Panic Meter for Joe Burrow Injury, 0-2 Teams and NFL's Biggest Red Flags

Some NFL fans have lost hope in their teams two weeks into the 2025 campaign. Should they back away from the panic button or set off all the alarms?

One team held a players-only meeting after its season opener.

A Super Bowl contender is surprisingly winless.

Starting quarterbacks are struggling, and others are dealing with injuries that will sideline them indefinitely or put their short-term availability in doubt.

What's the Cincinnati Bengals' plan without Joe Burrow?

Let's break down the league's biggest red flags and most concerning 0-2 teams ahead of Week 3.

Bryce Young Is Inconsistent as Carolina Panthers Start 0-2 for Fourth Consecutive Year

AP Photo/Samantha Chow

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young

Here we go again with the Carolina Panthers. Since 2022, they've opened seasons 0-2 under three different head coaches.

Owner David Tepper needs to exercise patience with his coaching staff, though Bryce Young may be running out of time in Carolina.

The Panthers are 1-14 on the road with Young as their starting quarterback. Though he showed some positive signs in the second half of the team's Week 2 outing, the third-year pro is completing 58.9 percent of his passes.

With that low accuracy rate, Young will eventually lose his job. His solid half of decent play against the Arizona Cardinals while trailing three scores isn't going to cool the temperature on his hot seat. He needs a complete game to answer his critics and get the Panthers on track to winning games.

Panic Meter: 8

Chicago Bears Have the Worst Scoring Defense, QB Caleb Williams Struggling Early

AP Photo/Ryan Sun

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams

When the Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson, they expected to field a much-improved offense. He hired Dennis Allen, who has a solid resume as a defensive coordinator.

Two weeks into the season, the Bears have allowed the most points leaguewide, and quarterback Caleb Williams doesn't look much better than he did in his rookie season.

Since the fourth quarter of their Week 1 outing with the Minnesota Vikings, the Bears have allowed 73 points. The Detroit Lions dropped 52 points on Chicago's defense and rolled Johnson, their former offensive coordinator, out of the Motor City in a blowout.

Johnson is a first-time head coach, so he may need an adjustment period in a new role. Williams has thrown for 417 yards, three touchdowns and an interception with a 61.5 percent completion rate. He's also rushed for 85 yards and a score.

While many believe Williams is capable of a lot more, it's Johnson's job to get that production out of him.

The Bears defense is the bigger problem right now, though. It allowed Vikings' struggling second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy to play his best quarter of football.

On top of that, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Courtney Cronin, two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson is out indefinitely because of a groin injury.

Johnson has time to tailor the offense around Williams, but Allen must figure something out with his defense. Chicago's offense isn't productive enough to cover for a porous unit on the other side of the ball.

Panic Meter: 6

QB Joe Burrow Will Undergo Toe Surgery, Out for at Least Three Months

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow

For the second time in three years, Joe Burrow will miss extended time because of a serious injury. In 2023, he underwent surgery on his wrist. This time, the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback needs surgery on his toe.

According to Jeremy Rauch of FOX19, Burrow has turf toe with torn ligaments, which explains the long recovery period.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Burrow will be out "a minimum of three months."

Like the second half of the 2023 season, the Bengals will turn to Jake Browning to fill in for Burrow. In that campaign, Cincinnati went 4-3 with its backup signal-caller, going 9-8 for the term.

Browning went undrafted in 2019 and didn't play a regular-season snap until he replaced Burrow four years later. Yet, he kept the Bengals offense steady, throwing for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a league-leading 70.4 percent completion rate.

Now, with that experience, Browning can still be a solid replacement for Burrow. Though he threw three interceptions last Sunday, the seventh-year veteran engineered a fourth-quarter comeback for the victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Bengals offense will be less prolific with Browning, but they've been in this situation before with him. With a 2-0 start, Cincinnati could still be competitive in the AFC playoff picture. By the way, in Week 3, the Bengals will face the Minnesota Vikings, who have scored the fifth-fewest points through two weeks.

Panic Meter: 4

The 0-2 Cleveland Browns Are Sticking with QB Joe Flacco

AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough

Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco

After the Cleveland Browns' 41-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, head coach Kevin Stefanski fielded questions from the media about his quarterback situation.

Stefanski said he doesn't think it's fair to talk about a quarterback change at this point.

As a team, the Browns didn't belong on the same playing field as the Ravens, but in two games, Flacco has a 62.2 percent completion rate and three interceptions. Though he's more capable of running Stefanski's offense than two rookies, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland's offense is limited with him.

Flacco is averaging a career-low 8.7 yards per completion, and he ranks 30th in passer rating at 70.1.

With a few more losses, Stefanski will have no choice but to change his tune on the quarterback situation. Most people assumed the Browns would be a disaster this year.

