NFL Week 2: Three Underrated Matchups You Shouldn't Miss

It's only been one full week of the NFL season, and we've already seen surprising performances, upsets, blowouts and significant injuries. This week is bound to bring more of the same.

Some games on the Week 2 slate have fans itching to watch, but others are flying under the radar. While the attention may be more toward Bengals-Texans, Vikings-Bears or Jaguars-Broncos, there are other games that I will be keeping an eye on.

Here's a look at some underrated games you should keep up with this week:

Patriots vs. Steelers

Sunday, Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming on Paramount+

This game isn't totally flying under the radar, given the history of these teams and who their quarterbacks and coaches are, but it's not getting as much attention as it should.

The defending AFC Champions are making their 2026 home debut, coming off a close but ugly 13-10 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks . What made the loss worse for New England was losing their biggest offseason addition,  A.J Brown , to injury. Even before the wide receiver was sidelined, their passing game wasn't strong. Granted, they were up against an elite Seattle defense, but their top pass-catcher was  Mack Hollins  with 51 yards, followed by running back  Rhamondre Stevenson  with 44 yards in the air, which isn't impressing anyone.

The overreactions about the Patriots 2026 season are already starting, because this is sports and that's what we all do in sports. Is Drake Maye actually an MVP candidate? Was it all just the easy schedule last year? Was the Mike Vrabel drama this offseason a distraction? Is it time to hit the panic button? Well, it's certainly not time to panic, but another disappointing performance this week and the chatter will only get louder.

On the Steelers sideline is another talked-about QB,  Aaron Rodgers , playing in what he says will be his last season. It's the Steelers first year without head coach Mike Tomlin since 2006, with Rodgers' former Packers coach Mike McCarthy in charge. The pair's first game back together ended in a victory. Despite facing the Falcons ' third-string quarterback Cooper Rush last week, Pittsburgh won by just a touchdown.

Rodgers and his offense took some time to find their rhythm, and the Patriots defense, which didn't take away the ball last week, will need to capitalize on any missteps by the future Hall of Famer.

The defense was Pittsburgh's bright spot last weekend, even without cornerback Joey Porter Jr . The CB, who was looking for a new contract ahead of the season and has been dealing with a back injury, left Thursday's practice with a member of the medical staff, questioning his availability for Sunday. One big name the Patriots offense  will  have to deal with is former Defensive Player of the Year  T.J. Watt , who had a pick-six, four solo tackles, two quarterback hits and two sacks in last week's victory.

This matchup will be intriguing whether it's close or not, producing many overreactions and storylines either way.

Commanders vs. Cowboys

Sunday, Sept. 20 at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox (stream on fubo , try for free)

This NFC East matchup pits the two teams in the division that did not win their season openers. Both lost to divisional rivals last week, with the Commanders falling to the Eagles 24-22 and the Cowboys losing to the Giants 28-20.

Both teams have Pro Bowl quarterbacks who can play at a high level and are former Offensive Rookie of the Year winners.

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels only has one full season behind him, as he was limited to seven games due to injury last year. His performance of 174 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions wasn't enough to get it done against Philly, but I could see him leveling up against a Dallas defense that gave up 394 yards against the Giants.

The Commanders are on the road for a second straight week as the Cowboys make their AT&T 2026 debut. Dallas comes in as the favorites at -3.5, per DraftKings Sportsbook.

I don't trust either team 100%. The Commanders are new to the world of success, and the Cowboys have a history of not reaching their ceiling and making costly mistakes. I expect this one to be close and think their performances will be very telling of how these teams do this season, which is why it's one game I'll be tuning into.

Giants vs. Rams

Monday, Sept. 21 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN (stream on fubo , try for free)

Alright, I admit a "Monday Night Football" matchup might not be totally underrated. But if you told me heading into this week one of these teams would be 1-0 and one would be 0-1, I (along with probably most football fans and experts) would confidently say the Rams would be the one with the winning record. This is why we play the games, as they say.

The Rams were blown out by the 49ers , losing 27-7 in a game where defending MVP Matthew Stafford had just 155 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. They were bested by San Fran in every major category, and the Rams lost more than just the game, losing Myles Garrett to IR this week.

Aaron Donald  came out of retirement this offseason to rejoin his old team but wasn't on the field for Week 1. Head coach Sean McVay expressed optimism about him playing, saying if he feels good enough to be out there, he will be out there.

The Giants recorded their first home opener win since 2010 with the 28-20 win over the Cowboys. Quarterback Jaxson Dart had a solid performance, throwing for 230 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Cam Skattebo had a team-high 81 yards on the ground in his first game back since suffering an injury in October. Wide receiver Isaiah Likely topped the receiving stat line with 78 yards and two touchdowns, followed by Malik Nabers ' 69 yards. If the Rams do get back Donald, even without Garrett, the Giants offense could have a long day against L.A.'s defense.

Each team's first game could very well be an outlier, for opposite reasons, when we look back on the season come February. The Rams' Week 2 performance could make everyone forget the jokes and memes about them being the only NFC West team to lose, and the Giants could go back to being the same old Giants at any point.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-week-2s-three-most-underrated-games-patriots-steelers/)._