{"id":1003242,"date":"2026-09-17T12:12:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T12:12:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/1003242\/"},"modified":"2026-09-17T12:12:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T12:12:25","slug":"predicting-nfl-week-2-storylines-jets-finally-snap-historic-streak-deshaun-watson-benched","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/1003242\/","title":{"rendered":"Predicting NFL Week 2 storylines: Jets finally snap historic streak, Deshaun Watson benched"},"content":{"rendered":"

Always expect the unexpected when it comes to the NFL<\/a>. Once you think you have the league figured out, it’ll humble you real quick with developments that you wouldn’t have even dreamt were possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There’s no better example than what transpired in some pockets of the opening weekend. For instance, who had the Cardinals<\/a> pulling off the outright upset on the road against the Chargers<\/a>? What about the Bengals<\/a> defense generating four turnovers in a winning effort? Or the Carson Wentz-led Vikings<\/a> erasing a 12-point second-half deficit to beat the Packers<\/a>? Crazy!\u00a0<\/p>\n

While we didn’t put those developments on your radar, we did clue you in to some key developments in last week’s column. That included fantasy football<\/a> waiver wire darling Devaughn Vele<\/a> finding the end zone. That was our biggest bullseye, but we were sniffing around a few others. Most notably, we highlighted David Montgomery<\/a> and predicted a big outing, but we suggested 100 yards rushing instead of the three total touchdowns he scored against Buffalo.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, we also wrote that we wouldn’t have been surprised that Tua Tagovailoa<\/a> would be one-and-done as the Falcons<\/a> starter. Really, it appears like it’ll be more of a none-and-done situation, as he did not play in Week 1 due to an oblique injury. Now, Cooper Rush<\/a> is in line for another start unless Michael Penix Jr<\/a>. makes his return. In any event, the Tagovailoa experiment didn’t make it to Week 2, so we’ll give ourselves half credit on that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But now it’s time for Week 2. Below, we’re going to highlight a handful of potential storylines and\/or individual performances that may sound far-fetched right now, but we wouldn’t be shocked if they happened this weekend. \u00a0<\/p>\n

It wouldn’t shock me if … the Jets finally record an interception<\/p>\n

The New York Jets<\/a> have gone 18 straight games without recording an interception, which just so happens to be the longest streak in NFL history. The last time they snatched the football away from an opposing quarterback came back during the 2024 season in a Week 18 contest with the Miami Dolphins<\/a>. The New York Knicks won the NBA<\/a> Finals more recently than the Jets have hauled in an interception! While this drought feels never-ending, don’t be surprised if it ends this week as the Jets open up MetLife Stadium against the Packers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Really, this is a play against Jordan Love<\/a>, who did not have a strong game in Week 1 as Green Bay blew a 12-point second-half lead to Minnesota. He completed just 50% of his passes in the loss and recorded one interception, but his day could’ve been much worse. Love had two other interceptions dropped in the defeat and had an off-target rate of 23.8% (worst among all quarterbacks in Week 1). His turnover-worthy throw rate was 7.1%, which was second and only looking up to Deshaun Watson<\/a>, Cooper Rush, and Drake Maye<\/a>, who all had a 9.1% turnover-worthy throw rate.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Those underlying metrics from Love suggest that he’s ripe for another turnover, and this new-look Jets defense could finally get the organization off the schneid.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It wouldn’t shock me if … Deshaun Watson is benched in-game vs. Bucs<\/p>\n

\"player<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"team
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

