Not everyone started the NFL season the way they wanted, but things can change quickly in the world of professional football.
Here are seven NFL stars who stumbled out of the gate, but can recover in Week 2:
Tom Brady vs. Saints
Week 1 Stats (vs. Chiefs): 16-of-36 passing, 267 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs, 44.4 completion %
Tommy Terrific finished the first week of the season with the worst completion percentage in the league after a rare dismal outing. Lucky for him, the Saints' struggling secondary is next on the schedule.
New Orleans' pass defense was atrocious Monday night, making Sam Bradford look like one of the league's elite passers. With Brandin Cooks hungry to show his former team it could have used him more, Brady will be looking to attack downfield against the Saints in order to fend off Drew Brees from his own team's susceptible defense.
Khalil Mack vs. Jets
Week 1 Stats (vs. Titans): 3 tackles, 1 pass deflection, 0 sacks
Truth be told, Mack's play last Sunday against the Titans was not reflected in his stat line. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year was bombarded with double and triple teams at the line of scrimmage, yet still managed to force Marcus Mariota to throw the ball away on a fairly regular basis.
In Week 2, Mack will be the focus yet again, but the Jets may simply not have an answer for his talents. The Raiders' offense is expected to jump out to a lead, pressuring the Jets to call plenty of passes in an effort to play catch up. Whoever the Jets put out at quarterback should be fearing for his safety with Mack able to tee off, rushing the passer play after play.
Adrian Peterson vs. Patriots
Week 1 Stats (vs. Vikings): 6 carries, 18 yards, 0 TDs
The Saints struggled to find a rhythm offensively in Week 1, trying a little too hard to get all three running backs enough touches. The result saw none of the runners breaking out and Peterson complaining about his role in a new offense.
The Patriots gave up 185 rushing yards in Week 1, the second most in the league. With Dont'a Hightower injured this week and the Saints needing to find a run-pass balance without their starting offensive tackles, Peterson is primed for a bounce-back performance.
Carson Palmer vs. Colts
Week 1 Stats (vs. Lions): 27-of-48 passing, 268 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs, 56.3 completion %
In Week 1, Palmer picked up where he left off last season, forcing the ball downfield and into the arms of the opposition. Without David Johnson in the backfield, however, Palmer will be compelled to take better care of the ball as he faces a lowly Colts defense.
Jared Goff looked to rebound from his flat rookie season by torching the Colts' defense a week ago and, even without Johnson, the Cardinals should have more firepower offensively than the Rams.
Jimmy Graham vs. 49ers
Week 1 Stats (vs. Packers): 3 catches, 8 yards, 0 TDs
The entire Seahawks' offense was a mess against the Packers primarily due to the offensive line not being able to block anyone. Graham's production suffered greatly, but don't be surprised if the Seahawks call his number a lot against the Niners.
Graham notched 10 catches for 164 yards and one touchdown between two games against San Francisco last season, burning the defense for 40-yard receptions in both contests.
Ezekiel Ansah vs. Giants
Week 1 Stats (vs. Cardinals): 1 tackle, 0 sacks
The Lions lost several pass-rushing options before the season started and did not get the step-up performance in Week 1 they had hoped for out of Ansah, who is in the final year of his contract.
Facing the Giants' feeble offensive line, Ansah has as easy a task as he will face on Monday night. If he can't muster up some noticeable pressure on Eli Manning this week, the Lions' front office will start to question if he's worth giving a contract extension.
Donte Moncrief vs. Cardinals
Week 1 Stats (vs. Rams): 1 catch, 50 yards, 0 TDs
Until Jacoby Brissett came into the game last Sunday, Moncrief was held without a reception in Los Angeles, but once the former Patriots quarterback took the field, he went right to the veteran receiver on a deep pass.
As T.Y. Hilton will be occupied with Patrick Peterson in Brissett's first start with the Colts, Moncrief should have a favorable matchup to exploit. The playbook will be simplified for Brissett, but he won't be afraid to sling it deep whenever the opportunity comes up.
