6 Crazy NFL Stats From Week 2, Including the History of the Packers’ Backup QB and the Saints’ Historic Dominance

A perfect game is one of the rarest things in Major League Baseball, with only 24 perfect games in MLB history. What Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray did on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams is even rarer than that. In a blowout win against Los Angeles, Murray completed 81 percent of his pass attempts for an average of 12.7 yards per attempt, three passing touchdowns and a 98.2 ESPN QBR (out of 100). Murray also became just the second player in NFL history – Ken Anderson (Nov. 3, 1974) – to have a perfect 158.3 QB rating with 250-plus passing yards and 50-plus rushing yards, according to the NFL.

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In 2023, the New Orleans Saints scored a combined 96 points in their first games under offensive play-caller Pete Carmichael Jr., helped by a 34-point effort on Oct. 8, 2023. Under first-year offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak this season, New Orleans scored 91 points in two games. That’s tied for the fourth-most in NFL history through the first two games of a season. The other three teams to do so – the 1968 Oakland Raiders (AFL Championship), 1971 Dallas Cowboys (Super Bowl champions), and 2009 Saints (Super Bowl champions) – all reached the championship game.

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The Cincinnati Bengals defense intercepted Patrick Mahomes twice in Week 2, marking just the 13th time in 97 career games that Mahomes has had multiple interceptions in a single game (Pro Football Reference). He also had a third interception overturned by a defensive penalty, marking the 17th time since 2018 that Mahomes’ interception has been overturned by a penalty. That’s the second-most since 2000 (Reddit), but Mahomes has played in significantly fewer games than Aaron Rodgers (18) and Drew Brees (17). As ESPN’s Bill Barnwell points out, however, Mahomes has attempted the most passes since ’18.

Related: Comparing Patrick Mahomes’ Playoff Resume to the All-Time Greats

The Detroit Lions came up short in Week 2, but edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson put up some of the NFL’s most impressive stats on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hutchinson finished with 4.5 sacks, 4 tackles for loss and a forced fumble, becoming the first Lions player to record 4-plus sacks in a game since Keith Ferguson in 1986 (Tim Tentyman).

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Green Bay Packers fans rightfully panicked when Jordan Love suffered an MCL injury in Week 1, sidelining him for multiple games. Life with a backup quarterback can be a scary thing for a team and fans, especially when it happens so often. The Packers have used nine different quarterbacks since 1992, the fewest in the NFL. By comparison, the Cleveland Browns have used 38 different quarterbacks since 1999.

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While the most astonishing NFL stats typically come from what happens on the field, there is an exception in Week 2. After Tua Tagovailoa’s terrifying head injury on Thursday night football With millions worried about the young man’s future, Bills Mafia stepped in. On Friday, according to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, NFL fans, many of whom are part of Bills Mafia, raised more than $18,000 for the Tua Foundation. For those interested in joining Bills Mafia in supporting Tagovailoa, you can learn more about Tagovailoa’s foundation here.

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