Week 2 opens with Buffalo unveiling its new stadium in a matchup built for points, while Sunday brings quarterback uncertainty in Atlanta, a major NFC North coaching showdown and several teams trying to avoid an 0-2 start. The Rams close the slate Monday night with little margin for error after an overseas defeat and Myles Garrett’s move to injured reserve.
Thursday night: Bills host Lions in stadium debut
- Buffalo Bills over Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills
Buffalo is favored to begin life in its $2.2 billion new stadium with a win over Detroit. The teams have fielded the NFL’s two highest-scoring offenses across their last 50 regular-season games, with Detroit averaging 29.7 points and Buffalo at 28.8.
The defenses present obvious questions. Detroit’s secondary has been vulnerable, while Buffalo’s front has yet to establish itself. Josh Allen and Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs are positioned for another productive night after the clubs combined for 1,080 offensive yards in Buffalo’s 48-42 victory in December 2024. The Bills led throughout that shootout, although Detroit repeatedly narrowed multi-score deficits.
Dan Campbell could try to control possession with the running game, but the Lions are missing three starting offensive linemen. That combination, plus the home-opening atmosphere, points to Buffalo in another high-scoring contest.
Sunday: Quarterback questions and division tests
- Carolina Panthers over Atlanta Falcons
- Baltimore Ravens over New Orleans Saints
- Chicago Bears over Minnesota Vikings
- Cincinnati Bengals over Houston Texans
- New England Patriots over Pittsburgh Steelers
- New York Jets over Green Bay Packers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Cleveland Browns
- Philadelphia Eagles over Tennessee Titans
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers
Carolina surrendered 59 points in its opening loss to Chicago, but its offense still produced 37. That scoring ability offers an edge against an Atlanta club that managed only 13 points against Pittsburgh with Cooper Rush at quarterback.
The Falcons have not named a Week 2 starter. Michael Penix Jr. practiced through a knee issue, Rush was limited by a back injury and Tua Tagovailoa did not practice because of an oblique problem. Undrafted rookie Jack Strand of Minnesota State-Moorhead was the only Atlanta quarterback absent from Wednesday’s injury report.
Atlanta still has Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts, but the uncertainty under center remains the larger concern. Carolina quarterback Bryce Young played well in Week 1, though another uneven performance could give the Falcons an opening.
New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore’s offense arrives after posting 506 yards and 41 points in the opener, with Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers driving the production. Henry rushed for 144 yards, and 110 came before first contact. That was the third-highest such total of his career, while he was hit at the line on only 8.3 percent of his rushes, his lowest rate since joining Baltimore.
The Ravens carry a lengthy injury report into the week, but their fifth-ranked pass defense and clock-draining ground game create a demanding assignment for the Saints. New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough has shown fight late in games, though Baltimore expects to make the Saints chase the game on the road.
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
Ben Johnson’s Bears offense and Brian Flores’ Vikings defense create one of the week’s defining coaching confrontations. Johnson has set the ambitious goal of breaking the single-season scoring record, and Chicago opened with 59 points against Carolina.
Flores countered with an extreme pressure plan against Green Bay, blitzing on 78.3 percent of the Vikings’ defensive snaps. No other team exceeded a 52 percent blitz rate in Week 1. Caleb Williams was effective versus pressure against the Panthers, completing nine of 14 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns when blitzed.
Williams had a more difficult time against Flores last season, when Minnesota pressured him on 67 percent of dropbacks in Chicago’s 19-17 Week 11 win. Sunday should offer a sharper measure of whether the Bears quarterback has moved into the NFL’s top tier.
Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati’s defense made the early statement in Week 1, with linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. returning a fumble for the season’s first Bengals touchdown. The unit held Tampa Bay to 193 passing yards and 89 rushing yards, a combination Cincinnati managed only once last year, and not until Week 17.
Joe Burrow threw for 254 yards and a touchdown against the Buccaneers but also gave up a pick-six. Ja’Marr Chase was limited to two catches for 12 yards, yet the Bengals scored 33 points — more than their previous three season openers combined, which totaled 30.
Houston allowed 36 points to Buffalo and Josh Allen despite its talent across the defense. If the Bengals repeat their opening defensive performance and Burrow’s offense improves, Cincinnati could be positioned to shed its familiar early-season struggles.
Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots
New England returns home after its Super Bowl rematch against Seattle turned sour. The Patriots struggled to sustain drives against the Seahawks after Sam Darnold was injured on the opening series, lost A.J. Brown to injured reserve in the third quarter and watched Drake Maye throw three fourth-quarter interceptions.
Maye, last season’s MVP runner-up, accepted responsibility afterward and said impatience cost New England the game. Ball security will be central against Pittsburgh, whose defense received a T.J. Watt interception return for a touchdown in its win over Atlanta.
The Steelers now have offensive-minded head coach Mike McCarthy, but their defense remains opportunistic. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has had 10 days to reinforce the message to Maye, and a calmer effort from the 24-year-old quarterback could be enough against a Pittsburgh offense expected to remain in the league’s lower half.
Green Bay Packers at New York Jets
Green Bay enters with six consecutive losses, its longest skid since the George H. W. Bush presidency. The Jets, meanwhile, take the field undefeated in the regular season for the first time since 2018.
Both clubs led for more than three quarters in Week 1, but their outcomes differed sharply. The Packers suffered a stunning collapse against Minnesota, while New York controlled Tennessee from its opening possession. The Jets pass rush repeatedly pressured Titans quarterback Cam Ward, and the group could create similar problems for Jordan Love after Minnesota’s defense rattled him.
Love has more proven targets and greater experience than Ward, however, and New York’s defense has not yet faced much adversity. The Jets leaned on heavy packages and a forceful rushing attack while playing from ahead against Tennessee. The question is whether that formula works if Green Bay establishes a two-score lead — although the Packers have blown such a lead in four of their past six losses. New York’s energized home crowd could be a factor in East Rutherford.
Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay gets a favorable rebound opportunity after a turnover-heavy Week 1 loss. Baker Mayfield returns to Raymond James Stadium against the franchise that drafted him and later moved on after four seasons, and he is expected to be steadier against a Cleveland team that struggled badly in its opener.
The Browns are again turning to Deshaun Watson, who completed two of five throws for 20 yards, threw an interception and took two sacks when blitzed in Week 1. That is a difficult setup against Todd Bowles’ defense, which blitzed at a 48.6 percent rate, third-highest in the league, in the opening week.
Philadelphia Eagles at Tennessee Titans
The Eagles arrive in Nashville after an efficient opening performance from Jalen Hurts. Hurts and Patrick Mahomes own the NFL’s best career September road winning percentage among quarterbacks at .800.
Philadelphia will be without injured guard Landon Dickerson against Tennessee’s Jeffery Simmons, but the broader mismatch may be on the other side. Tennessee has owned the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense since 2025, while Vic Fangio’s Eagles defense has led the league in opponent passer rating over the same period.
In four previous matchups, Fangio defenses have held offenses coordinated by Titans play-caller Brian Daboll to 70 combined points. The exception was a 34-point Giants performance last season, when Wan’Dale Robinson and mobile quarterback Jaxson Dart made the difference. Tennessee will need Ward and its supporting cast to find a similar answer.
Sunday: Teams seeking a fast correction
- Denver Broncos over Jacksonville Jaguars
- Los Angeles Chargers over Las Vegas Raiders
- Seattle Seahawks over Arizona Cardinals
- Dallas Cowboys over Washington Commanders
- San Francisco 49ers over Miami Dolphins
- Kansas City Chiefs over Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos
Jacksonville opened with a 24-point win over Cleveland, while Denver absorbed a 21-point defeat at Kansas City. The Broncos’ loss came on the road in prime time against a division rival, and Denver believes its continuity from last season’s 14-3 team can help produce a home-opening response.
Kenneth Walker III ran effectively against Denver in Week 1, and Davis Webb’s first game as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator featured an approach Sean Payton considered too pass-heavy. Denver should pursue greater balance, though Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile’s group allowed the fewest rushing yards in the NFL last season.
Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle caught only one pass for two yards in his Denver debut, but the blockbuster acquisition was brought in to create decisive plays against top competition. He could be the difference in a game between two otherwise well-rounded rosters.
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers
Chargers receiver Ladd McConkey is day to day after suffering a rib injury in the third quarter of last week’s loss. Justin Herbert had limited options after McConkey exited, leaving Quentin Johnston, Tre Harris and potentially practice-squad addition Marquez Valdes-Scantling as candidates to take on a larger role.
Coach Mike McDaniel may need a short-term adjustment, perhaps by putting more work on running back Omarion Hampton. Herbert has beaten the Raiders more than any other opponent in his career, and Jim Harbaugh has never begun a season 0-2 as either an NFL or FBS head coach.
