Well folks there’s really no sugar coating it, Sean and I didn’t fair too well in our week one efforts or picks, I kept my head just above .500 with an 8-7 week and Sean needed a Monday Night Football sweep to finish the week 4-11. Overall a rough week for the both of us. We will try to do better for you guys this week.
In week 2 there are some very intriguing matchups starting with the game that happened before this was posted with the Bears visiting Green Bay and finishing with a nice matchup between the Falcons and Broncos. So without further ado we’ll cover those games and all the ones in between.
| Expert | Game Analysis and Prediction |
|---|---|
| Chicago Bears +6 @ Green Bay Packers – Thursday September 13th 8:20 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | The Bears come into this game riding high with a nice victory over the Colts and confidence enough for their QB to wish the GB secondary “Good Luck” in press coverage against his WRs. Green Bay is coming off a through beating at home and the hands of the 49ers. My gut just tells me that the Bears will continue to roll, but this should be a great game to watch. Bears 24 – Packers 21 |
| Sean | As a Bears fan it can be a little difficult to keep Week 1 in perspective. That’s probably the best I’ve seen the Bears play offensively since Rex Grossman actually played like a competent QB back in early 2006. Meanwhile the Packers weaknesses all look the same (running game, pass defense, consistency without big plays) and those are what have generally made the Bears a strong match-up for Rodgers & Co. despite the talent gap. Well the gap is closing and the Bears generally kept it close anyway. (BEARS +6) |
| Kansas City Chiefs +3 @ Buffalo Bills – Sunday September 16th 1:00 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | Both these teams are coming off a huge beat down in week one so it makes this game alittle difficult to call but I’m going to stick to my guns and go with the team that I thought would have the better season before the season started and hopefully week 1 was an anomaly for the Buffalo D and not what that unit actually is. Bills 35 – Chiefs 28 |
| Sean | Wow, it’s hard to decide which team’s performance was worse last Sunday, but at least the Chiefs had some injury excuses. Tamba Hali will be back this week and Eric Berry is another week recovered from his ACL injury. The Bills front seven will provide issues for the lighting/thunder combination of Charles and Hillis, but if Mark Sanchez can light up your secondary than Matt Cassel certainly has a shot. These are both teams I thought would challenge for playoff spots, but one of these QBs needs to step up to make that happen. (CHIEFS +3) |
| Cleveland Browns +7 @ Cincinnati Bengals – Sunday September 16th 1:00 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | The Browns offense, especially Brandon Wheedon, looked atrocious against the Eagles in week 1 and I don’t see a dramatic increase in that department this week. The Browns defense looked great though holding the Eagles to only 17 points and picking Vick off 4 times, but Dalton won’t do that. The Bengals should have no problem in this game. Bengals 28 – Browns 14 |
| Sean | Fueled by turnovers the Browns defense helped them hang in with the Eagles until the very end. But Joe Haden isn’t going to be there to cover AJ Green and Andy Dalton isn’t likely to giftwrap so many turnovers. Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson could not have been more underwhelming in their debuts as Cleveland’s saviors and a steady diet of The Law Firm (BenJarvus Green-Ellis) and Green should ensure their second act is much of the same. (BENGALS -7) |
| Minnesota Vikings -1 @ Indianapolis Colts – Sunday September 16th 1:00 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | Luck’s home debut should go slightly smoother than his 4 turnover day in Chicago, but with AD back and looking healthy the Vikings should be able to dispatch a young colts squad that will go through its lumps this season. Vikings 31 – Colts 21 |
| Sean | The Indianapolis faithful will certainly be pumped for Andrew Luck’s debut or maybe just irate given Peyton Manning’s debut, either way there will be energy in the building. How much it will matter is an entirely different question. The Vikings, and specifically Christian Ponder, looked pretty decent last week. And while it might be easy to chalk that up to playing the Jaguars they weren’t entirely incompetent last year, particularly on defense. (VIKINGS -1) |
| New Orleans Saints -2.5 @ Carolina Panthers – Sunday September 16th 1:00 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | The Saints have to play better this week right? They go up against another young dual threat QB in Cam Newton this week who is looking to erase last week’s performance from everyone’s memory. I am holding on to the thought that the Saints we saw last week is not the real Saints so I’m saying that the Saints are a much better team than that and should be able to dispatch of a Carolina team that has many holes. Saints 42 – Panthers 28 |
| Sean | So do the Saints really miss Sean Payton that much? Or was it just a bad game against and underrated opponent? What about Cam Newton? Where was superman tearing open his shirt against the Bucs? For all the flash Newton showed early on his performances severely plateaued as last season went on. Now, if the Panthers are going to rely entirely on his passing, as their anemic run production last week might suggest, the growing pains are going to continue to hold Carolina back. The Saints are the veteran team and I expect them to right the ship. (SAINTS -2.5) |
| Houston Texans -7 @ Jacksonville Jaguars – Sunday September 16th 1:00 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | Houston is the Cream of the crop in the AFC South and this is their first chance to prove it. Jacksonville and especially their second year QB played a very good game in Minnesota last week but were not able to come away with a victory. There will be some bright spots in Jacksonville this year but it will not come against Houston. Texans 38 – Jaguars 14 |
