NFL Week 2 grades: Buccaneers get 'B' for outlasting Texans on Monday night; Vikings sink vs. Falcons
Assessing every team to take the field during Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season
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11 min read
Welcome to Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season. The first wave of regular-season action was plenty dramatic, with big names like Aaron Rodgers and Justin Herbert showing up with highlight-reel finishes. And the second week has arguably been just as, if not more, noteworthy.
Rodgers, for example, took a step backward with the Pittsburgh Steelers in his home debut wearing black and gold, tossing a pair of interceptions in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks. AFC powers like the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens had no such trouble Sunday, combining for 71 points in decisive victories.
Another Steelers connection -- current New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson -- had perhaps the most surprising performance of the day, launching 450 yards through the air but failing to finish against the Dallas Cowboys. And one of the Steelers' rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, may be in deep trouble despite advancing to 2-0 thanks to a certain someone going down with an injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Which teams fared the best (or worst) in Week 2? Here are our grades for every completed game:
Buccaneers 20-19 over Texans
| C- |  |
| This marks two straight offensively challenged games for Houston, with Nick Chubb "leading" the way as the top ball carrier. C.J. Stroud didn't have much to work with outside of Nico Collins, but he also hit just 54% of his throws. DeMeco Ryans may be a respected leader, but his team just doesn't move with a whole lot of cohesion. All in all, they managed just 12 first downs and 22 minutes of possession. | |
| B- |  |
| The special teams unit was a nightmare, allowing a blocked punt and massive punt return. Fortunately, Baker Mayfield showed up when the lights were brightest, engineering an 80-yard game-winning drive with some serious grit, most notably on a fourth-down scramble from deep in his own territory. And Emeka Egbuka remained a star out wide. It wasn't pretty, but the Bucs are a hard-fought 2-0 atop the NFC South. | |
Falcons 22-6 over Vikings
| B |  |
| The red zone was a major issue for Atlanta, which relied heavily on fill-in kicker Parker Romo, but fortunately the new guy was perfect, including on a 54-yard field goal. Better yet, Raheem Morris' restocked pass rush finally came alive with six sacks, including one apiece by first-rounders Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. And the rushing tandem of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier kept the ball in their control. | |
| D+ |  |
| They were shorthanded, missing key vets like Christian Darrisaw and Blake Cashman, then Ryan Kelly and Aaron Jones later in Sunday's affair. And Brian Flores' defense showed grit in the red area. But all the luster of J.J. McCarthy's Week 1 comeback wore off, as he absorbed six sacks and tossed two picks, including an ugly game-sealing floater. It left even the chipper Kevin O'Connell looking disheveled by the end. | |
Cardinals 27-22 over Panthers
| B- |  |
| Things weren't entirely smooth in the desert, where Jonathan Gannon's team nearly coughed up a 27-3 advantage in the second half. But Kyler Murray was efficient at times, and Gannon's defense was all over Bryce Young and Co. for much of the contest. Veteran pass rushers Calais Campbell and Josh Sweat combined for three sacks, including a strip-sack-turned-touchdown that set the tone for the matchup. | |
| C |  |
| For three-and-a-half quarters, the Panthers squarely looked like one of the worst teams in the NFL, almost totally incapable of pushing the ball with Bryce Young at the controls. Then Young found new life, zipping the rock with precision to drag Carolina all the way back into contention. A successful onside kick even threatened to lift the Panthers over Arizona at the close. In the end, the turnovers were too much to offset. | |
Eagles 20-17 over Chiefs
| C- |  |
| Patrick Mahomes showed lots of spirit as a scrambler early on, all but carrying the Chiefs' stagnant offense. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite match the energy through the air, trying but often failing to stretch the field against a stingy Eagles defense until it was too late. Steve Spagnuolo's own defense prevented Philly from hitting any home run plays, but K.C. also had no answers for the "Tush Push." This group needs a spark. | |
| B+ |  |
| There was nothing particularly flashy about the Eagles' win, but it wasn't nearly as close as the final score indicated; they went up 10 halfway through the fourth and basically locked it up from there. Despite a bottled-up passing attack, they controlled the clock and owned the trenches in critical spots, also frustrating Patrick Mahomes with tight coverage. Don't forget this was also at Arrowhead. The champs are 2-0. | |
