Thursday Night Football: Bills @ Dolphins 7:15 PM (Prime Video)

Both teams mounted come-from-behind wins in week one, with the Dolphins walking things off on a 52-yard field goal and the Bills awakening from their first-half slumber to outscore the Cardinals 24-11 in the second half. The Buffalo Bills are coming into this game as slight underdogs despite beating the Dolphins in both matchups last year.

The tape also suggests that the Bills are the better team. While I believe the Jaguars are a better team than the Cardinals, the Dolphins offense was miserable against Jacksonville for most of the game, outside of an 80-yard catch and run by Tyreek Hill. Josh Allen has owned the Dolphins in his career. Josh Allen has gone 10-2 with a passer rating of 110.1, with 3,363 yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions against the Dolphins in his career.

The key for the Dolphins in this game will be their running game. Against the Jags, they averaged a measly 3.2 yards per carry. The Bills allowed a trifecta of rushing touchdowns and five yards a pop to a very middle-of-the-road Arizona rushing attack. But unlike last week, the Bills won’t have to deal with a mobile quarterback, simplifying the defensive game plan.

Prediction: 28-24 Bills

 

Sunday Noon Window

49ers @ Vikings (CBS)

Alright, Vikings fans, y’all had fun beating up on Daniel Jones and the Giants, but now it’s time to face some legit competition in the 49ers. Sam Darnold looked serviceable in game number one, but serviceable isn’t going to be good enough to beat the defending NFC Champions. Also, don’t expect Aaron Jones to rush for over six yards a carry again, as the 49ers suffocated the life out of the Jet’s running game.

The 49ers dominated from start to finish on Monday Night Football, making Aaron Rodgers look old and letting everybody else know that the NFC still runs through them. Did I mention the Niners put up this performance without Christian McCaffrey? For all the doubters Brock Purdy has, all he does is stack solid performances together.

I view Kevin O’Connell as a top-tier coach in this league and believe he’ll make the Vikings’ offense respectable this year. That said, he’s got his work cut out for him in this one because I think it’ll take at least 27 points to win this game. If Brian Flores can dial up some blitzes, keep the 49ers off balance, and keep them from dominating the time of possession, that would help, but there are just too many “ifs” to take the Vikings.

Prediction: 27-20 49ers

 

Colts @ Packers (FOX)

This was supposed to be a matchup of two young, exciting quarterbacks, but after Jordan Love’s injury, the game has quickly lost most, if not all, of its appeal. The Packers were gashed on the ground by Saquon Barkley, who averaged over four yards a carry and piled up over 100 yards and a couple of scores. Even though Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander recorded an interception against the Eagles, it came after he allowed over 100 yards to the receivers he was covering.

The best way to describe Anthony Richardson’s week one performance is to compare it to a baseball slugger like Joey Gallo or Rob Deer. There were many strikeouts, but it was spectacular when he put all the pieces together. He threw one of the prettiest touchdowns you’ll ever see to Alec Pierce and missed a pair of walk-in touchdown throws to Adonai Mitchell.

The Packers’ new starting quarterback, Malik Willis, started three games in Tennessee, appeared in twelve, and recorded no touchdowns and three interceptions. To say this is make-or-break time for Willis, who was once regarded as a potential number-one overall pick, is putting it mildly. Even if the Pack doesn’t win this game, they at least want Malik Willis to give them something to be hopeful about.

Prediction: 23-16 Colts

 

Saints @ Cowboys (FOX)

So… I might have been a little too hard on the Saints in my week one prediction. While I did pick them to win, I didn’t expect them to decimate the Carolina Panthers and look good while doing it. Outside of a handful of possessions where the Panthers looked competent, the Saints never were in danger and rolled to the most lopsided win in week one.

The Cowboys’ defense put up probably the most impressive performance of week one, generating negative to no yards on 43% of the Browns’ offensive snaps. The Cowboys looked like one of the best teams in the NFC, and with the bulk of the offseason drama behind them, they should (keyword: should) be ready to dominate this matchup.

Any seasoned gambler will tell you always to fade teams with great performances in week one. Well, when both teams are coming off stellar performances, you can only evaluate what common sense tells you. In this case, common sense is telling me that Dallas is simply the better team.

