By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — You never want to say the second game of the NFL season is a must win, but when you enter Week 2 winless like the Raiders at (0-1), this was a must win game, and Oakland did just that with a epic 37-33 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, who drop to (0-2).

Here are my three takeaways from Oakland’s impressive win Sunday in front of Raider Nation at O.co Coliseum:

1. Derek Carr grew up today in front of our very eyes. After throwing an interception late in the fourth quarter that led to the Ravens’ go-ahead field goal by Justin Tucker from 31 yards out with 2:10 left, Carr stepped up when it counted the most. The Raiders’ young signal-caller completed 7-of-9 passes for 65 yards passing, culminating in a 12-yard touchdown pass to backup wide receiver Seth Roberts with 26 seconds to go. If it weren’t for a holding penalty by safety Will Hill III that was negated before the touchdown, Carr and the Raiders would’ve lost after squandering a 30-20 lead in the fourth quarter. Carr, who connected with 10 different receivers, completed 30-of-46 passes for 351 yards, three touchdowns (all on 80-yard plus drives) and the lone interception. Carr, along with head coach Jack Del Rio, received game balls.
2. Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper balled out. After just catching 10 passes for 84 yards receiving and no touchdowns in their debuts in the Raiders’ 33-13 loss to Cincinnati in Week 1, Crabtree and Cooper took advantage of Baltimore’s cornerbacks, combining for 16 catches for 220 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Cooper hauled in seven catches for 109 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter on the Raiders’ opening drive of the game. Crabtree finished with nine catches for 111 yards, and a 29-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
3. Oakland’s pass defense still has some holes, but made plays when it counted. Defensive coordinator Ken Norton and his guys are still giving up big plays down the middle of the field. Baltimore starting quarterback Joe Flacco threw for 384 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception on 32-of-45 passing. Ravens’ wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. caught 10 passes for 150 yards receiving, wide receiver Kamar Aiken finished with five catches and 89 yards receiving, and tight end Crockett Gillmore had five catches and 88 yards and two touchdowns. Oakland did force two Baltimore turnovers (a fumble), including the game-sealing interception by safety Neiko Thorpe in the fourth quarter.

Who’s next: Cleveland (1-1) at FirstEnergy Stadium, Sunday, 10:00 a.m. PT, CBS

If you started Browns’ wide receiver Travis Benjamin in your fantasy football league today, odds are you had (depending on if you got players starting in the Jets/Colts game on Monday Night Football), a very good day in your match up.

Benjamin scored on the Browns’ second play from scrimmage in the first quarter when starting quarterback Johnny Manziel  connected with the the fourth-year wide receiver from Miami for a 60-yard touchdown. Benjamin was dangerous on special teams too, returning a punt 78 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.

Benjamin, who finished with three catches for 115 yards receiving (and 29 fantasy points according to ESPN Fantasy Football) in Cleveland’s home opener Sunday, caught a 50-yard touchdown with 2:52 left in the fourth quarter for his second touchdown of the day, giving Cleveland a 28-14 victory over the visiting Tennessee Titans.

In two games this season, Benjamin may just have six catches, but three of them have gone for touchdowns (second behind New England tight end Rob Gronkowski’s four touchdowns), and is fourth in the NFL with 204 receiving yards.

Manziel, who started for the injured Josh McCown, completed 8-of-15 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Manziel is expected to remain the Browns’ backup once McCown is healthy to play. McCown suffered a concussion in Cleveland’s 31-10 Week 1 loss to the Jets in New York.

But after Manziel’s performance where he didn’t throw an interception, how does Browns’ head coach Mike Pettine not start Manziel again in front of the home crowd even if McCown is healthy next week against visiting Oakland?

Cleveland’s defense had a monster day against Tennessee, sacking Titans’ rookie starting quarterback Marcus Mariota 6.5 times, and forcing four fumbles (three by Mariota, and one by running back Terrance West), recovering three fumbles.

Glued to the Tube Roundup for Week 2: The Four Must See Games for Week 2 by #TheFootballJunkie

Another 2-2 record for the #TheFootballJunkie (thanks to wins by the Patriots and Packers, but loses by the Chiefs and Eagles), pushing my overall season record to (4-4).

