This story was originally published by Dead Spin
Buccaneers at Lions, 1 p.m. ET
Another playoff rematch awaits the Lions, who went to overtime to knock off the Rams at home in the regular-season opener (26-20). QB Jared Goff isn’t fretting the matchup, especially if safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is out. Goff has at least 350 passing yards and multiple TD passes in his last two games against the Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield started out strong in Week 1 and has multiple TD passes in five of the last six games. Neither passer is lacking for a supporting cast. Lions RBs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery both scored in the opener and WR Jameson Williams busted out with a career-high 121 receiving yards in Week 1. Mayfield went to trusted WR Mike Evans, who caught two TD passes for the 21st time in his career last week.
Colts at Packers, 1 p.m. ET
All indications out of Green Bay are QB Jordan Love (knee) is out for at least a week, which thrusts Malik Willis into the crosshairs of the Colts. Indianapolis has won three games in a row in this series, but the cast of characters has changed dramatically since the last meeting in 2020. To say the Packers will be run-heavy with Willis at the helm is an understatement. He had 234 passing yards in three career starts with the Titans, who traded the 2022 third-rounder to the Packers prior to the start of the regular season. Willis has wheels, but the Colts are going to load up to stop the ground game that now features former Raiders RB Josh Jacobs. The Colts dropped the Week 1 game against Houston Texans. QB Anthony Richardson and RB Jonathan Taylor drive a strong running game that sets up WR Michael Pittman Jr. for one-on-one matchups outside. He had at least seven catches in all seven road games in which he played last season.
Seahawks at Patriots, 1 p.m. ET
The NFL’s youngest head coaches scored victories in their debuts last week. The Patriots stunned the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday, holding them to 13 first downs and 224 yards of total offense in a 16-10 win. Rhamondre Stevenson shined for New England, rushing for 120 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. Mike Macdonald coached the Seahawks to a 26-20 victory over the Denver Broncos. Like New England, Seattle leaned on its rushing attack, getting 103 yards and a TD on 20 carries from Kenneth Walker III. Quarterback Geno Smith also ran for a score. Walker might struggle to get going against the Patriots, though, as New England allowed the third-fewest rushing yards in the league last week (70). That is if Walker plays, as the 23-year-old is dealing with an oblique injury. The Patriots’ offense is being steered by Jacoby Brissett, who makes his second career start against Seattle — the last was in 2017. Brissett has few established weapons on the outside.
49ers at Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
QB Sam Darnold’s third start in the calendar year comes against his good friend Brock Purdy and former teammates with the 49ers. Darnold threw two TD passes in his debut as the QB1 for the Vikings last week in his first start since Jan. 7, 2024, in the regular-season finale with the 49ers. Christian McCaffrey is optimistic that he will make his season debut Sunday in Minneapolis. But McCaffrey suggested the same things a week ago before he sat out the opener because of a calf injury and Achilles tendinitis. Second-string running back Jordan Mason appears ready to stand in. He had 28 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown in a 32-19 win over the visiting New York Jets. Vikings RB Aaron Jones had a team-high 109 scrimmage yards (94 rush, 15 receiving and a rush TD) in his first game with Minnesota. Vikings WR Justin Jefferson is chasing a landmark Sunday. He has 396 career receptions and at 25 years, 91 days old on Sunday, could become youngest player in NFL history with 6,000 career receiving yards with 42 against the 49ers. He could also become the third-youngest to reach 400 catches.
Jets at Titans, 1 p.m. ET
Week 1 was the one that got away for QB Will Levis and the Titans, who dropped a 24-17 decision at Chicago. Tennessee allowed scores on a pick-six and blocked punt while holding the Bears’ ballyhooed offense to 148 total yards. The Titans blew a 17-0 lead and a chance to get a leg up on AFC South division foes who lost Week 1 (Colts, Jaguars). The Jets came up short at San Francisco on Monday night. Aaron Rodgers completed 13 of 21 passes for 167 yards with a touchdown and a deflected interception but showed some rust, missing throws he made over and over during his 18 years with the Packers. A bigger concern for Jets fans might be a defense that was shredded by the 49ers for 401 total yards and 24 first downs. San Francisco possessed the ball for more than 38 minutes. Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins is back to full strength and has a strong history in this matchup with 21 career catches and five TDs in three games vs. the Jets.
