NFL Week 2: Players with the Most to Prove

Week 2 of the NFL season can spell doom for players as much as lead them to success. Depending on how they handle the pressure to prove themselves to teammates or the rest of the league, it could be the difference between becoming a star and spending a career in mediocrity. 

Some players, like Phillip Dorsett or Dion Bailey, are thrust into the spotlight after key injuries to one of their teammates. Others, like Byron Maxwell or DeMarco Murray, are in a new city desperate for immediate production. Still, there are those players, like Joe Flacco or Adrian Peterson, who know their surroundings but still must find their way in 2015. 

Our rankings are based off each player's performance in Week 1, why it matters heading into Week 2, and how a good or bad showing this week would affect him or his team. 

Let's get right to it!

10. WR Terrance Williams, Dallas Cowboys

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press

Week 1 Stats: 5 receptions for 60 receiving yards, 0 TD in 27-26 win vs. New York Giants

Week 2 Opponent: Away at Philadelphia Eagles (0-1), Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET

With Dez Bryant out for the next four to six weeks, or more according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Cowboys will need their secondary receiving options to step up soon—a division matchup against rival Philadelphia on Sunday looms.

Although Jason Witten has an unmatched rapport with his quarterback, Tony Romo must find other reliable options in his wideout corps this weekend. The Eagles will presumably cover the Cowboys' star tight end like a blanket to force Romo's other weapons to beat them.

Enter Terrance Williams who's been the No. 2 wide receiver in Dallas behind Bryant the past two years. On Sunday, the third-year pro will get his shot as Romo's top target on offense.  

According to David Moore of The Dallas Morning News, Williams "leads the way" as the most likely candidate to fill Bryant's shoes. 

"

He worked as the Cowboys lead receiver during the offseason program as Bryant waited to sign his long-term contract and did the same during the majority of training camp as Bryant nursed a sore hamstring. Three of his five receptions in the opener came in the final 7:28. 

"

9. CB Byron Maxwell, Philadelphia Eagles

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Week 1 Stats: 9 tackles, 1 pass defended in 26-24 loss at Falcons 

Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. Dallas Cowboys (1-0), Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET 

The Eagles paid Byron Maxwell $63 million this offseason to fix a woeful pass defense that allowed the league's second-most yards through the air a year ago. The former Seahawk corner had his first real test of 2015 right off the bat in Philadelphia's season-opener against Julio Jones and the Atlanta Falcons. 

It went less than expected, to put it lightly. 

Jones torched the Eagles pass defense for nine catches, 141 yards and two touchdowns. Although Maxwell wasn't covering the Falcons' star receiver the whole game—he mostly plays on one side of the field the whole game—Jones did burn him for one of his scores, in addition to a 44-yard reception that led to the eventual game-winning field goal. 

His reaction post-game to hearing the damage Jones did isn't a good look either. 

"

Even Byron Maxwell thought it was funny how badly Julio Jones burned him (via @jonjohnsonwip): http://t.co/CEMd1X7ANG pic.twitter.com/9Yxzh5CRj1

— SB Nation (@SBNation) September 15, 2015"

Fortunately for Maxwell, he won't have to cover Dez Bryant on Sunday when the Cowboys visit the Eagles. Instead, his primary responsibility will be to shut down the lesser-known wideouts who will complement tight end Jason Witten: Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley. 

More importantly, though, Maxwell will have to show Philadelphia and its fans that he's money well spent. 

8. QB Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns

Brad Penner/Associated Press

Week 1 Stats: 13-for-24, 182 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 2 fumbles, 35 rushing yards in 31-10 loss at New York Jets

Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. Tennessee Titans (1-0), Sunday at 1 p.m. ET

The door is officially open, again, for Johnny Manziel in Cleveland after being announced Friday as the team's starting quarterback against the Titans. The news comes due to Josh McCown being ruled out for Sunday's game after suffering a concussion in Week 1.

Johnny Football put up decent numbers against the Jets in relief of McCown, but the former Heisman Trophy winner will have to prove his worth in just his third career NFL start.  

Manziel's 54-yard touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin last week seemed to spark the woeful Browns offense, but his three turnovers put a dent in his performance—he lost two fumbles and threw one pick in the second half.

He has a chance to shine on Sunday as the starter and get back on the right track for a franchise that spent its 2014 first-round pick on him—especially after an offseason marked with a 10-week stint in rehab for alcohol abuse. 

7. SS Dion Bailey, Seattle Seahawks

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Week 1 Stats: 4 tackles, 0 passes defended in 34-31 loss at St. Louis Rams

Week 2 Opponent: Away at Green Bay Packers (1-0), Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET 

With Kam Chancellor out for the time being, the Seahawks have turned to Dion Bailey to fill his role as the run-stopping, hard-hitting strong safety in the Legion of Boom. That's the plan, anyway.

But if Bailey's Week 1 performance is any indication, top-notch quarterbacks—like Aaron Rodgers this Sunday—will feast on the second-year defensive back all season long. 

With his team leading by seven and less than a minute remaining, Bailey did the unthinkable. He tripped, fell and left tight end Lance Kendricks wide open to score the game-tying touchdown. The Rams would then go on to win in overtime, but it was Bailey's miscue that single-handedly erased Seattle's lead. 

Having no passes broken up might be a badge of honor for the Richard Shermans or Patrick Petersons of the world—you can't break up a pass if the quarterback chooses not to throw your way. Bailey, though, failed to record a defended pass on his stat sheet for a different reason. 

Sheil Kapadia, ESPN.com's Seahawks beat reporter, expects Bailey to get "picked on early and often" Sunday night by Rodgers. 

Bailey, an undrafted free agent a year ago, could be in a position to make game-changing plays for Seattle's D if Kapadia's prediction is right. 

6. WR Phillip Dorsett, Indianapolis Colts

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

Week 1 Stats: 2 receptions for 45 yards, 2 fumbles in 27-14 loss at Buffalo Bills

Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. New York Jets (1-0), Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET

Unfortunately for the Colts, a T.Y. Hilton injury will force them to see what their first-rounder can do on offense. 

Equally as unfortunate is how Phillip Dorsett did as a punt returner in Week 1. On his first two returns of the day, the rookie fumbled on both—losing one and recovering the other. Buried in the depth chart for most of the game, Dorsett finished his pro debut with just two catches and one dropped pass. 

This week, though, will call for Dorsett to take on an increased role in Andrew Luck's receiving corps. The Colts have Andre Johnson and Donte Moncrief at wideout, but not many other weapons with playmaking abilities as explosive as Dorsett's—when he doesn't drop the ball, of course.

Although Hilton says he'll be a game-time decision for Monday night's showdown with the Jets, per George Bremer of The Herald Bulletin, the Colts' star receiver has yet to practice this week. 

With each passing day, it looks like he'll play a limited role, if any, in Week 2—leaving the door open for Dorsett to shine in Hilton's absence. 

5. RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Week 1 Stats: 10 rushes for 31 yards, 0 TD in 20-3 loss at San Francisco 49ers 

Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. Detroit Lions (0-1), Sunday at 1 p.m. ET

Week 1 featured Adrian Peterson playing football for the first time in a year—yet he actually didn't play that much. The Vikings' franchise-leader in almost every major rushing category saw just 10 carries and three receptions against the 49ers as he split time with backup Jerick McKinnon. 

When you consider one of AP's rushes went for nine yards, his yards-per-rush average doesn't look so hot for the day, either. 

ESPN.com's Ben Goessling provides some details on AP's day:

"

Peterson carried the ball only four times in the first half, and didn't have a carry until the Vikings' second offensive series, after Bridgewater checked out of a run play on the Vikings' first drive. He also showed some awkwardness while taking handoffs in the shotgun, where he lined up next to Bridgewater four or five yards behind the line of scrimmage, rather than lining up seven yards deep and hitting the line close to full speed.

"

You could chalk up Peterson's poor numbers to a player trying to get acclimated in his first NFL action since Sept. 7 of last year. Or maybe it's the fact that he's a 30-year-old running back who's on the shorter end of his career. Still, others claim that offensive coordinator Norv Turner misused his star tailback in an offense now centered on quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

We've yet to see the downhill, punishing running back we know all too well in Minnesota. Could a division matchup with the Lions wake the beast?

4. QB Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Week 1 Stats: 18-for-32, 117 passing yards, 0 TD, 2 INT in 19-13 loss at Denver Broncos 

Week 2 Opponent: Away at Oakland Raiders (0-1), Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET

Although he had to face one of the league's toughest defenses, Joe Flacco was terrible in his season-opener. His 117 passing yards against the Broncos were the third-worst of any starting quarterback in Week 1, while his 38.2 passer rating was dead last in the league. 

You can't help but feel bad for Flacco, though, as his receiving corps in Baltimore is slim pickings.

With four receptions each, his top two pass-catchers last week were a fullback and tailback—Kyle Juszczyk and Justin Forsett—while his four wideouts totaled just six catches between them. 

Yet Flacco, a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, is expected to do more with what he's got—especially to complement a top-notch run game in Baltimore thanks to Forsett. A matchup with the Raiders in Week 2 could get him back on the right track and find some common ground with his receivers. 

When Crockett Gillmore is catching the same number of passes as Steve Smith Sr., Baltimore's offense is in trouble. 

3. OT Russell Okung, Seattle Seahawks

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

Week 1 Stats*: 2 sacks allowed, 5 QB hurries in 34-31 loss at St. Louis Rams

Week 2 Opponent: Away at Green Bay Packers (1-0), Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET

Russell Okung has yet to play a full 16-game season during his five-year career with the Seahawks, but it's not his health that's the issue right now. 

Seattle's left tackle failed to do his one job in Week 1—protect the quarterback. He, along with the rest of the offensive line in front of Russell Wilson, got torched by Rams pass-rushers all day long. 

When the dust settled, Wilson was sacked six times and threw one pick in Seattle's loss to St. Louis. Okung got burned for two of those sacks and allowed his quarterback to get hit, officially, five other times. 

This week's opponent presents a similar challenge for any offensive tackle. Defensive end Julius Peppers had 1.5 sacks in Week 1, while outside linebacker Clay Matthews reached double digits in the category a year ago for Green Bay.

If the Seahawks want any chance of outscoring Aaron Rodgers and Co., Okung and his fellow offensive linemen will have to start protecting Wilson in addition to creating holes for Marshawn Lynch.

* — Stats according to Pro Football Focus. 

2. RB DeMarco Murray, Philadelphia Eagles

Daniel Shirey/Getty Images

Week 1 Stats: 8 rushes for 9 yards, 1 TD, 11 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD in 26-24 loss at Falcons 

Week 2 Opponent: Home vs. Dallas Cowboys (1-0), Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET

The league's reigning leading rusher was held to just nine yards on the ground in Week 1. Yep, you read that right. And when you consider one of DeMarco Murray's runs went for eight yards, that would be one yard on seven carries the rest of the way.

It's not an ideal start, of course, for the Eagles' new running back—especially heading into a matchup with his former team and newfound division rival—but Murray has more to prove than just numbers.

Murray must show that he can be versatile and adapt to a fast-paced, spread-out offense while sharing playing time with two other running backs in Philadelphia, compared to what he was in Dallas—the lead back in a conventional, ground-and-pound attack.

So far, the evidence isn't compelling. Again, that's nine yards on eight carries. 

This week's matchup with the Cowboys is interesting in another sense for Murray. He'll be facing the team he chose to leave in free agency this past offseason to suit up for Dallas' heated rival in Philly. Both franchises have battled it out for the NFC East title the past two seasons, as well. 

Sunday's game should tell us what type of back we'll see this year in Murray and how much the Eagles plan to use him. 

1. QB Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Week 1 Stats: 16-for-33, 210 passing yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 2 fumbles in 42-14 loss vs. Tennessee Titans

Week 2 Opponent: Away at New Orleans Saints (0-1), Sunday at 1 p.m. ET

Jameis Winston lost the battle in Week 1 between this year's top two draft picks. Marcus Mariota's four touchdown passes were just a little better than his fellow Heisman Trophy winner's day.

Instead, Winston's pro debut got off to the worst possible start as his first NFL pass was a pick-6. It didn't get much better from there. Three more turnovers later and Tampa Bay's quarterback must've already been thinking about Week 2.

Mariota outplayed and overshadowed Winston last week, and it wasn't even close. If each's first game is a sign of things to come, it seems the Buccaneers made the wrong choice on Draft Day. Sounds like the Bucs fans already feel that way:

"

BOOO pic.twitter.com/ahzsL7tFBS

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) September 13, 2015"

Obviously it's just one game and there's 15 more to be played in 2015 and a bunch more after that. But Winston must still give his franchise some glimmer of hope—and do it soon before the team panics and benches him for Mike Glennon.