5 NFL Teams That Looked the Most Impressive in Week 2
While week 1 in the NFL season has historically been a way for teams with low expectations to surprise fans and experts alike, the second week has historically served as a way to determine if those surprising performances were one-offs. Let’s examine and rank which NFL teams looked the most impressive during Week 2.
1. Dallas Cowboys
After a gritty performance in Week 1, which saw the Cowboys come within striking distance of upsetting the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, “America’s Team” continued to build on that performance Sunday.
Despite needing overtime to beat the New York Giants, the Cowboys’ offense looked to be as dangerous as ever in the Dak Prescott era. After sporting the 27th rushing offense in the NFL season, the Cowboys seemed to have fixed those issues with the acquisition of Javonte Williams, who rushed for a team-leading 97 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. That revived rushing game, combined with both a revamped receiving corps and a stout offensive line, has the Cowboys looking a lot more dangerous than initially expected.
2. Indianapolis Colts
Although the Colts didn’t claim the top spot in this week’s most impressive teams list, back-to-back top two rankings are not a bad consolation prize. The Colts followed up their Week 1 drubbing of the Miami Dolphins with a clutch win against a tough Denver Broncos squad. Colts Quarterback Daniel Jones showed out yet again, throwing for 316 yards and a touchdown against a vaunted Broncos defense. While you could’ve written the Colts off after beating up a Dolphins team that’s currently in turmoil, their Week 2 win showed that this Indy team is for real.
3. Atlanta Falcons
While the Falcons didn’t have the flashiest of wins in their 22-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta showed plenty of good things in their win. The Falcons’ defense continued to show that they won’t be anywhere close to the 23rd-ranked defense that they were last season, with a six-sack performance against one of the better O-lines in the league on Sunday night.
Falcons Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. also continues to show great growth, as he helped engineer five scoring drives while being poised in the pocket throughout the game. The emergence of the Falcons will certainly make the NFC South title race a lot more intriguing this season.
4. San Francisco 49ers
No Brock Purdy, George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk for the short-handed Niners? No problem! If you had Mac Jones on your fantasy team this week, you couldn’t have asked for a better performance. The backup journeyman QB lit up the Saints defense, throwing for a gaudy 279 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Niners to victory.
Although the loss of star players like Purdy and Kittle presents a rocky situation for the Niners for part of their season, both Jones’ performance on Sunday and San Francisco’s easy schedule can help the organization sleep a little bit easier.
5. Detroit Lions
You would be hard-pressed to find a turnaround performance that was just as eye-opening as the Lions accomplished in Week 2. After a sloppy all-around performance in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, the Lions showed that perhaps their downfall was greatly exaggerated.
They clobbered the Chicago Bears in a 52-21 win, with great performances across the board for Detroit. Star QB Jared Goff posted one of the best performances of his career, throwing for 334 yards and 5 touchdowns. While the loss of coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn will certainly still be felt for the Lions this season, they showed that this impressive roster can still break games open when they need to.
Final Thoughts
With the NFL season now in full swing through two weeks, the picture is becoming clearer about who the contenders and pretenders are this season. While there is plenty of football left to play this year, these teams have shown so far that the 2025 NFL playoff picture may very well be a crowded field.
