NFL Week 2 latest buzz, questions, news and fantasy tips

We’ve turned the page to Week 2 of the NFL season, and league insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are breaking down the latest news and notable buzz.

Week 1 brought a lot of questions. What should the Giants do about Russell Wilson and their quarterback situation — and what will they do? What’s going on with the Dolphins after their awful loss to the Colts in their opener? Does Justin Fields‘ big performance mean the Jets might have a long-term fix under center?

Jeremy and Dan made some calls around the league to get the latest on those situations. Then they also broke down how some of the most talked-about backfield timeshares shook out in Week 1 for fantasy football purposes and what comes next. It’s all here, as Dan and Jeremy answer the big questions heading into Week 2.

Jump to:
Latest on Giants’ QB plan | Panic in Miami?
Is Fields the answer? | RB timeshare updates

Has anything changed with the Giants’ QB plan?

Graziano: Nope! Coach Brian Daboll said Monday that Russell Wilson would start again in Week 2, and their plan, as of now, is to keep going with him. Part of me wonders if the plan might change once left tackle Andrew Thomas is back healthy and the offensive line is more trustworthy. But I do know that Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka have a very specific strategy for Jaxson Dart‘s development that includes specific benchmarks he must hit before they’re convinced he’s ready. They’ve crafted this plan based on previous experiences breaking in young quarterbacks, which include prominent success stories such as Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.

No one is saying Dart is Allen or Mahomes, but Daboll and Kafka are using their past successes to inform the plan. To this point, they insist that they have belief in Wilson in the short term while they get Dart ready for the long term. That’s their current story, and they’re sticking to it — even after Wilson looked completely lost against the Commanders’ pass rush Sunday.

Fowler: Despite Wilson’s struggles, money usually talks in these situations, and to bench Wilson after Week 1 means the Giants would have paid him more than $10 million for one game. Sensible teams don’t typically do such things. And I believe the Giants are trying to be sensible here. This is a team that needs to stick to a plan, and having Dart sit and learn — at least in the short term — can help him. Wilson is a declining player but should play better this week against the Cowboys. He provides experience for a team that needs it.

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Stephen A.: Jaxson Dart should start in Week 3

Stephen A. Smith contends that Jaxson Dart should start at quarterback for the Giants sooner rather than later.

Now, I do believe Dart has expedited the process based on his stellar preseason. Things clicked late in the spring, and Dart took off from there. The Giants’ staff has found him to be a fast learner, highly motivated and, as one team source calls him, “tough as s—.” At the very least, Dart has made a compelling case. And I’m not naïve; it feels inevitable that Dart will play — probably sooner than later. But I’m not overreacting to Week 1. But what happens if Wilson records another dud in Week 2?

Graziano: The drumbeat gets louder. Look, I get the idea of sticking to the plan. But the Giants made Dart the No. 2 quarterback for Sunday’s game, which means they are comfortable with the idea of him going into the game should something happen to Wilson. If that’s the case, why wouldn’t they be comfortable starting him? This is a matter of time, and if Wilson looks as lost and ineffective Sunday in Dallas as he did in Washington, I don’t know how much longer the Giants can hold off.

One question I have, though, is whether they’d turn to Jameis Winston first if they decide Wilson needs to be benched but aren’t ready to put in Dart. I haven’t heard anything to indicate that, but it could represent a compromise of sorts.

Fowler: When I visited the Giants’ joint practice with the Jets, Winston was running the third-team offense and immediately connected on a deep ball. It wouldn’t be the worst decision to play Winston and ride with his fearless style. But on that same day, the Giants inserted Dart on a drive that Wilson had started, which I filed away. Implementing a package for Dart in the flow of Wilson’s offense still feels like a very real option.

Are the Dolphins already pressing the panic button? What are you hearing out of Miami?

Fowler: It hasn’t been pressed yet, but there’s one somewhere inside the Dolphins’ facility. When or if they press it is anyone’s guess. Remember … it’s only one week.

