NFL 2015: Week 2 Picks
A lot of great football in Week 1 and sure enough, it was full of surprises.
From the Bills dominating the Colts, Rams beating the Seahawks in overtime, Marcus Mariota throwing four touchdown passes, the Chargers 18-point comeback, to Tony Romo leading the Cowboys to a close win over the rival Giants, Week 1 was a great start to the season.
There were also some not so great moments, like Eli Manning and the Giants clock management, Jameis Winston's first throw in the NFL and the hideous new uniforms the Cleveland Browns rolled out. They look like a high school team.
Anyway, it was a great first week and week two should be even better. Here are my picks.
Week 2 Picks (Home team in CAPS)
KANSAS CITY over Denver (Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET, CBS/NFL): Peyton Manning and the Broncos got the win last Sunday, but no one is talking about that. The main focus this week has been about Peyton Manning and whether he has enough left in the tank for one last season. Manning did not play well against a good Ravens defense -- 24/40, 175-yards, INT, QBR 26.4 -- but he easily could've thrown three touchdown passes. His throws were just off the mark and I think it was rust more than anything else. Unfortunately for Manning, he'll have to rebound against a good Chiefs team that has the one of the best pass rushes in the league in Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. It may take one more week for Manning to get into rhythm and I like the Chiefs Thursday night.
CAROLINA over Houston (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS): I thought about taking Houston here, but they are going to start Ryan Mallet at quarterback over Brian Hoyer, who started last week, and that's cause for concern. Hoyer did not play well and I understand the change, but it's only the second week of the season and you're already making a quarterback change? That's a red flag for me and is why I'm going with Cam Newton and the Panthers.
PITTSBURGH over San Francisco (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX): The Pittsburgh defense got shredded by Tom Brady and the New England passing attack last week and I do think that will be a problem for them throughout the season. Good news for the Steelers, and fantasy football owners, is that Pittsburgh has three of the best offensive players in the game, QB Ben Roethlisberger, RB Le'Veon Bell, and WR Antonio Brown. Those three are going to put up monster stats this season and they -- minus Bell who is still suspended -- will be very productive against the 49ers on Sunday in a win. Watch out for 49ers RB Carlos Hyde though. He was a beast last week rushing for 168-yards and two touchdowns.
NEW ORLEANS over Tampa Bay (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX): Good news for the Buccaneers is that it can't get much worse. Not only did rookie QB Jameis Winston through a pick-six on his first NFL pass, but also the Tampa defense gave up 42 points and four touchdown passes to a rookie quarterback named Marcus Mariota. The Buccaneers face an elite quarterback in Drew Brees, in New Orleans no less, and although I don't expect them to get blown out again, I do expect the same outcome. Saints win a high scoring game.
Detroit over MINNESOTA (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX): Neither Detroit or Minnesota fared very well on the West Coast last week. The Lions couldn't hold an 18-point lead against the Chargers and the Vikings lost 20-3 on Monday night against the 49ers. Although I picked the Vikings to be a playoff team this year, I like the Lions in this one. They have an explosive offense and QB Matthew Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson will be the difference. Expect Vikings RB Adrian Peterson to have a better game on Sunday than he did on Monday night where he rushed for just 31-yards on 10 carries.
Arizona over CHICAGO (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX): Watch out for Arizona. The Cardinals played very well last week against the Saints and if QB Carson Palmer -- 19/32, 307-yards, 3 TD, QBR 82.6 -- continues to throw the ball like he did last week, Arizona is going to be the best team in football conversation. They have an elite level quarterback, a solid defense and a terrific head coach in Bruce Arians, all the things needed to win in the playoffs. The Cardinals are going to be fun to watch this season. Good luck, Chicago.
BUFFALO over New England (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS): If not now, when? The Bills made Andrew Luck and the Colts -- a team many have going to the Super Bowl -- look like they didn't even belong on the same field as them. Say what you want about Rex Ryan, but the guy knows how to coach a tough football team and one that is really good on the defensive side of the ball. And I know it's going been one game, but his decision to start Tyrod Taylor at quarterback may just be the key to the Bills ending their 15-year playoff drought. Tom Brady and the Patriots will be tough to beat, but I like the Bills to upset the defending Super Bowl champs.
