WAS (1-0) @ GB (1-0)
Thursday, September 11 | 8:15 PM ET | Prime Video
The first Thursday Night Football game of the season feels like a possible playoff preview, as Washington and Green Bay both won in the trenches—on both sides of the ball—in Week 1, and the star power is there for each roster. Jordan Love still needs to show he can play his best in January for the Packers to reach their ceiling as a team, but he wasn’t really touched in the win over Detroit, and quality depth on the offensive line can help overcome Aaron Banks (ankle/groin) and Zach Tom (oblique) likely being out. The Commanders have a more veteran group with Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel Sr., Zach Ertz, and Austin Ekeler as the primary pass-catchers for Daniels, but rookie runner Bill Croskey-Merritt impressed in his NFL debut (10 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown) to give more balance to the Washington offense. On the offensive line, I’m excited to see how first-round pick Josh Conerley Jr. does against Micah Parsons after holding up well enough versus the Giants in the opener. If the Green Bay pass rush can generate pressure while keeping Daniels contained and don’t allow Samuel to get into the open field, I like their chances of starting 2-0 at home.
Winner: Green Bay Packers
CLE (0-1) @ BAL (0-1)
Sunday, September 14 | 1:00 PM ET | CBS
A crazy opening week of NFL action seemed to cause Bengals-Browns to fly under the radar, but Cleveland was a missed 36-yard field goal away from taking the lead with just over two minutes left in the loss—and then another chance to drive for a game-winning score was derailed by a tough break on a Joe Flacco interception that bounced off Cedric Tillman’s hands. The Browns were forced to lean on the passing game more than they would have liked (45 pass attempts) with the running game struggling (2.0 YPC), but second-round pick Quinshon Judkins could make his team debut as soon as this week to provide a boost. Unfortunately for Cleveland, they now face a determined Baltimore squad that will be angry after the blown lead against the Bills on Sunday night, and Derrick Henry in particular will be determined after the lost fumble. In his first season with the Ravens, King Henry wasn’t given enough touches in the loss to the Browns (11 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown), but that changed back at home in the rematch (20 carries for 138 yards and two touchdowns); and if Cleveland tries to sell out to stop Henry, not having Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (neck) to help track Lamar Jackson as a runner and scrambler will make an upset all the more difficult.
Winner: Baltimore Ravens
JAX (1-0) @ CIN (1-0)
Sunday, September 14 | 1:00 PM ET | CBS
The first game of a new era in Jacksonville saw them handle the Panthers, and it was an effort led by Travis Etienne Jr. on the ground (16 carries for 143 yards) and a tremendous showing on defense (including three takeaways). With all the talk of Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter, it seems everyone forgot about how dangerous Etienne can be, and I think we could see him featured as a receiver this weekend after Cincinnati allowed eight receptions for 64 yards to Dylan Sampson in the opener. Unless Liam Coen wasn’t being truthful, one thing we will certainly see more of in Week 2 is Hunter at cornerback, and that makes sense when you consider the duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins that will need to be stopped. Most importantly, though, the Jags need to get to Joe Burrow like the Browns did, and Josh Hines-Allen has recorded a sack against the Bengals in three of his four career games against them. With the struggles of Cincinnati early in the season (Zac Taylor is 0-6 in Week 2) and Trevor Lawrence showing extremely well in the last matchup a couple of years ago (22-of-29 for 258 yards and three total touchdowns before leaving early), Jacksonville could be positioned for a road victory.
Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars
NYG (0-1) @ DAL (0-1)
Sunday, September 14 | 1:00 PM ET | FOX
The Giants and Cowboys both lost in Week 1, but the season trajectories couldn’t feel any different based on what transpired on the field—with New York already looking like a team that will again be out of contention by the end of October, and Dallas appearing like a real contender with an improved run defense and a healthy Dak Prescott under center. New York does get a break this week with DaRon Bland (foot) out after he helped the Cowboys hold A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith completely in check, but I would still expect Dallas to run defenders underneath Malik Nabers similar to what they did against Brown last Thursday night; and it might not matter much what is done in coverage if Russell Wilson is under constant duress with Andrew Thomas (foot) looking highly questionable. I know the running game didn’t get going last week for the Giants with Tyrone Tracy Jr. rushing 10 times for 24 yards and facing constant penetration, but the carries should have been higher to give Tracy more opportunities to pop one in a game that was close for three quarters (at least based on the score). The line got closer with Bland out, but it’s difficult to imagine New York being able to stop CeeDee Lamb as the superstar wideout looks to make up for the drops in Week 1.
