Week 1 in the NFL provided a bevy of highlights, plenty of questions and only a couple of answers. Will Week 2 provide more of the same?
From Antonio Brown’s hotly anticipated debut to a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game, here are the top games we’ll be watching today in a fresh week of NFL action.
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
The Patriots began their latest title defense with a 33-3 thrashing of the Steelers. The Dolphins appear set to claim the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, following a 59-10 embarrassment in their opener against the Ravens. The resulting 19 1/2 -point spread marks one of the biggest in the decade, but the Dolphins have won five of the past six meetings in Florida, including last year’s last-second multi-lateral miracle.
Even if the score is lopsided, Antonio Brown’s Patriots debut makes the game a must-watch. Arguably still the league’s best wide receiver, Brown created an offseason’s worth of headaches for the Raiders, who eventually released him before ever playing a game for Oakland. Now, the talented wideout has brought new problems for New England, following rape allegations made against him this week, but Brown is expected to suit up for the first time since his final game with the Steelers last season.
New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX)
The rematch of last season’s controversial NFC Championship game comes in California, with the Saints still steaming from being denied another Super Bowl berth.
Nickell Robey-Coleman hits Saints receiver Tommylee LewisGetty ImagesAs a reminder: Before Greg Zuerlein drilled a 57-yard field goal in overtime to silence the Superdome, and send the Rams to the Super Bowl, the Rams’ Nickell Robey-Coleman laid a helmet-to-helmet hit on receiver Tommylee Lewis, but was not called for a penalty to the cornerback’s surprise, stalling a Saints drive in the final minutes, which could have set up a game-winning field goal in regulation. Instead, Saints fans filed a lawsuit against the NFL — which was finally dropped this week — and the league reacted by allowing pass interference, and non-calls, to be made reviewable.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see these teams fighting for a Super Bowl berth again.
Full NFL Week 2 Schedule (all times Eastern):
Thursday, Sept. 12
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (Bucs win, 20-14)
Sunday, Sept. 13 (all times Eastern)
Buffalo Bills at New York Giants – 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Bengals – 1:00 p.m. (FOX)
Los Angeles Chargers at Detroit Lions – 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – 1:00 p.m. (FOX)
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans – 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins – 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers – 1:00 p.m. (FOX)
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins – 1:00 p.m. (FOX)
Arizona Cardinals at Baltimore Ravens – 1:00 p.m. (FOX)
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders – 4:05 p.m. (CBS)
Chicago Bears at Denver Broncos – 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams – 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons – 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Monday, Sept. 9
Cleveland Browns at New York Jets – 8:15 p.m. (ESPN)
