NFL Week 2 Picks Preview
Denver at Atlanta - Monday @ 8:30 PM EST
The country was waiting to see if Peyton Manning could come back from multiple neck surgeries. The answer was a resounding yes. For the Falcons, they’ve been bubbling under long enough. They want to show that this is their time.
How they match up:
Broncos Defense vs. Falcons Offense
For a defense that couldn’t get off the field, they certainly found enough to keep the team in the game against Pittsburgh. They didn’t come up with any picks until it mattered most. CB Tracy Porter’s pick 6 closed out the Steelers. And against a team that was determined to run the ball, they came close to shutting the running game down. The D needs to do better on 3 rd down. Which would get them off the field.
It was a big day for a former Chief in KC, TE Tony Gonzalez. T had 5 catches and the Falcons last touchdown as they were putting the game away in the 2 nd half. Matty Ice was 23-31 with no picks and 3 TD’s for Atlanta. The receivers are numerous and talented, Julio Jones, Roddy White and Gonzalez give Ryan a great stable to pick defenses clean with.
Denver’s defense has been strong. With Elvis Dumerville and Von Miller, they can get after an opposing offense. With the added confidence that the offense is going to hold up their end, this D could get better as the season goes. But Ryan is as good as any starting QB in the league. And, they are capable of winning the NFC South.
Falcons Defense vs. Broncos Offense
If this defense is going to lead the Falcons to the promised land, they’ll have to be better than they were against the Chiefs. QB Matt Cassell made his teammates look like his old team, the Patriots, in chewing up the Atlanta defense in the first half last week. And Jamaal Charles did enough running to keep the Falcon D honest. They did buckle down in the second half. The Falcons took it away 3 times.
Denver doesn’t know quite how to act. Last year, they had to eke out 2 point wins. QB Manning makes them dangerous at any time from anywhere. Peyton’s no huddle offense crushed the Steelers last week. Demaryius Thomas has turned into the Broncos big play guy and he did it again last week. TE Jacob Tamme reestablished his relationship with Manning. It’s all good for the Denver offense.
This offense is now unpredictable and managed by an on field offensive coordinator. It behooves the Atlanta defense to keep Manning on the bench. He can’t hurt you there. But don’t give him any time when he does get on the field. He doesn’t need much.
Who will cover the point spread?
Atlanta’s hopes have to be high with the Saints dropping their first week’s game. Denver is giddy with their most dependable QB since John Elway was out of the booth and on the field. This game figures to provide plenty of offense. There are two teams capable of putting big numbers on the board who we will likely see in some capacity in January.
The Broncos come in as 3 point dogs. They’ve played just twice since 2001 with the road team winning each time. Both teams could put on a show, but one will be going home 1-1. There isn’t enough history here to draw any spread oriented conclusions. Get this expert NFL pick for only $20.
Detroit at San Francisco – Sunday @ 8:20 PM EST
You could understand a slow start for the Lions given the fact that this game was next up. The handshake has been made famous and you’ll see it over and over leading into this game on Sunday. San Francisco couldn’t afford to look past their first game in Green Bay. Their goal will be to not let down for this one.
How they match up:
Lions Defense vs. 49ers Offense
It would be inaccurate to say the Detroit defense had their way with the Rams. After all, a late drive gave the Rams the lead with under 2 minutes left. But, the Lion offense didn’t help much, giving the ball over some. The Lions run defense was acceptable and they produced 3 sacks. They didn’t turn the Rams over though. LB Justin Durant led the team in tackles. They held RB Stephen Jackson to 53 yards. The secondary was vulnerable.
Alex Smith was considered a game manager a year ago. No QB wants that title. Smith was efficient against Green Bay. That may not be accurate enough. He was very good. The niners love to run the ball and Frank Gore was over 100 yards and Kendall Hunter had 41. Smith threw no picks. He threw to 6 receivers and WR Michael Crabtree looked like the guy they thought they drafted a few years back.
It’s hard to look better than the 49ers did. Although, Green Bay’s defense isn’t great. Detroit’s D can be dominant, but they had some trouble controlling a Rams offense that was not good a year ago. They’re likely better, but with Smith’s improvements beyond just managing the game, the D needs to step it up in this one.
49ers Defense vs. Lions Offense
It had to be expected that Aaron Rodgers would put up some yards and points, but in that house, just 22 isn’t so bad. SF was ahead 23-7 before Rodgers made it interesting. And actually it was a Randall Cobb punt return that allowed the Pack to open a can of hope. LB Navarro Bowman led the 49ers in tackles. Rodgers threw for 300 yards, but there were no big scores.
