NFL Week 2 Preview: Schedule, storylines, matchups to watch and betting spreads – PFF
Matchup to Watch: Chiefs TE Travis Kelce vs. Eagles LB Jihaad Campbell. Without Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice in the lineup, the Chiefs’ offense will need to lean on its veteran tight end to move the chains and work the intermediate area of the field. But Kelce isn’t the same threat in the receiving game as he once was, with his 59.5 PFF receiving grade ranking 27th out of 47 qualifying tight ends in Week 1. Kelce will need to rise to the occasion against Eagles rookie Jihaad Campbell, who was excellent in his NFL debut. The first-round linebacker was everywhere in coverage against the Cowboys, earning the fourth-highest PFF coverage grade (85.9) at the position. The only time he was targeted in coverage, Campbell dropped in the hole to carry a seam route, breaking up the pass on a play that not many linebackers can make.
Why Eagles’ Jihaad Campbell-Zack Baun combo is Vic Fangio’s newest weapon – The Athletic
Last season, Fangio was able to confuse opposing offensive lines by shifting the front just before the snap. When offensive lines see the front, they make adjustments and calls at the line of scrimmage, but when the picture changes right before the snap, they must quickly make mental adjustments and may not have time to communicate. Baun’s ability to play off-ball and on the edge was vital to making this work. With Campbell, they have two players who can move on and off the line of scrimmage. Campbell fulfilled the edge role against the Cowboys. The Eagles shifted their front 12 times. Campbell moved onto the line of scrimmage each time. Why Campbell on Thursday and never Baun? Fangio said Baun is “more capable of handling the middle part” of the linebacker job. Campbell is gifted — but still a rookie. He has yet to earn Fangio’s trust that he can handle the off-ball spot alone. Fangio’s trust in Dean last season enabled Baun to play along the edge. After Dean’s injury, Fangio kept Baun off-ball and moved backup Oren Burks to the edge. That means there is still plenty of room before the Eagles’ linebackers hit their schematic ceiling. Having two flexible linebackers affords a distinct luxury. King said in training camp that the Eagles “can be very, very multiple” and “versatile” with their defensive calls. That, of course, is dependent on Campbell’s development as an off-ball linebacker.
AFC playoff race: How Bills, Ravens, Chiefs, Chargers stack up – ESPN
Even if the oft-injured Brown stays healthy, I’m not sure there’s a player in the lineup who the Chiefs can rely on as their winner on third down. Worthy is going to try to play through his dislocated shoulder in a brace, but it’s obviously difficult to imagine he will be anything close to 100 percent dealing with his injury. And while Kelce caught a 37-yard touchdown pass against the Chargers, it was schemed up for him as part of a fake screen-and-go concept. The 35-year-old tight end otherwise had one catch for 10 yards on 32 routes after ranking last in ESPN’s receiver scores among all players in 2024. Unless the Kelce of a few years ago is going to suddenly appear, I don’t think the Chiefs can count on him to create openings and carry the offense on third down. And though they have shifted toward larger personnel groupings after trading away Hill, the Chargers were able to bottle up those 12 and 13 personnel packages on Friday. By the NFL Next Gen Stats EPA model, the Chiefs succeeded on only 21% of their snaps out of 12 and 13 personnel against the Chargers, down from a 49% success rate on those snaps during the 2024 regular season.
Eagles Film Review: Za’Darius Smith is exactly the kind of pass rusher this team needed – BGN
Za’Darius Smith is exactly the kind of specialist pass rusher the Eagles needed to add. He gives them a dimension they simply didn’t have: a true power rusher who can collapse pockets with his bull rush, win inside against guards, and finish plays with relentless energy. On film he looks chaotic in a good way. He’s not a finesse bend-the-edge type, but a battering ram who uses strength, length, and closing burst to make life tough on offensive linemen. He fits perfectly into sub-packages on third down, where you can imagine him lined up next to Jalen Carter inside or crashing off the edge opposite Nolan Smith/Jalyx Hunt. He’s not just effective when he wins clean; he stays active and often turns effort into production with clean up sacks too.