Saints at Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET
Derek Carr and the Saints smacked the Panthers 47-10 in Week 1. Carr tossed three TD passes against Carolina and leads New Orleans into Dallas in the midst of a dynamite six-game run: 17 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 123.0 passer rating in his past six starts. But the Cowboys roughed up the Browns thanks in large part to an NFL-best 24 pressures on QB Deshaun Watson, including six sacks. Dallas has won 16 in a row at home in the regular season, the longest active streak in the NFL. Missing training camp didn’t impact chemistry between WR CeeDee Lamb (five catches, 61 yards) and QB Dak Prescott. Lamb could get more work in Week 2 with Pro Bowl TE Jake Ferugson (knee) hobbled last week.
Browns at Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET
A rematch of a back-and-forth game last December won by the Browns, 31-27, pits teams attempting to avoid an early 0-2 start in competitive divisions. The Jaguars dropped a 20-17 decision to the host Miami Dolphins for their sixth setback in the past seven regular-season games. The Browns were beaten 33-17 by the visiting Dallas Cowboys as Deshaun Watson was intercepted twice and sacked six times while passing for 169 yards and one TD. The big challenge for the Jaguars is rebounding quickly. They open the season by playing four consecutive 2023 playoff teams. The following two games are both on the road, against the Buffalo Bills on a Monday night and the Houston Texans. The Browns will be without tight end David Njoku, who injured an ankle in a loss to the Cowboys. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said the Browns are hopeful Njoku can avoid being placed on injured reserve.
Bengals at Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET
Here they go again. Joe Burrow and the Bengals limped out of the gate with a Week 1 loss, setting up an important rebound opportunity. While Burrow is 2-0 in the regular season against the Chiefs, this isn’t what Cincinnati had in mind when coach Zac Taylor said he emphasized a fast start. The Bengals saw their offense sputter in a stunning 16-10 home loss to the rebuilding New England Patriots, with Burrow completing 21 of 29 passes but only for 164 yards and no touchdowns. The Chiefs and Bengals are meeting for the sixth time in the last four seasons, with the Bengals winning three times, including the AFC Championship Game after the 2021 season in Kansas City. The Chiefs returned the favor in the AFC title game the following year, quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ first win over Burrow in four meetings. K.C. survived a scare from the Baltimore Ravens in a 27-20 win in the Thursday night NFL Kickoff game last week. Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely landed fractions of an inch out of bounds on what would’ve been a TD catch to make it a 27-26 game. There are some new names with big games behind Mahomes. Veteran receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown could be back for Kansas City to join Rashee Rice, rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy — who had two TDs in Week 1 — and Travis Kelce in the passing attack. Brown missed the opener due to a shoulder dislocation sustained in the preseason.
Steelers at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET
Pittsburgh has an NFL-high 49 wins against rookie quarterbacks since 1970 and as fortune would have it, the Steelers take a swing at No. 50 on Sunday at Denver. First-round pick Bo Nix led the Broncos in rushing last week in Seattle, when he was intercepted twice and took a handful of other chances that could’ve ended in the same result. In a home environment, the Broncos are counting on better execution and pass protection, which coach Sean Payton described as “average at best.” But Payton might find out his playmaker options are no match for a Steelers pass rush that kept Kirk Cousins on the run in Week 1. In what was originally viewed as a possible Russell Wilson revenge game, the Broncos’ former quarterback was relegated to reserve duty in Week 1 and appears headed the same direction Sunday afternoon due to a calf injury. Justin Fields thrived on play-action with nine completions in 13 attempts at Atlanta and ran 14 times for 57 yards.
Bears at Texans, 8:20 p.m. ET
The Bears rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Houston’s AFC South rival, Tennessee, 24-17 in Week 1. Now No. 1 pick Caleb Williams makes his first road start in the NFL in a hostile and noisy atmosphere. The Texans will host the Bears in a showdown on Sunday highlighting the standard Williams is charged with meeting. That’s reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud, who thrived in a 29-27 road victory over the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday, passing for 234 yards and two touchdowns with a 115.9 rating. Williams conversely, averaged 3.2 yards per attempt, threw for only 93 yards, posted a 55.7 rating and helmed an offense that didn’t score a touchdown. Chicago’s defense has ranked as one of the NFL’s best in takeaways since the middle of last season and scored on a punt block and pick-six last week. Houston’s upgraded roster was on full display last week. RB Joe Mixon had 178 yards from scrimmage and WR Stefon Diggs caught two TD passes.
–Field Level Media