Winner: Dallas Cowboys
CHI (0-1) @ DET (0-1)
Sunday, September 14 | 1:00 PM ET | FOX
The stakes for the first matchup between new Bears head coach Ben Johnson and his former team got a whole lot higher with both sides hoping to avoid an 0-2 record—and I’m very interested in the reception Johnson will get in his return to Detroit. On Monday night, it appeared that Chicago could be a force with Caleb Williams leading a quick touchdown drive, and last year’s No. 1 overall pick unleashing his speed (including to escape sacks) was encouraging. However, the offense stalled following the opening drive, and a few chances to put Minnesota away were left on the field—whether it was Williams not seeing an open receiver or missing DJ Moore on a long would-be touchdown. Overall, I’m confident that more experience in Johnson’s system will result in more success for Williams as a passer, but it might take some time, and the Bears having Jaylon Johnson (calf/groin) back will at least give them a better chance of slowing down the Lions. Still, I’d expect Dan Campbell to strike the right chord for his team to come out ready for the home opener, and establishing the run with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery will open things up for Jared Goff.
Winner: Detroit Lions
NE (0-1) @ MIA (0-1)
Sunday, September 14 | 1:00 PM ET | CBS
The Dolphins getting destroyed by the Colts last week adds fuel to the fire about the current core being on the verge of imploding, and this upcoming five-day stretch with a trip to Buffalo next Thursday night could determine their season one way or another. The good news for Miami is that they handled New England in both 2024 matchups by winning a slugfest in Week 5 without Tua Tagovailoa in the lineup, and then followed it up with a 34-15 victory several weeks later. The path to a win on Sunday is defensive front—which needs to dominant with Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Chop Robinson, Zach Sieler, and rookie Kenneth Grant—getting to Drake Maye, and Tua obviously needs to play better than he did in the loss to Indy. For what it’s worth, the Patriots have not fared well at all in Miami throughout their history (17-43 record on the road), and early-season matchups have really given New England trouble (2-8 record in September, with both wins being games started by Tom Brady).
Winner: Miami Dolphins
SF (1-0) @ NO (0-1)
Sunday, September 14 | 1:00 PM ET | FOX
The 49ers picked up a gutsy win over the Seahawks in the opener, but it came at a cost with Brock Purdy (shoulder/toe) set to miss at least a couple of weeks, while George Kittle (hamstring) was knocked out for four games after being placed on injured reserve. San Francisco will now lean on their defense—which was lights out in the first game with Robert Saleh back as defensive coordinator—to keep pace in the NFC West, but don’t sleep on Mac Jones with a shot to run Kyle Shanahan’s offense. While it won’t be easy to have his first start come in New Orleans and throwing to a depleted collection of weapons, Jones is a pinpoint passer at his best, and Christian McCaffrey looking healthy last week was a great sign. The key for Jones will be keeping his poise if the Niners don’t start fast on offense, but Saleh should have his defense ready for the quicker pace of Kellen Moore’s attack, and the pass rush can disrupt Spencer Rattler.
Winner: San Francisco 49ers
BUF (1-0) @ NYJ (0-1)
Sunday, September 14 | 1:00 PM ET | CBS
The Bills got the win last Sunday night due to a heroic performance by Josh Allen combined with a timely takeaway forced by Ed Oliver—but is there reason to be more concerned about Buffalo not being good enough to win a Super Bowl this season? Although the defense didn’t have Tre’Davious White (groin) or first-round pick Maxwell Hairston (knee) against Baltimore, it might be asking too much of Allen to put the team on his back more than anyone in NFL history, especially when facing more loaded rosters in January. Things worked out in Week 1 because the formula of Allen going off and having a ball bounce their way on defense came to fruition, but it almost feels like that’ll need to happen two or three times in a row to make a run versus powerhouse opponents in January and February. This weekend will be a good test to show they can avoid a letdown following an emotional win, and the Bills need to be better stopping Justin Fields, Breece Hall, and Braelon Allen on the ground after Baltimore probably let the game slip away by not running enough last week.
