It was a rough Week 2 for NFL starting quarterbacks.
Joe Burrow is expected to be out at least three months due to a toe injury, and J.J. McCarthy could be sidelined multiple weeks with a high ankle sprain. Also, Jayden Daniels is day-to-day with a knee injury and looking doubtful to play in Week 3, while Justin Fields sustained a concussion against the Bills. And let’s not forget Brock Purdy, who missed last week due to injuries to his shoulder and toe.
With all these quarterbacks banged up, the Falcons may begin to field trade offers for expensive backup Kirk Cousins. Oh, how the tables have turned in Atlanta.
The Falcons were ridiculed the past two offseasons, starting with signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract months before using their 2024 first-round pick on Michael Penix Jr. For this year’s draft, many snickered when Atlanta sent a 2026 first-round pick and a ’25 second-round pick to the Rams to draft another edge rusher at pick No. 26.
Suddenly, the Falcons’ draft plans are coming to fruition on the football field. The defense is swarming opposing quarterbacks, and Penix is fitting in well with the Falcons’ other notable first-round picks, including Bijan Robinson, Drake London and even Kyle Pitts.
The Falcons were still probably wrong to commit that much money to Cousins, but hey, maybe they’ll gain a draft pick or two from a desperate quarterback-needy team.
Here are the Week 2 winners and losers.
WINNERS
Falcons’ rising defense
Credit to the Falcons (1–1) for making the necessary moves in the offseason to improve a pass rush that has struggled for years.
Atlanta drew criticism for coughing up a 2026 first-round pick to the Rams for the right to draft a second edge rusher in the first round, selecting James Pearce Jr. at No. 26, nine spots after taking Jalon Walker.
The bold trade with L.A. not only increased Atlanta’s depth on the defensive line, but it also improved the team’s chances of producing a star edge rusher capable of providing 10-plus sacks per season. No Falcon has generated at least 10 sacks in a season since Vic Beasley had 15.5 in 2016.
It’s way too soon to say whether the Falcons finally have a star edge rusher, but the depth and youth on the defensive front played a massive role in Atlanta pummeling McCarthy and the Vikings for four quarters on Monday night. The Falcons racked up six sacks with 11 QB hits and saw a handful of impact plays from Walker and Pearce during their dominant 22–6 victory.
This Atlanta defense also swarmed Baker Mayfield in Week 1, and had the Buccaneers on the ropes until kicker Younghoe Koo missed the potential game-tying field goal. Kicking wasn’t a problem on Sunday night, with Parker Romo going 5-of-5 on his field-goal attempts, helping the Falcons make the most of another stellar defensive performance.
Coach Raheem Morris and first-year Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich have this unit trending in the right direction.
NFC West goes undefeated in Week 2
The NFC West is shaping up to be the most competitive division in football.
It was a perfect Sunday for the four teams, with the Rams cruising against the Titans, the Seahawks embarrassing the Steelers, the Cardinals holding on at home against the Panthers and the short-handed 49ers getting by the Saints.
All four teams probably would have been 2–0 if the 49ers and Seahawks weren’t forced to play in a divisional game in the season opener. Seattle bounced back from its heartbreaking loss to San Francisco, gashing Pittsburgh’s defense. Kenneth Walker III was productive on the ground with 105 rushing yards, and Sam Darnold (295 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions) had an efficient day, leaning on Jaxon Smith-Njigba (eight catches, 103 yards) and Cooper Kupp (seven catches, 90 yards). And Mike Macdonald’s defense didn’t allow Aaron Rodgers to get much going offensively.
The Cardinals were well on their way to a dominant victory before a late rally from the Panthers. Still, this young Arizona team did enough to avoid a complete meltdown and is now starting to get used to being on the winning end. It’s been a steady rebuild by Arizona, which is in the midst of Year 3 of the Jonathan Gannon and Monti Ossenfort partnership.
We’ll get a better sense of how far along the Cardinals are when they face the 49ers on the road this week. Yes, San Francisco is without Purdy and George Kittle, but the offense still has enough star power to compete, and Mac Jones (279 yards, three TDs) had a promising start against the Saints. Even the inexperienced defense has played well behind veterans Fred Warner and Nick Bosa.
As for the Rams, they received a complete performance, pulling away from the Titans in the fourth quarter. Edge rusher Byron Young had a dominant performance with a key strip sack and Davante Adams (six catches, 106 yards, TD) had his coming-out party with his new team. Los Angeles now travels to Philadelphia, with the hopes of avenging the playoff loss against the Eagles.
Patriots’ free-agent signings
Milton Williams has made the Patriots (1–1) look smart for investing a four-year, $104 million contract in the stout defensive tackle.
Williams quickly proved that his playoff performances with Philadelphia weren’t a fluke. He’s been the anchor on New England’s defensive front, coming off a dominant two-sack performance to help beat the Dolphins.
Committing $26 million per year for Williams was viewed as a risky signing because he was a part-time player in Philadelphia and often benefited from playing next to Jalen Carter. However, the Patriots needed a ton of help defensively and rolled the dice in hopes of Williams being capable of fending for himself. He’s done more than that by being a disruptor at the line of scrimmage and providing beneficial matchups for his teammates.
