Cover photo taken from New York Post.
Last Week: 9-7
Season Total: 9-7
Eagles 30-20 Vikings 
Thursday, 8:15 PM EST, Prime Video
The Eagles thrashing the Vikings in Philadelphia is starting to become a yearly tradition.
While I think there’s a nonzero chance that Minnesota can hang in this game for a bit, I don’t see a path to victory for them. Philly’s offense is simply too stacked for the Vikes’ paper-thin secondary to stop for a full sixty minutes. And the Eagles defense is just as good. Even though they let up a lot of passing yards last week, I’m expecting a better game here, even if they’re facing a good passing offense. I think Justin Jefferson and company will do enough to put up some solid numbers, but it won’t be enough to win a game against this good of a team.
Packers 23-20 Falcons 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
I was shockingly torn over this game. If it was in Lambeau, I’d easily be able to pick the Packers. But this being a tough first road test for Jordan Love made me think about it for a bit. But once I remembered who the other quarterback in this contest is, it became pretty easy.
We saw how good the Green Bay defense was last week in Chicago, and I’m expecting another great game out of them against Desmond Ridder, who is easily worse than Justin Fields. It’ll be interesting to see how Bijan Robinson and Atlanta’s run game perform in a tougher test for them. I think they can do enough to keep things close for a bit. Bijan is one of the biggest nightmare matchups in the league, after all.
But the Packers simply have more talent on both sides of the ball to lose this game. Like I said, it’s a tough road test for them, and I think they might struggle offensively for a bit against a Falcons secondary that excelled last week. But when the going gets tough, I think they’ll have the better execution and make the necessary plays to come out on top and improve to 2-0.
Bills 26-16 Raiders 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
The Bills should be licking their chops. This is a perfect bounce-back game for them.
Don’t get me wrong, I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw from the Raiders last week. But this is just a terrible matchup for them. They really struggled running the ball last week, and although Buffalo got absolutely gashed by the Jets on the ground on Monday, I think their defense should have an improved performance against a worse offensive line. The Bills were also able to generate consistent pressure, so they should get after Jimmy Garoppolo. Jakobi Meyers probably won’t be suiting up for Las Vegas, so unless Jimmy G and Davante Adams go nuclear, I think this offense will be stagnant.
The Bills offense should realistically have a great game, but I never know what to expect out of Josh Allen at this point. He’s either going to put up video game numbers or hand the ball to the defense on a silver platter. I’ll say there’s a bit of both in this game. But he doesn’t need to be a superhero to overcome a much less fearsome defense than the one he faced on Monday night.
Bengals 27-20 Ravens 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
I don’t feel comfortable being this confident in the Bengals when it has become increasingly obvious that Zac Taylor has no idea how to coach in the first few weeks of the season. But I just have a hunch that there’s no way Cincinnati plays as poorly as they did last week in Cleveland. They’re back home and ready to make amends.
On top of that, the Ravens are already limping. Four starters are down, including two on the offensive line. They could barely move the ball on the Texans for crying out loud. You’d have to imagine they’ll struggle in the run game again. And the Bengals’ secondary isn’t easily exploited. I just feel like that defense is in for a big game.
With better conditions, Cincinnati’s offense should return to form. They are facing a very good defensive front, but Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase have a history of absolutely torching Baltimore defensive backs. So I’ll also say the Bengals offense comes out and cooks as well.
I want to proceed with caution considering how close this game was in the playoffs last season when the Ravens were also dealing with a ton of injuries. But that was the playoffs, where everyone is fighting for their lives. In the regular season, the Ravens have gotten toasted by Burrow time and time again. I don’t see anything to assuage me of the notion that it’s not going to happen one more time.
Lions 30-27 Seahawks 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
This matchup was an absolute thriller last year in Detroit with the Seahawks outlasting the Lions, 48-45. While I’m not expecting nearly as many points as that, I still think this will be a very fun shootout between two great offenses.
