NFL Pick’ems: Week 2

Last Week’s Picks: 11-5

Overall Picks Record: 11-5

The war of attrition has begun! A couple of upsets, and a few picks that could have gone either way, including a tie. We’ve got our first look at every team, so the picture is a bit clearer for week two.

Here we go!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) @ Carolina Panthers (0-1)

Winner: Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton and the Panthers are coming off a disappointing loss at home to the Rams – their eighth of the last nine games going back to 2018. As mentioned in the Power Rankings, the approach of the Panthers offense has been far more conservative under OC Norv Turner than it was under Mike Shula. Under Shula, there was at least an attempt to attack with deep vertical routes, and to ask some serious questions of the opponents’ defensive backs. Under Turner, it’s much more of a heavy run load, dink-and-dunk type of offense. Which is fine – if you have the right personnel to fit the scheme. Right now, the Panthers are leaning on the young stud Christian McCaffrey, who is a special, special talent at running back. However, Turner’s going to have to widen his playbook, and get this offense and Cam threatening downfield again if Carolina is to return to form.

On the bright side, the Buccs might be just the remedy for the Panthers to regain some momentum. QB Jameis Winston looked dreadful in the season opener against the 49ers, turning the ball over three times including not one, but two pick-sixes in the second half. While it was easy to predict some early bumps in the road, this was a horrible start to the Winston-Arians relationship. On defense, the Buccs lack – among other things – a play-making, lead-by-example type of player that a defense can rally around. Though Jameis and the offense should bounce back this week, expect a close loss to a desperate Panthers team.

Arizona Cardinals (0-0-1) @ Baltimore Ravens (1-0)

Winner: Baltimore Ravens

While this game has the potential to be lopsided, it’s one of the more intriguing young QB duels of the season. It was a rough start for Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, but they finished strong – putting up 27 points on a decent Detroit defense – earning a draw in their NFL debuts.

The Ravens eviscerated the Dolphins 59-10 – statistically an impressive performance. However, who you play matters, folks. This should be a more realistic gauge of where Lamar Jackson and Ravens offense is, facing a more competent Cardinals defense with a familiar face. Former Ravens legend LB Terrell Suggs, who showed he’s still trucking along at age 36, had two sacks for the Cards in their opener. Ultimately, though, missing their All-Pro leader in the secondary CB Patrick Peterson – currently serving a six-game suspension for PED’s – could prove to be fatal for Arizona. The Ravens have enough momentum from a dominant victory last week to win by 10+ points.

Los Angeles Chargers (1-0) @ Detroit Lions (0-0-1)

Winner: Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers, playing without key starters Melvin Gordon and Derwin James, took care of business at home. Philip Rivers looked like he hasn’t missed a beat, which is great news for Chargers fans considering where the other two QBs from the 2004 draft class are, and how they performed this week. It appears Rivers may outlast Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger in career longevity. Now, he just needs a certain ring on his finger to level the playing field with his draft mates. The Chargers should look to feed Ekeler again this week in Detroit, as the RB had a hell of a game in his bid to replace Gordon as the Chargers’ bell-cow. The third-year back racked up 154 combined yards, scoring a hat-trick of touchdowns including the game-winner in OT.

Things are not looking up for Matt Patricia in Detroit after blowing an 18 point lead – all in the 4th quarter – to a rookie QB and head coach no less. Those kinds of losses (or ties in this case) not only have immediate consequences for a team’s playoff chances that season, but can have a lasting impact on a coach’s reputation among his players. Just how can Matt Patricia, a defensive-minded, Super Bowl-winning, Bill Belicheck disciple let that happen? Lions fans can’t catch a break, and the team will catch no breaks this week against the Chargers. The Lions need to get pressure, put some early hits on Rivers, and with hope, force a turnover or two. However, if they can’t find a matchup for Ekeler catching passes out of the backfield, it’s going to be a long day.

Indianapolis Colts (0-1) @ Tennessee Titans (1-0)

Winner: Tennessee Titans

After embarrassing the Browns on the road, the Titans have a ton of momentum going into their home opener against the Colts. On both sides of the ball, the Titans controlled the game, outsmarted, and out-muscled Cleveland, in what was arguably their best game under Mike Vrabel. This is actually a massive game for Tennessee; a divisional game with the opportunity to start the season 2-0, in a tight conference where a single victory can be the difference between playoffs and early golf. It is time for QB Marcus Mariota to achieve his prime form, and take this team to the next level.

