Week 2 in the NFL usually comes with a little clarity. This year, it arrives with a pile of questions after an opening slate that was loud, chaotic and loaded with points.
Week 1 produced 791 points, or 49.4 per game, matching the highest-scoring opening week since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. The Chicago Bears’ 59-37 road win over the Carolina Panthers was the kind of game that made the offensive surge impossible to ignore.
There are plenty of theories for why offenses have jumped out ahead of defenses this early, including a lack of physicality and tackling in training camp. But the bigger answer is probably the way the league has been built and coached, with roster construction and philosophy leaning hard toward offense.
Even so, it would be a surprise if Week 2 stays quite that wild. The problem for defenses is that several high-powered attacks already look dangerous, while a number of units on the other side of the ball have real issues.
For the Los Angeles Chargers and Green Bay Packers, the panic button is not fully pressed yet. But it is getting warm.
The Chargers’ 26-14 home loss to an Arizona Cardinals team many evaluators expected to be among the league’s worst was a rough opener. Now they turn around and host the Las Vegas Raiders.
There is no such thing as a true “must-win” in Week 2, but this one comes close when you look at what’s ahead: at the Buffalo Bills, at the Seattle Seahawks, vs. the Denver Broncos, at the Kansas City Chiefs, at the Los Angeles Rams, vs. the Houston Texans, at the Baltimore Ravens. That is a brutal stretch, and dropping home games to teams like the Cardinals and Raiders can haunt you fast.
Green Bay’s situation looks different, but the frustration is just as real. The Packers had control against the Minnesota Vikings before giving up 29 unanswered points in the second half and losing 39-22.
That collapse only deepened a pattern that has been building since last season. A loss on the road to the New York Jets in Week 2 would send the noise in Green Bay soaring.
The Denver Broncos are in a similar spot. Their 31-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium was a flat showing from top to bottom.
Denver’s defense, which was supposed to be elite, was exposed, and Bo Nix struggled badly at quarterback. Losing in Kansas City under the lights is one thing.
Starting 0-1 and staring at what comes next is another.
The Broncos’ upcoming run is nasty: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, vs.
Los Angeles Rams in Week 3, at San Francisco 49ers in Week 4, at Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5, and vs. Seattle Seahawks in Week 6.
Jacksonville is the only game Denver is currently favored in, and that edge is only 2.5 points. Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense looked strong in Week 1, which makes Sunday a serious test.
If Denver’s offense looks bad again, Sean Payton might take the playcalling duties back from Davis Webb.
In Cleveland, the Deshaun Watson question feels less like a question and more like a countdown. For now, the Browns appear set to keep trotting him out there for at least one more game. But the direction seems obvious: it looks like a matter of when, not if, Watson is benched for Shedeur Sanders.
Watson has already criticized Browns fans and the media, and he did not play well throughout camp. Cleveland managed just 10 points in Week 1, and Watson was part of the problem.
He is 31 now and has not been an effective quarterback since 2020. The Browns are also a team going nowhere, which makes the long view matter more than stubbornness.
Sanders might not be the answer, but there is at least some upside worth exploring. With Watson, the Browns already know what they have.
The Los Angeles Rams also land in the “probably fine” category, even after a rough start and a new injury blow. Their Week 1 trip to Australia ended in a 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and the travel plan drew plenty of criticism. Then came the news that superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett was placed on injured reserve Thursday after arthroscopic knee surgery, meaning he will miss at least four games.
Even with that, the Rams still look like one of the league’s loaded teams and remain the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl. The defense may take a step back without Garrett and while franchise legend Aaron Donald works toward return-from-retirement form, but the offense should be able to carry the load at times.
If the Rams lose at home to the New York Giants on Monday Night Football and fall to 0-2, then the conversation changes. Until then, they still belong in the “don’t overreact yet” bucket.
In Other News...
Javon Hargrave Already Has Packers Fans Worried About His Role
Javon Hargraves first game in Green Bay gave Packers fans plenty to monitor along the defensive front. In Week 1, he played 30 snaps, finished with one tackle and did not register a pressure, while the Packers leaned on a by-committee rotation across the defensive line. Karl Brooks got the start at defensive end over Hargrave, which added another wrinkle to a unit still sorting out how it wants to deploy its pieces.
For a player brought in with bigger expectations, the opening usage looked more restrained than many around the team probably imagined. It is still far too early to make any firm judgments, but the snap count and the way Green Bay distributed work up front suggest Hargrave may have a more limited role than expected unless the rotation shifts in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Just Sent A Clear Message About O-Line Depth
The Packers added another piece to their offensive line room this week, signing Cordell Volson to the practice squad after he worked out with the team. Volson arrives with NFL experience after originally being drafted by the Bengals, and he spent part of this offseason with the Titans before not making their final roster.
Green Bay has been active in using the practice squad to build depth with outside additions, and Volsons signing is part of that wider approach. For a team that has spent the season keeping an eye on its protection options, every extra lineman on hand matters, especially when the front office is clearly making sure there are workable answers if the need arises. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Love Already Has Packers Fans Debating One Week 1 Problem
Week 1 brought an early quarterback sorting exercise in the NFC North, and Jordan Love landed in the middle of the conversation for all the usual reasons. The Packers quarterback put up plenty of yardage even while dealing with pressure, but the kind of up-and-down start that can define an opening game still left people weighing the good against the bad. In a division where every quarterback performance gets scrutinized quickly, Loves debut did enough to keep Green Bay fans talking.
The broader ranking also had plenty of moving parts, from Carson Wentz making an effective relief appearance for the Vikings to Jared Goff turning in a mixed outing for the Lions and Caleb Williams getting off to a strong start for the Bears. The list is meant to be fluid and shaped by both recent play and career body of work, which is why Loves spot feels more like an early checkpoint than a verdict. For Packers fans, the question now is whether the Week 1 pressure points were just an opening hiccup or the first sign of something more familiar. [Read more 🡒]