Almost another full week of the 2023 NFL season is upon us. We’ve already seen some other big upsets, like the Bengals and Chargers both losing 2-0, the Falcons storming back to knock off the Packers, and the Colts losing rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson for the second straight year . But with many eyes already on Week 3’s games, the question becomes: Which teams, players and/or coaches have seen their stock seriously boosted – or weakened – after this week’s action?
Here’s our roundup of some of the biggest winners and losers from week two:
Winner: Bills Offense
We were all worried whether the turnover-filled loss to the Jets in Week 1 could be the beginning of the end for Josh Allen and company. But everything came back together against the Raiders, as Allen rediscovered Gabe Davis and James Cook headlined a killer run game. Buffalo not only avoided an 0-2 start by steamrolling Las Vegas, but it may have reclaimed its title as AFC East favorite.
Loser: Justin Fields
Bears fans are still waiting for the young QB to develop a sense of rhythm as a passer, and while he threw a nice touchdown to Chase Claypool in a late comeback against the Buccaneers, his pocket presence left a lot to be desired, leading to unnecessary sacks . His two picks also sealed Tampa Bay’s victory, continuing a worrying trend of turnovers at crucial times.
Winner: Mike Evans
The 30-year-old Bucs wideout has one year on his contract and, well, he deserves a new one, wherever that may be. A week after his score that helped Tampa Bay upset the Vikings, Evans was on the right track (in a good way) against Chicago, pulling off multiple downfield strikes from Baker Mayfield to win the game with 171 yards and another Complete touchdown. He is on pace to have his 10th consecutive 1,000-yard campaign.
Loser: Zach Wilson
It’s not all his fault. Really, it’s not that. With the poor line the Jets employ, not even Wilson’s mobility could completely eliminate that flaw in his first start as Aaron Rodgers’ replacement. Still, the third-year QB wasn’t necessarily much help as the Jets fell victim to the superior Cowboys, most notably with a throw across his body that gave Dallas an easy pick late in the contest.
Winner: Arthur Smith
After pulling off a clean sweep over the Panthers in Week 1, Smith got more creative under fire late against the Packers, orchestrating an improbable comeback against Green Bay to spoil another stellar performance for Jordan Love. His tricky playmaking caught the pack by surprise and his trust in Desmond Ridder paid off as the young quarterback scored key conversions to take a 2-0 lead.
Loser: Bengals
The ugly loss to the Browns in Week 1 was largely written off due to inclement weather and the lack of practice reps from star quarterback Joe Burrow, who spent the entire summer recovering from a calf injury. But then Burrow came out of the gate sluggish again against the Ravens, and Zac Taylor’s team gave too little, too late, falling to 0-2 when Burrow “tweaked” his calf again. Yikes.
Winner: D’Andre Swift
The former Lions playmaker, who was promoted to RB1 duties on Thursday night against the Vikings, was full throttle, no rest and showed more impact than any Philly RB since the days of LeSean McCoy in the Eagles’ 34-28 win. The Birds still expect to split the offense between defensemen as the season progresses, but Swift almost has a bigger role going forward.
Loser: Vikings offensive line
Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison all had good stats by the end of Thursday’s loss to the Eagles, but only because they were forced to vent most of the second half after their own O-line collapsed at the point , where Philly could get a significant lead. Cousins was under pressure all night, and the pressure will only increase as the team is now 0-2.
Winner: Puka Nacua
Regardless of the record – and the Rams deserve all the credit in the world for upsetting the Seahawks in Week 1, even if Week 2 against the 49ers proved more challenging – the rookie wide receiver has quickly proven he’s a serious prospect Player is a possession target for Matthew Stafford. He has already broken the NFL record for receptions by a rookie in his first two games.
Loser: Brandon Staley
All too often, Los Angeles has failed to attract talent, and that trend continued for the Chargers against the Titans, who had a dreadful debut against the Saints with three interceptions. Ryan Tannehill rebounded by going 20 of 24 against Staley’s defense, and not even big-ticket QB Justin Herbert could prevent the Bolts from falling to 0-2 in overtime.