| Sean | The Dolphins might be so bad that it’s hard to say we learned anything about the Texans from Week 1. Everyone seems ready to anoint them Super Bowl contenders but they let a number of key pieces get away and didn’t really add a whole lot this off-season. Meanwhile the Jaguars got a brief glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel: Blaine Gabbert isn’t the worst QB in the league. In fact he played pretty good against the Vikings. Sure the Texans probably win the game, but it’s hard to get up for the Jags on the road and I expect it to be close. (JAGUARS +7) |
| Oakland Raiders +2.5 @ Miami Dolphins – Sunday September 16th 1:00 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | The Raiders played too sloppy of a game to win on Monday night and they need to clean a lot of that up if they want to win, even against a far less talented Miami team. That being said the talent on the Raiders should be able to carry them to an easy victory against Miami. Raiders 28 – Dolphins 17 |
| Sean | It’s really hard to explain how awful the Raiders are flying across the country for these early starts. Then again it’s also really hard to explain how awful the Dolphins offense was against the Texans. I hate the idea of giving points to a team as inconsistent and that travels as poorly as Oakland, but Tannehill might honestly not be in the Top 45 of current NFL QBs. (RAIDERS -2.5) |
| Arizona Cardinals +13.5 @ New England Patriots – Sunday September 16th 1:00 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | Arizona got a nice boost when Kevin Kolb replaced an injured John Skelton but the fact that Kolb couldn’t win that job outright is very concerning for the season outlook of the Cardinals. The Patriots do not have any questions at QB and should roll here. Patriots 42 – Cardinals 14 |
| Sean | John Skelton or Kevin Kolb? Odds are it really doesn’t matter. Combine traveling east for a 1pm EST kickoff with an anemic offense and you have a recipe for disaster against the high-powered Patriots. And don’t look now, but it seems the Pats have even found a running game. While the Cards defense is painfully underrated, that should probably make you lean more towards the under (48) than the cover. (PATRIOTS -13.5) |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers +7.5 @ New York Giants – Sunday September 16th 1:00 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | The Giants are the first defending superbowl champ to lose their opener since Goodell instituted the champs opening the season early game. They will be angry and that D-line is much better than they showed against a very suspect Cowboys O-line. Tampa Bay had a nice divisional home win against the Panthers but the Panthers basically did nothing in the running game and the passing game wasn’t very effective either, the Giants are a different monster and will be able to score more against the new look Bucs. Giants 28 - Buccaneers 21 |
| Sean | The Giants took it on the chin a bit nationally as their title defense started with a thud. Meanwhile the Bucs shocked a few people by showing a backbone and not letting the Panthers walk all over them. The Giants, with an extra 3 days to prep, are an entirely different animal. The Giants secondary is still a mess though and Doug Martin adds crucial balance to Tampa’s attack. (BUCCANEERS +7.5) |
| Baltimore Ravens +2.5 @ Philadelphia Eagles – Sunday September 16th 1:00 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | What can we say about week one? That the Ravens look like super bowl contenders and the Eagles look like they are going to struggle to make the playoffs. If Vick is going to throw 4 INTs against the Browns how many will he have against an experienced and ballhawking Ravens D? I have many questions about this game, but I do not question the outcome, Ravens win big. Ravens 42 – Eagles 21 |
| Sean | Joe Flacco has arrived as an elite quarterback! Michael Vick is terrible and could barely beat the Browns! There’s a lot of danger in reading too much into one weekend of football. We can’t ignore that the Eagles are likely to pose a significantly tougher test for the Ravens offense and it’s pretty inconceivable that Vick lays an egg like that two weeks in a row. With the QBs performances coming back to their norms, defense and home field advantage is going to make the difference. Getting the hook is big. (EAGLES -2.5) |
| Washington Redskins -3 @ St. Louis Rams – Sunday September 16th 4:05 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | I guess I’m jumping on the bandwagon in DC, if only to lessen the blow my Saints took in week one, but that defense under Jim Haslett will be able to keep Steven Jackson under control and make Sam Bradford try and beat them at which point the ‘Skins should be able to force some mistakes. The RG3 show should continue and have the Nation’s Capitol dreaming of a World Series/Super Bowl combo. Redskins 41 – Rams 28 |
| Sean | This is not a commentary on either player, but even compared to Tebowing Griffining is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen. The Redskins performance against the Saints was impressive and while their offense and RG3 was the story, it was their defense – and pass rush specifically – that carried the day. The Rams likewise used an opportunity defense to hang in with a team that seriously outgunned them. The Skins inability to run the ball is going to put a ton of pressure on Griffin every week. I expect some growing pains this week while Sam Bradford continues his return to relevance. (RAMS +3) |
