OK, so I’m only about 45 weeks late on this week’s entry, but in my defense … I don’t really have one. Laziness at its finest, ladies and gentlemen. I swear that’s gonna change this time around, though, so here’s this week’s picks (Fair warning: Lockout plus being overwhelmingly busy this summer means you probably shouldn’t quote me on these picks just yet.)
Denver Broncos (1-1) at Tennessee Titans (1-1):
I’m not a fan of starting with this matchup. The Broncos are a bad team that can score in a hurry (when healthy). As I’ve always said and will continue to say, Kyle Orton is an underrated quarterback, and he doesn’t need all-star-caliber receivers to get his job done. But, however inept the Titans’ offense may look – seriously, what the heck, CJ? – their defense has definitely taken a step up this year, silencing a potent Ravens offense last week. Gotta give the edge to the Titans here.
Tennessee Titans – 24-17
Detroit Lions (2-0) at Minnesota Vikings (0-2):
Raise your hands if, in 2009, you saw Detroit walking into the Metrodome in 2011 as heavy favorites. Any hands up? OK, put them down, liars. Minnesota is awful this year. That previously unmovable defensive line is torn and shattered, the secondary is as suspect as it’s been for the last four years, only now the Vikings have no way to cover that up. Conveniently enough – at least from my completely unbiased point of view – Matt Stafford can probably boil water right now, he’s so hot. Look for Calvin Johnson to have another two-touchdown game. On the flipside, Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin are about the only things the Vikings have going for them, and Detroit’s D-line could be the best in the nation. Good luck getting through Suh, guys.
Detroit Lions – 34-21
Green Bay Packers (2-0) at Chicago Bears (1-1):
This game should be renamed “A Day in the Life of Jay Cutler,” because that’s what’s going to happen to Aaron Rodgers. He’s gonna make fast friend with the turf and with Brian Urlacher, but then he’s going to score a lot. The issue the Packers are gonna have is finding a way to stop the Bears. When Cutler’s on – read: not getting decked every five seconds – Chicago has an incredibly efficient offense. And Green Bay may not have the answer. Look for the Bears to keep this division a three-way race for a little bit longer.
Chicago Bears – 27-23
New England Patriots (2-0) at Buffalo Bills (2-0):
When was the last time this game mattered? Like 2003? When was the last time Ryan Fitzpatrick mattered? When the Crimson student-athlete GPA was on the line? Seriously, though, Buffalo has the No. 1 scoring offense in the league, and New England is at a close third. Defense will be at a premium here, especially with New England’s Pat Chung out this week. Thankfully, Brady > Fitzpatrick. Always. Plus, losing 16 in a row just becomes mental at some point.
New England Patriots – 34-10
San Francisco (1-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-1):
You know what? I like Andy Dalton, and I really like A.J. Green. Plus, Cedric Benson isn’t suspended for his jail time yet, so there’s also that. The 49ers are a decent team this year, but they are not contenders. Unlike most people, I’m gonna say Alex Smith has lucked out in the fact that he’s had as many offensive coordinators as he’s had years in the league. Otherwise, he’d be out of a job. Never good when your team is led by a guy like that. Also never good? Kicking off when your body is telling you it’s 10 a.m. Seriously, NFL, stop with these West-to-East-Coast-games at 1.
Cincinnati Bengals – 28-17
Miami Dolphins (0-2) at Cleveland Browns (1-1):
Miami can’t catch a break. Perennially playing for second in its division, and what should’ve been an easy non-division game against Houston suddenly turned into a game against the AFC South’s best. Now the Dolphins have to go up against up-and-coming Colt McCoy, after Tom Brady and Matt Schaub laid out exactly how to shred their defense. Oh, and they have no more running backs. The Browns have Peyton Hillis. (At least the Dolphins have Dan Carpenter. There’s that.)
