NFL Week 2: Best players from early slate of games

The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys got their first wins of the season while Aaron Rodgers lost his first game as a Steeler, and the Bears floundered for the second consecutive week. 

There were plenty of good players from the first slate of games of the day. Here are three players who stood out.

Jared Goff

There were questions surrounding Goff heading into the game with the Bears. Was he the same without former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who is now the head coach of the Bears? Goff silenced the critics in Week 2. He was in 2024-2025 form, as he went 23 of 28 for 334 yards and five touchdown passes to lead the Lions to a 52-21 rout of Johnson and the Bears. It was the first time in 11 years that the Bears defense allowed 50 points since November 2014. So that should at least for one week put the calls of Goff's demise on hold.

Amon-Ra St. Brown

While Goff threw those five touchdowns, he accomplished the feat by doing so with three different players. Three of them went to St. Brown, who had nine receptions for 115 yards. In the first games of the day that was the most touchdowns for a non-quarterback. St. Brown has really come into his own and is Detroit's best receiver and Goff's most reliable weapon.

Brandon Aubrey

People will question why we'd put a field goal on this list, considering there were other players who played well in the opening games.

It's quite simple, actually. Aubrey made the biggest difference and delivered in the clutch as the Cowboys needed him to come through, and the former professional soccer player did so in spades. Down 37-34 and staring 0-2 record directly in the face, Aubrey boomed a 64-yarder to send the game to overtime. Then, after a Prescott 14-yard scramble to put Aubrey in a better spot than in regulation, the 30-year-old nailed a 46-yarder at the end of the game to give the Cowboys a 40-37 victory over the Giants. 

Aubrey has the strongest leg in the NFL, and now you could put him high in one of the most reliable kickers in quite some time.

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