NFL Best And Worst: Chiefs Find Their Perfect Match While The Dolphins Are Overmatched

What do the Chiefs, Bengals and Josh Allen have in common? They look scary good now

You know who isn’t scaring anyone right now? Dolphins.

After the second week of NFL action in the 2026 season, I’m back with my best and worst superlatives, focusing on three categories: team developments, offensive performances and overall team quality:

The reigning Super Bowl MVP’s integration into the Chiefs offense is going just as Kansas City could have imagined, and the rest of the NFL should be worried. many worried.

Walker had 178 yards rushing on 30 touches in Kansas City’s overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night – 24 carries for 117 yards and six receptions for 61 yards. He had a team-high five touchdowns with seven game-winning field goals, including two first-down conversions (one on the ground, one as a passer).

Before Monday Night Football, the former Seahawk led the league in receiving (47), rushing yards (290), touchdowns (56) and scrimmage yards (369). He has forced 29 fumbles (!) through two weeks, according to Next Gen Stats.

The start of the Patrick Mahomes era in Kansas City was defined by a prolific air attack. Then the Chiefs turned into a defense-led team. And now, while it’s still very early, we can enter the pound-for-pound iteration of these Chiefs — with Walker as the focal point. He’s the most dynamic skill player they’ve had in Mahomes’ supporting cast since star Tyreek Hill and the franchise’s best running back since premier Jamaal Charles (2009-14).

For years, we’ve spent a lot of time wondering who will emerge as the Chiefs’ 1A receiver behind Hill. Rashee Rice has been like that in the early going, but he hasn’t been on the field enough to show he’s reliable. With Walker, they may not need one. The attention he draws in the box opens up one-on-one opportunities down the field for speedsters like Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton, both of whom can take the edge of the defense.

The top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft suffered injuries within hours of each other on Sunday.

First there was Bears QB Caleb Williams, who suffered a hamstring injury in Chicago’s 9-3 loss to Minnesota that required him to be sent to the locker room from the sideline. Then Commanders QB Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow — the same one he dislocated last season — in the second quarter of Washington’s 37-20 loss to Dallas. He was also sent to the locker room. Both players were quickly sent off.

While Williams apparently avoided anything serious, the NFL world is still waiting for word on how long Daniels will be sidelined.

Commanders HC Dan Quinn shares an update on QB Jayden Daniels, recaps loss to Cowboys

That might be jumping the gun a bit, but what comes to mind first after Daniels’ latest injury is what contract negotiations between the quarterback and the Commanders might look like this offseason, when he becomes eligible to continue for the first time.

Even if he’s not out for the year, Daniels missing significant time for the second straight season could make Washington reluctant to give him a long-term commitment — or at least one near the top of the quarterback market. Daniels’ argument would be what happened when he was healthy — the NFC Championship Game appearance as a rookie, for example — and how Washington has struggled when he’s not on the field.

The best-case scenario might be to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract in the spring and revisit the extension conversation after the 2027 season. That’s the approach CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans have taken this year.

The Bills exploded for 41 points in their Week 2 win over the Detroit Lions, with Allen recording five total touchdowns (three passing, two rushing). Buffalo went 9 of 12 (75%) on third down and had 446 yards of offense, including more than 200 through the air and on the ground. The Bills scored six touchdowns on their first eight possessions. It was a balanced and dominant offense for Buffalo, which leads the NFL in scoring through two weeks (MNF pending).

The Bills offense is unstoppable right now because of Allen, who is the best quarterback on the planet right now. If you weren’t impressed by what he did against the Lions, who have a shaky defense, he did essentially the same thing in Buffalo’s season opener against the Texans, who have arguably the best defense in the NFL.

Allen has nine total tackles (five passing, four rushing) and a 125.8 passer rating through two games. He’s in good shape with new coach Joe Brady, who has been Buffalo’s offensive lineman since the middle of 2023.

This is the version of Allen that can lead the Bills to the top of the mountain. And with Brady bringing a fresh approach as head coach, plus the addition of wide receiver DJ Moore, Buffalo may finally have what it needs to reach the Super Bowl.

Falcons quarterback hell took another turn in Atlanta’s embarrassing 34-3 home loss to Carolina.

Making his second straight start with Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa inactive because of injuries, linebacker Cooper Rush missed a fumble on the Falcons’ first play from scrimmage. He also threw two interceptions. It was so bad for the Falcons offensively that their fans were cheering six minutes into the game.

And believe it or not, it just kept getting worse. Undrafted rookie quarterback Jack Strand drew applause when he entered the game late in the third quarter, but his first career pass resulted in a pick-six. Strand also lost a fumble on Atlanta’s final drive.

The only reason for hope for the Falcons right now is Penix’s reported return Thursday from last season’s torn ACL, and that’s only because we haven’t seen what he looks like in 2026. The results may not be any better than what Atlanta has gotten at the quarterback position up to this point.

Ultimately, it was Penix’s health concerns and inconsistent play that led to the offseason signing of veteran QB Tagovailoa, who was given the starting job entering the season because Penix wasn’t cleared for full practices until late August. Tagovailoa, who struggled in training camp and the preseason, has missed the first two games because of an oblique injury suffered in practice in week one.

We know what the Bengals are capable of offensively with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase & Co. – Chase’s spectacular catch in the corner of the end zone against tight coverage by All-Pro Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is Exhibit A.

So that’s really a testament to what Cincinnati is showing us defensively.

The Texans played Sunday without their star running back Nico Collins, but what the Bengals accomplished defensively was still very impressive. Cincinnati held Houston to 0-for-4 on fourth down and in the red zone, and held the Texans to just 60 yards on 3.3 yards per carry. The Bengals generated 27 pressures in downing 62 of the Texans and didn’t allow a touchdown for the first time since the third week of the 2022 season, according to Next Gen Stats. In the season opener, Cincinnati forced four turnovers against Tampa Bay.

The Bengals have an argument as the NFL’s most feared team right now, given their ability to dominate on both sides of the ball.

The dolphins are turning out to be just as bad as we all thought. They fell to 0-2 with their 35-13 loss Sunday to the 49ers.

Miami gave up touchdowns on San Francisco’s first five drives and the Dolphins didn’t get into the end zone until 2:30 into the fourth quarter, when quarterback Malik Willis connected with wide receiver Ryan Miller for a 77-yard touchdown in garbage time. It was a truly comprehensive loss by Miami, which has been outscored 62-26 over two games.

New Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley is looking for something on his call sheet that will work for his offensively challenged team. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The only hope for the Dolphins comes in looking toward 2027, when they can secure the quarterback of the future through the draft and see growth from their young players. In Week 1, Miami had the most snaps played by rookies in the entire league (439), according to Next Gen Stats.