One week after a historic scoring Sunday, NFL defenses stepped up in Week 2.
Offenses across the league struggled with turnovers, missed kicks and inclement weather. Some teams are still in position to contend, while others dropped to 0-2 as the danger zone creeps closer.
What teams and players were the standouts this Sunday? And who fell flat with underwhelming performances?
Here are the winners and losers from Week 2:
WINNER: Brian Flores and the Vikings
All the talk after Week 1 was about the Chicago Bears‘ offense.
Seven days later, it’s still the main talking point — but for all the wrong reasons. The Bears had more penalties than first downs in the first half. They had just three points in three quarters. And they lost quarterback Caleb Williams to a non-contact injury late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Williams is the main concern for Chicago, obviously. But before the injury, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores was having his way with Ben Johnson’s prolific offense. Williams was 15 of 26 for 138 yards and an interception, and Tyson Bagent’s last-second comeback attempt fell short when the defense got its fourth sack. Carson Wentz and the Vikings are now 2-0 with upset wins over two division rivals to open the season.
LOSER: Wet weather woes
Rain across the country made for some ugly moments — notably in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Chicago.
The New England Patriots wore down the Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-3, in a defensive battle. The Patriots, now 1-1, had two turnovers and a missed field goal, but Aaron Rodgers just couldn’t move the ball — unable to reach the red zone until late in the fourth. A strip-sack returned for a touchdown by Elijah Ponder put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter after it was 10-3 at halftime.
Over at MetLife Stadium, the Green Bay Packers scored 13 unanswered points to defeat the New York Jets 20-17 in overtime. Aaron Glenn’s defense suffocated Matt LaFleur’s offense for most of the game, forcing six punts and a fumble on Green Bay’s first eight drives. But the Jets’ offense couldn’t capitalize, with no drives over 25 yards in the fourth quarter or overtime to give the game away.
The Vikings and Bears game at Soldier Field had the worst weather of all, and it showed. The contest featured just 12 total points, no touchdowns, and the unfortunate injury to Williams (potentially due to the wet surface).
WINNER: Bengals defense delivers again to lead AFC North
The Cincinnati Bengals took early control of their division in Week 2.
Ja’Marr Chase reminded everyone why he’s one of the league’s best receivers, making one of the wildest grabs you’ll ever see (watch below). He had just two catches for 12 yards in Week 1, but the Houston Texans couldn’t stop him on Sunday — seven catches, 75 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-6 victory. The Bengals’ new-look defense held the Texans to 5 for 17 on third-down and sacked C.J. Stroud four times.
Cincinnati is the only undefeated team in the AFC North after losses by the aforementioned Steelers and, surprisingly, the Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson’s squad led the New Orleans Saints 14-6 at halftime before the tide turned. Tyler Shough once again led the Saints on a second-half surge, ending with a touchdown rush in the final minutes and an interception by Julian Blackmon to seal the 24-17 win.
LOSER: Titans upset bid falls short
The Tennessee Titans nearly pulled off a stunning upset against the Philadelphia Eagles — but Jalen Hurts wouldn’t let it happen.
With his team trailing 20-17 in the final two minutes, Hurts marched the Eagles down the field before connecting with Darius Cooper on a go-ahead touchdown with nine seconds left. It was an up-and-down day for the Eagles’ QB, with two touchdowns and two interceptions against the lowly Titans, but he got the job done in the clutch.
The Titans played much better in their second game under Robert Saleh, but the defense couldn’t hold up in the end. Cam Ward rushed for two touchdowns and didn’t turn the ball over, an improvement from Week 1. While it was a positive step compared to last Sunday, Tennessee will be disappointed that it couldn’t finish the game off.
LOSER: Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks
It was another putrid offensive performance for the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2.
With third-string quarterback Cooper Rush starting again, head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense had four turnovers in the 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Rush went 10 of 17 for 86 yards and two interceptions before being benched in the third quarter for undrafted rookie Jack Strand (who threw a pick-6 on his first pass). With a short week ahead on Thursday Night Football against the Packers, the Falcons desperately need Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa to get healthy.
On the other side, Bryce Young and the Panthers’ offense rolled through another opponent. They scored 37 against the Bears and then 34 against the Falcons, with Young going 23 of 36 for 287 yards and three touchdowns. At 1-1, Carolina has arguably been the most impressive NFC South team through two weeks.
WINNER: Cleveland Browns weather the delay
The Tampa Bay-Cleveland game in Florida was about two minutes away from finishing before a lightning and weather delay suspended the action. Two hours later, the Browns held on for a 23-19 win after Baker Mayfield’s fourth-down throw fell incomplete.
Deshaun Watson led the Browns with 24 of 30 completions, 238 yards, two touchdowns and no picks as Cleveland earned its first win. Tampa Bay is 0-2 after extending Mayfield to a lucrative deal.
LOSER: Chargers shocked again
The Los Angeles Chargers could be in serious trouble. Justin Herbert was outplayed by Kirk Cousins as the Las Vegas Raiders moved to 2-0 thanks to a 26-14 win. Herbert had three of the offense’s six total fumbles, though only one was lost.
Las Vegas is playing like a new-look team that has energy under a new head coach, but it’s looking completely different for the Chargers. It’s another season of key injuries early, a stale offense despite high expectations and more disappointing results. Looking at their upcoming schedule and there’s no reason to be optimistic that things will turn around.
WINNER: Brock Purdy leads rout of Dolphins
Purdy, Purdy good. Any concerns about Australia jet lag were dismissed as the San Francisco 49ers cruised to a 35-13 home win over the Miami Dolphins. Malik Willis threw a 77-yard garbage-time score to flatter the scoreline.
Purdy threw for 287 yards, two touchdowns and no picks with only two incompletions (20 of 22). He also ran in a score, too. It was a typical dominant Kyle Shanahan game against a rebuilding team, but there are more injury concerns as Mike Evans and Demarcus Robinson both couldn’t continue.
LOSER: Commanders lose Jayden Daniels again
The Washington Commanders lost their QB1 to a season-ending dislocated elbow injury last season. It might happen again this year, as Daniels could not continue after hurting the same elbow in frustrating fashion. Marcus Mariota failed to keep up with the Dallas Cowboys, who went on to win 37-20.
Dak Prescott’s four touchdowns helped him become the Cowboys’ all-time leader in passing scores to get his side to 1-1. Washington is now 0-2.
WINNER: Seahawks thrive without Sam Darnold
Seattle had the perfect opponent to earn a win without its QB1. Drew Lock stepped up and threw three touchdowns, all to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The star wideout accumulated 155 receiving yards on nine catches.
It was the opposite story for the veteran Jacoby Brissett, as the Cardinals’ QB1 mustered just 95 passing yards in the 31-7 loss. Jeremiyah Love was held to 29 rushing yards on nine carries, while Marvin Harrison Jr. continues to struggle.
LOSER: Broncos halt Trevor Lawrence’s form
Denver faced the possibility of going to 0-2 after an AFC Championship Game berth. But a 14-0 rally in the fourth quarter salvaged the situation, as the Broncos won 20-13 over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Trevor Lawrence had plenty of eyes after a four-touchdown outing last week, but he was kept in check by an elite Denver defense. He mustered just 189 passing yards and a pick on 17 of 29 completions. How he responds will be key to Jacksonville’s ceiling.
Jaylen Waddle enjoyed a great bounce-back showing, popping off for eight catches and 138 yards.
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