Week 2 NFL Picks: Predicting This Weekend's Biggest Upsets

Not every team that looked impressive in Week 1 of the NFL season will continue that early success by winning in Week 2.

That’s the nature of the beast. I mean, who predicted the New York Jets would beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their season opener? Not this guy. And likely not you, either.

And where did the Philadelphia Eagles come from? We thought this year was going to be a learning experience for Chip Kelly's new team as they adopted his fast-paced offensive philosophy. But did they look that much better than the San Diego Chargers to earn seven-plus points over them this week?

We'll get into more detail below, but the lesson here is to never assume teams will remain dormant forever. Thinking outside the box will get you places.

*Game odds provided by Bovada; current as of Sept. 12 at 11 a.m. ET.

 

Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals (+2)

The Detroit Lions will face a much-improved Arizona Cardinals aerial attack in Week 2. I know, it’s strange to hear about competency in the context of the Cards passing the football, but Carson Palmer adds legitimacy where there has been none since Kurt Warner retired.

The Lions were in free-fall mode last year, and the Cardinals took advantage, running the score up to capture a decisive 38-10 victory. That was without any type of offensive production whatsoever. This time around, that passing game will win the matchup.

Arizona’s defense harassed Matthew Stafford in that previous meeting, recording two sacks but hitting him eight times and forcing three turnovers. One interception was returned 102 yards for a touchdown. While this isn't the same Cardinals team from a season ago defensively, it is much more formidable than the Minnesota Vikings team Stafford torched in Week 1.

It might not look promising, but Arizona has the type of team that can give Detroit fits.

Prediction: Cardinals 27, Lions 21

 

San Diego Chargers (+7.5) at Philadelphia Eagles

All aboard the Chip Kelly hype train. After torching the Washington Redskins with their high-tempo offense in Week 1, the Philadelphia Eagles are heavy favorites to beat the San Diego Chargers at home this weekend.

The Chargers, though, are much more stout up front defensively and will challenge the Eagles’ ability to run the football. It looked easy for them at times against the Redskins, but San Diego’s sixth-ranked rush defense from a season ago looks even better.

On offense, Philip Rivers doesn’t have a wide array of weapons, but he has the talent to make it work, especially against an Eagles unit that is susceptible to big plays.

Last week, their offense’s inability to sustain drives in the second half against the Houston Texans led to their defense being on the field much too long. But the Chargers should be able to keep better balance and score the upset against a beatable Eagles D.

Prediction: Chargers 30, Eagles 28

Tennessee Titans (+10) at Houston Texans

The Tennessee Titans didn't exactly set the world on fire with their Week 1 road upset over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they did enough on both sides of the ball to get a victory. That’s what winning teams do, right?

Ultimately, Jake Locker doesn’t look like a guy who can beat the better defenses in the league. He'll have his work cut out for him against the Houston Texans' pass rush this week. If the Titans can run the ball more efficiently than they did against Pittsburgh—2.7 yards per carry team average—it will give him time to find one of the many playmakers he has at his disposal.

The key will be slowing down the Texans rushing attack like the Chargers did in Week 1. If they can make Matt Schaub one-dimensional, their revamped pass rush—five sacks on Ben Roethlisberger last week—will make life difficult for the quarterback.

Prediction: Titans 20, Texans 17