Who in the NFL needs to rebound in Week 2? Looking at you, Packers, Broncos and Jalen Ramsey
The NFL season kicked off with a wide array of fireworks both from established squads and those hoping to change their fortunes in 2022.
But not everyone enjoyed opening weekend. For every impressive showing, there was an embarrassing, troubling or perplexing performance as teams and players stumbled out of the gates.
It’s a long season, so shaky outings in Week 1 of an NFL campaign don’t necessarily spell doom. However, in some cases, struggles provide a foreshadowing of what’s to come. Problems can snowball, and in no time, a team is four weeks in and finding itself in a significant hole.
So, as the NFL’s second week of action approaches, here’s a look at players, coaches and teams most desperately needing a rebound after troubling Week 1 performances.
Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey
The entire Los Angeles Rams team needs a strong rebound after their embarrassing loss to the Bills in the season opener. But their star corner saw a continuation of a troubling trend. Josh Allen and his Buffalo receivers torched Ramsey (generally regarded as the best cornerback in the game) for six completions on seven targets for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
The struggles resembled Ramsey’s rough outing in the Super Bowl where he surrendered 160 yards and a touchdown to Tee Higgins and Ja’Mar Chase. Ramsey also played poorly in the playoffs against Mike Evans. The Rams’ $100 million cornerback has to get back to playing with greater discipline and do a better job of reading the quarterback and his assignments so he can reclaim his billing as a shutdown cornerback.
Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett
No NFL figure found himself under greater scrutiny after Week 1 than did the Broncos rookie head coach. Hackett saw his team lose to an inferior Seattle team after poor late-game decision-making prompted him to waste 26 seconds of clock and settle for a 64-yard field goal attempt from kicker Brandon McManus, who was 2-for-10 for his career from 58 yards out or longer.
McManus missed, and Hackett had to explain why he took the ball out of the hands of his quarter-billion-dollar quarterback Russell Wilson, when Wilson, who armed with two timeouts, certainly had a good chance to get his team into more manageable field goal range.
On Tuesday, Hackett admitted he wished he had the decision back. Hackett and the Broncos also had to stomach two goal-line fumbles on back-to-back possessions that, if they played out differently, would’ve made a late-game field goal unnecessary. This week, Hackett will try to guide his team towards more discipline play and also work to hone his own game-management skills.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow
Cincinnati’s franchise quarterback had one of his ugliest NFL games as he threw four interceptions, fumbled twice (losing one of them) and got sacked seven times in a 23-20 overtime loss to Pittsburgh.
Burrow didn’t play in the preseason, so maybe he’s just knocking off some rust. But he has to make better decisions. Sack totals aren’t entirely the fault of the offensive line. Burrow frequently held onto the ball too long, trying to make something out of nothing rather than getting rid of it and moving onto the next play. The Bengals want to get back to the Super Bowl to resolve unfinished business, however, that will prove challenging if Burrow continues to struggle to protect himself.
The Green Bay Packers offense
We’ve seen ugly season-opening performances out of Aaron Rodgers & Co. before, but based on the inconsistencies his young wide receivers have exhibited in training camp, the preseason and now in Week 1, it appears that Green Bay could have a frustrating year ahead. The offensive line also struggled mightily without two starters David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins. The Packers have dominated the NFC North for years now and aim to do so again, but an improved Vikings squad might have something to say about that.
Falcons coach Arthur Smith
The second-year head coach continues to struggle to figure out how to get his team to close out games. This trend plagued the Falcons prior to his hiring, it remained an issue last season, and on Sunday, New Orleans erased a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit and won. Smith fell to 7-12 as a head coach and once again couldn’t find ways to get the ball to tight end Kyle Pitts, who possesses game-changing ability, but finished with just two catches for 17 yards.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence
Lawrence’s season debut wasn’t all bad. He surpassed the 270-yard mark for only the fourth time in his career. But the second-year pro completed just 57% of his passes in the loss to the Washington Commanders, and on deep passes, was 1-for-6 for 49 yards and an interception. Doug Pederson and Mike McCoy were supposed to help Lawrence reach the potential that made him the top pick of the 2021 draft, but Lawrence still has much work to do and needs a rebound against divisional rival Indianapolis Sunday.
Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury
The Arizona Cardinals’ well-paid quarterback-coach duo looked a lot like the same lackluster, inconsistent guys that we’ve seen the last three years despite having landed lucrative extensions this offseason. Kingsbury, heralded as an offensive wiz, struggled to find ways to help his offense protect his quarterback and move the chains consistently. When he did have time, Murray struggled at times with accuracy and passed for just 193 yards and two touchdowns. The Cardinals were 3-for-12 on third downs, and their defense got demolished by Patrick Mahomes, allowing 44 points and 488 yards.
49ers QB Trey Lance and friends
Lance had a forgettable debut as new starting quarterback of the 2021 NFC runners-up. But he wasn’t alone in his struggles. Injury to running back Elijah Mitchell hampered offensive efforts, as did the rain and sloppy field conditions at Soldier Field. However, a lack of discipline (12 penalties for 99 yards and two turnovers) also helped the 49ers produce one of the lowest point totals in Week 1. With dreams of making another run at the Super Bowl, the 49ers have a lot to clean up as they return home where they’ll host divisional rival Seattle, which is 1-0.
The Tennessee Titans
The Titans view themselves as contenders and have won the AFC South in two of the last three years while making the playoffs three consecutive seasons and posting winning records in four straight. However, they blew a 13-0 halftime lead to the rebuilding Giants and fell 21-20 at home. The defense generated a lot of pressure on Daniel Jones, but the unit got gashed in the run as Saquon Barkley racked up 164 yards, a touchdown and big two-point conversion.
Meanwhile, the Ryan Tannehill-lead offense went cold in the second half, producing only one scoring drive in six second-half possessions. The good news for Tennessee: No one else in the AFC South won on Sunday. The bad news: Their Week 2 opponent is the juggernaut Buffalo Bills.
The Dallas Cowboys
A Week 2 rebound sounds like Mission Impossible, especially with Dak Prescott now sidelined and recovering from thumb surgery. The Cowboys were already battered, and the offense struggled even with Prescott on the field. Now, they have to turn to backup Cooper Rush.
Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore needs to figure out a smart game plan in the worse way so the Cowboys can ease pressure on Rush and also have a chance against what should be a highly-motivated Bengals. Feeding Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard would make a lot of sense. But Moore is traditionally undisciplined when it comes to the run game. Dallas – the only team to not score a touchdown in Week 1 – must hope their offense can find a way to tread water while leaning heavily on a talented defense.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Week 2: Packers, Broncos among those who need a big rebound