CINCINNATI over San Diego (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS): The season could not have started out better for the Cincinnati Bengals. Andy Dalton and Co. dominated from start to finish and captured the franchises first win out in Oakland. Dalton was turnover free, the Bengals ran the ball effectively with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard, TE Tyler Eifert looked like one of the best tight ends in the NFL and the offensive line did not give up a single sack. The Raiders are a bad team, but the Bengals looked terrific in the first game of the season. They will have a much tougher task this week as Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers come to town. Rivers lead an 18-point comeback and threw for 404-yards and two touchdowns in the win. WR Keenan Allen had the best day of any receiver catching 15 passes from Rivers for 166-yards in the Chargers victory. It will be a close game and both teams will probably score in the high 20s, but I expect the Bengals to win their home opener.
Tennessee over CLEVELAND (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS): Looks like it will be Johnny Manziel at quarterback for the Browns after starter Josh McCown suffered a concussion last week against the Jets. Manziel started off well, throwing his first career touchdown pass, but he would later turn the ball over three times in a 31-10 loss. For the second straight week, Titans QB Marcus Mariota will face another Heisman Trophy winning quarterback -- Mariota faced 2013 winner, Jameis Winston, last week -- and for the second straight week, Mariota gets the win.
NY GIANTS over Atlanta (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX): The "C'mon Man" player of the week goes to Eli Manning. Instead of running the ball or taking a sack for that matter, Eli Manning decided to throw the ball out of bounds stopping the clock. This gave the Cowboys enough time to march down the field where QB Tony Romo hit TE Jason Witten for a touchdown with seven seconds left. Eli, take the sack and stay inbounds. "C'mon Man!" I think Eli and the Giants will rebound against the Falcons, but it won't be easy.
St. Louis over WASHINGTON (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX): Really like what I saw from the Rams last week. Now, they did give up 31 points and 343-yards of offense and they did have three turnovers, but they did beat the two-time defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks. The NFC West is going to be a tough division to win this year and I think the Rams are going to be right in the thick of things if they continue to play like they did last week.
Miami over JACKSONVILLE (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): I thought the Jaguars would be better this season, but they looked awful last week against the Panthers, scoring only nine points and turning the ball over three times. The Dolphins have a solid defense and I expect them to dominate the Jaguars offense en route to a win.
Baltimore over OAKLAND (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): QB Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense managed just 173-yards of total offense and generated only nine points last week in Denver -- the Ravens defense managed to scored seven -- but that'll change on Sunday. Baltimore needs to take a page out of Bengals playbook, as they ran all over the Raiders defense last Sunday in Oakland. Expect the Raiders to play better, but it won't be enough to avoid an 0-2 start as the Ravens get the road win.
PHILADELPHIA over Dallas (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX): Chip Kelly's up tempo offense struggled to get going last week against the Falcons, but I expect them to get in a quick rhythm Sunday against the rival Cowboys. Eagles RB DeMarco Murray should have much better numbers against his former team than he did last week -- 8 rushes for 9-yards and 4 receptions for 11-yards and two TD. The Cowboys are going to miss WR Dez Bryant, who is going to be out awhile with a broken foot, but Tony Romo and Co. will keep the Cowboys in another close ballgame. In the end, I like the Eagles to put up a lot of yards and points in a high scoring game that results in their first win of the season.
GREEN BAY over Seattle (Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC): Seattle 0-2? It's a real possibility and one that I think will become reality. Seattle lost a tough game against a good St. Louis team last week and it won't get any easy this week at Lambeau Field. The Packers lost a heartbreaker last season in the NFC Championship game allowing the Seahawks to recover an onside kick and take the lead late in the fourth quarter -- Green Bay would eventually tie it up only to lose in overtime. Aaron Rodgers looked like, well, Aaron Rodgers last week against the Bears, even without WR Jordy Nelson. The Seahawks will be without hard-hitting safety Cam Chancellor, who is holding out for a bigger contract, and his presence will be missed until he returns. It will be a close game and expect Seahawks TE Jimmy Graham to have a big game, but I like Rodgers and the Packers at home.