I’ll start with Seattle, who should have no business looking as poor as they did a week ago. I trust in their talent and coaching to have gone back to the drawing board and put together a much better performance. I can’t say with certainty that they’re facing a worse defense, considering I thought nothing of the Rams defense before they held the Seahawks to just 13 points at home. The Lions defense was the difference in their win over the Chiefs, so I’m not completely ruling out the possibility that Seattle struggles again. I just find it unlikely.
Still, I like the Lions more in this one on both sides of the ball. They’re at home, where Jared Goff absolutely thrives. The offense will look better than it did in Kansas City, and if Jahmyr Gibbs gets more involved, then we could see an explosion from Detroit. You can already count on Amon-Ra St. Brown getting plenty of action, even against a seemingly great Seahawks secondary. That unit is going to have to regain my respect after getting cooked by Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell. There’s a real chance they get toasted again and the Lions win comfortably.
But I’m going to give the Seahawks the benefit of the doubt for one more week and say they keep it close. I just don’t can’t pick them in confidence after seeing how vastly different these two teams looked last week.
Chargers 20-17 Titans 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
The Titans are in for an encore of their Week 1 game against the Saints. Being at home this time around, the chances of them winning are actually pretty solid. But I think it’ll be the same outcome for them.
Tennessee’s defensive front was excellent last week, but their secondary looked like one of the worst in the league. That plays right into the hands of Justin Herbert and the Chargers. Their running game thrived last week, but Austin Ekeler is nursing an injury. Even if he suits up, it’ll be up to Herbert to air it out all over the field. He had a quiet opener, but against a vastly worse secondary, I think he’s in for a great game. But the Titans aren’t the kind of team that gives up a ton of points, so this offense won’t necessarily look as explosive as it did last week.
The Titans should be in for a better offensive performance considering they’re going up against a defense that gave up the most yards in the league last week. If by some miracle they can throw the ball effectively, they can certainly win this game. I just have no faith in that happening. So I’ll say they hang in there all game long, riding some defensive stops and chunk plays on the ground before eventually committing a turnover or two that loses the game in the clutch.
Buccaneers 22-17 Bears 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
I couldn’t decide whether or not this one is going to be a rock fight or a blowout. I don’t really think it matters, though. The Buccaneers should win no matter what.
I have lost any and all faith I had in the Bears to be a good team, but they can still be competitive like they were last year. I think they can certainly be competitive this week, but this is a defense that made Justin Fields’ life miserable in their matchup last year. We could very well see a repeat performance in this one. Tampa Bay’s biggest defensive weakness is in their secondary, but that doesn’t really matter against a Chicago team that doesn’t exactly have the best passing offense. The Bears will have to run the ball effectively to win, and that doesn’t seem likely against a very stout front that allowed the least rushing yards in the league last week.
I don’t have much faith in the Bucs offense either, but they won’t have to do too much to move the ball on a Bears defense that was simply atrocious in Week 1. Unless Baker Mayfield turns into a complete pumpkin, which is always on the table, I think Tampa should go on enough scoring drives to put a requisite amount of points on the board and let their defense do the rest to get off to a surprising 2-0 start.
Chiefs 27-24 Jaguars 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
This is easily my most anticipated game of the week. The rationale is fairly obvious — these are two of the best teams in the NFL led by two of the best quarterbacks in the league who had a fantastic Divisional Round matchup back in January.
Trevor Lawrence is still chasing his first win against Patrick Mahomes. This is easily his best shot. But it still won’t be easy. The Chiefs finally have Chris Jones back after ending his holdout with a new one-year deal, and Travis Kelce will likely be returning from injury on the other side of the ball. But the Jags are still plenty capable of winning this game. We saw how deadly their offense can be now that Calvin Ridley has entered the fold. However, Kansas City’s defense will be a much tougher test than Indianapolis’, especially with Jones back on the interior. This will be a great litmus test for what this Jaguars offense is truly made of.
At the end of the day, I think Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense will overpower the Jaguars young defense as they have year after year. They should look infinitely better than they did in the opener with Kelce back, and after the mini-bye coming off a Thursday nighter, Andy Reid should dial up a great game
This is where the Jags can make a name for themselves and prove themselves as a true Super Bowl contender. I simply have to see it to believe it.
