NFL Players Who Have a Chance at Redemption in Week 2

When it comes to the NFL, it seem like we just love overreactions. We've had exactly one week of football, and we already know which team and players are going to shine and which ones are going to stink up the joint in 2015. Right?

Yeah, not so much. 

Do you remember when the Tennessee Titans defense plastered the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 of 2014, or when Tom Brady was done a few weeks into last season? One or two early performances—whether good or bad—are going to be forgotten within the fog of the regular season as a whole.

This is why guys like Jameis Winston and Justin Forsett shouldn't beat themselves up about underperforming in the first week of the 2015 season. If they can turn things around and have a successful overall year, few are going to remember what happened in Week 1.

For the players who disappointed on opening weekend, the next chance for redemption comes in Week 2. Today, we're going to look at players entering situations that make redemption a very real possibility. 

Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Let's be honest here. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning didn't look good on Sunday, and it wasn't just because he was facing a physical Baltimore Ravens defense. 

There was a clear lack of velocity on Manning's passes, and he still doesn't appear quite comfortable in Gary Kubiak's offense. Manning looked unlike himself, in fact, in that his performance has caused many to forget that the Broncos won against Baltimore.

Alex Reimer of Forbes.com recently wrote the following:

"

Manning’s lackluster performance in the Broncos’ 19-13 win over the Ravens was not an isolated incident, but rather the continuation of a downward spiral that first began last year. The 39-year-old Hall of Fame quarterback appears to be facing his professional mortality, his greatness whisking away with each wobbly screen pass he throws.

"

Here's the thing, though. Manning is learning an unfamiliar system and was playing with a rookie left tackle and a center making his first professional start. He's also struggled before and bounced back to be a fairly productive quarterback.

This doesn't mean Manning is going to instantly become who he once was, but he can be a whole lot better than he was in Week 1. And he can start doing it on Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

History is on Manning's side, at least. The Chiefs are 0-6 against the Broncos since Manning arrived in Denver. In fact, the Broncos have lost just one divisional game in the past two years.

A proven ability to win within his own division and another week in Kubiak's system help set Manning up for a rebound game at Arrowhead. 

Greg Olsen, TE, Carolina Panthers

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen might the most reliable target quarterback Cam Newton will have all season. Yet, he was barely targeted at all on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In fact, Olsen was targeted only three times and finished the game with just one reception for 11 yards. This is not the type of production you expect from a guy coming off an 84-catch, 1,008-yard season. 

Olsen doesn't appear to be too concerned, though. 

"It’s all how the thing goes together," Olsen said, per Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. "It’s no different than when I would catch 10 balls last year. We don’t set out to try and get one guy the ball. That’s not our offense. That’s not what we do.”

The Panthers should have plenty of opportunities to get Olsen the ball this week against the Houston Texans if this past week was any indication. 

The Texans struggled mightily against Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in Week 1. Kelce finished the game with six receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns. 

Expect the Texans to spend some time this week preparing to put up a better defense against the tight end position, but also expect Olsen to put up more than one reception against Houston in Week 2. 

Khalil Mack, OLB, Oakland Raiders

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Khalil Mack was an absolute beast this preseason and appeared perfectly poised for a true breakout campaign. 

Pro Football Focus credited Mack with two sacks, one quarterback hit, six quarterback hurries and six tackles in 90 preseason snaps. On Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, Mack produced just three solo tackles and one assist.

This doesn't mean that Mack isn't going to have the breakout campaign that many predicted, but he certainly didn't have the type of impact against Cincinnati that the Raiders would've liked.

Mack will have an opportunity to show he is a game-changer this week against the Baltimore Ravens.

It's not that the Ravens are a bad team, but there are questions along the Baltimore line. Starting left tackle Eugene Monroe left the first quarter of Sunday's game against the Broncos with a concussion, and quarterback Joe Flacco was sacked twice and picked off twice.

According to Pro Football Focus, no team was worse in pass protection in Week 1 than the Ravens. 

Flacco also has a glaring lack of reliable targets behind veteran receiver Steve Smith. 

If Flacco cannot get rid of the football quickly, Mack should have an opportunity to add a couple of game-altering plays—like sacks, for example—to his 2015 resume. 

Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson played in an NFL game for the first time in over a year on Monday against the San Francisco 49ers. To say the end result was less than desirable is like saying that the outfits on Seinfeld are a bit dated. 

Peterson finished with just 13 touches for 52 yards. He averaged a very un-Peterson-like 3.1 yards per carry.

This is not the 2015 debut that fans, and fantasy football enthusiasts, anticipated.

However, it's important to remember two things here. This was Peterson's first game back in over a year because he didn't step foot onto a playing field in the preseason (he hasn't in years). Peterson was also playing with a mostly inefficient and inconsistent Teddy Bridgewater (23-of-32 for 231 yards and an interception) at quarterback.

The Vikings just couldn't do enough to get the 49ers defense off balance, and Peterson never got enough work to get going. The 49ers' clock-killing ground game definitely didn't help the Vikings find a rhythm on offense. 

This should all change in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions.

The Lions, who finished second in the NFL in total defense in 2014 (300.9 yards per game allowed), were absolutely shredded by the San Diego Chargers this past Sunday. The team allowed 483 yards of total offense to Philip Rivers and Co. 