The clock is going to strike midnight on Deshaun Watson sooner rather than later, and I expect it may come as early as this weekend when the Browns<\/a> visit the Buccaneers<\/a>. Watson did not look good in his 2026 debut, throwing an interception on their first possession of the game and nearly committing two other turnovers (another pick and a fumble) later on. The offense couldn’t muster anything outside of a 46-yard touchdown heave in garbage time. When Jacksonville was firing on all cylinders in the first half before packing it in and preserving health over the final two quarters, the Browns’ offense was outscored 24-0.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Watson’s EPA per dropback was 25th among all quarterbacks last week, while his turnover-worthy throw rate was tied for the highest in the league (excluding Kyler Murray<\/a>, who left Minnesota’s game early in the first quarter). It’s hard to imagine that they’ll improve as they gear up to take on the Buccaneers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While the 33 points allowed by Tampa Bay may have you thinking Watson and Co. may have an easier go of it in Week 2, there’s some important context with that crooked number. First, Mayfield and the offense turned the ball over four times, and Cincinnati scored 20 points off of those turnovers. They weren’t put in the best spots at times, but they did have some flashes, including rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter<\/a> posting 11 tackles, a sack, and a pick-six. They’ll be better in Week 2, and that’s bad news for Watson.<\/p>\n

If he continues to struggle and those almost-turnovers turn into actual turnovers while Baker Mayfield<\/a> is slinging it around the yard against his former team, it’s the perfect storm for Todd Monken to make an in-game switch and have Shedeur Sanders<\/a> come in as Watson watches from the bench.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It wouldn’t shock me if … Trevor Lawrence rushes for a touchdown<\/p>\n

\"player<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"team
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

It was essentially a perfect outing from Trevor Lawrence<\/a> in the Week 1 win against Cleveland. The Jags QB completed 18-of-23 for 245 yards and four passing touchdowns, which culminated in a 150.6 passer rating. The one aspect of Lawrence’s game that wasn’t on display in the opener, however, was his legs. With the game secure, Lawrence didn’t need to tuck and run it in Week 1, totaling just three yards on two carries. That said, he’s more than capable of being a factor on the ground, as evident in career-high 359 yards rushing and nine rushing touchdowns in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of those nine scores came in Week 16 when Lawrence’s Jaguars<\/a> visited the Denver Broncos<\/a>, which is who they’ll be facing on Sunday. It was a lackluster effort by the Broncos’ defense on Monday night against the Chiefs<\/a>, missing 28 tackles. I expect them to take that personally and try to pin their ears back and make a statement in the home opener, which could force Lawrence out of the pocket and scrambling. As we saw with Patrick Mahomes<\/a>, that is one way you can attack them, and we won’t be shocked to see Lawrence calling his own number for a touchdown in Week 2.<\/p>\n

Gambling angle to note: Trevor Lawrence is +350 anytime touchdown in Week 2 (DraftKings<\/a> Sportsbook).<\/p>\n

It wouldn’t shock me if … Mark Andrews sees 12-plus targets vs. Saints<\/p>\n

\"player<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"team
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Baltimore’s receiver room took a hit in the opening win against Indy, with rookie standout Ja’Kobi Lane<\/a> being placed on IR due to a wrist injury, while star receiver Zay Flowers<\/a>‘ status is uncertain after leaving the game with a hamstring injury. If Flowers is unable to go, that drastically concentrates the passing game for Lamar Jackson<\/a>. That leaves Rashod Baeman and Devontez Walker<\/a> as the top two receivers, but the real benefactor will most likely be Mark Andrews<\/a>. The veteran tight end matched Flowers for a team-high six targets in Week 1, which he turned into four catches for 49 yards. That number could realistically double, considering where Baltimore’s pass-catcher situation stands.<\/p>\n

Remember, Andrews is the clear No. 1 tight end with the Ravens<\/a> after Isaiah Likely<\/a> left in free agency this offseason, with backups Durham Smythe<\/a> and Matthew Hibner<\/a> each catching just one pass in the opener. When Jackson drops back to pass, Andrews will be one of the few familiar options.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He’s also taken on a sizable workload in the past, with his career-high in targets for a single game sitting at 15 (Week 18 vs. the Steelers<\/a> during the 2021 season). However, the last time Andrews saw a double-digit target total in a game came all the way back in Week 9 of the 2023 season against Seattle. Andrews has only had 12 or more targets four times in his career, but it’s conceivable here.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, this matchup with New Orleans has sneaky shootout potential, with the total sitting at 46.5 and is juiced to the over. In their overtime loss to the Lions<\/a>, Sam LaPorta<\/a> was the second-most productive pass catcher in Detroit’s offense behind Amon-Ra St. Brown<\/a>. The veteran tight end caught five of his eight targets for 48 yards.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It wouldn’t shock me if … Antonio Williams has a true breakout vs. the Cowboys<\/p>\n

