After a dominant performance on Thursday to move to 2-0, the Green Bay Packers have quickly established themselves as a true Super Bowl contender.
But until proven otherwise, the label of NFC favourite deservedly belongs to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
After a solid win over the Dallas Cowboys in the opening game of the season (played without their best defensive player because of a now-famous spit), a Super Bowl rematch brings an early opportunity to really see what both the Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs are truly made of this season.
To get you set for Week 2, here’s more on Eagles-Chiefs and the other big storylines to keep an eye on.
Are the Chiefs still on the same level as the Eagles?
For a team that’s been to three straight Super Bowls — and won two — there are a lot of question marks around the Chiefs right now.
Those started in February after Super Bowl LIX, when the Eagles absolutely dismantled the Chiefs 40-22 in a game that was even more lopsided than the final score indicated.
In the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia defence put on a legendary performance. It forced Mahomes into three turnovers (one for a TD), sacked him six times and made the three-time Super Bowl champ look downright uncomfortable right from the opening snap.
Has Mahomes spent much time reliving the beatdown? You better believe it.
“I watch every game. You have to learn from it,” Mahomes said this week. “It sucks that you lose the game, but in order to progress and be better next time, you have to watch and learn from it.”
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Sunday’s rematch at Arrowhead Stadium brings a real opportunity for Mahomes and the Chiefs to quiet some of the noise and prove once again they are a threat to win it all.
But it won’t come easy.
If the Super Bowl showed the Chiefs anything, it was that they had a real problem to address on the offensive line. They tried to revamp that group this off-season, which included spending their first-round pick on left tackle Josh Simmons. But Simmons struggled in Kansas City’s Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, finishing in the bottom 10 in pass block win rate at his position.
The offensive line must also stand up against motivated Eagles DT Jalen Carter, who lasted just six seconds into the opener before he was ejected for spitting on Dak Prescott.
Not only that, but the Chiefs will be without their top two receivers in Rashee Rice (suspension) and speedster Xavier Worthy (shoulder).
There is a lot working against Mahomes, who is in danger of starting 0-2 for the first time in his career.
He’s earned the right to never be counted out, but he might have to pull off something special on Sunday for the Chiefs to come out victorious.
Ben Johnson’s return to Detroit
The Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears are both looking to right the ship in Week 2 after disappointing losses in Week 1.
Only adding to the intrigue of the divisional matchup is the fact that former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson makes his return to Ford Field as the new head coach of the Bears.
“One of the unfortunate parts of making that decision, you were saying goodbye to a lot of friends and a great place,” Johnson said this week about his decision to leave Detroit.
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Johnson was a critical part of the Lions’ turnaround over the past few seasons, and many wondered how Detroit would respond to the loss of its offensive guru.
Week 1’s 27-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers only intensified those questions — as does Lions QB Jared Goff’s 3-18-1 record as a starter without Johnson or Sean McVay (during his time with the Rams) as his offensive playcaller.
But Goff isn’t the only quarterback facing question marks this week. Chicago QB Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in 2024, didn’t do a lot in Week 1 to show he’s made a lot of strides from his rookie season.
One of the main reasons Johnson was brought into Chicago was to help Williams develop into the new face of the franchise. But Williams had an NFL-worst 29.4 per cent off-target rate in Week 1, and apart from a solid opening drive, he still looked like he was having trouble getting through his progressions.
Sunday’s game gives a chance for one of the teams to get back on track, while the other will be facing major question marks just two weeks in.
OK Daniel Jones, we see you… now let’s see it again
One of the best storylines from Week 1 was the play of Daniel Jones.
Best known for his underwhelming stint with the New York Giants, Jones led the Indianapolis Colts to a convincing 33-8 win over the Miami Dolphins in his first start with the team.
Jones completed 22-of-29 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns — one through the air and two on foot.
But let’s just take a second to rewind to last NFL season, when after a dominant 44-19 win over the Cowboys in the opening week, the New Orleans Saints looked like they might have one of the best offences in the league.
The Saints, of course, would go on to finish 5-12 in one of their worst seasons in recent memory.
So while trying not to take anything away from Jones’ scintillating start in Week 1, a matchup with the Denver Broncos and their talented defence should give the Colts a better idea of what they actually have in Jones.
Game to watch: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings — Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
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What a rollercoaster of emotions Week 1 must’ve been for Vikings fans.
In their first glimpse of their new quarterback J.J. McCarthy, many Vikings fans probably went from “we’re doomed” to “he might be the guy” over the course of one football game.
McCarthy struggled to find his footing in the first half against the Bears, but did so and more in the second half to lead the Vikings to a come-from-behind victory in his first start in the NFL.
The Michigan product led the Vikings on three fourth-quarter touchdown drives, throwing two and running one in himself.
It was a promising start to the season for McCarthy, and the same could be said for his quarterback counterpart on Sunday.
Now the unquestioned starter in Atlanta, Michael Penix Jr. looked the part in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Penix put his team in position to send the game against a talented Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad into overtime before a Younghoe Koo missed field goal derailed those plans.
It will be a fascinating quarterback matchup to watch on Sunday between two young signal callers who could become faces of the league for years to come.
Forrest’s Favourites (All odds courtesy of BetMGM):
Rams @ Titans — Pick: Rams -5.5: The NFL schedule makers didn’t do Titans QB Cam Ward any favours. After starting his career against a ferocious Broncos defence in Week 1, he now takes on a talented Rams defensive front that gave the Texans fits last week. It should be another long Sunday for the No. 1 pick.
Patriots @ Dolphins — Pick: Patriots +2.5: Sometimes it’s best to bet against the bad vibes. And the vibes coming out of Miami right now are at an all-time low, so take the Pats.
Buccaneers @ Texans — Pick: Buccaneers +2.5: As evident in the Texans’ loss to the Rams in Week 1, they still have some major questions on the offence, particularly with the offensive line. It looks like there will be some serious growing pains in Houston to start the season, so ride with the Bucs and the points.
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Full Week 2 schedule (All times ET)
Thursday, Sept. 11
Packers 27, Commanders 18
Sunday, Sept. 14
Browns at Ravens, 1 p.m.
Jaguars at Bengals, 1 p.m.
Giants at Cowboys, 1 p.m.
Bears at Lions, 1 p.m.
Patriots at Dolphins, 1 p.m.
49ers at Saints, 1 p.m.
Bills at Jets, 1 p.m.
Seahawks at Steelers, 1 p.m.
Rams at Titans, 1 p.m.
Panthers at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m.
Broncos at Colts, 4:05 p.m.
Eagles at Chiefs, 4:25 p.m.
Falcons at Vikings, 8:20 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 15
Buccaneers at Texans, 7 p.m.
Chargers at Raiders, 10 p.m.
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