Prediction: 28-17 Cowboys

 

Buccaneers @ Lions (FOX)

The Buccaneers’ defense did exactly what I said they would do in week one, as they overwhelmed a rookie quarterback, not giving him any time to think. That being said, they got gashed on the ground by the legs of Jayden Daniels, who put up 88 yards and rushed for a pair of scores. The good news is that Jared Goff is about as statuesque as a quarterback can get, so that’s one thing they won’t have to worry about.

The bad news for the Bucs is that the Lions are a much better team than the Commanders. Jameson Williams was a legitimate problem on Sunday Night Football, having a breakout performance with five catches, 121 yards, and a touchdown. Add in Amon-Ra St. Brown on the other side and a balanced rushing attack that generated over five yards a carry, and it’s easy to see why the Lions will be a top-five offense this year.

Both teams pride themselves on their toughness and ability to outwork you. I still have some questions about how good the Lion’s secondary is, but if the pass rush gets home as they did in week one, it might not matter. The Buccaneers are a team that was overlooked all offseason, but if they come out and stun the Lions in Detroit, they won’t overlooked very much longer.

Prediction: 27-23 Lions

 

Jets @ Titans (CBS)

I said last week that America’s favorite football soap opera was the Dallas Cowboys, and while that still may be true, the best football soap opera this season will be the New York Jets. The Jets were humbled on Monday Night Football, Aaron Rodgers looked like he hadn’t played football in nearly two years, and Breece Hall couldn’t get anything going against a stout 49ers defensive line.

While not terrible, Rodgers only had one drive where he looked good, hitting Allen Lazard on a seam route to cut the deficit to 26-13 midway through the third quarter. If the Jets offense struggles again, we might start hearing rumors about how RFK Jr. might be in line to become the new offensive coordinator for the Jets.

The good news is that the Jets ‘supposed “elite” defense will get a bit of a break this week as they take on the Titans. To put it politely, Will Levis cost his team the game last week against Chicago with turnovers. To put it accurately, he stunk worse than his new mayonnaise-scented cologne.

The only thing that can save the Titans is their defense which was outstanding against the Bears, allowing only eleven points if you include the two-point conversion they gave up after the Levis pick-six. For the Titans to win, they must dominate the time of possession by pounding the rock with Tony Pollard and keeping Levis below 15 total passes attempted.

Prediction: 23-14 Jets

 

Seahawks @ Patriots (FOX)

I am confident this game will be the most drab of the early window. Both teams will be trying not to lose this game so hard that they might forget to try to win. I won’t suggest that this game will harken back to the days of leather helmets, but it might harken back to the days when running back was the most important offensive position.

In all seriousness, this running back matchup of Kenneth Walker III for the Seahawks and Rhamondre Stevenson for the Patriots is enticing, with both bell cows being set to be put through their paces. While Seattle has the edge at quarterback, I don’t expect the Seahawks to ask Geno Smith to try and win this game for them.

The key for the Patriots will be to lock up the Seahawks’ talented wide receiver core like they did the Bengals and limit the explosive plays. While I believe the Patriots possess the better defense, I feel like the Seahawks are capable of putting up 20 points in this game. I don’t feel the same way about the Patriots.

Prediction: 23-16 Seahawks

 

Giants @ Commanders (FOX)

Despite losing to the Buccaneers in week one, Jayden Daniels was by far the most impressive of the three rookie quarterbacks, putting up more than 270 yards of total offense with two touchdowns and no turnovers. Terry McLaurin, Zach Ertz, and Austin Ekeler are good weapons for a young quarterback to lean on, and their connection should only get better as the season goes on.

Meanwhile, it’s an entirely different tune in New York after their week one debacle against the Vikings. Daniel Jones flat-out isn’t an NFL player; the last two years of tape back this up, and so did his performance against the Vikings. Without Saquon Barkley to bail him out, there is no one to take responsibilities off his shoulders, and there is nowhere for him to hide his glaring faults.

Even though both of these teams lost by three scores in week one, one side is going to feel much better about its chances than the other. If the Commanders can take care of the ball like they did against the Buccaneers, I see no reason why they don’t win and win big.

Prediction: 27-13 Commanders

 

Chargers @ Panthers (CBS)

So, the first game of the Jim Harbaugh era began with a bang in Los Angeles as the Chargers bullied ball the Raiders for four quarters and won 22-10. The Chargers were a sleeper playoff team for many pundits in the preseason, and while I’m not quite willing to jump on the bandwagon, there is certainly an advantage to having an identity. For many years, the Chargers’ identity has been that of gross underachievers who have been unable to get out of their own way.

