NEW YORK, United States, September 22, 2026: Two weeks into the NFL season, eight teams remain unbeaten, eight have yet to win, the defending champions are still refusing to lose, Buffalo has scored 77 points, Las Vegas has become the league’s first genuine surprise, and three of the most important young quarterbacks in the NFC have already been caught in the injury cycle.
That is the broad picture. The more useful story sits underneath it.
Josh Allen looks like a quarterback entering the season with very little interest in easing into anything. Kansas City has finally built an offense around Patrick Mahomes that does not require him to solve every problem alone. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has become the organizing principle of Seattle’s passing game. Brian Flores has turned Minnesota’s defense into a weekly problem that opposing quarterbacks have to solve before they can even think about attacking downfield.
Elsewhere, the Chargers cannot make Mike McDaniel’s offense look comfortable, Atlanta has already reached the point where Michael Penix Jr. must rescue a season that has barely started, Houston’s offense has disappeared, Pittsburgh looks structurally stuck, and Washington is once again reorganizing itself around a Jayden Daniels injury.
Story at a glance
NFL Standings After Week 2: Who Is 2-0 and Who Is 0-2?
The symmetry looks neat. The actual situations are anything but equal.
What Changed From NFL Week 1 to Week 2?
The first Sunday produced chaos.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Has Become Seattle’s Offensive Constant
The defending champions have won 12 straight games including the playoffs, and their passing offense has already had to function without its preferred Week 2 quarterback.
Patrick Mahomes Looks Healthy, but Kenneth Walker III May Be the Bigger Change
Kansas City’s 2-0 start has produced perhaps the most important structural development of the opening fortnight.
The Raiders Are the Surprise Team Nobody Expected
Las Vegas being 2-0 is surprising.
The Sports Encounter’s complete NFL Week 1 analysis argued that the opener should be treated as evidence rather than a verdict. Week 2 has now given us enough repetition to separate several early patterns from simple opening-day noise.
NFL Standings After Week 2: Who Is 2-0 and Who Is 0-2?
| 2-0 Teams | 0-2 Teams |
|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | Miami Dolphins |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Los Angeles Chargers |
| Las Vegas Raiders | Houston Texans |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Indianapolis Colts |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Tennessee Titans |
| Minnesota Vikings | Washington Commanders |
| Seattle Seahawks | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| San Francisco 49ers | Atlanta Falcons |
The symmetry looks neat. The actual situations are anything but equal.
Indianapolis has lost twice but pushed Kansas City into overtime after scoring 30 points at Arrowhead. Tennessee lost its first game by 13 and then made Philadelphia work until the closing minutes. Those teams have problems, but their records do not describe the same level of dysfunction visible in Atlanta or Los Angeles.
Likewise, not every 2-0 team has reached that record in the same way. Buffalo has overwhelmed two strong opponents with offense. Minnesota has survived quarterback disruption through defense. Philadelphia has been living on close margins. Las Vegas has simply become much more competent than anyone expected.
The official NFL Week 2 review captured the wider tonal change from Week 1: after the opening weekend became an offensive carnival, five defenses held opponents without a touchdown on Sunday.
What Changed From NFL Week 1 to Week 2?
The first Sunday produced chaos.
Chicago scored 59. Carolina scored 37 and still lost by 22. Baltimore put 41 on Indianapolis. Buffalo survived Houston 36-31. Detroit and New Orleans needed overtime to settle a 31-30 game. The 13-game Sunday slate contained 672 points.
One week later, defense fought back.
Minnesota held Chicago to three points. New England gave Pittsburgh three. Cincinnati allowed Houston six. Carolina, which had just surrendered 59 points, held Atlanta to three. Seattle kept Arizona to seven.
The swing tells us something important about September football. Schemes are still being tested in real time. Coaches are learning what they can trust. Opponents now have regular-season film instead of preseason guesses.
Carolina might be the best example. Seven days after being humiliated by Chicago, the Panthers produced one of the strongest defensive performances of Week 2. Devin Lloyd was everywhere, and Atlanta never developed a functional response.
That is why TSE’s earlier Week 2 consolidated report focused on consequences rather than a string of scorelines. Some teams corrected themselves immediately. Others repeated the same weaknesses.
Who Has Been the Best NFL Player Through Two Weeks?
Josh Allen Has Started Like a Quarterback With a Point to Prove
The conversation starts in Buffalo.
Allen has thrown for 582 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions through two games. Buffalo scored 36 at Houston and then 41 against Detroit in the first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium.
His Week 2 performance contained five total touchdowns, three passing and two rushing, along with 248 passing yards and 69 on the ground.
The more revealing detail was the manner in which Buffalo attacked.
Detroit could not choose a defensive answer without exposing itself somewhere else. Send pressure and Allen could escape. Protect the back end and Buffalo ran the ball. Commit extra attention to the quarterback’s legs and intermediate throwing lanes opened.
TSE’s full Bills-Lions analysis showed how quickly Buffalo established that control. Allen drove the offense 85 yards on the opening possession and never allowed the stadium-opening emotion to turn into tension.
Buffalo’s 77 points through two games make the larger question straightforward: can anyone force this offense to play slowly enough to become uncomfortable?
The Chargers will try in Week 3. Nothing they have shown defensively or offensively so far suggests they want to enter a track meet with Buffalo.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Has Become Seattle’s Offensive Constant
The defending champions have won 12 straight games including the playoffs, and their passing offense has already had to function without its preferred Week 2 quarterback.
Sam Darnold missed the Arizona game because of a glute injury.
Drew Lock started instead.
