Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers emerged 14-12 victors against Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday's battle between the legendary quarterbacks.

Despite the presence of arguably the two greatest quarterbacks of this generation, it was the defenses who reigned supreme as the Bucs were only able to score three points in the first half, before holding the Packers scoreless in the second half.

Both teams were missing a number of receiving weapons, and taking advantage of his expanded role was Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs, catching three passes including a touchdown on Green Bay's very first drive.

The Packers' second drive ended in a touchdown as well, with Rodgers finding Allen Lazard for a 12-yard score with eight minutes remaining in the second quarter, and it would be their last points of the night as their next nine drives resulted in seven punts, one fumble and one interception.

Rodgers finished 27 of 35 for 255 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Brady struggled to find any connection with his makeshift receiving core, except with Russell Gage, who caught 12 of his 13 targets for 87 yards and the Bucs' only touchdown to cut the margin to 14-12 with 14 seconds remaining.

But Brady was not able to complete the two-point conversion, and the Buccaneers could not recover the onside kick, ending the game. Brady finished 31 of 42 for 271 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions.

Trevor Lawrence announces his arrival with emphatic blowout

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was called a generational prospect when he was selected first overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, and he began to fulfill that promise as he pounded the Los Angeles Chargers 38-10.

Lawrence completed 28 of 39 passes for 262 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers – completing touchdown passes to Zay Jones, Christian Kirk and Marvin Jones Jr.

As well as getting arguably Lawrence's best showing as a professional, the Jaguars continued to get production from running back James Robinson, posting 100 rushing yards and a touchdown from 17 carries, while also catching three passes for 16 yards.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert came into the game nursing fractured rib cartilage and he struggled throughout, although some late garbage-time action padded his stats to a respectable 25 of 45 for 297 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

A pair of NFC North running backs were injured in their team’s Week 3 wins, including superstar Minnesota Vikings rusher Dalvin Cook.

Cook injured his shoulder late in the third quarter in the Minnesota Vikings' 28-24 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday, while David Montgomery hurt his right knee and ankle in the first quarter of the Chicago Bears' 23-20 last-second win over the Houston Texans.

Neither injury is believed to be particularly serious at this point and both running backs will be considered day-to-day, according to their coaches.

Cook was enjoying his best game of the young season before getting hurt on a play where he fumbled on a first-down run near midfield in the final minute of the third quarter.

He lost control of the ball when he ran into the back of his left guard Ezra Cleveland and the Lions recovered. It was uncertain if he got hurt when he collided with Cleveland or in the ensuing scrum while trying to recover the fumble.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said during the postgame press conference that Cook will have some tests done. A shoulder injury last season forced Cook to miss one game.

Prior to the injury, Cook scored his first touchdown of the season and finished the day with a season-high 96 rushing yards.

Montgomery was coming off one of his best games of his career, rushing for 122 yards on just 15 carries in last Sunday’s 27-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers, but he carried the ball just three times for 11 yards against the Texans before exiting.

He was injured when his right leg got rolled up under him when he was blocking on a pass play. He was able to walk off the field under his own power.

After the game, Bears coach Matt Eberflus said it appears Montgomery avoided anything serious.

Second-year backup Khalil Herbert stepped up in Montgomery’s absence, rushing for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.

The Bears finished with 281 rushing yards – their most in a game since September 30, 1984, when they ran for 283 yards, including 155 from Hall-of-Famer Walter Payton – in a 23-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Pop superstar Rihanna will play the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show, it was revealed on Sunday.

The announcement came from the singer herself, the NFL and Rihanna's management team Roc Nation.

Rihanna, 34, will perform the coveted 15-minute slot at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, in what Rolling Stone magazine said would be her first live performance in over five years.

The coup by the NFL follows the show this year that saw Dr Dre joined on stage by Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige.

It also sees Rihanna play a slot she has previously turned down.

