The NFL’s 2025 season Week 2 kicked off on Thursday night with an impressive Packers victory over the Commanders. On Sunday, in the early window, the Patriots surpassed 30 points for the first time since 2021 in their close win over the Dolphins. Meanwhile, the Bills and Ravens dominated the Jets and Browns, respectively, following the exciting Week 1 matchup on Sunday night. The Cowboys and Giants played the first overtime game of the season, with Dallas taking the victory thanks to a field goal by Brandon Aubrey. In the last shift on Sunday, Colts kicker Spencer Shrader had the opportunity to retry and convert his winning kick against the Broncos after a penalty. The Panthers scored 16 straight points against the Cardinals, but Carolina couldn’t score on their last possession. And the Eagles stopped the Chiefs’ late comeback in a Super Bowl LIX rematch. Here’s the analysis of each match:
Atlanta 22, Minnesota 6
Is it too early for Falcons fans to get excited about the team’s four rookie defenders? No. Billy Bowman Jr., selected in the fourth round, had an interception and nearly got another. Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., selected in the first round, recorded at least half a sack. Xavier Watts, selected in the third round, got a late interception. The Falcons had a poor defense in 2024, especially in their pass rush, and they committed to improving it. Atlanta’s trade to get Pearce in the first round doesn’t seem so controversial now. The rookie class looks like a resounding success.
Key fact: Kicker Parker Romo made as many field goals on Sunday as the days he’s been with the Falcons (5). Atlanta signed him on Tuesday due to Younghoe Koo’s issues. Romo’s five field goals are tied for the second-most a Falcons kicker has ever made in a game.Next game: vs. Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)Vikings
Why was the offense so bad? The Vikings have played eight quarters this season and only managed at least one touchdown in one of them. Their three-touchdown explosion in the fourth quarter against the Bears in Week 1 gave them the victory, but they were inept during Sunday night’s game. It’s easy to blame the growing pains of quarterback J.J. McCarthy, in his first year as a starter, and he played a significant role by taking six sacks and throwing two interceptions. He also had a 24% pass deflection rate; the league average in 2024 was 15%. But the problems were more widespread. Injuries forced the Vikings to finish the game with their backup center (Michael Jurgens) and backup left tackle (Walter Rouse), and running back Aaron Jones Sr. left due to a hamstring strain. In the end, they only managed two possessions of more than four plays.
Trend to watch: Although technically not a trend, Vikings center Ryan Kelly suffered a concussion in the first half and was ruled out of the game. It was an especially concerning development for Kelly, who had at least three documented concussions during his time with the Indianapolis Colts. The Vikings signed Kelly to improve the position and give McCarthy veteran security, and now his status, at least in the short term, is in doubt.Next game: vs. Bengals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)Philadelphia 20, Kansas City 17
Could rookie safety Andrew Mukuba be the difference-maker this Eagles defense needs? His playmaking prowess in college manifested itself, as he pounced on Travis Kelce’s fumble near the goal line early in the fourth quarter and secured his first career interception, thwarting what would have been Kansas City’s go-ahead drive. Not everything was good for Mukuba, as Patrick Mahomes ran over him on third down in the first half and allowed a fourth-down reception to Kelce. But Mukuba bounced back with a quality second half, which included a third-down stop on a pass to Hollywood Brown. The Eagles needed someone to step up in the secondary after the departures of safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and cornerback Darius Slay this offseason. Mukuba answered the call.
