Welcome to the Week 2 grades!
The second week of the season is always a big one in the NFL, especially for 0-1 teams. If there's one thing you don't want to do, it's start the season with an 0-2 record. Since the playoffs expanded to 14 teams in 2020, only 6.25% of teams (2 of 32) have bounced back from an 0-2 start to make the postseason.
That's not great news for the Ravens, Bengals, Broncos, Rams, Titans, Giants, Panthers, Colts and Jaguars, all teams that are now 0-2 after losing on Sunday. Of course, the Houston Texans did make the playoffs last season after starting 0-2, so getting to the postseason isn't impossible, but all of these teams have dug themselves into a big hole that won't be easy to get out of.
With that in mind, let's get to the grades.
Atlanta 22-21 over Philadelphia (Monday)
| B+ |  |
| The Falcons offense looked like a jumbled mess in Week 1, but it took a big step forward this week and that was thanks mostly to Bijan Robinson. The running back went off for 122 yards with 97 of those coming on the ground. That took some pressure off of Kirk Cousins who seemed to get more comfortable as the game went on and that showed on Atlanta's game-winning drive. With the Falcons trailing, 21-15, and only 1:40 left to play, Cousins drove the Falcons 70 yards by completing five passes, including the game-winning TD to Drake London with just 34 seconds left. This was the Cousins the Falcons were hoping to see when they handed him a $180 million contract during the offseason. The Falcons defense did struggle at times with Philly's offense, but they came up with multiple big plays, including a fourth-down stop and a game-sealing interception by Jessie Bates III. The Falcons stole this win, and it was one they needed in a big way to avoid 0-2. | |
| B- |  |
| The Eagles late-season collapse might be starting early this year. Philadelphia seemed to have this one in hand, but a dropped pass by Saquon Barkley late in the fourth quarter gave life to the Falcons. Before the drop, Barkley was the star of the game with 106 total yards. Barkley and Jalen Hurts kept the offense humming along with a combined 180 yards on the ground, but despite those numbers, the Eagles still struggled in the red zone. There were three different drives in the game where Philly got inside of Atlanta's 10 without scoring a touchdown. The Eagles defense played reasonably well early in the game before getting diced up for 166 yards by Kirk Cousins in the second half. There was no pass rush and the coverage was nonexistent late in the game, which opened the door for Cousins to lead the comeback. This was a brutal loss, and the Eagles will now need to make sure it doesn't snowball into a losing streak. | |
New Orleans 44-19 over Dallas
| A+ |  |
| New Orleans might actually be for real. After beating up on Carolina in Week 1, there were some questions about whether this team was actually any good, and the Saints seemed to answer all of those on Sunday. Alvin Kamara had a huge day with 180 yards and FOUR touchdowns on 22 touches. Derek Carr was nearly perfect for the second straight week for a high-flying Saints offense that suddenly looks unstoppable. The Saints defense also came up big on a day where they forced two turnovers while also sacking Dak Prescott three times. This looks like a well-rounded team that might not just compete for the NFC South title, but they also might end up competing for the top seed in the NFC. | |
| F |  |
| The Cowboys hype train picked up some steam after Week 1, but it went off the tracks in this game. The Cowboys' vaunted defense had no answers for a Saints offense that scored a touchdown on each of its first five possessions. They couldn't tackle Alvin Kamara, they couldn't cover Rashid Shaheed and they couldn't slow down Derek Carr. The offense also struggled, especially in the red zone, where the Cowboys came up with ZERO touchdowns on three trips. The Cowboys got a reality check on Sunday and the reality is that they might not be one of the top teams in the NFC this year. | |
Tampa Bay 20-16 over Detroit
| A- |  |
| Last year, the Buccaneers season ended with a playoff loss in Detroit. This year, they got some revenge on the Lions. If you want to see what a bend-but-don't-break defense looks like in the NFL, just watch some film of the Buccaneers in this game. The Lions piled up the yardage, but the Bucs kept them out of the end zone for most of the day. The defense came up with multiple big plays, including two interceptions of Jared Goff and two fourth-down stops in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. Offensively, the Buccaneers leaned on Chris Godwin, who hauled in 117 of Baker Mayfield's 185 passing yards. If the Bucs learned anything from this game, it's that they can play with anyone in the NFC. | |
| B- |  |
