One Takeaway For Each Team From Week Two Of The 2025-26 Season
Arizona Cardinals
This group has some work to do, but they’re off to a good start.
The Cards have not looked their best through the first two weeks of the season, but they’re 2-0, which is the only thing that matters. They played bend-but-don’t-break defense in Weeks One and Two, and that strategy has paid off with two game-clinching defense stands. More importantly, Kyler Murray once again looks like the former number-one overall draft pick he was cracked up to be. As the competition gets stiffer, the Cards are bound to lose some games, but for now, they’ve positioned themselves to have success this season and maybe even make a playoff push.
Atlanta Falcons
Sunday night’s pass rush performance was an anomaly but also a sign of things to come.
For the first time in years, the Dirty Birds look like they have a pass rush that can help them win games. As a team, they have seven sacks on the season, but six of them came against a Vikings squad with a banged-up offensive line and the youngest starting quarterback in the league. They’re not going to be a top-five pass-rushing team, but the Falcons’ defensive linemen are already playing much better than last year’s group. After finishing last season with the second-fewest sacks in the NFL, that will definitely not be the case this year.
Baltimore Ravens
Derrick Henry is not as important to this squad’s success as we might think.
On a day when Baltimore scored 41 points, Derrick Henry only touched the ball 11 times for 23 rushing yards. He was basically non-existent against a solid Browns defense, yet the Ravens still managed to score five touchdowns. Maybe Baltimore decided to reduce Henry’s workload after his second-quarter fumble? Regardless, in games like this, where the Ravens are lapping weaker opponents, they don’t have to lean so heavily on the 31-year-old running back, which will allow him to stay fresh for the postseason.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills should be the favorite to win the AFC.
Even though Josh Allen didn’t play his best game, the Bills absolutely smoked a divisional opponent on the road. The rushing attack averaged 5.21 yards per carry on 43 attempts while scoring three touchdowns. Without their best d-lineman, the defense forced two turnovers and held the Jets to 154 total yards of offense. Through two games, the offensive line has only given up two sacks. With the Chiefs on the decline and a win over the Ravens, Buffalo is the team to beat in the AFC so far.
Carolina Panthers
A good second half doesn’t change the fact that Bryce Young stinks.
Young might have thrown for 328 yards and three touchdowns, but his costly mistakes at the beginning and end of the game are the reason why the Panthers are 0-2. His opening-drive fumble and his absurd interception put Carolina in a 10-0 hole that they spent the whole game battling back from. The Cats made it close and even had a chance to win their matchup on Sunday, but on the Panthers’ final drive, Young went 0/6 passing and took a sack on a 4th and 15 that lost them the game. Don’t let the comeback attempt trick you into thinking Bryce Young is suddenly good.
Chicago Bears
It was a mistake to give GM Ryan Poles an extension.
Despite all the obvious signs not to extend this man, the Bears signed him to an extension anyway that keeps him with the team through the 2029 season. Following Sunday’s blowout loss, the Bears moved to 15-38 under Ryan Poles’ watch. What’s worse is their divisional record, which is 3-17 after Week Two. On top of that, the players he selected in the 2025 NFL Draft were nowhere to be found this weekend. Tight end Colston Loveland and wideout Luther Burden III combined for one five-yard catch. Defensive tackle Shemar Turner is dealing with injuries, while offensive lineman and second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo was a healthy scratch. Ryan Poles has yet to draft a Pro Bowler as the general manager of Chicago. Every week, it looks worse and worse that they kept him on and extended him.
Cincinnati Bengals
Not all hope is lost for the season.
Cincy should be thanking its lucky stars that they are 2-0 to start the year. Otherwise, this season might be a wash with Joe Burrow expected to potentially miss three months of action. As proven by Jake Browning, this squad has the offensive weapons to stay afloat in the AFC. There’s also a chance they make a move for another quarterback, like Kirk Cousins or Malik Willis. The Bengals just need to tread water and avoid falling below .500 until Joe Burrow can return to the field. In the long term, things may not look great, but heading into Week Three, it’s hard to say that this team is done for the 2025-26 season.
Cleveland Browns
The team needs to stop relying so much on Joe Flacco.
The Browns are tied with one other team for the fifth-worst scoring offense in the NFL. Though they’re tenth in passing yards this season, they lead the league in pass attempts. The best teams in the National Football League pick up big chunks of yards through the air. The Colts, Chargers, and Packers – who are 6-0 combined – average 8.50 passing yards per attempt. However, Joe Flacco only averages 5.43 yards per attempt, which ranks 30th out of 34 QBs who have thrown a pass this season. If the Browns want to win, they need to stop asking their 40-year-old quarterback to attempt 45 passes per game.