INDIANAPOLIS over NY Jets (Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): Andrew Luck and the Colts did not play well last week, but there is no need for panic. Indianapolis is still one of the best teams in the league and they'll rebound against the Jets on Monday night. Colts WR T.Y. Hilton is listed as day-to-day with a knee bruise and he'll be missed as he is Andrew Luck's favorite receiver -- Hilton was targeted 130 times last season, tied for 16th in the NFL.
Last Week: 10-6
Overall: 10-6
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| Johnny Manziel and the Browns looked sloppy in their new uniforms last week against the Jets. (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) |
There were also some not so great moments, like Eli Manning and the Giants clock management, Jameis Winston's first throw in the NFL and the hideous new uniforms the Cleveland Browns rolled out. They look like a high school team.
Anyway, it was a great first week and week two should be even better. Here are my picks.
Week 2 Picks (Home team in CAPS)
KANSAS CITY over Denver (Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET, CBS/NFL): Peyton Manning and the Broncos got the win last Sunday, but no one is talking about that. The main focus this week has been about Peyton Manning and whether he has enough left in the tank for one last season. Manning did not play well against a good Ravens defense -- 24/40, 175-yards, INT, QBR 26.4 -- but he easily could've thrown three touchdown passes. His throws were just off the mark and I think it was rust more than anything else. Unfortunately for Manning, he'll have to rebound against a good Chiefs team that has the one of the best pass rushes in the league in Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. It may take one more week for Manning to get into rhythm and I like the Chiefs Thursday night.
CAROLINA over Houston (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS): I thought about taking Houston here, but they are going to start Ryan Mallet at quarterback over Brian Hoyer, who started last week, and that's cause for concern. Hoyer did not play well and I understand the change, but it's only the second week of the season and you're already making a quarterback change? That's a red flag for me and is why I'm going with Cam Newton and the Panthers.
PITTSBURGH over San Francisco (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX): The Pittsburgh defense got shredded by Tom Brady and the New England passing attack last week and I do think that will be a problem for them throughout the season. Good news for the Steelers, and fantasy football owners, is that Pittsburgh has three of the best offensive players in the game, QB Ben Roethlisberger, RB Le'Veon Bell, and WR Antonio Brown. Those three are going to put up monster stats this season and they -- minus Bell who is still suspended -- will be very productive against the 49ers on Sunday in a win. Watch out for 49ers RB Carlos Hyde though. He was a beast last week rushing for 168-yards and two touchdowns.
NEW ORLEANS over Tampa Bay (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX): Good news for the Buccaneers is that it can't get much worse. Not only did rookie QB Jameis Winston through a pick-six on his first NFL pass, but also the Tampa defense gave up 42 points and four touchdown passes to a rookie quarterback named Marcus Mariota. The Buccaneers face an elite quarterback in Drew Brees, in New Orleans no less, and although I don't expect them to get blown out again, I do expect the same outcome. Saints win a high scoring game.
Detroit over MINNESOTA (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX): Neither Detroit or Minnesota fared very well on the West Coast last week. The Lions couldn't hold an 18-point lead against the Chargers and the Vikings lost 20-3 on Monday night against the 49ers. Although I picked the Vikings to be a playoff team this year, I like the Lions in this one. They have an explosive offense and QB Matthew Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson will be the difference. Expect Vikings RB Adrian Peterson to have a better game on Sunday than he did on Monday night where he rushed for just 31-yards on 10 carries.
Arizona over CHICAGO (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX): Watch out for Arizona. The Cardinals played very well last week against the Saints and if QB Carson Palmer -- 19/32, 307-yards, 3 TD, QBR 82.6 -- continues to throw the ball like he did last week, Arizona is going to be the best team in football conversation. They have an elite level quarterback, a solid defense and a terrific head coach in Bruce Arians, all the things needed to win in the playoffs. The Cardinals are going to be fun to watch this season. Good luck, Chicago.
