B/R NFL Staff: Buying or Selling Week 2's Bounce-Back Winners

Because of myriad off-field factors, every single NFL franchise had built-in excuses for why it shouldn't play well to start the season. But some were positioned worse than others once Week 1 began. It's how those squads responded after an 0-1 start that's most important.

Bad weeks happen for every team. Otherwise, the cliche "any given Sunday" wouldn't exist.

For example, the Baltimore Ravens posted the league's best regular-season record in 2019 and lost only two games. The Cleveland Browns posted 40 points in Week 4 to hand them one of those losses. Fast-forward nearly a year and Baltimore pasted Cleveland, 38-6, in this year's debut. The Browns responded with a Week 2 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football.

Many are often ready to give up on certain squads after disappointing losses to start their seasons without taking situations into account. Last week, new head coaches finished 1-4 overall. Teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who experienced plenty of roster turnover at key positions, had yet to establish a rhythm. And so on and so forth.

Now, five squads—the Browns, Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers—showed they can handle adversity with wins after disappointing losses. Is each of these teams capable of building upon their victories, or will they falter?

Bleacher Report's team of NFL writers—Brad Gagnon, Brent Sobleski, Gary Davenport, Kalyn Kahler and Matt Miller—decided whether they're buying or selling these bounce-back performances.

Dallas Cowboys

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press

The Dallas Cowboys accomplished a feat bordering on impossible. Jerry Jones' squad overcome a 29-10 halftime deficit to secure a 40-39 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. According to The Athletic's Chris Vannini, the Cowboys had less than a 1 percent chance to win with 3:09 remaining in the contest.

Two touchdowns, an onside-kick recovery and a field-goal conversion as time expired brought the Cowboys from the brink of 0-2 to newfound life at 1-1.

"This is huge. Coach [Mike] McCarthy said at halftime, 'We need to be here. We need to be right where we are.'" quarterback Dak Prescott told reporters after the improbable comeback. "He said the final score didn't matter as much as finding out the type of men that we have, the type of fight we have within this team. This does so much."

Who is buying Dallas building momentum after escaping what should have been an embarrassing loss?

Brad Gagnon: Sell

While the soft NFC East and an expanded playoff field should keep Dallas alive, the comeback in Atlanta had as much to do with the Falcons' incompetence as it did the Cowboys' awakening. Dallas is just so damn depleted.

Brent Sobleski: Buy

Three things truly matter when discussing where the Cowboys currently stand. First, no one should overlook how this type of comeback can infuse the squad with confidence. Second, quarterback Dak Prescott is playing at an MVP level despite major concerns along the Cowboys' offensive front. Finally, the NFC East is terrible. Dallas is the division's best team by default.

Gary Davenport: Sell

The Cowboys managed to avoid the dreaded 0-2 hole with one of the wildest comebacks in recent memory, and they racked up a jaw-dropping 570 yards of total offense. But they also turned the ball over three times in the first half on the way to digging a 26-7 hole and didn't play especially well on defense for the second game in a row. Dallas is the best team in the NFC Least, but it isn't a serious contender in the NFC.

Kalyn Kahler: Buy

Prescott is the reason I'm buying the Cowboys here. He's the first player in NFL history with 400 passing yards and three rushing touchdowns in a single game, and that was without his two starting tackles and while missing two plays to get evaluated for a concussion. Mike McCarthy's questionable coaching decisions give me a little bit of pause. Despite those decisions in Week 2, I think he'll get into more of a groove as the season goes on, and his quarterback is special.

Matt Miller: Buy

No team needed a win more than Mike McCarthy's Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. Facing a gigantic deficit, it would have been easy to give up and start questioning the head coach's decisions. Instead, the Cowboys rallied behind a strong day by Dak Prescott and resiliency not seen during the Jason Garrett era. This is the type of win that can galvanize a team and propel the Cowboys to the top of what looks like a bad NFC East.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mark LoMoglio/Associated Press

Bruce Arians' public tongue-lashing of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this week couldn't have been more transparent. The team's head coach was trying to light a fire under his squad after a 34-23 loss to the rival New Orleans Saints while simultaneously setting expectations for this season. 

The Buccaneers responded by defeating an opponent they were expected to beat in Week 2. Tampa Bay hosted the Carolina Panthers and captured a 31-17 victory.

"We're just growing day by day," Arians told reporters Sunday.

Tampa Bay needed time to adjust after adding quarterback Tom Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski, running back Leonard Fournette and others this offseason. Is it time to buy the Buccaneers as a squad capable of competing with the league's best?

Brad Gagnon: Buy

I still don't believe Brady can consistently be a game-changer at this point in his career, but that defense has top-10 potential, and Brady has enough support to remain competitive. They're the second-best team in the NFC South, anyway.

Brent Sobleski: Buy

The hype surrounding the Buccaneers was always unrealistic. Winning the offseason means absolutely nothing. Ask last year's Cleveland Browns. No matter who a team brings onto its roster, a transition period ensues. The Buccaneers are going through that now. Once everything is all said and done, they should be in the mix for a playoff spot because they're too talented on both sides of the ball not to be.

Gary Davenport: Buy

Mind you, I'm not necessarily buying the Buccaneers as a Super Bowl contender—at least not yet. Tampa is still (at least for now) the No. 2 team in its own division. But this was a team that underwent as much change in the offseason as any in the NFL. It's going to take some time for things to jell. But whether it's Tom Brady's arm, Leonard Fournette's legs or a defense that can stop the run and rush the passer, we saw some glimpses Sunday of how good the Buccaneers can be in 2020.

Kalyn Kahler: Buy

I am not buying Gronkowski, who was shut out in Tampa's second game, but I do think the rest of the Bucs are legit. Brady bounced back from his pick-six performance in Week 1 and was 23-of-35 for 217 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Tampa scored 31 points, and it should have been more. And lost in all the focus on the offense is the fact that the Bucs defense is really good. The unit forced four takeaways to set up Tampa's offense the entire game.

Matt Miller: Buy

Never doubt Tom Brady following a loss. That's the rule since Brady has never started 0-2 in his career. Finding a healthy Mike Evans and watching Leonard Fournette roll in the run game, you get the feeling the Buccaneers' Week 1 loss was more of a fluke than an indictment of the team's talent and projection.

San Francisco 49ers

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

The San Francisco 49ers experienced what can be best described as an impressive victory that feels far more like a loss. Yes, they dominated the hapless New York Jets during a 31-13 triumph. However, the litany of injuries San Francisco suffered could be difficult to overcome.

Reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa may have a torn ACL, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a high-ankle sprain, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Defensive lineman Solomon Thomas and running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman all experienced knee injuries, as well.

"But yeah, [MetLife Stadium] turf was something our guys were concerned about right away. And the results definitely made that a lot stronger," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters about the rash of injuries. "Unfortunately, this is the place we got to go back to next week."

Can the 49ers continue to compete as one of the NFC's elite, or will the injuries be too much to overcome?

Brad Gagnon: Sell

It's just not happening. They're the most snakebitten team in the NFL in terms of injuries, and they were already facing tough odds to get back to the Super Bowl with a target on their back following some tough offseason changes in the challenging NFC.

Brent Sobleski: Sell

Injuries aside, the 49ers were a regression candidate based on some of the team's offseason losses—DeForest Buckner, Emmanuel Sanders, Mike Person and Sheldon Day—and the depth found within the NFC West. The Seattle Seahawks still have Rusell Wilson leading the way. The Arizona Cardinals are building upon what they started last year with head coach Kliff Kingsbury and reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Kyler Murray. Plus, the Los Angeles Rams seem to have gotten some mojo back after last year's disappointing performance.

Gary Davenport: Sell

This comes down to two things. The first is injuries—the Niners were already short Deebo Samuel and George Kittle heading into Week 2 and lost Garoppolo, Mostert, Bosa and Thomas against the Jets. That's a lot of key players banged up, and the last two appeared to be relatively serious. The Niners might be able to survive that in the NFC East, but they play in an NFC West that looks like an absolute buzzsaw this year.

Kalyn Kahler: Sell

Bosa's potential torn ACL is the most worrisome of the 49ers' injuries. In 2018, the Niners were worst in the league in takeaways. As a rookie in 2019, Bosa was a huge reason for the defense's turnaround. Without him, there's a lot more pressure on Garoppolo/Nick Mullens to win games. This division is even tougher this season now that the Cardinals are surging. And it's back to the questionable MetLife turf next week.

Matt Miller: Sell

The 49ers would gladly be 0-2 right now and have their cast of injured starters back. Losing Garoppolo for multiple weeks, plus what looks like season-ending injuries for Bosa and Thomas, isn't worth a win over the lowly New York Jets. The 49ers' Week 2 was the definition of a Pyrrhic victory. It's the type of win that can end a season.

Indianapolis Colts

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

No team experienced a greater swing from one side of the ledger to the other between the first and second weeks of play than the Indianapolis Colts.

The Jacksonville Jaguars surprised everyone, including the Colts, when the young squad led by Gardner Minshew II pounced with a 27-20 victory despite every offseason move indicating a major rebuild.

