Big wins, ugly turnovers, and one major injury scare. Week 1 gave the NFL a taste of everything, and Week 2 is where we find out what sticks. 

Few weeks carry as much intrigue as the one right after the opener, when fans and teams alike find out whether Week 1 was a real signal or just a flash in the pan. 

However, with playoff contenders already nursing injuries, a young quarterback trying to shake off three interceptions, and two 0-1 teams desperate to avoid an early hole in the NFC East, the stakes this week feel higher than a typical Week 2 slate. 

With that in mind, here are five games to watch in NFL Week 2 according to the video put out by NBC Sports Bay Area on September 16th. 

1. Indianapolis Colts vs. Kansas City Chiefs 

Kansas City Chiefs will be hosting the Indianapolis Colts at Arrowhead on Sunday, September 20th. Kansas City opened with a 31-10 win over Denver, with new addition Kenneth Walker III running for 173 yards and two scores against a defense that ranked first in the league in success rate in 2025, while Mahomes added three total touchdowns. 

Indianapolis is looking to bounce back after a 41-23 loss to Baltimore in which its defense gave up 202 rushing yards and three touchdowns to Derrick Henry. Daniel Jones, still working back from an Achilles injury, faces a Chiefs team favored by 6.5 points at home. 

2. Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears

The Bears put up 59 points on Carolina in Week 1, with Caleb Williams completing better than 72 percent of his passes for four total touchdowns. Now Chicago hosts a Minnesota defense run by Brian Flores, who leads the league in blitz rate, in what head coach Ben Johnson has called a "mental war." 

Minnesota rallied for 29 unanswered points to beat Green Bay 39-22, though it did so with Carson Wentz filling in after starter Kyler Murray suffered a concussion, and Murray's status for Week 2 is still uncertain. 

3. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots 

The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Gillette Stadium after opening the Mike McCarthy era with a 20-13 win over Atlanta, a game in which T.J. Watt had two sacks, three tackles for loss, and a pick-six. 

New England enters off a 13-10 loss to Seattle, in which Drake Maye threw three interceptions, with the last coming in the final seconds as the Patriots drove to tie the game. The Patriots will also miss top receiver A.J. Brown, who is now on injured reserve with an ankle injury. 

4. Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys 

Dallas Cowboys will host the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium Sunday, September 20 at 4:25 p.m. ET, with both NFC East teams trying to avoid a 0-2 start. Washington lost 24-22 to Philadelphia on a failed two-point conversion in the final minute. 

As for Dallas, it fell 28-20 to the Giants in a game its own coach, Brian Schottenheimer, called "pretty poor" on both sides of the ball. 

Dallas is favored by roughly 4.5 points, and according to NBC Sports analyst Mike Florio, a win would also tie Dak Prescott with Tom Brady's record of 20 straight home division victories. 

5. Miami Dolphins vs. San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers will be hosting the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, September 20th at 4:25 p.m. ET. The 49ers are coming off a 27-7 rout of the Rams in Australia, in which Brock Purdy threw three touchdowns and the offensive line allowed zero sacks. Miami, meanwhile, lost 27-13 to Las Vegas while quarterback Malik Willis was sacked five times behind a shaky offensive line. 

Now Miami has to protect Willis against a 49ers front that hounded Matthew Stafford all night in Week 1, while San Francisco gets extra rest after its Thursday opener. The 49ers are roughly 13.5-point favorites at Levi's Stadium. 

Contenders proving it. Pretenders getting exposed. That's what Week 2 is for.

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco