EAST LANSING: A fascinating Week two of NFL action is now in the rearview, and the perception of all 32 teams has changed drastically since last week. Some teams dazzled and took home a crucial victory, others fell painstakingly, and others saw their stars of the future show glimpses of their immense potential. Here are five of the most enthralling storylines from the Week 2 slate, and their implications on not only Week 3 but the rest of the regular season. 

Injuries Galore 

Though associated with the dangers of pro football, the most gut-wrenching thing for an NFL fan to watch is a rising star getting injured.

The injury bug took its next victim early on Thursday night after Dolphins gunslinger Tua Tagovailoa suffered his fourth concussion in five seasons dating back to his collegiate tenure at Alabama.

Skylar Thompson is in line to start Miami’s Week Four contest with Seattle, though the recently-signed Tyler “Snoop” Huntley could line up under center for the Dolphins as an alternative option. 

The injury bug also depleted the Los Angeles Rams, as Puka Nacua was placed on injured reserve due to a PCL sprain in his knee days before the Rams suffered a 41-10 blowout at the hands of their NFC West rival Cardinals. 

Cooper Kupp, the other Pro Bowl wideout in the City of Angels suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter and did not return. The severity of the 2022 Super Bowl MVP injury is unknown to this point, but with the Rams 0-2, things are looking gloomy for Sean McVay’s squad. 

Staying in the NFC West, San Francisco saw one of the most talented skill position groups quickly grow shorthanded. Star running back Christian McCaffrey was placed on IR with Achilles tendonitis, whereas Deebo Samuel was ruled out for the foreseeable future with a calf strain for the reigning NFC Champions. 

Other superstars around the league who were banged up on Sunday include Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, who was placed on IR with a fractured fibula and left Arrowhead Stadium in a walking boot following the Chiefs win, and Justin Jefferson, who injured his quadricep in Minnesota’s victory.

If you’re a fantasy football manager, odds are your team was hit with some potentially significant blows due to injuries, which have been more frequent early on in 2024.

Sizzling Saints Thrash Dallas

After longtime Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael was fired in January, promising offensive mind Klint Kubiak was swiftly hired to fill the OC vacancy in the Big Easy. 

Kubiak, another branch of the storied Kyle Shanahan coaching tree that has seen sustained success upon leaving the 49ers, with the likes of Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur, Mike McDaniel, and Bobby Slowik among Shanahan’s most successful disciples. 

Taking over a Saints offense that was consistently around league average under Carmichael has been rejuvenated through two weeks of the season as the Saints are leading the NFL in both points (91) and points per game (45.5) on the heels of sizzling offensive performances. 

Following a dominant Week one performance in a victory over the Panthers, the Saints kept their foot on the gas going into Week two. On the road, New Orleans decimated the Dallas Cowboys, 44-19 behind four total touchdowns from star running back Alvin Kamara, but not without relief from quarterback Derek Carr. 

Carr, against one of the NFL’s best defenses, threw long touchdowns of 57 and 70 yards and helped the Saints establish themselves as legitimate NFC contenders for the first time since joining New Orleans in free agency after the 2022 season.

Having thrown for 243 yards and two scores, Carr is the current NFL leader with a 96.1 quarterback rating (QBR), all while Chris Olave has not been a pivotal part of the offensive game plan.

With the Saints sitting at 2-0 with the Philadelphia Eagles looming, the dazzling defensive performance and the surging offense are set to face their toughest test to date, especially as the NFC South arms race will continue to heat up between the Saints and the also-undefeated Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All signs point to a return to the postseason on tap down in the bayou. 

Rookie Receivers Arrive

In a 2024 NFL Draft home to one of the deepest offensive draft classes in recent memory, which saw 14 straight offensive players be drafted before the first defender was selected. 

The first two wide receivers off the board during April’s draft both experienced breakthrough performances in the same afternoon.

On the heels of a spectacular tenure at Ohio State, Marvin Harrison Jr was touted as a generational receiver prospect and arguably the best since Calvin Johnson. In his NFL debut, Harrison struggled, hauling in just one catch for four yards on three targets.

However, the tides turned in significant fashion when the Cardinals returned home to host the Rams.

Harrison Jr, the son of NFL Hall-of-Famer Marvin Harrison, shined in his second taste of NFL action, tallying four receptions of 130 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter alone. 

Harrison Jr’s career day was the first time a rookie wideout accrued four catches and two touchdowns in the first quarter since Marvin Sr’s rookie campaign back in 1996. 

The Cardinals steamrolled the Rams, 41-10, so the Ohio State product’s historic afternoon would have been even more generational had the game script been on Arizona’s side. 

After a heavily concerning NFL debut, “Maserati Marv” reminded fans and fantasy owners that superstardom was in his future as long as he generated a consistent target share from Kyler Murray. Cardinals fans rejoice, because even better days are still on the horizon.

Back on the East Coast, LSU’s Malik Nabers was selected two picks after Harrison Jr by the New York Giants and made the most of a fruitful matchup with a porous Commanders defense.

Nabers racked up 10 catches for 127 yards and his first career touchdown on an impeccable 18 targets, instantly making his presence felt in a dormant offense for Big Blue. Nabers attained a 67% target share in just his second career NFL game, and though the Giants lost, the LSU product is taking fellow Tiger Odell Beckham Jr’s spot and is primed to be a bona fide superstar in the Big Apple. 

Between both Harrison Jr and Nabers, the NFL’s next crop of elite pass-catchers has materialized, and Rome Odunze should join the ranks soon. 

Quick Hits:

• Despite the Ravens leading 23-13 with 11 minutes to play, the Las Vegas Raiders pulled off the upset of the season so far by prevailing on the road, 26-23. With massive performances from both Brock Bowers and Davante Adams, the Raiders notched the defining victory of the Antonio Pierce era thus far.
• The Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals had yet another classic battle at Arrowhead Stadium, but a controversial pass interference on Daijahn Anthony saw the Chiefs escape with a victory and improve to 2-0. 
• On Sunday Night Football, two of the NFL’s most promising young quarterbacks faced off in CJ Stroud and 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, but two interceptions from Williams and Stroud and Nico Collins connecting for Collins’ second-straight 100-yard showing led to a 19-13 victory for the home-team Texans.
• JK Dobbins’ second-straight 100-yard rushing game strengthened his grip on the 2024 rushing crown as the Chargers beat down the Panthers, 26-3. As the Panthers started 0-2, 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young was benched in favor of Andy Dalton due to his disastrous start to the season.
• In the NFC North, the Sam Darnold-led Vikings shockingly upset the San Francisco 49ers, 23-17 and are first in the division due to a Lions home loss to Tampa Bay.