In 2019, she indicated in a Vogue interview she had refused to play the Halftime Show in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. The quarterback found himself without a team in the wake of being criticised for kneeling during the national anthem, as he protested against racial injustice

At that time, she said of the prospect of playing the show: "I couldn't dare do that. For what? Who gains from that? Not my people. I just couldn't be a sellout. I couldn't be an enabler. There's things within that organisation that I do not agree with at all, and I was not about to go and be of service to them in any way."

Now Rihanna has accepted the opportunity to perform at the sporting spectacle, which has a huge global audience.

NFL head of music Seth Dudowsky said the league was "thrilled" to have the Barbadian performer on board.

He said: "Rihanna is a once-in-a-generation artist who has been a cultural force throughout her career. We look forward to collaborating with Rihanna, Roc Nation and Apple Music to bring fans another historic Halftime Show performance."

The Miami Dolphins moved to 3-0 for the season and handed the Buffalo Bills their first defeat with a narrow 21-19 victory at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

The Bills had lived up to their pre-season Super Bowl favourites tag after outscoring their opponents 72-17 in their first two outings, but they came unstuck in Florida.

Two touchdowns from Chase Edmonds propelled the Dolphins to a first win in eight against the Dolphins and gave them sole possession of top spot in the AFC East.

The Dolphins came out on top despite being outgained 497-212 in total yards, with Buffalo picking up 31 first downs to their opponents' 15.

Josh Allen has often been a menace against the Dolphins and completed a career-high 42 passes from 63 attempts for 400 yards and two touchdowns, but it was not enough for the Bills.

Miami took the lead with 10 minutes remaining through the second of Edmonds' touchdowns, and held on despite punter Thomas Morstead bizarrely kicking one into his own teammates' rear end and out of bounds for a safety.
 
Allen drove the Bills as far as Miami's 41-yard line on a completion to Isaiah McKenzie, but he was unable to get out of bounds and the clock struck zero before Allen could spike the ball for a potential game-winning field goal.

Jackson's five inspires Ravens

Lamar Jackson's five touchdowns inflicted a 37-26 loss on the New England Patriots and moved the Baltimore Ravens 2-1 in the AFC North.

Jackson became the first player in NFL history to register three-plus pass touchdowns and 100+ rushing yards twice in the same season, doing so in back-to-back games.

Mac Jones matched Jackson with a rushing touchdown and threw for 323 yards, but the Pats' offense ultimately self-destructed in a disappointing defeat at Gillette Stadium, with Jones limping off at the end to add insult to injury.

Mahomes interception proves costly

Rodney McLeod picked off Patrick Mahomes with eight seconds left for the latter's first interception of the season as the Indianapolis Colts beat the Kansas City Chiefs 20-17.

Mahomes finished the game 20 for 35 for 262 yards, one touchdown and that costly interception that saw the Chiefs fall to 2-1 for the year.

The Colts only took the lead with 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter as Matt Ryan and Jelani Woods hooked up for the second time with a 12-yard touchdown.

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper will be patient with head coach Matt Rhule amid their losing streak, sources say.

Back-to-back defeats to start the season against the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, both of which were by a single score, have extended the Panthers winless streak to nine games – the longest such run in the NFL.

Despite that run, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport states that sources have informed him a change would only be made in the event of an 'epic collapse or a horribly embarrassing outcome'.

Improvements must be shown, however, and the situation could change later in the season, though for now the hierarchy will be patient amid the push for a turnaround.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield is still settling into the offense following his blockbuster trade from the Browns in July, while Christian McCaffrey is starting to build-up steam and the defense is in the top 10 overall in the NFL.

The Panthers have a tough schedule in the coming weeks, tackling the New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the end of October.

That may see the losing streak extended as a result, with Rhule holding a 10-25 record as an NFL head coach and the Panthers are 1-25 in games where they have allowed 17 or more points.

Rhule signed a seven-year contract with the Panthers upon his arrival in 2020, which shows sights have clearly been set on the long-term picture.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert remains questionable for Sunday's matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars and a final verdict will be a 'game-time decision'.

