- Drake Maye delivers a big performance: The second-year quarterback earned an 83.6 overall PFF grade in Week 2, driving the Patriots to victory.
- Unlock your edge with PFF+: Access Premium Stats, dominate fantasy with in-season tools and projections and make smarter bets with the new PFF Player Prop Tool.
Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes
Green Bay Packers 27, Washington Commanders 18
Why the Packers won: First the Lions, now the Commanders: The Packers' defense has left an imprint on two of the top offenses in the NFL from a year ago. Green Bay’s pass rush, led by Micah Parsons, was the deciding factor on Thursday, registering 33 total pressures and six sacks of the Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. Parsons led the way with a 91.3 overall PFF grade, eight pressures and a sack, but this was an exceptional team performance throughout. Daniels, tasked with repeatedly navigating a muddy pocket, struggled in the face of a menacing pass rush.
Why the Commanders lost: On the other end of the Packers' excellent defensive performance were the struggles of the Commanders' offense. Washington’s offensive line was beaten up in pass protection all night, with the front responsible for 26 of Daniels’ 33 pressures and four of his six sacks. The right side of the offensive line, rookie Josh Conerly Jr. and Nick Allegretti, struggled in particular. Cornely Jr. allowed nine pressures and three sacks while committing one penalty, receiving a 20.8 PFF pass-blocking grade. Meanwhile, the veteran Allegretti surrendered eight pressures, a sack and committed two penalties while notching a 14.8 PFF pass-blocking grade.
New England Patriots 33, Miami Dolphins 27
Why the Patriots won: The Patriots are hoping for a Year 2 breakout from quarterback Drake Maye, and he delivered a strong performance against the Dolphins in Week 2. Maye earned a strong 83.6 overall PFF grade and was excellent when pushing the ball down the field, completing 4-of-5 passing attempts on passes over 10 yards for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
Why the Dolphins lost: Tua Tagovailoa was pressured on just 25.6% of his dropbacks and completed 5-of-5 such pass attempts for 52 yards, but he was sacked five times. Tagovailoa’s struggles under pressure have been long-standing. While he completed all of his attempts, Miami’s offense has often struggled to deliver in the big moments when he’s under duress due to an inability to consistently create out of the pocket.
Detroit Lions 52, Chicago Bears 21
Why the Lions won: The Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown connection looked as good as ever against the Bears, with Goff linking up with St. Brown nine times for 115 yards and three touchdowns and a 91.6 overall PFF grade for the receiver. Their chemistry has long been the sauce that stirs the drink that is the Lions' passing attack, as Goff compiled a 149.8 passer rating when targeting St. Brown.
Why the Bears lost: The Bears’ pass-rush was completely ineffective against a Lions offensive line that needed to rebound after a tough week against the Packers. Chicago’s pass rush pressured Goff on just 13.8% of his dropbacks, four times in total, while the Bears generated just five total pressures and failed to sack Goff. Allowing a quarterback of Goff’s quality ample time to work through his progressions and throw the ball without pressure is a surefire way to struggle defensively.
Cincinnati Bengals 31, Jacksonville Jaguars 27
Why the Bengals won: Jake Browning stepped in for the injured Joe Burrow to lead the Bengals to victory, and though he threw three interceptions, Browning came alive when the Jaguars elected to throw heat at him. The Jaguars blitzed Browning on 33.3% of his dropbacks, against which the backup completed 8-of-10 pass attempts for 131 yards and two touchdowns, good for a 93.2 overall PFF grade against the blitz. Browning got the ball out fast when blitzed, averaging just 1.99 seconds to throw.
Why the Jaguars lost: Trevor Lawrence’s connection with his top two targets, Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter, just hasn’t clicked yet. Lawrence completed just 7-of-17 pass attempts for 71 yards when targeting Thomas and Hunter, with the star receivers securing 53.0 and 52.0 overall PFFgrades, respectively. Both Hunter and Thomas had key drops, with Thomas’ coming when the Jaguars could have iced the game on fourth down. Lawrence isn’t without blame here, as he registered a 58.1 overall PFF mark.
Dallas Cowboys 40, New York Giants 37
Why the Cowboys won: Dak Prescott had another strong day for the Cowboys, completing 38-of-52 pass attempts for 361 yards, two touchdowns and an interception to the tune of an 81.4 overall PFF grade. Prescott really shone when targeting the intermediate area of the field, completing 8-of-12 pass attempts for 119 yards and a touchdown, adding two big-time throws and receiving a 90.3 overall grade.
Why the Giants lost: Explosive plays were on the menu in Dallas, with both teams converting for huge chunks. The Giants' defense often played off in coverage, allowing the Cowboys to rack up yards. In total, the Dallas offense accrued 12 explosive plays for 262 yards. Big plays win games.
