NFL Week 2 Picks: From Dolphins Vs. Vikings To 49ers Vs. Saints

NFL Week One was a week full of surprises and full of twists and turns and-

Isn't that the headline every week one? Isn't there always a Texans over Colts type upset? Two years ago in fact the Colts lost their week one game to the Chicago Bears thanks to Matt Forte running all over the Colts defense. (Sound familiar?) Now I hope for Texans fans (and my own predictions) that this isn't a harbinger of things to come for Houston but, while the Colts ended up finishing that season 12-4, the Bears finished a pedestrian 9-7 and missed the playoffs.

Now I'm not saying that week one doesn't matter, obviously it does. But an 0-1 start isn't always cause for panic (Jets, Vikings, Bengals and Chargers fans can exhale, well maybe not Jets fans.)

On the flip side, a 1-0 start isn't always a cause of celebration. The 2001 Carolina Panthers started their season 1-0...then finished 1-15. On the flip side, the 2003 New England Patriots not only started the season 0-1, but they lost 31-0 against the Buffalo Bills. By the end of the year the Patriots had won 17 out of their last 18 and won their second Super Bowl in three years and put a stamp on the 00's as the Belichick-Brady era. The Bills that beat them 31-0? Finished 6-10 and fired their head coach.

Now I hope that the fans of 0-1 teams take solace from that. Much like I'm taking caution from the Dolphins deceptive 1-0 start.

Now I'll discuss the Dolphins later, but first, on to the picks (home teams in CAPS.)

Kansas City (+2) over CLEVELAND

Now if you actually paid attention to what I designated the lock of the week, you would've lost. This is far from that, but it seems like Kansas City is better than Cleveland. Not by much but enough to win, even in Cleveland. (Wait, since when is playing in Cleveland a "home field advantage?")

Chiefs 16 Browns 6.

Baltimore (-2.5) over CINCINNATI

The Bengals swept the Ravens last year, but the Ravens D seems to be especially vengeful this season. After all the talk about the Jets you saw what they did to them (although the fact that the Jets offense seems to be terrible might've had something to do with it too) now here's the Bengals, with TO and Ochocinco, all of the talking they've done, and the fact that the Bengals swept the Ravens last year. I'm going with the Ravens on this one.

Ravens 21 Bengals 10

Pittsburgh (+5) over TENNESSEE

Until Big Ben comes back, what's the difference between these two teams? I mean I know the Titans are at home, but aren't the Steelers just a mirror image of them, and maybe better? I see this being like their week one tilt from last year, close until the end.

Steelers 16 Titans 13

DETROIT (+6) over Philadelphia

The Lions came a bad call away from proving me right. Strafford or no Strafford this looks like another close game for the Lions. Unless Michael Vick goes back into 2004 then all bets are off.

Eagles 17 Lions 14

GREEN BAY (-13) over Buffalo

Conventional wisdom says take the points. Conventional wisdom also says that the Bills struggled against a rebuilding defense and came within a few plays of being blown out of the building at home to a team that is nowhere near Green Bay's level. If anything this spread is too low.

Packers 38 Bills 10

Chicago (+7.5) over DALLAS

God did the Cowboys look terrible on Sunday night or what? I know that they're at home and it might wake up the offense a bit but the Bears seem to have some semblance of an explosive offense there. Keep in mind Dallas' D isn't that good and you might just see a closer game than you expect.

Cowboys 24 Bears 20

CAROLINA (-3.5) over Tampa Bay

*YAWN* outside of the Carolinas, who's interested in this game? Are they even interested in Tampa where the Rays are on the run towards the post-season? This game isn't one I'd want to watch even if I was guaranteed $1 million to sit through it.

Panthers 17 Buccaneers 10

ATLANTA (-6.5) over Arizona

I'm not as sold on the Falcons offense as I was a week ago. Nor am I sold on the Cardinals offense or Defense. I'm going with the team with the better defense.

Falcons 22 Cardinals 14

OAKLAND (-3.5) over St. Louis

Remember when this was The Battle of Los Angeles? Oh wait you probably don't, it was 16 years ago and some of you might not have even been born at the time. Anyways, when it was The Battle of Los Angeles both teams were usually good. They've enjoyed some success since leaving but are now both in Hard Times. I still will hold out hope that my prediction goes right and Oakland wins the AFC West though, and this time around I think they can get a home victory over the Rams.

Raiders 27 Rams 17

DENVER (-3.5) over Seattle

Just stay away from this game. We still don't know enough about both teams. I'm going with the Broncos though but it will be close, which makes this a perfect line for this game.

Broncos 20 Seahawks 14

Houston (-3) over WASHINGTON

This is another stay away. I'm thinking Houston is a better team than Washington (I think they might be Super Bowl good, and that's not based off of week one, remember I chose them to win the AFC South) but the Redskins seemed to gain some swagger after their week one win over Dallas. I'm still going with the Texans and pointing out that this is the game where we know what they are. If they're a true contender then they step up to the challenge and beat a decent Redskins team on the road. If they lose than they're the same Texans they have been the last three years.

Texans 35 Redskins 27

Jacksonville (+7) over SAN DIEGO

I can't wait for another couple years when this becomes a Southern California rivalry. With that being said, Jaguars will keep it close against a Chargers team that on Monday Night seemed lost.

Chargers 24 Jaguars 20

INDIANAPOLIS (-5.5) over New York Football Giants

Once again proof that Big Brother is better than little brother. And also the Colts are a better team than the Giants despite what last week told you.

Colts 27 Giants 17

New Orleans (-5.5) over SAN FRANCISCO

While the Texans were busy shedding their "always teasing you into thinking we're good" label against the Colts, the 49ers engraved it on their foreheads against the Seahawks. That game was also a disaster and I know I wasn't alone, EVERYONE thought that the 49ers would win that game. The NFC West is as wide open as ever, hell maybe if St. Louis can put a run together they could win it. No I'm being completely serious they could.

Saints 35 49ers 13

LOCK OF THE WEEK

New England (-3) over NEW YORK JETS

The last thing you want to do when you're a Pro Bowl cornerback who just signed a fat new extension and even after that pretty much threatened to go through the holdout charade again in two years after you missed all of training camp and the whole pre-season is to piss off a future Hall of Fame wide receiver in a contract year who's catching passes from a future Hall of Fame quarterback who has his swagger back. This game will get ugly quickly, and as a Dolphins fan the possibility of the Jets going 0-2 in their first two games at their new stadium going into a big Sunday Night game in Miami is already making me smile.

Patriots 38 Jets 21

THE DOLPHINS GAME OF THE WEEK

Miami (+5.5) over MINNESOTA

This isn't a homer pick by any stretch of the imagination. This game is coming down to Ryan Longwell, and he'll deliver. Which is great for the Vikings and their fans, bad for the Dolphins and their fans, but EVEN WORSE for anyone taking the Vikings. I see the Vikings being pumped up at home and Henne getting rattled, but I also see Favre keeping the phins in the game just by being Brett Favre. Who's he going to throw it to? If its Camarillo then they're in trouble, I mean its not like the Dolphins secondary just spent the whole summer defending him in practice right? And its not like one of our cornerbacks, and a corner that might even start for us on Sunday hadn't just spent the whole summer practicing against Berrian and Harvin, well more Berrian, Harvin might be the X-factor if he's healthy, which right now is a big deal. This will be a tight one, but the Vikings will get it at the end.

Vikings 17 Dolphins 14.

Last week: 6-10-0 (6-10-0 vs. Spread)

My quest to improve my record picking games this year begins Sunday. See you all on Tuesday when I post Dolfan Diaries Vol. 2: Dolphins vs. Vikings. Follow me on twitter for more updates, @thomasgalicia.