BUFFALO over New England (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS): If not now, when? The Bills made Andrew Luck and the Colts -- a team many have going to the Super Bowl -- look like they didn't even belong on the same field as them. Say what you want about Rex Ryan, but the guy knows how to coach a tough football team and one that is really good on the defensive side of the ball. And I know it's going been one game, but his decision to start Tyrod Taylor at quarterback may just be the key to the Bills ending their 15-year playoff drought. Tom Brady and the Patriots will be tough to beat, but I like the Bills to upset the defending Super Bowl champs.
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| TE Tyler Eifert was arguably the best player on the field last Sunday in Oakland. (The Enquirer/Kareem Elgazzar) |
Tennessee over CLEVELAND (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS): Looks like it will be Johnny Manziel at quarterback for the Browns after starter Josh McCown suffered a concussion last week against the Jets. Manziel started off well, throwing his first career touchdown pass, but he would later turn the ball over three times in a 31-10 loss. For the second straight week, Titans QB Marcus Mariota will face another Heisman Trophy winning quarterback -- Mariota faced 2013 winner, Jameis Winston, last week -- and for the second straight week, Mariota gets the win.
NY GIANTS over Atlanta (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX): The "C'mon Man" player of the week goes to Eli Manning. Instead of running the ball or taking a sack for that matter, Eli Manning decided to throw the ball out of bounds stopping the clock. This gave the Cowboys enough time to march down the field where QB Tony Romo hit TE Jason Witten for a touchdown with seven seconds left. Eli, take the sack and stay inbounds. "C'mon Man!" I think Eli and the Giants will rebound against the Falcons, but it won't be easy.
St. Louis over WASHINGTON (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX): Really like what I saw from the Rams last week. Now, they did give up 31 points and 343-yards of offense and they did have three turnovers, but they did beat the two-time defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks. The NFC West is going to be a tough division to win this year and I think the Rams are going to be right in the thick of things if they continue to play like they did last week.
Miami over JACKSONVILLE (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): I thought the Jaguars would be better this season, but they looked awful last week against the Panthers, scoring only nine points and turning the ball over three times. The Dolphins have a solid defense and I expect them to dominate the Jaguars offense en route to a win.
Baltimore over OAKLAND (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): QB Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense managed just 173-yards of total offense and generated only nine points last week in Denver -- the Ravens defense managed to scored seven -- but that'll change on Sunday. Baltimore needs to take a page out of Bengals playbook, as they ran all over the Raiders defense last Sunday in Oakland. Expect the Raiders to play better, but it won't be enough to avoid an 0-2 start as the Ravens get the road win.
PHILADELPHIA over Dallas (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX): Chip Kelly's up tempo offense struggled to get going last week against the Falcons, but I expect them to get in a quick rhythm Sunday against the rival Cowboys. Eagles RB DeMarco Murray should have much better numbers against his former team than he did last week -- 8 rushes for 9-yards and 4 receptions for 11-yards and two TD. The Cowboys are going to miss WR Dez Bryant, who is going to be out awhile with a broken foot, but Tony Romo and Co. will keep the Cowboys in another close ballgame. In the end, I like the Eagles to put up a lot of yards and points in a high scoring game that results in their first win of the season.
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| Aaron Rodgers and the Packers lost a heartbreaker in overtime when they faced the Seahawks back in January's NFC Championship game. (Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports) |
INDIANAPOLIS over NY Jets (Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): Andrew Luck and the Colts did not play well last week, but there is no need for panic. Indianapolis is still one of the best teams in the league and they'll rebound against the Jets on Monday night. Colts WR T.Y. Hilton is listed as day-to-day with a knee bruise and he'll be missed as he is Andrew Luck's favorite receiver -- Hilton was targeted 130 times last season, tied for 16th in the NFL.
Last Week: 10-6
Overall: 10-6
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