The sixth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft sustained a rib cartilage fracture in the Week 2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and did not practice on Friday.

Herbert has said he will do whatever he can to be available for the game, stating: "I'm certainly going to do everything I can to prepare and be ready to play on Sunday."

It appears the decision will be a last-minute one, with NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reporting he is a 'true game-time decision today based on how he feels'.

If Herbert cannot feature, 13-year veteran Chase Daniel will get the start and took first-team reps on Friday in Herbert's absence.

The offense would be severely impacted without Herbert, however, and the Jaguars will fancy their chances of an upset that could be detrimental to the Chargers' campaign.

Brandon Staley's side lost to divisional rivals the Chiefs last time out and will not want to suffer another defeat at the hands of a fellow AFC side even at this early stage.

Buffalo Bills safety Micah Hyde is to be placed on the injured reserve list and will miss the remainder of the 2022 season, his agent has confirmed

Hyde suffered a neck injury during the Week 2 victory over the Tennessee Titans and was ruled out of contention for Sunday's AFC East divisional showdown with the Miami Dolphins.

Reports had stated Hyde was set to get a second opinion on his neck injury, but the verdict was not a positive one.

Hyde's agent Jack Bechta took to social media to confirm his client's absence for the remainder of the season, writing: "Unfortunately client Micah Hyde will be put on IR today due to his recent neck injury.

"Fortunately, we expect a healthy return for #23 in 2023."

Reserve safety Jaquan Johnson is expected to step up in the absence of the 2013 fifth-round draft pick, who joined the Bills after three seasons with the Green Bay Packers.

The Green Bay Packers' trip to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday will be a tale of two veteran quarterbacks, though each has different form in previous fixtures heading into the latest encounter.

Tom Brady has thrown 11 touchdowns with zero interceptions in his last five games against the Packers, while Aaron Rodgers has eight touchdown passes and nine interceptions in his five career games against the Buccaneers – the only NFL team he has thrown more interceptions against than touchdowns.

In 2022, both quarterbacks have two touchdown passes from their opening two games of the season with neither team excelling in the air, the Buccaneers having 402 receiving yards, putting them 26th in the rankings, while the Packers are 19th with 494 yards.

The Packers have been far more effective with the ball on the ground, accumulating 314 rushing yards and ranking sixth in the NFL, while the Buccaneers are 14th with 224 yards – 192 of which have come from Leonard Fournette.

Defensively is where Tampa Bay have shone, allowing the fewest points in the NFL this season (13); a tally which stands third in their best-ever starts to the season behind 1992 (10 points) and 2003 (12 points).

The Packers are no pushovers though, allowing their opponents a total of 33 points in the opening two matches and ranking seventh in that regard. Second-half defence has been integral to that, giving up just nine points.

With the teams looking well-matched on both sides of the field, it may come down to individual mistakes in possession and the Buccaneers have the edge in that aspect, fumbling just once this season compared to the Packers four.

A huge divisional rivalry takes centre stage in the NFL on Sunday, as the Buffalo Bills travel to Florida to face the Miami Dolphins.

Both sides boast a 2-0 record after the opening two weeks of the campaign, though the story of their triumphs has been vastly different.

The Bills have lived up to their pre-season Super Bowl favourites tag after beating the Los Angeles Rams on opening night and sweeping aside the Tennessee Titans last weekend.

Outscoring their opponents 72-17 resulted in a +55 point differential for the Bills that stands as their second-best in franchise history at this stage of a season (+63 points after the first two games in 1981).

Miami, meanwhile, rallied against the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday to incredibly overcome a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to win.

It marked only the sixth occasion since 1925 in the NFL where a team has overturned such a margin in the fourth quarter.

Sunday's match-up will see the top-three players for receiving yards take to the field, with Tyreek Hill leading the way with 284 ahead of the Bills' Stefon Diggs (270) and team-mate Jaylen Waddle (240).

Hill's 19 receptions have included two touchdowns, while Diggs' 20 receptions have resulted in four TDs – more than any other NFL player.

