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NFL Week 2: One offense & one defense to watch
Momentum is crucial in every NFL game. The same is true week over week for teams to have a successful season. Whether that surge is coming on offense or defense, the hottest units in the NFL will shape the competitive landscape of the 2025 season.
Check in here every week and see which offenses and defenses are on a roll. Week 2 kicks off Thursday night as the Commanders and Packers link up in Green Bay.
Offense: New York Jets
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The Jets jumped out of the blocks offensively in Week 1, hanging 32 points on a strong Steelers defense. They face the Bills this week, whose defense struggled in the opener.
New York looks great running the ball. It gained 182 yards on the ground, the fourth best total of any team. Breece Hall was one of three running backs in Week 1 to go over 100 rushing yards, doing so on 5.6 yards per carry. He was second at the position in running efficiency.
Hall is a nightmare for defensive coordinators when he is this effective carrying the ball. He is excellent as a receiver, and his play will unlock the rest of the field for this offense. He will be used early against Buffalo; the Bills allowed 238 rushing yards last week.
Justin Fields is in for a great season if Week 1 is a glimpse of what's to come. He was third at quarterback in rushing yards and exceeded 15 miles per hour on eight of his carries.
Fields threw a beautiful 33-yard touchdown to Garrett Wilson, one of three total scores, and finished with a completion rate of 72.7%. If Fields maintains the poise he showed with this skill set, this offense will improve considerably.
The receiving group is the question mark ahead of Week 2 for the Jets. Last week was very concentrated with Garrett Wilson, who accounted for nearly half of the team’s receiving yardage.
He was efficient, catching seven of nine targets. If this running game continues to perform, the Jets will be less vulnerable to the imbalance of their receiving corps.
Whether or not the Jets follow up this offensive performance is a story to watch this week. The Bills had issues with a similar, but more developed, personnel group of the Ravens. Fields was protected well in Week 1. Look out for more throws from him, particularly to Breece Hall.
Defense: Washington Commanders
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The Commanders showed progress in their biggest area of defensive improvement after last season: stopping the run. They held the Giants to only 74 yards on the ground on Sunday, stuffing over 30% of New York’s rushing attempts.
The new personnel in Washington showed up. Javon Kinlaw and Will Harris both played the run well. Kinlaw had three play-stopping tackles and Harris logged fourt total tackles from different alignments. They included the defensive line, linebacker, free safety, the slot, and corner.
Bobby Wagner did not miss a tackle and led the team in the category with seven. The lift from the new guys, together with Wagner’s Hall of Fame consistency, will make a difference every week for this unit in the box.
The Commanders won with their pass rush in Week 1 to go with the tough play in the box. Washington finished with 22 total quarterback pressures, good for second overall last week. They were 26th in the NFL in the category last season.
Daron Payne was productive, tallying two sacks, a good sign after a down season in 2024. Javon Kinlaw led the team in win rate. His presence makes this pass rush deeper, and will open lanes for his teammates up front. The Commanders have a chance to improve consistency getting after the quarterback this year.
Washington defended the pass on 63% of plays last week. This is a high clip, yet it held the Giants to only four yards per play and cracked the top 10 in passing yardage allowed.
Marshon Lattimore, Will Harris, Jeremy Reaves, and Mike Sainristil limited reception rates and quarterback rating. This indicates good communication, and as they play together, this secondary will cover the field as a unit, not individually. Rookie Trey Amos had a slower debut, but should develop to protect the right side.
Washington was solid at all three levels to start, and has the players to keep it up. The defense will be tested in Week 2 against the Packers, but has an opportunity to make a statement in prime-time on Thursday night.
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