Week 2 Recaps

Buffalo's stars apparently received the message after Week 1. Matthew Stafford, Christian McCaffrey and Ja'Marr Chase jumped from four combined points in the opener to 50, powering the Bills to their first win. Stefon Diggs added 13 with two touchdown catches. Detroit got 195 receiving yards, two touchdowns and 21 points from Davante Adams, but his Monday connection with Stafford also kept feeding the other side of this matchup. The Lions fell to 0–2 despite Adams' best efforts; Buffalo's 69 points were the week's second-highest total, a convincing answer to its opening dud.

Carolina is making a habit of winning without leaving much breathing room. After a two-point escape in Week 1, the Panthers erased a 29–9 deficit to reach 2–0. Jake Ferguson's two touchdowns supplied 13 points, with his second score pushing Carolina ahead; Jaylen Waddle added seven on eight catches for 138 yards. Both had been held scoreless in the opener. Tyler Shough's 14 points and Aaron Jones' six put Atlanta in position, but its receivers and tight end combined for just one. The Falcons' early cushion came without a warranty.

Jared Goff and James Cook made Houston's second win considerably more comfortable than its first. Goff threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns to produce 22 points, while Cook's 135 rushing yards and touchdown added 13. Dalton Schultz contributed seven through 12 catches for 140 yards, covering for a receiving trio that scored nothing. Cincinnati got 15 from Kirk Cousins, but its running backs and receivers combined for three. Jayden Reed's neck injury and Dallas Goedert's knee injury further complicated a difficult afternoon. Houston reached 2–0; Cincinnati remained winless.

Tampa Bay turned this one into the week's largest mismatch, winning by 59 and improving to 2–0. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught nine passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns, good for 19 points. Brock Purdy threw two touchdowns and ran for another, contributing 19 points for the Buccaneers. The Chiefs kicker added 15, and Chuba Hubbard supplied nine. Cleveland had no individual contribution above three points and only three combined from its running backs and receivers. Tampa Bay has opened with 62 and 67; the Browns never found an answer.

Green Bay had two players left and a 58–36 deficit. Jonathan Taylor supplied 17 Sunday-night points, including two rushing touchdowns, to bring the Packers within five; the Giants kicker then delivered two Monday field goals, the second turning a 58–56 deficit into a 59–58 win. Chris Olave's 10 points had helped keep Green Bay in range. Drew Lock threw three touchdowns for 15 Jets points, with Jahmyr Gibbs adding 12 and George Kittle 10. New York's supporting cast improved substantially from Week 1, only to watch Green Bay finish the job by one.

Kansas City found a way to reach 2–0 without a single point from its receivers or tight end. The Buccaneers kicker handled much of the heavy lifting, making four field goals and an extra point for 13, while C.J. Stroud supplied eight. Indianapolis stayed close enough for Jonah Coleman's touchdown to matter, but his seven points could not rescue an offense whose receivers and tight end managed one combined. The Chiefs won the week's lowest-scoring matchup with 29 points. Style points were apparently unavailable, but the standings still accepted the result.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba matched Denver's entire lineup by himself. Nine catches, 155 yards and three touchdowns delivered 26 points, leading Jacksonville to the week's highest team total and a 2–0 start. Patrick Mahomes added 19 through 382 passing yards and three touchdowns, while the Carolina defense supplied 13 with five takeaways and a defensive score. Denver's running backs combined for zero, leaving little support around Lamar Jackson and Xavier Worthy. The Jaguars now lead the league with 133 points through two games; this time, even three scoreless lineup spots barely slowed them down.

The Chargers finished their scoring at 58, then had to watch Las Vegas take its remaining swings. Kenneth Walker and Rashee Rice brought the Raiders to 42 on Sunday night, and Terrance Ferguson's nine Monday points narrowed the gap again without closing it. Bryce Young's three touchdown passes anchored Los Angeles, with TreVeyon Henderson and Denzel Boston adding 10 points apiece and Sam LaPorta nine. Rashod Bateman led the Raiders with 10. Both teams emerged 1–1, but this time the Chargers' balanced contributions held up against a late Las Vegas push.

