NFL: Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Chargers
Oct 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) as he leaves the field following the game against the Minnesota Vikings at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
With week two of the NFL season just about wrapped up, we saw many teams adjust after their Week 1 performances.
The Carolina Panthers bounced back nicely, putting up 30+ points for the second straight week, while the New Orleans Saints showed us they could be the team to watch in the NFC South.
Plenty of candidates for this week’s article: Washington lost Jayden Daniels (yet again), Denver’s offense looked anemic until late, Aaron Rodgers looked washed up, and the Packers slept through 3 quarters before finally waking up and getting past the Jets.
Let’s look at the four teams we think should worry most as they lick their wounds in preparation for Week 3.
MORE: Week 3 fantasy football rankings: Josh Allen, Kenneth Walker III on top
Los Angeles Chargers
NFL: San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert . Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
What the actual heck is going on with this team? Mike McDaniels was supposed to swoop in and magically make Justin Herbert the MVP that Jim Harbaugh promised us all he would be one day. It’s not happening. It may be time to question whether Herbert is the real deal or just another talented athlete who might never put it all together as an NFL quarterback.
There are other issues with this team as well. Omarian Hampton has to do a better job of protecting the football, and this defense has now allowed both the Cardinals and Raiders to post over 20 points. The Raiders are off to a nice start, but we aren’t sure if they are actually any good, and the Seahawks showed us Sunday that Arizona isn’t quite ready for prime time.
The majority of fans that showed up for this game at SoFi Stadium left happy, as it looked more like a Raiders home game, with the majority of the crowd rocking the Silver and Black. Add that to the list of things that the Chargers’ front office should be concerned with.
Things don’t get easier for the Bolts as they travel to Buffalo next week to face Josh Allen and the Bills, with the Seahawks waiting to host them in week 4. Unless they figure things out quickly, this season may be lost in LA.
Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) makes a pass against New Orleans Saints during the second half at Ford Field in
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) makes a pass against New Orleans Saints during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
The Lions survived a scare on opening week after blowing a 21-point lead to the Saints before eventually outlasting New Orleans in overtime. This week they weren’t quite so lucky as they ran into Josh Allen and the Bills. Buffalo’s offense had its way with Detroit all game long, and it feels like this is going to be an issue for Dan Campbell’s squad all year long.
Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Amon Ra St. Brown all did their part on Thursday night, but they just couldn’t keep pace as the Bills piled on 41 points en route to the 10-point victory. For fantasy purposes, this is a perfect storm for the aforementioned trio as Detroit is going to have to light up the scoreboard every week if they intend to win games.
Through 2 games, the Detroit defense has allowed well over 900 total yards and 10 touchdowns. They have been leaky at stopping the run, but even worse against opposing quarterbacks, with Tyler Shough and Josh Allen combining for 737 yards and 7 touchdowns through the air.
While the Lions may be a haven for fantasy points this season, their prospects for making the playoffs may be in some trouble if their defense continues the way they have played through the first two weeks.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) drops back to throw in the first quarter of the NFL Week 1 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026.
Some of us might be a little salty after getting knocked out of our Survivor Pools, but there is just no excuse for this team to lose at home to Cleveland. They can blame the weather if they want, but both teams had to play in that soup, and when your $160 million QB gets outplayed by Deshaun Watson, there is reason to be worried.
The Tampa defense was able to keep Quinshon Judkins and the Brown running game in check but they weren’t able to shut down the passing game. Did we mention that it was DeShaun Watson leading that passing attack? Yeah, there are plenty of reasons to be worried here.
The bottom line is we just aren’t sure if Todd Bowles is a good head coach or if Baker Mayfield is the type of quarterback that can lead a team deep into the postseason. To this point, Baker feels more like a fun guy to root for, but in big spots he will ultimately make a key mistake that ends up costing his team a victory.
They find themselves in a precarious “must-win” situation in week 3 as they will host the Vikings. While it may be too early to actually call this one a “must-win, ” history tells us that beginning the season 0-3 very rarely results in a postseason appearance (just 6 times since 1979).
Chicago Bears
NFL: Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers
Sep 13, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks on during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
We felt great about these guys after week 1, so what happened? In Week 1, the Bears offense looked like a juggernaut, posting 59 points and making Ben Johnson’s promise to “set records” this season look like a safe bet to come true. Then came their Week 2 matchup against division rivals the Vikings, and now everything seems different.
The rain made things a bit messy from the start, but Caleb Williams looked out of sync with his receivers all game long before ultimately having to leave the game with what looks to be a severe hamstring injury. Now, it appears that Chicago will have to rely on Tyson Bagent to fill in for at least a few weeks while they wait for their QB1 to return.
Some may point to the fact that their defense only allowed 9 points as a silver lining, but we’re chalking that up to the fact that they faced Carson Wentz. Kevin O’Connell was content to settle for field goals while Brian Flores’ defense held the Bears offense to just 3 points.
Now, the Bears will have to pull themselves together as they prepare for a showdown with the Eagles next Monday night. Luckily for Chicago, the rest of the North has issues of their own.