NFL Week 2 Performance Recap
Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills
Buffalo blew past the number as 4.5-point home favorites, christening new Highmark Stadium with a 41-31 win over Detroit that crushed the 54.5 total. Josh Allen put on a show in the building's first official game, throwing for 248 yards and three touchdowns while adding two rushing scores and 69 yards on the ground, becoming just the second player in NFL history with multiple games of three-plus passing and two-plus rushing touchdowns. James Cook complemented him with 135 yards and a score, and Buffalo raced to a 27-7 halftime lead before Detroit rallied behind Jared Goff, who found Jahmyr Gibbs for an 11-yard score to trim the deficit. Gibbs was limited to 52 yards on 16 carries in a worrisome workload split, and Detroit's defense has now allowed 71 points and 915 total yards through two games, tied for the second-most first downs surrendered by any team in 75 years. Buffalo opens 2-0 with Joe Brady the first head coach in franchise history to start his tenure that way, while Detroit's defensive issues are quickly becoming the story of its season.
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
Carolina cashed as 2.5-point road favorites in a laugher, routing Atlanta 34-3 as the Panthers' defense buried the 43.5 total with a takeover performance one week after getting torched by Chicago. Devin Lloyd was the story, piling up nine tackles, a sack, two interceptions and three passes defensed — one of his picks set up a Bryce Young touchdown, and he returned a second interception, off rookie replacement Jack Strand, for a touchdown himself. Young was excellent in his own right, throwing for 287 yards and three touchdowns, including two to newly signed Darren Waller, while Cooper Rush was benched in the third quarter after fumbling on Atlanta's first offensive snap and throwing two interceptions. Bijan Robinson managed just 72 rushing yards on a day the Falcons' offense never found a rhythm, and Atlanta opens 0-2 for the first time since 2022 with its quarterback situation in disarray. Carolina improves to 1-1 and firmly answers the bell after last week's defensive collapse.
New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens
New Orleans pulled off the outright upset as 8.5-point road underdogs, rallying from a 10-point deficit to beat Baltimore 24-17 in a game that stayed under the 45.5 total throughout. Tyler Shough shook off a slow start to complete 27 of 34 for 252 yards in the second half alone, hitting Chris Olave for a 21-yard score to tie it before scoring twice himself on quarterback sneaks, the last coming on fourth-and-goal with 1:28 left. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry had briefly put Baltimore in control with a balanced touchdown drive out of the wildcat, and Jackson found Rashod Bateman for a score just before halftime, but the Ravens managed only 17 yards on Henry's five second-half touches and lost their offensive rhythm. Julian Blackmon sealed it with an interception of Jackson's deep ball with 13 seconds left. New Orleans improves to 1-1 on the strength of a scrappy, physical quarterback, while Baltimore's second-half offensive identity crisis is a real concern heading into Week 3.
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
Minnesota blew past the number as 4.5-to-5.5-point road underdogs, winning outright 9-3 in a rain-soaked defensive struggle that buried the 47.5 total a week after these two teams combined for 98 points in their openers. Chicago lost quarterback Caleb Williams to a right hamstring injury in the fourth quarter — a non-contact injury suffered while scrambling — and Isaiah Rodgers blocked what would have been a game-tying Cairo Santos field goal three plays later to seal it. Williams was 15 of 26 for 138 yards with an interception before exiting, while Minnesota's offense was equally muted behind Carson Wentz, with Will Reichard's field goals doing all the scoring. Chicago went 0-for-3 in the red zone and committed two turnovers, and D'Andre Swift's 45 rushing yards were the extent of the offense's answer. Minnesota improves to 2-0 atop the NFC North, while Chicago falls to 1-1 and now waits on imaging to determine the severity of Williams' injury.
Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans
Cincinnati pulled off the upset as 2.5-point road underdogs, riding a suddenly dominant defense to a 20-6 win over Houston that buried the 45.5 total. Joe Burrow found Ja'Marr Chase for two touchdowns — a spectacular 32-yard, toe-drag score and an 18-yard fade — finishing 20 of 31 for 207 yards, while Chase bounced back from a quiet Week 1 with seven catches for 75 yards. The Bengals' revamped defense, anchored by trade acquisition Dexter Lawrence, held Houston to two field goals, stopped all four fourth-down attempts and limited the Texans to 60 rushing yards despite C.J. Stroud throwing for 353 yards. Houston actually outgained Cincinnati 374-267 but couldn't finish, going scoreless in the red zone for long stretches while missing star receiver Nico Collins. Cincinnati improves to 2-0 with a defense that looks completely rebuilt, while Houston drops to 0-2 and risks a repeat of last year's slow start.
Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots
New England cashed comfortably as 5.5-point home favorites, blowing past the 41.5 total with a 20-3 win built on splash plays and a demoralizing Steelers collapse. Drake Maye bounced back from a rough opener with four completions of 20-plus yards — including a 63-yard escape-and-throw to Romeo Doubs — while New England's defense terrorized Aaron Rodgers all afternoon, with Christian Elliss forcing a fumble that flipped field position and Christian Barmore forcing another that Elijah Ponder returned for a touchdown. Rodgers finished 23 of 39 for 187 yards with an interception and four sacks, while Pittsburgh's offensive line was routinely beaten and the run game never got going. New England's defense held Pittsburgh to just 235 yards and 2-of-12 on third downs, evening its record at 1-1 after last week's opening loss, while the Steelers fall to 1-1 with a badly misfiring offense heading into a tougher stretch.
Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cleveland pulled off the outright upset as 8.5-point road underdogs, rallying from a 16-6 deficit to beat Tampa Bay 23-19 in a game delayed over two hours by lightning that still crept over the 41 total. Deshaun Watson outplayed Baker Mayfield in the QB matchup that linked their careers, throwing a tying 55-yard touchdown to Denzel Boston and the eventual game-winner, a 17-yard strike to Blake Whiteheart, in the fourth quarter. Mayfield was efficient for most of the day but threw a costly interception that set up a Browns field goal, and after a two-hour weather delay, his fourth-down heave to Emeka Egbuka in the final seconds fell incomplete to seal it. Cleveland improves to 1-1 in Watson's first win back from a two-time Achilles tear, while Tampa Bay drops to its first 0-2 start in 12 years.
Green Bay Packers at New York Jets
Green Bay covered as 3.5-to-4-point road favorites in overtime, snapping a six-game skid with a penalty-plagued 20-17 win that kept the game well under the 44.5 total. Jordan Love threw two touchdown passes, including a 3-yard strike to Christian Watson that erased a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit, and Trey Smack's 26-yard field goal in overtime sealed it after the Jets' Geno Smith was sacked twice on New York's extra-session possession. The Packers overcame 14 accepted penalties for 133 yards and lost receiver Jayden Reed to a neck injury and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele to a knee injury on consecutive plays in the first quarter. New York, which largely outplayed Green Bay for three quarters and held the Packers to 1-of-9 on third down, couldn't cash in on a 17-7 fourth-quarter lead and fell to 1-1. Green Bay evens its record at 1-1 in an ugly, resilient escape, while the Jets' inability to close out a game they controlled will sting.
Philadelphia Eagles at Tennessee Titans
Tennessee covered as 6.5-to-7-point home underdogs despite the loss, with Philadelphia needing a nine-play, 65-yard drive in the final 1:56 to escape 24-20 in a game that flew over the 39.5 total. Jalen Hurts, who threw two interceptions earlier in the game, found Darius Cooper for a 3-yard, go-ahead score with nine seconds left, set up by a clutch 19-yard, toe-tap catch from DeVonta Smith on third-and-6. Cam Ward answered Tennessee's slow start with two rushing touchdowns and a big-play third quarter, hitting Elic Ayomanor for 41 yards to help set up what looked like a game-sealing field goal with 1:56 left — until Hurts' finishing drive stole it away. Smith finished with 117 yards and a score, while Saquon Barkley was limited to nine yards on four carries after a first-play stinger. Philadelphia survives to open 2-0, while Tennessee's Robert Saleh era starts 0-2 despite a defense that gave the Eagles all they could handle.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos
Denver covered as 2.5-point home favorites, rallying from a 10-point deficit to beat Jacksonville 20-13 in a defensive grind that stayed under the 45.5 total. Jaylen Waddle, acquired in an offseason trade from Miami, caught eight passes for 138 yards in his home debut, including a 49-yard grab that set up the tying score, and Riley Moss's third-quarter interception of Trevor Lawrence flipped the game for good. Bo Nix found Nate Adkins for a touchdown to tie it before Jonah Coleman's short score put Denver ahead, while Jacksonville's Parker Washington (98 yards) was the lone bright spot for an offense that mustered just three second-half points. Lawrence finished with a modest 63.7 passer rating as Denver's defense limited the Jaguars' explosive plays after Jacksonville's fast start. Denver evens its record at 1-1 with its defense carrying the day, while Jacksonville falls to 1-1 with its nine-game win streak snapped.