Seattle still won 31-7 because Jaxon Smith-Njigba made the quarterback change considerably less important.
Smith-Njigba caught nine passes for 155 yards and three touchdowns. His first score covered 82 yards. He later added touchdown catches of seven and 12 yards as the Seahawks pulled away.
He has topped 100 receiving yards and scored a touchdown in both games.
What separates this from simple volume is the variety of ways Seattle is using him. Smith-Njigba can punish single coverage vertically, find space between zones and become the obvious answer when a backup quarterback needs a trustworthy target.
The Seahawks’ opening win against New England was much uglier. TSE’s analysis of the 13-10 Super Bowl rematch showed Seattle winning through turnover discipline and decisive late moments.
Week 2 supplied the opposite version. Seattle dominated.
Championship teams need both versions available.
Patrick Mahomes Looks Healthy, but Kenneth Walker III May Be the Bigger Change
Kansas City’s 2-0 start has produced perhaps the most important structural development of the opening fortnight.
Mahomes appears physically ready after major knee surgery.
The Chiefs no longer require him to manufacture every first down himself.
Kenneth Walker III rushed for 173 yards against Denver in Week 1 and followed with another 117 against Indianapolis. That gives him 290 rushing yards through two games.
TSE’s analysis of Kansas City’s opener argued that Walker’s arrival could change the geometry of the offense more than Mahomes’ return itself.
Week 2 strengthened the case.
Indianapolis pushed Kansas City into overtime, so the Chiefs could not simply repeat the Week 1 blueprint. Mahomes threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns. Travis Kelce caught nine passes for 101 yards. Kansas City completed six throws of at least 10 air yards after failing to complete one such pass in the opener.
Walker’s presence also created more credible play action. Mahomes completed a career-high 14 passes off play-action concepts against the Colts.
The Chiefs can now ask defenses an uncomfortable question.
Load the box to control Walker, and Mahomes gets space behind the linebackers.
Stay light, and Kansas City can run without asking its quarterback to be the entire offense.
The Raiders Are the Surprise Team Nobody Expected
Las Vegas being 2-0 is surprising.
The way the Raiders reached 2-0 is more important.
They have looked organized.
Kirk Cousins has thrown three touchdown passes in each game, becoming only the second Raiders quarterback to open a season with at least three passing touchdowns in consecutive games after Ken Stabler in 1976.
The Week 1 criticism was that too much of Cousins’ production came underneath. Against the Chargers, he corrected that immediately. On throws traveling at least 10 yards downfield, he completed eight of 12 for 181 yards and three touchdowns.
Las Vegas’ defense has also forced five turnovers through two games after producing only 16 across all of last season.
Rookie corner Hezekiah Masses intercepted Justin Herbert twice in Week 2 and allowed only two completions for 16 yards on six targets in coverage.
Ashton Jeanty already supplied the backfield warning in Week 1, rushing for more than 100 yards against Miami and catching two touchdowns.
The largest takeaway is that the Raiders have not needed No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza to play.
Before the season, TSE examined that patience in our look at the Raiders’ decision to start Cousins while developing Mendoza.
Two weeks later, there is even less reason to rush the rookie.
San Francisco Might Be the Most Complete 2-0 Team
The 49ers have beaten the Rams 27-7 and Miami 35-13.
They have allowed 20 total points.
Brock Purdy has completed 45 of 56 passes for 492 yards, five touchdowns and one interception while adding a rushing score against Miami.
His Week 2 line was almost absurdly clean: 20 completions on 22 attempts, 287 yards, two passing touchdowns, no interceptions and 30 rushing yards with another score.
San Francisco’s opening victory in Melbourne already suggested the defense would travel. The second game showed that Kyle Shanahan’s offense can still turn efficiency into sudden scoring runs.
Christian McCaffrey has not produced giant rushing totals yet, but his presence continues to force defenses into uncomfortable personnel choices. He scored twice against Miami and remains central to both the rushing and receiving structure.
The 49ers are also winning despite injuries around the roster, which matters more than September aesthetics.
The NFC West already contains Seattle at 2-0 and Arizona and Los Angeles at 1-1. San Francisco’s perfect start therefore carries immediate divisional weight.
Minnesota’s Defense May Be the Most Difficult Unit to Prepare For
The Vikings have won twice despite losing Kyler Murray to a concussion during the first quarter of his Minnesota debut.
That sounds like an offensive resilience story.
It has mostly been a defensive one.
Brian Flores blitzed Green Bay relentlessly in Week 1 and increased the pressure against Chicago. Caleb Williams faced extra rushers on 27 of his 33 dropbacks before leaving with a hamstring injury, an 81.8 percent blitz rate.
Dallas Turner generated 10 pressures and two sacks against Chicago, his second consecutive week with double-digit pressures.
Minnesota has allowed six points across its last six quarters.
The most impressive part of Flores’ approach is that he is creating free rushers without constantly exposing the secondary to catastrophic plays. That is the danger in blitz-heavy football. If one coverage rule breaks, the offense gets an easy explosive gain.
The Vikings are living close to that edge and making it work.
Kyler Murray has now cleared the concussion protocol and is expected back against Tampa Bay in Week 3. Minnesota therefore gets its preferred quarterback back while already owning a 2-0 record built largely without him.
Cincinnati’s Defense Has Changed the Bengals’ Margin for Error
Cincinnati was supposed to win games because Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and the offense could score enough to cover the defense.
That assumption already looks outdated.
The Bengals forced Tampa Bay into four fumbles during a 33-27 Week 1 victory and then held Houston without a touchdown in a 20-6 road win.
Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen have transformed the front.
The benefit extends beyond their own statistics. When two interior linemen consume protection and distort run fits, linebackers get cleaner reads and easier paths to the football.
Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter are already playing more freely behind them.
Cincinnati’s offense was not especially sharp in Houston. Burrow absorbed pressure and the Texans repeatedly disrupted timing.
Last season’s Bengals might have lost that game.
The 2026 version did not need 35 points.
Philadelphia Is 2-0 Without Looking Untouchable
The Eagles have beaten Washington 24-22 and Tennessee 24-20.
That is a perfect record built on a combined winning margin of six points.
Jalen Hurts has again shown the late-game temperament that has defined much of his career, producing his eighth fourth-quarter comeback since 2023 in Tennessee.
DeVonta Smith has adapted to a larger role following A.J. Brown’s departure. Against Tennessee, he caught six of eight targets outside the numbers for 77 yards and a touchdown.
Philadelphia’s problem entering Week 3 is health.
Dallas Goedert suffered an MCL sprain and is expected to miss several weeks. The Eagles have already brought Zach Ertz back on the practice squad, reconnecting Hurts with one of Philadelphia’s most familiar veteran tight ends.
The Eagles are undefeated.
They are also still defining what the offense looks like without Brown and with Goedert temporarily unavailable.
Which Week 2 Individual Performances Deserve More Attention?
Davante Adams Reminded the Giants What Elite Route Running Still Looks Like
The Rams entered Monday night 0-1, missing Puka Nacua and carrying a long injury list after being dismantled by San Francisco in Australia.
Davante Adams turned the home opener into a correction.
He caught eight passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns in the 28-6 win over New York.
Matthew Stafford threw four touchdown passes and moved into sixth place on the NFL’s all-time passing-touchdown list with 427.
Los Angeles still has injury questions, but the game showed that Adams can carry primary-receiver volume when Nacua is unavailable.
Dak Prescott Needed One Game to Change the Mood in Dallas
Dallas looked flat in a Week 1 loss to the Giants.
One week later, Prescott completed 26 of 31 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns against Washington.
His final touchdown pass, a 24-yard strike to CeeDee Lamb, moved him past Tony Romo for the Cowboys’ career record with 249 passing touchdowns.
Lamb finished with eight catches, 153 yards and two scores.
The offense looked like the unit Dallas expected to have in September.
The defense remains the concern.
Washington accumulated 203 yards in the second quarter before Daniels was injured. Dallas also lost cornerback Cobie Durant to a hamstring issue and safety P.J. Locke to a plantar fascia injury.
That becomes relevant immediately because Lamar Jackson is next.
Devin Lloyd Produced the Defensive Line of the Week
Carolina went from allowing 59 points to Chicago to holding Atlanta to three.
Lloyd produced nine tackles, a sack, three passes defensed, two tackles for loss and two interceptions, including a pick-six.
He became only the third player in the last 20 seasons to record a sack, multiple interceptions and a pick-six in the same game, joining Charles Woodson and Zach Brown.
It was the kind of individual defensive performance that can reset the confidence of an entire unit after embarrassment.
Tyler Shough Is Becoming More Than an Interesting Young Quarterback
New Orleans lost a painful overtime game in Detroit in Week 1 despite Shough throwing for 410 yards.
He followed that performance with a more controlled game in Baltimore and delivered the plays the Saints needed to complete a 24-17 comeback.
Shough was especially effective against pressure, completing 10 of 13 passes against the blitz for 113 yards.
The Saints are only 1-1.
Their quarterback situation looks considerably more stable than it did entering September.
Which Teams Have Been the Biggest Disappointments?
Atlanta Falcons: The Offense Was Broken Before Penix Returned
Atlanta has scored 16 points through two games.
Cooper Rush completed 56.4 percent of his passes for 229 yards and four interceptions across the opening two weeks. Against Carolina he produced 86 passing yards and three turnovers before being benched.
Undrafted rookie Jack Strand replaced him and threw a pick-six on his first NFL pass.
The problem is difficult to evaluate fairly because Atlanta entered the season without the quarterbacks it expected to use. Michael Penix Jr. was still completing his recovery from major knee surgery, while Tua Tagovailoa has dealt with an oblique injury.
That changes Thursday.
Penix has been named the Week 3 starter at Green Bay.
His return does not guarantee Atlanta suddenly becomes functional. It does finally allow Kevin Stefanski’s offense to be judged using a quarterback the franchise actually built around.
Los Angeles Chargers: Mike McDaniel Has Not Made Life Easier for Justin Herbert
The Chargers are 0-2 after losses to Arizona and Las Vegas.
Both defeats ended 26-14.
The symmetry is uncomfortable because the same offensive problems have appeared twice.
Herbert looks hesitant. Protection has been inconsistent. The offense has lacked easy completions, rhythm and reliable early-down efficiency.
Against the Raiders, Herbert threw two interceptions and fumbled three times, although Los Angeles recovered all three fumbles.
The expectation when McDaniel arrived was that motion, timing and quick-game concepts would simplify Herbert’s reads.
Instead, the offense looks as though every play requires too much thought before it can happen.
The schedule now turns brutal: Buffalo, Seattle, Denver and Kansas City are next.
An 0-2 start can be repaired.
An 0-2 start followed by that four-game sequence can become something much worse very quickly.
Houston Texans: Six Points in Week 2 Is an Offensive Alarm
Houston’s opening loss to Buffalo was frustrating rather than catastrophic.
The Texans scored 31 and had a late opportunity before Buffalo forced a decisive fumble.