Both teams will certainly feel comfortable in targeting those players, with Tua Tagovailoa throwing six TDs last week, including four in the fourth quarter.

Josh Allen, meanwhile, has thrown at least two TD passes in each of his eight career appearances against the Dolphins. That is the longest such streak against a single team in Bills history.

Such an array of offensive talent may flip the pressure onto the defenses, though the Bills will feel confident of putting pressure on Tagovailoa having secured nine sacks in the opening two matches – the second-highest in the NFL behind only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10).

The Bills also hold the historical edge, boasting seven straight wins against the Dolphins which represents their best-ever sequence against Miami.

Is two games enough of a sample size to glean pertinent information about an NFL team's prospects? Probably not.

Has that ever stopped anyone from making definitive statements about teams and the potential outcome of their season? You already know the answer to that one.

But one thing nobody -- not even the loudest talking head -- can say for certain is that they know who the frontrunner is in the NFC.

In the AFC, plenty are already falling over themselves to crown the Buffalo Bills. An extremely compelling case can be made for the Chiefs and maybe even the Los Angeles Chargers if they can keep Justin Herbert from further injury.

The NFC, though? That's an extremely tough conference to decipher at this early stage.

That is not to say there aren't standout teams. To the contrary, there are six that look to have an excellent shot of representing the NFC in the Super Bowl as they all reside in the top 10 of Stats Perform's power rankings.

Two of them will face off at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Green Bay Packers in what could be the final meeting between Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, who met in the NFC Championship Game two seasons ago. The Super Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams will visit the San Francisco 49ers in a rematch of last year's title game in Week 4.

But which of that group has the best shot? Stats Perform has used its advanced data to examine the case for each of the six.
 

Philadelphia Eagles

Record: 2-0

Power ranking: 1

The Eagles have firmly lived up to their offseason hype so far, with Jalen Hurts piloting an efficient offense that is the most explosive in the NFL through two weeks.

Indeed, the Eagles are fourth in yards per play on offense while, prior to Thursday's game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, no team in the NFL had produced more plays of 10 yards or more than Philadelphia's 39.

A.J. Brown, their blockbuster draft-day trade acquisition, has quickly built a superb rapport with Hurts. The former Tennessee Titans wide receiver has registered a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup with a defender on a play where he is targeted, on 14 of his 21 targets and is averaging 8.2 burn yards per route (the league average is 3.6).

The threat Hurts provides in the run game has helped Philadelphia rack up 189.5 yards per game on the ground, second only to the Browns. While a small sample size, the Eagles' early success on the ground is illustrative of just how difficult they are to stop with the diversity of their attack.

There's more reason for doubt on defense, with a three-interception effort against the Minnesota Vikings in which the Eagles allowed only seven points following a 38-35 shootout with the Detroit Lions. Yet a very favourable schedule may not see any defensive failings properly tested until Week 12 against the Packers and allow Philadelphia to move into prime position to compete for the NFC's top seed.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Record: 2-0

Power ranking: 4

Tampa Bay's average margin of victory across two games is 13 points. The Bucs eased past the Dallas Cowboys 19-3 and eventually emerged from a fist fight with the New Orleans Saints as 20-10 victors.

Yet it's tough to declare their start to the season as overly impressive, at least by Brady's lofty standards.

The Bucs have scored only two offensive touchdowns as they have battled injuries at the wide receiver position and struggles on the much-changed interior of the offensive line.

Rather than Brady making a hot start to the season he initially decided against playing, it is the Bucs' defense that has led the way.

There were 182 seconds left in their game with the Saints by the time they surrendered a touchdown for the first time this season, with the Bucs conceding only 4.25 yards per play, the third-fewest in the NFL.

Rodgers and Green Bay will provide an early and stern test of their credentials, but there is evidence to suggest the Bucs will eventually have a recipe for a potential second championship run in three seasons.