But it does feel like the Dolphins’ season — and the purveyors of it, GM Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel — is approaching a rather early crossroads. The Dolphins looked uninspired and inexplicably flat Sunday in Indianapolis. Miami seems as if it’s much better than what it showed, but a few themes emerged when asking people around the league their impressions of the Dolphins. There are concerns about the roster’s overall talent. The Dolphins moved on from several key players perceived as bad fits, which can improve a locker room. But they relinquished proven talent and replaced it with more cost-effective options that do not appear as capable in some cases.

There are also questions about player leadership. Good teams have bona fide leaders, true alphas. With all the change, who fills that role in Miami’s locker room right now? I’m not saying those players don’t exist, but they aren’t obvious from the outside. It’s possible strong voices will emerge. They will be needed immediately, with division opponents looming the next three weeks.

Graziano: I’m not sure there’s a team that needs a Week 2 win more than Miami. After visiting its training camp, I was sort of buying the idea that this season was going to be a bit of a cultural reset and that things might not be as awful as feared. But the Dolphins looked disastrously dreadful on both sides of the ball against the Colts, and suddenly there was a whole bunch of fresh evidence suggesting they could be the league’s worst team this season. If Week 1 was a true representation of how Miami’s season will go, things could get really ugly quickly. And that could mean big changes.

Fowler: Trade rumors around Tyreek Hill will be worth watching. My understanding is that Miami received calls on Hill but did not show interest in trading him. If the losing persists, perhaps those phone lines reopen. The Dolphins already exercised Hill’s $15.85 million option bonus, leaving a $10 million base salary and $1.8 million in per-game bonuses.

A Chiefs reunion is low-hanging fruit and could be what Kansas City needs. The Chiefs can’t seem to get their receiving trio of Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown on the field at the same time, and a boost of explosiveness would help.

Graziano: It would, for sure, but the Dolphins need to help themselves first and foremost. There are legit questions about what kind of player Hill is at this point, even apart from the issues he has had in the locker room and on the sidelines (which he and others have publicly discussed). The Chiefs obviously know Hill from early in his career and could convince themselves he’d play better for them than he’s playing for Miami. But it has been a long time since we’ve seen Hill be an explosive player. If he doesn’t start playing better, it’s going to be tough for the Dolphins to find a trade partner.

Hill is also facing domestic violence allegations from his estranged wife, according to TMZ. In addition to being a serious non-football matter, the allegations could affect the interest of other teams in acquiring him if they result in any kind of NFL investigation and potential discipline.

Are you buying or selling the idea that Justin Fields is the answer to the Jets’ QB woes?

Graziano: I am renting with an option to buy. Fields looked a lot better than I — or almost anyone — expected in his first game with the Jets. Unless this is the worst Steelers defense in decades, a 72.7% completion percentage and 9.9 yards per pass attempt is worth sitting up and noticing. We know what Fields adds with his legs, and that was on display Sunday. But what really stood out was the previously elusive accuracy and touch on his downfield throws. If he has taken a big leap in that regard, the Jets might be able to scheme around his limitations, lean into his strengths and have success with a very talented former top-12 pick who’s still only 26 years old.

Fowler: I am buying a low-cost duplex that I can rent out if I want to move. Look, Fields has a lot to offer — hard worker, liked by teammates, a willing leader and incredibly dynamic with plenty of arm strength. But we kind of know what he is at this point. He has 45 career starts and has won only 14 of them (not all his fault). He has never thrown more than 17 touchdown passes in a season and completes 61% of his throws.

Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Geno Smith have made QB resurgence trendy, and perhaps Fields is next in line. That would be a great story. But I’m somewhat reluctant to believe he can pass with consistent precision and touch throughout an NFL season. The Jets signed him as a bridge quarterback, and that’s what I think he is. But I’m very open to being wrong. What’s clear is Fields’ supporting cast on offense is pretty good, particularly along the offensive line. Did Sunday change your perception of the Jets, Dan?

Graziano: Yes. I had been told to expect a slowed-down, ball-control, keep-away type of offense that relied on the run game (including Fields’ running ability) and didn’t ask a ton of Fields as a passer outside of key third-down situations. But it was clear Sunday that the Jets had done enough work with him as a passer that they trust him to throw it more than we expected. Garrett Wilson has true No. 1 wide receiver ability, and I know they like their running backs a lot.

