A Look Back at the NFL's Week 2

Warner Almost Perfect, Giants Beat Cowboys, Johnson & Gore Huge

Sep 21, 2009

Week 2 of the 2009 NFL season provided lots more thrills, spills, dominating performances and upsets. Here's what happened.

He's 38 years old, an age considered by many to be over-the-hill for a football player. But on Sunday, Warner proved he's not ready to give up his mantle as one of the most accurate passers in NFL history. He also showed he still has enough left in the tank to add to his collection of league records.

Kurt Warner Follows Up Week 1 Disappointment With Near-Perfect Game

The Arizona Cardinals QB began Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars by completing his first 15 pass attempts, tying the team record for most consecutive completions to start a game set by Jake Plummer in 1998. He finished the game 24 for 26, establishing a new NFL record for completion percentage (92.3 percent), a shade better than Vinny Testaverde's old record of 91.3 percent set in 1993.

Warner finished with 243 yards and two TDS before he was pulled to start the 4th quarter, his team ahead comfortably, 31-10. WR Larry Fitgerald and RB Jason Wright each caught one of Warner's two TD passes while RB Tim Hightower ran in one score and FS Antrel Rolle returned a blocked field goal attempt for another. The Cardinals (1-1) beat the Jaguars (0-2), 31-17.

In the disappointing Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Warner finished 26/44 for 288 yards and one TD and was intercepted twice.

Giants Spoil Home Opener in Cowboys' Brand New $1.15 Billion Stadium

It must have hurt for the Dallas Cowboys to lose the first game ever played at the new Cowboys Stadium. And the sting of losing to the division rival New York Giants in front of an NFL regular season record 105,121 fans and a national audience will undoubtedly linger for quite some time. And losing by virtue of a walk-off field goal just adds insult to injury.

Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes booted a 37-yard FG with no time remaining to give New York (2-0) a 33-31 victory over Dallas (1-1). It was Tynes' fourth FG of the game. Eli Manning threw an efficient game for the Giants, completing 25 of his 38 pass attempts for 330 yards and two TDs. WRs Steve Smith and Mario Manningham were his favourite targets, catching a combined 284 yards and each factoring in on one of Manning's two TD passes.

Tony Romo, after posting impressive numbers in Week 1, struggled in the game, going 13 for 29 for just 127 yards, one TD and three INTs. Giants safety Kenny Phillips got the better of Romo by picking him off twice. RBs Marion Barber (18 rushes, 124 yards, 1 TD) and Felix Jones (7 rushes, 96 yards, 1 TD) were the lone bright spots for a Cowboys team that featured no WR with more than 33 receiving yards.

Chris Johnson and Frank Gore Post Big Numbers; One Loses

What (or who) could possibly spoil Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson's career day? The Houston Texans, QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson ... that's who. Houston's Schaub was arguably the best QB of Week 2, going 25 for 39 for 357 yards and four TDs. His #1 target, Andre Johnson, was arguably the best WR of Week 2, catching 10 passes for 147 yards and two TDs. And Chris Johnson was arguably the best RB of Week 2, with his 284 yards from scrimmage (197 rushing; 87 receiving) and three TDs (two rushing; one receiving). But, with Tennesse trailing by three and less than two minutes left in the game, Titans QB Kerry Collins fumbled the ball and gave possession back to Houston. The Texans (1-1) were able to run out the clock and preserve a 34-31 win over the 0-2 Titans.

Following a week in which Frank Gore gained just 30 yards on 22 rushes (1.4 yards per carry), the San Francisco 49ers RB did more with less in Week 2's game against the Seattle Seahawks. Gore gained more than half of his 207 rushing yards on TD runs of 79 and 80 yards and finished with a 12.9 yards-per-carry average on 16 touches. He became only the second player in NFL history to have two TD runs of 79 or more yards in the same game, joining Barry Sanders in that category. Best of all, Gore's team moved to 2-0 on the season with the 23-10 victory over the Seahawks (1-1). Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck left the game at the end of the second quarter after bruising his ribs. His status for next week is uncertain.

The copyright of the article A Look Back at the NFL's Week 2 in National Football League (NFL) is owned by Justin Harrington. Permission to republish A Look Back at the NFL's Week 2 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.