The 10 best NFL player matchups to watch in Week 2

• Ja'Marr Chase dukes it out with Derek Stingley Jr.: The former LSU stars should engage in a physical matchup in Houston.

• Alex Highsmith takes on Will Campbell: The Patriots‘ touted tackle meets a disruptive force off the edge.

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The 2026 NFL season got off to a rip-roaring start. From star players dominating to multiple contenders slipping up, it already felt like midseason.

Individual player matchups were also at the forefront of significant results in Week 1. Consider 49ers tackle Trent Williams permitting only one pressure against Rams edge defender Myles Garrett across 12 pass-rushing matchups. Williams’ ability to neutralize Garrett certainly helped San Francisco dominate Los Angeles in Melbourne.

As the calendar flips to Week 2, more enticing showdowns are emerging between some of the NFL’s best talents. Here are 10 highlights to watch throughout all of the action this weekend.

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Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase vs. Houston Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr.

Bengals-Texans should be a very entertaining game. Houston looks to avoid an 0-2 start against an upstart Cincinnati team, putting two great units head-to-head in the Bengals’ offense vs. the Texans’ defense. The cherry on top is certainly Chase vs. Stingley.

Chase had a very quiet day in Week 1, catching just two passes for 12 yards on four targets. He finished with a 55.3 PFF receiving grade and just 0.33 yards per route run against the Buccaneers — his lowest mark since Week 11, 2023.

Meanwhile, Stingley was also much worse than we’re accustomed to seeing to start the year. The All-Pro was torched by the Bills, finishing with a 46.1 PFF coverage grade after letting up four catches for 68 yards on six targets.

Can Stingley and the Texans’ stout defense get back to form in a must-win game, or will Chase start to explode against one of the game’s best? It doesn’t get much better than this duel between former LSU teammates.

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Jacksonville Jaguars EDGE Josh Hines-Allen vs. Denver Broncos T Garett Bolles

Jaguars-Broncos is the biggest game on the Week 2 slate as the Broncos hope to finally prevail against what’s turning into a wagon of a Jacksonville unit. At the forefront of the game is Hines-Allen vs. Bolles.

Hines-Allen looked like himself against the Browns, tallying five pressures and two sacks on 22 pass-rushing snaps to begin the new year. He earned a 77.3 PFF pass-rush grade and a 15% pass-rush win rate. Impressively, all of Hines-Allen’s pressures came on true pass sets.

Almost nothing went right for the Broncos on Monday night, but Bolles was sound in pass protection. The 2025 first-team All-Pro didn’t allow a pressure on 35 pass-blocking opportunities against the Chiefs.

When Jacksonville beat Denver in Week 16 of last season, Bolles and Hines-Allen faced off on 17 pass-rushing matchups. Bolles was triumphant, giving up only one pressure in that span. Denver will need a repeat from its star tackle if it wants to avenge that defeat.

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New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave vs. Baltimore Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey

Saints-Ravens has the propensity to be a sneakily fun game on Sunday afternoon. New Orleans aims to slay a sleeping dragon and get its first win of the year — a matchup in which the team’s best receiver will face a lockdown corner.

Fresh off a lucrative extension, Olave flourished against the Lions. He caught 10 of 13 targets for 182 yards, compiling an 81.5 PFF receiving grade in the process. Olave’s 18.4-yard average depth of target underscores how the Saints tried to leverage him downfield in Detroit.

Meanwhile, Humphrey responded to a down 2025 season in a big way against the Colts. The former All-Pro produced a 92.8 PFF coverage grade — the best among any corner thus far — allowing only three catches for 29 yards versus a talented Indianapolis receiving corps.

With Humphrey returning to a full-time perimeter role in Week 1, we should see plenty of these two great players all afternoon from M&T Bank Stadium.

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Las Vegas Raiders EDGE Maxx Crosby vs. Los Angeles Chargers T Joe Alt

The Chargers will try to get back on track against the Raiders after a disappointing upset at the hands of the Cardinals in Week 1. In order to do so, Alt will have to be at his best against Crosby.

Crosby was as dominant as usual in Week 1 against the Dolphins. The game-wrecker racked up eight pressures and a stop against Miami, finishing with a 90.5 overall PFF grade.

In his first game after a season-ending ankle injury, Alt also played well. The talented tackle didn’t surrender a pressure over 39 pass-blocking snaps against Arizona.

When the Raiders and Chargers met in Week 2 of last season, these stalwarts only faced off on two pass-rushing matchups with Alt kicking over to left tackle. They should encounter each other far more this time around in a battle for 60 minutes.

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New York Giants WR Malik Nabers vs. Los Angeles Rams CB Trent McDuffie

Monday night’s showdown is sneakily a big one. The Rams hope to play in much greater rhythm against a Giants team with momentum. This game incorporates several fascinating player matchups, but none better than this.

Nabers made his return from an early-season torn ACL and was effective. Against Dallas, he caught six of nine targets for 69 yards, compiling a 71.0 overall PFF grade with 2.88 yards per route run.