Week 2 looked different.
Cincinnati held Houston to two field goals.
C.J. Stroud spent too much of the afternoon dealing with interior disruption, and the offense could not build sustained possessions.
Houston is 0-2, but the record is not the biggest concern.
The Week 1 offense looked capable of beating strong teams.
The Week 2 offense looked incapable of protecting its quarterback long enough to access its best weapons.
The Texans visit Indianapolis in Week 3. One of the AFC South’s 0-2 teams will finally win.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The Entire Offensive Operation Looks Slow
Pittsburgh managed 20 points in Week 1 and only three against New England.
Aaron Rodgers threw for 187 yards with no touchdowns and one interception against the Patriots. He has now gone five consecutive starts with one or fewer touchdown passes, tied for the second-longest such stretch of his career.
The run game has not provided balance.
The offensive line has not played to its reputation.
DK Metcalf has not produced the kind of impact Pittsburgh expected from a premium receiver.
New England repeatedly pressured Rodgers, including through an aggressive blitz plan that produced two sacks and eight pressures when extra rushers came.
Cincinnati comes to Pittsburgh next.
That is a dangerous opponent for an offense already struggling because the Bengals’ defensive front has been one of the biggest early-season surprises.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Self-Inflicted Mistakes Are Becoming a Pattern
Tampa Bay lost four fumbles in Cincinnati.
Against Cleveland, Baker Mayfield threw a first-quarter interception that produced Browns points.
The Buccaneers have moved the ball well enough in stretches to make both games competitive. They have not sustained clean football long enough to finish either one.
Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin have not been consistently involved at the volume the offense needs.
Tampa now gets a 2-0 Minnesota team whose defense lives by confusing quarterbacks before the snap and attacking immediately after it.
That is a difficult opponent for an offense already making unnecessary mistakes.
Miami Dolphins: Two Games, 26 Points and No Evidence of a Breakthrough
Miami lost 27-13 to Las Vegas and 35-13 to San Francisco.
Scoring 13 points in consecutive games does not tell the whole story, but it describes the central problem accurately enough.
The offense has not established a reliable identity.
The 49ers controlled Miami physically in Week 2, while Purdy and the San Francisco offense steadily separated after halftime.
Miami now hosts Kansas City.
If the Dolphins cannot create explosive plays early, they risk spending another afternoon chasing an opponent whose offense is becoming more diversified each week.
Which 0-2 Teams Are Better Than Their Records?
Indianapolis Has the Best Case
The Colts lost 41-23 to Baltimore and then pushed Kansas City into overtime before falling 33-30.
They have scored 53 points through two games.
Indianapolis forced the Chiefs to abandon the comfortable script from Week 1 and made Mahomes win through the air.
The record is ugly.
The underlying football is more competitive than Atlanta’s, Miami’s or Los Angeles’.
The immediate setback is Alec Pierce’s heel injury. He is expected to miss several weeks, reducing the vertical element of the passing game.
Houston at Indianapolis in Week 3 becomes a significant early AFC South game because both teams are 0-2 for very different reasons.
Tennessee Is Improving Even Without a Win
The Titans scored 10 against the Jets and 20 against Philadelphia.
They made the Eagles chase the game late in Week 2 and were still within one possession.
Tennessee is not yet producing enough offense to trust, but the second performance contained more coherence than the first.
The Week 3 opponent may also be vulnerable. The Giants could be without Dart after his knee injury against the Rams.
Washington’s Record Is Secondary to Daniels’ Elbow
The Commanders lost to Philadelphia by two in Week 1 and were competitive with Dallas before Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow on the final play of the first half.
Daniels had completed 11 of 17 passes for 96 yards with a touchdown and added 69 rushing yards before the injury.
Marcus Mariota will start against Seattle in Week 3.
Daniels has no confirmed return timetable and is consulting specialists.
The concern is heightened by history. He dislocated the same elbow during the 2025 season and later aggravated it after returning.
Washington therefore has two problems.
The immediate problem is surviving Seattle without its starting quarterback.
The larger one is determining how cautious it must be with one of the franchise’s most important players.
Which 1-1 Teams Should Feel Better Than Their Record?
Los Angeles Rams
Week 1 in Melbourne was miserable.
San Francisco beat the Rams 27-7, Myles Garrett suffered a knee injury that sent him to injured reserve and the entire offense looked disconnected.
Monday night was the opposite.
Stafford threw four touchdowns. Adams produced 195 yards. Los Angeles won 28-6 without Nacua.
The Rams remain fragile because of injuries, but they now have evidence that the offense can function with Adams as the primary receiver.
Carolina Panthers
Allowing 59 points in Week 1 could have destabilized the entire defense.
Carolina instead responded by allowing three.
Lloyd’s monster performance was the headline, but the wider change came from tackling, coverage discipline and Atlanta being denied the easy completions Chicago found a week earlier.
The Panthers are 1-1 and still difficult to define.
That is considerably healthier than being 0-2 with the Week 1 defensive disaster still unresolved.
New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough’s emergence makes the Saints more interesting than their record.
They were a failed overtime two-point conversion away from winning in Detroit and then beat Baltimore on the road.
New Orleans does have a major injury concern. Left tackle Kelvin Banks is out indefinitely with an ankle injury.
That will test whether Shough can continue functioning under pressure without one of the offense’s key pass protectors.
Which 1-1 Teams Should Be More Concerned Than Their Record?
Detroit Lions
Detroit survived New Orleans 31-30 in overtime and then allowed 41 to Buffalo.
The Lions have conceded 71 points.