Dallas Cowboys
The defensive issues might be worse than we first expected.
Do you know how bad you have to be defensively to allow the Giants to throw for 400+ yards? That’s something the G-Men haven’t done in four years! And it’s not like they were a threat to move the ball effectively on the ground. They had 84 rushing yards this weekend while averaging 3.59 yards per attempt on the season. Big Blue only had the passing attack to work with, and they still managed to average 11 yards per attempt, even though the Cowboys knew the Giants were going to throw the ball almost every play. If this is how Dallas performs against an abysmal Giants offense, imagine how bad it’ll be against balanced teams like the Packers, Chargers, Eagles, or Lions.
Denver Broncos
That loss could be huge in the grand scheme of things.
The Denver Broncos have playoff aspirations after reaching the postseason last year, but so do the Indianapolis Colts, who are currently 2-0 and are in sole possession of first place in their division. With the Chargers leading the race for the AFC West, there’s a chance that the Broncos will have to earn a Wild Card spot if they want to make it back to the playoffs. If that ends up being the case, then they’d better hope Indy wins its division. Otherwise, this loss could end up being the deciding factor that allows the Colts to overtake the Broncos for a spot in the postseason.
Detroit Lions
The Lions’ demise was greatly exaggerated.
I think it was unfair for NFL fans and media members to write off the Lions after a tough Week One loss to the Packers. After all, it was their first game of the season, and they were breaking in new offensive and defensive coordinators. Now that they got the jitters out and have their footing under them, the Lions looked like the team that we have all become used to seeing this weekend. It also doesn’t hurt that they played a Bears squad that has the worst scoring defense in the league. Regardless, this win builds confidence in the new coordinators and shows that Detroit is still a force to be reckoned with in the NFC.
Green Bay Packers
This is one of the four best teams in the NFL.
Today, on September 16th, 2025, the Green Bay Packers look like the best team in the National Football League. They had two impressive wins in a span of five days, even though they haven’t even begun to play their best football on the offensive side of the ball. The Bills and Chargers are currently the class of the AFC. Though the Eagles are very good, they have not looked nearly as impressive as the Packers have in their two wins. Either way, they’re the reigning Super Bowl champs and deserve to be recognized as the best team in the NFC until proven otherwise. But the Packers are right on their tails and could maybe even overtake them if they continue to play the way they have through the first two weeks of the season.
Houston Texans
Unimaginative playcalling will be Houston’s downfall.
The sample size is small, but the Texans have not yet scored a touchdown despite three red zone trips on the campaign. Their inability to scheme up touchdown-scoring plays was evident last night, when they had a turnover on downs at the one yard line. After getting to the Rams’ one, they ran the ball into the line of scrimmage for no gain and then called two straight pass plays to wide receiver Nico Collins. That is the most unimaginative playcalling I can think of. The only way it could’ve been worse would be if they ran it twice and threw it once. Houston needs to start focusing more on its offensive game plan because it’s dead last in terms of scoring (14 points per game).
Indianapolis Colts
This group is a legitimate threat to make the playoffs and even win some games.
If Week One was an outlier, then Week Two proved that this team has what it takes to compete with some of the best franchises in the NFL. The Denver Broncos, who came into this game as the league-leader in quarterback takedowns, recorded only one sack on Sunday. The Colts were doing whatever they wanted offensively, averaging 9.3 yards per pass attempt and 5.2 yards per rushing attempt. Indy had the most passing yards against the Broncos since they faced Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals last year. Plus, their 167 rushing yards are the most Denver has given up since the start of last season. If the Colts can continue to force turnovers, then this team will be playing in late January.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Liam Coen does not have control of the passing attack.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is already waving off Liam Coen when he is trying to coach him up and get in the correct playcall. Brian Thomas Jr. is dropping passes and not running routes to completion. Travis Hunter, who was supposed to come in and be an immediate difference-maker as a pass-catcher, only has two receptions on 9 targets for a grand total of 14 yards. Maybe the Liam Coen era got off to such a great start in Week One because they were playing the lowly Panthers? This is not a good look for a team on its fifth head coach in five years.
Kansas City Chiefs
This is not a fun team to watch play football.
Remember when Patrick Mahomes first burst onto the scene, and the Chiefs were putting up insane numbers every week? Those days are long gone. Hell, this franchise isn’t even as exciting as it was three years ago. In 2022, the Chiefs were first in yards and points. Two years ago, they fell to 15th in points and ninth in yards. Last season, they finished 16th in yards and 15th in points. Currently, they’re 24th in points and 17th in yards. Outside of Patrick Mahomes, this team can’t run the ball. At the moment, their best offensive weapon is Tyquan Thornton. If their quarterback’s name wasn’t Patrick Mahomes, people would be freaking out in Kansas City.
