Season to date: 10-6
(Home team denoted in bold)
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| Antonio Brown and the Steelers host Cincinnati in this week's marquee matchup. (Alex Brandon/Associated Press) |
Jets (0-1) 19, Buffalo (0-1) 14
It's difficult to get a feel on either of these teams after week one. The Jets came within one point of the defending AFC North champs, but the Bills held an apparently "elite" Ravens offense to just 13. The defenses will be competing for bragging rights in this year's first rendition of the Rex Ryan Bowl.
Sunday, September 18
Giants (1-0) 32, New Orleans (0-1) 26
The Giants are being dubbed by many as the new darling of the NFC East after squeaking by Dallas' highly-touted rookie backup. The Saints looked like another post-Bountygate New Orleans team, its offense airballing for over 400 yards while the defense lost the game.
Detroit (1-0) 38, Tennessee (0-1) 26
I was mistaken about the Lions' chances against Indy last week, but their chances against Tennessee will be even better. Look for the Titans to keep it close, though.
Dallas (0-1) 29, Washington (0-1) 20
The defending NFC East champs looked like cellar dwellars compared to an underrated Steelers team Monday night. The Cowboys lost a heartbreaker at home Sunday. This could either be an exceptionally competitive game or a rather dull one. I'm not sure there's an in-between.
Houston (1-0) 28, Kansas City (1-0) 23
Both teams underperformed in the first week. The Chiefs should have run away with it against the Chargers, but needed a comeback run instead to win. Nothing about the Texans' win against Chicago was phenomenal. Usually, though, it's the ugly wins that turn out to be the most important. This matchup could have playoff seeding implications, so whether it's ugly or beautiful the winner will come away with a bit more pep than usual.
New England (1-0) 24, Miami (0-1) 16
The Patriots could've easily lost in Arizona, and the Dolphins almost beat Seattle. This game would have a bit more appeal if the 1-0 team was 0-1, and vice versa. However, that is not the case, so expect another run-of-the-mill New England intradivisional win.
Baltimore (1-0) 28, Cleveland (0-1) 9
When I saw the news that Cleveland's new $15 million quarterback got hurt in his very first game, the immediate thought was "that's so Cleveland." Considering who the quarterback is, you could also reason "that's so Griffin." "Not-so-average-" Joe Flacco and the Ravens will easily dispatch of the Quagmire that is the Browns. (Giggity)
Carolina (0-1) 24, San Francisco (1-0) 21
Can you believe the 49ers are the only team in the NFL who haven't given up a single point all season? That's almost a crazy stat as the Panthers not having won a game since January! All these things will change come Sunday, so enjoy them while they last.
Pittsburgh (1-0) 33, Cincinnati 20
The Steelers looked like a championship team on Monday night. The Bengals struggled against the Jets, but still found a way to win. With all due respect to Baltimore, the home-and-home series between Pittsburgh and Cincy this season might be the best division rivalry of 2016.
Arizona (0-1) 30, Tampa Bay (1-0) 27
Chandler Catanzaro will be practicing extra hard this week after missing a 47-yard potential game-winner against the Patriots. His foot may end up being the deciding factor in this game against the Bucs (who, by the way, are still my dark-horse NFC wild card pick).
Seattle (1-0) 29, Los Angeles (0-1) 6
Uh-oh, the futility that defined the last few years of the old L.A. Rams is quickly coming back to define the new L.A. Rams. The Seahawks offense will fix whatever it is that took them three and a half quarters to get going last week, making the first NFL game in the LA Coliseum since '94 a difficult one for the home fans.
Oakland (1-0) 38, Atlanta (0-1) 29
Of all the teams that won last week, the Raiders were most disappointing. Jack Del Rio, the king of clapbacks, has to be beating himself up inside because his defense gave up 500 yards of total offense. Atlanta's offense is not terrible, so in order to go 2-0 the Raiders need to either find some solutions on defense or be prepared for another shootout.
Jacksonville (0-1) 28, San Diego (0-1) 27
Inversely, the Jags had the most impressive loss of week one. Jacksonville managed to stay within one score of the darlings of the NFL, not bad for a team that hasn't won more than five games in a season since 2010. The Chargers' collapse was one of the big week one storylines, this week expect the Jaguars to jump ahead early but almost lose it in the end.
Denver (1-0) 36, Indianapolis (0-1) 27
No Peyton? No problem, said the Indianapolis Colts when they drafted Andrew Luck first overall in 2012. No Peyton? No problem, said the Denver Broncos when they edged out Carolina in the season opener last Thursday. Unfortunately, the Colts still have myriad problems outside the quarterback position. Denver still looks solid all around.
Green Bay (1-0) 27, Minnesota (1-0) 26
The race for the NFC North will be closer than I anticipated. Minnesota lost exactly zero strides when they hurriedly replaced their quarterback mere days ago, and the Packers look mortal (see Jacksonville, above). This should be a fun Sunday night showdown.
Monday, September 19
Philadelphia (1-0) 26, Chicago (0-1) 16
The Bears are somehow favored in this one, so go ahead and pick Philly to cover and win if you're the betting type. Second overall pick Carson Wentz looks impressive to this point, and Chicago did not look like anything special in Houston. This game may surprise and feel just like the great Eagles-Bears games of the '80s, but with Philadelphia winning instead of Chicago.
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