BBNFL Week 2 Recap: Mike Edwards secures *another* big pick-6

On3 imageby:Adam Stratton09/20/22

AdamStrattonKSR

The Kentucky football game this weekend may have been void of drama, but Week 2 of the NFL season was rife with incredible 4th quarter comebacks. The Arizona Cardinals beat the Las Vegas Raiders on one of the more ridiculous finishes you’ll see at the professional level, the Miami Dolphins defeated Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens after being down 21 in the 4th, and the Cleveland Browns remained incredibly on-brand by losing to the New York Jets after giving up two touchdowns in the final two minutes.

However, in the few games where the leading team made big plays in the crunch to secure the win, it was former Kentucky Wildcat, Mike Edwards, who took an interception back to the house and sealed the victory for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The New Orleans Saints were driving with four minutes left down 10, but Ewards snagged Jameis Winston’s pass out of midair and returned it 68 yards for the game-clinching touchdown. Edwards added on three tackles and a pass-defended to round out the day.

Buccs fans are used to seeing Winston throw interceptions, so they enjoyed this one.

Josh Allen leads Sacksonville

Team captain for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Josh Allen, did what he enjoys most and spent the majority of his Sunday in the opposing team’s backfield. Allen recorded two sacks and another tackle for loss as his defense held the Indianapolis Colts to a rare NFL shutout. Afterward, Allen said, “That’s the standard.”

Allen’s post-sack celebrations next to a prone Matt Ryan were also Twitter-worthy.

Jamin Davis of the Washington Commanders was the other former Kentucky player to record a sack in Week 2. He also got credit for four tackles including a tackle for a loss.

Rookie Marquan “Bully” McCall made his presence felt for the Carolina Panthers when recorded the first official tackle of his young NFL career on Sunday. He finished with three on the day (two solo) including one tackle for a loss. After the game, head coach Matt Rhule praised the former ‘Cat, calling him a bright spot and noting how well he played the running game.

The Dallas Cowboys’ Quinton Bohanna recorded two tackles, and Brandin Echols found the stat sheet with a pass-defended for the New York Jets in their aforementioned probable victory.

During the two Monday games, Kentucky players’ defenses struggled. Za’Darius Smith recorded two tackles including one for a loss for the Minnesota Vikings, but the Philadelphia Eagles torched them otherwise.

Similarly, the Buffalo Bills blitzed the Tennessee Titans, with Bud Dupree mustering nothing more than a mere QB hit. To be fair, it is a wonder any Titan recorded a tackle at all, as the Bills did whatever they wanted on offense. They are looking like the rightful Super Bowl favorites early on.

Cobb omits Kentucky to give a shoutout to his high school

On the offensive side of the ball, Randall Cobb, after all these years, is still highlighting former Kentucky players in the NFL. On his Sunday Night Football introduction, though, he gave a shoutout to his high school in Alcoa, Tennessee.

Some fans acted miffed he didn’t say, “Kentucky,” but Cobb has repped the Big Blue Nation admirably during his 12 years in the league. We can give him a pass on this one.

Alcoa has also been top-of-mind for Cobb recently, as he visited there in the offseason and moved his family to Nashville, settling down for permanent residence in the state where he grew up.

On the field, he hauled in all three of his targets for 37 yards, helping reignite the Packers’ offense that looked much improved over their opening week sputter.

The other starting former Kentucky receiver, Wan’Dale Robinson, did not suit up for the New York Giants. He suffered a knee injury during Week 1 and, though listed day-to-day, failed to practice in any capacity. The Giants are playing it cautiously with their talented rookie, but hopefully, we get to see Robinson on the field again soon.

On the line, rookie Luke Fortner for the Jaguars received mixed reactions for his play, but overall, is making a solid impression.

Detroit Lions rookie, Logan Stenberg, struggled in pass protection but shined when it came to run blocking where he served up some tantalizing pancakes. Stenberg even earned a postgame acknowledgment from his head coach and Hard Knocks star, Dan Campbell.

For those of you who cheer for the Bengals or the Titans instead of solely focusing on former Kentucky players, fret not. NFL teams who start 0-2 still make the playoff 9.5% of the time.

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2024-03-28