Week 1 is about first impressions. Week 2 is when those impressions start getting tested. With two weeks of the 2026 NFL season now in the books, opinions are being either hastily revised or reinforced.
For several teams, opening day could be categorized as a glorious day and a sign of great optimism, while others felt the painful feeling of "here we go again". Just seven days later, the glory could be replaced by a sense of reality, while the doom could be seen as a mere bump in the road. Here are two teams that fought back in Week 2 and two others that crashed back to Earth.
Winners and losers from Week 2 of the 2026 NFL Season
2026 Week 2 Winner: Cleveland Browns
Todd Monken's press conference certainly spoke volumes, but realistically, it was the play on the field that said a lot about the Browns. At least for a week, they don't have to be the main ingredient of NFL jokes, although it won't be long before they return to reality. What makes this even more shocking is how well Deshaun Watson played. Had this been the norm since Watson first received the enormous contract that Cleveland gave him when he got traded there from Houston, Browns fans would have been rather pleased.
The Browns have a date with Carolina next and the Panthers are coming off a drubbing of the Falcons, who might just the roguhest quarterback room in the NFC anx arguably in the NFL, and will likely be looking towards April for their next leader. Perhaps Matt Ryan, the team's president of football operations, can use that power, or does that fall on Ian Cunningham, the general manager? Either way, Cleveland doesn't care about that. They just need to beat Carolina, and if they do, the positive vibes could go a long way in determing how the year plays out.
2026 Week 2 Winner: Minnesota Vikings
Isaiah Rodgers may have paid tribute to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, but the real winners, besides the Vikings of course, is defensive coordinator Brian Flores. To hold a Chicago Bears offense that scored 59 points in Week 1 to just three in Week 2 is impeccable. Forget about the weather conditions; it still happened regardless, and more importantly, it gave Flores more credibility towards becoming a head coach.
However, because of other issues, it is possible that Flores will remain a defensive coordiantor, and that spells doom in the NFC North. Kevin O'Connell certainly isn't afraid of keeping him around, and neither is Carson Wentz, who was able to guide the men in Purple to a win, alebit 9-3. Now, at 2-0, Minnesota sits atop the NFC North, a feeling not many expected. Perhaps O'Connell does have something that leads to success, a franchise defensive coordinator.
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