This reputation is precisely why many backers of the Bolts have yet to mark this game down as a win. The Panthers looked like a D3 college team against a D1 team, who were getting paid to get blown out so the big school could get a free win. They ran the ball for less than three yards a carry, and Bryce Young threw two interceptions while completing well under 50% of his passes. The only silver lining for the Panthers is that they’ll actually have their first-round draft pick when they pick first overall in 2025.

Even though this is the Panthers’ home game, expect a low turnout, as tickets are already dropping into the $20 range for opening day. If the Chargers want to shake off their current label as the league’s biggest underachiever, it starts with games like this, where you treat the trash like trash and handle your business.

Prediction: 24-6 Chargers

 

Browns @ Jaguars (CBS)

Would you like to know a fun stat? If you remove Deshaun Watson’s 2020 season, he has 24 games with a negative to neutral passing-touchdown-to-turnover ratio and only 27 with a positive passing-touchdown-to-turnover ratio. There’s a legit argument to be made that Watson was never as good as we all thought he was and that his current “collapse” is merely the inevitable result of having a quarterback who can’t string consistent games together.

The Jaguars walked out of Miami, knowing they had let one slip through their fingers, literally and metaphorically. Travis Etienne fumbling inside of the Dolphins’ red zone changed the entire complexion of that game. If he doesn’t fumble, the Jags will score a touchdown and have a 24-7 lead. Instead, the Dolphins hit an 80-yard slant and go to Tyreek Hill, who immediately made it 17-14.

While the Jaguars’ defense isn’t as good (at least on paper) as the Browns’, the Browns’ offense lacks an explosive game wrecker like Hill, which dramatically changes things. If Trevor Lawrence and company can take care of the ball, I don’t think this Browns offense can do enough damage to win this game.

Prediction: 24-17 Jaguars.

 

Raiders @ Ravens (CBS)

The Ravens played their best game ever against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, but it wasn’t enough to beat a B- effort from the champions. Now they get a chance to take out their anger on the Las Vegas Raiders, who looked like a team way over their head, realizing they would actually have to back up all the trash they talked in the offseason.

Honestly, this has the feel of a game that might get ugly early, with the Ravens coming out trying to prove a point after barely losing the opener. The Raiders don’t have an inspired offense, and it showed in spades during their 22-10 loss against the Chargers. Gardner Minshew will not be the long-term answer, and their only other option is Aidan O’Connell, a guy they were so desperate to bench that they overpaid for Minshew.

The Ravens have the better offense, the better defense, the better special teams, the better head coach, the better coaching staff, and they are at home. The Raiders want to be this big bad bully, but it’s hard to be that when exactly zero teams are scared of you. Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is about to find out how far behind the rest of the league his team is.

Prediction: 30-13 Ravens

 

Sunday Afternoon Window

Rams @ Cardinals (FOX)

The Rams took home the moral victory in week one despite falling short in the actual victory department, as Matt Stafford forced overtime, but could only watch as Detroit bullied their way down the field for the game-ending touchdown. Despite losing future hall-of-famer Aaron Donald to retirement, the Rams, defensive unit had a more than respectable showing against the Lions. They’ll be looking to build upon that effort against a Cardinals team that started hot but faded in crunch time.

The Cardinals will hope that Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyler Murray can start getting acquainted after the latter’s less-than-memorable debut as the number three overall pick. The good news for the Cardinals is that, unlike last week, the legs of the quarterback they’ll be hunting will be far less active than the one they were chasing around last week in Josh Allen, who scorched them for four touchdowns.

The Rams come into this game banged up, down two offensive linemen and Pro Bowl wide receiver Puka Nacua, so the Cardinals’ pass rush might have a chance to get home. The Rams will be leaning heavily on Stafford and Cooper Kupp’s connection while they hope their defense can duplicate its week one form.

Prediction: 27-23 Rams

 

Bengals @ Chiefs (CBS)
Every squad has that one team they can’t stand playing, and that team for the Chiefs is the Cincinnati Bengals. Even when Joe Burrow was hurt last year, it was still a nail-biter until the end. As I stated before, the Chiefs played a B- game against the Ravens, and they still won by a touchdown (even if it was by a toe). The Bengals defense under Lou Anarumo has given Patrick Mahomes fits over the past few years, always seeming to get a takeaway when they need it the most.