Nonetheless, if you had some hope for quarterback development this season, it's alarming to hear that Stefanski may be a bit stubborn about benching Flacco.

Panic Meter: 7

Kansas City Chiefs Start 0-2 for the First Time in Patrick Mahomes Era

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes

The Kansas City Chiefs are unfamiliar with slow starts since Patrick Mahomes took over the full-time starting job in 2018. At 0-2, they face a new adversity with a limited offense and a mediocre defense.

In matchups against the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles, the Chiefs haven't been able to score more than 21 points. Mahomes is only completing 58.8 percent of his passes, and he's the team's leading rusher with 123 yards and two touchdowns.

The Chiefs have fielded the 15th-ranked scoring offense in back-to-back seasons. They're 25th heading into Week 3, but the offensive personnel will get some help.

Wideout Rashee Rice will return to action in Week 7, following a six-game suspension. With a torn labrum, Xavier Worthy went through a couple of limited practices last week.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Worthy is "looking good" to play against the New York Giants in Week 3.

With their top two receivers on the way back, the Chiefs' aerial attack will pick up steam in the coming weeks. Despite an uncharacteristic start to the season, Kansas City has no reason to panic.

Panic Meter: 1

Miami Dolphins Come Out Flat After Players-Only Meeting, Fall to 0-2

AP Photo/Doug Murray

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa

The Miami Dolphins had an early players-only meeting to clear the air after a 33-8 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Instead of an inspired start to their home opener against the New England Patriots, the Dolphins fell behind 12-0 in the first quarter. To their credit, they battled back to take the lead in the second half but eventually crumbled because of a poor offensive line and a costly turnover.

Offensively, the Dolphins put together a far better showing than they did in Week 1, but the team has allowed 33 points in back-to-back games, including a kickoff return for a touchdown after its special team unit scored on a punt return.

Miami hasn't sustained any positive momentum, and head coach Mike McDaniel is searching for answers. Soon, the team may fire him as part of the solution.

The Dolphins' trip to Buffalo on Thursday in the standalone spotlight could shine a not-so-flattering light on everything that's gone wrong in Miami.

Panic Meter: 10

Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Has Sprained Ankle amid Passing Struggles

AP Photo/Mike Stewart

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy

In Week 1, on the Monday Night Football stage, did J.J. McCarthy show flashes of brilliance in the fourth quarter, or is the Chicago Bears defense that bad? Perhaps it's a combination of both.

In two games, McCarthy has thrown for 301 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions with a 58.5 percent completion rate. In Week 2, he threw two interceptions and completed just 52.4 percent of his passes with glaring misses to receivers in open windows.

Although McCarthy has played poorly in seven out of eight quarters, he's still in the early stages of his career development.

Remember, McCarthy sat out his entire rookie campaign on the mend from two knee surgeries. He's only made two career starts. Vikings fans shouldn't have their hand anywhere near the panic button.

Having said that, McCarthy posted modest passing numbers at Michigan. He needs a strong supporting cast around him.

During the Vikings' Week 2 game against the Atlanta Falcons, backup left tackle Justin Skule and center Ryan Kelly went into concussion protocol. Head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters that running back Aaron Jones Sr. is unlikely to play in Week 3 because of a hamstring injury.

Also, keep in mind that starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw is recovering from knee surgery.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, McCarthy will miss two to four weeks with a high ankle sprain. When he returns to action, Jordan Addison will have served his three-game suspension, which should help the offense.

Assuming McCarthy recovers quickly, the health of his supporting cast will have a significant impact on his development.

Panic Meter: 2

New York Jets Fall to 0-2 with QB Justin Fields in Concussion Protocol

AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura

New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields

We've possibly seen the best version of the New York Jets offense and the worst of it in two weeks.

In Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Gang Green racked up 182 yards and three scores on the ground. Justin Fields made accurate throws downfield in an efficient outing with a 72.7 percent completion rate. Tanner Engstrand looked like the league's next innovative offensive mind who will earn respect as a play-caller this year.

In Week 2, the Jets presented an offensive stinker in a home matchup with the Buffalo Bills. They only accumulated 154 total yards. Fields struggled with his accuracy, completing just three out of 11 passes for 27 yards before going into concussion protocol.

The Jets' Week 1 offensive output wasn't sustainable, but it's alarming that they hit rock bottom in the following week. Fields' head injury delays his development in Engstrand's system if he misses time.

Fields is in his fifth year and still struggles with ball placement in different areas of the field. However, the 26-year-old has room for growth. We saw him perform well in the season opener, but he needs to get healthy to continue his progression.

Field is a reclamation project who's been banged up in his career, missing 11 games in his first three seasons. The team should be more concerned about his durability as a dual-threat signal-caller than the expected ups and downs in a new offense.

Panic Meter: 5