Week Two's Close Games And Blowouts Remind Us Why We Love The NFL So Much
By Danny Cox
Week 2 of the 2013 NFL season had some close games, and it is kind of weird just how many of them were so close. Some may look at this as teams' not necessarily playing up to their dominance, but others look at it as a blessing.
Why watch a weekend's worth of games that are totally uncompetitive and always a blow out? Sometimes, that is perfectly alright, but nothing makes us remember exactly why we love this game as much as we do like a nail-biter.
Eight games in Week 2 were decided by four points or less. Six games were decided by three points or less. And three games were decided by two points or less.
Four games were decided within the last-minute of regulation, and most of those were decided within the closing seconds. Another game ended up going into overtime that was forced with a touchdown and two-point conversion within the final two minutes.
In Chicago, Jay Cutler hooked up with Martellus Bennett for a game-winning touchdown with just 10 seconds left in the game. A hard-fought game between divisional foes ended with one just wanting it a little bit more.
The Carolina Panthers had a six-point lead with just seconds left to play in Buffalo, but a rookie quarterback dashed their hopes of victory. E.J. Manuel found Steve Johnson alone in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with just two seconds remaining.
Philadelphia's Alex Henery tied their game against the San Diego Chargers with just 1:51 left, but that was too much time. Philip Rivers drove San Diego down the field and Nick Novak hit a 46-yard field goal to win it with seven seconds left.
The New Orleans Saints had led for the majority of the day as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could do nothing on offense. So, their defense took over and scored on an 85-yard interception return to put them up 14-13. The Bucs had a chance to extend the lead, but missed a field goal with less than a minute remaining. There was too much time for Drew Brees as he completed three straight passes and got the Saints in position to tie the game with a Garrett Hartley field goal as time expired.
Games like these make being an NFL fan so much more special than it already is. As much as some may like seeing their team blow out another and demolish them by 30 points; they still want to see games stay competitive and without knowing who will pull out as the victor.
The 2013 NFL season is a mere two weeks old and already there are a lot of questions, doubts, and confusion as to who may end up in the playoffs.
If you ask me, that's exactly the way it should be, and why this truly is the greatest sport in the world.
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Danny Cox knows a little something about the NFL, whether it means letting you know what penalty will come from the flag just thrown on the field or quickly spouting off who the Chicago Bears drafted in the first round of the 1987 draft (Jim Harbaugh). He plans on bringing you the best news, previews, recaps, and anything else that may come along with the exciting world of the National Football League. Danny is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
