2024 NFL Week 2 Highlights
by Dan Angell | by Tyler Doty
2024 NFL Week 2 Insights
With the first week of the 2024 NFL season officially in the books, it’s important to avoid overreactions. Remember, a loss in the NFL is the equivalent of a five-game losing streak in hockey. So it’s very easy to overreact to one game, especially when a key player performed poorly or a supposed weak team looked better than expected.
A great example comes from the Los Angeles Chargers. They played really well last week in beating Las Vegas, and Jim Harbaugh is once again the subject of glowing accolades from the media. But the Chargers have won four straight home games over the Raiders. And now they’re laying a touchdown against the Panthers on the road.
There’s still plenty of value on the board in Week 2.
To be fair, in Week 1, Carolina didn’t look capable of competing in the SEC, let alone the NFC South. But the Panthers have more talent than they showed, and it’s too early to dismiss them completely. If they turn in another total no-show in terms of effort, then we’re talking about an every-week fade. But right now, it’s smarter to wait and see.
There’s still plenty of value on the board in Week 2.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions
Buccaneers +7
The line has already jumped slightly from the 6.5 opening number, and movement at DraftKings suggests that it could get on the other side of the critical number. The Bucs lost by 8 when they met the Lions here last year in the divisional round, but a Week 2 rematch is a lot different of a situation.
The pressure isn’t going to be as intense on Tampa Bay as it was in January. The Lions aren’t going to have the atmosphere of a potential trip to the NFC championship game to fuel them. The Ford Field crowd will still be boisterous, but it’s a lower-stakes game and the Bucs have closed the gap a bit with the Lions since that game.
That should keep this to a one-score game. Baker Mayfield looked really comfortable against Washington, and Detroit did have some struggles against Los Angeles. The Lions should emerge victorious, but this feels more like a gap of three or four points, not seven.
New York Jets at Tennessee Titans
Under 42 Points
Do not wait on this line at Caesars Sportsbook. Elsewhere, it’s already slipping under this number. There are signs the other books might have moved too quickly and could pull it back slightly, but it’s probably not getting above 42 points. The Titans’ defense was outstanding against Chicago, as it didn’t give up a single offensive touchdown to Caleb Williams and the Bears. All of Chicago’s points came on special teams and offensive errors.
The Jets’ defense is better than it showed against the 49ers.
The Jets’ defense is better than it showed against the 49ers. San Francisco dominated that game and showed how far New York has to go before it can be considered a favorite, but the defense remains a strength of Gang Green. Will Levis doesn’t present anywhere near the threat of Brock Purdy and the 49ers’ weapons. The Jets should be ready to lock down the Titans. As long as Sauce Gardner doesn’t take two to the house, the under should be in good shape.
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars
Jaguars -3.5
You don’t want to overreact to Week 1, but DeShaun Watson in Cleveland clearly is not working. He’s a poor fit for Kevin Stefanski’s offense, he’s not the same player since his off-field issues began and he’s back in the news for another alleged sexual assault. If it’s true, he shouldn’t be on the field at all. This is a move the Browns never should have made for many reasons, and it might well lead to another wasted season for Cleveland.
Jacksonville is in much better shape. Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars might have blown Week 1 against Miami, but they mostly played well and should be ready to make a statement. They’re in the position of knowing they played well enough to win without getting the reward, and they’re in front of their own fans. That usually spells disaster for any visitor, let alone a distracted one like Cleveland.
You can get this without the hook, but with this matchup, there’s no reason to fear the hook over the value of almost even money.
Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers
Colts -3.5
The AFC South has quietly become a really good division. Indianapolis didn’t play poorly at all in Week 1; it simply ran into a hot Texans team. Houston has become the class of the South and looks like a threat to make a deep playoff run.
Indianapolis has all the makings of a wild card team. Anthony Richardson provided several big plays against Houston, and he should be able to do the same to Green Bay. The Packers go with Malik Willis after Jordan Love’s injury, and there are real doubts as to how well he knows the playbook. This isn’t a plug-and-play situation; Green Bay is breaking in an untested option that didn’t do well at his past stop, and it’s doing so after flying back from Brazil. This is a bad spot for the Packers.
