After all the excitement of the opening week of the season, Week 2 may not be as thrilling, but there are definitely some games on the schedule this week that can be very promising. Any and all football is perfectly welcome at this point. And we can never truly know how good a game is until we see it played out. I’m excited to see all these games as the young season continues to get going. I went 8-8 in Week 1 to start out this season’s picks. It was a measly showing, but I have 17 weeks left to improve it. Let’s get into this week’s picks:
Washington 24-17 Giants 
Thursday, 8:20 PM EST, NFLN
Our first real Thursday Night Football is just what everyone wants to see: two struggling NFC East teams with two very questionable starting QBs. Watching Taylor Heinicke vs. Daniel Jones isn’t exactly how everyone wants to spend their night, but I think this game has some promise. Heinicke is being thrusted into starting action for the foreseeable future due to the injury to Washington QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, and to his credit, he has always balled out when his number has been called. Everyone remembers his valiant efforts in last year’s Wild Card game against Tampa. This won’t be an easy test, but the Giants defense looked like a fraction of itself last week against Denver. I think Heinicke will be able to do his thing, and his stellar defense will be able to provide him all the help in the world. Washington is much happier facing Danny Dimes than Justin Herbert, and I expect a much better performance. This one might be ugly, but it also could be fun. All I’m hoping for is a W for the team in all-white.
Bengals 21-20 Bears 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
The scary jungle animals meet the scary forest animals in a rather intriguing matchup on Sunday in Chi-town. The Bengals picked up a very nice win against the Vikings last week while the Bears looked lifeless in a blowout loss in LA on SNF. I think both teams will carry that momentum into this matchup. Cincy has to be feeling good about themselves, especially after seeing the play of QB Joe Burrow and WR Jamarr Chase last week. Meanwhile, Chicago just feels like a very uninspired group while Andy Dalton still starts at QB. I have a feeling this could be the week we see Justin Fields enter the picture as the Bears starter. If not, then perhaps a loss here will be the last straw for Dalton. While he starts, I can’t put my faith in this team to do anything, so I’ll stick with the team trending upwards.
Browns 38-16 Texans 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
No need to overthink this one, despite the counterintuitive records of these teams. The Browns are one of the best teams in football, and even though they lost last week, I think they proved that point. The Texans are still probably the worst team in the NFL despite a blowout win over the Jags. Both of those facts will be extremely apparent on the field in Cleveland on Sunday. Don’t be surprised if the difference on the scoreboard is bigger than what I’ve predicted. I’m being generous.
Rams 30-20 Colts 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
This game has the potential to be a really great one. However, one thing I saw last week is holding back my expectations for that: the Colts defense. This is supposed to be the best part of the team, but against the Seahawks, they looked extremely vulnerable. The Rams have an even better passing attack than Seattle, so this could be another long game for the Indy D. Moreover, the Rams have a better defense than their divisional counterparts, so I think they’ll do a good job of containing Carson Wentz and the Colts offense. This could be a good game for a good bit, but the better team will make a statement and win this one, and that’s definitely the Rams.
Bills 23-21 Dolphins 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
There’s no way this doesn’t finish as a one-possession game. I do think the Bills are a much better team than the Dolphins, but Miami matches up oh so well. Their excellent defense was on full display last week in Foxboro, and they proved that they can be the difference in a football game. Moreover, Buffalo’s Week 1 performance showed us that a great defense can get the best of them. Granted, they did thoroughly outplay the Steelers, but they also did not score enough to put themselves in a position to win. I think they’ll be able to adjust this week and eek out a close one against their division rivals. Not to mention the vast difference in offensive talent in this game. The Bills may not have the better defense, but they definitely have the better QB in Josh Allen. I trust him to lead that potent offense to victory.
Patriots 24-13 Jets 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
Aside from the rookie QB battle in this game, there’s nothing interesting to talk about here. The Jets are an abysmal team that physically hurts to watch. The Patriots played a great game last week, and despite losing, I have a lot of faith in this team. This is a much, much easier game for them, and I don’t see this one being remotely competitive. I’m looking for a big game for rookie QB Mac Jones and an overall bounce back from a very talented New England team.
49ers 29-23 Eagles 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
I think this game could be a ton of fun. The Eagles had one of the more dominant victories of Week 1, and the 49ers would have been in that conversation if it wasn’t for a late surge from the Lions. Even still, San Francisco proved how good they can truly be with a fully healthy roster. Philly absolutely dominated an albeit weak Falcons team, and QB Jalen Hurts looked like a bonafide stud. This game has all the makings for a great one based on last week’s precedent, but I still think the 49ers are too good all around to drop this one. It will also be a much more difficult test for the Eagles, who are still a rebuilding team. It’ll be close, but the superior team will come out on top.
Raiders 25-22 Steelers 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
Do you want to know the difference between both of these teams? The Steelers were completely outplayed last week in Buffalo, but still emerged victorious thanks to a lucky special teams play. The Raiders, on the other hand, played a very good game and deservedly won a tough OT battle against the Ravens on Monday night. The truth of Week 1 will prove itself once again in this game. Pittsburgh won’t get away with playing so poor offensively in every game, and Vegas’ defense is quite nice, so it could be another day of struggle on that side of the ball. While I think the Steelers defense is an elite unit that can win them any game, the Raiders have the pieces to make enough plays to put them over the top in this game. It will be a close, hard-fought battle throughout, but I simply think the Raiders are the better team, and I’m going to stick with them.
