From Dallas Cowboys misery to Drew Petzing and the Arizona Cardinals, we pick out our award winners from NFL Sunday in Week Two of the 2024 season…
Story of the day…
“Your scheme is crazy,” said Brock Purdy to Brian Flores on Sunday.
Purdy, Kyle Shanahan and their San Francisco 49ers offense had just been on the wrong end of a Flores defensive clinic as they were beaten 23-17 by the Minnesota Vikings, who move to 2-0 for the first time since 2016.
The Vikings had been a defensive disaster in the final few seasons under Mike Zimmer, a lasting memory being their parting-of-the-red-sea performance against the New York Giants in the playoffs as Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley torched them on the ground. They were passive, ill-schemed, an offensive dream to dissect.
This is a different Vikings outfit, rejuvenated by the blitz aggression and creativity of defensive coordinator Flores, who is on his way back to head coaching contention having been dismissed from Miami’s top job at the end of the 2021 season. He has since had to rebuild his career with a stop off in Pittsburgh under Mike Tomlin as well as facing heavy criticism from Tua Tagovailoa for his treatment of the Dolphins quarterback during their short time together, comments Flores admitted had been difficult to hear.
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Highlights from the San Francisco 49ers against the Minnesota Vikings from Week Two of the NFL season
On Sunday the league saw the best of Flores the footballing mind. From the blitz packages that resulted in four sacks and seven pressures on Purdy, to the simulated pressure designs whereby three or four defenders would retreat from the defensive front post-snap to fog the middle of the field. Flores is having a party unleashing Josh Metellus as his postion-less do-it-all utility man – the kind of which modern defenses have sought after in the Draft over recent years – and has ramped up the ferocity with which the Vikings clog running lanes, collapse the pocket and fly to the football.
The Vikings are in perfect hands under Flores and Kevin O’Connell, the latter of whom is threatening to do silly things with revival-chasing Sam Darnold.
Meanwhile at Arrowhead, Joseph Ossai had his ‘now you know how I felt’ moment after watching seventh-round rookie safety Daijahn Anthony give up the pass interference penalty that would set up the Chiefs’ game-winning field goal as time expired against the Bengals. Ossai had of course committed the unnecessary roughness penalty on Patrick Mahomes that hoisted the Chiefs into a more favourable field goal position during the 2022 AFC Championship Game.
The ‘name you should know’ of the day
Last week it was Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who has picked up where Dave Canales left off in inspiring the best of a resurgent Baker Mayfield. This week, it is Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, whose ascent to architectural funk began down the stretch of last season.
Petzing’s offense was purring as the Cardinals dismantled the Los Angeles Rams 41-10, the patience and precision to tee up chunk plays with defense-baiting sells in the run game and pre-snap motion continuing to put stress on Sean McVay’s side.
There were signs late last season of Petzing utilising a pull run game in order to maximise the athleticism of Kyler Murray in and out of the pocket following the quarterback’s return from injury, as much carrying through to 2024 as James Conners continues to serve as one of the league’s toughest runners. As much became evident again early on Sunday during Marvin Harrison’s 60-yard touchdown, Petzing slaloming the blocking left in order for Murray to roll out and connect with his rookie receiver on a crosser-come-corner route.
Petzing was cooking again later in the game, this time unleashing tight end Trey McBride for a leaping grab between two defenders at the sideline. The design had seen Elijah Higgins motion left-to-right under the center and in turn dragging three Rams defenders with him as Trey Benson became the disguised chip blocker from a fake handoff to the running back, Murray keeping the ball and floating a strike to McBride on the deep over route.
The Rams became constant victims of Petzing misdirection and aggressive personnel groupings; in laymens terms, a clinic in ‘you think we are going that way, really we are going this way’. Petzing is in his second year as offensive coordinator having previously served as tight ends and quarterbacks coach of the Cleveland Browns as well as working working with the wide receivers in Minnesota. He will find his way into head coaching contention sooner rather than later.
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Highlights from the New Orleans Saints against the Dallas Cowboys from Week Two of the NFL season
The ‘only does spectacular things’ of the day
Rashid Shaheed feels a little like an NFL equivalent of modern ‘Barclaysmen’. In an era of two-high safety shells and when defenses are set up to limit explosive downfield dunks, the New Orleans Saints wide receiver continues to find ways to behead secondaries with his speed.