Texans 24-21 Colts 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
I’m actually excited to see how this game plays out. Both rookie quarterbacks in this game had solid debuts and should look better in this one considering how much tougher their Week 1 opponents were. I’m not too sure who is going to look like the superior signal-caller, but I’m going to roll with the Texans to win for a couple reasons.
For starters, I think C.J. Stroud is simply better than Anthony Richardson. But I don’t think that’s going to be the difference in this game. The difference on offense is going to be the talent around the rookies. The Texans don’t have the best weapons in the world, but a ton of different people got involved last week, and Dameon Pierce is certainly a better starting back than Deon Jackson. On the flip side, Michael Pittman had a fantastic game for Indy last week, but I don’t think he alone can carry the Colts to a win.
I also think the Texans have a slightly better defense, especially in the back end. Guys like Derek Stingley and Jalen Pitre will make things tough for Richardson. And up front, Will Anderson will be an absolute menace coming off the edge against a poor offensive line. I don’t have a lot of faith in a Colts secondary that got diced up last week, and I think Stroud can have a very nice performance. I just like what Houston has on both sides of the ball more.
49ers 30-16 Rams 
Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, FOX
Was Week 1 a mirage for the Rams? We’re about to find out.
If Los Angeles wins this game, I’ll be fully bought in. Them beating the consensus best team in the NFL — whose fanbase is guaranteed to invade the stadium — without Cooper Kupp as nearly double-digit home underdogs would be truly remarkable, even moreso when you consider how terrible Kyle Shanahan makes Sean McVay look whenever they match up.
Unfortunately for the Rams, I don’t see a universe where they win this game. San Francisco is simply too good on both sides of the ball. They have the most stacked roster in the NFL, and they have owned Los Angeles in recent years. I think their defense will bring the Rams offense back to earth, and their offense will once again do what they have to do to win comfortably.
Maybe LA hangs around for a while in this game as divisional matchups typically tend to go. But at the end of the day, the Niners should win and cover with ease.
Giants 23-16 Cardinals 
Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, FOX
Desperation is a funny thing. It can bring the absolute best or worst out of a team. In this case, you’d have to imagine the Giants are desperate to prove that they’re not the dumpster fire of a team we saw last Sunday night. If New York loses this game, their season is effectively over. More than that, they’ll have an infinite amount of questions to answer. A 40-0 home defeat followed by a loss to the consensus worst team in the NFL? Complete and utter disaster.
Luckily for the Giants, their chances of losing this game are pretty low. It’s entirely possible, but I don’t see it happening. I will reiterate that I was impressed with Arizona’s effort last week, especially defensively. Their front had a very nice game while New York’s offensive line got tossed around all night long. So I wouldn’t count out the Giants struggling on offense for most, if not all of this game. But when it comes down to it, they simply have the better talent on both sides of the ball. Their path to victory will be very similar to the Commanders’ last week: struggle for a bit, but make the key plays in the biggest moments to ensure a victory. I’ll put my faith in Daniel Jones and the offense to do that.
Cowboys 20-13 Jets 
Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS
With Aaron Rodgers being out for the season and the Cowboys coming off one of the most dominant victories in NFL history, everyone is ready to declare this game as a complete wash. Not me. That’s not how this league works.
If the Jets were going to lay down and die in this game, they probably would have done so on Monday night as well. But they didn’t. They continued to play inspired football and win the damn game. Their offense was stuck in quicksand, but the defense and special teams did what they needed to do. That’s how games like that are won. The culture in that locker room is outstanding, and that defense is a bonafide elite unit. I see no reason to believe that they won’t have another good performance where they make things tough on the opposing offense.
The problem for the Jets is that their offense is led by Zach Wilson, and that offense is going up against perhaps the scariest defense in the league. I don’t think Dallas will be nearly as dominant on that side of the ball, but against another very stagnant offense, it’s possible that they once again completely dictate the game.
I just see this as a defensive slugfest between two of the best units in all of football. So I think a 9.5-point spread is a bit unwarranted. But at the end of the day, the Cowboys are the better team on both sides of the ball, and at home, they have no business losing this game. Just don’t be surprised if it’s much closer than you anticipate.