Cleveland Browns – 23-15
Houston Texans (2-0) at New Orleans Saints (1-1):
Don’t have a game preference this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET? Watch this one. The fireworks between Drew Brees and Schaub should put the Green Bay-Carolina game last week to shame. The only question I have is: Just how good is the Texans’ D? They stifled a stunted Colts offense and a bland Miami offense that no longer has its two top playmakers. Can they hold off Drew Brees and his circus in the Superdome? My guess: No.
New Orleans – 34-28
New York Giants (1-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-1):
You know, everyone always talks about how stacked the lineup of the Eagles is. But nobody ever talks about how often that O-line allows Vick to get hit … or how Philly is supposed to handle opponents without Vick. And let’s not get started on that defense. The Giants, though, have a whole other world of issues on the D, and if Vick does manage to play the full game – which I think he will – they won’t have an answer.
Philadelphia Eagles – 28-17
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) at Carolina Panthers (0-2):
Carolina’s had some poor fortune. Despite record-breaking numbers by Cam Newton – who, by the way, has made an official believer of me – the Panthers have nothing to show for it. That changes here. Jacksonville’s defense may be able to slow Cam down somewhat, but that offense has nothing that can scare anyone.
Carolina Panthers – 24-20
New York Jets (2-0) at Oakland Raiders (1-1):
You know what’s weird? Oakland being real, that’s what. Hasn’t happened since Rich Gannon’s days, which was a long time ago. But that’s what the black and silver are dealing with right now. A healthy Raiders offense should give even the Jets’ defense fits, and a healthy Raiders home crowd will give the whole Jets team fits. No hot dogs for Sanchize in this one.
Oakland Raiders – 17-14
Baltimore Ravens (1-1) at St. Louis Rams (0-2):
No one saw that Ravens loss coming. On an ugliness scale of 1-10, that was easily a 13. But let’s be honest here: Sam Bradford is still hurt, Stephen Jackson is still limping, Danny Amendola is still out. The Rams have nothing. Good time for Baltimore to show up in Missouri.
Baltimore Ravens – 31-13
Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) at San Diego Chargers (1-1):
Now take the problems the Rams are having, triple them, and you may have some feeling of KC’s situation. Eric Berry and Jamaal Charles are both gone with ACL tears, along with Tony Moeaki. The Chiefs’ offense is clearly inept without Charlie Weis, and Philip Rivers is gonna have a field day with this defense. Chiefs’ reign in the AFC West ends with this game.
San Diego Chargers – 34-20
Arizona Cardinals (1-1) at Seattle Seahawks (0-2):
People keep knocking Kevin Kolb, but all I see is a decent QB with enough weapons to put points on the board. Plus, the Cardinals have one of the most underrated defenses in football. Meanwhile, Seattle dumped their franchise QB for … Tavaris Jackson? I feel like Pete Carroll wants to get fired. Until the Seahawks wizen up and find a new QB, that 0 behind their name will stick around for a while.
Arizona Cardinals – 21-10
Atlanta Falcons (1-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1):
The NFC’s best division of coming out of Week 2 at 1-7, thanks in large part to these two teams. Now, one has to decide which is going to stay in contention for the top of the division. Matt Ryan is legit, we’ve already seen, but nobody has end-game numbers like Josh Freeman. In Tampa, in what’s guaranteed to be a close game, look for another fourth-quarter victory to notch in Freeman’s belt.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 24-21
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) at Indianapolis Colts (0-2):
Think NBC regrets scheduling this one? Yep …
Pittsburgh Steelers – 34-14
Washington Redskins (2-0) at Dallas Cowboys (1-1):
Dallas just seems like a house of cards to me. Credit Tony Romo for fighting through some ridiculous injuries for this team, but fact remains he lost to the Jets, and the Cowboys have no legitimate substitute for him. Meanwhile, the Skins, like the Bears before them, will center solely around whether good Rex or bad Rex shows up that day. In a rivalry game that seems to mean a lot more to Cowboys faithful than to anyone else, I don’t see good Rex making it through. Cowboys find above .500 for the first time in a year.
Dallas Cowboys – 28-21
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