| The Lions outgained the Buccaneers by more than 200 yards, but they ended up losing because they couldn't score in the red zone. The Lions made seven trips inside of Tampa Bay's 20, but they were only able to come away with one touchdown. Jared Goff also threw an interception just outside the red zone late in the fourth quarter. The Lions defense played well in spurts, especially Aidan Hutchinson, who had 4.5 sacks, but they got burned by Chris Godwin, who went off for 117 yards. The Lions have some kinks they need to work out, but they still seem like one of the best teams in the NFC. | |
Green Bay 16-10 over Colts
| C- |  |
| For the second straight week, Anthony Richardson struggled with his accuracy, and it might have actually cost the Colts the game. Not only did Richardson complete just 50% of his passes (17 of 34), but he also threw three interceptions with two of those coming after the Colts had driven into Green Bay territory. Of course, even if Richardson had played better, the Colts might have still lost because they couldn't stop the run. Indy gave up 261 yards on the ground, which is the most the Colts have surrendered in a game since 2012. At 0-2, the Colts are going to need to quickly get things figured out on offense. | |
| A- |  |
| It looks like the Packers figured out the perfect offensive strategy for winning games without Jordan Love: Run the ball, run the ball and run the ball some more. With Love out, the Packers decided to let Josh Jacobs carry the offense and that plan went to perfection. The running back bulldozed the Colts for 151 yards on a day where the Packers rushed for 261 yards, which was the team's highest rushing total in 21 years. Although Malik Willis wasn't asked to do much, he actually played well when Green Bay needed him to, going 12 of 14 for 122 yards and a touchdown. The Packers defense struggled to stop Jonathan Taylor, but the unit made up for that by picking off Anthony Richardson three times. | |
N.Y. Jets 24-17 over Tennessee
| B |  |
| The Jets' defense and special teams came up with some big plays in this game and then the offense did the rest. Led by Will McDonald, who had four sacks, the Jets defense put constant pressure on Will Levis, who turned the ball over twice. Levis threw a pick in the second quarter, and after that happened, Aaron Rodgers engineered his most impressive drive of the game, which was a 12-play, 73-yard jaunt that ended with a touchdown. Rodgers still looked a little rusty, but Breece Hall was able to take a lot of the heat off his QB by going for 114 yards and a touchdown on 21 touches. This felt like a game the Jets had to have, and they got it, thanks to solid play in all three phases of the game. | |
| C |  |
| The Titans made some of the most embarrassing mistakes of Week 1 and they followed that up by making the same mistakes in Week 2. Last week, there was a blocked punt and an inexplicable turnover by Will Levis, and both those things happened once again against the Jets. The blocked punt led to a Jets field goal while the embarrassing fumble by Levis happened after the Titans had driven down inside of New York's 10-yard line. For the second straight week, the Titans only have themselves to blame for the loss. | |
Minnesota 23-17 over San Francisco
| C |  |
| Brock Purdy has had some issues in his career when he's forced to play from behind, and those issues reared their ugly head in Minnesota. With the 49ers trailing in the second half, Purdy turned the ball over on consecutive possessions with a lost fumble and an interception. The pick set the Vikings up for a 10-yard touchdown drive that essentially iced the win for Minnesota. The 49ers also had two failed fourth downs in the first half where Purdy came up empty. Although Purdy put up some impressive numbers -- he threw for 319 yards -- the 49ers offensive line struggled some with the Vikings pass rush on a day where Purdy was sacked six times. The defense gave up a 97-yard TD to Justin Jefferson and the special teams let the Vikings block a punt. The 49ers simply made too many big mistakes to win this game. | |
| A- |  |
| The Vikings were able to shock the 49ers because they kept coming up with big plays. In the first half, they blocked a punt while also stopping two fourth-down attempts and all of that happened on three straight possessions. Justin Jefferson came up with the biggest play of the game when he caught a 97-yard TD from Sam Darnold that put the Vikings up 10-0. The Vikings piled up more than 400 yards and they did that even though they turned the ball over twice. If Minnesota can clean up some of the small mistakes, they could be a dark-horse contender in the NFC North this year. | |
Seattle 23-20 over New England (OT)
| B+ |  |
