Two weeks of 2024 NFL football are in the books, and already we’ve enjoyed all kinds of surprises on the gridirion, from the New Orleans Saints boasting one of the league’s most explosive offenses and the Baltimore Ravens slipping to a winless start to only the Houston Texans logging a “W” in the AFC South.
Here’s one thing we learned about each team during Week 2 of the 2024 campaign:
Kyler Murray is an improved thrower. One week after going toe-to-toe with Josh Allen, the sixth-year veteran slung it all over the Los Angeles Rams, leaving Matthew Stafford and Co. in the dust.
The Kirk Cousins show has arrived. Bijan Robinson did the heavy lifting for much of Monday’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles, but Cousins was flawless in crunch time to keep rewriting his prime-time script.
They still can’t finish games. Lamar Jackson helped Baltimore get out to a decent lead on the Las Vegas Raiders, but Maxx Crosby’s pass rush took over. John Harbaugh’s club has an issue putting teams away.
Sean McDermott’s defense is still legit. After struggling to contain the Cardinals in Week 1, they were all over the Miami Dolphins. Rasul Douglas, in particular, remains a physical playmaker on the perimeter.
Bryce Young might actually be going backward. Two games in, the former No. 1 pick somehow appears more uncomfortable under new coach Dave Canales. What can they do to stop this slide?
For all their splashy weapons, they still need better blocking. Caleb Williams’ scramble-heavy approach doesn’t always help, but the rookie was under constant duress against the Houston Texans.
They’re not broken. Every week seems to bring added Ja’Marr Chase drama, and the 0-2 record is disappointing. But at least Joe Burrow took Patrick Mahomes and Co. to the wire yet again.
Jim Schwartz’s defense might save them again. Deshaun Watson also made something out of nothing, to be fair, but in a sloppy matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, they suffocated Trevor Lawrence’s side.
The Week 1 hype was a bit much. That’s on us, too, calling them a title contender after they routed the Browns. We know they’ve got talent, but where were the schematic answers for the New Orleans Saints?
Sean Payton is in for a mightily bumpy ride. His hand-selected rookie quarterback, Bo Nix, took another step in the wrong direction against the Pittsburgh Steelers, throwing into ill-advised places.
The offensive rhythm isn’t there just yet. Jameson Williams has been an awesome revelation, but Jared Goff’s been a bit looser with the ball under pressure, as has been the case in the past.
They might be just fine until Jordan Love returns. Malik Willis wasn’t necessarily a world-beater against the Indianapolis Colts, but he had elite ground support and looked at ease under center otherwise.
The AFC South is theirs for the taking. The rest of the division is a combined 0-6. Meanwhile, C.J. Stroud continued to throw it sharply against the Bears, and DeMeco Ryans’ front got all kinds of pressure.
They’re a major work in progress. Not that anyone really believed otherwise, but even knowing the Packers would go run-heavy without Jordan Love, they couldn’t slow Josh Jacobs.
Doug Pederson needs to get creative. And/or their O-line needs to shore up, and Trevor Lawrence needs to play smarter. This whole operation has been unsettled dating back to last year.
It’s Rashee Rice time. The young wideout has already been a focal point for K.C., but with Isiah Pacheco now out indefinitely, Patrick Mahomes is set to lean even more on his No. 1 downfield target.
Defense will carry them. As expected, sure, but on Sunday, with Maxx Crosby corralling Lamar Jackson of all quarterbacks to steal a win, it was confirmed. Antonio Pierce’s group knows how to fight.
J.K. Dobbins has found new life. While Gus Edwards has actually had an equal role in Jim Harbaugh’s backfield, Dobbins has been ultra-explosive, quickly becoming Justin Herbert’s best friend.
Matthew Stafford could be in for a rough stretch. Puka Nacua is already out, and Cooper Kupp got banged up again against the Cardinals. The one thing this offense needed to do was stay healthy.
They have a dire quarterback dilemma. Not only regarding Tua Tagovailoa’s career, after he suffered his third documented concussion in two years, but for the short term, with Skylar Thompson the top insurance.
Their depth is legit. Down Justin Jefferson late against the San Francisco 49ers, they still outlasted the reigning NFC champions to go to 2-0. Sam Darnold has been sharp and surprisingly poised as well.
The offensive front remains a concern. Yes, they’ve been scrappy in Jerod Mayo’s first two games, but Jacoby Brissett was under heat for roughly half of his drop-backs against the Seattle Seahawks.
Klint Kubiak has the secret sauce. Raise your hand if you had the Saints lighting up the scoreboard on your 2024 bingo card. Derek Carr and Alvin Kamara look five years younger in their new offense.
They surely could’ve avoided the 0-2 start. Brian Daboll defended their decision to dress only one semi-healthy kicker against the Washington Commanders, but it pretty clearly backfired. Leadership is iffy here.
Aaron Rodgers still has his trademark touch. The aging quarterback is still a bit hit or miss through the air, but he came up big when it counted to help New York edge the Tennessee Titans.
The Eagles badly need A.J. Brown. Jalen Hurts looked spry, as did Saquon Barkley, but Brown’s absence forced the offense to work too hard under Kellen Moore in an epic collapse against Atlanta.
Justin Fields is probably here to stay. The ex-Bears quarterback isn’t necessarily “leading” Pittsburgh to victory, but as long as Mike Tomlin’s club is winning, why would they pivot to Russell Wilson?
Brian Flores has their number. Perhaps no team has played Kyle Shanahan’s deep attack better than the Vikings the last two years. Still, Brock Purdy and Co. fought hard without Christian McCaffrey.
If they can tighten up the O-line, they’ll be legit. Geno Smith responded well to the Patriots’ pressure, and Mike Macdonald’s “D” remained a steady force. Now if only they could stabilize the trenches.
Baker Mayfield is an early season MVP candidate. Seriously! A year removed from vying for Comeback Player of the Year honors, the scrappy journeyman was lights-out as a scrambler against the Lions.
Brian Callahan is already losing patience with Will Levis. The coach confirmed as much after Sunday’s game, explicitly critiquing the young gunslinger for his poor ball security against the Jets.
They’re one of the NFL’s most conservative teams. But they can run the ball well. No touchdowns and seven field goals got them the “W” against the Giants, with Jayden Daniels again going ground-heavy.