Las Vegas Raiders
They have one of the worst offensive lines in the league.
This was always going to be a point of concern coming into this season because they used all of their premium draft capital on skill position players. They only added one offensive lineman in free agency, Alex Cappa, a guy who was released by the Bengals after he couldn’t help Joe Burrow stay upright. Last night, it felt like Geno Smith was running for his life every play, an incredibly worrisome trend considering the Chargers didn’t have their best pass rusher for most of the game. You want to know why Ashton Jeanty is averaging 2.7 yards per carry? There aren’t reliable blockers in front of him. This will be a long season for Geno Smith and the Raiders’ offense.
Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert should be the MVP frontrunner after two weeks.
With Josh Allen putting up somewhat of a stinker against the Jets and Lamar Jackson having a loss under his belt, my early-season favorite to win the MVP award is Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. He is currently ranked in the top five in completion percentage (fifth), passing yards (third), yards per attempt (second), passing touchdowns (tied for second), QBR (third), and quarterback rating (second). He’s also putting up those numbers without his best offensive lineman and with fewer weapons than Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. If he continues to make plays with his legs and through the air while racking up the wins, he’ll be named MVP when the season ends.
Los Angeles Rams
This is one of the best teams in the NFL.
I don’t see any holes in this roster. Do you? They have an elite quarterback who no longer seems to be an injury concern, arguably the best combination of a running back and two wide receivers in the NFL, a hungry defense that gets after opposing QBs, a top-flight head coach, and a special teams unit that (seemingly) won’t cost them games. Everybody is talking about the Eagles, Bills, Packers, and Chargers. But the Rams have actually been playing the most complete football of all those squads. They will get into the playoffs as an under-the-radar team and make some noise in January and February.
Miami Dolphins
Mike McDaniel will be fired in the middle of the season.
“To win games, you have to win the game and not lose the game, honestly. And that is how you lose the game.” -Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel during the Week Two postgame press conference.
This sounds like a guy who is out of ideas and is just waiting to be fired. That’s clearly what the fans want after they paid for planes to fly over Hard Rock Stadium with banners that read, “Fire McDaniel.” Members of the Dolphins roster already held a players-only meeting, another sign that things are not all that sunny in Southern Florida. With another loss expected on Thursday, the ‘Phins can turn things around with back-to-back games against the Jets and Panthers. However, if Miami loses either one of those matchups, Mike McDaniel will be out of a job.
Minnesota Vikings
J.J. McCarthy is the worst starting quarterback in the NFL.
Anybody who has eyes knows this to be true. It’s not even like he’s in Cam Ward’s situation, where he’s surrounded by terrible offensive weapons and bad coaches. He has the reigning Coach of the Year, a future Hall of Fame wideout, a former Pro Bowl tight end, and a former All-Pro running back at his disposal. Despite all these benefits, he has the second-worst QBR and quarterback rating in the NFL. Outside of a fourth quarter against the worst defense in football, he is 18/33 passing with 214 yards, zero touchdowns, three interceptions, a pick-six, and nine sacks. If he didn’t have that fourth-quarter comeback against the Bears, he would easily be considered the worst QB in the NFL.
New England Patriots
There are still plenty of problems on the defensive side of the ball.
If we factor out the league-leading nine sacks, we see a defense that has not shown much improvement despite all the money that has been invested into that side of the ball. The Patriots are allowing the most passing yards per game in the league while allowing the third-highest completion percentage. They also give up the second-most passing yards per attempt. The rushing defense is much better (third in the NFL), but that’s probably because it’s so easy to throw on this team. They’re also on pace for 17 takeaways this year, which is better than last season but still pretty bad all things considered.
New Orleans Saints
This is not one of the three worst teams in the NFL.
The New Orleans Saints are going to be a bad team this season, but the players in their locker room don’t believe that. This squad has been in both of their games and even had a chance to win those matchups. However, their game-winning drives came up short, which is to be expected because Spencer Rattler was never supposed to be a franchise quarterback. Yet, he has shown improvement from last season and just had his first game with multiple passing TDs. Again, their win total will be low, but they could finish the season with a 6-11 record, which means they won’t be the worst team in the league.
New York Giants
The defense has not lived up to expectations.
After drafting Abdul Carter, there were high hopes for a defense that already featured several pass-rushing difference-makers. Dexter Lawrence II is one of the best d-linemen in the league. Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns are both incredibly talented players. There was even a belief that Abdul Carter could be a Pro Bowler as a rookie. However, those guys and the rest of the defense have failed to live up to the hype. They allow the fourth-most receiving yards in the league. They’re also 26th in opponent completion percentage, 29th in passing yards allowed per game, and have only one takeaway to show for their efforts. As crazy as this is to think, the defense let the offense down this weekend.
