NFL Week 2: Everything You Need to Know for Sunday's Games
Can you believe the second week of the 2015 NFL season is already here? It seems like only a few weeks ago, we were talking about teams' draft classes, free-agent acquisitions and coaching hires.
Well, Week 2 is certainly here, and it's shaping up to provide a weekend chock full of action and intrigue.
By beating the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead on Thursday night, the Denver Broncos officially became the first team to earn its second win of the season. This Sunday, 28 other teams will try to join Denver in the Week 2 win column.
A couple of those teams won't even be starting the same quarterback they did a week ago.
Quarterback changes already? Well, this is Week 2.
To help get you ready for this week's action, here's a guide to ll the important stuff you'll need to know for the second Sunday of the 2015 season.
Biggest Questions
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Will Johnny Manziel Really Perform Better With a Week of Preparation?
OK, so the Cleveland Browns didn't exactly choose to turn to backup quarterback Johnny Manziel. In fact, it seems that starter Josh McCown made that choice when he decided to leave his feet and dive headfirst into the teeth of the New York Jets defense a week ago.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group, McCown didn't really believe he suffered a concussion against the Jets and never experienced any concussion-related symptoms leading up to Friday's practice.
However, McCown was not cleared to exit the league's concussion protocol, which leaves the Browns with no choice but to turn to Manziel, who was very hit-or-miss in his three quarters against the Jets.
Manziel did throw his first NFL touchdown pass in that game, but he also threw a pick and lost two fumbles. Of course, it's not as if Manziel was incredibly prepared to enter the game. He missed the last two weeks of the preseason with elbow soreness and hadn't worked with the first-team offense for a long time before the game, according to Jeff Darcy of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
Can Manziel be successful with a full week of preparation? We'll find out early Sunday afternoon when the Tennessee Titans and their Heisman-winning quarterback, Marcus Mariota, come to Cleveland.
Does Rex Ryan Finally Have a Team That Can Topple the Patriots?
We know from watching Rex Ryan spend six years with the New York Jets that he is a head coach who isn't afraid to speak his mind. We also know that he seems to relish in the challenge of going up against Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
“I respect [the Patriots] probably as much as any team in the league,” Ryan recently said, per ESPN's Mike Rodak. “I don’t fear them, I can tell you that much... We don’t [get] beat just because [the Patriots] get off the bus, like some teams.”
Though Ryan always oozes confidence when talking about his AFC East rival, his record against the Patriots stands at just 4-9, and he has never beaten them twice in the same season. This year might bring Ryan's best chance ever to accomplish a season sweep.
Ryan's teams in New York were certainly good—Ryan wouldn't have reached two AFC title games otherwise. However, this Buffalo Bills team is starting to feel like it can be something truly special.
Buffalo won nine games a season ago behind a dominant defense and steady play from veteran quarterback Kyle Orton. This year's defense, which just held Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts to 14 points, might be even better.
If first-year starter Tyrod Taylor (passer rating of 123.8 in Week 1) can continue to keep the offense rolling, the Bills are likely to be dangerous on both sides of the football.
Ryan will get his first chance to snag a 2015 victory over New England at home on Sunday against a Patriots team that looked decent, though certainly not dominant against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season opener.
Is the Steelers Defense Going to Continue to Be a Liability?
The Steelers lost to New England by only a touchdown in Week 1, but the game was never really as close as the 28-21 final score might indicate.
Pittsburgh's biggest problem against the Patriots was a defense that did very little to slow Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and the passing game. New defensive coordinator Keith Butler used a lot of Tampa 2 coverage against New England, and it proved to be a mistake.
Brady finished the game with 288 passing yards and four touchdowns.
Pittsburgh's run defense didn't appear a whole lot better, as little-known back Dion Lewis (he hasn't had a regular-season carry since 2012) rushed for 69 yards with a 4.6 yards-per-carry average.
Pro Football Focus currently has the Steelers rated 29th overall defensively.
As good as the Steelers offense may be, the team is likely to lose some games it shouldn't if the defense continues to be such a weakness.
The good news is that the Steelers will get an opportunity to rebound this week at home against the San Francisco 49ers. The fact that the 49ers have to head east on a short week bodes well for the Steelers, who got an extra three days of rest after opening the season on a Thursday.
The 49ers looked good in their 20-3 win over the Minnesota Vikings last Monday, sure. However, few teams game-plan and exploit weaknesses like the Patriots. The San Francisco game is likely to be a more accurate gauge of what we can expect this season from the Steelers defense than what we saw against the Patriots in Week 1.
