There was no scarcity of speaking factors as Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season delivered its finest video games on Sunday, with the New England Patriots making an announcement on dwelling soil, a chaotic extra time end at MetLife Stadium, and the Cincinnati Bengals serving discover to the AFC with a dismantling of the Houston Texans.
Patriots defence does the heavy lifting in 20-3 win over Steelers
For the primary time since 2020, the New England Patriots received their dwelling opener, but it surely was a efficiency constructed virtually completely on the protection.
Drake Maye and the offense discovered simply sufficient to win, with TreVeyon Henderson’s 39-yard landing run.
The Steelers managed solely 188 complete yards throughout 60 minutes and couldn’t put any sustained stress on a Patriots secondary that refused to present Aaron Rodgers something to work with.
The play of the sport got here within the early fourth quarter when Christian Barmore and Elijah Ponder mixed for a strip-sack landing to finish no matter faint hope Pittsburgh retained.
New England outgained the Steelers by 169 yards and moved to 1-1 on the season with a consequence that, regardless of the scoreline, was tighter than it seemed for a lot of the afternoon.
Packers survive Jets scare to win in extra time
Matt LaFleur had seen sufficient horror reveals on the highway over the previous two seasons to know {that a} journey to MetLife Stadium represented hazard, and his Inexperienced Bay facet wanted the whole lot they needed to beat the Jets 20-17 in extra time at East Rutherford.
Jordan Love leaned closely on his passing sport once more – 42 makes an attempt for the second consecutive week after throwing the identical quantity on the Vikings in Week 1 – and it was rookie working again MarShawn Lloyd’s display screen move landing that gave the Packers the early lead.
The Jets, buoyed by a loud dwelling crowd and the boldness of their Week 1 win over Tennessee, hit again by Braelon Allen’s six-yard run and the sport went to extra time tied at 17.
The afternoon was badly soured by the sight of Jayden Reed and proper deal with Zach Bako-Bewele each being carted off the sphere on back-to-back performs within the third quarter, two vital damage blows for a Packers squad already carrying depth issues.
A area purpose in extra time settled it in Inexperienced Bay’s favour, however LaFleur will know the efficiency was removed from convincing.
Bengals serve AFC discover with Texans win
The loudest assertion of the weekend got here from Cincinnati, who moved to 2-0 by exposing a susceptible Houston facet. Joe Burrow accomplished 20 of 31 passes for 207 yards, each touchdowns going to Ja’Marr Chase, who caught seven passes for 75 yards.
Tee Higgins crammed the gaps with 5 catches for 95 yards, and Chase Brown added 80 speeding yards on 20 carries as the bottom sport saved the chains shifting.
The Texans, lacking Nico Collins by a hamstring damage and with out Jayden Higgins, who’s on season-ending injured reserve, couldn’t discover a foothold within the passing sport.
C.J. Stroud threw a career-high 55 passes and accomplished 30 for 353 yards – however the Cincinnati defence held Houston to 2 area targets, 4 purple zone journeys that produced zero touchdowns, and simply 60 speeding yards.
Williams limps off as Vikings grind out ugly win over Bears
At Soldier Area, a Biblical downpour served because the becoming backdrop to essentially the most forgettable 60 minutes of Week 2. The Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears 9-3 in a sport with no touchdowns, determined completely by area targets and defensive performs.
Will Reichard accounted for all 9 of Minnesota’s factors with three area targets, his longest a 49-yarder within the second half that stretched the result in six.
Isaiah Rodgers was the defensive hero, blocking a Cairo Santos area purpose try within the fourth quarter that will have trimmed the deficit to 3, and Dallas Turner recorded two of the Vikings’ 4 sacks in a dominant exhibiting from Brian Flores’s unit.
The afternoon turned considerably grimmer for the Bears when Caleb Williams limped off with a proper hamstring damage halfway by the fourth quarter.
Williams had been 15 for 26 for 138 yards, additionally carrying 5 occasions for 42 yards, earlier than leaving a drenched and disconsolate Soldier Area crowd to look at backup Justin Fields try and salvage one thing.
