NFL Week 2 Picks: Predicting Sunday's Biggest Matchups

Week 2 features a handful of intense matchups that will come down to the wire.  

From high-powered offenses anticipating a shootout to potentially low-scoring affairs, the games this Sunday will likely have just about everything.  The biggest games have a few early MVP candidates to watch for as well.

The biggest games this Sunday are based off of a number of things, including history of the two teams, big-time playmakers, juicy storylines and individual matchups.  

Which teams will win and which will lose this week?  Let's take a look.

Week 2 Predictions

Biggest Games to Watch

Washington Redskins at Green Bay Packers

Two NFC playoff teams from last season are going up against each other after starting the season 0-1, and according to ESPN Stats & Info, starting 0-2 isn't the best thing for a team with playoff hopes.

Robert Griffin III did not look good in his first game since returning from ACL surgery.  He was consistently throwing off of his back foot and simply looked uncomfortable.  He was able to turn things around a bit in the second half, but it was too little too late as the Redskins lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.

There's a chance that RGIII turns it around against the Packers defense this week.  The Pack allowed over 400 yards through the air against the San Francisco 49ers as Colin Kaepernick and Anquan Boldin tore apart their secondary.  

It seemed like the Packers were focusing on the read-option in their last game, but they likely won't have to worry about that against Washington.  RGIII ran the ball just five times for 24 yards last week, and it's obvious that the coaching staff doesn't want to expose him to any big hits early in the season.

On the other side of the ball, Aaron Rodgers looks to have another big game.  He threw for 333 yards along with three touchdowns and an interception against a very strong 49ers defense.  He could have an even bigger game against the Redskins, who had trouble containing Chip Kelly's new offense.

It's hard to see Rodgers and Co. starting 0-2, especially with how their offense looked in Week 1.  The defense will give up some points, but Rodgers will make sure that they score more.

Prediction: Packers 38, Redskins 31

Denver Broncos at New York Giants

It's Manning Bowl Pt. 3, and Eli is looking for his first win over his big brother.

Peyton looked simply unstoppable against the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, throwing for 462 yards and seven touchdowns.  He is already the front-runner for the MVP award and is surrounded by a plethora of weapons with Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Eric Decker and even Julius Thomas.

Meanwhile, the Giants defense looks like it might have a few holes.  It let Tony Romo throw for 263 yards and two scores, while giving Jason Witten plenty of space to make plays, as he finished with eight receptions for 70 yards and two TDs.

Eli may have thrown four touchdowns in his opener, but the offense simply looked like it didn't want to win the game.  It turned over the ball a whopping six times, led by three Eli interceptions and two lost fumbles by David Wilson.

Even without Von Miller, the Broncos defense looked good enough to let the offense set the pace of the game.  It held the Ravens to just 2.8 yards per carry and forced Joe Flacco to throw two interceptions.

With how good the offense looked for the Broncos in the NFL opener, there's no way I'm betting against Denver.  The weapons Peyton has make it unfair, and he will make sure the offense scores enough points to win regardless of what Eli does.

Prediction: Broncos 42, Giants 24

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks

Remember when the NFC West was the laughing stock of the NFL?  What a difference a few years make.

The Seahawks didn't put up a bunch of points, but they were able to come away with a 12-7 win over the Carolina Panthers.  Russell Wilson still looked good, going 25-for-33 with 320 yards and a touchdown.  The ground game failed to get much going, butting up just 70 yards on 26 carries.

Kaepernick made plays through the air against the Packers this time, rather than torching them with his legs.  He threw for 412 yards and three touchdowns, putting up a passer rating of 129.4.  Anquan Boldin looked amazing as well, racking up 208 yards and a TD on 13 catches.

The 49ers could be in for some trouble against the Seahawks defense.  Seattle has the best secondary in the NFL hands down thanks to the likes of Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas.  Browner is doubtful to play this week, but the secondary will still give the 49ers receivers fits all game.

The defense for San Francisco didn't look as dominating in Week 1 as it usually was in 2012, with Rodgers making a lot of plays through the air.  The run defense looked solid, but the secondary may have some questions that need answering in Week 2.

The 49ers are probably the most popular pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl come February, but I think that Seattle has the most complete team on paper.  It really feels like it has no weaknesses at any position, especially after bringing in Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett to strengthen that defensive line.

I don't think it's a high-scoring affair, and I think the Seahawks defense proves to be too much for Kaepernick and the rest of the San Francisco offense.

On the bright side, at least it looks like Kaepernick won't have to shave an eyebrow.

Prediction: Seahawks 17, 49ers 14