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers
Las Vegas pulled off the outright upset as 6.5-point road underdogs, riding three Kirk Cousins touchdown passes and a takeover defense to a 26-14 win that stayed under the 43.5 total. Cousins found Cody White twice, including an 11-yard score in the fourth quarter, while the Raiders' defense forced multiple turnovers, with Hezekiah Masses picking off Justin Herbert twice and Nakobe Dean forcing a fumble from Omarion Hampton that Jeremy Chinn recovered late to help ice it. Herbert was under siege for much of the day, and the Chargers' offense stalled repeatedly despite a 53-yard connection to Tre' Harris, falling to 0-2 for the first time since 2023. Las Vegas improves to 2-0 for the first time since 2021 under new coach Klint Kubiak, while Los Angeles heads to Buffalo next week searching for answers on both sides of the ball.
Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys
Dallas covered comfortably as 4-point home favorites, blowing past the 50.5 total with a 37-20 win that saw Dak Prescott break Tony Romo's franchise touchdown-passing record. Prescott completed 26 of 31 for 279 yards and four touchdowns — two apiece to CeeDee Lamb (153 yards) and Jake Ferguson — with the record-breaking 249th touchdown coming in the third quarter. Washington's Jayden Daniels was having a strong day, rushing for 69 yards and throwing a touchdown to Stefon Diggs, before he went down with a left elbow injury late in the second quarter, a huge blow that let Dallas pull away with 17 unanswered points. Marcus Mariota played well in relief, but the Commanders fall to 0-2 with a serious injury cloud hanging over the offense. Dallas evens its record at 1-1 behind a bounce-back night for its passing attack.
Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco crushed the number as 13.5-point home favorites, cruising to a 35-13 win over Miami that flew past the 45.5 total in the 49ers' home opener. Brock Purdy was nearly flawless, completing 20 of 22 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score, and Christian McCaffrey punched in two scores on the ground to become the fourth-fastest player in the Super Bowl era to 100 career touchdowns. George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk each caught touchdown passes as seven different 49ers recorded a reception, while San Francisco's pass rush sacked Malik Willis four times to keep Miami's offense off schedule despite a competitive first-half yardage battle. San Francisco improves to a franchise-best 2-0 start with consecutive 20-plus-point wins, while Miami falls to 0-2 with its rebuild still finding its footing.
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
Seattle blew well past the number as 4-point road favorites, extending its dominance over the NFC West rival with a 31-7 win over Arizona that stayed under the 41 total. Drew Lock, making his first start since 2024 while filling in for the injured Sam Darnold, threw for 235 yards and three touchdowns to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who finished with nine catches, 155 yards and a career-high three scores — including an 82-yard connection on Seattle's second offensive play. Arizona hung around briefly on a Jacoby Brissett touchdown to Trey McBride but was undone by a fumbled kickoff return and a diving Julian Love interception that flipped field position for good in the third quarter. Seattle has now won 10 straight over Arizona dating back to 2022 and closed the game by scoring 24 unanswered points. The defending champions improve to 2-0, while the Cardinals fall to 1-1 and extend their home losing streak to eight games.
Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs
Indianapolis nearly pulled off the upset and covered anyway as 6.5-point road underdogs, but Kansas City escaped with a 33-30 overtime win that flew well over the 46 total behind a game-ending 40-yard Harrison Butker field goal. Patrick Mahomes threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns, and Travis Kelce looked rejuvenated with nine catches for 101 yards and a score, while Kenneth Walker III added 117 rushing yards, including the key overtime gains that set up the winning kick. Indianapolis forced overtime after Daniel Jones led an 8:30 drive capped by a Jonathan Taylor touchdown, and a bizarre would-be game-ending fumble by Laquon Treadwell was overturned on review, giving the Colts one more shot before a fourth-down conversion attempt came up empty. Kansas City improves to 2-0 with back-to-back primetime wins, while Indianapolis drops to 0-2 despite pushing the two-time defending conference favorites to the brink.
Monday Night Preview: New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles closes out Week 2 as a heavy 6.5-to-7-point home favorite — with the total sitting at 47.5 — as the Rams look to bounce back at SoFi Stadium after an embarrassing 27-7 loss to San Francisco in Australia to open the season. Matthew Stafford was uncharacteristically flat in that opener, throwing for just 155 yards with a pick and a 61.2 rating, and Los Angeles will need a return to form against a Giants team riding real momentum after Jaxson Dart's three-touchdown, no-interception performance in John Harbaugh's coaching debut, a 28-20 upset of Dallas. New York generated 394 total yards behind Dart, Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers in that opener, but the Giants also enter banged up in the secondary, having signed two cornerbacks off the street this week after a rash of defensive back injuries — a potential opening for a Rams offense that, oddly, has leaned heavily on 3-tight-end sets rather than attacking through the air. With Los Angeles a lopsided favorite off a bad loss and New York carrying the league's better Week 1 story, this shapes up as a potential trap spot for the home team if Stafford doesn't look sharper than he did in Melbourne.
