NFL News Today: Week 2 Arrives With Lions-Bills, Cowboys-Commanders and Major Injury Questions
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
The first full weekend of the 2026 NFL season delivered touchdowns by the truckload, quarterback drama, major injuries and several early surprises.
Now Week 2 arrives quickly.
The Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills open the new week Thursday night, the Dallas Cowboys return home for an NFC East matchup against Washington, Kansas City gets another prime-time spotlight, and several teams are already being forced to adjust their quarterback plans.
Here's what NFL fans need to know heading into the next round of games.
Chiefs Open Their Season With Statement Win Over Denver
Kansas City wasted little time reminding the AFC West that the road through the division may still run through Arrowhead.
The Chiefs defeated the Denver Broncos 31-10 Monday night, opening their 2026 campaign with a convincing divisional victory. NFL.com's postgame analysis noted that Kansas City entered the season after failing to win the AFC West in 2025 for the first time in a decade.
Travis Kelce also added another milestone to his résumé during the game, moving into second place on the NFL's all-time receiving-yardage list among tight ends, according to NFL.com.
Kansas City gets another national stage Sunday night when the Indianapolis Colts visit Arrowhead Stadium.
Chicago Explodes for 59 Points
One of Week 1's biggest performances came from Chicago.
The Bears defeated Carolina 59-37, with quarterback Caleb Williams accounting for four touchdowns and running back D'Andre Swift rushing for 124 yards and three scores.
Fifty-nine points in your first game is one way to introduce yourself to the season.
Chicago now gets an NFC North matchup against Minnesota, a game that has become more intriguing because of uncertainty surrounding Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray.
Vikings Face Quarterback Question After Kyler Murray Concussion
Kyler Murray's debut with Minnesota lasted only 11 offensive plays.
Murray suffered a concussion during Sunday's 39-22 victory over Green Bay after taking a hit while sliding. He left the game and did not return.
Veteran Carson Wentz stepped in and completed 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns as Minnesota rallied for the win. Reuters reported that Wentz is expected to start against Chicago if Murray remains unavailable.
The Vikings-Bears game could become one of Sunday's more interesting matchups after both teams opened the year with impressive offensive performances.
Sam Darnold Expected to Miss Seattle's Game at Arizona
The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are also dealing with a quarterback injury.
Sam Darnold suffered what the team has described as an unusual soft-tissue injury around his glute area during Seattle's season-opening victory over New England. The Seahawks say his hip joint itself was not damaged, and the injury is not currently considered long term.
Darnold is expected to miss Seattle's Week 2 game against Arizona.
That puts veteran Drew Lock in position to start. Lock completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown after replacing Darnold against New England.
Seattle nevertheless entered Week 2 at No. 1 in NFL.com's latest editorial Power Rankings after its opening victory.
Lions and Bills Get Week 2 Started Thursday Night
Thursday Night Football gives fans one of the most attractive matchups of the week.
Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills
Thursday, September 17
7:15 p.m. CT
Both clubs enter the game 1-0.
Buffalo opened its season with a wild 36-31 victory over Houston, with Josh Allen accounting for four touchdowns. Detroit survived an overtime battle with New Orleans, winning 31-30 behind 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Jahmyr Gibbs.
The matchup therefore brings together two offenses that showed immediately that they can put points on the board.
There are injury situations to monitor. The NFL's Wednesday injury report listed several Detroit players as limited or nonparticipants in practice, while Buffalo linebacker Terrel Bernard and safety Cole Bishop were limited.
Cowboys Return Home Looking for First Win
Dallas' opener did not go according to plan.
The New York Giants defeated the Cowboys 28-20 Sunday night, leaving Dallas 0-1 entering an important early divisional matchup.
Next up:
Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys
Sunday, September 20
3:25 p.m. CT
Washington is also searching for its first victory after losing 24-22 to Philadelphia.
No September game decides a division, but NFC East games have a way of arriving with extra voltage. With both Dallas and Washington entering Sunday at 0-1, one team will have an opportunity to reset quickly while the other could fall two games below .500.
Cleveland Sticking With Deshaun Watson
The Browns opened the season with one of the weekend's more difficult results, losing 34-10 to Jacksonville. Trevor Lawrence threw four touchdown passes for the Jaguars.
Cleveland coach Todd Monken has indicated that Deshaun Watson will remain the Browns' starting quarterback for Week 2 against Tampa Bay.
The Browns will also be without running back Dylan Sampson, who was placed on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury. He will miss at least four games.
That makes Sunday's matchup with Tampa Bay an early test of Cleveland's ability to stabilize its offense.
Chargers Add Veteran Receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling
The Los Angeles Chargers are turning to a familiar veteran as injuries begin testing their receiver depth.
The Chargers added Marquez Valdes-Scantling to their practice squad after multiple injuries affected the team's receiving corps. KeAndre Lambert-Smith was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, while Ladd McConkey and Derius Davis are also dealing with injuries.
