NFL Week 2: 4 players who must step up

The National Football League is all about matchups. Yes, one team simply being more talented than its opponent will largely dictate who wins and loses, but there are singular contests within a game that if important enough, can change the outcome.

Going into Week 2, there are plenty of those situations across the board. Let’s take a look at four players who have to play well, or see their team take a loss.

Brandon Williams, CB, Arizona Cardinals

Williams was absolutely torched on Sunday night against the New England Patriots. If he played better in the game, the Cardinals walk away with a win over Jimmy Garoppolo and Co. Instead, Williams was beaten over and over again by Chris Hogan, Julian Edelman and others. It was hard to watch unless you root for New England.

This week, Williams will be matching up against Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson. If he continues to play like a guy in his second year at the position (Williams was formerly a running back), Arizona is in real danger of going 0-2. Patrick Peterson is a great player, but he’s a hood ornament with Williams getting all the targets.

Lamar Miller, RB, Houston Texans

Last week, Miller had 106 rushing yards on 28 carries in a win over the Chicago Bears. This week, the Kansas City Chiefs come to town, a team with a terrific front seven. However, the Chiefs were beaten badly up front by the San Diego Chargers in Week 1, allowing Melvin Gordon to score twice while Danny Woodhead rushed for more than 80 yards.

If Houston wants to pay Kansas City back for humiliating it in the AFC Wild Card game last year, it starts with Miller. The Texans need him to rush for more than 4.0 yards per carry and hit the century mark again. Otherwise, the game rests on Brock Osweiler against a very good secondary.

T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Yeldon simply has to be better than he was against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday, when he rushed for 39 yards on 21 carries. Granted, the offensive line isn’t doing Yeldon and the rest of the backs any favors, but he needs to make some more yards after contact.

The Jaguars have to find a way to go on the road and beat the Chargers. If they don’t, Jacksonville is already staring at 0-2 in a conference that might demand 10 wins for a wild card berth.

Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills

Taylor got a shiny new contract this offseason, and then promptly went out and threw for 111 yards in the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. If Buffalo is going to reach the playoffs again before we all expire, Taylor needs to do more. Much more.

On Thursday night against the New York Jets, Taylor needs to exploit a lousy secondary that was looted for more than 360 yards in the air by Andy Dalton last weekend.