No player in the league has more receptions of 50+ air yards than Shaheed since the beginning of 2023, the 2022 undrafted free agent setting the tone for the Saints’ demolition of the Dallas Cowboys with a 70-yard touchdown, following up his 59-yard house call against the Carolina Panthers in Week One.
Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons was full of praise for Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak after the game, having been largely neutralised in the race of a rampant Alvin Kamara-inspired display. Kubiak got creative with his protection packages, while turning to condensed formations to muddy the Cowboys defense’s play diagnosis and incorporating more play action as a means of opening up the field for their receiver talent.
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The New Orleans Saints’ Alvin Kamara’s best plays from his four-touchdown game against the Dallas Cowboys
The ‘gonna be a star’ of the day
No secret had been made of Brock Bowers and his potential to catapult himself towards the top of the NFL’s tight end ranks, but with uncertainty at quarterback in Las Vegas he might have been forgiven for taking some time. Bowers had nine catches for 98 yards in the Raiders’ win over the Baltimore Ravens, lifting his tally on the season to 15 catches from 17 targets for 156 yards – all NFL records for a tight end through his first two career games. Tight end fanatics are crying out for 12 personnel bombardment through Bowers and Michael Mayer.
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The Cincinnati Bengals’ Cam Taylor-Britt made an Odell Beckham-esque catch for an amazing interception against the Kansas City Chiefs
The vomit ball of the day
Green Bay Packers center Josh Myers seemed to misinterpret his head coach’s wishes for chunk plays on offense, vomiting on the ball prior to the snap on a crucial third down in his side’s victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
Quite the debut for quarterback Malik Willis, who was stepping in for the injured Jordan Love having arrived in a trade from the Tennessee Titans at the end of August.
“I asked Malik why he didn’t throw the ball on that third down, he told me Josh threw up on the ball. That’s the first time I ever heard that,” said Packers head coach Matt LaFleur after the game.
“The official came over and said ‘we saw your center threw up on the ball, do you want us to take him out?’ I said absolutely, please do that!”
“I’ve never had a throw with vomit on a football, Malik probably didn’t appreciate that!”
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Highlights from the New York Jets against the Tennessee Titans from Week Two of the NFL season
The ‘what are you doing Will Levis?’ of the day
You may remember Will Levis throwing a contender for worst interception of the season in Week One as his desperate underarm heave was turned into a pick-six by Tyrique Stevenson against the Chicago Bears.
Thought that couldn’t be matched? “Watch this,” he said.
The Tennessee Titans quarterback was guilty of another erratic decision as he tried to shovel the ball to Tyjae Spears while being hauled down on third-and-goal, the New York Jets managing to recover before going on to win 24-17.
“What the f*** are you doing?” Titans head coach Brian Callahan could be seen mouthing on the sideline.
The ‘referee has got wheels’ of the day
Yes, yes, Justin Jefferson running the length of the field to score a 97-yard touchdown and underlining why he is the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history is impressive. But how about some love for the referee that manages to not only keep up with the play, but seemingly out-run the 49ers secondary?
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Justin Jefferson raced clear to score a remarkable 97-yard touchdown to increase the Minnesota Vikings’ lead against the San Francisco 49ers
Some numbers of the day
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aiden Hutchinson recorded 4.5 sacks as Dan Campbell’s side fell to a 20-16 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Austin Seibert kicked a franchise-record seven field goals, including a game-winner as time expired, as the Washington Commanders beat the New York Giants 21-18.
J.K. Dobbins rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown to help the Los Angeles Chargers to a 26-3 win over the Carolina Panthers, becoming the first Chargers player to post back-to-back 100+ yard rushing games since Melvin Gordon in 2016.
Late night thought of the day…
Just watched the Kansas City Chiefs dial up a one-yard touchdown pass to catch-eligible offensive tackle Wanya Morris, having utilised linebacker Leo Chenal as a blocking full back. The most Andy Reid thing ever.
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The Kansas City Chiefs’ Wanya Morris celebrated his touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals with style
Monday coffee thought of the day…
At the age of 20 years and 239 days old, Jets rookie running back Braelon Allen became the youngest player to score an offensive touchdown in the Super Bowl era, and the youngest NFL player to do so since Arnie Herber in 1930. How inadequate life feels as a mere mortal today.
Watch the Atlanta Falcons at the Philadelphia Eagles in Monday Night Football, live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am in the early hours of Tuesday morning; Also stream with NOW.