CLOSE GAMES: The 2015 NFL season is off to a thrilling start with close games across the league. Through Week 2, 24 of 32 games (75 percent) have been within one score in the fourth quarter.
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TERRIFIC TOM: New England quarterback TOM BRADY completed 38 of 59 passes for 466 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions in the Patriots’ 40-32 win at Buffalo in Week 2.
Brady, who has 754 passing yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions this season, joins PEYTON MANNING (2013) as the only players in NFL history to pass for at least 750 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions in the first two games of a season.
PLAYER YEAR TEAM COMP-ATT (PCT.) YARDS TDS INTS PASSER RATING
Tom Brady 2015 New England 63-91 (69.2) 754 7 0 119.9
Peyton Manning 2013 Denver 57-85 (67.1) 769 9 0 131.0
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WONDERFUL WATT: Houston defensive end J.J. WATT recorded one sack in Week 2, marking the seventh straight game in which he has recorded at least one sack.
Watt now has 60 sacks through 66 career games, becoming the second-fastest player to reach 60 career sacks since the sack became an official statistic in 1982. Pro Football Hall of Famer REGGIE WHITE is the only player to reach the mark faster, doing so in his 47th career game.
The players to reach 60 career sacks in the fewest games since 1982:
PLAYER TEAM GAMES TO REACH 60 SACKS
Reggie White* Philadelphia 47
J.J. Watt Houston 66
Derrick Thomas* Kansas City 67
DeMarcus Ware Dallas 73
Andre Tippett* New England 74
* Pro Football Hall of Famer
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ROLLING RIVERS: San Diego quarterback PHILIP RIVERS completed 21 of 27 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2.
Rivers, who had 20 straight completions against Detroit to end Week 1, completed his first two pass attempts in Week 2, bringing his streak of consecutive completions to 22. That is tied for the third-longest streak of consecutive completions in NFL history. Philadelphia quarterback DONOVAN MC NABB (2004) holds the record with 24 consecutive completions.
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CRUISING CAM: Carolina quarterback CAM NEWTON threw for two touchdowns and rushed for one score in the Panthers’ 24-17 Week 2 victory against Houston.
It marked the 25th time in his career that Newton has had both a passing and rushing touchdown in the same game, the second-most in NFL history behind Pro Football Hall of Famer STEVE YOUNG, who accomplished the feat 31 times. Newton reached 25 such performances in his 64th career game, the fastest in NFL history. Young accomplished it in 146 games.
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HISTORIC BECKHAM: New York Giants wide receiver ODELL BECKHAM, JR. caught seven passes for 146 yards and a touchdown in Week 2.
Beckham, who now has 103 career receptions, surpassed the 100-reception mark in his 14th career game, the fastest by any player in NFL history. Beckham’s 1,495 career receiving yards are the most by a player through his first 14 games.
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MARVELOUS MARIOTA: Tennessee rookie quarterback MARCUS MARIOTA passed for 257 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 96.3 passer rating in the Titans’ 28-14 loss at Cleveland in Week 2. Mariota, who had four touchdown passes in his NFL debut on Kickoff Weekend, now has six touchdown passes, the most of any NFL player in his first two career games.
The players with the most touchdown passes through the first two games of a career:
PLAYER TEAM YEAR TOUCHDOWN PASSES
Marcus Mariota Tennessee 2015 6
Greg Cook Cincinnati 1969 5
Gus Frerotte Washington 1994 5
Johnny Green Buffalo 1960 5
Mark Rypien Washington 1988 5
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RISING ROOKIE: Arizona rookie running back-kick returner DAVID JOHNSON returned the opening kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown in the Cardinals 48-23 win at Chicago in Week 2, tied for the second-longest kick return in NFL history. Johnson also had a 13-yard touchdown run last week.
Johnson, who had a 55-yard touchdown reception in his NFL debut on Kickoff Weekend, is the first player in NFL history with a rushing touchdown, receiving touchdown and kickoff-return touchdown in his first two games to begin a career