Tough start to the season for Indy having to face two teams that made the playoffs in 2018. A brutal OT loss to the Chargers, and now back on the road against a balanced Titans team. The Colts have one of the best offensive lines in football, and possibly the League’s best offensive lineman in Quenton Nelson, who was dominant against the Chargers. Nelson helped to open up huge lanes for RB Marlon Mack, who took full advantage, rushing for 174 yards and two touchdowns. If the Colts can get the same kind of push against a scrappy Titans defensive line, they’ll stay within striking distance for a huge upset on the road.

San Francisco 49ers (1-0) @ Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)

Winner: San Francisco 49ers

The Bengals must feel some encouragement – as much as a loss can provide – by the team’s performance in week one. The odds were stacked against Cincy; a rookie head coach in his NFL debut; the offense without star WR A.J. Green; on the road against one of the toughest teams to beat at home in Seattle. Yet, it took a blown assignment on a late touchdown to Tyler Lockett for the Seahawks to pull out a one-point victory. Second-year receiver John Ross III had a breakout game with 158 yards and two TDs, and the defense held up as well as they could against Wilson and co. The Bengals showed at least for a week – circumstances be damned – they’ll not be pushovers.

Kyle Shanahan’s offense was largely inefficient and at times, sloppy in their week one win over Tampa Bay. Jimmy Garoppolo threw a pick-six in the first quarter, and finished with just 168 yards and a touchdown. The defense, on the other hand, had a monster day with four takeaways, scoring twice on interceptions – the second of which sealed the victory with two minutes remaining. With Bengals RB Joe Mixon questionable to play on Sunday, the 49ers can focus on forcing Andy Dalton to drop back, and beat them with accurate deep and intermediate throws. The hope then being they can force a few more turnovers and keep the train rolling to 2-0 against a Bengals offense still adjusting to a new scheme.

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1) @ Houston Texans (0-1)

Winner: Houston Texans

Coming off a gut-punch of a loss in the final seconds to the Saints on Monday Night, the Texans will get a more favorable matchup at home in week two. The Jaguars, after losing starting QB Nick Foles to a severe shoulder injury, will start rookie 6th-rounder Gardner Minshew in relief. The Texans’ Deshaun Watson, on the other hand, is blooming into a superstar NFL quarterback, and just one of the more entertaining players to watch around the league. If Patrick Mahomes is the “Truth”, then Watson is the Fact. Because it is a fact that the Texans have a legit, elite, franchise QB on their hands.

While Gardner Minshew had a better game than anyone was expecting (22-for-25, 275 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT), the young Washington State product will need a repeat performance before people start to know his name. Jacksonville needs to get their rushing attack going in this game, and keep Watson off the field. Any turnovers by the Jags could spell the end for their hopes in this one.

Minnesota Vikings (1-0) @ Green Bay Packers (1-0)

Winner: Minnesota Vikings

Tough one to call here, as these two teams are very familiar with one another. Not only being division rivals, but Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers have had a few matchups going back to Cousins’ days with the Redskins, including a playoff game. The Packers 10-3 win over the Bears was anything but convincing, however their defensive upgrades this offseason look to be legit. Rodgers got off to a slow start, but still made some elite throws when the Pack needed it.

The Vikings won their game over the Falcons convincingly, pounding the rock and suffocating on defense. Dalvin Cook, who is finally healthy, looks menacing on the field and could be in for a huge year. While the Vikings didn’t need to pass the ball last week (just ten attempts), they should definitely look to open up and exploit some of the weaker matchups in Green Bay’s secondary. For example, CB Kevin King will have to cover either Adam Thielen or Stefon Diggs, neither of which is favorable for the young corner. TE Kyle Rudolph should see plenty of opportunities, as the Packers don’t have the best set coverage linebackers.