Matthew Stafford was living a nightmare before he got it back together and pulled off the comeback win. He was sacked just once but is likely to be the target of a pressure defense this week. Detroit needs to cut down on the turnovers, in fact cut them out to win in San Francisco. Calvin Johnson is a great receiver and pulled in 6 balls for 111 yards in week 1. 10 receivers caught balls in week 1.
If Stafford can throw to the right color uniform, he’s got the ability to keep his team in the game against what might be the best team in the NFC currently. It would help to be able to run it some, but the 49ers are also the toughest team in the league to run against.
Who will cover the point spread?
One would have to think that despite what the coaches might say, they and their teams will really be fired up for this game. The two HC’s had an aggressive hand shake a year ago. Big deal right? For Coach Schwartz at least, he’d like to return the favor on Coach Harbaugh’s turf. But, the Lions are fighting an uphill battle. San Francisco looked sharp last week and Lions did not. One week does not make a season, but it did upturn some eyebrows.
The 49ers have won the last 6 outright since 2001. It used to be easy against Detroit. And they were 3-0-1 against the spread in the last 4. Detroit is a 7 point dog. But would it be a victory to just cover? Likely not, they’ve got to win a game like this to enter the upper tier in the NFC. Get our expert NFL pick for only $20.
New York Jets at Pittsburgh – Sunday @ 4:25 PM EST
The Jets are the best argument for not exploring any team’s pre-season activities. Sure they pulled in Tim Tebow, but they hadn’t shown any promise before humiliating Buffalo last week. Pittsburgh returned to the scene of what they considered a crime in Denver. They had the new Bronco on the ropes, but the defense couldn’t finish it off.
How they match up:
Jets Defense vs. Steelers Offense
The Buff Bills scored a lot of points last year. In the first half of week one’s game against the Jets, they scored 7. And by then, the game was out of reach. The Bills did score 14 late to make it look like a shootout, but the Jet D was where it wanted to be for most of the day with 3 picks. CB Antonio Cromartie was banged up some. Darrelle Revis had a head injury, pay attention to the injury report on Sunday.
The Steelers look like they are determined to run the ball more. That will need to amount to more than 75 yards if it’s going to matter. The offense wasn’t effective against the Broncos until QB Ben Roethlisberger started to escape peril and spread the ball around. The Steelers possessed the ball for 10 more minutes than the Broncs. There are very talented WR’s and TE’s for Ben to spread it amongst.
The Jets D is strong, but they do have some health questions at corner. And, if the Steelers are going to try to run more, this may be the week to pull it off. An interesting matchup between a stingy pass defense and a QB who likes to stretch plays and find an open man. As effective as NY’s offense was last week, Pittsburgh would like to play keep away again.
Steelers Defense vs. Jets Offense
Once Manning went to the no huddle offense, the Steelers had no clue. S Ryan Clark can’t play in high altitude, so Troy Polamalu couldn’t be the free lancer he usually is. Being high on the yards yielded defensive list doesn’t mean much when the opposition is hitting on big plays. The linebackers did ok, but the DB’s were in the wrong place more than the right place against the master last week.
Mark Sanchez took advantage of the young Buffalo secondary. They also benefited from a special team touchdown. Tim Tebow was used sparingly, there is no QB controversy. Sanchez had three 3 TD passes and 1 pick. The Jets got nearly 100 yards from Shonn Greene at RB. The O line kept Sanchez from getting sacked. For an offense that looked incompetent in the pre-season, they looked powerful in week 1.
Can Sanchez do to the Steelers what Peyton Manning did? If the pass rush isn’t any better against him, he might just. You would expect some differences for the Steelers, as James Harrison is practicing and Clark will be playing this week. The D allowed 24 last week, but it was Manning afterall.
Who will cover the point spread?
The Steelers don’t start 0-2 very often, but this is a tough home opener against a team that gave their own confidence a shot in the arm last week. It looks like Sanchez has targets and the line can keep him clean. If the Steelers offense keeps the ball, that may not be a factor, but Pittsburgh has to put TD’s, not Field Goals on the scoreboard. The black & gold defense is as much a question as any department in this game.
