So Cam has surprised me in picking some winners despite having zero knowledge about the NFL. Kudos. But her ignorance this week will continue, even with my attempts to saturate the house in not just the NFL but college football too. She will love this game damn it! Without further ado, my Week 2 picks:
Chiefs vs Chargers
A second dream Thursday matchup, but this one looks even better than the season opener. Pat Mahomes put all doubt out of his fans’ minds by leading the Chiefs to a dominate win last week in Arizona. Hitting just about every player on the offense and scoring at will, KC made Tyreek a thing of the past. They will be facing a fierce Chargers D that showed out at times against the Raiders. Justin Herbert made some amazing throws, and did need to fight some pressure to lead his team to the win. While I picked Herbert and the Chargers as the AFC Champs, I see the Chiefs taking this one in a shootout with Mahomes walking it off.
KC 38 over Chargers 33
Browns vs Jets
The Jets were pitiful, and fans in NY will be vocal early. The Browns and their very savvy head coach Kevin Stefanski leaned into their strengths in their comeback win against the jags by running the ball and keeping their best players (Chubb and Hunt) on the field as much as possible. I can see a dominant performance from the running game of the Browns and the Jets falling into a hole early. Flacco cannot hold up throwing 60+ times a game, and I would not be surprised to see a 3 sack performance by perennial All-Pro Myles Garrett. Browns coast to an easy one.
Browns 31 over Jets 17
Ravens vs Dolphins
The Dolphins under Mike McDaniel surprised a lot of people (myself included) in picking apart the Patriots in Week 1. They used a balanced attack, and didn’t ask too much of Tua in working down the field and using their speed in horizontal passing that allowed Tyreek Hill and Waddle to run away from a slow secondary that failed to get a lot of pressure on the lefty QB. They won’t have this luxury against Baltimore. The Ravens D looked fast and tough, and the offense, in particular the passing game, began to look dangerous with Lamar continuing to have to prove his critics wrong by carving up defences with his arm. While the Miami defence looks solid, I see Jackson busting off a few scrambles to extend drives, and the D put Tua on the turf enough to get the Ravens the win in the 305.
Ravens 24 over Dolphins 16
Steelers vs Patriots
While the Steelers won a game they should have closed out much earlier, their defence proved to be elite. Much of that success game from their freakish DPOY, TJ Watt. He was everywhere against the Bengals, and will miss time with his pec injury. That said, The Patriots offence was bad, with Mac Jones left out to dry when the team abandoned the run. If the Pats can’t get the run game going early, I can see the Steelers strangling New England and cruising. It will be closer than it should be as Trubisky is still a below average QB and is not an efficient ball mover, but Pittsburgh will take the early lead and let the defence take them home to victory.
Steelers 20 over Patriots 9
Lions vs Commanders
The battle of the top two picks of the 2016 Draft will go head to head in a battle of mediocrity. The Commanders toughed out a win last week, and Wentz had his moments. The darling Lions battled back against the Eagles, but their defence was terrible for most of the game. I can see the Lions being competitive if they keep feeding Swift in both the run and passing game. If Wentz turns the ball over like he is want to do, watch out for the upset in Washington. Goff is not special, but he can still play in structure if given some weapons, and it looks like the Lions have a few gems.
Lions 28 over Commanders 20
Saints vs Buccaneers
The Saints had no business winning their week one matchup against the Falcons, but a win is a win. The Bucs offence wasn’t special against a game Cowboys defence, but Brady and Fournette did enough to overcome some poor protection to seal the victory. This will be another defensive battle where I can see Brady’s experience getting them over the line at home. The Saints have owned the Bucs lately, but if Jameis and the offence don’t figure things out, it could be a long day for Nawlins.
Bucs 24 over Saints 13
Giants vs Panthers
Coach Daboll showed his courage in the 2 point conversion that gave them the victory over the Titans. When you have Saquon Barkley performing like he did, was it really a risk? The Giants offense is still a bit of a throw together unit, but with their bell cow back, they could show huge improvements this year. The Panthers will be kicking themselves for losing against Cleveland, and Baker had his moments, but they need to get McCaffery going early and often. In a duel of former premiere running backs, I expect the Giants to come out on top as I believe in Daboll as a coach, and his ability to put Daniel Jones into good positions to limit mistakes.