Las Vegas beat a rebuilding Miami team in Week 1 behind quarterback Kirk Cousins and rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. Tight end Brock Bowers’ knee status could change the equation, but the Raiders need a stronger measuring-stick performance against the Chargers.
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks
Drew Lock is in line to make his first start since Week 18 of the 2024 season after filling in adequately for Sam Darnold, who is dealing with a glute injury. Lock threw for nearly 200 yards and a touchdown in relief, though Seattle likely will need more than 13 points to beat Arizona.
Seattle called play-action on 10 of 27 pass attempts in Week 1, a 37 percent rate that ranked fourth in the league. The Seahawks had only one completion of 20 or more yards off those dropbacks, but Arizona struggled against play-action in its opener, allowing six completions on seven attempts and 10.5 air yards per target.
Arizona’s Mike LaFleur-led offense was balanced and efficient in Week 1, but Jacoby Brissett, Jeremiyah Love and the Cardinals now face a Seattle secondary that again set the tone in the win over New England. That defense could keep the Seahawks afloat until Darnold is ready.
Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys
Dallas and Washington both seek their first win after uneven debuts. The Cowboys offense failed to establish a rhythm against the Giants, while a defense led by first-year coordinator Christian Parker could not get off the field in prime time.
Washington’s offense, directed by first-time coordinator David Blough, allowed Philadelphia to pressure Jayden Daniels on 50 percent of his dropbacks, the highest rate in the NFL in Week 1. That sets up a matchup between a Dallas defense looking to improve and a Commanders offense that must protect its quarterback better.
The Cowboys should have opportunities for explosive plays. Washington held Philadelphia to 10 first downs but permitted four gains of at least 30 yards. Dallas was nearly shut out in that area against New York, yet expects its deep-play production to return and to avoid its first 0-2 start in 16 years.
Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers
Miami faces a steep jump in competition after losing to Las Vegas. The Dolphins are carrying $182.6 million in dead cap, starting two rookie wide receivers and relying on an inexperienced secondary, factors that showed in Week 1.
San Francisco overwhelmed the Rams in Australia and holds major advantages across the roster. Brock Purdy showed early chemistry with Mike Evans, reconnected with Deebo Samuel and should benefit from George Kittle having a game back after his Achilles injury. Christian McCaffrey averaged 6.8 yards per carry despite cramps in the opener.
The 49ers defense has also been strengthened by Nick Bosa’s return and the reunion of Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. That is an unfavorable setting for Miami quarterback Malik Willis, who is preparing for only his eighth career start. Cousins threw three touchdowns against the Dolphins largely on short-area passes in Week 1, leaving Purdy with a chance for a major day.
Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City’s Week 1 demolition of Denver showed that Patrick Mahomes’ return from injury is far more than a ceremonial comeback. Indianapolis, by contrast, lost 41-23 at home to Baltimore and has now dropped eight straight games dating to Week 12 last season, the NFL’s longest active losing streak.
Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo watched Baltimore rush for 202 yards and four touchdowns. Kansas City’s ground game is now powered by offseason addition Kenneth Walker III, making it difficult to see Indianapolis correcting that problem in one week.
Jonathan Taylor nearly reached 100 rushing yards and scored twice for Indianapolis in the opener, but it did not keep the Colts competitive. The Chiefs appear better equipped to neutralize the opponent’s primary strength.
Monday night: Rams confront early pressure
- Los Angeles Rams over New York Giants
New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles entered the season among the Super Bowl favorites after rebuilding its secondary, trading for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and convincing Aaron Donald to come out of retirement. That optimism took a major hit in the season-opening loss to San Francisco in Australia.
Garrett subsequently underwent knee surgery and was placed on injured reserve without a timetable for his return. The Rams must regroup against a Giants team that opened the John Harbaugh era by decisively beating Dallas.
New York quarterback Jaxson Dart has continued to excel under the prime-time lights. His 114.5 passer rating is the NFL’s best among quarterbacks with at least three prime-time starts. Still, Los Angeles has enough high-end talent to survive without Garrett and expects Matthew Stafford to respond after the Week 1 loss.
The stakes are heightened by the Rams’ upcoming stretch against Denver, Philadelphia and Buffalo. Falling to 0-2 before that three-game run would create immediate pressure on a roster built to contend.
