Regular season football is back and it certainly didn’t disappoint. We witnessed another stunning chapter in the epic Bears-Packers rivalry as Aaron Rodgers gutsy performance helped Green Bay hold off Khalil Mack and the new look Bears. Meanwhile down in New Orleans, veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick helped Tampa Bay stun the heavily favored Saints in the Superdome. Don’t forget about the amazing rookie performances by CB Denzel Ward (2 INTs), TE Will Dissly (105 yards, 1 TD), and RB Saquon Barkley (106 yards, 1 TD). Who will step up in Week 2? Let’s find out…
Week 1 Prediction Record: 11-4-1
Week 1 Awards:
Game of the Week: Bears vs Packers
Upset of the Week: Buccaneers over Saints
Player of the Week: Jared Cook, OAK; 9 REC for 180 yards
Team of the Week: New York Jets
Week 2 Predictions
Is Baltimore for real or is Buffalo really just THAT bad? We’ll find out Thursday Night in Cincinnati. The Bengals finally saw their 2017 first-round draft pick come through with his first career touchdown. If Andy Dalton can stay consistent, we may be seeing a surprise team rise back up into relevance. The Ravens weren’t lying about getting Lamar Jackson involved early. He carried the ball seven times for 39 yards and fit in a few passes as well. With Pittsburgh looking very vulnerable early, one of these teams has a golden opportunity to take control of their division. Look for Baltimore’s D to make a play late to take this TNF matchup.
Baltimore Ravens 24, Cincinnati Bengals 14
The Patrick Mahomes era is off to a flying start in Kansas City. He looked like he belonged in only his second career start. I loved Mahomes coming out of college and said he could be a star once he got his chance. I just didn’t think he’d flash this soon. With Tyreek Hill and Kareem Hunt, this team could be scary if Mahomes keeps up his level of play. The Chiefs will have to figure out how to stop T.J. Watt. Despite the Steelers sloppy season debut, Watt’s defensive performance was one of the best I’ve seen in recent memory. FOUR SACKS! Incredible. Add on his 11 total tackles and a game saving field goal block and you have the recipe for a future star in the making. The Steelers have owned the Chiefs in the past but this game will shake up the AFC.
Kansas City Chiefs 35, Pittsburgh Steelers 24
The Dolphins gutted out the longest played game in NFL history after an extended rain delay. Kenny Stills looks like he has 1,000 yard season potential with Ryan Tannehill after posting a 100 yard game against a Pro Bowl corner in Malcolm Butler. Although Miami looked nice, it was their AFC East rival that stole the show in Week 1. Sam Darnold gave Jets fans hope that maybe, just maybe, New York has their quarterback. A beautiful touch pass to Robby Anderson in the second quarter made me think, “Wow!” With the Jets getting the Browns in Week 3, there is a golden opportunity to start off fast. This game may have not seemed like a must-watch back in April when the schedule came out but this one could get fun. Give me Broadway Sam to continue to prove me wrong.
New York Jets 24, Miami Dolphins 20
Fitzmagic shocked the football world as his Buccaneers laid down 48 hush puppies on the heavily favored Saints on the road. Can the bearded wonder take down the Super Bowl champs? The Bucs defense will certainly need to play better than they did last week though. The Bucs struggled covering Alvin Kamara in the redzone (3 TDs) so Philadelphia would be wise to utilize Ajayi and Sproles in the passing game. Under Nick Foles, the offense won’t be pretty but their opportunistic defense should create some scoring opportunities. If the Eagles D keeps Mike Evans in check then I see Philly coming through in a narrow win.
Philadelphia Eagles 22, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21
The Browns are undefeated. Even without winning a game. Cleveland showed some serious heart down 21-7 with under eight minutes in the fourth quarter. In the bayou, the Saints defense apparently went back to being terrible again. Some of their defensive miscues are simply inexcusable. Jarvis Landry has the potential to do exactly what DeSean Jackson, another speedster, did to New Orleans defense. I think Cleveland puts a scare into the Saints before another overtime game saves the home team in this one.