Dallas Cowboys (1-0) @ Washington Redskins (0-1)

Winner: Dallas Cowboys

Ah, the classic rivarly! Usually, this is one of the more unpredictable contests, but this season, Dallas has a clear advantage in overall talent, experience, and form. In week one, The Redskins had 17-0 lead over the Eagles in the 2nd quarter, after Case Keenum hit rookie WR Terry McLaurin for a huge 70-yard touchdown. Take a look at their bench after the play. Players on the Skins sideline puffing out their chests, high-fiving, going nuts. It was at that moment, ahead by 17 points, that they lost the game. You could see the overconfidence wash over the team like a wave, and the inexperience of a group that thought they had it in the bag before the first half was done.

In the second half, the Eagles started to wake up – and when the Redskins start to collapse, it quickly becomes a full-on team implosion. Offense, Defense, Special Teams, the coaching staff – it seems like no one can make a play to slow the opposing momentum. Sadly, the big comeback by the Eagles was easier to see coming than how the Redskins were going to hold a lead for 30 minutes.

The Cowboys are going to pound Zeke this week, as he only saw 13 touches week one. The Redskins are missing key defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, so Dallas will look to exploit that hole as often as they can. On defense, the pass rush should get home early and often against a Redskins line that is just not made for protecting a quarterback. All in all, we could be seeing some sour faces in Washington if they start 0-2.

Seattle Seahawks (1-0) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)

Winner: Seattle Seahawks

Giving the Steelers the benefit of the doubt that last week was an off week against the Super Bowl Champs, they have a chance to bounce back here against Seattle. It’s going to be tough, though. Playing against Seattle is like playing against a Poker player that is already a very skillful gambler, but is now on a lucky streak or getting monster cards every round. Somehow, they always seem to hit on the river. Like Seattle, somehow, they’re always in the game, and seem to find a way to pull it out in the end.

This one could be a barn-burner, as neither defense is in great form at the moment. Ben Roethlisberger and JuJu Smith-Schuster will have plenty of chances to hook up for big plays, as the Seattle secondary plays much more loosely than in their Legion of Boom days. Still, for some reason, it feels like Russel Wilson will make the last play, and the Hawks walk out with a close W.

Buffalo Bills (1-0) @ New York Giants (0-1)

Winner: Buffalo Bills

Probably best to avert your eyes from this one, as it could easily be dubbed the “Sloppy” Bowl given how these teams play. Josh Allen and the Bills barely pulled out a win against the Jets in week one, despite turning the ball over four times. The Giants were demolished in week one by Dallas, badly enough to where Daniel Jones got to see some action. That wasn’t very pretty either, as Jones ended up fumbling away possession on his second touch in the NFL. While Saquon is going to get his, the Bills should shut down the Giants’ feeble passing attack, and Josh Allen should find much smoother sledding with his offense in this game.

New England Patriots (1-0) @ Miami Dolphins (0-1)

Winner: New England Patriots

It’s a well-known oddity at this point: when the Pats go to Miami, they have a bad game. Going out on a limb here, they’re not going to have much of a problem this time around. Miami is in shambles, with half of the team reportedly wanting to be traded after their blow-out loss to Baltimore. New England is New England, and not much else needs to be said about this game. A three touchdown victory would be a disappointing margin of victory for the Pats in this one.

Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) @ Oakland Raiders (1-0)

Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

Jon Gruden’s Raiders came out on Monday Night Football and played a passionate, spirited game in defiance of a league that left them for dead after the Antonio Brown calamity. Derek Carr looks back in top form for the first time since breaking a leg in 2016, leading the silver and black to a week one victory over the Broncos. In the first quarter, Carr made a marvelous throw on a short touchdown pass that threaded the needle through two layers of swinging arms trying to bat the ball down. Throughout the game, Carr was sharp, accurate, and timely with his throws. WR Tyrell Williams appears to be ready to take on the duties of being a top target, and the rookie RB Josh Jacobs showed tremendous power and shiftiness in his NFL debut.

While all was swell in for the Raiders in week one, they’ll be facing the NFL’s most deadly offense week two. Patrick Mahomes and Sammy Watkins hooked up for 198 yards and three touchdowns in week one, and will look to continue that success as Watkins replaces the injured Tyreek Hill as the Chiefs top receiver. Watkins was a first-round pick by the Bills, who expected him to be an elite receiver. Injuries and other factors led to a rocky tenure in Buffalo. However, Watkins seems to have found his spot in KC. After all, what receiver wouldn’t want to have Patrick Mahomes slinging some pigskin their way?