Giants 27 over Panthers 17
Jaguars vs Colts
The Colts were almost completely embarrassed in Houston (yuk it up Cam), but remembered they had all-world running back and a great running offensive line and were able to roar back to salvage the tie. The Jags made some improvements, but are still a talent poor team and Trevor Lawrence is still lacking protection. Expect a bounce back week from Indy where the pressure is taken off Matt Ryan, and Taylor dominates.
Colts 33 over Jags 17
49ers vs Seahawks
GENO! GENO! GENO! The most inspiring performance of the week definitely goes to Geno Smith as he played perfect Pete Carroll football in taking the win over the Niners. I wouldn’t say Geno won the game, but he didn’t lose it, and that’s exactly how Carroll likes his QBs. That said, San Fran will be pissed off after last week, and I can see Shanahan dialling up some wizardry that allows Trey Lance to show off more of his running talents and open up the sub-par Seattle defence to a blow-out.
49ers 35 over Seahawks 10
Rams vs Falcons
Perhaps the most surprising team of the first week was Atlanta. Their offense was fun to watch, with Arthur Smith scheming up some cool run concepts and allowing Mariota’s athleticism to move the ball well. But this is the Rams defence, and they will be focused and ready to bounce back against a team they really have no business losing to. I can see McVay getting his running game back on track, and have the Rams pulling away late to win a closer-than the scoreboard would tell us kind of game.
Rams 38 over Falcons 24
Raiders vs Cardinals
The Raiders gave the Chargers everything they could handle, but could not contain the talent of Herbert. Carr made great use of his mate Davante Adams, and the Cards will have a hard time containing the combination. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kyler Murray play really well early, but the Raiders pass rush can be lethal, and may be able to keep Murray’s deep ball in check. I see a close game throughout, with the Raiders D making a late stop to seal the victory.
Raiders 23 over Cardinals 17
Broncos vs Texans
My love’s Texan Bulls (?) are undefeated…sounds weird because it is. The Broncos and Russell Wilson played bad in a game they really had no business losing. Really, Russ didn’t play terribly, but the spotlight fell on him late and the offence had some really chokey moments. I say feed the two-headed monster of Williams and Gordon and run rough-shod over a patched together Texans front seven. Broncos will eat up clock and win an easy one in Houston.
Broncos 28 over Texans 10
Cowboys vs Bengals
While Dak Prescott’s injury looks like a death-knell for the Boys, I wouldn’t count them out yet. I would argue they still have a top five defence, and could give Burrow huge problems all night. That said, I think the lack of weapons on offence will mean the Bengals can play soft and force Cooper Rush into mistakes all night. Look for a defensive score by Cincy and Burrow hitting Chase on a long TD as the difference.
Bengals 14 over Cowboys 6
Packers vs Bears
Cam’s seed (kinda sounds gross), the Chicago Bears, won in an insane weather game against the 49ers, and while Justin Fields’ numbers didn’t jump off the page, he still had that something you look for in a QB. I thought the awesome slip-n-slide he led at the end showed a more relaxed and together Bears team than they have had in a while. That said, their offence is not good at all. The line is poor, the receivers are nobodies, and their running game depends so heavily on Fields that they are an injury away from complete disaster. This looks like a prime bounce-back game for Aaron Rodgers and the Pack. I can see a drubbing in the first half that forces Fields to play hero ball and turn the ball over despite his best efforts.
Packers 42 over Bears 21
Bills vs Titans
Part of a rare Monday doubleheader, the Bills will be looking to build their early season momentum against the Titans. While the Titans have lost talent offensively, their defence is still a good unit, and could be a challenge for Allen. But I doubt it. I see a dominant Bills D setting the tone and shutting down Henry and Tannehill, putting the offence into good field position all night. The Bills will pile on against their AFC rivals and continue to be the class of the conference.
Bills 38 over Titans 16
Eagles vs Vikings
An intriguing battle of solid overall teams, the story of this game may be homefield advantage for the Vikes. The Eagles took care of business against the Lions, but showed some gaps in their defence when allowing D’Andre Swift to pile up yarding underneath against them. Expect a heavy dose of Dalvin Cook early setting up shot plays to Jefferson and Thielen. If the Vikings can force the Eagles into a pass heavy script, look for the revamped pass rush of the Vikings to put Hurts down before he can heat up with AJ Brown.
Vikings 27 over Eagles 17
The matchups in Week 2 look incredible, but it’s still early. I’m just hoping the excitement continues so I can keep the education going for my ignorant wife.
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