NFL’s 10 most important people in Week 2
Each week, Yardbarker highlights the most important people leading into the week’s NFL games.
From players to coaches and beyond, here are the 10 most important people to keep an eye on in Week 2.
QB Malik Willis | Green Bay PackersThe Tennessee Titans traded Willis to Green Bay in late August for a seventh-round pick. The Packers saw something in the third-round pick, but they never envisioned starting him in the second game of the season.Â
Franchise quarterback Jordan Love suffered an MCL sprain in the final seconds of Green Bay’s 34-29 Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Love’s injury is expected to keep him out for three to six weeks, so Willis is expected to start Sunday at home against the 0-1 Indianapolis Colts.Â
Willis, now in his third NFL season, has 350 career passing yards, zero passing touchdowns, three interceptions and a 52.2% completion rate. The former Liberty star has fared better as a runner (144 career rushing yards and one TD on 32 attempts). Â
RB Jordan Mason | San Francisco 49ers On Friday, RB Christian McCaffrey was ruled out for Sunday’s game at Minnesota because of a calf/Achilles injury. That means Jordan Mason will tote rock as lead back for the 49ers.Â
On Monday night, Mason was incredible against the Jets, rushing for 147 yards on 28 carries with one rushing TD, but that’s not a load running backs can carry consistently.Â
In Week 1, the Vikings held New York Giants lead running back Devin Singletary to just 37 yards.
QB Derek Carr | New Orleans SaintsIn New Orleans’ 47-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, Carr was nearly perfect, showing great arm strength and accuracy (19-of-23 for 200 yards with three passing touchdowns).Â
Some will dismiss Carr’s performance because it was against the lowly Panthers, which is why it’s important for he and New Orleans’ offense to keep things humming Sunday on the road against the Dallas Cowboys, a much tougher opponent.
If Carr and the Saints outduel quarterback Dak Prescott, who’s now the highest-paid player in NFL history, it could indicate the Saints are playoff contenders after going 9-8 last season.Â
RB Derrick Henry | Baltimore RavensIn Week 1, the Ravens were playing from behind for much of their 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, limiting the production and workload of Henry (13 carries for 46 yards, one rushing TD).Â
Henry should have more success at home Sunday against a Las Vegas Raiders team that Los Angeles Chargers back J.K. Dobbins carved up in Week 1 (136 yards, one score on 10 carries). Henry’s 3.5 yards per carry against the Chiefs were far below his career average of 4.7. Things should get better for Henry soon.Â
QB Joe Burrow | Cincinnati BengalsThe biggest upset of Week 1 was New England’s 16-10 win over the Bengals. Burrow and the entire Bengals offense had a poor afternoon, with the fifth-year QB going 21-of-29 for 164 yards and getting sacked three times. Burrow looked like a QB shaking off rust after a wrist injury sidelined him for the last seven games last season.Â
Burrow is 3-1 against Mahomes and the Chiefs, but it’ll be another long day for the Bengals if he can’t get it going quickly against a great defense.
HC Robert Saleh | New York Jets
The lofty expectations and hopes of a long playoff run could come to a screeching halt if the Jets (0-1) don’t win at home against the Tennessee Titans. Saleh, now in his fourth year as Jets head coach, has an 18-34 record with the franchise and no winning seasons.Â
The Jets have a 13-year playoff drought, and if that doesn’t change this season, Saleh will be a goner.
QB Kirk Cousins | Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta invested in the quarterback position heavily this offseason, signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed. Then they drafted Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick.
Cousins’ Week 1 performance (155 yards passing) in Atlanta’s 18-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers had many wondering if he’s still limited by an Achilles injury suffered last season. Cousins threw for just 19 yards in the second half and tossed two interceptions overall.
On Monday night, the Falcons play at the 1-0 Eagles, a team Cousins is 0-2 against the past two seasons with five TD passes and three interceptions.
WR Cooper Kupp | Los Angeles Rams Rams wideout Puka Nacua will miss the next four games after his placement on injured reserve. He was injured in the first half against the Detroit Lions, paving the way for a big performance from Kupp, who had 21 targets, 14 receptions, 110 yards and one touchdown
Kupp is on pace for more than 350 targets this season, an unfathomable and unsustainable number. Former Colts star and Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison holds the record for most targets in a season with 205.
In Week 2, the Rams play at Arizona.
QB Caleb Williams | Chicago Bears Per the Associated Press, Williams is the first No. 1 overall pick to win his debut since David Carr in 2002, but the rookie didn’t play well in Chicago’s 24-17 win over Tennessee, going 14-of-29 for 92 yards. He was the only starting QB to throw for less than 100 yards in Week 1.
Bears fans are happy to have a franchise quarterback and a 1-0 record, but they expect much more from  Williams, who faces his first road test Sunday at Houston.Â
QB Bo Nix | Denver BroncosNot only did the Broncos lose to the Seattle Seahawks 26-20, but the rookie first-round pick looked like the speed of the NFL might overwhelm him. He went 26-of-42 for 138 yards with two interceptions. Nix averaged 3.3 yards per attempt, tied for the sixth-lowest YPA in any game with at least 40 pass attempts since the NFL/AFL merger.Â
On Sunday at home, Nix gets the Steelers defense, which has at least one star at every level.
