Fansided

5 NFL teams that must win in Week 2

By Mike Phillips

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 08: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on from the sideline during the game between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium on September 08, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 08: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on from the sideline during the game between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium on September 08, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – SEPTEMBER 08: Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons looks on before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 8, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Falcons 28-12. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – SEPTEMBER 08: Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons looks on before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 8, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Falcons 28-12. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

4. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons are coming off a disappointing 2018, largely due to a slate of defensive injuries that decimated that unit, but they did little to wash away that memory in Week 1. The Minnesota Vikings ran all over the Falcons in Minneapolis, with Dalvin Cook rushing for 111 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

Atlanta also had a ton of trouble moving the ball against the Vikings’ stout defense, with Julio Jones basically shut down for the vast majority of the contest. That made life very difficult for Matt Ryan, who struggled to find open receivers against the Minnesota secondary.

The good news for the Falcons is that they were on the road for that one and return home for a big game with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football. The Eagles did pick up a win in Week 1 against the Washington Redskins, but their secondary was carved up by Case Keenum, who threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns with a sketchy group of weapons.

Philadelphia won that game by scoring points in bunches, so this game in Atlanta has a ton of shootout potential. The Falcons are definitely capable of winning a shootout, and that is exactly what they will need to do in order to get a much-needed win and avoid the dreaded 0-2 start.