| This was the Geno Smith game. The Seahawks QB threw the ball 44 times, which was tied for the second most in his career, and the pass-happy attack actually worked with Smith throwing for 327 yards. It was a breakout game for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who caught 12 passes for 117 yards. DK Metcalf was even better, going off for 129 yards and a touchdown. The Seahawks love to run the ball, but with their rushing attack mostly shut down, they had no problem turning to the pass. The Seahawks haven't looked dominant in their two wins, but in the NFL, there are no bonus points for blowout victories, so Seattle will happily take its 2-0 record heading into Week 3. | |
| B- |  |
| The Patriots pulled off an upset in Week 1, thanks to a strong rushing attack and a great defensive performance, and that formula almost helped them pull off an upset for the second straight week. The Patriots were able to run the ball -- they totaled 185 yards on the ground -- and the defense played reasonably well, but they just didn't get enough help from Jacoby Brissett. The Patriots QB just couldn't get the ball to his wide receivers, who caught just three passes for 19 yards in the game. If New England can get anything resembling a passing game going this year, it might be able to pull off a few surprise wins down the road. | |
Washington 21-18 over N.Y. Giants
| C |  |
| If the Giants had any idea what they were doing at kicker, they might have been able to win this game. Graham Gano was banged up going into Sunday and then he got injured during the game, which ended up causing a huge headache for the Giants. With their punter (Jamie Gillan) handling kicking duties, not only did the Giants miss an extra point, but after the miss, Brian Daboll decided to go for two after their next two touchdowns and the Giants missed both of them. The Giants also had a chance to take the lead by trying a 40-yard field goal with two minutes left, but Daboll chose to go for it because he didn't trust Gillan. The kicking woes overshadowed a somewhat impressive performance for the Giants, especially Malik Nabers, who had a breakout game with 10 catches for 127 yards and a TD. This team is good enough to win games as long as they don't continue to get in their own way. | |
| B |  |
| Some times all you need to win in the NFL is a strong rushing attack and your kicker, which is exactly what the Commanders used to pull out an impressive win on Sunday. Brian Robinson Jr. went off against the Giants, rushing for 133 yards on 17 carries. The Commanders' ability to run the ball was a big reason why they were able to score on every possession they had in the game with the exception of a kneel down before halftime. All of Washington's points came from Austin Seibert, who set the franchise record with seven field goals. The Commanders are now 8-0 over the past 10 years when they rush for at least 200 yards. | |
L.A. Chargers 26-3 over Carolina
| A |  |
| For the second straight week, the Chargers rushing attack steamrolled its opponent, and for the second straight week, that led to a Los Angeles win. The Chargers totaled 219 yards on the ground, and most of that came from J.K. Dobbins, who carried the ball 17 times for 131 yards. With his performance, Dobbins became the Chargers running back since 2006 to open rush for at least 100 yards in each of the first two games of the season. Defensively, the Chargers shut down an overmatched Panthers offense that might be the worst in the NFL. The Chargers new recipe for success -- run the ball and play defense -- is a Jim Harbaugh hallmark that has the L.A. off to its first 2-0 start in 12 years. | |
| F |  |
| The Panthers were the worst team in the NFL last season, they had the worst performance of Week 1 and it doesn't look like much has changed in Week 2. This game was a disaster from start to finish on both offense and defense. The Panthers offense didn't get a first down in this game until there was four minutes left in the second quarter and they didn't convert on a single third-down attempt in the game. It's only Week 2, but it might not be too early to put Carolina on "0-17" watch. | |
Cleveland 18-13 over Jacksonville
| B- |  |
| With all eyes on Deshaun Watson, the Browns QB needed to have a big game on Sunday, and he came through with a big first half. The Browns only had the ball three times in the first half, but they scored on all three possessions and a big reason for that was because Watson was nearly perfect, going 11 of 15 for 108 yards and a rushing touchdown that helped push Cleveland to a 13-3 halftime lead. With the Browns defense playing so well, that was enough to seal the win. The Browns beat up on Trevor Lawrence: Not only did they sack him four times, but he completed less than 50% of his passes. The Browns also had an unsung here in Corey Bojorquez who pinned the Jags inside their own 11 with three straight punts in the second half. The Browns offense was bad in Week 1, but it was better this week and if it continues to improve, Cleveland will be a tough team to beat. | |
| C |  |