\"player<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"team
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Lost in the shuffle of Week 1 was Commanders<\/a> third-round rookie receiver Antonio Williams<\/a> balling out against Philadelphia. He led the team with 64 receiving yards on four catches. The Clemson product also caught a 1-yard touchdown from Jayden Daniels<\/a> in the fourth quarter. However, because the Commanders lost, it didn’t really gain much traction on a national scale. That will change in Week 2.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That production came with Williams running just 11 routes for the game. For reference, Terry McLaurin<\/a> ran 35 routes, Stefon Diggs<\/a> ran 25 routes, and Dyami Brown<\/a> ran 23 routes. Despite getting fewer route-running opportunities than half his teammates, Williams outperformed them all due to his hyper-efficiency.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Given that performance, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the coaching staff give Williams a longer leash in his second career game in the NFL. And if he keeps up his efficiency with an expanded role, you’re talking about possibly a 100-yard performance with another touchdown sprinkled in during just his second career game.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This could be made possible not only due to his growing role within the offense, but Williams also has a favorable matchup against a Dallas defense that didn’t look much improved from last season’s woeful production in the opening loss to the Giants<\/a>. Most of Williams’ production in Week 1 came when he lined up in the slot, catching all three of his targets for 50 yards and a touchdown. Last week, Giants tight end Isaiah Likely torched Dallas in the slot, catching six passes for 57 yards and a touchdown.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Always expect the unexpected when it comes to the NFL. Once you think you have the league figured…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1003243,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2051],"tags":[4566,6959,390,254,1842,117,256,54,5898,257,597,258,563,113,1271,13200,833,7729,4894,7,345,4698,34745,125,734,226,1724,94291,110,4827,895,262,759,102996,251,1879,259,55,1917,56,255,2321,2097,6,499,57,7472,17,531,250,7186,314,3452,111,4648],"class_list":["post-1003242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-jets","tag-amon-ra-st-brown","tag-antonio-williams","tag-arizona-cardinals","tag-atlanta-falcons","tag-baker-mayfield","tag-baltimore-ravens","tag-cincinnati-bengals","tag-cleveland-browns","tag-cooper-rush","tag-dallas-cowboys","tag-david-montgomery","tag-denver-broncos","tag-deshaun-watson","tag-detroit-lions","tag-devaughn-vele","tag-devontez-walker","tag-drake-maye","tag-durham-smythe","tag-dyami-brown","tag-football","tag-green-bay-packers","tag-isaiah-likely","tag-jakobi-lane","tag-jacksonville-jaguars","tag-jayden-daniels","tag-jets","tag-jordan-love","tag-josiah-trotter","tag-kansas-city-chiefs","tag-kyler-murray","tag-lamar-jackson","tag-los-angeles-chargers","tag-mark-andrews","tag-matthew-hibner","tag-miami-dolphins","tag-michael-penix-jr","tag-minnesota-vikings","tag-new-orleans-saints","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-giants","tag-new-york-jets","tag-newyork","tag-newyorkjets","tag-nfl","tag-patrick-mahomes","tag-pittsburgh-steelers","tag-sam-laporta","tag-shedeur-sanders","tag-stefon-diggs","tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","tag-terry-mclaurin","tag-trevor-lawrence","tag-tua-tagovailoa","tag-washington-commanders","tag-zay-flowers"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1003242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1003242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1003242\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1003243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1003242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1003242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1003242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}