The superlative performances continued in Week 2 of the NFL season, though there were plenty of low-scoring struggles as well. In either case, someone has to be a loser, but some players and teams had tougher weeks than others. Be it fumble issues, forced throws, bad offenses or defenses, there were definitely some who will look back on their week and feel very disappointed.
Here are 10 big disappointments from Week 2.
Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings
The Cousins contract looks worse and worse for the Vikings, who appear to be saddled with a mediocre quarterback at this point. Cousins’ decision-making against the Green Bay Packers was suspect at best, as he threw two interceptions into triple coverage. They were both completely on Cousins trying to force it. The quarterback also fumbled twice and completed just 14-of-32 passes. Even his lone touchdown pass could’ve been picked off. The reality is his performance inside the 10 continues to be a major issue.
Pro Football Focus offered this as context for Cousins’ INT on 1st-&-goal from 8: “From the opponents’ 10-yard line and in, Cousins ranks 27th out of 27 qualifying QBs in passer rating (76.5) since 2017, completing 44.6 percent of his passes w/ lowest yards per attempt avg (1.6)
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) September 16, 2019
Nelson Agholor, WR, Eagles
Boy does Nelson Agholor wish he had one play back. Down 24-20, Philly had a 2nd-and-2 at their 40 with under two minutes left and Carson Wentz threw a perfect pass down the left sideline for Agholor. But he dropped it.
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) September 16, 2019
Agholor would have walked into the end zone for a touchdown to give Philly the lead and possibly the game. Agholor was lauded for making a big catch on 4th-and-14 a few plays later, but that matters little when he dropped the touchdown that would have given them the lead.
Donte Moncrief, WR, Steelers
If Moncrief was the guy who was supposed to replace Antonio Brown in the Pittsburgh lineup, it’s not working. Moncrief was targeted once, dropped the pass (which was intercepted), and was never looked at again. He blew off the media after the weak performance, his second straight in a Pittsburgh uniform. Whether Moncrief is on the team in Week 3 is an open question. He’s not contributing in any way for the 0-2 Steelers.
Cincinnati Bengals’ defense
Jimmy Garoppolo had a mediocre Week 1, but the San Francisco 49ers quarterback was made to look like a superstar by the hapless Bengals. The 49ers offense put up 41 points and 572 yards of total offense on Cincinnati. That’s a far cry from the Bengals team that nearly toppled the Seahawks a week ago and looked much more capable. One particular issue was the Bengals giving up 259 rushing yards — good for a brutal 6.2 yards per carry from San Francisco’s perspective.
Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks
Carson remains the closest thing the Seahawks have to a lead back, but he severely jeopardized that status Sunday. Carson tried to fumble the game back to the Steelers as he lost his second and third fumbles of the young season. It was no coincidence that Pete Carroll began to lean harder on Rashaad Penny as Carson’s turnover problems mounted. If Carson wants to be the guy the Seahawks rely on out of the backfield, he needs to stop coughing up the football.
Joe Flacco, QB, Broncos
The fact that Flacco nearly won this game is more of an indictment of the shortcomings of the Bears’ offense than any positive comment on Denver’s. Despite 35 completions, Flacco was limited to 292 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. That’s a measly 5.8 yards per completion. Flacco is a game manager who makes bad decisions and doesn’t make elite throws. John Elway can’t seriously believe he’s the guy to lead the Broncos back to the promised land.
Ty Long, K/P, Chargers
With kicker Michael Badgley sidelined due to a groin injury, the Chargers turned kicking duties over to punter Ty Long for a second consecutive week. It can be reasonably said that it cost them the game. After a solid Week 1, Long was a disaster against Detroit in a three-point loss. He missed from 39 and 41 on the day. Making either would have made it 13-13 with all else equal, and making both could have given the Chargers the win. They need Badgley back in the worst way.
Adam Vinatieri, K, Colts
For the second week in a row, Vinatieri was a disaster, missing a pair of extra points and putting the Colts in danger of losing on a field goal. While it may not have cost the Colts this week, it’s his second bad week in a row. Vinatieri seems to know it, too, as he made some remarks that indicated he may retire. If that’s the case, it’s a sad end for one of the NFL’s most iconic kickers.
Deshaun Watson, QB, Texans
The Texans may have won, but Watson and his offensive teammates were huge disappointments, especially after such a dynamic Week 1 performance. It was even more disappointing in light of the absences of top pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue and cornerback A.J. Bouye, but Watson could not take advantage. He was held to 159 yards passing and only a rushing touchdown while getting hit a ton, which is on the offensive line. It was barely enough to beat the anemic Jaguars, but it must improve going forward.
Miami Dolphins’ offense
There is bad, and there is historically bad, and the Dolphins are trending toward the latter. The offense, in particular, was absolutely putrid against the New England Patriots. They failed to score, and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three interceptions. The only reason the number stayed that low was because Brian Flores had mercy and replaced him with Josh Rosen for the latter part of the game. The Dolphins are considering starting Rosen in Week 3, and they should. It’s not like it could get any worse.