For all the protection issues in front of him, Brady has delivered a well-thrown ball on 81.7 per cent of his pass attempts and has thrown just one pickable pass in 60 throws. Given the defense's level of play and the weapons the Bucs still have to return, it stands to reason they will soon be delivering much more complete performances that will greatly enhance their reputation as contenders.

Los Angeles Rams

Record 1-1

Power ranking: 3

Thrashed by Buffalo on the night they raised their Super Bowl banner before having to survive a remarkable late scare against the lowly Atlanta Falcons, the Rams do not look like a team ready to repeat.

They still sit third in the power rankings, but there are plenty of red flags surrounding the Rams in this embryonic season.

It is the pass protection that stands as the most pressing concern, Matthew Stafford was under constant duress in the opener and injuries up front have hurt the Rams' cause further, hindering Stafford to the point where he is averaging almost half a yard under expectation in expected passing situations.

With 58 total points allowed, there are clearly vast improvements to be made on defense, too.

However, Aaron Donald already has a league-leading 17 pressures and Jalen Ramsey came up with the game-clinching interception in the endzone against Atlanta, and that often decisive star power makes the Rams a tough team to count out, especially with a game against an Arizona Cardinals team they have consistently dominated on the horizon in Week 3.

San Francisco 49ers

Record 1-1

Power ranking: 5

The greatest threat to the Rams from inside their own division comes from the team who suffered an injury that would have ended the hopes of most teams in the league.

San Francisco lost quarterback Trey Lance in just his second game of his first season as starter in the 49ers' 27-7 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Yet, by keeping Jimmy Garoppolo around on a restructured contract, the 49ers gave themselves an insurance policy, one that can keep them firmly in the mix even without Lance.

Garoppolo has helped the 49ers to the brink of Super Bowl glory in the 2019 season and the NFC Championship Game last term and, while the Niners' ceiling without Lance is perhaps lowered, the floor of Super Bowl-calibre roster has been raised by the former New England Patriot's return to the line-up.

Though they suffered an upset at the hands of a Chicago Bears in Week 1, the 49ers have one of the most complete rosters in the league and their defense is off to a magnificent start, allowing the second-fewest yards per play (4.08) in the NFL.

It was anticipated the safety position may be a weakness. Instead, it has so far been an unexpected strength, as has an inexperienced and remodelled offensive line that has won 81.6 per cent of its pass-blocking matchups. It will be tough to identify an obvious flaw on this team if the pass protection continues to excel, with the play in the trenches made even more critical because of Garoppolo's long injury history.

Minnesota Vikings

Record: 1-1

Power ranking: 8

Hopes the Vikings could become one of the most dynamic offensive teams in football under Kevin O'Connell were damaged by Monday's 24-7 defeat to the Eagles.

Despite another vintage primetime meltdown from Kirk Cousins, the Vikings have the makeup of a team that could contend to go deep in the NFC playoffs if things break right.

They demonstrated how dangerous O'Connell's offense can be in their opening win over the Packers, with Justin Jefferson weaponised by the former Rams assistant's complex attack.

Even though he was kept in check by Philadelphia, Jefferson's 8.5 burn yards per target are the fifth-most among receivers with at least 10 targets in the first two games.

The offensive line remains a problem, but the early signs are that the Vikings' defensive front will be one that tilts games in their favour, having already registered six sacks for negative yardage.

Cousins is delivering the ball accurately, posting a well-thrown rate of 86.5 per cent and, though there are questions about his ability to perform under the brightest spotlight, a schedule that features 10 games against 2021 non-playoff teams could give the Vikings the edge of their division rivals in the fight to get to the NFL's postseason pressure cooker.

Green Bay Packers

Record: 1-1

Power ranking: 9

The Packers got the poor start out of the way in a Week 1 loss in Minnesota that left Aaron Rodgers visibly exasperated. Normal service was resumed, however, in the routine Week 2 win over the Bears.

Green Bay's problem is that the Packers have a roster in which several holes can be picked. The offensive line has struggled amid left tackle David Bakhtiari's prolonged absence, while the Packers' hopes of fixing their continually porous run defense have not come to pass as yet. They have surrendered 5.56 yards per play on the ground, the fourth-most in the NFL.

