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New Orleans Saints: Jameis Winston, QB
The New Orleans Saints traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina to face off against the Carolina Panthers. After an outstanding performance from Jameis Winston and the Saints in Week 1, they were held to just seven points while giving up 26 in the process.
Although the Saints were left without a multitude of defensive starters and eight coaching staff members who failed to pass the COVID-19 restrictions, their offensive line and secondary were burnt the whole game.
Winston ended up getting sacked four times, while throwing two picks in the ball game. He completed just 11 of 22 pass attempts, but he was the only one to score with an eight yard rush in the fourth quarter. The Saints were just 2 of 11 on third down completions and had 11 penalties accepted, resulting in 115 yards for the Panthers. They’ll face yet another highly coveted defense next week in New England with high hopes of a rebound win.
Minnesota Vikings: Dalvin Cook, RB
The Vikings found themselves in yet another matchup that came down to the last seconds of the fourth quarter. In what looked like one of Kirk Cousins best performances in a Vikings uniform and two key interceptions from the defense, they didn’t seem to have an answer for Kyler Murray’s playmaking ability.
The Vikings offensive line had a tremendous outing allowing 6.6 yards per rush and only one sack to one of the best defensive lines in Week 1. Cook put on a show for the red sea, capping off the game with 22 carries for 131 yards and two receptions for 17 yards. He couldn’t find the end zone on Sunday but he’s slowly becoming more comfortable in the passing game which should be a nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators.
Los Angeles Rams: Jalen Ramsey, CB
The Los Angeles Rams headed to Indianapolis in Week 2 for their first road test of the season. Both teams went back and forth throughout the matchup in a great offensive display that came down to the wire.
Jalen Ramsey and the rest of the Rams secondary had their work cut out for them having to face a great offensive mind, in Colts head coach Frank Reich. Although the Rams allowed 272 passing yards and 109 rushing yards, they were able to pull away after two costly turnovers by the Colts. Ramsey lead the defense with one interception, one pass defended and three combined tackles. He’s now listed as the highest graded defesinve back in the NFL with a 25.6 passer rating when targeted, per pff.com.
Carolina Panthers: Brian Burns, DE
The Carolina Panthers had yet another outstanding defensive performance, holding the New Orleans Saints to just seven points. The Saints have built one of the most explosive offense’s in the NFL but couldn’t find an answer for a talented Panthers defense, finishing the game with 128 yards in the air and 48 on the ground.
The Panthers recorded two interceptions and four sacks while converting 13 third and fourth down opportunities to just two completions. Brian Burns finished the evening with one sack, one tackle for loss, two QB hits and three solo tackles. Burns now has 18.5 career sacks, which is the most by any player in the 2019 NFL draft class.
Los Angeles Chargers: Derwin James, SS / Asante Samuel Jr., CB
The Chargers faced off against the Dallas Cowboys in a disappointing loss by a Greg Zuerlein field goal. They were bombarded with flag after flag the whole game. Starting quarterback Justin Herbert and company finished the matchup with 12 penalties and two interceptions.
Despite the tough officiating it didn’t take long for Asante Samuel Jr. to get the ball rolling and pick up his first NFL career interception. Samuel Jr. held Amari Cooper to just three receptions and 24 receiving yards. After a phenomenal Week 2 performance he’s been graded as the second best in the NFL in terms of passer rating when targeted, per pff.com.
Fourth year safety Derwin James also faired well in this matchup playing both inside the box and deep in the passing game. James finished the game with half a sack, one QB hit, and five solo tackles. He’s been a menace on the defensive end, continuing the DBU pride as the highest graded safety in the NFL with an 89.9, per pff.com. The two young studs were tested with a great receiving core and held their own against some of the best route runners in the NFL.