The Cincinnati Bengals started their season 2-0 for the first time since 2018. A serious injury to quarterback Joe Burrow ended any excitement.
NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report that Burrow has suffered a Grade 3-turf toe injury. Head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Monday that Burrow will have surgery. The Bengals are without their star quarterback for at least three months. Backup quarterback Jake Browning will take over as the starter. Cincinnati has already been on this path before. Most recently, in 2023, when Burrow was sidelined for a significant portion of the year due to a wrist injury. Browning led the Bengals to a 4-3 record under his leadership. Browning was at the helm when they beat the Jaguars, but their victory may have been due to his performance despite his three interceptions rather than because.
Ja’Marr chase was not fazed when his quarterback left. The All-Pro wideout racked up 165 yards, a touchdown and 14 catches. Chase and Tee Higgins will be even more relied upon to boost Browning’s performance as the team desperately attempts to stay afloat in the interim until Burrow returns.
Shemar Stewart, who was the Bengals first-round draft pick for 2025, also suffered an injury during Sunday’s match. According to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz the athletic pass rusher is “week-to week” and “believed to have avoided anything serious.”
Baltimore Ravens won their second consecutive game against Cleveland Browns on Sunday to avoid a 0-2 start.
Baltimore’s defense, which had a bad Week 1 against Buffalo Bills, stood strong against the Browns offense. The defense consistently applied pressure to former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. This led to two sacks and an interception by Nate Wiggins, as well as a Roquan fumble-return touchdown. The unit was hit with bad luck again as they conceded another improbable touchdown on a tipped pass. The pass, which should have been intercepted and returned to the cornerback Marlon Hushprey’s hands in the endzone by Browns wide receiver Cedric Tilman instead, bounced off of his hands. The Ravens did not let the Browns capitalize on this momentum. Instead, they responded with a 21-0 final quarter to end the game.
The Browns’ defense did not disappoint in their goal to stop running back Derrick Henry. They held him to only 23 yards on 11 carries and no touchdowns. Lamar Jackson, on the other hand, smashed them with his air power, completing 19 out of 29 passes, resulting in 225 yards, and four touchdowns. Jackson’s outstanding performance has moved him above Aaron Rodgers as the all-time passer rating leader at 102.65.
Zay Flowers, a third-year wide receiver from Baltimore, continued to be the driving force behind the passing attack with seven catches and 75 yards. DeAndre Hopkins, a veteran wide receiver, followed up on his big play in Week 1 by making two more this week. One for 42 yards and one for 23 yards with a touchdown. Devontez Walker, a second-year receiver, also made himself known with two touchdowns. This gives him three catches and three touchdowns for his young career.
After a thrilling Week 1 win to start the Aaron Rodgers Era, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost 31-17 to Seattle Seahawks in Week 2.
The Steelers rookie runningback Kaleb Johnson made a huge special teams mistake that was the most memorable play of the match. Johnson, who was running away from the ball as the Seahawks led 17-14 at the time, allowed the kickoff to roll into the endzone while still jogging. Seattle players were quick to respond, and recovered the ball for a touchdown in the endzone to increase their lead to 24-14. The third-round rookie has not yet played a significant role in the offense, behind running backs Jaylen Gainwell and Kenneth Warren. This blunder will certainly hurt his standing among the coaches at the moment.
Rodgers’ performance in the home opener of his team, following his four touchdown debut, was poor. He completed 18 out 33 passes, resulting in 203 yards and one touchdown. There were also two interceptions. D.K., a newly-acquired wide receiver who is highly-paid, has a poor performance in the team’s home opener. He completed 18 of 33 passes for 203 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Metcalf’s three catches were held to just 20 yards by the Seahawks defense. He did, however, score a touchdown. Warren was the team’s leading receiver with 86 yards on four catches. The majority of those yards came on a 65 yard reception.
After their Week 2 loss to the Ravens, the Browns are now 0-2 for the season.
Flacco’s welcome back to Baltimore was not warm, as his old team harassed and forced two turnovers. Cleveland was trailing 41-10 when rookie third-round quarterback Dillon Gabriel came into the game. Gabriel, who was playing against a Ravens defense that was resting many key starters, was able engineer a touchdown where he connected with rookie running back Dylan Sampson to score an eight-yard touchdown. It’s only a question of time until the Browns decide to test out their rookie quarterbacks, Shedeur Sanders and Gabriel. Their season is clearly in a rut.
Quinshon JUDKINS, a rookie running back from the second round who has only practiced twice in this week, made his NFL debut Sunday. This was the first time he had played since June’s mandatory minicamp. The 36th overall pick led the team in rushing with 10 carries and 61 yards, including a 31-yard highlight run. Sampson will continue to be a key player in the passing game, while Judkins’s role is expected to increase.
The Cleveland defense was able to hold off Baltimore’s rushing attack for a while, but Jackson’s rhythm in the air led to four touchdowns.