| Dallas Cowboys -3 @ Seattle Seahawks – Sunday September 16th 4:05 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | When Seattle named Russell Wilson their starter for week one many expected him to go through rookie growing pains, which we saw in week one but he did lead a drive at the end of the game that should have had the Seahawks in the win column but his teammates let him down. The Cowboys showed off all the talent they have against the Giants in week one and masked the holes they have on the O-line if they can keep that up then they will be players in the NFC East race. Russell Wilson vs Tony Romo? I’m taking Romo in this one. Cowboys 28 – Seahawks 24 |
| Sean | How many times do we need to go through this? The Cowboys are probably the NFL’s greatest tease. Backing up Jerry Jones’ boasting and knocking of their rivals to kick off the season was huge, but don’t forget it was 3rd and 4th string CBs that Romo was roasting out there; life’s about to get a whole lot more difficult. And speaking of reality checks, welcome to the NFL Mr. Wilson. Russell Wilson struggled mightily in his first NFL start that highlighted the dangers of starting a rookie on a playoff ready team. In the end this is exactly the kind of game the Cowboys in explicably struggle with. (SEAHAWKS +3) |
| New York Jets +6 @ Pittsburgh Steelers – Sunday September 16th 4:25 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | Pittsburg saw what Peyton Manning once was and could be again so I’m not going to fault them for the week one loss. On the other had the Jets looked simply put: Awesome. This matchup should be an interesting one as Mark Sanchez tries to continue to win over NY fans against a very good D, I’m thinking Sanchez isn’t going to look as good against the Steelers as he did against the Bills. I still worry about Big Ben’s protection so I think the score will be close but I just don’t trust Sanchez yet. Steelers 28 – Jets 21 |
| Sean | It’s easy to forget, but during the first half of last season Mark Sanchez didn’t look like a completely lost cause. It wasn’t until the stretch drive that everything fell apart so a hot start against a weak secondary shouldn’t come as a total shock. Then again maybe the Bills spent too much time preparing for Tebow’s Wild Cat package? Either way the Steelers are not likely to make the same mistakes. Unfortunately their poor offensive line play might make their level of preparedness moot. There was little push in the running game and little pass protection for Roethlisberger, but then again this wouldn’t be the first time he’s overcome that. (STEELERS -6) |
| Tennessee Titans +6 @ San Diego Chargers – Sunday September 16th 4:25 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | The Chargers got a nice win on the road in the division to start the season and need to keep that winning going at home. Rivers looked confident as he drove his team up and down the field, unfortunately they could only punch the ball into the endzone once, which is an area that needs work. However with Gates seemingly done with his foot problems (although he did suffer a slight rib injury in Monday night’s game) and Ryan Mathews hopefully coming back that portion of their game should improve. Chargers 35 – Titans 21 |
| Sean | I’m not sure how capitalizing off 3 muffed snaps make the Chargers a TD favorite over anyone. Without Ryan Matthews the offense seems incapable of being dynamic and there defense continues its trend on uninspiring mediocrity. Meanwhile Tennessee can take a solid Jake Locker performance out of their loss to the Patriots. However, until Chris Johnson snaps out of it and gets a little help from his blockers the Titans are just treading water, but that should be enough for a cover. (TITANS +6) |
| Detroit Lions +6.5 @ San Francisco 49ers – Sunday September 16th 8:20 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | The 49ers look like they are ready to build on their very successful season from last year and I’m not going bet against that defense yet. Detroit couldn’t really have looked worse and still get a win last week. I’m going to say if the Rams can give Stafford and company that many issues the 49ers will give them more problems. 49ers 28 – Lions 14 |
| Sean | Handshake Gate 2! Schwartz vs. Harbaugh: Jim Schwartz still thinks it’s personal. Pro Football Focus had an interesting stat about last week’s Lions/Rams game, “Matthew Stafford saw less pressure than any other QB this week; pressured on just 16.3% of his throws.” That little pressure and he still threw 3 INTs? Perhaps we started that Matt Stafford Elite QB party a bit prematurely because the degree of difficulty is about to go up 4 or 5 notches. Alex Smith was solid if unspectacular against the Packers, but the most important thing is he looked like he didn’t regress. (49ers -6.5) |
| Denver Broncos +3 @ Atlanta Falcons – Monday September 17th 8:30 PM (ET) | |
| Jeff | This is without a doubt (outside of the Saints) my most anticipated matchup of week 2. Atlanta looked great against the Chiefs and the Broncos and Petyon Manning were clicking for most of the game against the Steelers. It will be a good test for both teams to see where they are at early on in the season. I’m still not ready to put Matt Ryan in the upper echelon of QBs and I’m also not betting against Manning so I’m going to say that the Broncos eke out a close one. Broncos 31 – Falcons 28 |
| Sean | Well hello there Matt Ryan, why don’t you go ahead and shred a depleted Chiefs defense on your way to leading my fantasy team to victory. Ryan played probably the best game of his career last week and it helped mask a pathetic run game and the defense letting Matt Cassel keep the Chiefs in the game for the first half. The Broncos come in armed with a Peyton Manning who seems to have answered all the questions about his health coming into the season. Backed up by a pass defense that seems poised to provide a considerable amount of pressure could make the Denver a lot better than I expected. (BRONCOS +3) |