Baltimore Ravens 41, Cleveland Browns 17
Why the Ravens won: Despite the scoreline, it wasn’t a sparkling performance for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens; however, when Jackson operated using play action, the Baltimore offense had success. Jackson completed 8-of-9 play-action attempts for 95 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 10.6 yards per attempt and posting a 91.7 overall PFF grade.
Why the Browns lost: The Browns' offense did stockpile yards, but things broke down when the Ravens' pass rush got after Joe Flacco. Flacco was pressured on 35.4% of his dropbacks and completed just 3-of-15 pass attempts for 30 yards, a touchdown and an interception, averaging just 2.0 yards per attempt and earning a 22.2 overall PFF grade when pressured. Flacco also had three turnover-worthy plays when pressured and was sacked twice.
Los Angeles Rams 33, Tennessee Titans 19
Why the Rams won: Matthew Stafford started the season strong against the Texans and continued that against the Titans in Week 2. His ability to handle the blitz and deliver strikes against pressure was on display against the Titans. When the Titans sent extra rushers, Stafford completed 8-of-11 pass attempts for 120 yards, two touchdowns and a 90.2 overall PFF grade.
Why the Titans lost: The Titans' defense struggled to contain the Rams’ big-play ability on the ground and through the air, allowing 13 explosive plays for 309 total yards. Tennessee’s passing defense was especially vulnerable, allowing eight explosive pass plays for 200 yards, with L’Jarius Sneed notching just a 30.1 PFF coverage grade.
San Francisco 49ers 26, New Orleans Saints 21
Why the 49ers won: With Brock Purdy out of the mix for the next couple of weeks, the 49ers will need their defense to step up and make plays. The unit started well against the Saints, with the pass rush consistently getting after Spencer Rattler. The 49ers pressured Rattler 22 times and sacked him on three of those instances. Edge rushers Bryce Huff and Nick Bosa led the way, with 11 pressures and two sacks between them.
Why the Saints lost: The flip side is that the Saints struggled in pass protection. New Orleans’ offensive line allowed 19 pressures and three sacks of Rattler. It was a tough day for first-round rookie Kelvin Banks Jr., who compiled a 43.3 PFF pass-blocking grade while yielding six pressures. Taliese Fuaga, the Saints' 2024 first-round pick, also allowed six pressures on a 55.6 PFF pass-blocking grade.
Seattle Seahawks 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Why the Seahawks won: The Seahawks' offense improved across the board in Week 2, but it was the performance of Kenneth Walker that really stood out. Walker rushed 13 times for 105 yards and a touchdown, generating a 91.0 overall PFF grade and averaging 8.1 yards per attempt. His big-play ability is well-known across the league, and it was on full show against the Steelers. Walker had four rushes of over 10 yards and averaged 4.69 yards after contact per attempt while forcing four missed tackles.
Why the Steelers lost: Aside from a huge error by Kaleb Johnson on special teams, it was a tough game for Aaron Rodgers, especially when the Seahawks defense got after him — which was often. Rodgers was pressured on 37.8% of his dropbacks, completing just 3-of-11 of his pass attempts for 94 yards and a touchdown on a 58.2 overall PFF grade. Rodgers still shows flashes of his former self, but isn’t as adept at navigating a messy pocket anymore, being sacked three times.
Buffalo Bills 30, New York Jets 10
Why the Bills won: Games like this are why the Bills signed veteran edge Joey Bosa. The Bills' pass rush left its mark on the Jets in the Week 2 win, pressuring Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor — who replaced Fields — 25 times, while sacking the quarterbacks five times. Bosa led the way with seven pressures and a sack, compiling an excellent 96.7 PFF pass-rushing grade.
Why the Jets lost: After the high moral victory of Week 1, this was Justin Fields and the Jets coming crashing back to Earth. Fields played to the tune of a 30.7 overall PFF grade while completing just 3-of-11 pass attempts for 27 yards, averaging 2.5 yards per pass attempt. Things got worse for Fields when he was pressured, as he failed to complete a pass attempt and committed two turnover-worthy plays.
Arizona Cardinals 27, Carolina Panthers 22
Why the Cardinals won: The Cardinals managed to hold off a late comeback from the Panthers, but the performance of quarterback Kyler Murray put them in an excellent position to begin with, especially when the Cardinals' offensive line kept his pocket clean. Murray completed 13-of-18 pass attempts for 148 yards and a touchdown from a clean pocket, adding two big-time throws and securing a 92.0 overall PFF grade. Murray also averaged a strong 8.2 yards per attempt when not pressured.
