Week 2 games
Washington Commanders at Green Bay Packers
Anyone who follows football has to have a soft spot for the Packers, right? A tiny town of just over 100,000 people, and yet every game has been sold out since 1960. Season ticket renewals are at 99%, which means the waiting list is literally 30–50 years long. Add in the Vince Lombardi legacy and Rodgers’ last Super Bowl win, and it’s about as easy a team as there is to root for. They pulled off the win here, and I was all-in on the Packers.
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
I get why Bears fans are excited about building around Caleb Williams. But the Lions showed that Chicago still isn’t quite there yet. The Goff–St. Brown connection was firing on all cylinders again. Then right before halftime, Isaac TeSlaa makes this wild one-handed grab. With Dutch grandparents in his background, that one hit a little extra for me.
Meanwhile, Williams’ passes just weren’t landing, and the Lions’ defense led by Hutchinson was rolling. Gibbs was blazing fast all game long. This was a clear, commanding Detroit win.
To top it off, St. Brown jumped into the stands for a Lambeau-style Leap after his last touchdown, celebrating with a dad and his kids. Goff followed right behind him, making it an unforgettable moment for that family. FanScore goes to the Lions.
Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs
Super Bowl rematch! I’ve been watching The Kingdom (Disney+), learning that Andy Reid coached for years in Philly before becoming the Chiefs’ head coach. And Eagles HC Nick Sirianni has his own history with Kansas City. So there were storylines everywhere in this matchup — and it showed. Two powerhouse teams. Two rock-solid defenses.
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Mahomes made plays on the ground in the first half, but the Chiefs left too many chances on the field in the second. The Eagles came away with the win. I hated the outcome, so my FanScore stays with the Chiefs.
Condensed Games
Of course, I can’t watch every game in full, so I checked out some condensed versions:
Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
James Cook ripped off some nice TD runs, Coleman pulled down some strong catches, and “Coach” Prater nailed his kicks. Bosa added two sacks. Tough day to be a Jets fan — the stadium went quiet.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow went down with an injury, but the Cincy offense kept rolling with Chase, Brown, and Higgins. It stayed close, and the Jags were a pleasant surprise, but my FanScore sticks with the Bengals.
San Francisco 49ers @ New Orleans Saints
I’ve actually seen the Niners live in a stadium before, so I’ll always have a soft spot for them. Injuries were a big storyline here, but McCaffrey kept grinding on the ground, and Jones stepped up.
Los Angeles Rams @ Tennessee Titans
Another win for the Rams. I did the SoFi Stadium tour mostly for them, and I’ve been a fan ever since watching Hard Knocks: LA during the COVID season and then seeing them climb all the way to a Super Bowl win. Sean McVay — the youngest HC in the league — makes it even easier to root for this team.
And out of pure nostalgia, I still make time for a few Raiders games. Add to that the Bucs and Chargers, who are both looking sharp lately, and my watchlist just keeps getting longer. Another packed week of football, and I’m still figuring out where my true fandom lies. But that’s half the fun.