Colts 29-28 over Broncos
| C |  |
| Bo Nix survived a turnover-riddled Week 1 to lead a tight win. This time, he was sharper, firing three scores. But his typically stout defensive support was off its game in Indianapolis, surrendering one breakaway run after another to Jonathan Taylor. The salt in the wound came in the closing moments, when Denver was flagged on the Colts' would-be missed field goal to end the day, allowing Indy a second try to get the "W." | |
| B |  |
| On one hand, the Colts were sloppy, with 11 penalties and a defense that let Denver go a perfect 3-for-3 in the red zone. On the other, Daniel Jones was once again a revelation under center, lacing the ball downfield to the tune of 316 yards, and Jonathan Taylor was even better, cruising past the Broncos defense as the explosive heartbeat of the squad. Colts fans have to be thrilled with this surprise start. | |
Ravens 41-17 over Browns
| A+ |  |
| Derrick Henry's magic, which was unstoppable in Week 1, was nowhere to be found. But it didn't matter whatsoever. That's because Lamar Jackson put on a deep passing clinic against the Browns' secondary, feeding everyone with perfect touch, including DeAndre Hopkins on another acrobatic score. Roquan Smith was also all over the field, racking up three tackles for loss and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. | |
| D- |  |
| Joe Flacco is supposed to be the savvy option in the Browns' quarterback room, but he struggled to find any real rhythm against his old friends in Baltimore, tossing a head-scratching pick to Nate Wiggins. Rookie Dillon Gabriel was under center by the time the clock hit zero, but coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters afterward he won't consider an immediate change to starting duties. It might still be a matter of time. | |
Seahawks 31-17 over Steelers
| C- |  |
| Mike Tomlin's defense had an early edge, picking off Sam Darnold twice, and DK Metcalf got a score against his old squad. But everything went off the rails in the second half. The "D" couldn't slow the run. Aaron Rodgers tossed a couple of picks, including an ugly game-sealing dart right to Seattle's Coby Bryant. And rookie Kaleb Johnson let a kickoff roll into the end zone, gifting the Seahawks a touchdown. | |
| B |  |
| This wasn't necessarily the prettiest 31-point game, with a couple of blatant Pittsburgh blunders helping steer their comeback. But a win is a win, and Sam Darnold showed resilience, bouncing back from an iffy two-pick first half to pepper Jaxon Smith-Njigba and lean on a bruising Kenneth Walker III (105 yards, 1 TD). By the end of the matchup, the Seahawks outgained the Steelers 395 yards to 267 as the visitors. | |
Bills 30-10 over Jets
| A+ |  |
| Josh Allen threw for just 148 yards, but the Bills offense rolled -- er, ran -- all over Aaron Glenn's defense. Allen got loose with 59 yards via scrambles, while James Cook led the way with a cool 132 yards and two scores, including a 44-yard juke special that all but sealed the game before halftime. Everyone had Buffalo tabbed as the class of the AFC East, and this effortless rout confirmed as much. It was no contest at all. | |
| D- |  |
| Talk about an undoing of any promise the new Jets regime showed in a Week 1 shootout with the Steelers. Justin Fields galloped for a team-high 49 yards, but that was about all New York could do with the ball in its hands, and even Fields couldn't stay on the field, exiting due to a concussion evaluation. Besides Garrett Wilson, not a single player managed even 10 receiving yards in an absolute stinker for their passing game. | |
49ers 26-21 over Saints
| B- |  |
| This is a rebuilding year for New Orleans, so pretty much anytime the Saints can keep things competitive, well, it's a testament to their effort under new coach Kellen Moore. And this might've been the best NFL showing from young quarterback Spencer Rattler, who lobbed three scores against a feisty defense. Still, Brandon Staley's defense had few answers against the pass, allowing Mac Jones to excel as a fill-in. | |
| A- |  |
| No Brock Purdy? No problem, apparently. Mac Jones took over under center without the offense's top safety valve in George Kittle, who's also injured, and turned in one of the finest showings of his career. Spreading the ball to the tune of 279 yards and three scores, the ex-New England Patriots prospect looked the part as an old-fashioned pocket passer, keeping San Francisco afloat in the tight NFC West race. | |
Patriots 33-27 over Dolphins
| C- |  |
| For a little bit, it looked as if Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel might actually be getting on the right track offensively, with the Dolphins scoring 13 unanswered points on either side of the break. The stripped-down defense was a liability, however, letting New England score on its first three drives. And Tagovailoa's situational misfortunes continued in crunch time, with an ugly pick and game-sealing fourth-down sack. | |
