NFL Week 2 winners and losers: Bills, Buccaneers make a leap as Justin Fields, Brandon Staley stall yet again

Almost another full week of the 2023 NFL season is in the books. We’ve already encountered some more big surprises, like the Bengals and Chargers both falling to 0-2, the Falcons storming back to knock off the Packers, and the Colts losing rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson for a second straight week. But with many eyes already turning to Week 3 matchups, which teams, players and/or coaches seriously boosted — or hurt — their stock after this week’s action?

Here’s our roundup of some of Week 2’s biggest winners and losers:

Winner: Bills offense

We all worried if Week 1’s turnover-happy loss to the Jets was the beginning of the end for Josh Allen and Co. But everything clicked right back into place against the Raiders, with Allen rediscovering Gabe Davis and James Cook headlining a killer run game. Not only did Buffalo avoid an 0-2 start by rolling over Las Vegas, but it may have reclaimed its title as AFC East favorite.

Bears fans are still waiting for the young QB to develop any sense of rhythm as a passer, and while he zipped a pretty touchdown to Chase Claypool in a late comeback bid against the Buccaneers, his pocket presence left a lot to be desired, leading to unnecessary sacks. His two picks also sealed Tampa Bay’s victory, continuing a concerning trend of crunch-time turnovers.

The 30-year-old Bucs wideout is in a contract year and, well, he’s earning a new one, wherever it may be. A week after scoring to help Tampa Bay upset the Vikings, Evans was all over the place (in a good way) against Chicago, drawing several downfield shots from Baker Mayfield to finish with 171 yards and another TD. He’s well on track for a 10th straight 1,000-yard campaign.

Loser: Brian Daboll

It’s one thing to lose 40-0 to the Cowboys in prime time. I mean, that’s bad. Really bad. But at least Dallas boasts a freakish defense. It’s another thing to open Week 2 by allowing 20 unanswered points to…

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Author : Cody Benjamin

Publish date : 2023-09-17 22:29:21

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