Rodgers has yet to build a rapport with a young receiver corps as the Packers look to put the Davante Adams saga and eventual trade to the Las Vegas Raiders behind them. Though the lack of a connection may be more down to a paucity of faith in his inexperienced wideouts' ability to catch the ball, rather than any worries about their success in creating separation.

Second-round pick Christian Watson has recorded an impressive 14.4 burn yards per target on the small sample size of seven targets. With Rodgers delivering a well-thrown ball on 89.3 per cent of his attempts, it might not be too long before Watson becomes a more integral part of the passing game, though the diversity the Packers gain through having running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon on the field at the same time can keep the offense performing efficiently regardless of how the wideouts progress.

Jones, unquestionably one of the most complete backs in the NFL, has produced a big play on three of his eight targets this season, with defenses forced to respect both the run and the pass when he and Dillon line up in two-running back personnel groupings.

The Packers' secondary, despite being shredded by Jefferson in Week 1, is in the top 12 in open percentage allowed while the strength of their defensive line has Green Bay in the top 12 in pass rush win percentage.

Both the front and the back of the Green Bay defense have the talent to rise much higher on those lists and, if such strides are accompanied by Rodgers developing an understanding with his new weapons, the Packers will likely soon have a compelling case for being the conference's elite.

Two weeks down in the NFL and the action has been sensational so far.

Late comebacks were the name of the game last week and Week 3 promises to bring even more excitement.

Sunday sees the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins battle it out to remain undefeated, the Baltimore Ravens will aim to respond to a Week 2 defeat against the New England Patriots, while the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans fight to pick up a first win of the season.

There's plenty more on the agenda and Stats Perform has used Opta data to preview the action.

Buffalo Bills (2-0) @ Miami Dolphins (2-0)

The Bills travel to Florida having won their past seven games against the Dolphins, outscoring them by better than a two-to-one margin (258-123). That marks Buffalo's longest winning streak against Miami, beating a run of six consecutive victories from 1987 to 1989.

Buffalo have outscored their opponents 72-17 so far this season to stand 2-0, with the +55-point differential their second-best through the first two games of a season. In 1981, they won their opening two matches by a combined score of 66-3 (+63 points).

The Dolphins overcame a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit (35-14) in last week's 42-39 win at Baltimore, marking the sixth time since 1925 that an NFL team has won a game in regulation time after trailing by such a margin in the fourth quarter. The last such comeback win was in 2010, when the Eagles beat the Giants 38-31 in Week 16, having trailed 31-10.

Tua Tagovailoa threw six touchdown passes, including four in the fourth quarter, against the Ravens last week. Since 2001, the only other player to throw four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter of an NFL game was Sage Rosenfels for the Texans against the Titans in Week 7 of the 2007 season, though Houston lost 38-36.

Baltimore Ravens (1-1) @ New England Patriots (1-1)

The Patriots have a 9-2 record against the Ravens in the regular season, the best record by any team against Baltimore in their history – though they have split four postseason matches.

Lamar Jackson became the first player in NFL history to have a 75+ yard passing touchdown and a 75+ rushing touchdown in the same game during last weekend's defeat to the Dolphins.

In week 2, the Patriots beat the Steelers 17-14. Since Bill Belichick became head coach in 2000, the Patriots are 42-23 in games decided by three of fewer points, the best such record in the NFL.

Nelson Agholor recorded 110 receiving yards in Week 2, becoming the first Patriot with a 100-yard game since Jakobi Meyers in Week 15, 2020. That brought an end to a 20-game streak without a 100-yard receiver for the Patriots, which was the longest spell in the Belichick era.

Las Vegas Raiders (0-2) @ Tennessee Titans (0-2)

The Raiders have won their past three games on the road against the Titans. The last time the Raiders won four straight road games against a single opponent was a six-game streak against the Chiefs from 2007 to 2012.