Detroit did do a solid job of defensing the run, allowing the Chargers to average just 3.2 yards per carry. However, the Vikings should be able to move the ball through the air well enough to open things for Peterson on the ground.

The Vikings will also be playing at home, and Peterson will be making his second start of the season. The more carries he gets, the more likely it is that he finds his legs beneath him and begins to resemble the Peterson that we all remember. 

Brandin Cooks, WR, New Orleans Saints

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

With Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills now playing elsewhere, second-year receiver Brandin Cooks is expected to step into the role of No. 1 pass-catcher for the New Orleans Saints.

On Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, Cooks produced just 54 yards on four receptions and one carry.

Cooks' lack of production really didn't affect Drew Brees (355 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception), but it's a little disheartening to realize that the Saints' top pass-catcher was running back Mark Ingram.

According to Larry Holder of NOLA.com, Cooks was on the field for 73 of the Saints' 74 offensive snaps.

Well, Cooks will have a prime opportunity this week to have his first big game of the 2015 season and show that he really is a difference-maker. 

This Sunday, the Saints will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who made Marcus Mariota look like a surefire All-Pro in his first career start.

According to Pro Football Focus, the only team worse than the Buccaneers in pass coverage during Week 1 was the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

If Cooks cannot find ways to get open against the Buccaneers at home, then it will be time to start worrying about his struggles. Otherwise, we're likely to forget about his relative lack of production during opening weekend.

Justin Forsett, RB, Baltimore Ravens

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett was a major disappointment against the Broncos in Week 1—especially to fantasy owners who were excited to see him operate in Marc Trestman's offense. 

Forsett amassed just 56 yards on 18 total touches. He also averaged a subpar 3.1 yards per carry.

Of course, the Broncos have one of the better defenses in the conference this season. They certainly didn't have to concern themselves too much with quarterback Joe Flacco (18-of-32 for 117 yards) and the passing game either, so slowing Forsett could remain a priority.

Baltimore's next opponent, Oakland, is likely to take a similar approach to slowing the Ravens offense. However, the Raiders don't seem to have the weapons up front needed to clamp down the way Denver did this past week.

Pro Football Focus rated Oakland just 23rd in run defense for Week 1. Denver was rated third. 

Forsett should find more running room against Oakland, and he should also see more attention from Flacco. If the Ravens don't feel they can push the ball downfield in the passing game, screens and swing passes are likely to come Forsett's way. 

Joe Haden, CB, Cleveland Browns

Brad Penner/Associated Press

Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden is supposed to be one of the top pass defenders in the entire NFL. He has been named to two consecutive Pro Bowls, after all. 

However, Haden looked nothing like an elite defender against the New York Jets on Sunday. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Haden was targeted seven times and allowed six receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown. He was also penalized once. These are not the numbers you expect to see from a Pro Bowl cornerback.

Yet, we shouldn't forget that Haden spent most of the game matched up against 6'4", 230-pound receiver Brandon Marshall (Haden is 5'11", 195). Though Marshall often got the better of his smaller foe, his numbers (six catches for 62 yards and a touchdown) weren't exactly gaudy.

Haden isn't likely to face a receiver of Marshall's caliber in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans. Yes, the Titans looked good against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, but they were playing the Buccaneers in Week 1. 

Against the Titans, Haden will likely be matched up against Kendall Wright, who caught just 57 passes for 715 yards a season ago. Wright is Tennessee's de facto No. 1 receiver, at least until rookie Dorial Green-Beckham steps up to the challenge and claims the job.

The last time the Browns faced the Titans, Haden allowed just three receptions for 35 yards.

"We're very confident we can bounce back," Haden said, per Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. "We had a bad game. They executed very well. I feel I didn't play up to my potential. I know I'm going to go back and study the film and get ready for the Titans."

If Haden does manage to bounce back and then continues to play at a high level, his Week 1 struggles will likely be forgotten. 

Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Brian Blanco/Associated Press

Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota was almost perfect in his NFL debut on Sunday. In fact, his passer rating of 158.3 was perfect. 

The guy on the other team, Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie quarterback Jameis Winston, was far from perfect in his debut. Winston finished just 16-of-33 for 210 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

One of Winston's picks was returned for a touchdown, and he was sacked four times for 29 lost yards.

Part of the problem for Winston was an offensive line that features two rookies. Another part of the problem was that he was facing defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, who is very good at besting rookie signal-callers (now 27-4 against first-year QBs).

Winston's second professional start will come on Sunday against a New Orleans Saints team that defended the pass like a wet paper towel in Week 1. New Orleans allowed 307 yards passing to the Arizona Cardinals and finished the week ranked 25th in pass coverage by Pro Football Focus.

Potentially having wide receiver Mike Evans back on the playing field should also help Winston in the passing game. According to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, head coach Lovie Smith has said that Evans is improving, but that his status is still unclear.

Evans racked up 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns as a rookie in 2014. 

This certainly doesn't mean that Winston is going to waltz into the Superdome and have a clean, comfortable afternoon. However, he does have a matchup that should allow him to put last week's debacle firmly behind him.