NFL Analysis
9/15/24
8 min read
The NFL's Biggest Winners, Losers From Week 2
As crazy as NFL Week 1 was, Week 2 was even wilder.
We saw several massive upsets and other games come to the final kick. But which players and coaches stood out the most on Sunday afternoon? And which ones left a lot to be desired?
Here are our biggest winners and losers coming out of the second week of the 2024 season:
NFL Week 2 Winners, Losers
⬆️Winner: Sam Darnold, QB, Minnesota Vikings
It’s always cool to see former “busts” land in the right situation later in their careers and thrive. Baker Mayfield is a great example of this after landing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason.
After two weeks, Sam Darnold appears to be the next top pick to make a leap after bouncing around the league.
Darnold had another monster performance in Week 2, defeating the San Francisco 49ers in a massive upset. Darnold averaged a whopping 10.3 yards per attempt, thanks to a 97-yard touchdown to Justin Jefferson. However, that wasn’t the only good play that Darnold made on Sunday.
Whenever the Vikings needed a play, he delivered.
His best throw of the day was a back-shoulder pass to Jalen Nailor to convert a third-and-long. He finished the day with a passer rating of 109.1, the second week in a row over 109. Darnold’s accuracy and touch were on full display in Week 2, and now the Vikings are one of the league's most surprising 2-0 teams.
While it’s too early to say that Darnold can be a franchise quarterback, he’s playing the best football of his career, and it’s fun to watch. Give credit to Kevin O’Connell, who continues to maximize whoever is under center in Minnesota.
⬆️Winner: Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
There might not be a running back that has more “spike” weeks than Alvin Kamara.
Some weeks, he can be held in check, and you don’t notice him. In other games, you would swear that he was the best back in the NFL by a good margin. Week 2 was one of those weeks.
Kamara had 22 touches against the Cowboys in Week 2, racking up 180 yards. But that wasn’t the story of the day (surprisingly). Kamara scored four touchdowns, helping the Saints rout the Cowboys.
The Saints used him all over the field, but he was most successful in wide zones, on which he gashed the Cowboys' linebackers and safeties.
The Saints are 2-0, and a big reason for this is Kamara’s 290 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns. Most running backs fall off a cliff at 28, but at 29, Kamara is playing the best football of his career.
⬆️Winner: Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, Arizona Cardinals
After a very quiet Week 1 debut, there were some whispers on social media about Marvin Harrison Jr.’s speed and athleticism. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft did not participate in any pre-draft workouts and a slow start in Week 1 had some concerned.
It didn’t take long for Harrison to quiet those concerns. In fact, he answered them all in one quarter.
Harrison racked up 130 receiving yards in the first quarter against the Rams. Let me say that again. Harrison Jr. had 130 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the first 15 minutes on Sunday. He was the best player on the field, and his touchdown receptions were absolutely incredible, giving the Cardinals a big lead.
While he did not catch another pass in the final three quarters, Harrison didn't need to as the Cardinals rolled over the Rams, getting a massive divisional win after scoring 41 points.
The Cardinals needed a No. 1 receiver for Kyler Murray, and this was certainly Harrison's coming out party. It's only a matter of time before he establishes himself as one of the top five wide receivers in the NFL.
>> READ MORE: Harrison, 2024 Rookie WRs Exceed Hype
⬇️Loser: Mike Zimmer, DC, Dallas Cowboys
One of the reasons the Dallas Cowboys hired Mike Zimmer this offseason was that they had struggled so much against the Kyle Shanahan-type offense. They were lit up by Matt LaFleur and the Packers in the playoffs, and their losing streak against the 49ers meant that Dallas needed a change on the defensive side of the ball.
After a massive performance against the Browns in Week 1, it appeared that Dallas had everything figured out on defense. But that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
The Saints scored touchdowns on their first six drives on Sunday against the Cowboys. Kamara scored four touchdowns, and the Saints averaged a whopping 7.7 yards per play. Klint Kubiak had Zimmer guessing wrong all game long, and the Cowboys allowed 44 points at home. In fact, the 35 points that the Cowboys allowed in the first half were the most in franchise history.
Zimmer is widely believed to be one of the league's smartest defensive coordinators, but his defense had no answers for Kubiak and the Saints in Week 2. It’s officially time to be concerned about the defense in Dallas heading into Week 3.
⬇️Loser: Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions
If the Lions are going to be a legit contender in the NFC again this year, they need Jared Goff to step up in big games. You would think that at home, against the Buccaneers, who were without Antonie Winfield Jr. and Vita Vea left the game in the third quarter, this would be a big performance for him. Instead, the Lions scored just 16 points, and Goff averaged just 5.6 yards per attempt on 55 passes.
The most concerning part about Goff’s performance was his inability to challenge Tampa Bay vertically. On several third and fourth downs, Goff didn’t even throw the ball anywhere near the line to gain.
Instead, he looked panicky in the pocket and showed no poise. He finished the game with just four completions beyond 15 air yards and two interceptions. In fact, Goff attempted just two passes beyond 20 air yards on 55 attempts. That’s not going to cut it.
Goff threw two interceptions on Sunday and did not throw a touchdown. The offense had no problem moving the ball (463 total yards), but the inability to put points up on the board against a good defense is concerning.
Detroit will be fine in the long run and should have no problem making the playoffs. However, this team's goals are much higher. Performances like this don’t give us much hope that he can succeed in those big games.
⬇️Loser: Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson's talent is hard to deny. There is no quarterback in the league like him and more than likely, he’ll develop into a solid quarterback. But it hasn’t happened yet, and it’s starting to cost Indianapolis wins.
Playing Malik Willis and the Green Bay Packers, the Colts only needed 17 points to win. Yet, the Colts' offense struggled because of Richardson’s inconsistency. He threw three interceptions in Week 2 and had several others dropped throughout the game. He also had two fumbles but was lucky enough to recover both of them. The turnovers are a major issue for Richardson, as he’s now thrown four interceptions in two games.
But as concerning as the turnovers are in Indianapolis, the overall accuracy is a major issue. Richardson completed just 50 percent of his passes in Week 2 (17/34), and he’s now under 50 percent completion percentage on the season (49%). It doesn’t matter how dynamic a runner he is if he can’t improve his accuracy.
The Colts are now 1-4 in the five games that Richardson has started and finished in his career. While Richardson certainly has a long leash, you wonder how much longer the front office and coach will be around if they can’t figure out a way to start winning games.