Valdes-Scantling brings eight NFL seasons of experience and won two Super Bowls during his previous run with Kansas City.
Los Angeles hosts the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday afternoon.
Jets Lose Two Key Players for Multiple Games
The New York Jets opened with a 23-10 victory over Tennessee, but the win came with a price.
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and rookie receiver Omar Cooper Jr. are expected to miss multiple games after suffering injuries in Week 1. Fitzpatrick is dealing with a groin injury, while Cooper is considered week-to-week with an ankle injury.
The Jets have added veteran receiver Sterling Shepard to their practice squad as part of their response to the growing list of injuries.
Green Bay visits New York on Sunday.
Week 2 NFL Schedule
All kickoff times are Central Time.
Thursday, September 17
MatchupTimeDetroit Lions at Buffalo Bills7:15 p.m.
Sunday, September 20: Early Games
MatchupTimePhiladelphia Eagles at Tennessee Titans12:00 p.m.Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots12:00 p.m.Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears12:00 p.m.Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons12:00 p.m.Green Bay Packers at New York Jets12:00 p.m.New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens12:00 p.m.Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans12:00 p.m.Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers12:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 20: Afternoon Games
MatchupTimeJacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos3:05 p.m.Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers3:05 p.m.Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals3:25 p.m.Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers3:25 p.m.Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys3:25 p.m.
Sunday Night Football
Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs
7:20 p.m. CT
Monday Night Football: September 21
New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams
7:15 p.m. CT
The NFL's official schedule confirms Lions-Bills as Thursday Night Football, Colts-Chiefs as Sunday Night Football and Giants-Rams as Monday Night Football.
Games to Keep an Eye On
Lions at Bills gives Week 2 an immediate heavyweight feel after both offenses produced dramatic victories in their openers.
Vikings at Bears suddenly carries an entirely different storyline because of Minnesota's quarterback situation and Chicago's 59-point explosion.
Seahawks at Cardinals gives Arizona a chance to test the defending champions without Darnold expected at quarterback.
Commanders at Cowboys brings the usual NFC East intensity, with both teams trying to avoid an 0-2 beginning.
Then Colts at Chiefs puts Kansas City right back under the Sunday-night lights after an impressive opening performance against Denver.
One Week Down, and the NFL Is Already Moving Fast
This is exactly why September in the NFL can be wonderfully chaotic.
One week ago teams were mostly collections of projections, depth charts and expectations.
Now there is evidence.
Chicago has already hung 59 points on somebody. Seattle is preparing to play without its starting quarterback. Minnesota may have to turn to Carson Wentz. Kansas City opened with a convincing divisional victory. Jacksonville's offense exploded. Dallas is already looking for a rebound.
None of those Week 1 results define the season.
But Week 2 starts revealing which opening performances were signals and which were September noise.
And with Lions-Bills kicking things off Thursday night, fans won't have to wait long to begin finding out.
Sources
NFL.com — 2026 NFL Week 2 Schedule and Viewing Information
https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-make-your-plan-to-watch-the-2026-nfl-season
CBS Sports — Complete 2026 NFL Schedule
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2026-nfl-schedule-by-team/
NFL.com — Official Week 2 Injury Report
https://www.nfl.com/injuries/
NFL.com — Week 1: What We Learned
https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-nfl-season-week-1-what-we-learned-from-sunday-s-games
Reuters — NFL Week 1 Roundup
https://www.reuters.com/sports/nfl-roundup-bears-score-59-record-setting-week-1-win-over-panthers--flm-2026-09-14/
NFL.com — Sam Darnold Injury Update
https://www.nfl.com/news/sam-darnold-hip-injury-miss-seahawks-week-2-game-cardinals
NFL.com — Latest Update on Darnold's Soft-Tissue Injury
https://www.nfl.com/news/seahawks-sam-darnold-has-very-unique-soft-tissue-injury-no-firm-timeline-for-return
NFL.com — Kyler Murray Concussion Report
https://www.nfl.com/news/vikings-qb-kyler-murray-evaluated-concussion-packers
Reuters — Vikings Expected to Start Carson Wentz
https://www.reuters.com/sports/vikings-expected-start-qb-carson-wentz-week-2--flm-2026-09-14/
Reuters — Browns Place Dylan Sampson on Injured Reserve
https://www.reuters.com/sports/report-browns-rb-dylan-sampson-knee-miss-significant-time--flm-2026-09-15/
Reuters — Chargers Add Marquez Valdes-Scantling
https://www.reuters.com/sports/report-chargers-add-wr-marquez-valdes-scantling-practice-squad--flm-2026-09-16/
Reuters — Jets Injury Update on Minkah Fitzpatrick and Omar Cooper Jr.
https://www.reuters.com/sports/jets-s-minkah-fitzpatrick-wr-omar-cooper-jr-expected-miss-multiple-games--flm-2026-09-15/
NFL.com — Week 2 Power Rankings
https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-power-rankings-week-2-2026-nfl-season