Joe Burrow looked banged up in the Bengals’ week one loss to the Patriots, and if he isn’t fully healthy for this game, it would be very sub-optimal. The Chiefs’ defense has only allowed 27 or more points once in their last 18 regular season games, and they’ll want to make sure that streak doesn’t die at the hands of a man who has already robbed them of a potential three-peat. If Tee Higgins isn’t available for this game, the entire Chiefs’ defensive focus will shift to stopping Ja’Marr Chase to prevent him from wrecking the game.

Weird things always happen when these two link up, so records and week one performances mean nothing when picking this game. Yes, the Chiefs are the better team. Yes, they should win this game, especially if Joe Burrow isn’t 100%. However, given the recent history between these two, I make this prediction with about as much confidence as the American people have in the US political system.

Prediction: 27-21 Chiefs

 

Steelers @ Broncos (CBS)

Justin Fields is the projected starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and after a solid if unspectacular week one win, he’ll be trying to make his case to be the long-term answer for the black and gold. Last week’s win was classic Steelers football, winning with a ferocious pass rush and solid special teams, as Chris Boswell went 6-6 on field goals, carrying them to an 18-10 win. I haven’t even mentioned T.J. Watt, who thoroughly decimated a good Falcons offensive line and wrecked any chance the Falcons had of generating anything on offense.

For the Broncos, the perception of last week’s game comes down to entirely perspective. On the one hand, you were within a touchdown of a borderline playoff team on the road and would’ve had a chance at a game-tying drive if not for a spectacular play by Tyler Lockett. On the other hand, the only reason the game was close is that the Seahawks handed you ten points in the first half due to a pair of safeties and a pair of turnovers deep in their own end, which resulted in field goals.

This will likely be a low-scoring game. With Denver’s defense having a bit of trouble stopping the run in week one, look for Najee Harris and Justin Fields to try and dominate the game on the ground. The Broncos will be hoping that Bo Nix will be able to stare down the loaded .44 Magnum, which is T.J. Watt, and live to tell the tale. Field goals and defense will again reign supreme, with the x-factor being ball security.

Prediction: 16-10 Steelers

Sunday Night Football: Bears @ Texans 7:20 PM (NBC/Peacock)

Bears fans everywhere should be sweating Malört out of their skin going into this game because this time, they are playing a real quarterback in CJ Stroud, and he won’t hand them the game like Will Levis did. The Texans and Colts engaged in a shootout that was probably the most entertaining game of the early window last week. Now, they have a chance to put the number one overall pick in his place and do it in front of a national audience.

Caleb Williams might’ve become the first number-one overall pick to win his first start since David Carr in 2002, but the man, did he look terrible doing it. He had a sub-50 completion percentage and 100 yards passing, with his only notable highlight being hitting his running back on a high-school-level swing pass for a two-point conversion. If the Bears want to win this game they’ll need Williams to play like the player that many think he can be, rather than doing his best Rex Grossman impression and expecting to be carried to another win.

Last week, I said the worst thing you could do if you were the Bears was underestimate the Titans’ defense, which they did, only being saved by a blocked punt and the incompetence of Will Levis. If they think that same effort they had will result in anything but a blowout loss, they have another thing coming, and it is coming down the tracks like a freight train.

Prediction: 28-14 Texans

 

Monday Night Football: Falcons @ Eagles 7:15 PM (ESPN)

The Eagles debut of Saquon went better than expected, with the star running back picking up a trifecta of touchdowns. Now all the Eagles have to do is wrangle in the carelessness of Jalon Hurts, who single-handedly made it possible for the Packers to stay in the game with two terrible interceptions and a costly fumble. However, there is something to be said about your quarterback playing “bad” and scoring 34 points.

Meanwhile, the Falcons are searching for the receipt for Kirk Cousins after their new franchise savior could only muster ten points in their week one loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. TJ Watt was living in the Falcons’ backfield all game last week, and if the dirty birds’ O-Line can’t do a better job of protecting their man, it will be another frustrating night.

The Eagles only lose this game if they allow the Falcons to hang around and fail to shut the door during crunch time. The Eagles are at their best when they impose their will on the other side, not when they try and sling it nearly 40 times a game.

Prediction: 27-17 Eagles

 

Overall Record: 13-3