| The Jaguars were supposed to have an explosive offense this year, but through two weeks, the unit isn't looking so explosive. The Jaguars were held to 17 points in Week 1 and they couldn't even crack that total in their home opener on Sunday. The Jags seem to fall apart every time they got to the red zone with just one touchdown on four trips inside of Cleveland's 20-yard line. The Jags had two different drives where they got down to the Browns' two-yard line and both drives ended with a field goal. If Trevor Lawrence doesn't get this offense turned around soon, this could be a long season for the Jags. | |
Las Vegas 26-23 over Baltimore
| A- |  |
| Antonio Pierce is probably feeling like a genius for giving the starting QB job to Gardner Minshew. The Raiders overcame a 10-point, and they were able to do that because Minshew caught fire in the fourth quarter. The Raiders QB threw for 126 yards and a TD during a final frame where Las Vegas outscored the Ravens 13-7. Of Minshew's 126 yards, 86 of those went to Davante Adams, who came up with multiple big plays. The Raiders defense also came up big at the end of the game by holding the Ravens scoreless on their final three offensive possessions of the game. This is the kind of upset that could give the Raiders some serious confidence going forward. | |
| B- |  |
| This was a total team loss for the Ravens, who blew a 10-point lead in the second half. Their defense couldn't stop the Raiders in the second half, their offense couldn't move the ball in the fourth quarter and even the normally reliable Justin Tucker might not be reliable anymore, at least from long range. The Ravens kicker missed a 56-yard field goal and is now just 1 of 7 on his past seven attempts of 50 yards or longer. Everything is falling apart in Baltimore, and with the Cowboys on deck next week, 0-3 isn't out of the question for Baltimore. | |
Arizona 41-10 over L.A. Rams
| F |  |
| We're only two weeks into the season and the Rams have already been decimated by injuries. Los Angeles was down two starters on the offensive line this week and it definitely showed. The line was completely overpowered by a Cardinals defense that sacked Matthew Stafford five times. Even if the line was healthy, though, the Rams might have still lost because their defense had no answers for Arizona's offense. The Rams were down 21-0 before they even got their first first down. The Rams were a playoff hopeful heading into the 2024 season, but things already feel like they're falling apart for this team. | |
| A+ |  |
| The Cardinals might have the most underrated offense in the NFL, but it won't be underrated anymore after what they did to the Rams. Kyler Murray finished with a perfect passer rating after going 17 of 21 for 266 yards and three touchdowns. The bigger news for Arizona is that Marvin Harrison Jr. finally had his first catch of the season. The rookie receiver exploded onto the scene with four catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns. The Cardinals also rushed for 231 yards on a day where they almost piled up 500 yards of total offense. The Cardinals looked good in Week 1 and they looked even better in Week 2. This might end up being the surprising team of 2024. | |
Pittsburgh 13-6 over Denver
| B |  |
| When you put a Mike Tomlin defense up against a rookie quarterback, the Steelers tend to dominate and that's exactly what happened in this game. The defense suffocated Bo Nix: The Broncos had 11 possessions and seven of those ended with a three-and-out or an interception. The Steelers offense wasn't flashy, but Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren kept things humming along by combining to average more than 4 yards per carry. Over the past few years, no team has perfected the art of winning ugly quite like the Steelers and they continued that trend with this victory in Denver. | |
| C- |  |
| If the Broncos offense is going to be successful this season, Bo Nix is definitely going to need some help from his rushing attack, but he definitely didn't get that against the Steelers. Denver's running backs combined for just 39 yards on 15 carries, which left things up to Nix to win this game and that's not what you want when you're facing the Steelers defense. Although the rookie struggled for most of the game, he actually had a big fourth quarter with 115 passing yards and if you're the Broncos, that's what you want to see: Nix looked better than he did last week and as long as he continues to improve, the Broncos might finally start to win some games. Defensively, the Broncos only surrendered 62 yards in the second half, but the effort went for nothing because the offense couldn't score. | |
Kansas City 26-25 over Cincinnati
| B |  |
