The opening week of the 2021 NFL regular season wasn’t too wild as there were only a couple of tight finishes. In Week 2, we’re going to find out if teams like the trends we saw in Week 1 – like the struggles of the Tennessee Titans or the success of the New Orleans Saints – will be sustained.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Baltimore Ravens
The Kansas City Chiefs are hoping to string two wins together when they play the Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson hasn’t been able to defeat Patrick Mahomes once in his young career and this time could be tough too. The Ravens have been beset by injuries, so we’ll see if they can hang with the high-flying Chiefs.
Baltimore is coming off a tough overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football, so they play on a short week while traveling cross-country. Their defense gave up long drives to the Raiders, so the defensive staff have to find answers if they’re are going to avoid 0-2 against the Chiefs.
Tennessee Titans @ Seattle Seahawks
The Tennessee Titans looks abysmal in their first game against the Arizona Cardinals. They couldn’t protect quarterback Ryan Tannehill as he was eaten alive by the Arizona Cardinals pass rush. Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks looked like Super Bowl contenders against a very good Indianapolis Colts defense.
The Titans have some work to do offensively as chemistry was clearly not there between Ryan Tannehill and Julio Jones. They also have some defensive work to do after allowing Kyler Murray to score five touchdowns. Seattle played excellent defense while simultaneously putting together strong drives. It will be a stiff test for both rosters, but another game with potential to hit high scoring numbers.
Dallas Cowboys @ Los Angeles Chargers
Dak Prescott is officially back as his first game since his gruesome ankle injury was a success. He threw for 403 yards and three touchdowns and although his team didn’t win, he has to be happy with the way he played. The Cowboys defense looks much improved also as the only negative would be the lack of a run game.
The Los Angeles Chargers, on the other hand, overcame a very tough Washington Football Team on the road on opening week. Justin Herbert once again looked phenomenal and their defense didn’t allow Washington’s offense to do anything in the first half of action. The Chargers and Cowboys are one of the most intriguing matchups of the week.
Los Angeles Rams @ Indianapolis Colts
The Los Angeles Rams look like they are ready to take that next step. Matthew Stafford proved he could take his game to another level behind a great cast as he had two 50+ yard touchdown passes in a Week 1 win over the Chicago Bears. The Rams match up great against the Colts, but Carson Wentz could be a bit more settled in than he was in Week 1 against Seattle. Stafford against Darius Leonard and this Colts defense is going to be a matchup to watch.
New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers
The New Orleans Saints stunned Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. Jameis Winston threw for five touchdowns and zero interceptions while picking up an easy win despite being underdogs. Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers took care of business against the New York Jets with Sam Darnold looking good in his debut. These two division rivals know each other very well, which should make for an intense game. Plus, it could be the first of many matchups between Winston and Darnold, two previously troubled starters who are looking to become franchise cornerstones.