You have to figure that the NFL and their broadcast partners where pretty happy with the first Thursday night game of the season. While that game did end in an easy victory for the Kansas City Chiefs over the New England Patriots it was a close game heading into the final quarter. New England actually had the lead going into the 4th quarter, but Kansas City ran off 21 points to pull away for a 42-27 win. That was Week 1, I’m not sure they where as happy with the Week 2 game.
Week 2 had the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Houston Texans. Both teams looked terrible in Week 1, Cincinnati was shut out by their division rival the Baltimore Ravens 20-0 and Houston looked lackluster as they got beat 29-7 by the Jacksonville Jaquars. To be fair we did get a close competitive game to watch, but it was very difficult to watch.
The big story coming into the game besides how poorly both teams played in Week 1 was the fact that the Texans have already made a chance at quarterback. Houston decided that they where going to go with rookie Deshaun Watson at quarterback. Watson relieved Tom Savage in Week 1 and led the Texans to their only touchdown of that game. Now on his 22nd birthday Watson would be making his first NFL start.
These two teams didn’t put up much offense in Week 1 and that carried over to this game as there was just one touchdown scored. Watson was the player who managed to score the touchdown when he scrambled 49 yards just before halftime to out the Texans up 10-3. Cincinnati added a field goal before halftime to make it a 10-6 game, but there wasn’t much offense after that. The only points of the 3rd quarter was another Cincinnati field goal. In the 4th quarter it was the Texans who kicked the field goal to get the game to it’s 13-9 final score.
Watson threw for just 125 yards in his debut going 15 for 24, but he didn’t turn the football over. He was also the Texans leading rusher in the game with 5 rushing attempts for 67 yards and the games only touchdown. Andy Dalton was 20 of 35 for 224 yards for the Bengals with no touchdowns or interceptions. Each quarterback was sacked 3 times in the game.
Neither team looked very good, but the Texans picked up the win and managed to even their record at 1-1. Cincinnati dropped to 0-2 and the Bengals have no scored a touchdown in 8 quarters this season. Cincinnati’s lack of offense prompted the firing of offensive coordinator on Friday. Quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor will take over the Bengals offense.
A coordinator change is one thing, but you have to wonder if it’s time for the Bengals to start looking for a new head coach. Marvin Lewis has been their head coach since 2003, he’s the longest reigning head coach in the NFL, but it might be time for a change. Lewis is 118-105-3 as Cincinnati’s head coach and has taken them to the playoffs 7 times. While that may look like a good number when you look close at the Bengals playoff appearances you realize that they where a wild card all seven times and they are 0-7 in those games. Up until last season the Bengals had been to the playoffs 5 seasons in a row and 6 out of the last 7 seasons. Their record dropped to 6-9-1, it was the first season they had been under .500 since 2010. While we are just two games into this season with the way the Bengals have looked you have to wonder if they’ll be a serious playoff contender. I have the feeling that their window has closed and that this is Lewis’ last season. What do you think?
For a while there it looked like this would never happen, but the Cleveland Indians final lost a baseball last night. After running off 22 straight wins the Indians dropped a 4-3 decision last night to the Kansas City Royals.
The night started off well for the Indians. Francisco Lindor lead off the bottom of the 1st with a double off of Royals starter Jason Vargas. Then after a walk and a ground out an Edwin Encarnacion sacrifice fly gave the Indians an early 1-0 lead.
After Trevor Bauer recorded a strikeout for the 1st out in the top of the 2nd inning Alcides Escobar hit a solo home run to leftfield to tie the game at 1-1. It was Escobar’s 5th home run of the season.
The Indians have been finding ways to bounce back in these games while they where on this streak and the bottom of the 3rd looked like one of those times. With 2 outs Austin Jackson doubled. Jose Ramirez followed Jackson’s double with his 27th home run of the season to leftfield to give the Indians a 3-1 lead.
The Royals knocked a run off the Indians lead right at the start of the 4th inning. Brandon Moss led of the inning with his 22nd home run of the season to centerfield to cut the Indians lead to 3-2.
Kansas City then tied the game in the top of the 5th inning. Lorenzo Cain doubled with 1 out and Eric Hosmer followed that with a single to score Cain and tie the game at 3-3.
The Royals took the lead for good in the top of the 6th inning. Bauer recorded the first out of the inning via strikeout, but after Alex Gordon singled Bauer was removed fro the game for reliever Joe Smith. Smith struck out the first batter he faced, but Whit Merrifield and Lorenzo Cain hit back to back singles off of him. Cain’s single to centerfield scored Gordon and gave the Royals the a 4-3 lead.
While Vargas did get off to a rough start he managed to pitch 5 innings and pick up his 16th win of the season. Ryan Buchter (1 inning), Trevor Cahill (2 innings) and Mike Minor (1 inning) came out of the Royals bullpen to hold the Indians to just one hit over the final four innings of the game. Minor even picked up his 1st save of the season.
The teams meet again this afternoon; so maybe the Indians can start a new winning streak or maybe this is the beginning of a Royals winning streak. Jason Hammel (8-11) will try to keep the Royals winning while Carlos Carrasco (15-6) will try to get the Indians back in the win column.
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