| The Bengals looked like a completely different team from the one that got shocked by the Patriots in Week 1, but they still lost and they lost because they shot themselves in the foot one too many times. Joe Burrow threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns, but he also lost a fumble that the Chiefs returned for a score in the fourth quarter. The Bengals defense played reasonably well, but that was overshadowed by the fact that safety Daijahn Anthony bailed the Chiefs out on fourth-and-16 by getting called for pass interference at the end of the game. Evan McPherson came up huge with four field goals, but he also missed an extra point in the second half that was the difference in the one-point loss. The Bengals played well enough to win, but that doesn't matter when you end up losing. The Bengals are now 0-2 for the third straight season. | |
| B |  |
| The Chiefs definitely didn't bring their "A" game, but when you have Patrick Mahomes, you don't always need your "A" game to win. Mahomes made some uncharacteristic mistakes, including a second-half interception, but he rebounded by setting up Harrison Butker's game-winning field goal on the final play. The Chiefs defense struggled at times, but Chamarri Conner made up for that when he made the biggest play of the game by returning a Joe Burrow fumble 38 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs took the Bengals' best shot and they came out on top even though they didn't play their best, which is what championship football teams do. | |
Houston 19-13 over Chicago
| C+ |  |
| It's hard enough to try and win in the NFL with a rookie QB and it's almost impossible when that rookie is under siege for four straight quarters. Caleb Williams played much better than he did in Week 1, but the Bears offensive line appeared to take a step back. Williams faced pressure nearly every time he dropped back to pass and that pressure caused problems for Chicago with the rookie QB throwing two interceptions while also getting sacked seven times. Despite the offensive woes, the Bears were able to stay in this game thanks to a gutsy performance from a defense that surrendered just three points in the second half. Moral victories mean nothing in the NFL, but the Bears went toe to toe with one of the best teams in the AFC, which is nothing to be ashamed of. | |
| B- |  |
| When the Texans play, all eyes are on C.J. Stroud, but it was Houston's defense that was the dominant force in this game. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, who both recorded 1.5 sacks, led a defense that terrorized Caleb Williams to the tune of seven sacks. The opportunistic Texans defense also came away with two interceptions in the second half to shut down any hopes that Chicago might have had of a comeback. Offensively, the Texans didn't light up the scoreboard, but Stroud and Nico Collins did have a connection that the Bears couldn't stop (Collins had eight catches for 135 yards). If the Texans proved one thing on Sunday night, it's that they're just as good on the defensive side of the ball as they are on the offensive side, which makes them a scary team in 2024. | |
Buffalo 31-10 over Miami (Thursday)
| A- |  |
| The Bills have won six straight games against the Dolphins and when they win, it's usually because of Josh Allen, but on Thursday, the Bills QB essentially got the night off. The Bills rode their defense to the win and they also got some big help from James Cook on the offensive side of the ball. Cook had a breakout game that saw him total 95 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 touches. Cook was the offensive spark on a night when the Bills didn't need Allen to go off (He threw for 139 yards and rushed for just two). Defensively, the Bills beat up on Miami's speedy offense. The defense picked off Tua Tagovailoa three times, with two of those coming from Ja'Marcus Ingram, who had a pick-six in the third quarter. Sean McDermott just seems to be one step ahead of Mike McDaniel at all times whenever these two teams play. The Bills have won five straight AFC East titles, and with this win, they proved that the division title is once again going to go through Buffalo. | |
| D |  |
| This was an ugly performance from top-to-bottom, starting with Mike McDaniel, who was completely out-coached by Sean McDermott. The Dolphins' offense sputtered against the Bills defense with Tua Tagovailoa throwing three interceptions, including an ugly pick-six in the third quarter. The other two picks weren't Tua's fault, but they happened because the Dolphins passing game was out of sync (Tyreek Hill has just three catches for 24 yards). Besides the turnovers, the Dolphins offense also failed on four big fourth down plays and they only scored a touchdown on one of their four trips to the red zone. Basically, every time the Dolphins needed to come up with a big play, they couldn't do it. The Dolphins defense actually held the Bills to under 250 yards, but that effort went to waste, because Miami couldn't do anything on offense | |