Manning, Broncos hold court over Chiefs with late charge, win 31-24 Thursday night

Broncos’ starting quarterback Peyton Manning, who was being sent to the glue factory by just about everyone in the media (me not included), reminded naysayers that he is still one of the greatest regular season quarterbacks of all time, throwing for 256 yards passing, three touchdowns and an interception against Kansas City.

Manning, who completed 26-of-45 passes, threw a game-tying 19-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders with 36 seconds left. Manning improved to 7-0 as the starting quarterback for Denver (2-0), who sit atop the AFC West early in the season after their Thursday night victory at Arrowhead Stadium.

But it was cornerback Bradley Roby who had the biggest play of the game, recovering Chiefs’ running back Jamaal Charles’ second fumble of the game and scampering 21 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Charles rushed for 125 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown, but his two fumbles were costly.

So too were Kansas City (1-1) starting quarterback Alex Smith’s two interceptions. Smith finished 16-of-25 for 191 yards passing, but was mainly ineffective all night after throwing three touchdowns in Kansas City’s 27-20 Week 1 win at Houston.

Denver’s defense as a whole, forced five Chiefs’ turnovers.

Brady’s big day helps Patriots defeat upstart Bills, 40-32

New England (2-0) starting quarterback Tom Brady destroyed the Bills through the air, throwing for 466 yards (his second-most in game for his career), and three touchdowns leading the visiting Patriots past a vaunted Buffalo defense, 40-32, Sunday in an unexpected high scoring affair for first place in the AFC East.

Brady, who completed 38-of-59 passes, tossed two touchdowns to wide receiver Julian Edelman in the first and third quarters, and one to tight end Rob Gronkowski in the second quarter.

Edelman finished with 11 catches for 97 yards, while Gronkowski caught seven passes for 113 yards.

Bills (1-1) starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor held his own versus the reigning Super Bowl Champions, completing 23-of-30 passes for 242 yards, three touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions.

With the win, Brady improves to 24-3 against the Bills in which he threw for the most yards in any game against Buffalo. New England has won 27 of their last 30 games against the Bills.

Cowboys stave off Eagles, 20-10, but lose Romo for 8 weeks with fractured collarbone

The NFC East-leading Dallas Cowboys (2-0) are looking more like a walking M.A.S.H. unit than a team that is in first place.

First, wide receiver Dez Bryant is gone for 10-12 weeks (even though Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett believes that to be a stretch) after having successful foot surgery.

Now starting quarterback Tony Romo will be lost for upwards of 8 weeks after suffering a broken left collarbone in Dallas’ 20-10 victory over the Eagles in Philadelphia Sunday. Romo suffered a similar injury in Week 7 in 2010 and missed the rest of the season.

Backup quarterback Brandon Weeden threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Terrance Williams in the fourth quarter to help Dallas overcome a franchise-record 18 penalties for 142 yards.

It was Dallas’ 10th straight road victory.

Former Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray managed just two yards on 13 carries in his first game against his former team. The reigning NFL rushing champion has rushed for just 11 yards on 21 carries (0.5 rushing yards per attempt) in two games with Philadelphia (0-2).

At this point last season, Murray rushed for 285 yards on 51 carries and two touchdowns (5.5 rushing yards per attempt) with Dallas.

Rodgers, Packers get the best of Wilson and Seahawks, 27-17

Packers starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 25-of-33 passes for 249 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, helping the Packers enact some revenge on Seattle 27-17 on Sunday Night Football at Lambeau Field.

Rodgers, found tight end Richard Rodgers (no relation) for the go-ahead, five-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. The touchdown capped off a 10-play, 80-yard drive in 6:16. Rodgers also caught a 2-point conversion that gave Green Bay (2-0) a 24-17 lead with 9:28 left in the fourth quarter.

Seattle starting quarterback Russell Wilson finished 19-of-30 passes for two touchdowns, help erase a 13-3 Packers’ lead, but threw an interception to defensive end Jayrone Elliot (who snagged Wilson’s pass with one hand), with 6:50 left in the fourth quarter to essentially ice the game for Green Bay.

At (0-2), Seattle sits in the basement of the NFC West, the division that they’ve won the past two seasons.

Joe Hawkes-Beamon is a columnist for Sports Radio Service. Follow him on Twitter @JLHB510 and Facebook #TheFootballJunkie