Week 2 of the NFL season featured touchdowns and big plays by LSU alumni all across the league… and yet it was devastating. We will get to THAT news, but we have to go in game order. That means we’re going to discuss the other LSU quarterback who got injured first!
Commanders 18 at Packers 27
After a solid performance in Week 1, Jayden Daniels’ Commanders faced a much tougher task in an actual playoff team. Against a tenacious Packers defense, Daniels threw the ball 42 times, the most in his pro career,
aside from the NFC Championship Game where he was trailing the entire time. He went 24/42 for 200 yards and 2 TDs. He only ran for 17 yards on seven carries and was sacked four times.
The Commanders aren’t sneaking up on anyone anymore, so games like this will be tough this year. That’s football and it will be alright. What isn’t alright is Daniels suffering a knee sprain on a tackle late in the game. He’s questionable heading into Week 3 against the Raiders. We are all too familiar with Jayden taking hits that look like Looney Tunes animations, and while that isn’t what caused this, it is imperative Jayden takes steps to avoid contact. Because life sure would suck if a Heisman-winning LSU alumnus was constantly injured, right?
NFLSU Score: 7/10
Jaguars 27 at Bengals 31
The good news: The Bengals are 2-0 for the first time in the Joe Burrow Era!
The bad news: the Joe Burrow Era is taking a third year-long hiatus in six years.
I’ve always supported Joe’s commitment to Cincinnati. As far back as February 2020, I have said that refusing to play for the Bengals, like many have suggested, is not in his DNA. He is a competitor who was not afraid to come to LSU, a QB graveyard. He was not afraid to go to a moribund pro franchise, and even proved the critics wrong when he lifted them to highs not experienced since Ronald Reagan was president.
And yet, the Bengals have bungled again. Three season-ending injures in six years is unbelievable. I’ll give the Bengals some credit, they TRIED to upgrade the line. I’ll also cut them some slack because not all of these injuries were because of sacks, some of them were freak incidents. We loved Joe’s ability to pop right up after every big hit in Baton Rouge, but maybe those hits are finally catching up with his body. Something in the Cincinnati water will never allow him to stay clean.
Nothing about Joe Burrow’s NFL career would ever change his legend status in Baton Rouge. Even if he had gone out and played like Brady Quinn, it wouldn’t change the fact that he was the best quarterback in college football history. We will always love him. But GODDAMN does it suck to see it play out this way. Watching him play is a joy that we will never be tired of.
Since it’s probably the last time, let’s talk about how he played. Joe went 7/13 for 76 yards and a TD to our other favorite guy.
Ja’Marr had his first monster day of 2025, catching 14 passes for 165 yards and that TD. While Jake Browning did enough to get the Bengals the win on Sunday, defenses will catch on easily. It is surely over for them. I propose this is where we begin our 2026 Bengals Head Coach Joe Brady campaign.
On the Jags side, things were not super peachy for our guys either. Brian Thomas Jr. caught four passes for 49 yards, but some film clips have been making the rounds on social media that have called into question his connection with Trevor Lawrence. He appeared to stop on some routes that turned into interceptions or incompletions to avoid being lit up by a defender. While I understand he’s paid a lot of money, after writing that Burrow piece, I’m fine with any NFLSU star dodging a sprinting safety. I need something to write about in these recaps in addition to Maason Smith having one tackle!
NFLSU Score: what’s even the point/10
Rams 33 at Titans 19
Omar Speights had four tackles and Arden Key had one. Lloyd Cushenberry played every snap at center.
NFLSU Score: 5/10
Browns 17 at Ravens 41
Grant Delpit made five tackles and had a pass breakup. A lot was made about comments he made to the media this week that tackling Derrick Henry “isn’t that hard.” Henry only ran for 23 yards on 11 carries, so Delpit was right! It’s a good thing he didn’t say anything about Lamar Jackson’s passing.
Ethan Pocic played every snap at center.
NFLSU Score: 3/10
Bills 30 at Jets 10
Tre’Davious White made three tackles. Mason Taylor caught just one pass yet again, but for just five yards. He did recover one of his teammates fumbles. Neat I guess.
Reid Ferguson long snapped.
NFLSU Score: 3/10
Patriots 33 at Dolphins 27
Kayshon Boutte only caught one pass but he sure made it count!
K’Lavon Chaisson had two tackles and a sack. I don’t know how to feel about PFF but they said Will Campbell was really good, so I’m gonna say they are always right and objectively correct.
NFLSU Score: 8/10
49ers 26 at Saints 21
Davon Godchaux had one tackle.
NFLSU Score: 1/10
Giants 37 at Cowboys 40 (OT)
Last week I talked about how the Giants were an anemic disaster and actually hoped for them to put in the overrated Ole Miss QB just so he could throw bombs up to Malik Nabers. Well… turns out Russell Wilson is still capable of throwing those bombs himself!
As soon as I saw that catch I knew it would be the thumbnail for this post. I was happy to see Malik have a big moment after a week of drama with his coach.
He uh… wasn’t done.
Because the Giants are the Giants they still ended up blowing this in OT, but man I don’t care. Nabers caught nine passes for 167 yards and those two TDs. He had the most receiving yards in the entire league this week, just two yards above Ja’Marr Chase. We were only able to see flashes of this ability last year due to some atrocious QB play. This is the Malik Nabers we’ve been waiting for the NFL to see and man I hope we see a lot more of it.
Damone Clark had four tackles. Cor’Dale Flott had two with two pass breakups.
NFLSU Score: 9/10
Bears 21 at Lions 52
Mekhi Wingo had one tackle.
NFLSU Score: 1/10
Seahawks 31 at Steelers 17
Patrick Queen had six tackles. Anthony Bradford played every snap at guard.
NFLSU Score: 3/10
Broncos 28 at Colts 29
Nobody here!
NFLSU Score: 0/10
Panthers 22 at Cardinals 27
Damien Lewis played guard.
NFLSU Score: 2/10
Eagles 20 at Chiefs 17
Kristian Fulton played but left early with an ankle injury.
NFLSU Score: 1/10
Falcons 22 at Vikings 6
Justin Jefferson only caught three passes, but did make them count by racking up 81 yards. Week 1’s spectacular fourth quarter made it look like the JJ McCarthy Experience might be alright, Sunday night was rough. And now HE’s injured ahead of a matchup with the Bengals next week.
This means that for the second straight time, the Justin Jefferson-Ja’Marr Chase Wide Receiver Extravaganza will feature backup quarterbacks on both sides. We live in hell.
Also Jay Ward made one tackle.
NFLSU Score: 4/10
Buccaneers 20 at Texans 19
Derek Stingley Jr. was matched up against one of the league’s most accomplished wide receivers and did a fantastic job keeping Mike Evans in check. He finished with three tackles and two pass breakups. Danielle Hunter was all over the field, collecting five tackles and two sacks. The first sack put him over 100 for his career. Ed Ingram played guard for Houston. Don’t ask how it went.
Deion Jones had two tackles, and also sacked CJ Stroud on a two-point conversion attempt that was literally the difference in the game.
NFLSU Score: 8/10
Chargers 20 at Raiders 9
Donte Jackson had one tackle, two pass breakups and a game-clinching interception in the end zone.
Devin White led the Raiders with eight tackles, while Jamal Adams had three. Austin Deculus was active for this game, but it lasted until after midnight and I’m not waiting on all the film nerds to tell me how many snaps he played. The Chargers are 2-0, so he’s doing something right.
EDIT: okay sorry, I’ll be professional- he played six snaps.
NFLSU Score: 6/10
