Week 2 of the NFL season is here, and the early state of games offered just as much excitement as last week’s afternoon contests did. Let’s go around the league and figure out whose stock is up and whose stock is down, starting with a wild game in Baltimore.
NFL Week 2 Stock Up/Stock Down: Early slate
Stock up: Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
We just witnessed a game for the ages in Baltimore. Down 35-14 with 26 seconds left in the third quarter, Tua Tagovailoa and the rest of the Dolphins’ offense went Beast Mode, outscoring the Ravens 28-3 over the rest of the game to earn a 42-38 victory.
Tua posted an absolutely epic stat line, completing 36 of 50 passes for 469 yards and six touchdowns. Both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle posted 11 receptions, 170+ yards, and two scores through the air. And Miami’s defense put the clamps on the Ravens in the fourth quarter, holding them to just three points and allowing their offense to come all the way back.
No quarterback has been as maligned as Tagovailoa since he was selected fifth overall in the 2020 draft. Now that he’s working with head coach and offensive whiz Mike McDaniel, Tua could finally break through and capitalize on his talent. He’s not going to throw six touchdowns every week, but the fact that this type of ceiling exists is promising.
Stock down: Indianapolis Colts
Was Carson Wentz really the problem? That’s the question Colts fans have to be asking after another lackluster performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Indy struggled in every aspect of the game on Sunday. Their once-vaunted offensive line got absolutely no movement against Jacksonville’s front, so Jonathan Taylor was only able to post 54 yards rushing.
Playing without Michael Pittman Jr., Matt Ryan completed just over 50% of his passes for 195 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions. And the Colts’ defense allowed Trevor Lawrence to post the best game of his career. Frank Reich, Chris Ballard, and the rest of Indy’s decision-makers need to do some soul searching as their team falls to 0-1-1.
Stock up: Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
The Detroit Lions did nearly everything well against the Washington Commanders in Week 2. Jared Goff threw four touchdowns. D’Andre Swift exploded for another 50-yard run. And No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson had his coming out party with three sacks.
But Amon-Ra St. Brown was the star of the day in Detroit. As the Lions’ target leader, the Sun God posted nine receptions for 116 yards and two touchdowns in Detroit’s victory. Sunday marked the eighth straight game that St. Brown has managed at least eight catches. The 2021 fourth-round selection is quickly becoming the Lions’ best offensive player and one of the more consistent receivers in the league.
Stock down: Steelers QB Mitchell Trubisky
The Pittsburgh Steelers got a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 on the strength of their defense, but they had no such luck in Week 2. Mitchell Trubisky’s grasp of Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback has to be weakening, despite what head coach Mike Tomlin has said.
Trubisky averaged just 5.1 yards per attempt and threw an interception against the Patriots on Sunday, but his constant short-of-the-sticks checkdowns were reminiscent of 2021 Ben Roethlisberger.
Stock up: The Jets’ offensive rookies
The Dolphins made an improbable fourth-quarter comeback, but the AFC rival Jets did, too — and they actually came out with a win. Down 30-17 with 1:55 left in the fourth quarter, Joe Flacco completed a 66-yard touchdown to Corey Davis. Gang Green somehow recovered the ensuing onside kick, and Flacco hit Garrett Wilson for a 15-yard score with 22 seconds remaining.
Wilson, the 10th overall pick in April, put up eight catches for 102 yards and two scores. On his first TD, he easily beat Browns rookie CB Martin Emerson for a two-yard catch. Elsewhere on offense, RB Breece Hall averaged 7.1 yards per carry and caught a TD reception. New York’s young offensive options give them hope for the future, and today’s last-second victory offered a glimpse of what’s yet to come.
Stock down: The Buccaneers’ offensive line depth
For most of Sunday’s game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints, we got another defensive struggle. It was 3-3 until midway through the fourth quarter, when a fight and subsequent Mike Evans ejection finally spiced things up. Tampa Bay eventually got the 20-10 win, but it may have been a Pyrrhic victory given the state of their offensive line.