New Orleans Saints 26, Cleveland Browns 20 (OT)
The Redskins are that type of team I feel like will be solid all year long and no one will talk about them. Then, in Week 17 and the Skins’ are still in playoff contention, we’ll say, “Dang, Washington is actually legit.” Derrius Guice’s injury may have been a blessing in disguise as Adrian Peterson at age 33, is turning back the clock. This team is perfect for Alex Smith. All he does is win. It’s not flashy but I’ll certainly take an ugly win over a “pretty” loss. Indianapolis can certainly relate to a pretty loss. The highly-anticipated return of Andrew Luck was a successful one as everything but the scoreboard lined up on Sunday. In a weak AFC, the Colts can push for a wild card spot assuming Luck plays similar to his 2018 debut. Ultimately, the Skins are clearly better on both sides of the ball and it will show in the late stages of this one.
Washington Redskins 27, Indianapolis Colts 16
The Bills are a dumpster fire. There is no other way to put it. Nathan Peterman continues to rewrite the record books but the way Buffalo had hoped. At this point, there is no reason not to play Josh Allen and give him the experience under the bright lights. The Chargers electric D was shell-shacked for 38 points against a division rival that has now won nine straight against them. I’m not too worried about them though. Philip Rivers continues to show why he remains among the league’s best gunslingers. There’s not too much to say about this one. A team that gets blown out 47-3 on opening weekend isn’t going to have a great season. LA dominates.
Los Angeles Chargers 37, Buffalo Bills 13
Need we say more about Aaron Rodgers. Despite dealing with a sprained knee, his comeback was among his greatest career moments. Oh, and against the rival Bears too. Now, he gets a crack at the team that cracked his collarbone and ended the majority of his season. The Vikings looked poised in Kirk Cousins first start with his new squad. There is a serious chance that Stefon Diggs could elevate into a top five receiver under Cousins. This game could tell us a lot about who has the driver’s seat in the NFC North. I think Minnesota has the better roster but Green Bay has a bad man on their sideline. Difficult to assess this one since Rodgers status is still in doubt but either way, I believe Minnesota can make the necessary adjustments to take it in Lambeau.
Minnesota Vikings 23, Green Bay Packers 21
Four of the league’s best may be out for the remainder of the season which could very well open up the NFC South. Atlanta’s defense may take a tumble as linebacker Deion Jones and safety Keanu Neal were both placed on IR with a foot and knee injury respectively. Meanwhile in Charlotte, the Panthers will be without Newton’s favorite target in tight end Greg Olsen and All-Pro right guard Daryl Williams. This is a tough game to pick. On one hand, the Falcons have essentially held Cam in check at home recently. I still feel as if the McCaffrey-Newton duo can have some fun with a defense that has lost their core. Philly’s front seven shook up Matty Ice and it doesn’t get easier against a defensive line featuring pass rushers Mario Addison and Kawann Short. That unit racked up six sacks so Ryan will need to use his stable of passing catching backs to counter the pressure. In a tight one, Carolina steals one.
Carolina Panthers 21, Atlanta Falcons 19
It’s a tough week to be a Titans fan. Star TE Delanie Walker is out for the season and Marcus Mariota may be out against Houston after a scary elbow injury that left his arm numb. Now, they take on an electric Texans team that will be looking to bounce back after falling to New England. Deshaun Watson looked shaky early but that’s understandable since most players need a tune-up coming off a big injury such as an ACL. I liked the play of Tyrann Mathieu who’s interception set Houston up with great field position. With all factors considered, I don’t have to think too hard about this one.
Houston Texans 30, Tennessee Titans 13
What else is new? Todd Gurley running all over opposing defenses. Larry Fitzgerald defying father time. The Rams are the best team in the the NFC West and it’s not particularly close. I’m positive that Josh Rosen will play at some point this year. Sam Bradford wasn’t atrocious but when just six points are on the board after sixty minutes, that’s not a good sign. AP ran over the Cardinals so just imagine what the Rams will do. It’s a division game so it will be somewhat close but the final result should never be in doubt.