Dak Prescott's fourth touchdown pass delivered San Francisco's first win and a particularly cruel finish for Miami. Trailing 43–41, the 49ers gained four points on the throw while the Dolphins collected one from the Dallas kicker's extra point: 45–44, and there it stayed. Prescott finished with 21 points, but Emanuel Wilson's four in place of Zach Charbonnet mattered, too. Miami got 13 from the Dallas kicker and 11 from Joe Burrow, only to fall to 0–2. San Francisco nearly doubled its 23-point opening effort and needed every bit of it.

Malachi Fields needed only one point to change Chicago's evening. His Monday receiving yardage pulled Minnesota level at 29, completing a slow pursuit after the Bears had finished scoring. Daniel Jones had narrowed the gap to one on Sunday night, leaving Fields to secure the tie. Cam Ward's two rushing touchdowns supplied 14 Chicago points, while the Vikings kicker led Minnesota with nine. The Bears have now lost by two and tied; the Vikings remain unbeaten at 1–0–1. Neither side got the clean finish it wanted from this divisional meeting.

CeeDee Lamb gave the defending champions room to work without Puka Nacua. His 153 receiving yards and two touchdowns produced 20 points, while Deshaun Watson added 11 and the Colts kicker 12. Nacua's replacement, Tutu Atwell, scored nothing, but New Orleans still reached 2–0. Baltimore received 14 combined points from Washington quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota; Daniels left with an elbow injury and did not return. Bhayshul Tuten supplied nine, but the Ravens' receivers and Isaiah Likely totaled only three, leaving too much work for the rest of the lineup.

DeVonta Smith and Travis Kelce supplied matching 12-point performances, giving Philadelphia enough receiving production to overcome a quiet running game. Smith caught 10 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown; Kelce added nine catches, 101 yards and a score. Saquon Barkley missed much of the first half with a stinger before returning and finished with no points, but Jalen Hurts contributed 10 as the Eagles reached 2–0. Tennessee's Patriots kicker led its lineup with eight. After totals of 20 and 18, the Titans are still looking for their offense and first win.

New England found its first win with Trevor Lawrence contributing just one point, thanks largely to a defense that supplied considerably more offense. The Patriots defense scored a touchdown, forced two turnovers and collected four sacks for 12 points. Omarion Hampton added 10 through 94 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Emeka Egbuka chipped in six. Pittsburgh's Cleveland kicker produced 11 points, more than the rest of the Steelers combined. Carson Wentz supplied one at quarterback, and the receivers totaled three, leaving Pittsburgh 0–2 after another afternoon short on offensive help.

Josh Allen gave Seattle a 30-point head start, and the Seahawks needed nearly all of it. His three passing touchdowns and two rushing scores produced the week's highest individual total, but Arizona chipped away until the margin was just 46–45. Mike Evans' receiving yardage, Ladd McConkey's point and the Arizona defense helped Seattle keep its nose ahead. Tre Tucker led the Cardinals with 12 points, while Trey McBride supplied seven. Seattle reached 2–0 with a narrow divisional win; Allen had supplied the fireworks, and the supporting cast supplied just enough insurance.

AJ Barner broke a 20–20 tie with a one-yard rushing touchdown, giving Washington the lead it needed for its first win. Derrick Henry supplied nine points, the Titans kicker eight, and the Giants defense added three after Dallas had finished scoring. The Cowboys looked little like the team that scored 86 in the opener: D'Andre Swift and David Montgomery combined for four, while the Panthers kicker accounted for 10 of their 23. Washington survived a negative point from Atlanta's quarterbacks and left both divisional rivals at 1–1. Barner's brief rushing appearance carried considerable weight.

Kyren Williams had the Monday stage to himself with this matchup tied at 28 and the Giants finished scoring. His receiving touchdown broke the tie, and his eventual 10 points supplied the entire winning margin. Dalton Kincaid had already given the Rams 10 through 95 receiving yards and a touchdown, helping Los Angeles reach 2–0. Tank Bigsby's seven led New York, whose 28-point effort was a sharp departure from its opening 73. Tyler Warren's touchdown had drawn the Giants level Sunday night, but Williams left them waiting another week for their first win.