We are a little over 24 hours away from the start of Week Two, which kicks off with a potential playoff matchup when the Green Bay Packers play host to the Washington Commanders. With 32 teams in action and 16 games scheduled to be played between Thursday and Monday night, let’s identify the five most interesting things to watch out for this week in the National Football League.
5. Will the New England Patriots or Miami Dolphins bounce back?
The Dolphins look like one of the worst teams in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Patriots came up short at home against a team that could end up making the playoffs. This Week Two matchup could set the tone for the rest of the season for both of these teams. If the Dolphins win, they’ll be able to shake off the terrible taste that was left in their mouth after their Week One blowout. If the Pats win, they get a leg up in the division and can get back on track to possibly make the playoffs. If this game is close, then whoever loses can regroup and build on a better performance in Week Two. If either team gets blown out, though, then their fan base will act like the sky is falling.
4. Can Justin Fields keep up the pace?
Justin Fields looked really good in his first contest as a member of the New York Jets. He finished the game with the fifth-highest quarterback rating of his career. Now, he’ll have to do it again, against the Buffalo Bills, who are arguably the hottest team in the NFL. Considering Lamar Jackson threw for 209 yards, ran for 70 yards, and recorded three total touchdowns against Buffalo, Fields could have a really good afternoon against the Bills. If that ends up happening, then Josh Allen will once again have to put on his Superman cape and guide Buffalo through an offensive shootout.
3. Who will take first place in the AFC West?
Even if the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs win this week, the first-place team will be whoever emerges victorious from the Monday Night Football game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers. The winner will be 2-0 and have a better divisional record than the loser, allowing them to take the top spot in the AFC West. If it’s LA, they’ll improve to 2-0 in the division. If it’s Vegas, they’ll secure their first divisional victory and have a 2-0 record. This game will also probably play a big role in the race to make the playoffs when December rolls around.
2. Jayden Daniels vs. the new-look Packers defense
Jayden Daniels showed last week that there wouldn’t be any sort of sophomore slump after he had one of the best rookie quarterbacking seasons in NFL history. On the other side, though, he will face a familiar foe in Micah Parsons, who had 12 tackles and 4.5 sacks in two games against the Commanders last year. After a fantastic Week One performance against the NFL’s top-ranked scoring team from 2024, the Packers will have their hands full trying to limit a quarterback who can hurt you not just through the air, but on the ground, too.
1. A rematch of last year’s Super Bowl
This is a very rare occurrence. In fact, this will be just the 11th time in league history that a rematch of the previous year’s Super Bowl will take place during the regular season. The Chiefs are trying to avoid their first 0-2 start since 2014, when Patrick Mahomes was just a freshman at Texas Tech University, and Andy Reid was in his second year as Kansas City’s head coach. Plus, this one will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, where the loudest fans in the NFL will be out for blood after the Eagles embarrassed KC in Super Bowl LIX. This game will probably be much closer than the 2025 Super Bowl matchup, with so many defenders from last year’s team no longer playing for Philly.