Most surprising performance: Newly acquired defensive end Za’Darius Smith made the most of his limited role, recording four tackles, three stops, and a half sack. Smith, an 11-year veteran, signed with Philadelphia last week and immediately helped a group that hadn’t recorded any sacks against the Cowboys.Next game: vs. Rams (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)Chiefs
Can coach Andy Reid and coordinator Matt Nagy fix the offensive problems? After halftime, Reid and Nagy didn’t find substantial solutions to help Mahomes. The Chiefs’ first possession in the third quarter ended with a baffling play. On fourth and 1, Reid had center Creed Humphrey pull on a trap for running back Kareem Hunt. The Eagles’ defensive line crushed the Chiefs’ offensive line, and the Eagles used the 1-yard loss to take a three-point lead. Although the Chiefs are optimistic that Xavier Worthy (shoulder) will return next week, his effectiveness will likely be affected by wearing a harness. When the Eagles blitzed, Mahomes couldn’t find many open receivers against man-to-man coverage, and the running game didn’t open up many lanes either. Too often, Mahomes had to be a superhero to give the Chiefs a chance of success.
What to think about the QB’s performance: Mahomes was basically an overqualified game manager in the second half of Sunday’s game. Without Worthy and Rashee Rice (suspended), Mahomes had to be excellent using the Chiefs’ quick passing game. He finished with 187 passing yards, 66 rushing yards, and 2 touchdowns. He is also playing alongside rookie left tackle Josh Simmons and new left guard Kingsley Suamataia. At running back, Hunt no longer has explosiveness, and starter Isiah Pacheco only had two attempts that gained 5 or more yards. Mahomes’ 13-yard run capped the Chiefs’ only first-half touchdown drive.Next game: vs. Giants (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)Indianapolis 29, Denver 28
Did Daniel Jones answer any remaining questions about his appointment as starting QB? Jones got off to a fantastic start with his Week 1 performance, but that game was a laugher from the start. Sunday’s matchup with Denver posed a different challenge, with Jones facing a second-half deficit and needing a comeback in the final series. He made more crucial plays than necessary in last week’s game, but after a 316-yard performance on Sunday, Jones has exceeded expectations in the first two weeks.
Key statistic to note: Running back Jonathan Taylor had 165 rushing yards, and most of his work came after contact. Taylor had a career-high 114 yards after contact, much of that coming from a 68-yard run early in the fourth quarter. It was Taylor’s 25th career game with 100 rushing yards, surpassing Eric Dickerson for second-most in Colts history. Only Edgerrin James (49) has more.Next game: vs. Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)Broncos
What happened to the Broncos’ defense? It’s unlikely that many outside of Indianapolis would have foreseen Jones shredding the Broncos’ defense in Week 2 of the NFL. The Broncos struggled to unsettle Jones for much of the day, as he had 236 passing yards at halftime, 103 yards more than the Titans had in Denver’s season opener. The Colts had three pass plays of over 40 yards in the first half, and Colts rookie tight end Tyler Warren was a particular riddle for the Broncos. By the time Taylor ran for 68 yards with just under 10 minutes to play, the Colts were over 400 yards and hadn’t punted.Turning point: After the Broncos saw Spencer Shrader’s 60-yard game-winning field goal fall short on what was to be the final play, Denver linebacker Dondrea Tillman was penalized for leverage and Shrader got a 45-yard reprieve. This time it was good, and the Colts took the victory.Next game: vs. Chargers (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)Arizona 27, Carolina 22
What will the Cardinals do at CB after two starters suffered injuries? With Max Melton and Garrett Williams leaving Sunday’s game due to injuries, the Cardinals may have to reshuffle their depth chart. Melton did not return after a knee injury. Williams limped off the field late in the game due to a leg injury and was unable to put much weight on it. Arizona began playing rookie Will Johnson on one outside end and Denzel Burke on the other. If Melton or Williams, or both, are out long-term, then Johnson, Burke, and Kei’Trel Clark will likely be the rotation. But, who will play in the slot?Turning point: Greg Dortch’s 29-yard punt return around the one-minute mark flipped the Cardinals’ field position, leading to a touchdown six plays later. After Dortch caught the 60-yard punt at Arizona’s 26-yard line, he returned it to Carolina’s 45-yard line. The Cardinals scored and then scored again on the first drive of the second half to convert the two-for-one and take control of the game.Next game: vs. 49ers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)Panthers
Can the Panthers be patient after an 0-2 start? QB Bryce Young looked terrible in the first quarter, committing two turnovers to add up to five in his first five quarters this season. Then, in the second half, everything started to work. Young led a comeback that might have prevented coach Dave Canales from considering a QB change at 0-2 for the second year in a row. Young remained calm and steady, finishing with a career-high 328 passing yards and three touchdowns. The near comeback should provide some patience to Canales and Young.
