Week 2 of the NFL season didn’t get off to the best start as the Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals played a pretty boring game on Thursday night. The sloppiness was a continuation of the way things looked in Week 1 for many teams. Teams that lost their opener have a lot to do in Week 2, while even several teams that managed to start out the season 1-0 still have plenty of questions surrounding them.
Here’s a look at 15 key questions heading into the bulk of Week 2 of NFL action.
1) Is the Patriots’ defense really that bad?
The Patriots were stunned by the Chiefs at home in Week 1. The loss itself wasn’t nearly as stunning as the fashion in which they were dominated. New England gave up 42 points and 537 total yards. Both marks were the team’s worst ever since Bill Belichick took over in 2000.
We knew the Pats were going to struggle to get after the quarterback with Rob Ninkovich retired and third-round pick Derek Rivers on IR, but no one expected the defense to be that bad. With another tough test coming on the road against the Saints, the Patriots have a lot to prove.
2) Which quarterback will the Colts start?
Andrew Luck has already been ruled out for Week 2, and no one knows when he will return. Veteran backup Scott Tolzien started in his place last week and completed just 9-of-18 passes for no touchdowns and two interceptions. Jacoby Brissett, whom the Colts acquired in a recent trade with the Patriots, took over for Tolzien late in the 46-9 trouncing at the hands of the Rams.
With a tough home game this week against the Cardinals, head coach Chuck Pagano has a tough decision to make. Go with the 30-year-old who looked horrendous, or give the guy the Patriots used a third-round pick on a shot?
3) Will Odell Beckham Jr. play?
Speaking of horrendous offensive performances, the Giants put up just three points in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1. They clearly missed Beckham, who has been nursing an ankle injury that he suffered during the preseason. While there have been reports that the star wide receiver could play against the Lions on Monday, Beckham revealed Thursday that his ankle is going to take 6-8 weeks to fully heal. We’re only on week four of his healing timeline. If he wants to play at less than 100 percent, the Giants will likely be happy to have him. Whether he will give it a go remains to be seen.
4) Are the Jaguars for real this time?
This is a question that will take more than two weeks to answer, but Jacksonville’s defense looked downright dominant in a 29-7 win over the Texans last week. Defensive lineman Calais Campbell had four sacks in the game, and the Jaguars racked up 10 as a team. That is a recipe for success no matter whom you’re playing.
In Week 2, the Jags get a Titans team that looked disappointing in a Week 1 loss to the Oakland Raiders. If their defense lives up to its potential, the Jaguars can win at least a handful of games this season, even if Bortles is just average.
5) Is this the week Le’Veon Bell shakes off the rust?
Bell insisted he was ready for a full workload in Week 1 after holding out for basically the entire offseason, but the numbers told a different story. He rushed for a measly 32 yards on 10 attempts and added three catches for 15 yards. The Steelers did not use him nearly as much as you would have expected them to and ended up sneaking out a 21-18 win against the lowly Browns.
Bell played just 43 of 60 snaps, indicating that Mike Tomlin was either punishing him for the holdout or thought his conditioning wasn’t up to snuff. We should get more answers after seeing how Pittsburgh uses Bell against the Vikings this week.
6) Will the Bucs and/or Dolphins be affected by the Week 1 bye?
Neither the Buccaneers nor the Dolphins played in Week 1 because of the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Florida. That means each team will now have to play 16 straight games without a bye, which could become a major issue down the road. For now, it will be interesting to see if resting last week while everyone else played was helpful or a hindrance to Tampa Bay and Miami. We saw how rusty some teams looked out of the gate last weekend. If the Bucs and Fins are dealing with that same rust, they could be at a disadvantage against opponents who got a head-start shaking off the cobwebs.
7) Whom will the Cardinals turn to without David Johnson?
Outside of Carson Palmer, David Johnson is probably the most important player the Cardinals have on offense. They will now have to find a way to win games without him for at least two months and possibly a lot longer. With Johnson out nursing an injured wrist, Arizona will likely use a committee approach at running back featuring Kerwynn Williams, Andre Ellington and Chris Johnson, whom they recently re-signed. None of the three are even close to as talented as David Johnson, so the Cardinals may need to find other ways to put up points going forward.
8) Can the Seahawks fix their offensive line problems?
In a game many expected to be a shootout, the Packers defeated the Seahawks 17-9 last week in a defensive struggle. Russell Wilson was sacked four times, and Seattle rushed for just 90 yards. For a team that won a championship with outstanding defense and a stout rushing attack, that is not a great sign. While Wilson is capable of making plays outside the pocket, there’s a difference between designed roll-outs and running for your life. We all saw what happened to the Seahawks when Wilson battled injuries all last season. If his offensive line can’t protect him better than it did against Green Bay, history could end up repeating itself.