Winner: Buffalo Bills
SEA (0-1) @ PIT (1-0)
Sunday, September 14 | 1:00 PM ET | FOX
There is no bad blood between DK Metcalf and the Seahawks after a split this offseason, but the revenge tour for Pittsburgh—after Aaron Rodgers knocked off the Jets—still makes another stop as Metcalf gets a shot at his former team. Seattle discussing the possibility of Riq Woolen getting benched (for the third time in his career) is an interesting storyline and something that could allow the six-foot-four Metcalf to thrive, but the Steelers are in a good spot offensively either way. The concern right now is with the defense, as a group that fell apart at the end of 2024 allowed Breece Hall to cruise to a 107-yard game in the opener, and in coverage, Darius Slay didn’t have the best start with his new team. So, after not getting to Justin Fields enough last week with the Jets having a couple of impressive young tackles, Pittsburgh’s pass rush will again have to contend with one of the NFL’s better tackle duos (Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas), and they’ll need to cover Jaxon Smith-Njigba better than they did Garrett Wilson; plus, Kenneth Walker III was bottled up last week but could destroy the Steelers if they don’t tackle better. All that said, Rodgers should feel less pressure with last week in the rearview mirror, and I believe Pittsburgh will be a real contender if the defense figures things out.
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers
LAR (1-0) @ TEN (0-1)
Sunday, September 14 | 1:00 PM ET | CBS
Cameron Ward only completed 42.9% of his passes in his debut and was sacked six times for an offense that went just two-for-14 on third down—but anyone who watched the game should know that the box score didn’t tell the story; facing arguably the best defense in the league, Ward stood in the pocket despite the pressure faced and had multiple drops hurt his cause in an attempt to pull off a road upset. If the on-field play wasn’t impressive enough, the No. 1 overall pick said he’ll never get mad at his receivers for drops and defended his offensive line after a disappointing outing for them. We can only hope the organizational support ends up being there around Ward, but he could have another difficult time this week with all the young defensive talent in Los Angeles—which will likely turn into another game showcasing how important it is to hit on draft picks to have any chance of contending in the NFL.
Winner: Los Angeles Rams
CAR (0-1) @ ARI (1-0)
Sunday, September 14 | 4:05 PM ET | CBS
In my opinion, Bryce Young is one of the more recent examples of a franchise failing a young quarterback, and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is far too talented to be 6-25 as a starter. Many detractors will say Young simply doesn’t have what it takes to be a successful NFL quarterback, but he’s shown plenty of flashes—including an overtime win over Arizona last December where Young had a career day on the ground with five carries for 68 yards and a touchdown. There is no doubt that Young is athletic, instinctive, and capable of doing damage as a runner, but he shouldn’t need to take matters into his own hands like he’s had to do in recent games (dating back to last year). Tetairoa McMillan looks like a future star, but the Carolina offense would be a lot better right now if they took Ladd McConkey last year—giving Young much more of a chance throwing to McConkey and McMillan as a young duo to grow with. Instead, McMillan needs to be the clear focus of the passing attack and will start seeing increased attention as he makes more plays, so we’ll see if Xavier Legette and others can step up this week in Arizona.
Winner: Arizona Cardinals
DEN (1-0) @ IND (1-0)
Sunday, September 14 | 4:05 PM ET | CBS
Broncos ownership stepping up to pay 100% of the costs for Denver’s new stadium—set to open in 2031—is awesome news for the region, and I was thrilled to hear Sean Payton say the roof will be opened for the team to play in the elements. After years of coaching at the Superdome, no one knows how impactful homefield advantage can be more than Payton, so the Broncos remaining a cold-weather team feels right. This week, Denver will face a confident Indy team in a rematch of a close game last year where Jonathan Taylor dropping the ball before reaching the goal line opened the door for the Broncos to steal a win, so you can be sure Taylor will be determined on Sunday, and rookie tight end Tyler Warren is the pass-catcher who could sting Vance Joseph’s defense between the numbers. For the Denver offense, Bo Nix struggled last week and had one of his lesser games last year against the Colts (130 yards, three touchdowns, and three interception), but he’s clearly being more vocal this year, and the offense will get rolling before long.