Some of Week 2 can be explained by the short turnaround and the emotional circumstances surrounding Buffalo’s new stadium.
The defensive problems still predate Thursday night.
Detroit also lost defensive back Avonte Maddox for the season because of a foot injury requiring surgery.
The Lions visit the Jets in Week 3 needing a defensive performance that changes the conversation.
Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore looked devastating in Indianapolis and then lost 24-17 at home to New Orleans.
The Saints again exploited a troubling pattern around Baltimore’s ability to finish games after building advantages.
Under former coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens led the NFL from 2020 through 2025 with 14 losses in games in which they had held a double-digit lead at some point. Week 2 produced the first such loss under Jesse Minter.
Lamar Jackson remains dangerous. Derrick Henry already has four rushing touchdowns.
The question is whether the new coaching structure has actually eliminated the late-game instability or merely inherited it.
Dallas in Rio de Janeiro will provide an immediate answer.
Chicago Bears
It is difficult to imagine two more different opening games.
Chicago scored 59 against Carolina and then three against Minnesota.
Caleb Williams went from 269 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and two rushing scores in Week 1 to 138 yards, no touchdowns and an interception before injuring his hamstring in Week 2.
The hamstring injury is considered week to week and is expected to cost him some time.
Tyson Bagent will start if Williams cannot face Philadelphia on Monday night.
That injury changes how seriously we should interpret the Week 2 offensive collapse. Minnesota created many of the problems, but Chicago now has to solve them without knowing when its starting quarterback can fully use the scrambling element that helped make Week 1 explosive.
Who Is Injured Heading Into NFL Week 3?
| Player | Team | Injury | Week 3 Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jayden Daniels | Commanders | Dislocated left elbow | Out; Marcus Mariota starts |
| Caleb Williams | Bears | Right hamstring | Week to week; likely to miss time |
| Jaxson Dart | Giants | Knee, believed to be MCL sprain | Status uncertain |
| Puka Nacua | Rams | Hip | Missed Week 2; Week 3 status TBD |
| Dallas Goedert | Eagles | MCL sprain | Expected to miss several weeks |
| Sam Darnold | Seahawks | Glute | Expected to practice in some capacity |
| Kelvin Banks | Saints | Ankle | Out indefinitely |
| Avonte Maddox | Lions | Foot | Out for season |
| Alec Pierce | Colts | Heel | Out several weeks |
| Demarcus Robinson | 49ers | High ankle sprain | Week 3 availability uncertain |
The NFL’s post-Week 2 injury roundup confirms that Week 3 preparation will begin with several teams already altering lineups rather than simply game plans.
Who Is Coming Back in Week 3?
Michael Penix Jr. Finally Gets Atlanta’s Offense
Penix will start against Green Bay on Thursday night, his first start since suffering a season-ending knee injury in November 2025.
He has not played meaningful regular-season football for roughly 10 months.
Atlanta has little choice but to accept some rust because the alternative has already failed.
Penix immediately becomes one of Week 3’s most important players because the Falcons cannot determine whether their offensive system works until a legitimate starting quarterback operates it.
Kyler Murray Returns to a 2-0 Vikings Team
Murray has cleared concussion protocol and will start against Tampa Bay.
He played only briefly in Week 1 before being injured, leaving Carson Wentz to complete the comeback against Green Bay and then manage the rainy win in Chicago.
The Vikings therefore get their starting quarterback back without having sacrificed a game in his absence.
That is an unusually favorable situation.
Sam Darnold May Return for Seattle
Darnold missed Week 2 with a glute injury.
Seattle expects him to practice in some capacity this week.
The Seahawks know they can beat Arizona with Lock because Smith-Njigba and the defense reduce the burden on the quarterback.
Washington presents another opportunity to be cautious if Darnold is not fully ready.
What Does Jaxson Dart’s Injury Mean for the Giants?
Dart’s Week 1 performance was one of the most encouraging developments in the NFC.
He completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns against Dallas while adding 54 rushing yards.
Then his Week 2 ended on New York’s first possession.
Dart suffered a knee injury after being hit by Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart. Giants coach John Harbaugh said afterward that the diagnosis was “in the neighborhood” of an MCL sprain, with additional evaluation required.
Jameis Winston replaced Dart and the offense never recovered.
The result is a reminder of how quickly early-season narratives can turn.
New York went from a statement divisional win and optimism around its young quarterback to uncertainty about whether he can play five days later against Tennessee.
What Should Fans Watch Most Closely in NFL Week 3?
| Week 3 Game | Main Question |
|---|---|
| Falcons at Packers | Can Michael Penix Jr. make Atlanta look like a functional NFL offense? |
| Chiefs at Dolphins | Can Miami score enough to keep Mahomes and Walker from dictating the game? |
| Panthers at Browns | Was Carolina’s defensive transformation real or Atlanta-specific? |
| Titans at Giants | Will Jaxson Dart play, and can Tennessee capitalize if he does not? |
| Patriots at Jaguars | Can Drake Maye stabilize after New England’s defense carried Week 2? |
| Chargers at Bills | Can Herbert survive Buffalo’s pace without another turnover-heavy game? |
| Jets at Lions | Can Detroit’s defense stop leaking explosive possessions? |
| Texans at Colts | Which 0-2 AFC South offense finds a sustainable identity first? |
| Seahawks at Commanders | How much can Washington ask Marcus Mariota to do against Seattle’s defense? |
| Bengals at Steelers | Can Pittsburgh block Cincinnati’s rebuilt defensive front? |
| Cardinals at 49ers | Can Arizona prevent Purdy from maintaining his extraordinary early efficiency? |
| Vikings at Buccaneers | How sharp will Kyler Murray look after returning from concussion protocol? |
| Raiders at Saints | Can Las Vegas take its disciplined 2-0 football on the road again? |
| Ravens at Cowboys | Does Dallas have a defensive answer for Lamar Jackson in Rio? |
| Rams at Broncos | Can Davante Adams repeat his Week 2 impact if Puka Nacua remains limited? |
| Eagles at Bears | Does Chicago have Caleb Williams, and how does Philadelphia replace Goedert? |
The full official NFL Week 3 schedule begins Thursday in Green Bay and includes Baltimore-Dallas at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro before Philadelphia visits Chicago on Monday night.
