NFL PICKS! Week Two

Last week: 10-6
Season to date: 10-6

(Home team denoted in bold)

Antonio Brown and the Steelers host Cincinnati in this week's marquee matchup. (Alex Brandon/Associated Press)

Thursday, September 15

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.

College Football Top 25: Week 2

Junior Austin Allen and Arkansas won a dramatic double-overtime game Saturday and make their triumphant Top 25 return. (Ronald Martinez/Getty)

1. Ohio State (2-0)
2. Alabama (2-0)
3. Michigan (2-0)
4. Houston (2-0)
5. Florida State (2-0)
6. Clemson (2-0)
7. Georgia (2-0)
8. Wisconsin (2-0)
9. Washington (2-0)
10. Texas (2-0)
11. Tennessee (2-0)
12. Stanford (1-0)
13. Notre Dame (1-1)
14. Michigan State (1-0)
15. Oklahoma (1-1)
16. Mississippi (1-1)
17. Miami (Fla.) (2-0)
18. Louisville (2-0)
19. Texas A&M (2-0)
20. Iowa (2-0)
21. Boise State (2-0)
22. Florida (2-0)
23. Arkansas (2-0)
24. Oregon (2-0)
25. Baylor (2-0)
Dropped: Texas Christian (10), Louisiana State (17), Oklahoma State (19); New: Florida, Arkansas, Baylor

NFL PICKS! Week One

Among this week's storylines are a Super Bowl rematch on Thursday, a head coach facing his former team for the first time Sunday, and the first all-California NFC West matchup since 1994 on Monday night.

Lions head coach Jim Caldwell will return to Indianapolis Sunday evening. Caldwell spent three seasons leading the Colts, including a Super Bowl loss following the 2009 season. (Matthew Healy/UPI)

As always, home teams shown in bold.

Thursday, September 8

Carolina 27, Denver 21
This will be a great test to see how each conference champion has responded since Super Bowl 50. The Broncos have moved on at the quarterback position, and the Panthers are starting two rookie cornerbacks on defense.

Sunday, September 11

Green Bay 31, Jacksonville 21
The Packers' return to the top of the NFC North begins with a trip to Jacksonville. The Jags, though improved from last year, should be no match for Mike McCarthy's crew.

Kansas City 33, San Diego 19
It will be the start of a long and disappointing season for the Chargers in one of four intra-divisional matchups to take place in week one.

Oakland 29, New Orleans 26
The X-factor Sunday in New Orleans? The state of Louisiana experienced its worst natural disaster since Katrina this summer. If the Saints can repeat the emotional high of their first game back in the Superdome after the 2005 hurricane, it would be difficult for any visiting team to win.

Cincinnati 26, Jets 21
There may be a rematch of this game come January. Both teams are potential playoff squads and this game will be an early test for everyone involved.

Philadelphia 30, Cleveland 23
Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz's first start will be against the softball Cleveland Browns. As long as Wentz can rely on the talent around him, it may not be pretty, but his debut will be a win.

Minnesota 26, Tennessee 19
Sam Bradford has been, at best, an above-average quarterback in his six NFL seasons. He will need to learn the Vikings' system incredibly quickly to defeat an up-and-coming Titans squad. Of all my picks this week, I am probably least confident in this one.

Houston 29, Chicago 20
2014 MVP snub JJ Watt is returning from injury to play this game. He will not be 100 percent, but a 70 percent JJ Watt is still better than 95 percent of the rest of the league's defenders.

Buffalo 27, Baltimore 24
I know at least one talking head says this every year, but this year may be Buffalo's best shot to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999. To prove I'm not totally stupid in my analysis, the Bills should win against a Ravens team that could either be improving or past its prime.

Atlanta 27, Tampa Bay 21
The Falcons could challenge Carolina for the NFC South crown, but more likely will be fighting for a wild card spot come season's end. This game might be crucial in that race, because the Bucs will be an improved team in 2016 as well.

Seattle 35, Miami 19
This is the only week one game in which the betting line is in double-digits. Vegas currently has the Seahawks as 10-1/2 point favorites against the Dolphins, and I'm not even sure it will be that close.