Turning point: Down 27-3, Young began to exploit the underneath receivers on short passes and consistently picked apart the Cardinals. The “dink-and-dunk” approach led to three straight touchdown drives and a comeback that few could have predicted after he played so poorly early on. The comeback fell short, but it gave the Panthers some hope heading into Week 3 against the Falcons.Best quote from the locker room: Panthers center Austin Corbett tore his left ACL in the final game of 2022, tore his left MCL in 2023, and had biceps surgery last year. He is now facing possibly another surgery on his left knee after an injury in the final quarter on Sunday. “Football sucks, but I love this game so much,” said Corbett, who was seen crying while leaning against a wall outside the locker room.Next game: vs. Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)Dallas 40, N.Y. Giants 37
How big was this victory for the Cowboys? Imagine if the Cowboys hadn’t been able to put together a last-minute touchdown drive. They would have been 0-2 for the first time since 2010, and 0-2 in the NFC East. Questions would have arisen about coach Brian Schottenheimer’s tenure and a defense that couldn’t contain a Giants offense that hadn’t managed to score a touchdown in its first game. And the Cowboys would have had their eighth loss at AT&T Stadium in their last 10 home games. But quarterback Dak Prescott and kicker Brandon Aubrey (64-yard field goal to tie the game) bailed things out in regulation and again in overtime. With a 14-yard run, Prescott set up Aubrey’s game-winning field goal on the final play of overtime from 46 yards. It was Aubrey’s first walk-off winner. It wasn’t a pretty win, but 1-1 is infinitely better than 0-2 or 0-1-1.
What to think about the QB’s performance: In Week 1, Prescott couldn’t execute a late drive to beat the Eagles. He didn’t repeat that in Week 2, delivering at the end of regulation and eventually in overtime. It wasn’t Prescott’s cleanest performance: he had a delay of game penalty on the first drive, mismanaged the clock at the end of the half, and opened the third quarter by forcing a pass that was intercepted. But with 2:37 remaining in the last quarter, he delivered a 71-yard touchdown drive. And with 25 seconds remaining, he set up the drive to tie the game. In his third overtime drive, Prescott found Pickens for 20 yards and ran 14 more, which was a feat considering how his season ended last year with a hamstring avulsion.
Next game: vs. Bears (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)Giants
What does this mean now for the Giants’ quarterback position? This should silence the conversation about the possibility of replacing Russell Wilson with rookie Jaxson Dart for now, even if Wilson threw a costly interception in overtime. Wilson was infinitely more efficient and effective in this loss than he was in Week 1. In fact, there was a lot of classic Russ: Wilson completed 30 of 41 passes for 450 yards. In particular, he looked more comfortable in the pocket and had tremendous success downfield. He completed an impressive 7 of 11 passes for 264 yards with three touchdowns on passes of more than 20 air yards. One of those touchdowns was a perfect 48-yard pass to WR Malik Nabers with 25 seconds remaining in regulation.Trend to watch: Penalties. Offensive tackle James Hudson III committed four penalties in the opening series before being relegated to the bench. But he wasn’t alone. The Giants had 14 penalties for 160 yards. That doesn’t even include the three penalties they committed on the same play in the second quarter that were offset by a call for unsportsmanlike conduct on Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb. This lack of discipline cost the Giants the opportunity to win.Next game: vs. Chiefs (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)L.A. Rams 33, Tennessee 19
Can the Rams keep winning with an unbalanced offense? Despite big games from their top two receivers: Davante Adams had six receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown, and Puka Nacua had eight for 91 yards and a 45-yard rushing touchdown, the Rams’ offense feels unbalanced to start the season. For much of the game, aside from Nacua’s long run, the Rams struggled to move the ball on the ground. Nacua and Adams accounted for 22 of the Rams’ 32 targets. While the Rams scored four touchdowns, they were 5 of 12 on third down and 3 of 6 in the red zone (although they didn’t attempt to score a touchdown on their final drive, as they ran out the clock after getting a first down).
