In a wild NFL opening week, the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants fell to the Dallas Cowboys while the New York Jets soared above their preseason troubles in a blowout victory over the Buffalo Bills.
The NFL is all about the present rather than the past, however, and Week 2 meant a different story for the Giants and Jets, as well as many other teams throughout the league.
Giants 41, Buccaneers 34
Eli Manning strikes again. The Giants' quarterback threw for 510 yards and three scores, while Andre Brown put the nail in the coffin with 31 seconds left, punching in a 2-yard run to give the Giants their first win of the season.
Steelers 27, Jets 10
After some early offense, the Jets seemed to disappear, scoring all ten of their points in the first quarter.
Ben Roethlisberger threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and a banged-up Pittsburgh defense had no trouble against a New York team that posted 48 points in Week 1.
Cardinals 20, Patriots 18
Week 2's biggest upset belongs to the Cardinals, as backup quarterback Kevin Kolb marched his team into Foxboro and snuck away with a win in the game's final seconds.
Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski sent his 42-yard field goal attempt wide left as time expired, making Tom Brady's 316 yards through the air all for naught.
Packers 23, Bears 10
The defending NFC North Champions got the monkey off their backs, notching their first win of the season against their division rivals.
Aaron Rodgers' 219 passing yards, combined with a consistent running game led by Cedric Benson's 81 rushing yards, kept the game out of reach for a struggling Bears' offense, who mounted a dismal 168 net yards.
49ers 27, Lions 19
In a preview of a potential postseason showdown, the 49ers defense continued to dominate when on the field, keeping Calvin Johnson out of the end zone while limiting Matthew Stafford to just 230 passing yards.
Although San Francisco's defensive dominance was no surprise, Alex Smith and company controlled the tempo offensively. Vernon Davis caught two touchdowns while Frank Gore rushed for a score. The heavy favorites to win the NFC West, and maybe the Super Bowl, improved to 2-0.
Eagles 24, Ravens 23
After weathering the storm in Week 1 against the Browns, the Eagles came out crisper and more focused against a Ravens team that many consider a favorite to win the AFC.
Quarterback Michael Vick, while careless with the ball at times, led the offense down the field in the final minutes of the game for the second week in a row, capping the drive off himself with a 1-yard rushing touchdown.
While Vick's play garnered most of the attention, LeSean McCoy's 81 rushing yards and touchdown, along with Brent Celek's 157 receiving yards and linebacker DeMeco Ryan's dominance on defense were all intricate parts to Philadelphia's victory in Week 2.
Falcons 27, Broncos 21
A late second half surge wasn't enough for Peyton Manning and the Broncos to overcome four first quarter turnovers. Matt Ryan picked apart Denver's defense, throwing for 219 yards and two touchdowns.
Colts 23, Vikings 20
The reign of Andrew Luck has begun in Indianapolis. The rookie quarterback threw for 224 passing yards and two touchdowns in the first victory of his professional career.
mmcderm3@ramapo.