Giants 26, Dallas 23
Can they just give the Egg Bowl trophy to whichever quarterback wins this game? Ole Miss product and 13-year NFL veteran Eli Manning will propel his Giants to an early NFC East lead against Cowboys rookie signal-caller Dak Prescott, a Mississippi State alum.

Indianapolis 26, Detroit 24
As I mentioned previously, this will be Jim Caldwell's first visit to Indianapolis since he took over as Detroit head coach in 2014. Caldwell's Lions will come away disappointed as Andrew Luck and the Colts begin to right the ship that took a step in the wrong direction last year.

Arizona 31, New England 24
This might be the most entertaining game of week one, and a possible Super Bowl LI preview. I joked in the preseason about the intricate plot of Bill Belichick, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to get one of Arizona's best players off the field for Sunday night's game, but reality will very soon set in. The Cardinals' secondary will tear apart Jimmy Garoppolo to get to 1-0.

Monday, September 12

Pittsburgh 29, Washington 23
The Steelers will challenge Cincinnati for the AFC North title, beating potential NFC East champ Washington along the way. This will be the more entertaining Monday night game, despite the manifold stories surrounding the nightcap game.

Los Angeles 23, San Francisco 17
If you're struggling to stay awake during the second half of Monday's doubleheader, it's not your fault. After the obligatory "the Rams are back in Los Angeles" feature and 30 cameras focused on San Francisco's backup quarterback during the national anthem, this game will likely become a snoozefest.

College Football Top 25: Week One

Senior Greg Ward and Houston made a statement Saturday and jumped into this week's top five teams. (Scott Halleran/Getty)

1. Ohio State (1-0)
2. Alabama (1-0)
3. Florida State (1-0)
4. Clemson (1-0)
5. Houston (1-0)
6. Michigan (1-0)
7. Georgia (1-0)
8. Stanford (1-0)
9. Tennessee (1-0)
10. Texas Christian (1-0)
11. Michigan State (1-0)
12. Notre Dame (0-1)
13. Mississippi (0-1)
14. Oklahoma (0-1)
15. Wisconsin (1-0)
16. Texas (1-0)
17. Louisiana State (0-1)
18. Miami (Fla.) (1-0)
19. Oklahoma State (1-0)
20. Louisville (1-0)
21. Boise State (1-0)
22. Washington (1-0)
23. Texas A&M (1-0)
24. Iowa (1-0)
25. Oregon (1-0)

NFL PICKS! Preseason Week Four

Well, I goofed last week. This is the make-the-roster week, where the fourth-stringers get to show their stuff. Instead of repeating the theme of highlighting one player per team, I will present this weeks' picks similar to how I will predict regular season games. In addition, the week four picks will include one expectation for each team.

(Home team denoted in bold.)

Wednesday, August 31

Tampa Bay (2-1) 21, Washington (2-1) 19
You should see a middle-of-the-pack performance from the Bucs; Jameis Winston and crew may even challenge for a wild-card spot. Tampa's key will be if Dirk Koetter can improve the team in his first year as an NFL head coach. The Redskins will be in the wide-open hunt to defend their NFC East title as long as Kirk Cousins continues to play like he has something to prove.

You like THAT pick, Number Eight? (Nick Wass/Associated Press)

Thursday, September 1

New England (3-0) 24, Giants (1-2) 16

Brady or no Brady, the Pats should cruise into the playoffs with their eighth-straight AFC East crown (14th in the Belichick Era). The Giants, finally rid of Tom Coughlin, could surprise and fight in the NFC East, but another six-win season may be a bit more reasonable of an expectation for Big Blue.

Jimmy Garoppolo, if he can perform well in the first quarter of the season, may get a multi-millions deal elsewhere in 2017. (Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports)

Atlanta (2-1) 20, Jacksonville (1-2) 17
A mostly-quiet offseason may do the Falcons well. Under second-year head coach Dan Quinn, all Atlanta needs is to match last season's two-game improvement to record double-digit wins and possibly reach the postseason for the first time since 2012. Meanwhile, the unfortunate Jaguars will likely finish with their sixth-straight losing season. That said, six wins would be enough for their best record since 2010.

