We finished a solid 10-5 last week on our picks. There were some surprises that hurt (We’re looking at you San Diego, Indy and San Francisco), but still a respectable week. Here’s a look at the matchups for this week.
Baltimore 1-0 at Cincinnati 0-1: Baltimore looked just ok against the Jets with a few turnovers, but their defense is still the real deal and the offense will only get better. The Bengals made the box score look much closer than it was last week in a loss to New England. This is probably one of the toughest divisions in the NFL as Cincy will find out when Baltimore takes the win in a close game.
Chicago 1-0 at Dallas 0-1: Dallas is coming off a close loss to the Redskins in a game they should have won, Chicago almost gave one up to the lowly Lions. Dallas should win this game, but their ageing offensive line will have its hands full with the Bears defensive line. Dallas is at home, so we will give them the slight edge.
Philadelphia 0-1 at Detroit 0-1: This is a game of back up quarterbacks as both starters Kevin Kolb and Matthew Stafford are out with injuries. Micheal Vick gets his first start since being released from prison vs. former 49ers starter Shaun Hill. Philadelphia is a better team then Detroit, but this one could go either way really. We like the Eagles in this one though.
Arizona 1-0 at Atlanta 0-1: Barley beating the Rams in week one isn’t a win to really hang your hat on. And giving up a huge run in OT to the Steelers isn’t a way to build confidence in your defense. The Falcons bounce back from a tough loss and take this one by at least a touchdown.
Kansas City 1-0 at Cleveland 0-1: KC surprised a lot of people (including us) when they beat the Chargers on Monday night. Cleveland didn’t surprise anyone while losing to Tampa Bay. KC is a young talented team that can play some defense. This game will be a dog, but the Chiefs should win this one without too much trouble.
Buffalo 0-1 at Green Bay 1-0: Buffalo hung with a talented Miami team last week, but look for them to fold easily this week in Green Bay. The Packers let the Eagles hang around last week with some dumb turnovers in the 2nd half. We don’t think this will happen against the Bills. The Pack should win this one easily, if Aaron Rogers returns to form.
Pittsburgh 1-0 at Tennessee 1-0: Can anyone say defense? This is going to be a tough game. The Steelers won on a great run in overtime, the Titans easily handled the Raiders. This one will come down to the defense and the how well the QB’s play. Titans will win this on a solid game by Vince Young.
Tampa Bay 1-0 at Carolina 0-1: How does Tampa get so lucky to get two winnable games back to back? Coming off a win versus the Browns, the Bucs should be able to handle this game. The Panthers just realized what it is like having a young quarterback. The Panthers have a solid defense, but Tampa is a slightly better team. Tampa wins, but it will be close.
Miami 1-0 at Minnesota 0-1: Tough win for the Dolphins and a close loss for the Vikings last week. These are both talented teams and this should be another tough test for the Vikings. But being at home in the dome will help them to a win in this one.
St. Louis 0-1 at Oakland 0-1: Both of these teams stink, and kudos to the Rams last week for hanging with the Cardinals until the end of the game. Oakland proved that it still can’t stop the run, which is problematic with Stephen Jackson coming to town. But Oakland is at home, where it can be tough to play. Oakland should win this game, unless they do something wrong..Like play like the Raiders.
Seattle 1-0 at Denver 0-1: The Seahawks really surprised a lot of people when they really put a beat down to the 49ers last week and Denver was a surprising loss against the Jaguars. Being at home will help the Broncos, but Seattle has some momentum and should be able to win this game.
Houston 1-0 at Washington 1-0: Will there be a let down by the Texans after beating the Colts last week? Or will they be able to build on that with a trip against the Redskins? The Skins were surprising winners against the Cowboys on Sunday night, but Houston should be able to win this game even though it is on the road.
New England 1-0 at NY Jets 0-1: The games last week for these teams proved two things. Tom Brady is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and Mark Sanchez can’t carry a team. Brady put on a clinic last week, and Sanchez threw for 76 yards. This will be a tough game for the Patriots, but they should be able to win this game because the Jets can’t score enough points to keep up with them.
Jacksonville 1-0 at San Diego 0-1: Is the loss to Kansas City last week just another slow start for the Chargers or a sign or bigger troubles? A good opening day win for the Jaguars gives them some momentum, but they don’t travel well, especially to the west coast. Look for San Diego to get back on track in this game and win easily. If not, they are looking at the possibility of Kansas City taking a two game lead in the division with KC having a very winnable game against the Browns.
New York Giants 1-0 at Indianapolis 0-1: The quad-annual meeting of the Manning boys should always be a good one. The Giants didn’t exactly look great against the Panthers, but the Colts should be worried about facing a team that loves to run the ball. If the Giants can shorten this game and keep the Colts offense off the field, they have a real shot at winning. We still think the Colts should win this one, they are still too good to go 0-2
New Orleans 1-0 at San Francisco: The Monday night game of the week should have had a little more excitement to it with both teams being 1-0, but the 49ers laid an egg in Seattle in week one. Now 49ers are scrambling to fix their issues and couldn’t have had a worse team come to town. The Saints proved last week that they still have what it takes to be one of the elite teams in the league by taking down the Vikings. The best thing for the 49ers would be a bit of a hangover and rust from having more time off, but that is doubtful. The 49ers defense is talented, but not enough to slow down the Saints enough for their offense to keep pace. If the 49ers can run the ball and control the clock, this game could get interesting. We are hoping this one is close, but probably won’t be. Saints could win 28-10.
