won in Week 1 seeing that 2013, and that they've lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars on the street each year for the reason that 2014.

despite the fact, these bloodless-challenging records don't excuse the group's poor play in opposition t both backside teams within the AFC South from the outdated season.

last week, the Colts needed to rally late to tie the Houston Texans 20-20. On Sunday, they didn't rating in opposition t the Jacksonville Jaguars, losing 24-0 in an embarrassing street loss. bound, lead extensive receiver Michael Pittman Jr. become out with a quad damage, however Jacksonville limited 2021 speeding champion Jonathan Taylor to fifty four speeding yards on 9 consists of.

on account of a poor video game script, the Colts had to push the ball downfield with their subpar passing game. Quarterback Matt Ryan achieved 16 of 30 passes and threw three interceptions. For the season, he's thrown only 1 touchdown and 4 interceptions, which raises legitimate concerns.

due to the fact Andrew luck's retirement in August of 2019, the Colts have began the season with a brand new starting quarterback every year. Ryan, who became 37 years old in might also, could be the subsequent one-and-down starter beneath center. he's played like a quarterback on a pointy decline, even with Pittman on the container remaining week.

If the Colts' passing game cannot flow the ball with consistency, they will find it complicated to movement the ball on the floor with Taylor in opposition t loaded bins.

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Jimmy Garoppolo (AP photo/Tony Avelar)

Trey Lance only played two sequence towards the Seattle Seahawks Sunday. He faked a handoff, ran up the middle and took a success. The San Francisco 49ers carted him off the container with an air forged on his correct leg.

in accordance with ESPN's Adam Schefter, Lance suffered a "colossal" ankle damage in order to require competencies season-ending surgical procedure.

Lance achieved two of three passes for 30 yards and rushed for 13 yards on three incorporates earlier than his early exit. Jimmy Garoppolo took over for the second-yr sign-caller and helped lead the 49ers to a 27-7 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

In hindsight, the 49ers' decision to keep Garoppolo on the roster with a restructured deal may also retailer their 2022 season. If the front office traded him, San Francisco would've became to rookie seventh-rounder Brock Purdy, who regarded astonishing in the preseason, but he is a ways less experienced than Garoppolo in head teach and lead play-caller Kyle Shanahan's offense.

The 49ers desired to peer what that they had of their appropriate draft choose from a year ago, however as a minimum they will remain within the playoff combine with a well-known face who's led them to two postseason appearances because the simple quarterback. For now, the Trey Lance era in San Francisco is on cling.

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Cooper Rush (AP photo/Tony Gutierrez)

in the event you didn't be aware of, Cooper Rush is 2-0 as the beginning quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.

He received his first delivery in Week 8 of the 2021 season against the Minnesota Vikings. On Sunday, the sixth-year veteran helped the club pull out a 20-17 upset victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Dallas went into the competition as 7.5-element underdogs with quarterback Dak Prescott on the mend following surgery on his fractured thumb. anyone who buried the Cowboys' 2022 season may additionally want to pump the brakes after Sunday's online game.

The Cowboys established the run early, feeding Ezekiel Elliott (15 incorporates for 53 yards) and Tony Pollard (nine incorporates for 43 yards and a landing). With that noted, Rush made key throws to CeeDee Lamb, Noah Brown and Pollard.

Dallas might not ask Rush to throw 40 instances with Elliott and Pollard in the backfield, but he just must comprehensive throws in critical moments, and the circulate-catchers should win one-on-one matchups off play-action design downfield.

ultimately, if the protection offers up 21 aspects or fewer because it did Sunday, Dallas can cling down the citadel until Prescott returns from injured reserve. He may be in a position to come back for Week eight or Week 10 after the team's bye, per NFL network's Ian Rapoport.

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Derek Carr (AP photograph/John Locher)

After a turnover-ridden 24-19 loss to the l. a. Chargers, the Las Vegas Raiders squandered a 20-element cause the Arizona Cardinals in a crushing defeat at home.

Down 23-7 within the fourth quarter, the Cardinals scored 16 unanswered points to force beyond regular time. in the further length, the Raiders got here up with a stop, however wideout Hunter Renfrow had ball-safety concerns on here possession.

He fumbled twice and misplaced the 2nd one, which resulted in cornerback Byron Murphy's scoop-and-ranking for the video game-winner.

In Week 3, the Raiders can be on the highway to face the Tennessee Titans, who play the Buffalo expenses Monday night.

If Tennessee loses, the Titans and Raiders will combat to steer clear of an 0-three birth, which is a big hole to climb out of for any group with playoff aspirations. inspite of the result Monday, at 0-2, Vegas has a tough slate headed on the street to Nashville with the Denver Broncos and Kansas city Chiefs arising in Weeks four and 5, respectively.

Josh McDaniels' tenure is off to a tough beginning as his team already faces a intestine-check matchup subsequent week.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher record. that you can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.

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