Game of the Day
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Who: Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
When: Sunday: Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: NBC
While we absolutely love the Bills-Patriots matchup coming on Sunday afternoon, it's hard to argue against Sunday night's game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers as the game of the day.
We don't have to remind you that this is a rematch of last year's NFC title game or how that game ended in a shocking loss for the Packers. The Packers definitely don't need reminded and will likely be seeking to turn their home opener into a festival of revenge.
Even if this weren't a rematch of last years NFC Championship, the Packers and Seahawks would still make for one of the more interesting contests of the week. Both are playoff-caliber teams who could be headed for another matchup in the postseason.
However, both teams are facing challenges, and it is going to be interesting to see how each responds over the course of the regular season.
The Packers won a fairly convincing game against the Chicago Bears in Week 1 and managed to minimize the loss of receiver Jordy Nelson, who is out for the year with a torn ACL. Can they continue to make life without Nelson look easy? The Seahawks' physical defense will provide a stern early-season test.
The Seahawks, meanwhile are dealing with a shaky offensive line (ranked 31st in pass-blocking by Pro Football Focus) and the absence of star safety Kam Chancellor, who is holding out for a new contract. Both issues played a part in last week's overtime loss to the St. Louis Rams.
Seattle was the only NFC West club to lose in Week 1. If the Seahawks cannot find a way to win in Green Bay, they could quickly find themselves in a hole and looking up at the rest of the division.
Stats of the Week
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The number of passing yards produced by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in a Week 1 losing effort. The 49ers looked strong defensively against the Vikings last week, but the Steelers will present an entirely different challenge.
Number of times the St. Louis Rams sacked Russell Wilson in Week 1. Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins should be wary of the Rams this week. Meanwhile, Packers linebacker Clay Matthews should start licking his chops.
The average number of yards per carry Vikings running back Adrian Peterson produced the last time he faced the Detroit Lions. If Detroit wants to avoid an 0-2 start, stopping Peterson will be key.
Weeks since Peterson last faced the Lions, which was in the 2013 season opener.
The number of rushing yards produced by Browns running backs in Week 1. That's just five more yards than Terrance West amassed a week ago. Before the start of the regular season, the Browns traded West to the Titans, who visit Cleveland this week.
The passer rating of Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer against the Saints in Week 1. Palmer has only finished a season with a passer rating of over 100 once in his career.
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Who Is Favored?
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Here are the odds for Sunday's games, courtesy of Odds Shark:
| Game Time | Away Team | Home Team | Favorite |
| 1 p.m. ET | New England | Buffalo | Even |
| 1 p.m. ET | Houston | Carolina | Carolina -3 |
| 1 p.m. ET | Arizona | Chicago | Arizona -2.5 |
| 1 p.m. ET | San Diego | Cincinnati | Cincinnati -3 |
| 1 p.m. ET | Tennessee | Cleveland | Tennessee -1 |
| 1 p.m. ET | Detroit | Minnesota | Even |
| 1 p.m. ET | Tampa Bay | New Orleans | New Orleans -10.5 |
| 1 p.m. ET | Atlanta | NY Giants | NY Giants -2.5 |
| 1 p.m. ET | St. Louis | Washington | St. Louis -3 |
| 1 p.m. ET | San Francisco | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh -6.5 |
| 4:05 p.m. ET | Miami | Jacksonville | Miami -6 |
| 4:05 p.m. ET | Baltimore | Oakland | Baltimore -6.5 |
| 4:25 p.m. ET | Dallas | Philadelphia | Philadelphia -5 |
| 8:30 p.m. ET | Seattle | Green Bay | Green Bay -3.5 |
Matchups to Watch
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Rex Ryan vs. Rob Gronkowski
The Steelers couldn't find a way to slow Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (five catches, 94 yards, three touchdowns) in Week 1. In fact, the Steelers defense left him completely uncovered on a couple of strange plays.
Allowing Gronkowski to roam free was one reason why the Steelers found themselves down two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter and why walking out of Foxborough with a win was virtually impossible.
The Bills will get to challenge the Patriots at home, but if they cannot find a way to do what the Steelers couldn't, a win will be equally difficult to come by.
It will be interesting to see what kind of tactics Rex Ryan tries to employ in order to slow Gronkowski on Sunday. Ryan has had success limiting Gronk before (99 total yards in two meetings last season), and this matchup is sure to be one of the more pivotal battles between the Patriots and the Bills.
Marcus Mariota vs. the Browns Secondary
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota was incredibly impressive in his NFL debut last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He finished with 209 passing yards, four touchdowns and a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
Mariota certainly looked like a future star in his first NFL game, but this week brings an entirely new challenge with a vaunted Browns secondary.