An 29-23 overtime loss to the Cardinals in Week 2 came despite them holding a 23-7 lead in the fourth quarter, marking the biggest fourth-quarter blown lead for a loss in franchise history.

The Titans are 0-2 for the first time since 2012 and last started a season 0-3 in 2009. The 41-7 loss to the Bills last week was the largest defeat suffered by the Titans under Mike Vrabel.

Both the Raiders and Titans are 0-2 this season after making the playoffs a season ago. Neither franchise has ever started a season with two defeats and rallied to make the playoffs, while the last NFL teams to do so being the Texans and Seahawks in 2018.

Elsewhere…

Chicago host the Texans with just 432 offensive yards to their name so far this season, the worst in the NFL and the fewest yards the Bears have gained in the opening two weeks of a campaign since they had 335 net yards at the same stage in 2003.

Patrick Mahomes rallied the Chiefs offence to a 27-24 victory against the Chargers last week, overcoming a 17-7 second-half deficit, and are eyeing a third-straight win this season against the Colts. Since his first NFL season (2018), the Chiefs have more comeback victories after trailing in the second half (17) than any other NFL side.

The Saints travel to Carolina on the back of a 20-10 home defeat to the Buccaneers last week. Dating back to last season, New Orleans have scored 17 or fewer points in five of their past nine games (1-4). When they have scored 18 or more, they stand at 4-0.

The Cincinnati Bengals have plenty to do offensively against the Jets, with Joe Burrow having been sacked 13 times so far this season and thrown four interceptions. The last QB to be sacked that many times while throwing as many picks in the opening two weeks of a season was Danny White of the Cowboys in 1987.

Tom Brady has brushed off concerns about an injury to the ring finger of his throwing hand despite the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback appearing in discomfort at practice on Thursday.

The 45-year-old has had a slow start in the first two games of the season, throwing for fewer than 225 yards in back-to-back games for the first time since Week 14 and 15 of the 2019 season.

Brady has thrown two touchdown passes for 402 yards with a 59 per cent completion rate, but despite that the Bucs have a winning record at 2-0, largely due to their defense.

The seven-time Super Bowl winner revealed earlier this week he had injured his right ring finger in Sunday's 20-10 win over the New Orleans Saints.

Brady appeared in discomfort at practice on Thursday, too, but downplayed any issue ahead of Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers.

"Great. I feel great," Brady told reporters with a hint of sarcasm. "It's football season."

Brady was not named on the Buccaneers' injury report earlier this week.

He had told the 'Let's Go!' Podcast on Monday: "I banged it up pretty good, but it didn't affect me at all in the game. It's just going to be sore throughout the week. But it's one of those bumps and bruises that comes along with playing.

"Different things – you get hit and you get kicked and you get kneed – all these things that come up. It's demolition derby out there.

"It's who can recover fast enough in order to put yourself in position to practice, prepare and then go play the next week, so lots of bumps and bruises to take care of over the season."

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is not considering a change at quarterback despite Mitch Trubisky's struggles in the second half of Thursday's 29-17 loss at the Cleveland Browns. 

Trubisky started well as the Steelers took a 14-13 half-time lead, completing eight of his first nine passes and adding a rushing touchdown.

But he completed just 11 of his subsequent 22 passes as Pittsburgh's offense stalled, with Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett and star running back Nick Chubb taking control.

The struggles of the Steelers' QB led to suggestions they could introduce rookie Kenny Pickett, but Tomlin insisted that was not in his thoughts after the loss.

"I'm not in that mindset, I'm interested in reviewing this tape, looking at the totality of it and figuring out how we collectively get better," Tomlin said.

"The answer to that question is definitively no." 

Asked about Trubisky's showing, Tomlin added: "I thought he made some plays, but we all collectively came up short. 

"That's how we measure performance. Winning is our business and we didn't handle business. So we don't break that apart and look for the feel-good.

"Credit to Cleveland, they did what was required for victory, you've got to acknowledge that. 

