Five worst NFL Week 2 performances: Steelers HC Mike Tomlin, Jaguars WR Brian Thomas cost teams

After the play, CBS color commentator Ross Tucker blasted Flacco's decision-making, saying, "This is his 18th year. He knows better than that."

His afternoon went from bad to worse in the fourth quarter, when he was careless with the football as the pocket collapsed, resulting in a fumble which was returned for a touchdown.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski benched Flacco for rookie third-rounder Dillon Gabriel after the game had been decided, and he might get the call to enter games much sooner if Flacco's struggles aren't a one-off.

New York Giants offensive lineman James Hudson

One series was enough for Giants head coach Brian Daboll to be done with Hudson, who made a mess of things in limited action of an overtime thriller against the Dallas Cowboys. The fifth-year veteran offensive lineman was flagged four times on New York's opening drive, leading to a prompt — and deserving — benching.

Hudson was flagged twice for unnecessary roughness, including when he swung at Dallas Cowboys edge-rusher James Houston, and twice more for false starts.

The Giants signed Hudson, a 2021 fourth-rounder, to a two-year, $12M contract in free agency this offseason, but he's quickly becoming a sunk cost.

Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson

Stevenson's day started poorly in a 52-21 loss to the Detroit Lions, and it only snowballed from there. On Detroit's third offensive possession, Stevenson's illegal contact penalty wiped out a sack from defensive end Montez Sweat. Three players later, he got beat on a 32-yard reception by Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown.

At the end of the second quarter, Stevenson allowed a 29-yard reception to rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, followed by a four-yard touchdown to St. Brown that gave the Lions a 28-14 lead.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw as many incompletions as touchdown passes (five), constantly exposing a vulnerable Bears secondary. And as bad as the unit was, Stevenson was the weakest link.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

Instead of building on his phenomenal rookie season, Thomas has regressed significantly through two weeks, including a disastrous Week 2 performance in a 31-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Thomas only caught four his 12 targets for 49 yards and had multiple red-zone miscues. 

Through two weeks, Thomas, who finished fourth in Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year voting last year, has five receptions for 60 yards on 19 targets.

Early in the fourth quarter, Thomas failed to come up with a catch in the end zone twice on one possession, first being forced out of bounds after jumping to make a catch near the back line. He also shied from contact on a crossing route two players, forcing Jacksonville to settle for a field goal and leaving head coach Liam Coen exaggerated after the game. 

Then, with a chance to move the chains on a 4th-and-5 at the Cincinnati 7-yard line with under four minutes remaining, he dropped a pass that hit him in the hands. Thomas is too talented to have those kinds of lapses. If the Jaguars are going to be a factor in the AFC South this season, they'll need their star 2024 rookie to rediscover his form.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin

Tomlin's conservative second-half approach cost his team in a 31-17 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Per ESPN Analytics, the Steelers lost 1.6 percentage points in win probability by punting (53.9%) instead of going for it (56.5%) on a 4th-and-1 from their own 48-yard line with one minute and 40 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

ESPN Analytics also suggested Tomlin made the wrong call on two other fourth downs, punting on a 4th-and-2 four minutes into the third quarter and settling for a field goal down 10 on a 4th-and-3 midway through the fourth.

As bad as those decisions were, Tomlin's defense may have been more problematic. The Seahawks gained 395 yards, and running back Kenneth Walker scored a 19-yard rushing touchdown on a third-and-goal late in the fourth to seal the game.

Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson also had the sort of boneheaded miscue that's usually reserved for the worst-coached teams when he failed to field a kickoff that fell in the landing zone and rolled into the end zone, allowing the Seahawks to recover the ball for a touchdown.

Week 2 wasn't Tomlin's finest moment. The Steelers didn't just lose on Sunday; they were out-coached. Pittsburgh has a lot of work to on, and it starts at the top.