| B+ |  |
| Two games into Mike Vrabel's tenure as coach, the Patriots still don't have a sterling defense or anything close to it, with Miami averaging almost 7 yards per play against their secondary. They stepped up late, though. More importantly, Drake Maye took a big leap as the signal-caller after an uneven Week 1. He accounted for three scores, including one on the ground, with Rhamondre Stevenson starring as a receiver. | |
Rams 33-19 over Titans
| A |  |
| The Rams relied heavily on their defense in Week 1, but this time around, they were the complete package, looking even more explosive than they did last postseason. Matthew Stafford overcame a bad pick to Cody Barton to feed both Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, the latter of whom also scored on a 45-yard trick run. And Byron Young headlined the persistent "D," logging five sacks against Tennessee's middling front. | |
| C |  |
| The fact they even led the Rams at any point is a credit to rookie quarterback Cameron Ward, who kept his head high despite heavy pressure from Los Angeles' front and delivered an eye-popping cross-body heave to Elic Ayomanor. Unfortunately, Ward's acrobatic feats and a time-of-possession advantage were overshadowed by a steady lack of discipline, as the Brian Callahan-led Titans were flagged 10 times. | |
Lions 52-21 over Bears
| D- |  |
| It seemed unlikely the Bears would find a way to pain their fans more than they did with a Week 1 collapse, but then Sunday happened. Ben Johnson called it a "kick in the teeth," and that's putting it lightly. Caleb Williams turned it over again, but the real problem was Dennis Allen's defense. Scrappy to start the season opener, they were downright porous on the road, surrendering 511 total yards and seven touchdowns. | |
| A+ |  |
| Embarrassed by the rival Packers in Week 1, the Lions stormed back into peak form in front of Motor City faithful. Afforded a clean pocket, Jared Goff picked Chicago apart from start to finish, spreading five touchdown throws to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and backup tight end Brock Wright. Throw in another 151 yards from the Jahmyr Gibbs-David Montgomery duo, and the all-star attack is officially back. | |
Cowboys 40-37 over Giants (OT)
| C+ |  |
| They get a passing grade for finding a way to overcome Russell Wilson's unexpected big-play fest to leave with a victory, but where would they be without the bionic-legged Brandon Aubrey, whose 64-yard field goal to send the game to overtime felt automatic? Javonte Williams was once again smooth as the lead ball carrier, and Dak Prescott showed up late. But man do they have issues on the defensive side of the ball. | |
| C+ |  |
| How do they grade out equally with Dallas despite losing a heartbreaker of a shootout on an ill-advised Russell Wilson lob that ended in an easy Cowboys pick? Because they weren't even supposed to be competitive here, with plenty arguing Wilson should've already been benched. Instead the veteran launched bomb after bomb to Malik Nabers, finishing with 450 yards. The defense was nonexistent, though. | |
Bengals 31-27 over Jaguars
| C |  |
| The Bengals won a tight game despite losing Joe Burrow early due to a toe injury. But did they really win then? Somehow Cincinnati is 2-0 but barely surviving on offense if the ball isn't already in Ja'Marr Chase's hands. Jake Browning was resilient in relief, but he also turned the rock over three times. Zac Taylor's squad also had the benefit of a favorable pass interference call that all but buried the Jaguars in the end. | |
| C- |  |
| Another week, another mercurial outing from Trevor Lawrence, who threw three scores and two picks and had trouble getting on the same page as No. 1 wideout Brian Thomas Jr. Not everything was on Lawrence, but the quarterback also appeared to have communication issues with coach Liam Coen. And the secondary still has issues, surrendering more than 300 passing yards despite Joe Burrow leaving early. | |
Packers 27-18 over Commanders (Thursday)
| A |  |
| Tucker Kraft balled out as Jordan Love's primary target with top wideout Jayden Reed exiting due to injury, but this was even more about the Packers defense. With Micah Parsons fully charged up off the edge, the front seven bottled up Jayden Daniels until the game was already decided, reaffirming Green Bay as the NFC's newest heavyweight. The 27-18 final score doesn't do justice to the Packers' decisive win. | |
| C- |  |
| A road game on a short week is a tall task, but this was supposed to be a chance for Washington to confirm its staying power as an NFC contender after a fairly easy Week 1 win over the Giants. Instead, Kliff Kingsbury's offense couldn't get anything going until it was too late, with Jayden Daniels absorbing four sacks and Austin Ekeler leaving due to injury. The middle of the defense also showed its age. | |