Los Angeles Rams 24, Arizona Cardinals 10
Detroit looked like a late-season team that was packing their bags for the season. Not good for a season opener. Meanwhile, Jimmy Garoppolo couldn’t shake off a pick-six on Minnesota’s Mike Hughes first career INT as it bubbled to three picks en route to a 24-16 loss. Now, both teams must refocus their attention to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole. Alfred Morris should be able to find room to run in this against a Lions team that gave up 102 yards to Isaiah Crowell. For Detroit to get back on track, getting the ball in the hands of Kenny Golladay is a must. Him along with Golden Tate continually found separation time and time again. It was the turnovers that did Detroit in. This game is very volatile. The Lions could win. The 49ers could blow them out. I have no clue. Based on what I saw last week, San Francisco wins comfortably but in spite of their offense.
San Francisco 49ers 26, Detroit Lions 16
The Broncos look like they have a new electrifying duo in the backfield with rookies Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay. One stat that is pretty interesting is that both running backs posted identical statlines (15 carries for 71 yards). Woah, that’s scary. Outside of the fourth quarter, the Raiders looked pretty decent. Derek Carr wasn’t too sharp though. Despite completing over 70 percent of his passes, his three picks, including a pick-six doomed Oakland’s chances at a victory. I’m not sure it gets much better against Denver. Case Keenum tossed three picks himself but he also generated more big plays which helped the Broncos edge Seattle. I believe both quarterbacks will play better but in Mile High, Denver gets to 2-0.
Denver Broncos, 23, Oakland Raiders 17
For both of these AFC powerhouses, Week 1 was a microcosm of their 2017 seasons. The Jaguars offense was subpar but Blake Bortles managed the offense and made minimal mistakes to give his team a chance. Then, Myles Jack took a deflected Eli Manning pass to the house which made the difference in a five point win. The Patriots...well...they’re the Patriots. I’ve come to expect nothing less but W’s from Brady and Co. Jacksonville will certainly be out for revenge after coming within ten minutes to reaching their first Super Bowl. If Leonard Fournette is out this weekend with an aggravated hamstring, it may be tough sledding for the Jags offense. Regardless, I envision a tight battle until Stephen Gostkowski drills a game winning field goal to send New England home with a win.
New England Patriots 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 21
Which one of these teams can right the ship? Both Eli Manning and Dak Prescott didn’t look too sharp in their openers. I’m going to give them both a pass since they played the Jaguars and Panthers defense respectively. That doesn’t mean everything is going to be picture perfect now. Dallas looked lost. I’m really concerned this offense is broken. Even with Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield, a game where you can’t reach double digits after an off-season of preparation is no bueno. I’d like for the Giants to get Evan Engram involved more this week. He was a virtual no show against the Jags so I expect Pat Shurmur to make him a focal point. In a coin flip, I’ll pick the Giants here.
New York Giants 17, Dallas Cowboys 13
Although the Bears came up short on Sunday Night, Matt Nagy’s team showed that they won’t be the same pushovers like in years past. OC Mark Helfrich’s offense looked crisp, clean, and creative throughout the majority of the game. In the first drive alone, Tarik Cohen, Jordan Howard, Allen Robinson, and Trey Burton all made contributions. They executed so well, I was thinking, “Could Chicago make the Super Bowl? Then the second half came...Meanwhile, Seattle’s offensive line will need a 12th man in order to slow down Khalil Mack. The trade is already paying dividends with a groundbreaking start to his time with the orange and navy. I’m tempted to upset potential from an experienced Russell Wilson. That being said, the Bears defense is just too talented. From start to finish, the Monsters of the Midway should handle Seattle on Monday Night.
Chicago Bears 20, Seattle Seahawks 12
Upset of the Week: None
Game of the Week: Patriots vs Jaguars
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