It’s that weird time of year. We’re only two games in, and yet half the football world is already planning a February parade while the other half is looking at 2026 mock drafts. NFL standings week 2 are notoriously deceptive, but man, they feel like gospel when your team is sitting at the top—or bottom—of the pile.
Honestly, if you looked at the AFC South right now, you’d think the world had flipped upside down. The Indianapolis Colts are sitting pretty at 2-0, and Daniel Jones looks like a completely different human being under Shane Steichen. Is it sustainable? Probably not in the long run, but a win is a win, and Indy has two of them.
The 2-0 Illusion and Why We Fall For It
Every year, we see a handful of teams start hot and then fall off a cliff. But right now, the 2-0 club is feeling itself. We’ve got ten teams that haven't tasted defeat yet, ranging from the "of course they're good" Buffalo Bills to the "wait, they're winning?" Arizona Cardinals.
The Green Bay Packers are perhaps the most legit of the bunch. They took down the Commanders 27-18 at Lambeau, with Jordan Love throwing for 292 yards and two scores. When you look at the standings, the Packers are basically in the driver's seat of the NFC North already because the Lions absolutely dismantled the Bears 52-21. That Detroit offense is a juggernaut, put it that way.
But let's talk about the Bengals. They are 2-0, yeah. But Joe Burrow just went down with a toe injury that’s going to keep him out for months. Jake Browning saved the day against the Jaguars, but if you think those standings are going to stay that way with Browning under center, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.
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AFC Standings: The Chaos Division
The AFC South is genuinely hilarious right now.
- Indianapolis Colts (2-0): Daniel Jones threw for 316 yards against Denver. Jonathan Taylor is back to being a monster with 165 rushing yards. They are winning games they used to lose.
- Cincinnati Bengals (2-0): The record is perfect, but the vibes are immaculate-ly bad because of the Burrow injury.
- Buffalo Bills (2-0): They handled the Jets 30-10. It wasn't even close. James Cook is the real deal, folks.
- Los Angeles Chargers (2-0): Jim Harbaugh has them playing "boring" winning football. They beat the Raiders 20-9 on Monday night. It wasn't flashy, but they’re atop the AFC West.
The New England Patriots pulling off a 33-27 upset over the Miami Dolphins was the shock of the weekend. We all thought Miami’s track stars would run circles around them, but the Patriots' defense just lived in Tua’s face all afternoon. It leaves the AFC East looking much more competitive than anyone projected back in August.
NFC Standings: The Power Shift
Over in the NFC, the hierarchy is shifting. The Seattle Seahawks are surprisingly 2-0 after Sam Darnold (yes, that Sam Darnold) led them to a 31-17 victory over the Steelers. Mike Macdonald has that defense playing like the old Legion of Boom days.
Then you have the San Francisco 49ers. They’re 2-0, but they barely beat the Saints 26-21. Mac Jones is filling in for an injured Brock Purdy, and while he’s doing okay, the Niners aren't the unstoppable force they were last year. They’re winning on pure talent and Kyle Shanahan’s wizardry, but George Kittle’s Achilles injury is a massive dark cloud over their future.
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The NFC South is, predictably, a mess. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the only 2-0 team in the division after a gritty 20-19 win over Houston. Baker Mayfield is still doing Baker things—making plays out of nothing and keeping them in games they have no business being in.
What Really Happened in the Big Games?
If you missed the Sunday Night game, the Atlanta Falcons absolutely stifled the Minnesota Vikings 22-6. It was a defensive masterclass. Raheem Morris has those rookies playing like ten-year vets. Bijan Robinson had 143 yards from scrimmage, and the Vikings just couldn't find the end zone.
But the game of the week was easily the Cowboys vs. Giants. It went to overtime, and Dallas eventually walked away with a 40-37 win. Dak Prescott threw for 361 yards, but Malik Nabers for the Giants had 167 yards and was basically unguardable. The Giants are 0-2, but they’re going to be a problem for people later in the year if Nabers keeps this up.
The Teams in the Basement
It's not all sunshine. The Cleveland Browns are 0-2 after getting crushed 41-17 by Baltimore. Deshaun Watson looks lost, and Lamar Jackson is playing at an MVP level again. The Ravens scored 31 points in the second half alone. That’s a franchise record for points in a half with Lamar at QB.
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The Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers are also sitting at 0-2. For the Titans, it’s frustrating because Cam Ward (the top pick in the draft) actually looks great, but the team around him is falling apart. For the Panthers, well, it’s more of the same. They nearly came back against Arizona, losing 27-22, but a loss is a loss.
Final Reality Check
Don't overreact.
Statistically, about 60% of teams that start 2-0 make the playoffs. That means four of the teams currently leading the pack are likely going to miss out. If I’m a betting man, I’m looking at the Bengals and the Cardinals as the most likely to slide. The Bengals because of the Burrow injury, and the Cardinals because their defense is still giving up way too many points to bad teams.
The real takeaway from the NFL standings week 2 is that the league is more balanced than we thought. There are no "easy" wins this year. Even the Patriots and Falcons, who were written off by most experts, are out here knocking off playoff contenders.
What to do with this info:
- Check your waiver wires: If someone like Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Malik Nabers is somehow available after their Week 2 explosions, grab them now.
- Don't sell high on everyone: Teams like the Lions and Bills are actually as good as their records suggest.
- Watch the injury reports: The standings don't show that the Bengals and 49ers are currently missing their most important players. That matters more than the "W" column right now.
The season is a marathon, not a sprint. We’ve seen teams start 0-3 and make the playoffs, and we've seen 5-0 teams collapse. Keep an eye on the turnover margins—that’s usually the best indicator of who is lucky versus who is actually good. Right now, the Colts and Seahawks are riding high on luck and opportunistic defense. We'll see if that holds up when the schedule gets tougher in October.