The NFL schedules week 2 will give you the complete details of week 2 in the 2021 NFL season. Read our NFL schedules week 2 to find your favorite matches.
The 2021 NFL season has the lengthiest schedule of all seasons. All the teams are going to be involved in more matches this year. The 2021 season has already started with a great game. The defending champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers took on hosts Dallas Cowboys. This article will go through the NFL schedules week 2 matches lined up for the fans.
2021 NFL Schedules Week 2 Breakdown
NFL Schedules Week 2 Match Details
1. New York Giants vs. Washington Football Team
The rivalry between the New York Giants and the Washington Football Team in the NFL began nearly 90 years ago with the latter's predecessors, the Boston Braves. It is the oldest matchup of the NFC East Division. It has seen great competition over the years, such as the rivalry for the division and conference titles in various decades. The 80s era was the most tightly contested period for these opponents. Bill Parcells led the Giants, and the Redskins were led by Joe Gibbs. They competed for Super Bowls and division titles. During this entire period, the two teams won a combined total of 13 titles. The long-time owner of the New York team has said that the Washington Football Team were always the main rivals.
The rivalry became much greater about a decade ago when a special NFL commission headed by the owner of the New York team imposed a salary cap penalty on the Washington team. This was due to the latter's method of structuring contracts during the previous NFL season. There was no cap earlier and should have cost them draft picks, according to some experts. Washington's owner was convinced that the Giants had advanced their self-interests through the heavy fine imposed on his team. The punishment also blocked a highly significant trade with the Rams. This was completed a few days before the penalty was imposed. It would have given one of the top spots in the draft to the Washington team. Washington won the next match between the two teams.
2. New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers
In the NFC playoffs in January this year, The New Orleans Saints comfortably defeated the Carolina Panthers. The Saints did not receive the first-round bye in the NFC playoffs that they wanted. But they showed that they could gain victory in the big matches without any star players. And that could be very helpful in the postseason. Now-retired Drew Brees threw a good distance and also got some touchdowns. The Saints were without their fullback and their top two running backs. Still, they managed to beat one of the top-placed teams in the NFC playoffs. Brees missed five games last season with broken ribs. The wide receiver Michael Thomas has not played in nearly ten matches with an ankle injury. Recently, there was a coronavirus outbreak in the Saints dressing room also.
"We have had various guys go down in key positions," Brees said. "We were dealt kind of a crazy hand this week, but it says so much about our team and how we were able to respond." It led to Ty Montgomery, the converted wide receiver, filling in for Alvin Kamara. The latter has tied an NFL record with more than five touchdowns in a single week in the past season. He has been a great asset to the team. He crossed more than 100 yards and numerous carries. The New Orleans Saints became the only team to sweep the NFC South since the division was created 20 years ago.
Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders exclaimed that this was a tribute to head coach Sean Payton. Sanders said, "how he's handled Drew, Michael (Thomas) and Alvin being out. ... He says we're not going to go into panic mode — and that is a credit for him." Payton talked about many moving parts after coaches found out about the coronavirus outbreak late in the week. According to Payton, "it has happened to other teams. I was real proud of how some guys stepped up." Brees said that "we wanted to end the season continuing to ascend."
3. Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins
The Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins are members of the AFC East. They have played against each other two times per year for nearly 60 years. The teams have also met a few times in the NFL playoffs. In the postseason, the Bills have got the better of the Dolphins. They have even won an AFC Championship game against them. There was a time when the rivalry was very one-sided. This was when the Dolphins were one of the top teams in the league. Don Shula was the head coach at that time. The team got more than 19 consecutive wins over the Bills during that time. In the next decade, the rivalry became more competitive as Miami and Buffalo also emerged as one of the top teams in the AFC. In the following decade, the teams faced off against each other more than three times in the AFC playoffs. The teams had Hall of Fame quarterbacks Dan Marino and Jim Kelly. Both teams could not attain their previous performance levels after the retirements of some of the top talents in the team. But last year, the rivalry had again shown signs of revival when both the teams went head-to-head to get playoff berths. The Bills won the division.
4. New England Patriots vs. New York Jets
The New England Patriots and the New York Jets play in the AFC East. They have been playing against each other in this division since the two teams were created more than 60 years ago. They play against each other two times a year. The rivalry is fierce between them. Many have compared it to the Red Sox and New York Yankees rivalry in Major League Baseball. This can also be because of the geographic rivalry between Boston and New York City.
5. Las Vegas Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Las Vegas Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers play in the AFC. This is a bitter rivalry that started when the Steelers gained their first playoff victory over the Raiders. This was due to Franco Harris's great reception. Both the teams met each other in the playoffs for five years on the trot. This is a record that has still not been matched by any teams. The series was seen as one of the greatest rivalries in the history of professional sport. The Raiders have an overall upper hand over the Steelers with a greater number of victories.
6. NFL Schedules Week 2 Has Some Great Games
The NFL schedules week 2 has some great matches for the fans. After the uncertain year of 2020, we are keeping our fingers crossed that this year will see the return of fans to the stadiums. The NFL schedules week 2 also ensures that you will enjoy the matches, no matter where you watch it from. You are sure to like the 2021 NFL season.