Welcome to the Week 2 grades.
Week 2 matters a lot, especially for clubs that opened 0-1 — starting 0-2 is a steep hill to climb. Since the playoffs grew to 14 teams in 2020, only eight of 51 teams that fell to 0-2 have still reached the postseason, so the odds are stacked against teams in that hole. That’s bad news for the Texans, Titans, Colts, Dolphins, Commanders, Buccaneers and Falcons, all of which dropped to 0-2 after Sunday’s losses. True, a few teams have overcome an 0-2 start in recent seasons — three did so last year — but the teams above have put themselves in a tough position.
With that context, here are the Week 2 results and winners:
– New Orleans 24, Baltimore 17
– Kansas City 33, Indianapolis 30 (OT)
– New England 20, Pittsburgh 3
– Cincinnati 20, Houston 6
– Minnesota 9, Chicago 3
– Green Bay 20, New York Jets 17 (OT)
– Philadelphia 24, Tennessee 20
– Cleveland 23, Tampa Bay 19
– Carolina 34, Atlanta 3
– Denver 20, Jacksonville 13
– Las Vegas 26, Los Angeles Chargers 14
– Dallas 37, Washington 20
– Seattle 31, Arizona 7
– San Francisco 35, Miami 13
– Buffalo 41, Detroit 31 (Thursday)
Fan Take: Early losses and surprising wins in Week 2 set the tone for which teams face real pressure and which can build momentum — every game now carries extra weight for coaches and front offices. For fans, these results sharpen storylines to follow all season, from quarterback stability to playoff races, and they’ll influence trade and roster decisions as teams try to avoid digging deeper holes.
Source: www.cbssports.com
