Here are my NFL Week 2 Picks
(11-5 last week, 11-5 for the season)
Bye teams: none
NYJ @ NE – Battle of the undefeated teams! OK, it’s not that big of a deal yet, but every game between AFC East opponents should be important this year. The Patriots barely beat the Bills last week, the Jets somehow got a win, and even the Dolphins looked alright. I’ll take Brady at home.
STL @ Atl – This might not last long; the Rams are 1st place in their division while the Falcons are last. Both teams played in close games last week, but Hotlanta definitely had the tougher matchup; on the road in New Orleans. They were sure to lose that game, but they’re likely to win this one.
Cle @ Bal – It seems like a long time ago that the Ravens were crushed by the Broncos. Lucky for them, the Browns are about thirty years away from becoming as good as Denver. They’ll be playing mad, be improved on defense, and be attempting to make Weeden throw a record number of INTs.
Car @ Buf – This is a tough one to call. Both of these teams played at home last week and lost close games to strong opponents. The Bills have the advantage in this one because they get to play at home, while the Panthers have to travel. Cam Newton vs E.J. Manuel? Should be fun.
Min @ Chi – The Vikings didn’t get any love from the schedulers. They opened up in Detroit and now they’re in Chicago. Not fun. They lost to the Lions despite Adrian Peterson’s best efforts, and they’ll lose this one too, a tough road game against a Bears team looking for another home win.
Was @ GB – Both teams lost in high scoring games last week; the Redskins coming from behind vs the Eagles, and the Packers going toe-to-toe with the Niners in San Fran. RG3 looked to be warming up late in that game, but Rodgers was born warm and will win this one for the Pack.
Ten @ Hou – Division opponents who both got big road wins last week. The Texans’ win was more impressive though, a come-from-behind victory in San Diego. The Titans beat a confused-looking Steelers team, but I don’t think they showed enough to warrant a pick this week.
Mia @ Ind – So far I’ve picked all home teams, but that’s about to change. It would be a major upset if the Dolphins could beat the Colts, but Indy showed that they’re beatable last week when they almost lost to Oakland. Miami, on the other hand, won on the road and could do it again.
Dal @ KC – Last week both of these teams beat their opponents easily. The Cowboys took it to the Gmen, while the Chiefs barely broke a sweat vs the Jaguars. I like Dallas this year and would pick them here, but both Romo and Bryant will be playing hurt and I think KC eeks out a win.
SD @ Phi – Everyone is talking about what the Eagles did to the Redskins last week. And everyone is talking about the Chargers’ epic collapse in their home opener. San Diego’s defense is good, but it’s going to take a couple weeks for people to figure out how to stop Philly.
Det @ Ari – This one is a toss-up. The Lions played really well last well; Reggie Bush looked rejuvenated. But the Cardinals barely lost to a tough Rams team. I like the Palmer/Fitzgerald connection, but I like the Stafford/Megatron connection even more.
NO @ TB – Josh Freeman usually plays well, but he’s rarely great. Drew Brees usually plays amazingly, and only seldom lays an egg. This will not be an easy game for the Saints, but with their firepower it’s hard to see them losing many matchups, especially against sub-par talent.
Den @ NYG – Peyton Manning and the Broncos went wild last week in Denver, putting up a league-leading 49 points. The second highest total last week was 36, put up by the Cowboys vs the Giants. See what I’m getting at? The Broncos won’t score quite as many points, but they’ll still win handily.
Jax @ Oak – None of the above? These two teams are widely regarded as the worst in the league. They both lost last week, but the Raiders at least made a game of it. As long as Run DMC is healthy they have a chance to win any game. But the fact that he’ll soon be hurt is looming over their heads.
SF @ Sea – They say that defense wins championships. Well it also wins football games. Both of these teams are expected to be Super Bowl contenders; they both have dynamic QBs & strong Ds. But the Niners allowed 28 points last week while the Seahawks allowed 7. SNF at its best.
Pit @ Cin – No one really knows what happened in Pittsburgh last week when they got beat by the Titans. But hey, no harm no foul; every team in the AFC North lost last week. So it’s a clean slate, one that the Bengals hope to write their names on this week with a big win over an epic rival.