Sooners in the NFL: Week 2
Another NFL Sunday has come and gone with Week 2 now in the books just short of a pair of Monday night collisions between the Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills along with the Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Going into the second slate of games, the pressure for teams who opened up with loss is immense.
Since 1970, less than 10 percent of teams that start the season 0-2 go on to make the playoffs at regular season’s end - making Sunday’s action absolutely pivotal for the 0-1 teams across the league.
In that boat was former Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray and his Arizona Cardinals, who took it on the chin in the opener at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Cards hit the road for the first time on the year traveling to Nevada for a date with the Las Vegas Raiders.
For most of the afternoon, it looked like the woes of Week 1 had followed Arizona with them to Las Vegas as they trailed 23-7 heading to the fourth quarter.
But then, some “Murray Magic” happened
After a 1-yard touchdown fun by Darrel Williams cut the deficit 23-13 with just over eight minutes to go, Murray ran in one of the most absurd two-point conversions imaginable.
The former Heisman Trophy winner dropped back to pass, and scrambled around to buy time for an absolutely astounding 20.8 seconds before eventually scoring the conversion himself - a play that seemingly only Murray could possibly make.
Later in the game, still trailing 23-15, Murray then engineered a drive down the field in the final minutes to put Arizona inside the five-yard line with time for just one more snap.
Once again, the former No. 1 overall pick dropped back, bought some time, and then scrambled for the goal line to score.
The job still wasn’t done there, though, as the Cardinals needed another two-point conversion to push the game into overtime.
Once again, Murray obliged - this time on a frozen rope pass through the tightest of windows to the back of the endzone to find A.J. Green.
In overtime, the Arizona defense finished the job in grand fashion with Byron Murphy Jr. scooping and scoring a 59-yard fumble return for a touchdown to win the game.
Thanks in large part to Murray’s incredible heroics, the Cardinals found a way to pick up a huge road win to get to 1-1 on the season. He finished his day completing 31 of his 49 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown with another 28 yards on the ground and another score.
Arizona will now return home next weekend before a key in-division matchup with the Los Angeles Rams at 3:25 p.m. CT on Sunday.
As for the rest of the Sooners in the NFL, here is a recap of how they did in Week 2:
Arizona Cardinals
(W 29-23 OT at Las Vegas)
- WR Marquise Brown: 6 receptions on 11 targets for 68 yards
- OL Cody Ford: DNP (IR List)
- OL Marquis Hayes: DNP (Practice Squad)
- QB Kyler Murray: Completed 31 of 49 passes for 277 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 5 rushes for 28 yards, 1 rushing touchdown
- S Steven Parker: DNP (Practice Squad)
Atlanta Falcons
(L 31-27 at LA Rams)
- RB Damien Williams: DNP (IR List)
Baltimore Ravens
(L 42-38 vs Miami)
- TE Mark Andrews: 9 receptions on 11 targets for 104 yards, 1 touchdown, longest reception 25 yards, 1 rush for 3 yards
- OL Ben Powers: Started at left guard
Buffalo Bills
(vs Tennessee on Monday Night)
- DL Jordan Phillips:
Carolina Panthers
(L 19-16 at NY Giants)
- QB Baker Mayfield: Completed 14 of 29 passes for 145 yards, 1 touchdown, 6 rushes for 35 yards
Cincinnati Bengals
(L 20-17 at Dallas)
- RB Joe Mixon: 19 rushes for 57 yards, 3 receptions on 4 targets for 26 yards
- RB Samaje Perine: 1 rush for 2 yards, 1 reception on 1 target for 8 yards
Cleveland Browns
(L 31-30 vs NY Jets)
- DE Isaiah Thomas: Saw playing time in a reserve role
- DL Perrion Winfrey: DNP (Inactive)
- WR Mike Woods: DNP (Inactive)
Dallas Cowboys
(W 20-17 vs Cincinnati)
- LB Devante Bond: DNP (Practice Squad)
- DT Neville Gallimore: 1 assisted tackle
- WR CeeDee Lamb: 7 receptions on 11 targets for 75 yards, 1 rush for 6 yards
Denver Broncos
(W 16-9 vs Houston)
- OLB Nik Bonitto: DNP (Inactive)
- S Delarrin Turner-Yell: 1 solo tackle
Detroit Lions
(W 36-27 vs Washington)
- K Austin Seibert: 2 for 2 on field goal attempts, 4 for 4 on extra point attempts
Green Bay Packers
(W 27-10 vs Chicago)
- K Gabe Brkic: DNP (IR List)
Houston Texans
(L 16-9 at Denver)
- DE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo: 2 solo tackles, 1 assisted tackle, 3 total tackles
Kansas City Chiefs
(W 27-24 vs LA Chargers on Thursday Night)
- TE Blake Bell: DNP (IR List)
- OT Orlando Brown: Started at left tackle
- C Creed Humphrey: Started at center
- LS James Winchester: Served as long snapper for 11 snaps
Las Vegas Raiders
(L 29-23 OT vs Arizona)
- LB Curtis Bolton: DNP (Practice Squad)
Los Angeles Chargers
(L 27-24 at Kansas City on Thursday Night)
- LB Kenneth Murray: 2 solo tackles
Los Angeles Rams
(W 31-27 vs Atlanta)
- OL Bobby Evans: Saw playing time in a reserve role
Minnesota Vikings
(at Philadelphia on Monday Night)
- LB Brian Asamoah:
New England Patriots
(W 17-14 at Pittsburgh)
- OLB Ronnie Perkins: DNP (IR List)
- RB Rhamondre Stevenson: 9 rushes for 47 yards, 1 reception on 2 targets for 4 yards
New York Giants
(W 19-16 vs Carolina)
- DB Tony Jefferson: 1 solo tackle
- WR Sterling Shepard: 6 receptions on 10 targets for 34 yards
New York Jets
(W 31-30 at Cleveland)
- OL Dru Samia: DNP (Practice Squad)
Philadelphia Eagles
(vs Minnesota on Monday Night)
- RB Kennedy Brooks:
- QB Jalen Hurts:
- OL Lane Johnson:
Pittsburgh Steelers
(L 17-14 vs New England)
- S Tre Norwood: 1 solo tackle
San Francisco 49ers
(W 27-7 vs Seattle)
- OL Trent Williams: Started at left tackle
Seattle Seahawks
(L 27-7 at San Francisco)
- CB Tre Brown: DNP (PUP List)
Washington Commanders
(L 36-27 at Detroit)
- P Tress Way: 6 punts for 284 yards, 47.3 yards per punt, 1 touchback, 1 inside the 20, longest punt 62 yards