Chiefs at Dolphins: Miami Cannot Let the Game Become a Mahomes Track Meet
Miami’s first two opponents have already exposed the basic problem.
The Dolphins do not currently possess enough offensive rhythm to survive an early deficit.
Kansas City has now shown two ways to play.
Against Denver, Walker dominated the ground game. Against Indianapolis, Mahomes threw for 382 yards.
Miami must force Kansas City into long possessions and somehow create short fields of its own.
If the Chiefs score touchdowns on their first two drives, the Dolphins have shown no evidence they can chase 30 points.
Chargers at Bills: Week 3 Could Tell Us Whether Los Angeles Has a Scheme Problem or a Quarterback Problem
Herbert has not suddenly lost his talent.
The question is whether the transition into McDaniel’s system has created too much processing friction.
Buffalo is a terrible opponent for a quarterback who is thinking instead of reacting.
Allen will create scoreboard pressure. James Cook gives Buffalo balance. The home crowd has already seen the Bills produce 41 in the new stadium.
If Los Angeles falls to 0-3 while the offense again looks hesitant, the discussion will move beyond a slow start.
Raiders at Saints: The Most Interesting 2-0 Team Gets a Real Test
Las Vegas has beaten Miami and the Chargers.
New Orleans may ask harder questions.
Shough has already shown he can punish blitzes. The Saints nearly won in Detroit before beating Baltimore.
The Raiders’ defense has been opportunistic, but forcing turnovers against New Orleans may be harder if Shough continues making mature decisions.
The other side is equally intriguing. Cousins has thrown six touchdown passes in two games, and Jeanty gives Las Vegas a second source of offensive control.
Ravens at Cowboys in Rio: Two Teams Looking for Proof
This is one of Week 3’s most revealing games.
Baltimore needs to show the New Orleans collapse was an interruption rather than a familiar late-game problem.
Dallas needs to show its Week 2 offensive explosion can survive against a much more dangerous defense.
Prescott and Lamb were excellent against Washington.
The Cowboys still have not solved their rushing game and have only 135 rushing yards through two weeks.
That imbalance becomes more dangerous against Baltimore because the Ravens can pressure an offense into predictable passing situations.
On the other side, Dallas’ defense just struggled with Daniels’ movement before he was injured.
Lamar Jackson is now coming.
Bengals at Steelers: Pittsburgh’s Offensive Line Has No Place to Hide
The matchup may be simpler than the rivalry suggests.
Can Pittsburgh block Cincinnati?
Lawrence and Allen have transformed the Bengals’ interior defense.
Rodgers struggled when New England brought pressure. Metcalf has not consistently separated. The running game has failed to protect the quarterback by creating manageable downs.
If Cincinnati controls early downs, Pittsburgh will spend another afternoon asking Rodgers to solve third-and-long pressure at this stage of his career.
Vikings at Buccaneers: Kyler Murray Returns to an Unusual Advantage
Murray enters his first full start for Minnesota with the team already 2-0.
He does not need to rescue anything.
That should allow O’Connell to keep the offensive plan controlled while Murray reacclimates to game speed.
The Buccaneers face the more urgent problem.
A third consecutive game containing giveaways or stalled drives against Flores’ pressure system would push Tampa into an 0-3 hole.
Seahawks at Commanders: Washington’s Margin Shrinks Without Daniels
Seattle’s defense has already shown it can win ugly and dominate cleanly.
Washington has to start Mariota.
The Commanders cannot reasonably ask him to reproduce Daniels’ running threat and deep-playmaking ability exactly.
They need to shorten the game, protect possession and keep Smith-Njigba from producing explosive gains.
If Seattle scores first and forces Washington into a pass-heavy chase, the matchup tilts sharply toward the defending champions.
Which Players Could Define Week 3?
| Player | Why His Role Matters |
|---|---|
| Josh Allen | Buffalo can push the Chargers into an uncomfortable scoring race immediately. |
| Patrick Mahomes | Miami must decide whether to sell out against Walker or give Mahomes space. |
| Kenneth Walker III | His 290 rushing yards have changed how defenses must play Kansas City. |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seattle’s quarterback situation matters less when its top receiver keeps winning everywhere. |
| Michael Penix Jr. | Atlanta finally gets a meaningful evaluation of its intended offense. |
| Kyler Murray | His return can add offense to a Vikings team already winning through defense. |
| Marcus Mariota | Washington’s ability to avoid 0-3 may depend on him immediately. |
| Joe Burrow | Pittsburgh’s struggling offense increases the value of Cincinnati simply playing clean football. |
| Lamar Jackson | Dallas just struggled containing a mobile quarterback and now faces the league’s most dangerous one. |
| Davante Adams | His 195-yard Week 2 game proved Los Angeles can survive without Nacua for stretches. |
The 32-Team Reality Check After Two Weeks
AFC East
Buffalo Bills: The most convincing offensive start in the league. Allen is protecting the football, Buffalo is scoring from structure and improvisation, and 77 points against Houston and Detroit is strong evidence rather than schedule inflation.
