NFC studs of the week: Goff uncorks five TDs, Warner wrecks shop, Aubrey drills history

The NFC rolled out a three-pack of headliners in Week 2—a laser show at QB, a clinic at linebacker, and a kicker who split the uprights from the next zip code:

Offense: QB Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Goff was purring at 156.0 passer rating efficiency: 23-of-28 passing (82.1%), 334 yards, and a five-TD masterpiece as the Lions roared to an NFL-high 52 points. He now owns five career starts with his team scoring 50+, putting him in rare air with only Brady, Brees, and Dawson ahead. In Detroit’s high-octane offense, Goff is the cool-hand conductor turning drives into end-zone encores.

Defense: LB Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers’ heartbeat did it all in New Orleans: 11 tackles, a pass breakup, forced fumble, and fumble recovery—a stat line he also authored back in 2020. It’s Warner’s fourth Defensive Player of the Week award and the latest chapter in a career built on perfect angles and ferocious finishes. When the Niners need a stop, Warner’s the metronome that keeps the whole defense on beat.

Special Teams: K Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys

Aubrey went 4-for-4 on field goals and 4-for-4 on PATs, but the headline is a double walk-off: a 64-yard game-tying FG at the buzzer of regulation—the third-longest in NFL history—followed by a 46-yard game-winner with no time left in OT. It’s his fourth Special Teams Player of the Week, and it reads like a comic book: the Cowboys rode a kicker with superhero range to lasso the Giants in dramatic fashion.