The NFL had its share of players who scorched the statbook in Week 2. Among them were a Super Bowl MVP who continues to roll, a former league MVP running back whose comeback has caught fire and a wide receiver who's still getting the job done in his 12th season.
Here are three playmakers who filled up the box score Sunday:
Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
Brady has not slowed down since winning his appeal of a four-game suspension to start the season. After lighting up the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, the 38-year-old put on an encore performance in a 40-32 win over the Buffalo Bills. He completed 38 of 59 passes for 466 yards and three touchdowns. Brady did not throw an interception for the second straight week, and he spread the ball around well with Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Dion Lewis and Aaron Dobson each recording at least six receptions and 87 yards.
Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Peterson's comeback got off to an anticlimactic start, as he produced just 31 yards on 10 carries during Minnesota's embarrassing Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He handled a much heavier workload in a 26-16 win over the Detroit Lions this Sunday, with 29 carries for 134 rushing yards (4.6 yards per carry). On top of that, Peterson caught two passes for 58 yards. The determined back's 192 yards from scrimmage were two thirds of the Vikings' total offensive output in Week 2. The only thing he didn't do was find the end zone.
Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are quietly dominating opponents, and Fitzgerald is still powering the offense at age 32. In a 48-23, blowout victory over the Chicago Bears, he caught eight receptions for 112 yards and scored a hat-trick of touchdowns. The 32-year-old pass catcher is a favorite target of Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer. Now that Palmer has returned from an ACL injury, the Palmer-Fitzgerald connection could be one we hear about often this season.