The Jets have beaten the Steelers in 2 of their last 3 meetings. The last four have been decided by no more than 5 points. The Steelers are favored by 6, but that could have been assigned as a matter of respect for the home team. The Jets are 2-0 against the spread against the Steelers in the last 2 meetings. With Baltimore looking excellent in the AFC Central, and New England once again looking capable of controlling the AFC East, this game takes on added importance. 6 seems high, but maybe the Steelers just got off to a rocky, no pun, start. Get this expert NFL pick for only $20.
Dallas at Seattle – Sunday @ 4:05 PM EST
Seattle is further verification that the pre season doesn’t mean much. The Seahawks, even though led by rookie QB Russell Wilson looked like the better team coming into week 1. Dallas was headed into the Giants’ post Super Bowl party. Neither did what they were supposed to do.
How they match up:
Cowboys Defense vs. Seahawks Offense
There could be one in and one out with injury. S Gerald Sensabaugh may be suffering from concussion like symptoms on Sunday. CB Mike Jenkins hadn’t practiced until this week. And CB LeQuan Lewis is added from the Jets. The pass rush got to Eli Manning 3 times and rushed him 6 times. They held Manning to 187 yards and only 82 on the ground. The Giants couldn’t get it rolling against this D.
Wilson looks poised, but he was just 18-34 in his first regular season pro game. He did nearly lead the ‘Hawks back, but the Seahawks would like to run the ball. Marshawn Lynch ran for 85 yards in week 1. And Wilson added 20. While the offense put together acceptable numbers and turned it over just twice, they need to score more points. A late drive almost got the game into the win column, but not quite.
Dallas’ defense really gummed up the SB Champ’s offense. They were crisp and you’d think if they can do that to a 2-time champ, they should be able to control a rookie. There’s obviously more to it than that, but Dallas looked like the team they’ve hoped to be in recent years. Seattle looked hopeful.
Seahawks Defense vs. Cowboys Offense
Seattle’s defense couldn’t hold the lead against the Cards. They only gave up 43 yards on the ground, but they had no answer for Larry Fitzgerald when the game was on the line. The ‘Hawks had just one sack against Arizona. The defense had an OK game, but Arizona did drive the ball 80 yards for the game winning touchdown drive late in the 4 th.
The Cowboys had weapons. And QB Tony Romo hit them in the win over New York. Kevin Ogletree looks like he could be a favorite target of the QB. Romo was efficient and DeMarco Murray lugged it for 131 yards. The line shook off an injury to their center and kept their QB rather clean with just 2 sacks. Speaking of clean, Dez Bryant contributed too.
The Cowboys looked like they’d been waiting for another chance at that vaunted Giant pass rush. They were solid on the ground and through the air, never allowing the Giants to settle into what they do best. Seattle will have their hands full if this offense can once again be efficient.
Who will cover the point spread?
It’s always better to have a home game with a young team. But the Seahawks come home to face a team that didn’t seem to be bothered by playing in front of a hostile crowd. The learning process for Russell Wilson continues. But one game does not quash season long hopes. The Seahawks still think they are better than they’ve been since they went to the Super Bowl.
The Cowboys have covered in 3 of their last 4 meetings. The Hawks haven’t won in this series since 2007 and they are home dogs by 3 points. This Seahawk team has made some improvements, but they are still mostly unproven. The spotlight appears to have turned away from the Cowboys, but a win here might get the hype machine going again. So, do the ‘Boys have it together enough to push that 3 point spread away as they blow by it? Get this NFL pick for only $20.
Baltimore at Philadelphia – Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST
Ok, so they’re both 1-0. How do we compare their starts? Well, Baltimore looked like they belong in the Super Bowl. They had strong play and players in every position on the field. Philly looked like they were lucky to be playing a still growing Cleveland team. They’ll have to do more to prove they are a dynasty in the making.
How they match up:
Ravens Defense vs. Eagles Offense
Early in the 3rd quarter against the Bengals, Baltimore’s defense yielded a field goal that brought the stripes to within four. And then they stopped the bleeding…for good. Dean Pees experienced success in his first game as Ravens’ DC and that was without Terrell Suggs and the others no longer there. Two quick turnovers turned into points in the second half. Included an Ed Reed pick-6.
Look at the standings. Philly is 1-0. Michael Vick led the team back with a late score with 1:18 left. And he was 29-56. And he threw 4 interceptions. Cleveland’s got a good young defense, but 4 picks? Hmmm.
The Eagles did gain over 450 yards, so it isn’t panic time yet, but they were surely expecting an easier day of it on the lake. As is often the case in Philly, the offense needs to thank the defense.
