Week 2 in the NFL is always a tale of two sides.
Half the league has illusions that an undefeated season could be in the cards, while the other half is staring the dreaded 0-2 start right in the face.
Now, an 0-2 start is by no means a death sentence. With plenty of teams not playing any of their starters in the pre-season these days, it often takes some time to get up to speed and there is still a lot of football to be played.
However, it certainly does ramp up the pressure to get things sorted and drastically slims the margin for error for the remainder of the season. Stating the obvious, it’s best just to avoid it altogether if possible.
So, to get you set for the Week 2 slate, we take a look at a few teams that could really use a win, one game to watch and a few picks we are eyeing.
Bengals looking to avoid another slow start
The Cincinnati Bengals are no stranger to starting the season in a hole. In six seasons under head coach Zac Taylor, the Bengals are 1-5 in Week 1 games.
But this year’s was especially concerning. Not only did their loss to the New England Patriots ruin survivor pool picks everywhere and bring QB Joe Burrow’s career record in the month of September to 6-8-1, it also was full of troubling signs.
Cincinnati managed just 224 yards of total offence against a New England team that many predicted to be near the bottom of the standings come season’s end.
Granted, they didn’t have wide receiver Tee Higgins, star wideout Ja’Marr Chase had barely practised all off-season because he’s looking for a new deal and Burrow was playing in his first game since Week 11 of last season.
Still, if the Bengals want to be considered serious contenders, they should’ve been able to do more in Week 1 against a rebuilding New England squad with a brand new head coach.
Unfortunately for Burrow and Co., Week 2 brings the ultimate test as a date with the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs awaits.
They also decided not to do themselves any favours as Bengals defensive back Cam Taylor-Britt said this week that he wasn’t very impressed with Chiefs rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy.
“Speed. That’s about it. He can run straight,” Taylor-Britt told reporters when asked about Worthy, who scored two touchdowns for the Chiefs in Week 1. “Run jet sweeps and just run straight. Can’t do too much else.”
Bold move.
We will see if Patrick Mahomes and Worthy make Taylor-Britt eat his words, or if the Bengals can prove Week 1 was just an aberration.
A Giant problem
As we mentioned in this season’s NFC Preview, this could be Daniel Jones’ swan song with the New York Giants. And if his Week 1 performance was any indication, it could be coming to an end much sooner than anticipated.
Jones and the Giants were dismantled by a young Minnesota Vikings team that was starting journeyman QB Sam Darnold.
They managed to score just six points, Jones threw no TDs and two interceptions and has now thrown more pick-sixes (three) than touchdowns since the Giants started paying him $40 million a season in 2023.
Week 2 does bring a chance for Jones to quiet some of the doubters as the Giants take on the rebuilding Washington Commanders.
But if the Giants come out of Washington winless, they could be the first team already looking ahead to next year’s NFL Draft.
Aaron Rodgers survived Week 1, now it’s time to win
Goal number one for New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers was to make it through Week 1 unscathed. He did just that, albeit in a loss to the powerhouse San Fransisco 49ers.
But Rodgers is 40 years old, and despite what he may say, his time in the league is nearing its end. He was brought in to help the Jets compete for a Super Bowl and they need to start winning games to make that happen.
The Tennesse Titans bring the perfect opportunity to find the win column and get New York’s season rolling.
Rodgers showed flashes of his old self in Week 1, but his stat line was a very underwhelming 13-of-21 for 167 yards with one touchdown and one interception. And losing to the 49ers is nothing to hang your head about, as most suffer the same fate.
But if the Jets lose to a Titans team with tons of offensive question marks of their own, talk about whether Rodgers is actually the man to lead the Jets back to the promised land is going to get louder than the Jets want this early in the season.
Other teams who could use a win badly: Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons
Game of the Week: Buccaneers @ Lions, 1 p.m. ET
The Chiefs-Bengals game will surely dominate a lot of TV screens on Sunday, but let’s not ignore a rematch of the Divisional Round from last season in the early window.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into Detroit looking for some revenge against a Lions team that beat them 31-23 en route to the NFC Championship.
Both teams come into Week 2 1-0 after impressive showings in their opening games — the Buccaneers with a dominant 37-20 win over the Commanders and the Lions an OT win over old friend Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.
The Buccaneers are severely banged up on defence, which could cause issues against a balanced Lions attack that didn’t even get their best offensive weapon going Week 1 in wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (three receptions for 13 yards in Week 1).
Can Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay offence score enough points to keep pace with the Lions and help out their battered defence, or will Detroit continue to show they are a team to be reckoned with in the NFC?
Forrest’s Favourites (all odds courtesy of BetMGM):
Buccaneers vs. Lions — Pick: Buccaneers +7.5 (-110): As mentioned above, the Buccaneers come into this game with a chip on the shoulder. We like them to at least keep the game within a touchdown.
Rams vs. Cardinals — Pick: Rams moneyline (+100): In a game that’s basically a pick-em, we lean with the Rams and their head coach Sean McVay, who is 13-2 all-time against the Cardinals.
Chargers vs. Panthers — Pick: Under 39 (-110): In Week 1, The Panthers showed their offence led by Bryce Young is still a major work in progress and the Chargers won by running the ball. Expect the clock to run and not a lot of points on the board.
Full Week 2 Schedule (all times Eastern):
Thursday, Sept. 12
Bills 31, Dolphins 10
Sunday, Sept. 15
Las Vegas Raiders at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m.
Los Angeles Chargers at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m.
New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys, 1 p.m.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m.
Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m.
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m.
San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m.
Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots, 1 p.m.
New York Jets at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m.
New York Giants at Washington Commanders, 1 p.m.
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m.
Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m.
Chicago Bears at Houston Texans, 8:20 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 16
Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:15 p.m.