Sure, the Browns made some mistakes against Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Jets in Week 1 (to say the least), but this is still a very talented group that boasts two Pro Bowl safeties and two Pro Bowl corners. Despite their struggles, the Browns are still rated 13th overall in pass coverage by Pro Football Focus.
The Buccaneers, by comparison, are rated 31st in pass coverage.
Mariota will be playing in his first NFL road game on Sunday and will be going up against a secondary that should be one of the better groups in the NFL. We don't know if either of these teams will really be relevant in 2015, but this should be a fun matchup.
Cam Newton vs. J.J. Watt
Sunday's game between the Carolina Panthers and the Houston Texans isn't likely to get a whole lot of people excited. After all, both teams are without their biggest offensive stars (Kelvin Benjamin is out for the year and Arian Foster is sill recovering from a groin injury).
However, the matchup will pit one of the league's most dynamic quarterbacks against perhaps the most dominant defender of this generation.
With few reliable targets in the passing game and facing a stout defensive front, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is likely to spend a large part of the game trying to make plays on the run.
Newton is also likely to spend a good chunk of the game running from star Texans defensive end J.J. Watt.
This one could end up looking more like a backyard game of tag.
The Rams Defensive Line vs. the Washington Offensive Line
When the St. Louis Rams travel to take on the Washington Redskins, they'll be bringing one of the most dominant defensive fronts in the entire NFL to the capital.
Anchored by star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the Rams defensive line is easily the strength of the defense. As a pass-rushing unit, it is a monster.
The Rams made a mockery of the Seattle offensive line a week ago, and Pro Football Focus currently ranks St. Louis second overall in pass rush. Only the Denver Broncos are rated higher.
During the offseason, NFL Media's Bucky Brooks explained what makes the St. Louis line so good:
"The Rams have the ability to attack the line of scrimmage with a number of big-bodied athletes with exceptional size, strength, power and explosiveness. With coordinator Gregg Williams adept at using blitzes to create one-on-one opportunities for his disruptive defenders at the point of attack, the Rams should pummel opponents at the line of scrimmage on their way to becoming one of the NFL's premier defenses.
"
Trying to slow the St. Louis front will be a Washington line that struggled through the preseason and in Week 1 in pass protection. Pro Football Focus currently rates the team 29th overall in this category.
This is a matchup that could be hard to turn away from—in the worst possible way.
Injury Report
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Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys (out)
Just in case you missed it, Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant recently underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills (questionable)
McCoy has been dealing with a hamstring issue and left Thursday's practice with hamstring tightness, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Per Rodak, Rex Ryan is "cautiously optimistic" that McCoy will play against the Patriots on Sunday.
Luke Kuechly, LB, Carolina Panthers
Kuechly has never missed a game in his NFL career to date, but will see his streak end on Sunday. According to David Newton of ESPN.com, Kuechly won't play against the Texans.
Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears (questionable)
Jeffery played through a calf injury in Week 1, though he never appeared quite 100 percent. Now, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune, Jeffery is "day to day" with a hamstring issue.
Delanie Walker, TE, Tennessee Titans (questionable)
Walker missed a couple of days of practice this week with sprained ligaments in his wrist and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Cleveland. According to Jason Wolf of the Tennessean, Walker returned to practice on Friday.
“It felt good just to be back out there running around and catching the balls and stuff,” Walker said, per Wolf. “We’ll just have to see how it feels [Saturday]."
Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Detroit Lions (out)
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions have ruled out Pettigrew for Sunday's game against the Vikings. Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is listed as questionable.
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (questionable)
Evans missed the season opener with a hamstring injury but could make his 2015 debut this week against the Saints. According to the Associated Press via Fox Sports, Evans practiced on a limited basis for the third straight day on Friday.
Reggie Bush, RB, San Francisco 49ers (out)
Bush left Monday's game against the Vikings with a calf strain and won't be back against the Steelers.
"We're going to leave him back here, let him get the treatment," head coach Jim Tomsula said of Bush, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. "Make sure it's 100 percent before we move [forward with him] there. Feel great about it being 100 percent fast too."
Todd Gurley & Tre Mason, RBs, St. Louis Rams (questionable)
Gurley might just make his NFL debut this week against Washington. According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, both he and Mason participated in workouts this week and are questionable for Sunday's game.
Expert Predictions
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Each week, we'll take a look at picks and predictions from some of the top Bleacher Report NFL writers. We'll also take a look at the experts' results on a week-to-week basis.
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