Every part of the Ravens’ game was so solid on Monday night, it’s hard to imagine them having trouble with any team over all. But Vick does present issues that most other QB’s don’t. The Ravens have a lot of speed on their defense and they are hard to run on. LeSean McCoy has to get the ball, and he likely will, in many ways.
Eagles Defense vs. Ravens Offense
Before last year, Philly’s D was the rock that the team’s fortunes were anchored in. It’s hard to tell whether this edition is going to be a whole lot better than they were last year, or whether Cleveland’s offense just isn’t ready for prime time yet. The Eagles made plenty of moves to shore up their defense and it did hold the Browns to 16 points. Much of that had to do with QB Brandon Weeden’s green-ness.
And now for that part of the Ravens’ repertoire that we didn’t expect. Over the years, questions have focused on QB Joe Flacco’s leadership, RB Ray Rice’s too few carries and the lack of dependable receivers. All questions were answered in the opener. Every aspect of the Ravens’ offense clicked like they were the New England Patriots or something. And they produced a bunch of points.
At one time you may have expected this matchup to produce few points. Well, if the Eagles are going to win this game, this defense has to live up to their end of the deal. Baltimore figured it out that if they are going to get to the big game this year, they need to be able to put touchdowns on the board, not field goals.
Who will cover the point spread?
It’s too early to assume that a perfect game will lead to a perfect season. The best minds in the game will be working on a way to stop the Ravens from now until week 17. And the Eagles have some of those minds on their sideline. But the Ravens have jumped ahead of the entire division and locking down a division title is goal #1. Philly escaped disaster last week. How many lives do they have. They knew they were in a tough division, but it likely is considered tougher after week 1’s occurrences.
Balimore is a slight dog, from 1-3 points. These two only play every 4 years, so past records don’t mean much. The Ravens smashed the spread and the Eagles didn’t cover in week 1. Will the home field mean anything to the Eagles? Will the magic reoccur for Baltimore? Buy this NFL pick for only $20.
New Orleans at Carolina – Sunday @ 1:00 PM EST
You thought this would be between two undefeated teams didn’t you? The Saints were torn apart by a rookie QB and a sophomore QB stumbled for the Panthers. This is an important divisional game. The Saints got at least temporary good news last week when the bounty gate penalty was taken down. The Panthers are still looking for something good.
How they match up:
Saints Defense vs. Panthers Offense
Seeing Griffin pass and run his way to a great debut may have prepared the NO D for what they’ll see again this week. The Saints defense has never been their strong point, at least not since Drew Brees has been their QB, but they were gashed for 464 yards, 311 through the air, 153 on the ground. They sacked RG III just once and didn’t turn the Redskins over. DE Cameron Jordan led with 11 tackles.
Last year, Cam Newton seemed to surprise and dominate every opponent. Not so much last week. The Panther offense put together just 301 yards of offense only 10 on the ground. Newton did enough on his feet to win most games last year. This time 4 yards on 5 carries. They only had the ball for 22 minutes. Hard for Newton to do his thing from the bench.
Lets face it, this Saints defense knows they just have to come up with a few stops, at least a few more than last week. For the Panthers, they can expect New Orleans to at least try to copy what the Bucs did to them during a scoreless first half. Carolina adjust in the second half, but still could only put 10 on the board.
Panthers Defense vs. Saints Offense
In the NFL, holding the opposition to 16 points isn’t awful. In this case, Tampa’s offense produced the fewest points in the league last year, so the D did ok. But the Bucs struck quickly and coupled with a strong defensive effort, had Carolina on their heels for much of the day. TB was able to run for 130 yards and that equates to time of possession. The defense needs more time on the sidelines.
It would be incorrect to put last week’s loss on the Saints’ offense. QB Drew Brees threw for 326 yards and they were putting points up almost as quickly as the ‘Skins did. Brees was only 2-11 on third down conversions and he threw two picks. Essentially, the Saints had no running game, but they trailed for most of the day and with Brees it can’t mean much that they didn’t get running yards.
While the Panthers had a comeback year last year, they did lose both games to New Orleans, and it was their defense that yielded a total of 75 points in the two games. The game in Carolina was close. Head to head since 2001, the Panthers are 9-4 against the spread against the Saints.
Who will cover the spread?
0-2 is not a good way to start a season. New Orleans was trying to show the world they were prepared to defend their honor with bountygate taking coaches and players away from them. While it may not have been an issue much thought of around the league, the Panthers may now be thinking sophomore jinx with Newton. Somehow this Carolina defense has to slow down Brees. Get this NFL pick for only $20.
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