NFL Week 2 winners, losers: Bengals put everything together while Bears, Commanders QBs sustain injuries

The second week of the NFL season always delivers clarity. It is where the takeaways from Week 1 are put to the test. Season-opening results either become trends or one-time occurrences, for better or worse.

In the Cincinnati Bengals' case, it was for the better. The defensive improvements they showed in their first game carried over into an overwhelming performance against the Houston Texans in which they surrendered just six points on the road.

For the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders, however, it was for the worse. Chicago scored 56 fewer points in Week 2 than they did seven days prior, and both teams lost their standout quarterbacks to potentially serious injuries.

Those teams are among the biggest winners and losers from the second week of the campaign. Below are the others that came out on top and the ones that left a lot to be desired.

The hope for the Bengals entering the year was that their retooled defense would inch closer to the level of their elite offense. Through two weeks, everything appears to be coming together for what might be a dark-horse Super Bowl contender.

Nearly all of the new faces on the defense delivered impact plays…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/