Broncos 13-10 Commanders 
Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS
Speaking of defensive slugfests, I strongly advise any offensive enthusiasts to watch literally anything other than this football game. It’s not going to be pretty.
Last week, the Broncos scored 16 points at home against the Raiders while the Commanders scored 20 at home against the Cardinals. Neither offense looked particularly good outside of a couple of nice scoring drives despite not going up against very great defenses. Denver has an extremely washed up Russell Wilson under center while Washington’s very raw Sam Howell gets his third career start. However, both teams have outstanding defenses of their own that are typically the reason they’re in any game to begin with. Put this all together and you have the makings of what might be the lowest-scoring game of the entire season.
In a game like this, you usually take the better defense. I actually think that’s ours. But we literally never win in Denver. We haven’t done so since 2001. It’s a very tough place to play, and I don’t know if this team has what it takes to notch the first Washington victory in the mile high city since I was two months old. So I’ll say a late field goal and forced turnover from the Broncos notches them a victory to send both teams to early .500 records.
Patriots 24-23 Dolphins 
Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC
I was pretty torn over this game. Both of these teams gave me plenty to like and plenty to dislike last week. The outcomes of each of their games kind of overshadows some of the bigger takeaways. Miami’s offensive explosion clouds their defensive struggles while New England’s horrible start completely dwarfs their comeback attempt in which the passing game was cooking. So, at the very least, this will be a very close game.
I’m taking the Patriots for a couple of reasons. It’s hard to go into Foxboro and beat New England in a primetime setting, especially in a divisional matchup. The Patriots did win this game at home last year, after all (yes, I know Tua wasn’t playing, but still). I liked what I saw out of the Pats defense against a prolific passing offense last week, although the pouring rain might have had something to do with that. But most importantly, Mac Jones was cooking against a great Eagles secondary. Who’s to say that he won’t have a great game against a Miami defense that thoroughly struggled last week? Even if he takes a step back, Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott figure to have much better games against a run defense that gave up over 200 yards on the ground in Week 1.
The Dolphins obviously boast the better offense, but I think this will be a tougher test for them, and I’d be genuinely floored if Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill can even sniff the type of game they had last week. I just feel like Bill Belichick is going to put together a great defensive gameplan, taking what he learned from last week’s loss and applying it to a matchup that he knows very well. Maybe if this game was in Miami I’d take the Dolphins, but as it stands, I just like the Patriots more here.
Saints 22-16 Panthers 
Monday, 7:15 PM EST, ESPN
Bryce Young’s home debut should be fun to watch, but it’s clear to see that the Panthers still have a lot to figure out. That offense had plenty of struggles last week against Atlanta. Now they have to face a better defense that could make things a lot more difficult for them. Young will have to show up and show out if Carolina wants to hang around in this game. I believe in his abilities, but I still think it’s too early for that. This offense needs a lot more time to come together.
Carolina has a nice defense of their own, and they put together two nice performances against New Orleans last year, but I think this will be different. The Saints have a true weapon in Chris Olave, who is already an infinitely bigger part of this offense than he was a year ago, and you can count on Derek Carr to sling it all over the place. Even if I’m not the biggest fan of Carr, I think he can do enough to lead this offense to a winning performance. If Desmond Ridder and the Falcons could do it, I think Carr and the Saints can too.
Steelers 16-13 Browns 
Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ABC
See: Washington-Denver. But make it AFC North style.
I’m fascinated to see if either of these teams is who we saw in Week 1. I personally don’t believe the Steelers are that bad, and while I think the Browns are solid, I don’t know if they’re that good.
While I believe the Steelers have the better defense, the loss of Cam Hayward on the interior definitely hurts. They could have some struggles stopping Nick Chubb and Cleveland’s prolific running game. But you can count on T.J. Watt to completely wreck the game off the edge, and the secondary figures to have a bounce-back performance against a much worse passing offense than the one they played in Week 1.
This is simply going to be an offensive struggle for both sides. That’s how the AFC North operates in a primetime setting. And I’m not going to pick against the better coach and the better defense at home, even if Vegas is doing so.
All stats taken from ESPN.
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