Almost Perfect: NFL Week Two Predictions

Week One was a week of "almosts". On Monday Night, the Bills almost knocked off the Patriots, and they would have had they just been able to hold on to the ball. The Raiders also almost pulled off an upset on the same night but then woke up at the end of the game and realized they were still the Raiders. In Sunday action, the Lions almost looked like an NFL team again, the Rams almost managed to score a point and the Texans almost forgot to show up against the Jets. And, of course, Drew Brees almost played the perfect game.

As for my Week One predictions, I was also almost perfect! If the aforementioned Texans hadn't laid a stinkbomb and the Broncos hadn't pulled off that miracle win, I would have been a few steps closer. Let's see how I do in Week Two.

All picks are made strictly based on who I think will win and do not take the spread into consideration.

Record Last Week: 13-3, .813
Overall Record: 13-3, .813

Sunday Day Games:

Panthers (0-1) @ Falcons (1-0) The moment John Fox announced that Jake Delhomme would still be the starter for the Panthers, I locked this pick in. While Matt Ryan and the Falcon offense didn't look great in Week One, they won't have to be when Mr. Turnover gives them the ball in good field position all day. It's sad when A.J. Feeley appears to be a major upgrade at quarterback for your team. My pick: Falcons

Vikings (1-0) @ Lions (0-1) The Lions already look like a better football team but they aren't getting any favors from the schedule-maker here. Expect Adrian Peterson to go off again (duh) and Brett Favre to do just enough to not lose this one. My pick: Vikings, but it might be closer than you think

Bengals (0-1) @ Packers (1-0) Poor Bengals. Just when you thought they might finally right the ship and start out the season with a solid win, the football gods take it all away. While the Bengal defense appears much-improved, they aren't going to slow down Aaron Rodgers and the Packer attack, especially in Lambeau. The Packer defense is also very good, so I don't expect this one to be close. My pick: Packers

Texans (0-1) @ Titans (0-1) What the heck happened to the Texans in Week One? I know the Jets defense is going to be a lot better under Rex Ryan, but zero offensive points for a team with Andre Johnson, Matt Schaub and Steve Slaton? And, if they couldn't do it against the Jets, how the heck are they going to do anything against the Titans? Factor in an always surprisingly competent Kerry Collins and the fact that it's a home game and I don't see how the Titans lose this one. My pick: Titans

Raiders (0-1) @ Chiefs (0-1) I don't buy that the Raiders are an improved team. I'm more likely to buy into the fact that the Chargers always start slow than that Oakland is suddenly competent just because they have Richard Seymour. JaMarcus Russell still did everything he could to lose that game and the Raiders defense still folded when it mattered, so I wouldn't put much stock into the Monday Night game. I'm also not that impressed with the Chiefs, but someone has to win this game! My pick: Chiefs

Patriots (1-0) @ Jets (1-0) Call it an upset if you want, but I see the Jets winning this one. The league seems to have figured out how to slow down that Patriots spread attack and you can bet Rex Ryan will have his defense ready to hit Tom Brady and Co. early and often. I'm a little worried about the defensive schemes Bill Belichick is going to throw at Mark Sanchez and how that's going to confuse the rookie quarterback, but the Pats defense as a whole is severely lacking talent. Look for the Jets to take an early lead in the AFC East. My pick: Jets

Saints (1-0) @ Eagles (1-0) When I made my original picks for the Eagles season I had them down for a loss in Week 2. With Donovan McNabb very unlikely to play, that further solidifies my pick. I'll be rooting for the Eagles, but I just don't think they can slow down Drew Brees enough to give Kevin Kolb a chance to compete. I would expect the Birds to have a game plan for slowing everything down on offense and going for the short stuff with the hopes of eating up the clock and keeping the ball away from the Saints. I don't expect this one to be too lopsided but I just don't see a scenario where the Eagles win this one. Believe me, I hope I'm wrong! My pick: Saints

Rams (0-1) @ Redskins (0-1) Poor Steve Spagnuolo. No one knows how to spell your name and your team stinks. The Rams just never seem to get any better, do they? I'm not that impressed with the Redskins, either, but they should win this home game by at least a touchdown. My pick: Redskins

Cardinals (0-1) @ Jaguars (0-1) This is one of the harder games to pick this week. The Cardinals are always bad on the road but it's tough to pick the defending NFC Champs to start a season 0-2. On the other hand, the Jaguars played the Colts pretty tough in Week One and I expect Maurice Jones-Drew to have a big day against the Cards. Looks like we are going to have a new king in the NFC West this season. My pick: Jaguars

Seahawks (1-0) @ Niners (1-0) This is THE hardest game to pick this week. I like both teams a lot this year and see them both fighting all season long for the division. I'm really tempted to go with the Niners at home to continue their hot start of the season but, since these two teams are so close, I have to give the edge to the team with the more experienced quarterback. Because, at the end of the day, who do you trust more to win a game for your team, Shaun Hill or Matt Hasselbeck? I rest my case. My pick: Seahawks

Bucs (0-1) @ Bills (0-1) The Bucs didn't appear ready to play against the Cowboys in Week One. The Bills didn't appear ready to play a full game against the Patriots in Week One. Something has to give. Tampa Bay looks like the team in bigger disarray as they are trying to completely re-work their defense. The Bills have their own problems but at least their defense looked surprisingly good against the Pats. My pick: Bills

Steelers (1-0) @ Bears (0-1) Jay Cutler is suddenly being exposed as a quarterback who makes a lot of bad decisions. Those throws he got away with last season in Denver just aren't going to work with the Bears. They especially won't work against the Steelers D this coming weekend, and for that Pittsburgh is my pick to win this low-scoring battle. While this game has lost a bit of it's luster with Troy Polamalu and Brian Urlacher being out, I still expect lots of big hits and bruised quarterbacks. My pick: Steelers

Browns (0-1) @ Broncos (1-0) Shield your eyes from this game, it's gonna be ugly. The Broncos did nothing to make me believe they are a competent team and the Browns really don't have much going for them either. It may take another miracle last second play, but I have to go with the home team. My pick: Broncos

Ravens (1-0) @ Chargers (1-0) This one is probably the best game of Week Two. The Ravens offense really came alive last week and if they play at all close to that level week in and week out, Baltimore has a title contender on their hands because you know the defense will always be elite. The Chargers were a major disappointment last against the Raiders with the game turning out to be a microcosm of how their seasons usually turn out: slow starts followed by great finishes. It's going to be a lot harder to make a comeback against the Ravens. My pick: Ravens

Sunday Night Game:

Giants (1-0) @ Cowboys (1-0) The Cowboys of Week One were a mirage, they took advantage of a Bucs team that wasn't ready to play football. The Giants are always ready and I see them running all over the Cowboys to pull this one out. While it's usually smart to go with the home team in these NFC East battles, the Giants are just on a different level than the Cowboys. It's too bad the Cowboys new stadium will have to debut with a loss. My pick: Giants

Monday Night Game:

Colts (1-0) @ Dolphins (0-1) This current Colts team can win a lot of different ways. If you want a shootout, they'll give you a shootout. If you want to battle it out in the trenches, they'll battle you. While I have some worries about them slowing down the Wildcat if Bob Sanders doesn't play, I think the Colts should control this game from start to finish. I don't see the Dolphins as being the same team that won 11 games last year. My pick: Colts

So those are my picks for Week Two of the NFL Season. Check back every week for the latest predictions. Feel free to discuss, argue or make your own picks in the comment section!