Why the Panthers lost: The usually potent Panthers' run game was stifled by a stout Cardinals defensive performance in Week 2. Chuba Hubbard led the team with 10 carries but totaled just 38 yards, while Rico Dowdle carried the ball six times for nine yards. As a team, the Panthers averaged just 2.6 yards per attempt and rushed for 49 yards.
Indianapolis Colts 29, Denver Broncos 28
Why the Colts won: Daniel Jones put together another strong performance in Week 2, and once again worked competently behind the Colts' offensive line, albeit in tougher circumstances. Jones was kept clean on just 50% of his dropbacks, and made every one of those clean pockets count, completing 15-of-19 of his attempts for 214 yards and a touchdown. Moreover, Jones averaged 11.3 yards per attempt and established an 88.8 overall PFF grade. It might not last forever, but Jones is helping the Colts win games.
Why the Broncos lost: The Broncos' defense, which has been one of the best units in the league since last season, struggled to slow down Jonathan Taylor and the Colts' rushing attack. Taylor carried the ball 25 times for 165 yards and had 150 yards after contact while forcing eight missed tackles. Taylor looked at his best against the Broncos, tallying three rushes of over 10 yards — including a 68-yard breakaway run.
Philadelphia Eagles 20, Kansas City Chiefs 17
Why the Eagles won: The Eagles' defense held up its end of the bargain in the Super Bowl rematch, with the pass rush disrupting Patrick Mahomes all game. Philadelphia’s defense generated 20 total pressures, sacking Mahomes three times in the process. The interior led the way, with Jalen Carter and Moro Ojomo combining for 10 total pressures and a sack. All told, Vic Fangio’s defense pressured Mahomes on 42.1% of his dropbacks.
Why the Chiefs lost: The Chiefs rushed for 121 yards and averaged 4.7 yards per attempt — but the bulk of the run game was created by Mahomes, who rushed seven times for 66 yards and a touchdown. The two main backs, Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, carried the ball 18 times for 53 yards. The Chiefs' lack of explosiveness in the run game has severely hindered their offense.
Atlanta Falcons 22, Minnesota Vikings 6
Why the Falcons won: Credit where it’s due, the Falcons' defense has been up for the challenge through the first two weeks of the season. Atlanta got after J.J. McCarthy on Sunday night, pressuring the second-year quarterback on 53.3% of his dropbacks and sacking him eight times. Six separate defenders, including rookies James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker, earned a sack, with Zach Harrison and Brandon Dorlus notching two apiece.
Why the Vikings lost: Part of the Falcons' success up front was their commitment to blitzing McCarthy, who is still figuring out the kinks in his game. The Falcons blitzed on 40% of McCarthy’s dropbacks, sacking him three times. McCarthy completed just 3-of-8 pass attempts when blitzed for 71 yards and a touchdown, earning a 31.0 overall PFF grade.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20, Houston Texans 19
Why the Buccaneers won: The Buccaneers' run game rumbled the team to victory in Week 2, with Bucky Irving, Rachaad White and Baker Mayfield all helping contribute to the win. The three combined for 30 carries for 156 yards and a touchdown, with Irving leading the way with 71 yards. White and Irving give the Buccaneers such a dynamic one-two punch, and the two combined for nine missed tackles forced. On top of that, Mayfield was able to keep plays alive with his legs, scrambling for 33 yards in big spots.
Why the Texans lost: The Texans' offensive line and C.J. Stroud struggled mightily against the blitz-heavy Buccaneers defense. Tampa Bay blitzed on 46.7% of Stroud’s dropbacks, consistently pressuring the Texans quarterback. When blitzed, Stroud completed just 6-of-11 of his pass attempts on a 29.5 overall PFF grade.
Los Angeles Chargers 20, Las Vegas Raiders 9
Why the Chargers won: Monday night was a strong pass-blocking game for the Chargers' offensive line, which have shown in the first two weeks of the season that the unit is up to the task of protecting Justin Herbert. The Chargers’ quarterback was pressured on just 25% of his dropbacks in the Week 2 win, and LA's offensive line allowed just seven total pressures and zero sacks. In particular, it was a strong day for right tackle Trey Pipkins III, who permitted zero pressures en route to an 84.0 PFF pass-blocking grade.
Why the Raiders lost: A tough night for Geno Smith in his second start for the Raiders. Part of the issue was that Smith was pressured on 35.4% of his dropbacks, but how he performed in those moments compounded the situation. The Chargers' defense made Smith hold on to the ball for longer, and his average time to throw when pressured was 4.44 seconds, leading to a 39.6 overall PFF grade in those situations.
© 2026 PFF - all rights reserved.