Week 2 gave the league another look at a handful of rookies who are already making real noise on defense - and one young receiver who keeps turning training camp buzz into production. From Las Vegas to Tennessee, first-year players showed up in ways that swung games and shaped game plans.
The loudest performance came from Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Hezekiah Masses. In the Raiders’ upset of the Los Angeles Chargers, the fifth-round pick out of California and Florida International was everywhere, and he made the biggest plays on the field by intercepting Justin Herbert twice. Masses helped drive a defensive showing that overwhelmed the Chargers and turned him into the kind of rookie who can change a game in a hurry.
Not far behind was Cleveland Browns wide receiver Denzel Boston, who helped fuel a 23-19 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Boston finished with five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown, and the highlight was a 55-yard score that featured multiple broken tackles on the way to the end zone.
He was the star of training camp in Cleveland, and that momentum has clearly carried into the regular season. His contested-catch ability and knack for breaking tackles after the catch are already giving the Browns something valuable on offense.
Chicago Bears safety Dillon Thieneman also made his presence felt, even in a 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Oregon product led the Bears with seven tackles and added a pass defensed, but his most eye-catching moment came in the first quarter.
Carson Wentz lofted a ball toward Justin Jefferson in the back of the end zone, and Thieneman came flying in from nowhere to hit Jefferson and jar the ball loose. Plays like that are exactly why the Bears can lean on him for impact moments all season.
Then there’s Tennessee Titans linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., who has been piling up production through two games at a ridiculous pace. The second-round pick out of Texas led Tennessee with 10 tackles for the second straight week, giving him 26 total tackles to lead the league through two games.
Hill was a major reason the Titans held the Philadelphia Eagles to 2.78 yards per carry on Sunday, and Tennessee’s run defense now sits fifth in the league at 3.4 yards per carry allowed. If Hill stays healthy, that number should keep holding steady.
In Other News...
Marcus Mariota Is Suddenly Back In A Spot Titans Fans Know Well
Week 2 brought a familiar kind of quarterback subplot for former Titans fans to track, and Marcus Mariota was right in the middle of it. With Washingtons starter sidelined by injury, Mariota stepped in for the Commanders and found himself back in the role Tennessee supporters know so well, a veteran backup suddenly asked to steady an offense on short notice.
Around him, a few other former Titans also surfaced in different spots across the league, from TVondre Sweat making defensive contributions for the Jets to Kristian Fulton grabbing an interception for the Chiefs despite the penalty issues that followed. But Mariotas situation carried the most immediate intrigue for anyone who remembers his Tennessee days, because it put him back under center in the same kind of unexpected moment that has defined so much of his career. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Fans Facing An Uncomfortable Nissan Stadium Reality Again
The Titans are still dealing with a familiar Nissan Stadium problem: too many empty seats and too many visiting fans. In the recent game against the Philadelphia Eagles, plenty of Tennessee supporters noticed how visible the road crowd was, a reminder that even with a new coaching staff and some on-field progress, the home-field edge has not really returned.
Pricing trends are only adding to the uneasy atmosphere, with ticket costs expected to slide further as interest lags. Lifelong fans are hoping that changes on the field eventually show up in the stands too, with the upcoming meeting against the Houston Texans carrying a little extra weight as another chance for Nissan Stadium to feel more like home. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Add Another Boom Or Bust Twist To Their QB Plan
The Jets have taken another flier at quarterback, this time adding former Titans starter Will Levis to the practice squad after moving on from Bailey Zappe. Levis lands in New York with a familiar label attached to him as a high-variance arm, and he brings the kind of experience that can be useful even in a deep reserve role.
Levis missed the entire 2025 season because of a shoulder injury, but he still has 21 NFL starts on his rsum and now slots in as the Jets third-string quarterback behind Geno Smith and rookie Cade Klubnik. For Tennessee fans, it is another reminder of how quickly the league moves on from a young passer, and for the Jets it is one more layer of insurance in a quarterback room that already has a clear starter and a developmental understudy. [Read more 🡒]