Saints 31-27 Panthers 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
Can the Saints possibly recreate the dominance and magic of last week? All signs point towards “yes” when you consider the difference between the Packers and the Panthers, but this will be a tough encore to put on. Divisional games are always tough, and Carolina looked like a very promising team against the Jets last week. This has the potential to be a game dominated by the offenses, and in that case, this one will come down to which defense can step up when it matters most. I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m fond of this young Panthers defense, but the Saints proved just how dominant they can be on that side of the ball last week, so I’ll put my faith in them. It wouldn’t surprise me too much if this game goes the other way, but I have to trust what I saw in Week 1.
Broncos 28-16 Jaguars 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
I have no interest in talking about the team that plays in that one city in Florida, so I’ll keep this with the Broncos. I loved what I saw from this team against the Giants last week on both sides of the football. Going up against my current worst team in football on Sunday, I expect to see a lot more of the same. Again, the injury to WR Jerry Jeudy concerns me a bit, but I still trust this offense under Teddy Bridgewater. He’ll do his thing from under center, and the defense will do their thing to make life hell for a rookie QB. This one should not be close at all.
Cardinals 34-20 Vikings 
Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, FOX
Usually, in a matchup like this, I’d expect to see a LOT of points. While I’m still expecting a good amount of scoring, the Cardinals defense opened my eyes in a big way last week, and if they can even put up a fraction of that outing in this game, this will be another Arizona blowout. 6 sacks and a suffocating performance on all fronts combined with an incredible game from QB Kyler Murray and the offense made the Cards look like one of the NFL’s best teams in Week 1. Going up against a Vikings team that didn’t play their sharpest game in a loss to Cincy, I expect to see more of the same. And if we do, we might have to start talking about Arizona as a serious title contender.
Buccaneers 45-17 Falcons 
Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, FOX
This has the chance to be one of the biggest blowouts of the season. The Falcons played perhaps the single worst game of any team in football last week, and that was against a rebuilding Eagles team. Against the defending champs? Expect an absolute mauling. Atlanta is too poor defensively and too incompetent offensively to even make things interesting. They gave the Bucs a fight in both of their games last year, but that was then, and this is now. Tampa is almost a 2 touchdown favorite, and it makes perfect sense. I’d eat that bet up all day.
Chargers 36-23 Cowboys 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
This is one of Week 2’s marquee matchups, and for good reason. These are two good teams with a lot of star power duking it out in Los Angeles on national TV. There is a rather big difference between these teams, however. The Chargers are infinitely more balanced and well-built than the Cowboys are. There’s no doubt that Dallas has one of the best offenses in the league, especially passing the football, but the lack of a solid run game is very concerning. LA, on the other hand, had a solid win over Washington thanks to elite offensive line play and consistent execution on both sides of the ball. I think that formula is good enough to win any game, and against a defense as bad as Dallas’, I expect another big game for QB Justin Herbert. Maybe the Cowboys will score more points than I’m predicting, but in any case, the Chargers will win this game.
Seahawks 35-21 Titans 
Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS
If the Titans defense plays as bad as they did last week, Russell Wilson could set some records on Sunday. Tennessee couldn’t stop a nosebleed against the Cardinals in Week 1, while the Seahawks offense looked virtually unstoppable in a convincing win over the Colts. I also think Seattle’s defense is vastly improved, and while I don’t expect the Titans offense to look as poor as they did in their last outing, I don’t see it making a massive jump to put this team in a position to win the game. Russ will simply be doing too much to contain, and the Seahawks should win this game convincingly.
Chiefs 31-26 Ravens 
Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC
Week 2’s premier game features the ever-so intriguing matchup of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson for the fourth year in a row. Mahomes and the Chiefs have won each of the first 3 matchups, including last year’s masterclass on MNF. For whatever reason, no team has Lamar’s number like the Chiefs. And considering the current state of the Ravens, I don’t see that changing this Sunday night. Baltimore looked solid in Vegas on Monday night, but going up against Kansas City is arguably the tallest task there is in the NFL. Their ability to gash you on explosive plays or wear you down on long, time-consuming drives gives them an edge over almost anybody. Mahomes is simply too surgical (especially in September, as I mentioned last week), and this offense is just too talented to keep up with. The Chiefs defense is still a bit suspect, however, so I expect a big game from Lamar to keep his team in it for the majority of the game. But you just know this sets up perfectly for another vintage Mahomes moment in primetime.
Packers 33-21 Lions 
Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN
This honestly might be the wackiest matchup of the week based on Week 1’s events. Both of these teams were absolutely floundering in their respective games, with the only difference being the crazy late comeback attempt by the Lions against the 49ers. I’m putting my faith in the Packers to not lay another absolute stinker. There’s simply no way Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the team play such a poor game. If it happens, the storylines will be too much to handle, but again, I see it as a near impossibility. The Lions looked horrible for the most part against San Fran, and I expect them to look just as bad against Green Bay. At least the Packers have the luxury of having their bounce back game against Detroit.
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