‘Do what Tank do best:‘ How Eagles’ new running back plans to fit in – NBCSP
Most guys get traded, and they’re shocked, confused, stunned, overwhelmed. Tank Bigsby? “Nah, I was really expecting something,” he said Wednesday at his new locker at the NovaCare Complex. The Eagles acquired Bigsby, who rushed last year with Jacksonville for 766 yards, seven touchdowns and a 4.6 average, for a couple late-round picks in next year’s draft. All summer, Bigsby and Travis Etienne shared the No. 1 running back role in Jaguars camp, but in their season-opening win over the Panthers, Bigbsy played just 14 snaps and got five carries for 12 yards and Etienne played 40 snaps and ran 16 times for 143 yards and caught three passes. The writing was on the proverbial wall. “I was expecting something because of how the game went,” he said. “But I was happy. I was like, ‘OK, let’s go’ Just get an opportunity to go do something great. So I was happy about it. I can’t sit there and complain. It’s the next opportunity. I’m with the Eagles now. Let’s go.”
New Eagles defensive end Za’Darius Smith says he still has ‘a lot more left in the tank’ – Inquirer
Smith put pads on Wednesday for the first time since Jan. 18, when the Lions were upset by the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs. He was a free agent and trained at home in Orlando, Fla., fielding calls from multiple teams, he said. The plan was always to play. “I’m not hanging it up yet,” Smith said. “I’ve got a lot more left in the tank.” Smith’s numbers haven’t necessarily been in decline. He pressured the quarterback on 15% of his pass rushing snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus, a higher rate than Josh Sweat, whom the Eagles lost via free agency, and Nolan Smith, who is at the top of the depth chart for the Eagles. Za’Darius Smith said he chose to sign with the Eagles after seeking advice from his friends around the league. The Eagles offer a chance for him to play for a winner and help younger players come along.
Spadaro: Howie Roseman remains active – PE.com
Howie Roseman isn’t finished. Howie Roseman is NEVER finished. He is somewhere, at this very moment, checking his cell phone, consulting with his Eagles personnel department, considering scenarios, trying to answer the question he asks himself over and over and over again: “What can I do to improve this roster?” Doesn’t matter what time of the year it is – Roseman’s brain is always working. He is always challenging the roster. “It’s all I think about all the time. I’m thinking about what we’re going to do next year in August,” Roseman said as the Eagles prepared for Super Bowl LIX. “I’m thinking about what 2026 looks like, what 2027 looks like every night when I go to bed. So, it doesn’t really change. That’s my role.”
NFL Fantasy 2025 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Wide receivers for Week 2 – NFL.com
With Rashee Rice suspended and Xavier Worthy hurt early in Week 1, “Hollywood” saw a league-high 16 targets, finishing with 19.9 fantasy points. The Chiefs are going to have to put up points this week, and the Eagles are extremely tough against the run and tight ends. Brown should once again see a lot of volume go his way. That has him in play.
What’s Real and What’s Not From NFL Week 1? – The Ringer
The offense should be fine going forward, even if the deep-ball problem doesn’t go away, but I’m not sure that Steve Spagnuolo’s defense will be OK. The unit struggled in many of the same ways it did a season ago. It showed that it can still beat up a power-run game in a phone booth, but the pass defense had no answer for Justin Herbert. The pass rush failed to get home without extra rushers and creative pressure, and they left too many receivers open downfield. Over the past few seasons Kansas City has lost a lot of talent in its secondary—L’Jarius Sneed, Justin Reid, and Tyrann Mathieu—and the front office has yet to find adequate replacements. Defensive success now seems to be entirely contingent on Chris Jones having a dominant day. Jones remains one of the NFL’s best interior pass rushers, but that’s a lot of pressure to put on a 31-year-old defensive tackle. It’s also a lot of pressure to put on Spagnuolo, whose schemes can make up for only so much. The same can be said of Mahomes and Reid on the other side of the ball. I wouldn’t bury the Chiefs after an opening week loss against a quarterback who put on a virtuoso performance, but they no longer look like a lock for a spot in the AFC championship game. Forget about teams like the Bills, Ravens, and Bengals. Kansas City could have trouble holding on to the top spot in its own division after getting outclassed by the Chargers.
