Woah - Week 2 turned into a big one for former Hawks, with a little bit of everything mixed in: big returns from injury, a breakout day on defense, and one interception that may end up mattering a whole lot for Denver.
George Kittle wasted no time making his presence felt after getting back on the field a little over nine months after rupturing his Achilles in Philadelphia. After a quieter Week 1, he came back for his first home game in Santa Clara and led the 49ers in both catches and yards, finishing with 4 receptions for 80 yards in San Francisco’s 35-13 win over Miami.
He also scored his first touchdown of the year. Miami, frankly, looked rough.
Sam LaPorta also got back into the end zone after his 2025 season was cut short by a back injury. Detroit’s defense didn’t do him any favors - the Lions have now given up 71 points over the last six quarters plus overtime of Week 1 - but LaPorta still turned in a bright spot in Buffalo, catching a 1-yard touchdown in Detroit’s 41-31 loss at Buffalo’s new stadium.
On the defensive side, Lukas Van Ness had the kind of afternoon that jumps off the page. In Green Bay’s comeback win over the Jets, he was everywhere, finishing with 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 3 tackles for loss.
He’s already up to 2.5 sacks on the season, and his career high in a year is 4. Yeah, he’s going to blow past that.
Kaleb Johnson also had a notable day in Green Bay. After a rocky rookie year in Pittsburgh, he was traded to the Packers shortly before this season and led the team with 8 carries on Sunday, gaining 32 yards.
His longest run looked like the Kaleb Johnson Iowa City fans remember. It wasn’t a massive stat line, but it was a start.
Riley Moss had the kind of game that can change the mood around a player in one snap. Denver’s second corner opposite Pat Surtain has been under a microscope early this season, and after a rough Week 1 against Kansas City, the pressure only grew when he was flagged early against Jacksonville and wiped out a Broncos fumble recovery.
Then, with Denver trailing 13-6 and the Jaguars around midfield, Trevor Lawrence threw what was easily his worst pass of the day. Moss stayed locked in, made the play in coverage, and came away with his first interception of the year.
That pick may end up being one of the early swing plays of Denver’s season. The Broncos looked headed for an ugly 0-2 start with the Rams, 49ers, and Seahawks coming up, but Moss flipped the game, Denver tied it, and then eventually won to move to 1-1.
Amani Hooker also joined the turnover party in Tennessee’s 24-20 loss to Philadelphia, a game played in brutal heat with field temperatures at 157 degrees. Hooker finished with 6 tackles and an interception he nearly returned for a touchdown.
And in the tight end world, Noah Fant didn’t draw a target, while T.J. Hockenson caught 3 passes for 29 yards. The Saints pulled the upset in Baltimore, winning 24-17, and Minnesota handled a soggy Soldier Field with a 9-3 win that ended with plenty of memes around Caleb Williams’s hamstring injury, which appears to be not serious at all.
In Other News...
Kinnick Stadium Still Strikes Fear Across The Big Ten
Kinnick Stadium has long had a reputation that travels well beyond Iowa City, and a recent round of Big Ten coach commentary only reinforced it. Curt Cignetti, Pat Fitzgerald, Greg Schiano and Luke Fickell were among the league voices pointing to Iowas home field as one of the toughest places to play in the conference, a nod to the kind of crowd and game-day edge that can unsettle even experienced road teams.
That recognition matters because the Hawkeyes are about to lean on it again with a run of notable home dates ahead. Ohio State, Wisconsin, Purdue and Nebraska are all slated to come through Kinnick, giving Iowa another chance to show why its stadium still carries so much weight in league conversations and why visiting teams tend to circle this trip on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]
Kirk Ferentz Nearly Had A Very Different Iowa Legacy
Kirk Ferentz is about to begin his 28th season guiding Iowa, a run that has made him the defining figure of the program and the winningest coach in school history. Along the way, he has picked up multiple coaching honors and built a legacy in Iowa City that has lasted far longer than most tenures ever do.
It could have played out differently in 2007, when Michigan was searching for a coach and Ferentz was viewed as a primary target by the Wolverines' athletic director. But he was not seriously pursued because of decisions made inside that search process, and Iowa kept the steady hand that has shaped its football identity ever since. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Brings A Big Strength Into A Test Hawkeye Fans Dread
Michigan has had the upper hand for years in this series, owning a 45-15-4 edge and winning the last four meetings, including a pair of Big Ten Championship Games that still loom over the matchup for Iowa fans. This time, though, the Hawkeyes are carrying something that usually travels well in September: a defense that has been among the nations best through three games, pairing a stifling front with a punting game that can tilt field position in an instant.
The wrinkle for Iowa is that Michigan arrives with its own clear strength, even if the Wolverines have struggled to move the ball through the air and sit last in the conference in passing yards per game. Both teams have leaned on the kind of team stats that can decide tight Big Ten games, from turnover margin to hidden yards, which is exactly why this one feels so familiar to Hawkeye followers. The difference this time may be whether Iowa can turn its defensive edge into the kind of result that has eluded it in this matchup for a long while. [Read more 🡒]