Backup tackle Josh Wells, who was filling in for injured starter Donovan Smith on the left side, went down with an injury of his own and did not return, forcing third-stringer Brandon Walton into the game. The Bucs already lost center Ryan Jensen and left guard Aaron Stinnie in the preseason, and Tristan Wirfs is battling an injury, too. Tom Brady might have to get rid of the ball even quicker than he normally does.
Stock up: The Giants’ chances in the NFC
Don’t look now, but the New York Football Giants are 2-0. It hasn’t been pretty through two weeks, and the Carolina Panthers aren’t exactly the strongest of opponents. But Brian Daboll and the Giants were able to eke out a victory, even on a day when Saquon Barkley averaged 3.4 yards per carry. There’s room for a surprise contender in the NFC, and the Giants are off to a good start.
NFL Week 2 Stock Up/Stock Down: Late slate
Stock up: 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo
No one ever wants to see injuries in the NFL. Trey Lance was supposed to be the 49ers’ starter in 2022, and many were anticipating what kind of impact the dual-threat quarterback could have on San Francisco’s offense.
Lance is now expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a severe ankle injury, so Jimmy Garoppolo is back under center for the Niners. It’s a devastating outcome for Lance, but San Francisco has to be thanking their lucky stars that they found a way to keep Jimmy G in town. Garoppolo was widely expected to be traded or released, but after the 49ers couldn’t find any suitors, they kept him on a reworked contract.
Now, Garoppolo once again gets to lead a team that he took to the NFC Championship Game last season. It sets up an opportunity for him to put up a solid year and cash in next spring when he’s expected to hit the free agent market.
However, will San Francisco feel comfortable turning back to Lance if Garoppolo plays well and the 49ers make another deep postseason run? At that point, the North Dakota State product will be roughly four years removed from playing regularly. He’ll be entering his third NFL season with just four starts under his belt. And Jimmy G might look awfully appealing.
Stock down: Cincinnati Bengals
Fresh off an improbable Super Bowl appearance, the Bengals now sit at 0-2 after losing a second consecutive game on a field goal as time expired. Cincinnati’s offense failed to get anything going, and Joe Burrow only managed 199 yards and one touchdown through the air. After taking seven sacks against the Steelers in Week 1, Burrow went down six times against the Cowboys on Sunday.
The Bengals have now lost to Trubisky and Cooper Rush to begin the 2022 campaign. While Burrow has shown the ability to get Cincinnati back into games, the team’s offense needs to start waking up before the second half starts. Every other team in the AFC North is 1-1, so the Bengals’ season is far from over. But these were supposed to be the easy wins.
Stock up: Cowboys QB Cooper Rush
You’ve got to hand it to Rush. After a week where everyone and their mother declared the Cowboys’ season over following Dak Prescott’s hand injury, Rush led Dallas to a victory over the defending AFC champions. Rush was certainly better than Burrow, averaging 7.6 yards per attempt while posting a 95.5 passer rating.
The Cowboys’ defense was the driving force behind today’s win, but Rush didn’t make any critical errors. If Micah Parsons and Co. can keep games close for Dallas, Rush might be able to keep the offense afloat until Dak returns.
Stock down: Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett
Nathaniel Hackett got his first NFL win on Sunday, but the Broncos can’t feel good about their head coach’s decision-making process. Last week, Hackett botched Denver’s end-game scenario against the Seahawks and lost after asking Brandon McManus to convert a 64-yard field goal.
While he didn’t make any errors that were as egregious in Week 2, Hackett still made a number of decisions that made us scratch our heads. Denver had 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 23 seconds remaining in the first half. The Broncos were down 6-3, and win expectancy models strongly encouraged Denver to go for the touchdown.
On a 3rd-and-1 in the third quarter, the Broncos ran an option with backup tight end Andrew Beck — yes, you read that correctly. After losing a yard, Denver decided to kick a field goal, but they couldn’t get the snap off in time and took a delay of game. The Broncos ended up punting after that disastrous series of events.
Again, Hackett got the win against Houston, but that’s results-over-process-based analysis. He needs to reconsider his thinking in several areas — most notably, fourth downs — if the Broncos are to become true contenders.
