Sunday NFL Recap: Panthers Rout Falcons, Packers Win in OT
Sunday's early window delivered a mix of blowouts, nail-biters, and one wild overtime finish across the NFL's Week 2 slate. Here's a rundown of all eight results from the 1 p.m. ET games.
Carolina Panthers 34, Atlanta Falcons 3
Carolina made quick work of Atlanta, jumping out to an early lead behind a defense that set the tone from the opening whistle. Bryce Young connected with Xavier Legette on a deep shot to help push the Panthers' advantage to 20-3, and the Carolina defense forced multiple turnovers to keep the Falcons out of rhythm all afternoon. The most talked-about moment of the game came off the field, when Falcons receiver Drake London got into a verbal confrontation with someone in the crowd during the lopsided loss.
Minnesota Vikings 9, Chicago Bears 3
This one was all defense. Minnesota's unit has now allowed just six points across its last six quarters of football, smothering Chicago's offense and turning what could have been a shootout into a field-goal-heavy grind. The Bears' day was made worse by an injury to quarterback Caleb Williams, which several outlets flagged as the turning point in a game Chicago never really threatened to win.
Cincinnati Bengals 20, Houston Texans 6
Cincinnati's defense stole the show, holding Houston without a single touchdown — the first time the Bengals have pitched a shutout on touchdowns since Week 3 of 2022. Cincinnati sacked C.J. Stroud four times in the fourth quarter alone to slam the door on any Texans comeback hopes. Joe Burrow got things started early with a deep touchdown strike to Ja'Marr Chase that put the Bengals up 7-0 before Houston could find its footing.
New England Patriots 20, Pittsburgh Steelers 3
New England controlled this one from start to finish, with the Patriots' pass rush setting the tone by burying the Steelers quarterback for a huge loss on one particularly violent hit. Pittsburgh's offense never found any consistency, and New England cruised behind a defense that dictated the terms of the entire afternoon.
Green Bay Packers 20, New York Jets 17 (OT)
The wildest finish of the early window. New York blew a 17-7 fourth-quarter lead — the first time the Jets have squandered a double-digit lead that late in a game since 2020, snapping a 14-game streak of holding onto those leads. Green Bay stormed back to force overtime and finished the job, turning a near-certain loss into a signature early-season win.
Philadelphia Eagles 24, Tennessee Titans 20
Philadelphia needed every bit of a strong second half to hold off Tennessee. Jalen Hurts found DeVonta Smith for a touchdown to give the Eagles a 14-7 edge, but Titans quarterback Cam Ward answered by tying the game at 17-17 before Philadelphia pulled away late. Smith finished with a 117-yard performance that proved the difference-maker in a game that stayed tight until the final minutes.
New Orleans Saints 24, Baltimore Ravens 17
Baltimore looked to be in control at the half after Rashod Bateman scored his first touchdown since October 30, 2025, pushing the Ravens up by 11. But New Orleans stormed back in the second half, outscoring Baltimore to steal a road win and hand the Ravens their second straight defeat.
Cleveland Browns 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19
Cleveland overcame a slow start — and the same operational mistakes that plagued the Browns in Week 1 — to pull off a second-half comeback. Deshaun Watson was sharp when it mattered, completing 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, his best statistical outing as a Brown. Rookie Denzel Boston hauled in touchdown catches of 46 and 55 yards, becoming just the fourth player in NFL history with a touchdown of 45-plus yards in each of his first two career games. The finish came down to the wire, with Tampa Bay's Baker Mayfield seeing a fourth-down pass fall incomplete to seal Cleveland's win.
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