Trend to watch: After running back Kyren Williams played 80.7% of the Rams’ offensive snaps in Week 1, Blake Corum saw an increase in snaps. Corum played 30.5% of the offensive snaps and had 44 yards and a touchdown on five carries. Williams (69.5% of the snaps) ran for 66 yards on 17 carries, but 33 of those yards came on the final drive.Best quote from the locker room: Adams said one of the most impressive things he saw from Stafford was his demeanor after his second-quarter interception. “He’s not cursing, he’s not blaming anyone,” Adams said. “You could tell he was focused, locked in, not going to let things like that bother him. And that kind of confidence radiates to the rest of the team, just that kind of poise and confidence.” Stafford joked after that Adams might have missed him hitting his helmet, but said, “The only thing to do is keep playing. I can’t just sit there and be mad about it all day.”Next game: vs. Eagles (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)Titans
Has Cam Ward shown enough to warrant a higher passing volume next week? Despite the loss, Titans fans felt Ward’s experience on the rookie’s first touchdown pass. He ran 36 yards before throwing a pass across his body to rookie receiver Elic Ayomanor for the 9-yard score. Titans coach Brian Callahan once again leaned on the running game until the game got out of hand, making it clear that he is not quite ready to expand Ward’s workload. However, the rookie quarterback showed flashes that could lead to a higher passing volume. He didn’t panic, and his connection with Ayomanor continues to expand, having connected four times for 56 yards, including the touchdown.
Trend to watch: Penalties continue to be a problem for the Titans. Tennessee was penalized 10 times for 62 yards this week after receiving 13 penalties for 131 yards in the season opener. Pre-snap penalties are killing the offense, putting them in likely passing situations, and the offensive line can’t withstand the onslaught. Without one of the penalties, the Titans would have had their first punt return for a score since 2012, with linebacker Cedric Gray’s blindside block negating wide receiver Chimere Dike’s 47-yard touchdown.Best locker room quote: Ward talked about his relationship with Callahan and how it has grown so far this season. “He’s given me a lot of authority, so I want more… He’s only called two games for me. I want him to call a lot more. He’s one of the coaches who’s going to do what’s best for his players, put his players in the right situation, run game, pass game and we just keep growing.”Next game: vs. Colts (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)Detroit 52, Chicago 21
Is Sunday’s performance what we can expect to see from the Lions’ offense this season? After a mediocre effort in Week 1 in Green Bay, Detroit’s offense responded in a big way, scoring 52 points against Chicago to quell any concerns, at least for now, that persisted about how it would adapt to new coordinator John Morton. Wide receivers Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown produced at least 100 receiving yards in the same game for the second time in their careers, as this offense resembled the unit that many expected after last season’s 15-2.
Trend to watch: Detroit has won 16 consecutive regular season games when leading at halftime, which is the longest active streak in the NFL, according to ESPN Research. Against the Bears, the Lions started strong, leading 28-14 at halftime when St. Brown finished the first quarter with a career-high 82 receiving yards on three receptions. He would finish with nine receptions for 115 yards and three touchdowns.Bears
What are the biggest problems the Bears must address after an 0-2 start? Ben Johnson hinted that things would look difficult at first when he stated that the Bears “will not be a finished product in September”, but what happened in Johnson’s homecoming at Ford Field was a brutal embarrassment. Another fast start for Caleb Williams quickly cooled down to the point where the quarterback was replaced by Tyson