I remain a little concerned about the loss of guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and its long-range impact on the offensive line, and I believe the Jets could use another reliable outside wide receiver to complement Wilson. But I thought the Jets’ offense looked better than the Steelers’ offense did Sunday, regardless of the final score.

Fowler: Fields’ performance was promising, and he looks capable of providing the Jets’ offense more versatility than I anticipated. But offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand also did a nice job keeping the game manageable for Fields, having him throw 22 times (vs. 39 team rushing attempts). Asking Fields to be a volume thrower could be problematic, but scheming easier throws to Wilson and impressive rookie tight end Mason Taylor will help the quarterback thrive.

Which team’s RB hierarchy got some clarity in Week 1?

Fowler: The Bears-Vikings game was telling. Word out of Minnesota was that Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones Sr. would see a 50-50 split. That played out Monday night, with Mason getting 30 snaps to Jones’ 28. Mason is the younger (26) and more explosive runner at this stage, and he had 15 carries for 68 yards compared to Jones’ 23 yards on eight carries, though Jones added three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown. I expect the even workload to continue, with Mason serving as the hammer and Jones the do-it-all option.

On the other side, D’Andre Swift logged 54 of Chicago’s 67 snaps. He’s clearly the No. 1 in a de facto contract year (the guaranteed money on his three-year deal is up after 2025).

Graziano: The Jaguars’ situation got a little bit clearer Sunday, when Travis Etienne Jr. got 19 of the team’s 26 running back touches. It got a lot clearer Monday night when they traded Tank Bigsby to the Eagles. That leaves them with Etienne, fourth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten and seventh-round rookie LeQuint Allen Jr.

Tuten is the big-play burner who could push for a more significant role as he learns the league and Jacksonville’s playbook. Allen is the Jaguars’ third-down pass-catching back. But for now, Etienne looks as if he best fits what they want to do on early downs, and I know they think his skill set fits well into their screen-game plans. The question will be whether Tuten can earn more touches as his rookie season goes on, or whether we need to wait until 2026 to see what he can do.

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Is Travis Etienne Jr.’s fantasy stock higher after Tank Bigsby trade?

Field Yates details how the Jags trading away Tank Bigsby impacts Travis Etienne Jr.’s fantasy numbers.

Fowler: The hope is Tuten can become a similar home run hitter for Liam Coen in Jacksonville that Bucky Irving was for him last season in Tampa Bay, easing the load on Etienne. Both Irving and Tuten are fourth-round picks with a similar stature. That said, Etienne has found his 2022-23 groove again based on the open-field explosion he displayed in Week 1. Last season was a slog, but the traits are there. Coen is skilled at creating a successful run game.

I kept hearing how high Washington was on Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the preseason, and he delivered Sunday with 82 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. I’m expecting his momentum to continue. Austin Ekeler will remain a factor, and the Commanders trust Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. Croskey-Merritt might not be the lead back yet, but he will be eventually. Commanders players have been impressed by the patience and vision he showed when running with the first-team offense in camp.

Graziano: I tentatively agree. When Rodriguez was announced as inactive Sunday, it was a clear sign that Croskey-Merritt was in for a significant role. A tiny part of me wonders if the Commanders might have Rodriguez up for Thursday night’s game with the Packers and give some other backs more work to avoid overloading Croskey-Merritt with two high-usage games in a five-day span. But I have no inside information to suggest that, and being in that locker room after Sunday’s game, I can say they were very happy with what they got from the seventh-round rookie. I expect him to be their main guy for the bulk of this season along with Ekeler, who has his own specific role.

We also came out of Week 1 certain that Javonte Williams is the Cowboys’ top running back — a position that should be more solidified after Miles Sanders‘ costly third-quarter fumble against the Eagles. Kenneth Gainwell should also have a significant role ahead of rookie Kaleb Johnson in Pittsburgh, at least in the short term while Johnson works on pass protection and other areas that need ironing out.