Patrick Mahomes: It sucks to lose the Super Bowl, but you have to watch and learn from it – PFT
Back in February, the Eagles put together a dominant performance over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. Now the two teams will meet again on Sunday for a rematch — albeit with much lower stakes. In his Wednesday press conference, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes was asked how much he watched the Super Bowl on his own in the weeks after the 40-22 loss. “Yeah, I mean, I’ll watch every game after, so you have to learn from it,” Mahomes said. “I mean, it sucks that you lose the game, but in order to progress and to be better next time, you have to watch and learn from it. And so, I don’t know the exact amount of times, but you watch it, and then you watch it in the offseason with the team and with the coaches, and then you watch it obviously this week as well.
Can the Chiefs overcome their Week 1 issues? – Arrowhead Pride
Let’s acknowledge the obvious: the Kansas City Chiefs’ season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday night was a big disappointment. The offense had an eerie resemblance to the unit most of us did not particularly enjoy watching last year. Meanwhile, the defense was unrecognizable. That wasn’t a good thing. But over the long term, how much does that matter? I certainly don’t believe the loss was a complete one-off — but I also don’t believe the sky is falling. The answer – as usual – lies somewhere in between. Let’s begin with the offense. This part of the team was supposed to look and feel different in 2025. The offensive line had an offseason makeover. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes finally had running back Isiah Pacheco — along with wide receivers Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy — on the field together at full health. Wideout Rashee Rice was set to join them in six weeks. But on Friday night, things changed quickly. Worthy went down with a shoulder injury three plays into the game. The offense suddenly looked like a mirror image of the unit we saw a year ago, but with Worthy swapped out for Brown and two new starters on the left side of the offensive line.
Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, and 3 more NFL teams feeling the pressure in Week 2 – SB Nation
The Chiefs followed their Super Bowl loss to the Eagles, with a tough 27-21 defeat to AFC West rival, the Los Angeles Chargers, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. That’s a long flight home after that type of loss. The Chiefs fought hard and could have won. But Patrick Mahomes’ already thin group of weapons took a hit when wide receiver Xavier Worthy was lost after a friendly-fire collision with Travis Kelce. Plus, the Chiefs’ defense was uncharacteristically out of sync. Now, the Chiefs are tasked with a Super Bowl rematch with the powerful Eagles at home in Week 2. This is a tough, tough challenge. If the Chiefs aren’t up to it, they will fall to 0-2 and could be on the brink of a serious Super Bowl hangover season in a division where the three other teams started 1-0. This feels like must-win territory for Andy Reid and Mahomes.
Commanders vs Packers Wednesday Injury Report: Two players questionable – Hogs Haven
The Washington Commanders listed two players as questionable for tomorrow night’s game against the Green Bay Packers. Tress Way suffered a back injury when he was hit by Giants rookie LB Abdul Carter on a punt attempt. He punted at yesterday’s practice, but was listed as limited. The Commanders signed a punter to the practice squad earlier today. Head coach Dan Quinn said that was a precautionary move on a short week, and his concern for Way’s health and availability was lower today.
Cowboys CB DaRon Bland could miss multiple weeks with foot injury – Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys are looking to win their first game of the season against the New York Giants on Sunday. Unfortunately, one member of their secondary likely won’t be available. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, cornerback DaRon Bland could miss a few weeks with a foot injury that he suffered in practice on Monday.
Giants injury news: LT Andrew Thomas not practicing – Big Blue View
New York Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas, continuing to try and work his way back from Lisfranc surgery that derailed his 2024 season after six games, did not practice on Wednesday as the Giants prepared for a Week 2 game against the Dallas Cowboys. Head coach Brian Daboll said Thomas’s absence was part of the team’s plan as Thomas continues his recovery. While Daboll said the plan is for Thomas to practice the next two days, skipping Wednesday’s workout can’t be a good sign for his availability vs. Dallas. Thomas, of course, did not play in the season-opener against the Washington Commanders.
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