2010 NFL Week 2 Picks and Predictions

Each Tuesday morning, Whatifsports.com's NFL simulation engine will provide you with predictions, box scores and statistics for every NFL game that week. The NFL simulation engine generates detailed information including the home team's chances of winning (Home Win %), average score and comprehensive box score link. If you want to share your new found NFL knowledge with friends and family, make sure to check out our NFL Widgets on the WhatIf To Go page or click on the social networking share bar located at the top and bottom of the article.

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Game of the Week: Patriots vs Jets

The New York Jets had the home crowd behind them. They had Darrelle Revis back out on his island. They had the intensity of the first night of Monday Night Football.

And they had one of the worst offensive nights in franchise history.

We're talking just six - yes, six - first downs, 44 plays and 176 yards in a 10-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night.

And now for their next trick, the Jets, favorites by many to win the Super Bowl, must now try and avoid going 0-2 to start the season when they host the New England Patriots in Week 2.

You know, the New England team that stormed all over the sleeper darlings from Cincinnati.

The Jets looked bad on Monday night, but their numbers looked even worse, particularly on offense.

New York ran the ball just fine, though clearly starting running back Shonn Greene had his issues. With LaDanian Tomlinson taking most of the carries, the Jets actually ran the ball for more than five yards per carry. Mark Sanchez and the passing attack? Well, let's try not to call it an attack. The Jets threw for a paltry 60 yards against the Ravens, finishing with just over three yards per pass attempt.

So once again it appears that New York will have to win games with its defense. Despite all of those ugly statistics, Sanchez and the Jets still had a shot to pull off a two-minute drill, kick a field goal and win the game. If only Dustin Keller's head hadn't been rocked so hard by Ray Lewis that he actually remembered what a down marker looked like.

New York stifled one of the top running backs in the NFL, Ray Rice, and held the Ravens to a ridiculously low 1.4 yards per carry. Surprisingly, it was in the passing game where Baltimore took care of business, picking on cornerbacks Kyle Wilson and Antonio Cromartie much to the lament of Revis.

The Jets allowed 233 passing yards, but that number is inflated because of the number of pass attempts. Really, New York held up fine in allowing just over six yards per pass attempt.

But how will they fare against a better offense in New England?

The Patriots jumped out to a 24-0 lead then held on the rest of the way in a 38-24 victory over the Bengals in a game where Tom Brady was nearly perfect.

Brady threw for three touchdowns and didn't turn the ball over, racking up a rating over 120 in a great offensive start in New England.

With Fred Taylor getting the bulk of the carries, the Patriots ran for more than five yards per rushing play. Their passing game was even better as Brady led them to more than seven yards per pass attempts, carving up the Bengals defense. Perhaps the most impressive stat is that New England ran just 56 offensive plays but picked up 20 first downs -- a slight difference from the Jets' game one day later.

Defensively, the Pats left a little something to be desired.

Perhaps the big lead had the unit easing off the gas pedal a little bit, but it wasn't too hard to figure out the Bengals' gameplan from that point forward. Cincinnati threw the ball twice as many times as it ran it, yet still gained nearly seven yards per pass attempt as Carson Palmer threw for 345 yards. Against the run, New England looked much better, giving up just 3.5 yards per carry.

What does it all mean?

Well, it appears a lackluster Jets offense will go against a Patriots defense that was a bit exploited in Week 1. And a solid New England offense will test its strength against a stout defense that didn't get rewarded on Monday.

According to 501 simulations, the Jets are in for another heartbreaker.

The Jets get the better of New England on the ground and more than double their first down total from Week 1, but it's Brady and the Patriots who have the last laugh. New England throws for an average of nearly 50 more yards per game and the Patriots win more than 53% of the time by an average of just one point.

Who's the Super Bowl favorite now?

NFL Week 2
Matchup	Win%	Avg Score
Jacksonville Jaguars	12.2	17	Boxscore
@ San Diego Chargers	87.8	32	Simulate Game
Chicago Bears	13.2	11	Boxscore
@ Dallas Cowboys	86.8	25	Simulate Game
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	19.0	15	Boxscore
@ Carolina Panthers	81.0	28	Simulate Game
Buffalo Bills	22.6	11	Boxscore
@ Green Bay Packers	77.4	22	Simulate Game
Miami Dolphins	24.2	15	Boxscore
@ Minnesota Vikings	75.8	25	Simulate Game
Pittsburgh Steelers	29.3	16	Boxscore
@ Tennessee Titans	70.7	24	Simulate Game
St. Louis Rams	33.7	18	Boxscore
@ Oakland Raiders	66.3	26	Simulate Game
Seattle Seahawks	34.9	17	Boxscore
@ Denver Broncos	65.1	23	Simulate Game
Kansas City Chiefs	37.9	18	Boxscore
@ Cleveland Browns	62.1	24	Simulate Game
New York Giants	46.1	22	Boxscore
@ Indianapolis Colts	53.9	25	Simulate Game
New England Patriots	53.5	20	Boxscore
@ New York Jets	46.5	19	Simulate Game
Arizona Cardinals	58.5	21	Boxscore
@ Atlanta Falcons	41.5	20	Simulate Game
Baltimore Ravens	63.9	21	Boxscore
@ Cincinnati Bengals	36.1	18	Simulate Game
Houston Texans	70.1	24	Boxscore
@ Washington Redskins	29.9	20	Simulate Game
New Orleans Saints	72.1	24	Boxscore
@ San Francisco 49ers	27.9	18	Simulate Game
Philadelphia Eagles	88.2	25	Boxscore
@ Detroit Lions	11.8	13	Simulate Game