Receiver will be the brightest spot in a decent (by recent standards) Jacksonville season, with Allen Robinson primed for a second-straight Pro Bowl season. (Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports)

Philadelphia (3-0) 21, Jets (1-2) 14
The Eagles can't put the Chip Kelly experiment in distant memory quickly enough; with a healthy core and player-friendly head coach in Doug Pederson Philadelphia should be right in the thick of things in the NFC East. The Jets should match last season's 10-6 mark, and will reach the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

The X-factor for New York: Will Ryan's FitzMagic continue now that he has received a big, fat extension paycheck? (Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)

Tennessee (2-1) 21, Miami (2-1) 17
A quick start may be the key for the Titans; confidence could get a major boost if Tennessee can carry a 3-0 record into a Week Four contest at Houston. Inversely, the Titans' confidence could get ruined with a 1-2 or 0-3 start. Miami might see another last-place finish in the AFC East; this team's improvement may not be evident until next year.

Jason McCourty and the Titans' secondary could make the difference for last year's worst team. (Cary Edmondson/USA TODAY Sports)

Carolina (1-2) 21, Pittsburgh (1-2) 17
Denver exposed the Panthers in a big way seven months ago. Carolina is unquestionably still one of the three best teams in the NFC, so it may be January before we see if Cam and Co. have responded adequately to their Super Bowl meltdown. It will be much of the same in Pittsburgh, where a playoff appearance would be good for Mike Tomlin's career-best third straight postseason (seventh total in the now 10-year tenure for the head coach).

A fourth-straight 3500-yard season would make Ben Roethlisberger one of the NFL's 10 all-time leading passers. (Joe Robbins/Getty)

Buffalo (1-2) 23, Detroit (1-2) 16
Rex Ryan's squads always find a way to surprise. This year Buffalo will either jump over the Jets and get a wild card spot, or finish a disappointing 5-11. Should the former occur, Ryan will be seen as a Western New York hero no matter what happens to the Bills in subsequent years. With Calvin Johnson retired, Matthew Stafford won't have anyone to throw to. In other words, expect another disappointing Lions season.

Golden Tate is an exceptional wide receiver, but he's no Megatron. (Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press)

Cincinnati (1-2) 23, Indianapolis (1-2) 20
The Bengals are the team to beat in the AFC North (although Pittsburgh will give them a run for their money), but the team to beat up on come playoff time. Andy Dalton and Marv Lewis will need to find a way to get over that hump this year or the Brown family may finally decide to move on. Should they find a way to get over the hump, however, how awesome would a Pittsburgh-Cincy AFC Championship be? For Indianapolis, Andrew Luck needs to prove he can come back from an awful year to ensure continued Colts success. If he can do this, the Colts will challenge Houston for the AFC South title.

Andrew Luck was once the Elway or Manning of this generation, and one bad season does not a career make. (Andy Lyons/Getty)

Cleveland (0-3) 17, Chicago (0-3) 16
The Cleveland Browns and Robert Griffin III are a match made in hell, so you can go ahead and write them off as one of the league's worst this year. Chicago could be a hit or miss. If it's a miss, don't expect the Bears to hold on to John Fox or for Fox to ever have an NFL head coaching gig again.

Say Browns fans, "At least Josh Gordon's back." (Joshua Gunter/The Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Green Bay (3-0) 17, Kansas City (1-2) 14
I've bought into all the hooplah surrounding the Packers, as usual. Aaron Rodgers will get his squad to their eighth-straight postseason (extending a franchise record for playoff appearances) and likely to the quarterback's third conference championship game (if you're keeping track of records, Favre got the Pack there four times). Andy Reid will have his team ready to play in a tough AFC West division, but the playoffs will be a difficult achievement for the Chiefs this year.

