NFL Week 2: How to watch and Sunday’s top picks
By Hannah Brewitt, CNN
(CNN) — The NFL season is in full swing. After an opening week filled with both excitement and disappointment, Week 2 began on Thursday with the Philadelphia Eagles’ victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
The action continues this weekend with six divisional matchups, two 2022 playoff rematches, and a Monday Night Football double-header. Here’s everything you need to know:
Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. CBS
Sunday afternoon features an AFC North showdown between Joe Burrow’s Bengals and Lamar Jackon’s Ravens.
Cincinnati is looking to escape a 2-0 start to the season, while the Ravens are hoping to establish themselves as legitimate contenders against the two-time division champions.
The Bengals had one of the most disappointing performances of Week 1 – Burrow played arguably the worst game of his career, passing for a career-low 82 yards and getting sacked twice during the 24-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
While a sluggish start to the season is never ideal, the Bengals are in familiar territory. In 2022, Cincinnati opened the season with back-to-back single-digit losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. They then went on to complete a 12-4 regular season and made it to the AFC championship.
The biggest challenge for the Ravens will be overcoming injuries. Baltimore will be minus four starters. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Marcus Williams have been ruled out on the defensive side. Ronnie Stanley and Tyler Linderbaum, two of Baltimore’s best offensive linemen, will also be sidelined. Without Stanley and Linderbaum, the Raven’s backup offensive linemen could be the difference-makers in this matchup.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m., CBS
Defending Super Bowl champions Chiefs will meet a familiar foe in Week 2. The teams met two times last season, with Kansas City securing two victories. The second of those came in the AFC Divisional round, a heartbreaking loss for the Jaguars that ended their most successful season since 2017.
Two key pieces of the Chiefs roster should be making their season debuts against the Jaguars. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on Friday he expects star tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones to be active on Sunday.
Kelce missed the season opener against the Lions due to a hyper-extended knee, Jones missed the season opener because his contract details had not been finalized. Those two players will significantly improve Kansas City’s chances.
Former Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson and third-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence lead the charge out of Jacksonville.
Lawrence’s go-to target in Week 1 was wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who saw 11 targets and caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown in his Jaguars debut. The duo make Jacksonville a stronger offensive unit than in 2022.
New York Jets @ Dallas Cowboys, 4.25 p.m., CBS
The New York Jets’ most highly-anticipated season in recent history began disastrously as four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon just four snaps into his debut.
The squad managed to squeak out an overtime win, shining a beam of hope on an otherwise discouraging evening. Week 2 begins a new chapter as the Jets travel to Texas to face one of the top defensive units in the NFL.
The Cowboys’ season opener could not have gone any better as Dallas served a 40-0 drubbing to the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football.
Led by defensive powerhouses Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, the Cowboys are likely chomping at the bit to ruin the Jets’ backup quarterback Zach Wilson’s first showing as Rodgers’ successor.
Wilson enters the matchup with a dismal 8-14 record as a starter. He’s thrown more interceptions than touchdowns and has a completion percentage of just 55%. The 24-year-old will have his work cut out for him, facing a defense that just last week racked up seven sacks, 12 QB hits, and a pick-six against Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.
Monday Night Football double-header
Closing out Week 2, Monday Night Football will feature two games on separate networks with staggered kickoff times. New Orleans at Carolina kicks off at 7:15 p.m. on ESPN, and Cleveland at Pittsburgh begins at 8:15 p.m. on ABC.
For fans concerned about missing any action while the games overlap, both broadcasters will keep viewers in the loop with what is happening on the other network.
Beginning at 8:15 p.m, the broadcasts will periodically activate double-box views and alternate score boxes, as well as provide halftime updates of the other matchup.
The Monday Night Football double-feature is the first of three this season, occurring again in Week 3 and Week 14.
Schedule
Sunday
Green Bay Packers @ Atlanta Falcons, 1:00 p.m. ET
Las Vegas Raiders @ Buffalo Bills, 1:00 p.m. ET
Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00 p.m. ET
Seattle Seahawks @ Detroit Lions, 1:00 p.m. ET
Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans, 1:00 p.m. ET
Kansas City @ Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00 p.m. ET
Chicago Bears @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:00 p.m. ET
Los Angeles @ Tennessee Titans, 1:00 p.m. ET
New York Giants @ Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET
San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 p.m. ET
New York Jets @ Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. ET
Washington Commanders @ Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET
Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots, 8:20 P.M. ET
Monday
New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers, 7:15 p.m. ET
Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:15 p.m. ET
How to Watch
Here’s how to catch these teams in action, from wherever you are.
Australia: NFL+, ESPN, 7Plus
Brazil: NFL+, ESPN
Canada: NFL+, CTV, TSN, RDS
Germany: NFL+, ProSieben MAXX, DAZN
Mexico: NFL+, TUDN, ESPN, Fox Sports, Sky Sports
UK: NFL+, Sky Sports, ITV, Channel 5
US: NFL+, CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN, Amazon Prime
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
