NFL Week 2 winners, losers: Bengals put everything together while Bears, Commanders QBs sustain injuries — SkimNews
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- Cincinnati Bengals defense dominated the Houston Texans in a 20-6 road win, with Dexter Lawrence's fourth-down stop and five sacks of C.J. Stroud capping a two-week stretch in which the retooled unit has surrendered only six points; Ja'Marr Chase added two touchdowns, including an early Catch-of-the-Year contender.
- Caleb Williams (Bears) and Jayden Daniels (Commanders) — the top two picks of the 2023 draft — both sustained potentially serious injuries on Sunday: Williams left with a non-contact hamstring injury during a 9-3 loss to Minnesota, and Daniels suffered his second elbow injury in two years in a 37-20 loss to Dallas.
- Tyler Shough rallied the New Orleans Saints from an eight-point deficit to a 24-17 win over the Baltimore Ravens, hitting Chris Olave for a 21-yard score and converting two third-downs and two fourth-downs before a go-ahead quarterback sneak.
- Los Angeles Chargers fell to 0-2 with a 26-14 home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, coughing up six fumbles and watching Justin Herbert throw a game-sealing interception; their next seven opponents include the Bills, Chiefs, and Ravens.
- Atlanta Falcons mustered just three points in a 34-3 home loss to the Carolina Panthers, with backup Cooper Rush fumbling on his first snap and throwing two interceptions before undrafted rookie Jack Strand threw a pick-six on his first regular-season pass.
- Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers managed only three points in a 17-point loss to the New England Patriots; Rodgers took four sacks, threw an interception, and fumbled twice — including one returned for a fourth-quarter touchdown.
Why it matters: Two of the NFL's most promising young quarterbacks — Williams and Daniels — are now dealing with injury uncertainty at the same time, potentially reshaping the NFC playoff race while putting the Bears' and Commanders' seasons in immediate jeopardy. Meanwhile, the Bengals' defensive transformation positions them as a dark-horse Super Bowl threat if their offense stays intact, and three 0-2 teams (Chargers, Steelers, Falcons) are already on the wrong side of the standings with brutal schedules ahead.
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