Speaking of receivers making a comeback, Rodgers will have three-time Packer receiving leader Jordy Nelson back in his arsenal. (Todd Rosenberg/NFL)

Baltimore (3-0) 24, New Orleans (0-3) 14
The Ravens are a dark horse in the AFC North and wild card races. John Harbaugh will need to prove his worth as a coach to get Baltimore turned around from a 5-11 2015; considering the talent elsewhere in the North, even making it back to .500 would be a successful campaign. Meanwhile, the Saints are at the end of a storied era. Maybe Bountygate is to blame, but the bottom line is New Orleans could feasibly finish at the bottom of the NFC South for the first time since 2008.

Sean Payton is fresh off a five-year contract extension, but needs to right the ship to keep the ownership's trust in New Orleans. (Wesley Hitt/Getty)

Minnesota (3-0) 19, Los Angeles (2-1) 16
The defending NFC North champions, Minnesota will have to answer Green Bay blow-for-blow to have any chance of repeating atop the division. More likely for the Vikings is a wild card spot. The Rams might be the most intriguing team in the NFL this year. The move to L.A. is obviously a predominant storyline, but I'm more intrigued to see if Jeff Fisher has anything left in his coaching tank. I project a third-place finish in the NFC West, but the Rams may surprise.

One of the more overlooked young quarterbacks in the league, Teddy Bridgewater led his team to the playoffs for the first time in his career last year. (Brad Rempel/USA TODAY Sports)

Houston (3-0) 24, Dallas (1-2) 21
The Texans, until the Colts or Titans can prove otherwise, are the toast of the AFC South. A third straight 9-7 record may be enough to win again, but Houston would like to get back to double digit wins for the first time since 2012. The Cowboys are once again up in the air with another Tony Romo injury, but Dak Prescott has shown signs that he can fill in admirably. Unlike in the preseason, however, Prescott will be playing against first-team defenses once September 11 comes around. Best case scenario, the Mississippi State product shines and has the illustrious Cowboys career meant for Romo; worst case, Tony comes back midseason inheriting a 1-7 team.

JJ Watt is already a Hall of Fame contender after only half a decade and shows no signs of slowing down. (Scott Halleran/Getty)

Denver (2-1) 26, Arizona (0-3) 13
In order for the Broncos to defend as champions, new starting quarterback Trevor Siemian won't have to be flashy. He will have to be virtually mistake-free and allow the defense to do the rest. Any individual success he has will be an added bonus for Denver. I don't actually predict this, but there is a vague chance the Broncos could fail to live up to expectations, finish third in the West, and miss the playoffs entirely. For the Cardinals, anything short of a Super Bowl berth will be considered a disappointment.

Patrick Peterson anchors one of the best secondaries in football. (Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press)

San Diego (1-2) 19, San Francisco (1-2) 17
It will be a tough year for the "San" teams. The Chargers just got their top draft pick on the practice field; they desperately need Joey Bosa to help out a defense that not even a career-high passing year from Philip Rivers could save in 2015. As for the Niners, their main headliner right now is a controversial backup quarterback whose contract they never should have extended three years ago. In fact, I would not be surprised if these two teams finish with two of the worst records in the league.

In case anyone forgot, Blaine Gabbert is the 49ers' starting quarterback. (Ezra Shaw/Getty)

Seattle (2-1) 19, Oakland (1-2) 17
The Seahawks will have a solid season as usual. They probably won't beat Arizona in the NFC West standings, but should easily earn back-to-back wild card berths for the second time in franchise history (1983-84). The NFC is so incredibly top-heavy another Super Bowl run may be a relative longshot for Seattle but if anyone can pull off a miracle postseason of sorts, it's the team that has represented the National conference in the Super Bowl two of the last three years. Oakland is my dark horse contender in the AFC West. Jack Del Rio has a great squad of up-and-comers that improved four games in 2015. Another four game improvement this season puts the Raiders at 11-5 - it would be Oakland's first winning season since 2002 - and in the thick of the AFC wild card race.

Khalil Mack is the face of a new generation of Raiders - a generation who could return the Silver and Black to prominence for the coming decade. (Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports)