NFL Week 2: Key Analysis and Predictions
The NFL Week 2 in the 2025 season presents exciting matchups and anticipated reunions. Fans can anticipate key duels and the development of rivalries. Below, a detailed analysis of the most outstanding matches.Featured Sunday Matches
Sunday kicks off with two special returns. The Lions will host their former offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, now on the rival NFC North team. Joe Flacco, for his part, will return to Baltimore to face the Ravens. Later, the Chiefs will face the Eagles in a rematch of Super Bowl LIX. In addition, two rematches of college national championships between quarterbacks will be played.Deep Analysis and Predictions
Our team of experts offers comprehensive coverage of each match, including analysis from Alofoke Deportes reporters, key statistics, and bold predictions. Also included are quality ratings of the matchups according to the Football Power Index (FPI) and final score selections from our analysts. The day concludes with two exciting “Monday Night Football” games, one between the Buccaneers and the Texans, and another between the Chargers and the Raiders.Week 2 Matchup Recap
- CHI-DET
- BUF-NYJ
- CLE-BAL
- JAX-CIN
- SEA-PIT
- SF-NO
- NYG-DAL
- LAR-TEN
- NE-MIA
- DEN-IND
- CAR-ARI
- PHI-KC
- ATL-MIN
- TB-HOU
- LAC-LV
Thursday Results
The Thursday game between WSH and GB ended with a score of 27-18.Match Analysis
Bears (0-1) vs. Lions (0-1)1 p.m. ET | Fox | Matchup Rating: 59.4/100The Bears are looking to improve their offensive consistency and reduce penalties. The Lions, for their part, are trying to avoid a season start with two losses. Ben Johnson’s return to Detroit is the central theme of the week.What’s being heard about the Bears: The Bears want to establish consistency on offense throughout the game, which means better accuracy from QB Caleb Williams and fewer penalties. Given the intensity at Ford Field, Chicago will have to use a silent cadence to avoid false start penalties. Establishing a better running game is also a priority.What’s being heard about the Lions: Detroit is also looking to avoid an 0-2 start for the first time since 2021, Dan Campbell’s first season. In Johnson’s three years as the Lions’ OC, he developed close bonds with many of the current players, but those friendships will be put aside.Key stat: Lions quarterback Jared Goff is looking to become the first starter to win 11 straight games after a loss since Aaron Rodgers did it for the Packers (between the 2018-22 seasons).Bold Prediction: The Bears will record at least three plays of 30+ yards on offense. The Lions blitzed 57% of the time in Week 1, and while that can be effective, it also increases the possibility of explosive plays from the opposing offense.Fantasy News: Williams scored 24.2 fantasy points against the Vikings in Week 1, but the stat sheet doesn’t tell the whole story. After starting 13 of 16 in the first half, he finished with a 29.4% missed target rate, the worst in the NFL. Last season, he ranked 35th out of 36 qualified QBs with 21.0%. Minnesota stepped up the blitz to 44% in the second half, something fantasy managers should watch closely.FPI Prediction: DET, 61.4% (by an average of 4.6 points)“I need to call more runs to get [Monangai] involved in the game a little more”.
Ben Johnson
Forecasts:
Maldonado: Lions 26, Bears 23 Moody: Lions 31, Bears 23 Walder: Bears 24, Lions 20Bills (1-0) at Jets (0-1)1 p.m. ET | CBS | Matchup Rating: 57.6/100The Bills are looking to improve their run defense, while the Jets are relying on a revamped offense. Josh Allen accumulates a high number of turnovers against the Jets.What’s being heard about the Bills: A problem for Buffalo in Week 1 was limiting the running game after giving up the most rushing yards in the league, 238 yards. The Jets accumulated the fourth-most rushing yards in Week 1 (182 yards), and stopping them will be more difficult without DT Ed Oliver, who had a great game in Week 1, but is out with an ankle injury.What’s being heard about the Jets: The Jets always struggle to score against the Bills (they’ve been held under 23 points in the last 12 matchups), but there’s renewed confidence in the offense after a 32-point performance in Week 1. The running game is a big part of “our DNA,” said offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand.Key statistic: Josh Allen has 18 turnovers in his career against the Jets, the most of any quarterback against a single opponent since he entered the league in 2018.Bold Prediction: Jets CB Brandon Stephens will be targeted at least nine times as the nearest defender, matching the highest mark for any defender in Week 1. Stephens is coming off a difficult first game as a Jet in which he gave up 75 yards on seven targets and is also coming off an unstable final season in Baltimore. With Sauce Gardner playing in front of him, Buffalo is expected to target Stephens.Fantasy News: Breece Hall faces a Bills defense that conceded 29.2 fantasy points to Derrick Henry last week and has struggled against RBs since last season. Hall is coming off a performance in which he accumulated 21 touches and 16.5 fantasy points. He has averaged 15.5 fantasy points per game against the Bills in his career.FPI Prediction: BUF, 65.5% (by an average of 6.3 points)Forecasts:
Maldonado: Bills 22, Jets 21 Moody: Bills 36, Jets 27 Walder: Bills 27, Jets 16Browns (0-1) at Ravens (0-1)1 p.m. ET | CBS | Matchup Rating: 57.4/100The Browns will look to contain Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense. The Ravens will try to bounce back from their loss last week.What’s being heard about the Browns: The Browns’ defense did almost everything it could last week to stop the Bengals’ offense, but it will have a much different and more difficult task with the Ravens’ RB, Derrick Henry. But Cleveland has had some success limiting Henry since Jim Schwartz became the coordinator in 2022. In two of the three matchups, the Browns held Henry under 75 yards.What’s being heard about the Ravens: QB Lamar Jackson is looking to reverse his fortunes against the Browns, who have defeated him twice in the last three matchups. In those games, Jackson has completed 55.9% of his passes for five touchdowns and two interceptions. Coach John Harbaugh said the Browns’ defense “uses a kind of suffocating mentality. You have to find a way to break the suffocation.”Key Stat: The Ravens are 12-2 (.857) following a loss since 2022, the second-best record in the league in that span, behind the Chiefs (9-1, .900). They also have the largest PPG differential (plus 8.6) in those games during that time.Bold Prediction: Ravens’ Mark Andrews bounces back with five receptions and a touchdown after a Week 1 underperformance where he only managed 5 yards. Cleveland yielded targets to tight ends 21% of the time last season (sixth-most) and 32% of the time (second-most) last week.Fantasy News: Dylan Sampson had 20 touches against the Bengals, finishing with 17.3 fantasy points and leading the Browns’ backfield in both categories. Quinshon Judkins’ expected debut could change the first-down work, but Sampson’s receiving role should remain secure.FPI Prediction: BAL, 79.3% (for an average of 12.8 points)Forecasts:Maldonado: Ravens 27, Browns 14 Moody: Ravens 38, Browns 17 Walder: Ravens 30, Browns 13Jaguars (1-0) at Bengals (1-0)1 p.m. ET | CBS | Matchup Rating: 53.0/100The Jaguars are looking to increase Travis Hunter’s defensive snaps. The Bengals are looking to improve their offensive efficiency.What’s being heard about the Jaguars: Travis Hunter’s defensive snaps will increase this week, said Jacksonville coach Liam Coen. But he added that it was part of his plan to ease him into the defensive side of the ball and is not related to the fact that the Jaguars are facing possibly the best receiving duo in the NFL in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Still, it can’t hurt that Hunter is on the field more, especially since he’s more of a natural cornerback than a receiver. Hunter played 42 snaps on offense and only six on defense in the season opener.What’s being heard about the Bengals: How does a perfect offensive day look? For coordinator Dan Pitcher, there are a few elements on the checklist: first-down efficiency, sustained drives, and third-down conversions. Cincinnati didn’t have first downs on 60% of their drives against the Browns, the worst rate in Week 1. The Bengals know they’re facing a strong defensive line led by edge rusher Josh Hines-Allen and LB Foyesade Oluokun, the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.Key stat: The Bengals had 7 yards in the second half against the Browns, making them the first team to win a game with fewer than 10 yards in a second half since 1995 (Colts, 3 yards).Bold Prediction: Hines-Allen will record at least 1.5 receptions. Although he didn’t record any receptions in Week 1, he had a fast start with a 29% pass win rate against the Panthers. In Week 2, he will get a couple of catches, as Burrow is known to take one or two sacks.
What’s being heard about the Seahawks: Mike Macdonald’s two-word answer threw even more uncertainty about the short and long-term future of CB Riq Woolen with the Seahawks. “We’ll see,” the coach responded when asked if Woolen would start on Sunday against the Steelers. The former Pro Bowl player is fighting for his job after his recent costly mistakes (a couple of misread throws on the decisive play of Seattle’s season-opening loss), along with the emergence of No. 3 cornerback Josh Jobe. Even if Jobe starts, Woolen will play. His combination of size (6 feet 4 inches, 210 pounds) and speed could make him Seattle’s best option to face former Seahawk DK Metcalf.
What’s being heard about the Steelers: Bolstering the run defense was an emphasis this offseason, but the Steelers struggled against the Jets. But coordinator Teryl Austin said Thursday that the issues that plagued them in the wild-card loss to the Ravens are different from the problems against the Jets. “I don’t think we got knocked around,” Austin said. “I just think we missed some opportunities… I know how I felt coming off that field in Baltimore last year, and I didn’t feel the same way this year. I feel good about our group.” The defense will be tested differently against Seattle’s zone scheme without first-round rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (knee). But Austin said he expects rookie Yahya Black to play more this week.Key Statistic: The Steelers are looking to start 2-0 for the second consecutive season. In 2024, they started 3-0, finished 10-7, and made the playoffs. This would be the first time Pittsburgh has started 2-0 in consecutive seasons since 2016-17.Bold Prediction: These two teams will combine for double-digit screen pass completions. It’s a staple of Steelers OC Arthur Smith, as we know. And we saw it in Week 1, with a league-leading screen rate of 9%. But the Seahawks weren’t far behind, with an 8% rate that ranked third in the league that first week.Fantasy News: Kenneth Walker III finished with only 5.4 fantasy points on 13 touches, while Zach Charbonnet led the Seahawks with 12 attempts for 47 rushing yards, totaling 10.7 points. Walker didn’t look 100 percent on film, lacking the burst that fantasy managers are accustomed to, making Seattle’s backfield something to monitor moving forward.FPI Prediction: PIT, 61.2% (by an average of 4.5 points)Forecasts:
Maldonado: Steelers 23, Seahawks 17 Moody: Steelers 27, Seahawks 24 Walder: Seahawks 20, Steelers 17
