I bounced back in the second week, albeit only slightly. A 10-6 performance brought my record to a still-middling 18-14 (.563). But let’s face it: in the season’s first quarter, we see what teams are made of and what their identities are. So, I’ll do better in Week 3.
NOTE: All games are on Sunday afternoon unless otherwise noted.
Carolina 20, Houston 17 (Thursday night): I want to know exactly whose idea it was to have THIS game on in Prime Time for the entire nation to see. Then, again, NFL football has such a hold on our society (since 1965 it has been America’s most popular sport, and the gap gets wider all the time) that the ratings will probably outdo anything else on the air that night. At least there are fantasy-team players in action to keep fans engaged, along with the point spread, over/under, and prop bets. Christian McCaffrey will be entertaining to watch, plus the Panthers’ defense hasn’t allowed a first-half point this year.
Baltimore 33, Detroit 10: When the Baltimore Colts were around, they took on Detroit on 34 occasions, splitting the series (16-16-2). But in the Ravens’ first 25 full campaigns, they have played the Lions only five times, which is fewer than any other opponent in the league. The rare sight of Detroit has to be considered the perfect tonic for Baltimore right now–to play against a young, outclassed team like the Lions. The Lions took a Monday Night halftime lead into the locker room against the Packers but were held scoreless in the second half, losing (in the end) 35-17. I see a similar outcome (and score) this Sunday.
Cleveland 26, Chicago 17: Bears’ rookie quarterback Justin Fields finally saw extended action last week at home against the Bengals, but the most significant plays were made by the Bear defense, including an interception returned for a touchdown. Fields (assuming he gets the start over Dalton) will have to deal with a star-laden Browns front seven and on do it on the road to boot. Still, Cleveland saw quarterback Baker Mayfield get hurt and miss part of last week’s game. Once again, the Browns struggled against a weak team, and that has to be concerning the longer that trend continues.
Pittsburgh 23, Cincinnati 15: Last week the Steelers’ secondary wasn’t good enough to keep up with Derek Carr’s deep-passing game. Pittsburgh is home again this week but, this time, it’ll be facing a Bengals squad that isn’t good enough to attack the way Las Vegas did. Sure, Joe Burrow will try to take shots downfield for Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and JaMarr Chase. That said, I have the feeling that the connections won’t be there like they were for Carr, especially given the Steelers’ consistently devastating pass rush.
Buffalo 30, Washington 20: Buffalo will be eager to get a win at home, while Washington probably thinks its offense has rounded into form after putting up 30 points last week. Keep in mind, though, that the WFT did it against a leaky Giants’ defense. Bills quarterback Josh Allen will be challenged by a stout Washington pass rush that sacked Daniel Jones four times. That said, if Allen gets the ball out quickly enough to an impressive array of targets, Buffalo should find itself dictating tempo and eventually winning in a game that might be closer than many predict.
Arizona 27, Jacksonville 10: Urban Meyer’s head has to be spinning. The schedule-maker did the Jags no favor by pitting the Jags against the Cardinals, and his rookie QB has been so-so at best. For Jacksonville’s part, it has now lost 17 straight regular-season games. Ouch!
Kansas City 38, Los Angeles Chargers 27: The Chiefs return home to play what many observers believe is the second-best team in the AFC West. The Chiefs had a fully healthy team (one player on injured reserve) going into Baltimore, and they seem to have come through that game unscathed. In losing to Dallas last week, the Chargers didn’t seem to have many playmakers on either side of the ball. They also got penalized 12 times against the Cowboys. That’s bad enough as it is, but miscues took two TDs off the board. Until further notice, Kansas City is still the best in the West.
New England 26, New Orleans 23: To paraphrase a long-ago game show, will the real New Orleans Saints please stand up? They looked nearly flawless against a batch of infighting Green Bay Packers, then they got boat-raced by Carolina while dealing with eight members of their coaching staff missing the game because of COVID. I’ll go with the host Patriots, who are usually tough to beat in Foxborough. Granted, Mac Jones is not Tom Brady, but he appears to be the kind of guy that will always give his team a chance.
Tennessee 24, Indianapolis 23: These teams are still expected to fight it out for the AFC South Division title. But the way things are going now, the winner will have taken it by default. Still, these head-to-head meetings are of paramount importance. Indianapolis has allowed (surprisingly) an NFL-high 13 quarterback hits, even with a line that was supposed to be much better. The Titans hung tough in Seattle and they come back home for this one, so I’ll take the home team. Besides, Colts quarterback Carson Wentz (ankle) got shaken up last week, and he could be compromised against Tennessee.
New York Giants 23, Atlanta 17: My, oh, my! I predicted that NYG would earn a wild card slot. But these Giants are 0-2–the fifth straight year they’ve lost their first two. In Week One, their offense didn’t show up, and then, in a wild Thursday-night loss in Washington, the defense allowed way too many yards against a mediocre-at-best Washington offense. Now, Big Blue returns home to play Atlanta, which is a perfect tonic to get a win on the board IF its offense and defense both show up.
Denver 30, New York Jets 6: The Broncos got out of the blocks a bit slowly in Jacksonville before finally cruising to an expected road win. Meanwhile, the Jets are still the hapless bunch of recent history. I know that two games are not a big sample size but, with four interceptions last week, quarterback Zach Wilson–the draft’s second overall pick–has not played up to his draft status. The Broncos win big.
Las Vegas 24, Miami 20: The Dolphins could get nothing going on offense against the Bills last week, especially after Tua Tagovailoa went out with rib issues. Now, it’s their turn to go to the new Raiders’ stadium in Las Vegas to face a team that features workmanlike offense and solid defense. Who thought the Raiders would start 3-0?
Los Angeles Rams 26, Tampa Bay 23: I still believe these are the two best teams in the NFC, and that’s why I have them facing each other in the NFC Championship Game. Even though Tampa Bay is the defending champ and has won a franchise-record ten straight regular-season games, I’ll take the host Rams in what should be a terrific battle and a prelude to what’s to come.
Seattle 24, Minnesota 13: A few years ago, these two teams met in a playoff game at the University of Minnesota campus, where the Vikings (having just moved out of the Metrodome) played while their current stadium was under construction. The snakebit hosts lost in the final seconds when a game-winning field-goal try from 23 yards went sailing wide left. And wide again is what the Vikes got last week. Now the Seahawks are back in town. And based on early-season looks, there appears to be a wider gulf in talent (not to mention luck)–in Seattle’s favor–between these two teams.
San Francisco 23, Green Bay 17 (Sunday night): This Packers’ crew is a struggling bunch, having been blown away by New Orleans in the opener and struggling early v. Detroit in Week Two. Now, on a short week, the Packers head out to the West Coast to play a 49er team that has had a much more consistent defense in recent years, last year’s injuries notwithstanding. If Green Bay can’t stop Jimmy Garoppolo and company, this one could get ugly. But I don’t foresee that happening because the Packers’ defense is one of the least talked-about units in the league. Still, I don’t think the Pack will muster enough to beat the 49ers on the road.
Dallas 36, Philadelphia 20 (Monday night): If you question whether the size of media markets matters, then look at this Monday Night match-up. What this game does is guarantee a huge viewership number. Yes, the Eagles got off to a promising start in Week One, but it was a blowout win over lowly Atlanta. The 49ers brought anticipation back down to earth. Dallas has the better offense, the better quarterback, a signature win in hand, and is at home. ‘Nuff said.