Winner: Denver Broncos
PHI (1-0) @ KC (0-1)
Sunday, September 14 | 4:25 PM ET | FOX
An earlier rematch of Super Bowl LIX than anticipated before the NFL schedule was released headlines Week 2 NFL action—and Kansas City needs a win to avoid starting 0-2 in a loaded conference and division. The difference between the February matchup and this week is the Chiefs having a better offensive line with rookie Josh Simmons on the blindside, and Philadelphia’s defense will be down Nakobe Dean (knee) with Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Darius Slay, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson all on different teams—not to mention Brandon Graham being retired. But will the Kansas City defense be able to stop the Eagles on offense? If A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are anywhere close to as quiet as they were in the opener, it’d probably be because the Chiefs decided to play coverage rather than stack the box versus Saquon Barkley (which could have disastrous results). Arrowhead will be crazy with the fanbase wanting to get payback for the Super Bowl, but the lack of Rashee Rice (suspension) and Xavier Worthy (shoulder) being out or less than 100% might be too much to overcome.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles
ATL (0-1) @ MIN (1-0)
Sunday, September 14 | 8:20 PM ET | NBC
J.J. McCarthy deserves a ton of credit for the resilience shown in the comeback win over the Bears on Monday night, but we might be having a very different conversation right now if Chicago was able to put things away on offense (or was at 100% on defense). Neither of those things happened, though, and I’ve always talked about how important confidence is for players—with McCarthy’s perhaps being at an all-time high following the primetime victory. It’s easy to imagine Minnesota’s quarterback using the Falcons selecting Michael Penix Jr. over him last year as internal motivation, but as mentioned last week, McCarthy landed in the perfect spot under Kevin O’Connell. With the bruising Jordan Mason added in the offseason, Week 1 showed that the Vikings will have more balance than they did a year ago to make things even easier on McCarthy. But we shouldn’t overlook the play of Penix last week (who I would argue was better than McCarthy), and I’m excited to watch rookie pass rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. try to match the impact made by fellow rookie Xavier Watts last week on the backend.
Winner: Atlanta Falcons
TB (1-0) @ HOU (0-1)
Monday, September 15 | 7:00 PM ET | ESPN/ABC
The remade offensive line for Houston didn’t have the best start last week, but the Rams have a fierce, energetic front—and C.J. Stroud wasn’t helped enough by the play-calling with Nick Chubb handling just 13 carries (for 60 yards) in a close game. Tampa Bay being a tough team to run on will put more on Stroud again, but he completely destroyed the Bucs as a rookie with 470 yards and five touchdowns in a 39-37 win, so Todd Bowles should have some different looks in store after Tank Dell (6/114/2), Noah Brown (6/153/1) and Dalton Schultz (10/130/1) all went off. On the other side of the ball, standout rookie Emeka Egbuka had two touchdowns—including the game-winner—in his NFL debut, and my comparison for him was Puka Nacua, who just had 10 receptions for 130 yards against DeMeco Ryans’ defense. As a whole, the offensive personnel for Tampa Bay aligns closely to that of the Rams, so Stroud and the pass protection being just a bit better could be enough to win over the defense shows up again.
Winner: Houston Texans
LAC (1-0) @ LV (1-0)
Monday, September 15 | 10:00 PM ET | ESPN
Old rivals Jim Harbuagh and Pete Carroll facing off for a 10 PM ET kickoff feels like a Pac-12 after dark game, and it was funny to hear Harbaugh discuss the relationship at his press conference this week by saying two could’ve been friends if they were ever on the same team: “Alas, we have been on opposite sites, so I’m not on his Christmas card list.” On the field, both teams want to run the ball and play physical on defense—but they also have faith in their quarterbacks with Justin Herbert being unleashed in Brazil and Geno Smith chucking it around in his team debut to lead the NFL in passing yards (362) before Josh Allen went off last Sunday night. I am expecting rookie runners Omarion Hampton and Ashton Jeanty to have bigger games in Week 2 after tough sledding in their debuts, but it’s difficult to not give the edge to the Chargers with more established firepower on offense and more playmakers on defense.
Winner: Los Angeles Chargers