Week 2 offered the first chance to see which opening-week performances were meaningful and which were complete mirages.Although, thanks to confirmation bias, nothing that happened probably changed anyone's opinion (including mine).Below, you will find my biggest takeaway from each game on the Week 2 Sunday slate.Takeaway: Don't sleep on the Panthers offense.Carolina gave up 59 points to Chicago in Week 1, which overshadowed a solid offensive performance of their own.
The Panthers scored 37 points and gained 478 yards of offense against the Bears.Of course, the defensive no-show made it all for naught.
But after another 30+ point performance, suddenly it looks like Bryce Young's step forward in 2025 wasn't a fluke and he might be taking another step in 2026.ATLANTA FALCONS ARE DEALING WITH THE WORST QUARTERBACK SITUATION IN THE NFL AND IT ISN'T EVEN CLOSETakeaway: The Saints are a really fun team to watch.Last week, New Orleans nearly pulled off a massive upset of the Detroit Lions but fell just short.This week, they didn't let the opportunity slip away.
More importantly, at least for general NFL fans, this team is fun.Tyler Shough, coming off a fan-voted Rookie of the Year season, doesn't look like a one-hit wonder.
If Chris Olave can stay healthy, Saints-Panthers might be must-watch TV and that's not something I ever thought I'd type.Tyler Shough and Chris Olave have made the New Orleans Saints a fun team to watch in 2026.(Getty Images)Takeaway: What a difference a week makes.A week ago, pundits were declaring that the 2026 Chicago Bears offense might be one of the greatest of all time.
That was..premature.
Now, there's nothing more important than the health of quarterback Caleb Williams, who was carted off the field in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.But Chicago didn't look great even when Williams was in the game.
Weather was a factor, of course, but the two teams that scored 98 points combined in Week 1 only mustered 12 in Week 2.Takeaway: If t...