New England Patriots: The offense remains uneven, but the defense produced the response Mike Vrabel needed after the opening loss in Seattle. Beating Pittsburgh 20-3 showed New England can create pressure and explosive plays without needing Maye to be brilliant.
New York Jets: A Week 1 win at Tennessee looked professional. Blowing a 17-7 fourth-quarter lead against Green Bay did not. The Jets had won 14 straight games when holding a double-digit fourth-quarter lead before Sunday.
Miami Dolphins: Two games, two 13-point outputs. The offense has not created a sustainable rhythm, and Kansas City is a brutal opponent for a team that has struggled once forced to chase.
AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals: The defense is the revelation. Cincinnati can now win when Burrow and the passing game are merely adequate, which dramatically changes the team’s postseason ceiling if the trend survives.
Baltimore Ravens: The Week 1 ceiling remains obvious. The Week 2 concern is whether late-game control remains a recurring weakness even after the coaching change.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The defense can keep this team relevant, but the offense looks slow, predictable and poorly synchronized. Week 3 against Cincinnati will reveal whether the Patriots loss was one bad afternoon or the beginning of a larger problem.
Cleveland Browns: Jacksonville overwhelmed Cleveland in Week 1, but Deshaun Watson produced his best efficiency as a Brown in Tampa. Denzel Boston has also opened his career with 45-plus-yard touchdowns in consecutive games.
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence threw four touchdowns in the opener before Denver cooled Jacksonville down. The Jaguars have shown enough on offense to remain the most stable team in a division with three 0-2 rivals.
Houston Texans: The Bills loss was competitive. Six points against Cincinnati was not. Protection and offensive continuity are now the central questions.
Indianapolis Colts: Probably the strongest 0-2 team. The Colts pushed Kansas City into overtime but must now replace Pierce’s vertical role for several weeks.
Tennessee Titans: Still searching for enough offense, although the Philadelphia performance contained more progress than the record suggests.
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs: Mahomes looks healthy, Walker changes everything, and Kelce remains capable of taking over important possessions. This is already a very different offense from the one that missed the 2025 playoffs.
Las Vegas Raiders: The biggest positive surprise. The veteran quarterback plan is working, the defense is creating turnovers and Mendoza can develop without pressure.
Denver Broncos: Week 1 exposed the offense badly. Week 2 showed resilience as Bo Nix produced another comeback win and Jaylen Waddle supplied the explosive receiving element Denver expected when it acquired him.
Los Angeles Chargers: The most worrying 0-2 team relative to preseason expectations. The schedule now becomes much harder, and the offense has no time left for a leisurely adjustment to McDaniel’s system.
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles: Undefeated without dominating. That can be interpreted as resilience or as an early warning depending on what happens next. Goedert’s injury adds another offensive adjustment.
Dallas Cowboys: Prescott and Lamb corrected Week 1 emphatically. The defense still looks vulnerable to quarterbacks who can create outside structure.
New York Giants: Dart made Week 1 feel transformative. His knee injury made Week 2 feel fragile. Everything now depends on the medical timeline.
Washington Commanders: Two losses and no Daniels for Week 3. The season is not in crisis yet, but the quarterback’s elbow makes every other football issue feel secondary.
NFC North
Minnesota Vikings: The most impressive coaching job through two weeks. Minnesota is 2-0 despite barely having Murray available because Flores’ defense has controlled entire halves.
Detroit Lions: The offense remains dangerous. Allowing 71 points is not sustainable. Defensive injuries make the correction more difficult.
Chicago Bears: Week 1 showed the offensive ceiling. Week 2 showed how quickly pressure can erase it. Williams’ hamstring now pauses the experiment at the worst time.
Green Bay Packers: Losing by 17 in Minnesota and then escaping the Jets in overtime produces a mixed early picture. Jordan Love and the offensive line have not yet looked consistently comfortable against pressure.
NFC South
Carolina Panthers: Almost impossible to classify. The defense went from 59 allowed to three allowed in seven days. Lloyd’s Week 2 suggests there is enough individual talent for the unit to recover.
New Orleans Saints: Shough is one of the league’s most interesting early developments. The Banks injury threatens the protection structure around him.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Competitive but careless. The Bucs are creating enough offense to stay in games and enough mistakes to lose them.
Atlanta Falcons: The real season begins Thursday with Penix. The first two games mostly established that Rush is not a viable long-term answer.
NFC West
Seattle Seahawks: Still champions, still unbeaten, still able to win in different ways. Smith-Njigba looks like a true offensive centerpiece and the defense has allowed 17 points in two games.
San Francisco 49ers: Possibly the cleanest 2-0 team. Purdy is operating efficiently, the defense has traveled, and Arizona now gets the next test inside the division.
Los Angeles Rams: Monday night prevented an 0-2 panic. The injury list remains the defining concern, but Adams and Stafford showed the offense still possesses elite answers.
Arizona Cardinals: Beating the Chargers looked encouraging. Getting crushed 31-7 by Seattle exposed the gap between Arizona and the division’s best team.
What Did the First Two Weeks Actually Teach Us?
The easiest September mistake is pretending two games create certainty.
They do not.
Two games can, however, expose structural differences.
Buffalo’s offense has looked sustainable because its production comes from several answers rather than one hot player.
Kansas City’s improvement looks credible because Walker changes how defenses allocate bodies before the snap.
Minnesota’s defense looks difficult to dismiss because the pressure system has overwhelmed two different opponents.
Las Vegas looks more credible than a random 2-0 surprise because its improvement is visible in quarterback stability, turnover creation and fewer self-inflicted mistakes.
By the same logic, Atlanta’s problem was not bad luck. The quarterback play was inadequate.
The Chargers’ problem is not one unlucky turnover. The offense has lacked coherence for eight quarters.
Miami’s problem is not that it happened to face two good defenses. The Dolphins have failed to produce a second way of scoring when the first plan disappears.
This is the distinction TSE established before kickoff in our 2026 NFL season curtain-raiser. Roster changes, new coaches, quarterback movement and injuries had already transformed the championship landscape before Week 1.
Two weeks later, some of those offseason theories are holding up.
Others are already being replaced.
Why Week 3 Matters More Than the Standings Suggest
September does not eliminate many teams mathematically.
It can force organizations to change behavior.
An 0-3 team starts making decisions differently. Play-calling becomes more desperate. Coaches feel pressure to alter lineups. Injured players become the subject of uncomfortable availability questions. Rookies who were supposed to develop slowly can suddenly become solutions.
The Chargers, Falcons, Texans, Dolphins, Buccaneers, Commanders, Titans and Colts all enter Week 3 without a win.
Some of them will still be 0-3 next week.
Atlanta has already made the first major adjustment by returning Penix to the lineup.
Washington did not choose its change. Daniels’ elbow made it unavoidable.
Chicago is preparing for the possibility that Bagent will replace Williams.
Philadelphia has already brought Ertz back because Goedert is hurt.
Those decisions are how a season begins to move from theory into consequence.
Continue the NFL Story
Frequently Asked Questions
Which NFL teams are 2-0 after Week 2 in 2026?
Buffalo, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Seattle and San Francisco are 2-0.
Which NFL teams are 0-2?
Miami, the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Washington, Tampa Bay and Atlanta remain winless.
Who has been the best quarterback through two weeks?
Josh Allen has the strongest early case based on Buffalo’s 2-0 record, 77 offensive points, 582 passing yards, five passing touchdowns without an interception and his five-total-touchdown performance against Detroit.
Why are the Raiders 2-0?
Kirk Cousins has thrown three touchdown passes in each game, Las Vegas has forced five turnovers and the offense has played with far more structure and discipline under Klint Kubiak.
Is Patrick Mahomes fully back from his knee injury?
His early play strongly suggests he is physically comfortable. He threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns against Indianapolis, while Kansas City has also reduced his burden by adding Kenneth Walker III to the backfield.
How serious is Jayden Daniels’ injury?
Daniels dislocated his left elbow against Dallas. He will miss Week 3 and has no confirmed return timeline while seeking additional medical opinions.
Will Caleb Williams play in Week 3?
Williams is considered week to week with a right hamstring injury. Chicago expects him to miss some time, although coach Ben Johnson has not completely ruled him out against Philadelphia.
What happened to Jaxson Dart?
Dart injured his knee during the Giants’ opening drive against the Rams. The initial expectation is an MCL sprain, but New York was still awaiting a complete medical timeline after the game.
Who is returning in NFL Week 3?
Michael Penix Jr. will make his season debut for Atlanta, and Kyler Murray has cleared concussion protocol and will return for Minnesota. Sam Darnold is also expected to resume at least some practice work for Seattle.
Who is the biggest surprise team?
Las Vegas has produced the most unexpected 2-0 start. Cousins has stabilized quarterback play while the defense has created turnovers at a much higher rate than last season.
Which 0-2 team is in the most trouble?
The Chargers have the most concerning combination of expectations, offensive dysfunction and upcoming schedule difficulty. Buffalo, Seattle, Denver and Kansas City are their next four opponents.
Which 0-2 team is better than its record?
Indianapolis has the strongest argument after scoring 53 points through two games and pushing Kansas City to overtime at Arrowhead.
Why are the Vikings 2-0 without Kyler Murray?
Brian Flores’ defense has been the major factor. Minnesota has allowed only six points across its last six quarters and has generated pressure through unusually high blitz rates.
Who was the best Week 2 receiver?
Davante Adams produced the largest yardage total among the biggest prime-time performances with eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants. Jaxon Smith-Njigba also dominated Arizona with nine catches, 155 yards and three scores.
What happened to the Bears after scoring 59 in Week 1?
Minnesota’s blitz-heavy defense disrupted Chicago’s protections and timing throughout Week 2. The Bears scored only three points, and the afternoon worsened when Williams injured his hamstring.
What is the biggest Week 3 game?
Baltimore against Dallas in Rio de Janeiro carries major strategic and international interest, while Chargers-Bills, Bengals-Steelers, Vikings-Buccaneers and Seahawks-Commanders all have significant early-season consequences.
When does NFL Week 3 begin?
Week 3 begins Thursday, September 24 with Atlanta visiting Green Bay. The main Sunday slate is September 27, followed by Philadelphia at Chicago on Monday, September 28.
NFL 2026
- NFL 2026 After Two Weeks: Who Is for Real, Who Is in Trouble and What Week 3 Will Reveal
- NFL 2026: Mahomes Survives Overtime, Dak Makes History and Seahawks Send Another Warning
- NFL 2026: Josh Allen Scores Five Touchdowns at New Highmark Stadium as Bills Down Lions 41-31
- From Chicago’s 59 to Detroit’s Overtime Escape: All You Need to Know About the Wild NFL Week 1
- The 49ers Became the ‘69ers’ Again as Australia’s Old NFL TV Blooper Returned at the Perfect Time
