Week 2 brought a little bit of everything for the former Missouri crowd in the NFL: Drew Lock carving up Arizona in Seattle’s rout, Nick Bolton stuffing the stat sheet in a tight Kansas City overtime win, and a handful of Tigers getting extended looks across the league.
Lock delivered the cleanest performance of the bunch. In his first start of the season, filling in for the injured Sam Darnold, he went 19 of 26 for 235 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions as the Seahawks rolled past Arizona 31-7. His 139.1 passer rating matched the kind of efficient, mistake-free night Seattle needed, and through two games he’s up to four touchdown passes without a pick.
Bolton was just as central to Kansas City’s 33-30 overtime escape against Indianapolis. He finished with 13 tackles, six of them solo, to lead the Chiefs and follow up a four-tackle opening week.
A few former Tigers were in the middle of the action even if the box score didn’t always pop. Josiah Trotter was busy again for Tampa Bay, where the Buccaneers’ updated game log credited him with 13 tackles in a 23-19 loss to Cleveland.
He also missed time because of a shoulder injury as Tampa Bay dropped to 0-2. On the other side, Isaiah McGuire helped Cleveland earn its first win of the season, posting four tackles, including three solo stops, in 40 defensive snaps during the Browns’ 23-19 victory.
Chicago’s offense sputtered in a 9-3 loss to Minnesota, but Luther Burden III still saw plenty of action. He led the Bears with seven targets and turned them into three catches for 32 yards. The Bears, who had scored 59 points in Week 1, never found the end zone this time.
Denver got contributions from two Missouri products in its 20-13 win over Jacksonville. Tyler Badie was active after sitting out Week 1 and played 16 offensive snaps, catching two passes for 28 yards, including a 27-yard grab, while adding one yard on his lone carry. Kris Abrams-Draine handled special teams work, logging 13 snaps there and none on defense.
The Lions leaned on Larry Borom in their 41-31 loss to Buffalo on Thursday night. He started at right tackle and played every one of Detroit’s 65 offensive snaps, plus five more on special teams. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. did not suit up, landing on the inactive list for the second straight week.
Indianapolis got six tackles, including three solo stops, from Jaylon Carlies in its 33-30 overtime loss to Kansas City. He was on the field for 50 defensive snaps and two special-teams snaps.
Miami’s rookie Kevin Coleman Jr. still hasn’t caught his first regular-season pass. Against San Francisco, he played 27 offensive snaps but did not record a reception. Brady Cook was listed as Miami’s emergency third quarterback for that game.
Carolina’s first win of the season came with Akayleb Evans contributing on both defense and special teams. He had three tackles, two solo, in the Panthers’ 34-3 win over Atlanta, while playing 16 defensive snaps and 18 on special teams.
There were also shorter appearances scattered around the league. Javon Foster played three offensive snaps in Cincinnati’s 20-6 win over Houston.
Ty’Ron Hopper returned for Green Bay and worked 20 special-teams snaps in the Packers’ 20-17 win over the Jets, while Chris McClellan played 34 defensive snaps and five on special teams in that same victory without recording a tackle. Armand Membou was on the field for all 74 offensive snaps and three special-teams snaps in the Jets’ loss.
Harrison Mevis handled the kicking duties for the Rams in their 28-6 win over the Giants on Monday night, making all four extra points, missing his only field-goal attempt and kicking off five times. Darius Robinson played 30 defensive snaps and five on special teams in Arizona’s loss to Seattle.
Zion Young had three tackles, including two solo stops, in Baltimore’s 24-17 loss to New Orleans, his second regular-season appearance. Jordan Elliott recorded one assisted tackle in Tennessee’s 24-20 loss to Philadelphia.
Marcus Bryant and Khalil Jacobs both remained on injured reserve for New England’s matchup with Pittsburgh.
In Other News...
Missouri Faces Its First Real SEC Test In Starkville
Mississippi States 3-0 start has turned a tricky road game into an early-season barometer for Missouri, which heads to Starkville for its SEC opener with both teams still unbeaten. The Bulldogs earned their place in the AP Top 25 after rallying at South Carolina, and now they get their first conference game at home under Jeff Lebby, where the atmosphere should match the stakes.
For Eliah Drinkwitz, it is the kind of September test that reveals more than a box score ever could. Missouri has navigated the nonconference schedule cleanly, but this trip will ask whether the Tigers can handle a ranked opponent that is playing with real confidence, and whether their own start holds up once SEC pressure starts to build. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Hoops Is Finally Back And November Starts Fast
The first official practices are in the books for both Mizzou basketball programs, and the calendar is about to speed up in a hurry. On the womens side, the Tigers are already looking ahead to an exhibition against Lincoln University before the regular season begins against Howard, while the men have started their own prep with exhibition trips to Kansas State and UNLV ahead of a home opener against Cleveland State.
It is the sort of early-November stretch that gives Missouri fans a little bit of everything at once, with basketball season arriving just as the rest of the fall sports calendar keeps moving. Womens golf added to the upbeat tone over the same span, with two players gaining temporary eligibility and senior Addie Dobson earning the first tournament win of her college career. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Faces An SEC Test Built To Rattle Them Early
Missouris SEC opener sends it straight into one of the leagues more unusual road atmospheres, with No. 24 Mississippi State offering the kind of early test that can expose a team before conference play even settles in. The Tigers have spent practice trying to recreate the sound they expect to hear, working through a setting designed to be loud, distracting and as different from home as it gets. For Missouri, the first challenge is simply getting comfortable before the football even starts.
From there, the focus shifts to Kamario Taylor, who gives Mississippi State a dual-threat problem Missouri has to account for on every snap. The Tigers know their defense will need to manage both his playmaking and the Bulldogs receivers while staying composed in a setting built to rattle visiting teams. It is the sort of opener that can tell a lot about a defense early, and Missouri is treating it like a test of poise as much as execution. [Read more 🡒]