New York Jets
Expect another losing season from Gang Green.
Isn’t Aaron Glenn supposed to be a no-nonsense defensive coach who comes in and changes the culture of the Jets? You wouldn’t have noticed if you tuned in to their crushing 30-10 loss on Sunday. They were gashed for 224 rushing yards and are now 30th in scoring defense through two weeks. On the offensive side, the Justin Fields reclamation project has gone off the rails after he was held to 27 yards on three completions and left the game with a concussion. Who cares about cutting down on penalties when you can’t stop a run or a pass?
Philadelphia Eagles
Week Two marked the death of the Tush Push.
The National Football League had the chance to ban the Tush Push this off-season, but that rule change was struck down by a number of teams. Now, the league is reaping what it sows. Tom Brady, NFL rules analyst Dean Blandino, and Kevin Burkhardt went out in front of a massive audience and basically said that they are “done” with the Tush Push, calling it a “headache” to officiate. After several offensive linemen got away with uncalled false starts, and fans have begun to notice that Eagles players are committing neutral zone infractions when they line up to run this play, it’s clear that the Tush Push will be banned after this season.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Week Two was more indicative of this team’s offense than Week One.
Of course, Aaron Rodgers threw for four touchdowns and looked fantastic against the New York Jets. THEY’RE THE JETS! But when faced with an opponent who is actually well-coached, Pittsburgh turned the ball over twice and was held to 267 total yards of offense. Granted, the Seahawks have one of the better defenses in the league, but I still think the Week Two version of the Steelers is more likely what this team will be than the Week One version. They’ll clean up the interceptions and play better in the red zone, but this will not be a 30-point-per-game team this season.
San Francisco 49ers
The Niners should take time to let Brock Purdy get healthy.
Kyle Shanahan once again proved that he is the league’s ultimate quarterback whisperer after Mac Jones threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Now that Jones has proven he can lead this team to a victory, there should be no reason for San Fran to rush Brock Purdy back from his toe injury. The Niners’ next two matchups are against the Cardinals and the Jaguars. They should be able to beat the Jags, but the Cards game could be a toss-up with Mac Jones at quarterback. Still, it’s better to be safe than sorry and risk Brock Purdy missing any more time because he reaggravated his injury. Trust your coach and your backup to keep your team afloat.
Seattle Seahawks
This is one of the gutsiest squads in the league.
They aren’t going to wow you with their offense, but they are going to be competitive in every game they play. I just love what Mike Macdonald is building in the Pacific Northwest. Sam Darnold may not be the best quarterback in the league, but he has also managed to be an asset to the Seahawks in both of their games. They have a great one-two punch in the rushing attack. They are also near the top of the league in defensive scoring and takeaways. If they can lean on the defense and running backs while limiting Darnold’s mistakes, this team could end up making the playoffs.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This team is a Super Bowl contender.
You want to talk about gutsy, nobody demonstrated that quality more over the first two weeks of the season than the Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield willed his team to a victory even though he was hurt and scrambling for his life last night. Plus, the offensive line managed to play well despite the fact that it was missing both starting tackles. The defense looks solid, and the offense will only improve with the eventual returns of Tristan Wirfs and Chris Godwin. This team could be playing for a Lombardi Trophy in February.
Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward is legit.
This is going to be a painful year of growth for number-one overall draft pick Cam Ward. Titans fans should buckle up and expect another season with a losing record, where they finish with a top-ten draft pick. Unlike last year, though, they don’t have to question who will be their quarterback of the future because they found that guy in Cam Ward. If he can get some damn blocking and decent coaching, this kid could easily throw for 300 yards. The Titans had an incredibly difficult two-game stretch to open the season, but they persevered (somewhat). Now, they can settle in and start to improve Cam Ward’s confidence with more support and better playcalling.
Washington Commanders
This team must protect Jayden Daniels at all costs.
Jayden Daniels is already dealing with a sprained knee after taking a bunch of hits from the Packers on Thursday. That is incredibly worrisome because he is not built like a Josh Allen or a Justin Herbert. He is a skinny QB who only weighs 210 lbs. He has already been sacked seven times, even though teams have only blitzed the Commanders eight times this season. If other organizations actually send extra pass rushers after him while he struggles to move with a knee brace, it could spell disaster for the most exciting young quarterback in the league. This franchise must do whatever it takes to protect Jayden Daniels. The last thing the Commanders need is another RGIII situation.
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2025-09-16 21:49:00
