Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season is in the books. Only one team remains undefeated in the AFC North after just two games.
Cincinnati Bengals (2-0)
The Bengals are now the lone undefeated team in the division after a 20-6 victory over the Houston Texans.
Cincinnati’s revamped defense had another strong outing in Week 2. Spearheaded by defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, the unit held the Texans’ running backs to just 18 rushing yards. Demetrius Knight Jr. led the team with 12 total tackles. The Bengals sacked C.J. Stroud four times,
with two coming from Cedric Johnson. Cincinnati could be one of the top teams in the AFC if their defense can continue to play near this level.
The highlight for the Bengals’ offense was Ja’Marr Chase and his two touchdowns. The superstar receiver’s first touchdown catch was particularly impressive as he contorted his body to reel in the pass.
Chase finished with seven catches for 75 yards and two scores while his running mate Tee Higgins led the way with 95 yards on five targets. Chase Brown led the ground attack with 80 yards on 20 carries. Joe Burrow completed 20 of 31 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Burrow’s back was a concern entering the game before being sacked five times by Houston’s defense. He admitted it was a little sore after the game, but that he was “good to go.” Given Burrow’s injury history, his back tightness will likely remain a talking point each week.
Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
The Ravens experienced the first disappointment of the Jesse Minter era with a 27-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in the team’s home opener.
Baltimore’s defense found itself in an all-too-familiar position with their backs against the wall in the fourth quarter after blowing a double-digit lead. Similar to many of those prior instances, the unit was unable to get the game-sealing stop. Tyler Shough had little trouble marching down the field with the game on the line before scoring on a quarterback sneak. The Ravens sacked Shough just three times despite constant blitzes and his starting left tackle leaving the game due to an ankle injury.
Baltimore’s offense shoulders blame as well after scoring just three points in the second half. The offense had the ball for four drives in the second half, two of which were three-and-outs while the final ended in an interception. Lamar Jackson was solid for much of the day, completing 21 of 31 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown before the game-losing interception on the final drive. Rashod Bateman led the team with 88 receiving yards and a touchdown on seven catches in Zay Flowers’ absence. Derrick Henry finished the game with 68 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, with just five carries in the second half.
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
The Steelers dropped to 1-1 with a 20-3 loss to the reigning AFC champion New England Patriots.
The decision to run it back another year with 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers at quarterback is looking questionable, to say the least, through two games of the season. Pittsburgh’s offense has scored just one touchdown through two games with the future Hall of Famer under center. Rodgers completed 23 of 39 passes against the Patriots for 187 yards and an interception while being sacked four times and losing a fumble. D.K. Metcalf, whom the Steelers acquired for a second-round pick and awarded a massive contract to a year ago, has had a rough start to the season, hauling in four catches for just 27 yards against New England. Germie Bernard was the leading receiver with 35 yards on four catches. Jaylen Warren led the rushing attack with 43 yards on 11 carries. Rico Dowdle left the game with a toe injury after carrying the ball seven times for 22 yards.
Pittsburgh’s defense did what it could by forcing two turnovers: an interception by Patrick Queen and a forced fumble on Rhamondre Stevenson by Nick Herbig. The defense sacked Drake Maye three times, with T.J. Watt accounting for 1.5 sacks. There is only so much the talented unit can do with so little help from the Steelers’ offense at the moment.
Cleveland Browns (1-1)
The Browns got their first win of the season on Sunday with a 23-19 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After a rough start to the season in Week 1, Deshaun Watson rebounded with a solid day against the Buccaneers, completing 24 of 30 pass attempts for 238 yards and two touchdowns while avoiding any turnovers. The biggest play of the day for Cleveland’s offense once again came from rookie Denzel Boston, as the second-round receiver scored a 55-yard touchdown. Boston finished the game with 95 yards to go with his one score on five catches. The run game was quiet for the Browns as Deshaun Watson led the team with 22 rushing yards on seven carries.
Cleveland’s defense faced a familiar foe in former Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield, picking him off once and sacking him three times. Carson Schwesinger led the unit with 10 total tackles. Jared Verse, acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, has yet to make his impact felt in two games with his new team.