New Orleans Saints (1-0) @ Los Angeles Rams (1-0)

Winner: New Orleans Saints

It was a long off-season for the Saints, who’ve been waiting for this day, a chance for revenge after the infamous non-call in last year’s NFC Championship game against the Rams. The Saints are feeling good after pulling out a miraculous last-second victory in their home opener against the Texans, and are ready to unleash some pent up frustration on the guys that savagely ended their Super Bowl dreams. Expect the Saints to come out swinging, with Payton and Brees likely trying to hit some early deep plays to set a tone.

It was a strange thing to see for L.A. fans, as Todd Gurley sat on the sideline while back RB Malcolm Brown punched in two touchdowns for the Rams. Gurley was non-factor in the first half, leading many to believe his knee issue is far worse than the Rams have been letting on for the past eight months. Then, in the second half, Gurley seemingly looked like his old dominant-self, finishing with 97 yards on 14 carries, and a healthy 6.9 YPC. The true status of Gurley’s knee remains unclear, shrouding this team in some early doubt.

Chicago Bears (0-1) @ Denver Broncos (0-1)

Winner: Chicago Bears

Both the Bears and Broncos disappointed in their season openers, losing in games which they were favored. The Bears’ performance was little more striking, as the offense looked completely out of sync in their home opener against the Packers. Trubisky was uncharacteristically inaccurate throughout the game, stagnating any offensive momentum the Bears could muster. Some are pointing to the lack of snaps Trubisky saw during the Bears’ preseason games, which led to a rusty start. We’ll see whether that claim holds up this week.

While newly signed QB Joe Flacco wasn’t bad in his first start with Broncos, his overall performance was mediocre at best, which has been a theme for Flacco in recent years. Short throws that don’t have the needed touch, intermediate throws that lead the receiver too much. Flacco has been in a sharp decline the past couple of seasons, and it showed in his first game. The bigger story was the weak performance by the Denver D that was touted as a potential top 10 unit this year. They’ll need to bounce back this week against the Bears if they have any hopes of competing in their division.

Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) @ Atlanta Falcons (0-1)

Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

The number one priority for Philly is keeping Carson Wentz healthy, as they believe with his leadership, they are in serious contention for a second birth to a Super Bowl. With that in mind, it would behoove the Eagles to make a motto of establishing the run early and often throughout this season. In week one, the Eagles running backs combined for 123 yards on 31 carries – unspectacular but effective. Keeping defenses honest on the threat of the run will go a long way in putting Wentz in successful and safe situations. Using play-action, boot-legs, and RPO’s – get Wentz out in space with options and let him work. This will be the key to the Eagles starting and finishing strong this season.

While the Falcons figured out some of their red-zone issues from a couple of seasons ago, the offense continues struggling to finish against upper-echelon defenses. The run game has been ineffective starting with Devonta Freeman, who doesn’t seem to have the same burst and quickness that he’s been known for. Matt Ryan’s deep ball accuracy has been inconsistent, and in late-game situations, it’s been more Matty “Luke Warm” than Matty “Ice”. Ryan and the celestial Julio Jones need to take over the game if the Falcons are going beat a very good Philly team.

Cleveland Browns (0-1) @ New York Jets (0-1)

Winner: Cleveland Browns

Seems like the whole league has taken to bashing Sam Darnold for contracting mononucleosis, which could sideline the 2nd-year QB for more than a month – along with any hopes the Jets had of competing for a playoff spot. The Jets will turn to the unremarkable Trevor Siemian, who has been a game manager at best during his short career in the league. Expect a heavy dose of Lev Bell for the Jets.

Before Darnold’s unfortunate illness, this would have been a tough game to call. However, even with the Browns’ horrendous performance in their season opener, Baker Mayfield should bounce back and tip the scales in this game. Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. have had their warm-up; now it’s time to prove they’re worth the offseason hype, come out firing and lead this team in what is close to a must-win situation.

Note: This page is updated throughout the week to account for the latest injury updates and news around the league.