New England Patriots' Tom Brady, Kansas City Chiefs' Kareem Hunt, Denver Broncos' Trevor Siemian, Arizona Cardinals' Tyrann Mathieu and Miami Dolphins' Cody Parkey each had the strength to come through during a key moment and contribute to wins during Week 2.
Thanks to those strong performances, each player is up for Castrol EDGE Clutch Performer of the Week honors. Here's a deeper look at the significance of those conquests:
Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Strong stats to consider:
» Brady bounced back from completing less than 45 percent of his passes in Week 1 and being shut out of the end zone to put up points in a hurry in Week 2.
» All three of Brady's touchdowns came in an explosive first quarter. He also hooked up with teammate Rob Gronkowski for the tight end's 69th career touchdown.
Power of the moment: The Patriots spent nine days hearing how there might be cracks in their foundation, and promptly put those concerns to bed in shredding the Saints' defense. Brady and the Patriots now roll into Week 3 primed for another outburst, this time at home, against the Texans. So much for being worried.
Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs
Strong stats to consider:
» Hunt broke out in a big way in Week 1, and proved he wasn't a fluke with his two touchdowns in Week 2.
» Hunt is the first player in NFL history to have three-plus rushing touchdowns and two-plus receiving touchdowns in his first two career games, and is the third player in NFL history to score a 50-plus-yard scrimmage touchdown in each of his first two games.
Power of the moment: Hunt's second touchdown, a 2-yard run, essentially put the game out of reach for the Eagles, who fought back but ultimately came up short on a last-ditch effort. Hunt's first score was an even bigger play, a 53-yard, third-quarter scamper that regained the lead for Kansas City in a close contest.
Trevor Siemian, Denver Broncos
Strong stats to consider:
» Siemian tied a career high with four touchdown passes.
» Siemian is 5-0 as a starter in September, posting a 100.2 passer rating, a 66.2 completion percentage and an 11-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Power of the moment: Siemian sliced and diced early and often, leading a Broncos offense that looked much more effective in Week 2 than it did in Week 1. He can thank his rushing attack that churned up 178 yards -- C.J. Anderson led that group with 118 yards on 25 carries -- for helping balance an ofense that also featured Siemian compelting passes to eight different receivers. There wasn't so much a moment as there was a collective effort that allowed Denver to take an early lead that it rode to victory.
Tyrann Mathieu, Arizona Cardinals
Power of the moment: On the first play of the overtime period, Mathieu cut in front of a pass from Jacoby Brissett, intercepting the attempt and immediately setting up the Cardinals in range for the game-winning field goal, which Phil Dawson nailed moments later.
Cody Parkey, Miami Dolphins
Strong stats to consider:
» Parkey made all four of his field goal attempts on Sunday, accounting for 12 of Miami's 19 points
» Parkey's last attempt, from 54 yards, served as the eventual game winner, spoiling the Chargers' debut in Los Angeles.
Power of the moment: Parkey lined up from 54 yards out in the final 75 seconds of the game and a one-point deficit staring him directly in the face. He didn't flinch, drilling a kick that snuck inside the left upright as it passed over the crossbar, good for a two-point lead and eventual win after Los Angeles' Younghoe Koo missed his last-second attempt.