While Los Angeles’ defense experienced a cataclysmic opener, McDuffie was the exception. In his Rams debut, McDuffie made his presence felt against both the pass and run to earn an 83.4 overall PFF grade.

Given the Rams’ zone-heavy approach against the 49ers — deploying such looks on 84.6% of defensive snaps — it’s possible we’ll see Nabers rotate against both McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Nonetheless, the snaps between these two players will be a great war.

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Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE Alex Highsmith vs. New England Patriots T Will Campbell

The Steelers meet the Patriots for the second straight year in a game between teams looking to return to the postseason. New England seeks its first victory of the year — and holding up against Pittsburgh’s front will be paramount.

T.J. Watt stole the show in Week 1, but Highsmith was still prototypically disruptive. Against the Falcons, he netted an 81.8 overall PFF grade with two sacks and three defensive stops, consistently giving trouble to veteran Jake Matthews.

Campbell answered the bell against Seattle after floundering in Super Bowl 60. The second-year tackle did give up a sack, but it was one of just two pressures allowed on 44 pass-blocking snaps. Against a defensive line that formidable, those are strong results for Campbell, who played with better strength than seven months prior.

New Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham rotated defensive linemen more than usual, not to mention moved Watt over the left tackle more — which means we could see Campbell face Watt, Highsmith and Nick Herbig on Sunday. Yet his primary opponent should be Highsmith, which means a contest with one of the game’s more underrated defensive players.

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Carolina Panthers Dl Derrick Brown vs. Atlanta Falcons G Chris Lindstrom

The Panthers and Falcons would both like a do-over of Week 1, albeit for drastically different reasons. The NFC South rivals meeting in Week 2 means we’ll be treated to a showdown between these two giants in the trenches.

Brown was limited against the Bears’ top-tier offensive line. The Panthers defensive lineman did compile four pressures and three stops, but his 31.7 overall PFF grade was the ninth-worst of any qualifier at the position in Week 1.

Lindstrom had an up-and-down day against Pittsburgh’s powerful defensive line. While the guard earned a 72.3 PFF run-blocking grade, he let up a pressure and was called for a penalty. That resulted in a 49.3 PFF pass-blocking mark.

Lindstrom had the major advantage in this duel a year ago. The elite guard gave up only one pressure on 34 pass-blocking matchups with Brown, not to mention won 27% of run plays as well.

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Pittsburgh Steelers WR D.K. Metcalf vs. New England Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez

Highsmith vs. Campbell isn’t the only showcase to pay attention to in New England, where this clash on the outside is also intriguing.

Point blank, Metcalf struggled in Week 1. While he gained separation, the veteran caught just four of nine targets for 40 yards, dropping one pass and having multiple others in and out of his hands. Altogether, Metcalf averaged 0.95 yards per route run and recorded a 57.6 passer rating when targeted.

By comparison, Gonzalez was sharp in the season opener against the Seahawks. The newly minted highest-paid cornerback generated an 86.2 PFF coverage grade, permitting only four yards on five targets.

Gonzalez very much handled Jaxon Smith-Njigba when the two were aligned. Now, the Patriots’ stud will get another test in the physical Metcalf — whom Gonzalez missed when Pittsburgh visited New England in Week 3 of last season.

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Denver Broncos WR Jaylen Waddle vs. Jacksonville Jaguars CB Jourdan Lewis

The Jaguars’ offense vs. the Broncos’ defense will be must-see television. But as is clear from this article, don’t sleep on Denver’s offense against Jacksonville’s defense, either.

Waddle’s Broncos debut simply didn’t go as planned. The speedy wideout caught just one pass for two yards against the Chiefs, including dropping one of his other two targets. Waddle’s 46.9 overall PFF grade was actually the worst of his six-year career.

Lewis may lack the recognition of others on this list, but he’s rounded into a very quality cover corner in the slot. However, he too had problems against the Browns in allowing two catches for 37 yards, finishing with a 118.0 passer rating when targeted.

Will Waddle find his rhythm to lift a beleaguered Denver offense, or will Lewis perform like his peak self to give the Jaguars another edge? Keep a close eye on the slot in this late-afternoon contest, especially after Waddle took 65.5% of snaps there in Week 1.

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New Orleans Saints EDGE Chase Young vs. Baltimore Ravens T Ronnie Stanley

The Saints’ defense has the tall task of slowing down Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and the Ravens’ potent offense in Week 2. That’s where Young will have to come into the fold against a good left tackle.

Young produced only a 57.2 overall PFF grade against the Lions, largely due to some issues in run defense. But he was effective as a pass-rusher, churning out two pressures on 27 pass-rush snaps with an 18.5% pass-rush win rate — all of which came against Penei Sewell at left tackle.

On the flip side, Stanley started more slowly against the Colts. The veteran yielded a sack and two pressures, and his 5.9% positively graded run block rate placed 26^th out of 33 qualifying left tackles.

If Young can continue to generate knockback against Stanley, it would certainly lift New Orleans’ chances of affecting Jackson — and thereby increasing the Saints’ win probability in Baltimore.