NFL Week 2 winners and losers: Saints explosion, Cowboys meltdown, Bengals heartbreak

As always, the NFL's Week 2 slate was a compelling potpourri of met expectations and utter shocks. After we all collectively overreacted to Week 1, some teams delivered on the newfound hype, while others were unable to live up to their first impressions.

In this week's edition of 'Winners and Losers,' we shall canvass the best and worst individual performances of a loaded NFL slate.

Let's dive in.

NFL Week 1 winner: Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings

There was a lot of hand-wringing about how the Minnesota Vikings offense would look without Kirk Cousins. Rather than breaking the bank to keep their familiar Pro Bowl signal-caller, the Vikings opted for a discount replacement in the form of Sam Darnold, who spent all of last season in the backup role with San Francisco.

Well, Darnold was offered a chance at revenge on Sunday and he seized it. The Vikings toppled the Niners 23-17 in one of the week's most surprising outcomes. San Francisco dominated the Jets on Monday Night Football in Week 1; their defense looked borderline impenetrable. Justin Jefferson would be quick to remind us, however, that he is not Garrett Wilson and, by extension, the Vikings are not the Jets.

Sam Darnold has the juice, folks. Justin Jefferson went for 133 yards and a touchdown on four receptions before suffering an injury. The Vikings are now 2-0, potentially in the driver's seat for a competitive NFC North.

One has to feel especially good for Kevin O'Connell, who has separated himself as one of the most effective and inventive head coaches in the NFL. After a summer of folks speculating about Minnesota's downfall, the Vikings are back like they never left.

NFL Week 2 loser: Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

Anthony Richardson has become one of the most polarizing players in the NFL. The Indianapolis Colts' sophomore quarterback has a ton of natural ability, but he still needs to polish the rough edges of his skill set. Decision-making has been a problem at times for Richardson, and that weakness was on full display in the Colts' 16-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

The 22-year-old completed 17-of-34 pass attempts for 204 yards in the loss, netting one passing touchdown and throwing a trio of interceptions. Several Colts drives were stalled precisely because of Richardson's erraticism. He's a major talent and the Colts should not panic, but this week provided ample fodder for the doubters.

NFL Week 2 winner: Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals

The NFL debut for No. 4 pick Marvin Harrison Jr. was decidedly muted. He caught one pass on four targets for four yards in a Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills. After the game, Kyler Murray raised eyebrows when he told reporters it is not "his job" to force feed the rookie.

Well, those eyebrows to returned to their resting state this Sunday, as the Arizona Cardinals blew the Los Angeles Rams out of the water in a dominant 41-10 victory.

Going from uninvolved to essential, Harrison netted four receptions on eight targets for 130 yards and two scores. It was not a perfect game, but it was a proper showcase of his singular athleticism, both in the open field and on contested catches. Moreover, it proved that he and Murray will get along just fine as the pillars of Arizona's offense.

NFL Week 2 loser: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

After a disheartening Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots, the Cincinnati Bengals were faced with the ultimate Week 2 challenge — a matchup with the defending champs. No team has played the Chiefs better in recent years, but Cincy has a proclivity for slow starts early in the season. It would appear that the 2024 campaign is no different.

Burrow was the best quarterback on the field Sunday afternoon, completing 23-of-36 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns. It wasn't a special performance, but it looked more like the Burrow of old and it put Cincinnati in prime position to win the game.

Unfortunately, a couple boneheaded penalties cost the Bengals a victory. First, there was Ja'Marr Chase tanking a Bengals drive with an unnecessary on-field tantrum, which resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Then, in the game's final seconds, rookie Daijahn Anthony committed a blatant pass interference on Rashee Rice to hand Kansas City the game-winning field goal on a silver platter.

There was nothing Burrow could do about either penalty, but it's a shame. This should have been a "HE'S BACK!" celebration, and instead we're talking about how the Bengals blew it and find themselves in another 0-2 hole to start the season.

NFL Week 2 winner: Malik Nabers, New York Giants

What a week for highly-drafted rookie receivers. Malik Nabers was in a somewhat similar boat to Marvin Harrison a week ago. He was more involved in the New York Giants offense (five catches for 66 yards), but the utter incompetence of Daniel Jones limited Nabers' impact. He was open on several routes that went unconsummated and was held scoreless through no fault of his own.

The Giants found a bit more success against the Washington Commanders in Week 2, even if the result was ultimately the same. A 21-18 loss sends New York back to the drawing board, but it was a more palatable performance from Jones and, by extension, and more dominant showcase for Nabers, who is still among the best wideout prospects in recent memory.

He reeled in 10 of 18 targets for 127 yards and a score. That is the sort of workload that gets fantasy owners out of bed in the morning.

NFL Week 2 loser: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams were on the wrong side of a 41-10 scoreboard against the Cardinals on Sunday. It's easiest to blame the defense — and, in a way, Matthew Stafford is suffering at the hands of LA's porous D — but let's also take a moment to appreciate the dire state of Stafford's offensive ecosystem. The veteran remains one of the sharpest quarterbacks in the NFL, but he can only do so much without his best weapons.

The Rams are without Puka Nacua for at least 5-to-7 weeks after he suffered a PCL sprain in the Rams' season opener. Then, in Week 2, Cooper Kupp limped off the field with an apparent ankle injury. The latter was eventually able to return, but the Rams' pass-catching corps is beat up and the offense looks as tepid as it ever has under Sean McVay.

NFL Week 2 winner: Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints have scored on all 15 offensive possessions so far this season, which is an absurd fact and a testament to the stuff Klint Kubiak is running. We probably underrated the impact of a new play-calling voice on the Saints sideline, and we clearly underestimated how much Derek Carr and Alvin Kamara have left in the tank.

Carr looks genuinely spectacular out of the gate. We can quibble with the quality of Carolina's defense in Week 1, but the Dallas Cowboys are a formidable opponent — folks spent all of last week waxing poetic about Dallas' beatdown of the Browns in Week 1 — and, folks, the Cowboys weren't remotely on the same level as New Orleans this Sunday.

Kamara was the primary beneficiary. The veteran RB is entering a contract year and there have been narratives aplenty centered on his age and NFL mileage. Well, Kamara ran 20 times for 115 yards and three touchdowns Week 2, adding two receptions for 65 yards and another touchdown as a cherry on top.

Say what you will, but Kamara remains one of the most versatile and dynamic backfield playmakers in the NFL. Plus, the Saints are, like... so back.

NFL Week 2 loser: Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys

On the flip side of that coin are the Cowboys, who lost 44-19 in what has to be the most embarrassing Dallas loss in years. And that's saying something.

It's only Week 2, so panic is unnecessary, but Jerry Jones' offseason execution is naturally going to come under intense scrutiny. He's the only owner in the NFL exercising unchecked control over his front office operations, so rest assured that he has earned every bit of criticism.

Rather than investing in the RB position, Jones brought back uber-washed Ezekiel Elliott, who netted six carries for 16 yards on Sunday. Rather than locking up CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott early in the summer to promote a seamless and cohesive training camp, Jones waited to the very last second, eschewing the pursuit of other major free agents in order to maintain to the necessary flexibility. That is the narrative yarn he will feed his fandom, at the very least.

Dallas did nothing to improve this summer. Let's call a spade a spade. The Cowboys were already a daunting and talented group, but Jones witnessed another premature postseason exit and sat on his hands. He didn't fire the coach, shake up play-calling duties, or move heaven and earth on the personnel front. He just sort of peacocked about the challenges of paying his best players, ruffled a few feathers in the locker room and around the fandom, then watched his team get smoked in Week 2 by the New Orleans Saints of all teams.

Big yikes.