NFL Week 2 Picks

Now that I have one week of the NFL season under my belt, hopefully I'll be more accurate with my picks than I was last week (but probably not). The first week was filled with many games that could have gone either way (13 games were decided by single digits), and Week 2 could see more of the same (the Thursday night game was a 37-31 Jet victory over the Bills). So, here's hoping more of those close games go my way (pick-wise, and fantasy-wise, as I lost in both of my leagues last week).

Last Week: 9-6
Season: 9-6

(Home Team Listed Last)

Sunday
Ravens 34, Browns 35 (1:00 PM, CBS)
Yes, the Browns aren't good. Yes, they got destroyed by a rookie quarterback in Week 1. Yes, they could quite possibly go 0-16. On the other hand, yes, the Browns have won their last three home openers, and yes, Josh McCown has played well against Baltimore.
Bengals 28, Steelers 32 (1:00 PM, CBS)
This is a battle of two ultra-talented wide receivers. A.J. Green caught 12 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown last week as the Bengals got past the Jets, and Antonio Brown twerked his way to eight catches, 126 yards, and two touchdowns as Pittsburgh dominated Washington.
Titans 17, Lions 35 (1:00 PM, CBS)
Tennessee should have more success against Detroit's defense than they did versus Minnesota's, but the Lions' offense is much better than the Vikings'. Matthew Stafford tore up the Colts defense with 340 yards and three touchdowns last week.
Cowboys 37, Redskins 34 (1:00 PM, FOX)
Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott played pretty well in last week's loss to the Giants, but his supporting cast (running back Zeke Elliott, the receivers, and the defense) must do better this week against a Washington defense that was blasted by Pittsburgh last week.
Saints 42, Giants 45 (1:00 PM, FOX)
Both of these teams are dynamic offensive threats with good veteran signal-callers and explosive pass-catchers. Both teams also have suspect defenses, especially New Orleans, whose defense (which was the worst in the NFL last season) gave up 35 points to Oakland in Week 1.
49ers 13, Panthers 28 (1:00 PM, FOX)
San Francisco is not as good as they looked last Monday in a 28-0 win versus L.A. (the Rams aren't good), and Carolina is not as bad as they looked last Thursday in a 21-20 loss to Denver (they were playing the defending champs in Denver).
Dolphins 21, Patriots 32 (1:00 PM, CBS)
New England will lose a game before Tom Brady comes back (Week 5), but probably not this one. The Pats showed the machine keeps churning no matter who isn't playing (Brady and Rob Gronkowski last week), while Miami squandered an opportunity in Seattle.
Chiefs 24, Texans 28 (1:00 PM, CBS)
These two teams are similar in my eyes. Solid offenses led by solid quarterbacks and strong running games, supported by talented defenses. However, Houston has a better defense, and as they showed last week, more explosive offensive weapons.
Seahawks 34, Rams 13 (4:05 PM, FOX)
Both of these teams struggled last week, but the Seahawks still came out with a win, while the Rams didn't put a point on the board. The Los Angeles offense can't play the way they did Monday night against San Francisco, but they probably will against Seattle's defense.
Buccaneers 31, Cardinals 32 (4:05 PM, FOX)
Jameis Winston is an ascending quarterback in the NFL, and he showed it last week with a four touchdown performance against Atlanta. Arizona has a better defense than the Falcons, and a productive offense led by Carson Palmer, David Johnson, and Larry Fitzgerald.
Jaguars 30, Chargers 21 (4:25 PM, CBS)
Jacksonville kept up with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, but couldn't beat them, while San Diego lost in overtime to Kansas City and lost star receiver Keenan Allen for the season. Allen tore his ACL after missing parts of last season with injuries.
Falcons 21, Raiders 27 (4:25 PM, CBS)
The Raiders out-shot the Saints last week (after a successful two-point conversion in the final minute), and while they probably won't score 35 points again this week, they should play better defensively.
Colts 24, Broncos 30 (4:25 PM, CBS)
Andrew Luck didn't miss a beat last week after missing much of last season with injury, scoring four touchdowns against Detroit. Unfortunately, the Indy defense also did't miss a beat, allowing 39 points in a loss.
Packers 32, Vikings 17 (8:30 PM, NBC)
I don't know who's starting at quarterback for the Vikings on Sunday night (Sam Bradford? Shaun Hill? Adrian Peterson?), but I do know who's starting for the Packers, and he's a lot better than whoever Minnesota throws out there.

Monday
Eagles 17, Bears 21 (8:30 PM, ESPN)
Carson Wentz looked really good against the Browns, but the key words there are "against the Browns". The Bears aren't playoff-caliber either, but they should pose more of a test for Wentz. This could be an ugly game.