Yet the Colts dominated the Minnesota Vikings throughout most of Sunday's contest and emerged with a 28-11 win. Indianapolis clearly wants to be a run-first offense with Jonathan Taylor leading the way (101 rushing yards in his second professional contest) while playing stifling defense.

"There's no question that this is a blueprint to what we want it to look like," Reich told reporters. "Overall it was really, really solid in all three areas."

Can the Colts establish themselves and their preferred style on a week-by-week basis?

Brad Gagnon: Buy

There's a lot of talent on that defense, and we saw that against a high-quality Minnesota offense. And while I still don't trust Philip Rivers, at least it looks like Taylor is the real deal. Indy will hang around all year.

Brent Sobleski: Sell

This one stings because I picked the Colts to win the division entering the season. It's hard not to like their smash-mouth approach behind arguably the best offensive line in football. But concern starts and stops with Rivers, who is still prone to poor decisions in crucial moments. Are the Colts better off now with Rivers behind center than they were a year ago? Yes. What happens when one of the AFC's better squads gets a lead and the Colts have to rely on their 38-year-old quarterback to shoulder the offense? Therein lies the problem. 

Gary Davenport: Buy

I'm still not sure I trust the Colts despite an impressive Week 2 showing against the Minnesota Vikings. But the run game didn't miss a beat without Marlon Mack, compliments of the first 100-yard game from rookie Jonathan Taylor, and the defense held the Vikings under 200 total yards, forced three turnovers and notched three sacks. There isn't a team in the AFC South that stands out as head and shoulders above the rest, so if the Colts can play like this consistently, they can absolutely challenge for a division title.

Kalyn Kahler: Buy

Against Minnesota, the Colts defense played like the defense we thought it would be. Indianapolis allowed 175 yards of offense and had three takeaways and three sacks. If the defense continues to perform like this, average play from Rivers will be just fine.

Matt Miller: Buy

Watching the Colts defense step up and force three Kirk Cousins interceptions has to make general manager Chris Ballard happy. The 2020 edition of the Colts cannot expect to win on the right arm of Philip Rivers. Instead, this is a roster built for success via a strong defense and a reliable run game. Both were on display in Sunday's Week 2 win.

Cleveland Browns

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

The Cleveland Browns embarrassed themselves during a 38-6 Week 1 beatdown by the Baltimore Ravens, only to turn things around four days later on Thursday Night Football with a 35-30 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

All the same old storylines came to the forefront. Is Baker Mayfield a franchise quarterback? Should Odell Beckham Jr. be traded? Did the Browns hire another coach who can't get the team ready?

None of those questions took into account the team needing time to jell in Kevin Stefanski's schemes, and Baltimore was the worst possible opponent to open the season. Yet the Browns looked completely different against a lesser challenger and finally got into a rhythm, particularly with a ground game that managed 215 yards.

"Yeah, there is a balance there. Try to just trust what you see and then ultimately trust your guys is really the way I look at it," Stefanski told reporters.

Will all the talent found on Cleveland's roster, will the Browns finally start to realize some of their potential?

Brad Gagnon: Sell

They gave up 30 points to a Bengals team traveling on short rest. Let's not get too excited. Honestly, I won't be convinced of much with this team until I see it against the Pittsburgh Steelers in mid-October.

Brent Sobleski: Buy

The Browns feature the game's best running back duo in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. They have superstar wide receivers, talented tight ends and an impressive front on both sides of the ball. As long as Stefanski continues to scheme around Baker Mayfield's strengths and the defense isn't a complete sieve, they could very well find themselves in the playoff picture with a winning record for the first time since the 2007 campaign (yes, it really has been that long).

Gary Davenport: Sell

Nope. Not doing it. Not falling for the whole "maybe the Browns aren't terrible" ruse again. Yes, Chubb and Hunt are probably the best one-two backfield punch in the league, and Mayfield looked better against Cincinnati than in the season opener. But that was against a terrible Bengals defense, and Cleveland's defense has been atrocious through two weeks. The Browns are the third-best team in the AFC North—and no threat to do anything in the postseason.

Kalyn Kahler: Sell

I haven't seen enough from the Browns to feel confident they can hold their own against stronger competition. Thursday's win over the Bengals showed improvement, but it wasn't a dominant win over a lesser team.

Matt Miller: Sell

In a week that saw many writing off the 2020 Cleveland Browns on Twitter following a bad Week 1 loss, it's reassuring to see Mayfield play well and the skill-position talent on offense step up in a win over a tough Cincinnati Bengals squad. It's too early to believe the Browns are on par with the Baltimore Ravens or Pittsburgh Steelers, but for another week, they keep the seat cool for Mayfield and Co.