Veteran newcomers Harold Landry III and Robert Spillane also produced sacks in the win over the Dolphins. Still, coach Mike Vrabel’s vision for the Patriots’ defense hasn’t fully come to life on the field because the secondary has struggled without cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Perhaps the uneven performances will end once the shutdown corner returns to the field to play with this new-look defensive front.
Brandon Aubrey
Kicker Brandon Aubrey might be the perfect candidate to be Jerry Jones’s next contract holdout in 2026.
All jokes aside, the Cowboys’ owner should lock up Aubrey now and make him the highest-paid kicker in the league after he drilled a 64-yarder to send Sunday’s wild game into overtime, where he hit a 46-yarder to beat the Giants and avoid the dreaded tie. Aubrey’s three-year, $2.69 million contract is set to expire in the offseason. Kansas City’s Harrison Butker is currently the highest-paid kicker in the league with a four-year, $25.6 million contract extension he signed last year.
Get that napkin and pen ready, Jerry. And maybe make that eight-figure offer start with a “3” to avoid more contract drama in Dallas.
LOSERS
Bengals’ 2025 season
The Bengals (2–0) were dealt a harsh blow with Burrow potentially sidelined for three months.
If Burrow is out that long, the Bengals’ playoff odds appear slim in large part because of a demanding schedule. Jake Browning and the Bengals have to face the Vikings, Broncos, Lions and Packers in four consecutive weeks.
They also have to face the Ravens and Steelers twice, and there’s a December date with the Bills. Maybe Burrow is back by then, but it’s not a given that Browning can keep the team afloat in the same way he did two years ago with a 4–3 record. The Bengals might be worse defensively, and the offensive line continues to be a problem.
At some point, the Bengals will need to build a complete team. Even if Burrow returns in time for the final stretch, this roster isn’t equipped to hang with the elite teams in the NFL. Every offseason, the Bengals are overhyped because of the big three of Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. However, it takes a lot more than just skill players to become a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Commanders’ contender status
Not only were the Commanders (1–1) outmatched against the Packers, but Daniels sustained a knee injury in the lopsided Week 2 loss.
There’s a chance Daniels will miss Sunday’s game against the Raiders, according to reports. The costly loss also included season-ending injuries to running back Austin Ekeler and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr.
Without Daniels, the Commanders’ Super Bowl hopes will go poof. But even with a healthy Daniels, this Washington squad didn’t have the look of a Super Bowl contender after getting pushed around by Green Bay.
The Commanders might be having regrets about going all-in for veterans on the trade market, especially cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who continues to struggle and was picked on by the Packers. After a surprising NFC title game appearance, Washington is now older, and the new acquisitions didn’t make a difference against Green Bay. Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil are good players, but they don’t bring the same impact as Micah Parsons.
The Packers were right to relinquish two first-round picks for an elite player in the midst of his prime. Giving up draft picks for players past their prime could haunt the Commanders in 2025.
Steelers’ old defense
Speaking of older players, the Steelers (1–1) need to incorporate youth on the defensive side given how poorly the unit has performed through two weeks.
They’re allowing an average of 394.5 yards per game. That’s not as bad as the Cowboys and Giants, who ruined their defensive stats in their Week 2 shootout, but the Steelers aren’t accustomed to being near the bottom of major statistical categories. T.J. Watt hasn’t produced a sack, and Alex Highsmith sustained an ankle injury in the blowout loss to the Seahawks.
If it weren’t for Jalen Ramsey’s clutch tackle in Week 1, this team would be staring at a 0–2 record. Still, it’s not a good look that the Jets were held to 10 points by the Bills one week after dropping 32 points on Pittsburgh’s defense.
Having too many old players on the defensive side can’t be good for a Steelers team that will need to get younger at quarterback next offseason. For now, they need to bounce back with the 41-year-old Rodgers and a veteran-filled defense that’s too talented to be torched every week.
Bears’ and Panthers’ rebuilding plans
It’s starting to look like no one won the blockbuster trade between the Bears (0–2) and Panthers (0–2) that kick-started the 2023 offseason.
Sure, the Panthers rallied for a one-score loss against the Cardinals. But at some point, Carolina needs to stop being the little engine that keeps games close and develop into a team that doesn’t settle for moral victories.
The Panthers can’t be falling behind by double digits every week when Bryce Young is in Year 3 as the starting quarterback. If Young isn’t producing wins and showing significant improvement, the Panthers need to cut their losses from the 2023 trade and look for another quarterback in next year’s draft.
Caleb Williams, whom the Bears drafted with the Panthers’ No. 1 pick in 2024, has a longer leash than Young, who’s already been benched in his career. But Williams needs to start showing consistency. He returned to his chaotic ways away from the pocket during the 52–21 beatdown to the Lions. Perhaps the Bears were too quick to agree to a three-year extension with GM Ryan Poles, who hasn’t done much besides producing appealing rosters on paper.
Instead of the 2023 trade producing a winning organization, it has sent the Panthers and Bears into a never-ending cycle of rebuilding.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Falcons’ Shocking 2025 First-Round Draft Picks Paying Off.