- Week 2 features a Super Bowl 59 rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
- The Indianapolis Colts, led by quarterback Daniel Jones, are aiming for their first 2-0 start since 2009.
- Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson returns to face his old team as head coach of the Chicago Bears.
There were 12 one-score games during the opening week of the regular season. What does Week 2 have in store?
This week features four games that showcase two teams that are 1-0, including a Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders AFC West battle that concludes Week 2.
The game of the week is a Super Bowl 59 rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs, who are a slight home underdog, are out for revenge following a blowout Super Bowl loss.
According to NFL Research, the average margin of victory in Week 1 was 7.56 points. It marked the third-lowest margin of victory in Week 1 since 1970. There are sure to be more close games this week. USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon provides his five things to watch in Week 2:
Can Daniel Jones help lead Colts to first 2-0 start in over 15 years?
Jones played surprisingly well in a 33-8 thrashing of the Dolphins. His 115.9 passer rating was the sixth highest in the NFL during opening week. Can Jones build on his Week 1 performance?
The Colts have the luxury of two straight home games to begin the regular season. Indy hasn’t started a season 2-0 since 2009, when Peyton Manning was the quarterback and led the team to Super Bowl 44.
Head coach Shane Steichen’s decision to start Jones over Anthony Richardson Sr. will be justified if Jones helps the Colts beat the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos defense poses a significant test. After leading the league with 63 sacks last season, the Broncos recorded an NFL-high six sacks and allowed a league-low 133 total yards of offense in their Week 1 victory.
Super Bowl 57 and 59 rematch
This superb matchup marks the 11th rematch of a Super Bowl in the following season all-time. The reigning Super Bowl champ has won seven of the past 10 rematches.
The Eagles dismantled the Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 after Kansas City got the better of Philly in Super Bowl 57. Patrick Mahomes was under duress throughout the championship game in New Orleans, getting sacked a career-most six times despite zero blitzes by Philadelphia.
Mahomes and the Chiefs are out for revenge in this one but will be without their No. 1 wide receiver Rashee Rice (suspended) and possibly their second best wideout Xavier Worthy (shoulder). Meanwhile, the Eagles will have defensive tackle Jalen Carter back after his foolish spitting incident.
Will Kansas City’s revamped O-line protect Mahomes better? Mahomes was sacked twice and pressured 15 times in the Chiefs’ Week 1 loss.
Mahomes is in danger of the first 0-2 start of his career. The Eagles have won seven straight games, including the playoffs, dating back to last season.
Trouble in Miami?
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel didn’t hold back when asked about Tua Tagovailoa’s performance in a woeful Week 1 loss.
‘I think I saw a quarterback play that was less than to be desired, which Tua absolutely knows,’ McDaniel told reporters this week. ‘He’s the captain and the franchise quarterback and everybody kind of fell victim to something similar.’
NFL opens review of latest allegations against Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill
To make matters worse, wide receiver Tyreek Hill was visibly frustrated on the sideline last week.
The vibes aren’t good in South Beach, and McDaniel’s seat gets warmer with every loss. The positive news is the Dolphins have won four straight contests against the New England Patriots.
New England will also look to avoid a 0-2 start. Patriots wideout Stefon Diggs has a career average of 93 receiving yards versus Miami.
Ben Johnson returns to Detroit
Johnson returns to the Motor City where he shined as an offensive coordinator from 2022-2024.
The Lions offense looked like it was impacted by Johnson’s absence in their season opener. Detroit was held out of the end zone until garbage time in the fourth quarter and went 5-15 on third down during a 27-13 loss.
‘Ben’s my friend. He’s always going to be my friend. But nothing about that’s going to change,’ Lions coach Dan Campbell said this week, per the Detroit News. ‘We’re going in, getting ready to play Chicago. We’re going to win this game. We have to.’
Johnson’s Bears had a strong start before they surrendered 21 fourth-quarter points in their opening game loss.
Whoever loses this divisional matchup will start 0-2 versus NFC North opponents, a tough early-season hole to recover from.
Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll meet again
The Harbaugh and Carroll rivalry goes all the way back to 2007 when Harbaugh was at Stanford and Carroll was at USC. The rivalry reignited when Harbaugh joined the San Francisco 49ers in 2011, a year after their NFC West foe Seattle Seahawk hired Carroll.
The rivalry is renewed as Carroll’s Raiders host the Los Angeles Chargers for the first time since Carroll was named head coach of the Silver & Black.
“I respect him a lot. He’s a great coach,” Harbaugh said of Carroll. “The competition, you can expect that a Pete Carroll team is gonna be really good.”
Carroll is 5-4 against Harbaugh in the NFL. Harbaugh went 2-1 versus Carroll when the two were college head coaches. Harbaugh’s Chargers swept the season series over the Carroll-less Raiders last year.
A secondary storyline is this AFC West tilt features the two running backs selected in the first round of the 2025 draft in Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton. Jeanty rushed for 38 yards and a touchdown in his NFL debut. Hampton produced 48 rushing yards and had four runs result in first downs last week.