It’s one of the most interesting weeks of the NFL season. Here’s what you need to know for Week 2
By Andy Scholes, CNN
(CNN) — Week 2 is one of the most fascinating weeks of the entire NFL season. This is when fans find out if they completely overreacted to what happened in Week 1 – or if that reaction was actually justified.
So, what was real and what was just a one-week mirage?
Here are five things to know about this week’s slate of games.
Bills open new Highmark Stadium
After 53 seasons at their old home in Orchard Park, the Bills are moving into a brand-new Highmark Stadium on Thursday night when they host the Detroit Lions.
The new stadium sits right next to the old one, cost just over $2.1 billion and, yes, there is still no roof. So the Bills should still have that cold-weather, home-field advantage when teams come north in December and January. The open-air stadium has a capacity of 60,108.
The stadium hasn’t received rave reviews from everyone, with some fans complaining about obstructed-view seats. It’s also considerably smaller than the old Highmark Stadium, with the Bills saying the reduced capacity is designed to create a better overall fan experience.
And if you want to be there for the first regular-season game, it won’t be cheap. The get-in price for Thursday night’s opener was going for more than $400 as of Wednesday.
Buffalo is riding high after a thrilling Week 1 win over the Houston Texans, while the Lions squeaked by the New Orleans Saints by one point.
Expect plenty of points when these two meet on Thursday Night Football.
Bears offense: The best ever?
Before the season, Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson said he wanted his offense to score more points than any team in NFL history.
Well … so far, so good.
The Bears found the end zone eight times in a historic season opener, beating the Carolina Panthers 59-37. Chicago tied a franchise record with six rushing touchdowns and scored the most points in a season opener in franchise history.
If you’re wondering, Peyton Manning and the 2013 Denver Broncos hold the NFL record for most points in a season with 606, so only 547 to go for the Bears.
And Chicago gets an extra game compared to those Broncos.
Caleb Williams was awesome through the air and on the ground, combining for four touchdowns. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 269 yards and threw two touchdowns, while rushing for another 65 yards and two more scores.
The Bears have never had a 4,000-yard passer in franchise history, but it certainly looks like Williams has a chance to finally end that drought this season.
Next up: Chicago hosts the Minnesota Vikings in its home opener Sunday.
Burrow vs. the Texans’ defense
One of the most disappointing units in Week 1 was the Houston Texans defense.
There was a lot of chatter this offseason talking about how good this defense was going to be. Then, in the opener — at home — Josh Allen and the Bills hung 36 points on them.
Even worse, when the Texans had opportunities to make plays and win late, they couldn’t. Houston dropped an interception and then gave up a 34-yard touchdown.
And now the Texans defense goes from Josh Allen to a Joe Burrow led Cincinnati Bengals squad.
Burrow didn’t have the sharpest opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, throwing for 254 yards, one touchdown and one interception. But if the Texans defense plays like it did against Buffalo, it could be another long afternoon in Houston.
The Texans started 0-3 last season before rallying to make the playoffs.
That’s a hole they definitely don’t want to find themselves in again.
NFC South… woof
The only division in football that failed to win a game in Week 1?
The NFC South.
The Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers all lost.
But give Saints coach Kellen Moore some credit for going for two and the win instead of playing for a tie against the Lions. No one likes ties.
The good news for the NFC South is the division is likely getting one win this week because the Falcons host the Panthers.
Baker Mayfield and the Bucs should also have a good chance to get into the win column as big home favorites against the Cleveland Browns.
The Bucs just need Mayfield to not lose three fumbles.
The Saints, meanwhile, get another tough road game to open the season as they head to Baltimore to face the Ravens.
Giants and Jets!
New York football fans, enjoy this one.
For the first time since 2009, the Giants and Jets both started the season with a win.
When was the last time they both started 2-0, you ask?
Also 2009.
In fact, both teams started 3-0 that season.
Right now, 3-0 probably sounds like a dream for both franchises.
The Giants head to Los Angeles in Week 2 to face an angry – and now well-rested – Rams team. Sean McVay’s squad will have had 10 days between its game in Australia and Monday night’s matchup against the Giants.
Is that enough time to recover from the jet lag they were trying to avoid in the first place before getting stomped by the San Francisco 49ers?
The Rams will be without Myles Garrett for a month or more following knee surgery, but we could see the return of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald after a two-plus-year retirement.
John Harbaugh and the Giants had a great game plan in Week 1, with Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo running wild against the Dallas Cowboys.
Can those two keep it going – and, just as importantly, stay healthy?
That’s one of the biggest questions surrounding the Giants this season.
The Jets, meanwhile, host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
We still don’t really know what to make of the Jets because they beat Tennessee in Week 1 – and the Titans might once again be one of the worst teams in football.
Green Bay comes into the matchup trying to rebound from a historic collapse against Minnesota. The Packers led 22-10 with less than 20 minutes remaining before getting outscored 29-0 the rest of the way in a 39-22 loss. Minnesota became the first team in NFL history to trail by at least 12 points with less than 20 minutes remaining and still win by at least 17.
Full Week 2 schedule
Thursday
Detroit Lions @ Buffalo Bills, 8:15 p.m. ET
Sunday
Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans, 1 p.m. ET
Green Bay Packers @ New York Jets, 1 p.m. ET
New Orleans Saints @ Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Eagles @ Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET
Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET
Cleveland Browns @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New England Patriots, 1 p.m. ET
Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. ET
Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET
Washington Commanders @ Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. ET
Miami Dolphins @ San Francisco 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET
Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. ET
Indianapolis Colts @ Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. ET
Monday
New York Giants @ Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET
The-CNN-Wire
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