Week 2 has a few games that already feel tilted before kickoff, and a trio of teams stand out as the clearest picks to come up empty. Early-season football can flip fast, but these matchups look rough on paper.
The Cleveland Browns head to Tampa Bay to face a Buccaneers team that had its own sloppy opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, but the bigger issue here is what Cleveland put on tape in Week 1. The Browns looked incompetent in a lot of ways against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and they’re the kind of team that could keep showing up in this conversation.
Baker Mayfield, meanwhile, is coming off a frustrating start after fumbling three times and losing all three against Cincinnati. After getting a massive contract this offseason, he’ll be plenty motivated to answer back against the team that moved on from him.
The most lopsided spread of the week belongs to Miami’s trip to San Francisco. The 49ers come in off their Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Rams with extra rest after the travel to and from Australia, and they look every bit like the more polished operation.
Miami, by contrast, is still rebuilding from the ground up. That doesn’t mean the Dolphins are headed for a winless season, but it does mean there will be weeks where the gap is obvious.
This has the biggest spread of the week, with the 49ers favored by 13.5, and it could end up being the biggest blowout.
Then there’s Tennessee at home against Philadelphia, and the Titans don’t have much going for them beyond playing in their own building. Cam Ward’s Week 1 performance makes it tough to picture a turnaround against a Vic Fangio-coached defense.
Tennessee’s offense looked disjointed against the Jets, and expecting it to suddenly click against the Eagles feels like a stretch. Philadelphia opened as 7-point favorites on the road, and after beating the Washington Commanders in Week 1 while managing only 10 first downs offensively, this one could get ugly if the Eagles find their rhythm.
In Other News...
Cam Wards Early Titans Debate Isnt As One-Sided As It Looks
Cam Wards first outing for the Titans was not the smooth debut anyone in Nashville was hoping for, but it also did not come with the kind of damaging mistakes that can define an opener. He finished 19-for-32 for 140 yards without a turnover, a line that left room for concern without turning into a disaster, and it immediately fed the kind of early debate that follows any young quarterback taking over a new offense.
What makes the discussion more interesting is how familiar this stage can look when measured against other quarterbacks who later grew into franchise answers. Wards early career numbers in completion percentage and touchdown-to-interception ratio sit in the same neighborhood as Bryce Young, Trevor Lawrence, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen at similar points, which is why the Titans have reason to stay patient even after a rough start. The performance in Week 1 was below expectations, but the broader arc still feels unfinished. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Offense Already Has A Disturbing Week 2 Warning
After a Week 1 showing that offered little reason for optimism, the Titans are already staring at a harsh early-season test against the Eagles. ESPNs Ben Solak went so far as to predict Tennessee could be held without a point in Week 2, pointing to how little the offense did against the Jets and how difficult Philadelphias defensive front is likely to make life on Sunday.
For a unit trying to find its footing, the concern is not just one bad afternoon but the possibility of a pattern. The Titans were shut out in a game last season, and the offenses broader issues have only sharpened the scrutiny around coordinator Brian Daboll, whose background with the Giants has already become part of the conversation when people look for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Have An Early Roster Problem They Can't Ignore
After a rough Week 1, the Chargers are already being pushed toward a roster fix, and the focus has quickly turned to their defensive line. With draft capital and cap room available, Los Angeles could look to the trade market for help, and analyst Kristopher Knox pointed to Solomon Thomas as the kind of depth addition that would make sense for a group that looked thin and unsettled right away.
For the Titans, that creates a watch point worth tracking as the early-season market takes shape. Tennessee has seen how quickly one injury concern can expose a units depth, and the Chargers now look like a team that may not be able to wait long to address the problem. If Los Angeles decides it has to act, players like Thomas become the sort of name that can move from speculative fit to real possibility in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]