"If you can't slow down Chubb, you can't beat this group. We knew that and we didn't get it done, so we've got to own the outcome and we will."

Alongside Brissett and Chubb, Amari Cooper proved influential for Cleveland as he continued his strong form since arriving in a trade from the Dallas Cowboys.

The wide receiver made seven catches for 101 yards, his second straight 100-yard game, and teammate Brissett was delighted by his contribution.

"I mean he's been unbelievable," Brissett said. "He's one of the smartest, hardest-working players I've ever worked with, comes out here every week, every day working hard, putting in the work and it's just a pleasure to play with him. 

"I know that he wants to just continue to keep this going."

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski echoed those thoughts, adding: "I'm trying to find new ways to tell you guys how impressed I am with number two. I mean he's really, really smart. 

"He's a great teammate, runs every route imaginable... he's so versatile, he's such a big, physical receiver, he's trustworthy."

The Cleveland Browns are now 2-1 after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-17 on Thursday night thanks to excellent offensive showings from quarterback Jacoby Brissett and star running back Nick Chubb.

Brissett was impressive for the Browns, finishing 21-of-31 for 220 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions as Amari Cooper hauled in seven catches for 101 yards and Njoku caught nine balls for 89 yards. On the ground, Chubb posted strong figures of 23 carries for 113 yards.

Pittsburgh's offense stalled as Mitch Trubisky started the game with nine completions from his first 10 passes, before only being able to complete 11-of-22 the rest of the way, with the Steelers only scoring once in the second half, a consolation field goal.

In a game predicted to be a defensive struggle, both teams were able to move the ball early, with the Browns capping off a seven-play, 60-yard drive in the first quarter with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Brissett to Cooper, giving Cooper his second game in a row with a score.

Pittsburgh workhorse Najee Harris punched in a five-yard run with the first play of the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7. The Harris touchdown drive included a stunning 36-yard catch from Steelers rookie George Pickens, with his one-handed snag while falling backwards sure to go down as one of the catches of the season. 

David Njoku was the next player to find the endzone, with the big Cleveland tight end coming down with a high pass from Brissett to retake the lead, before Steelers quarterback Mitchell Trubisky punctuated a 10-play drive with a one-yard touchdown run.

Cleveland led 16-14 heading into the last quarter and manufactured a six-and-a-half minute, 11-play, 80-yard drive, resulting in Chubb converting a fourth-and-goal at the one yard line.

The Browns' defense was able to add a late stat-padding score as the Steelers desperately tried to pitch laterals around in the backfield on the final play, resulting in a fumble for Pro Bowl safety Denzel Ward to fall on for a touchdown.

Quarterback controversies don’t usually benefit anyone, but Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would not mind if his team became embroiled in one.

With Dak Prescott currently sidelined by thumb surgery, Cooper Rush led the Cowboys to a 20-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday and will be the starter again Monday night against the New York Giants. Rush has won both of his career starts on final-minute drives.

Jones' hope is that Rush plays so well that it will not be completely clear cut that Prescott would get his job back when he’s healthy, which could be as soon as October 2 against the Washington Commanders.

"Of course I would. Of course. That means we’d have won," Jones said. "If he comes in there and plays as well as Prescott played, Rush? Played that well over these next games ahead? I’d walk to New York to get that."

There is precedent in Dallas for an injured quarterback to lose his job. In 2016, Prescott, then a rookie, filled in for an injured Tony Romo and led the Cowboys to a franchise-record 11-game winning streak. Romo never regained his starting job.

"Well, of course we want Dak to be here next week," Jones said. "That’s the thing. You do. But Dak and I want Rush to lead the team to a victory here and get another win and get another win. That’s the only way to look at it. Looking back when Dak was playing instead of Tony, it was game by game. It wasn’t the long look we had after two months to look back."

Regardless of how well Rush plays, the Cowboys last year signed Prescott to a four-year, $160million contract extension that includes $126m in guaranteed money. That would be a massive amount of money to pay for a backup quarterback.