NFL Picks Week 2: Picking the Winners for the Second Week of the Season

After a tumultuous Week 1 in which underdogs rose and favorites were crushed, one can only guess how the games in Week 2 will turn out.

In the unpredictable NFL there are no guarantees, but I'll offer up my picks for next week's games.

If you think there is a particular pick you disagree with, or you think my score predictions are just horrible, feel free to comment and let me know what you think. 

Arizona Cardinals (1-0) at Washington Redskins (1-0)

Storyline 

 The Redskins look to improve to 2-0 while facing a dangerous Cardinals offense.  

Arizona QB Kevin Kolb will look to build on his 309-yard Week 1 performance against a depleted Washington secondary. Redskins RB Tim Hightower takes the backfield against his former team.

Big Matchup: Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb vs. Redskins secondary  

Kolb shredded the Panthers and faces a Washington defense that has not been good against the pass in recent years.  

If the Redskins can stop Kolb, it could lead to a big win for Washington.

Impact Stat: 422 

The Cardinals' secondary allowed Panthers rookie QB Cam Newton to throw for 422 yards in his NFL debut.

Prediction: Redskins 24, Cardinals 21

Oakland Raiders (0-0) at Buffalo Bills (1-0)

Storyline 

 The Bills look to win again after a thorough and surprising beating of the Kansas City Chiefs on the road.  

The Raiders and new coach Hue Jackson look to combat the Bills' potent air attack.

Big Matchup: Bills WR Stevie Johnson vs. Oakland's secondary

If Johnson is able to run free against a defensive backfield lacking one Nnamdi Asomugha, Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills could have a field day.

Impact Stat: 31 

 Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown 31 touchdowns in his last 16 games.

Prediction: Bills 27, Raiders 23

Kansas City Chiefs (0-1) at Detroit Lions (1-0)

Storyline

The up-and-coming Lions face a Chiefs team that looked eerily similar in Week 1 to the team that got blown out at home in the playoffs against Baltimore.

Big Matchup: Lions WR Calvin Johnson vs. Chiefs safeties

The Chiefs were humbled by the offensive juggernaut of the Buffalo Bills, and now stud safety Eric Berry could be out for the year with an injury. This game solely depends on whether or not the porous Chiefs defense can contain Johnson.

Impact Stat: 34.7

In his last three games, including the playoffs, Chiefs QB Matt Cassel has acquired a quarterback rating of 34.7, throwing just one touchdown and six interceptions in that span.

Prediction: Lions 31, Chiefs 17 

Baltimore Ravens (1-0) at Tennessee Titans (0-1)

Storyline

The Ravens head to Tennessee after disposing of their bitter rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers.  

The Titans must regroup after a hapless loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and rally behind new QB Matt Hasselbeck.

Big Matchup: Ravens DT Haloti Ngata vs. the Titans' offensive line

Ngata may be the most dominant defensive tackle in football, and his tackle-for-loss-strip-and-recover play against the Steelers' Rashard Mendenhall was about as beautiful a play as a man his size could ever make.  

If the Titans hope to have a chance against the opportunistic Ravens defense, they must block Ngata adequately.

Impact Stat: 37

Joe Flacco has 37 wins in both the regular season and the playoffs. He also has four playoff wins on the road, a feat that can never be overlooked.

Prediction: Ravens 34, Titans 10

Cleveland Browns (0-1) at Indianapolis Colts (0-1)

Storyline

Both teams are coming off stunning losses.  

The Browns lost 27-17 to the Cincinnati Bengals in a game that wasn't as close as the final score indicated, and the Colts fell into a 34-0 first-half hole against the Houston Texans before losing 34-7.  

The big story for the Colts, of course, is QB Peyton Manning's neck injury.

Big Matchup: Kerry Collins vs. Browns defense 

What else could the big matchup be?  

The Colts' success seems to be connected directly to quarterback play, and Collins was very mediocre against a suspect Texans defense. The Colts have enough talent to win without Collins lighting it up, but he has to be efficient against another less-than-stellar defense.

Impact Stat: 2-12

 In his last 14 games, Kerry Collins has won only twice. He is the ultimate game manager at this stage of his career, but he can't be expected to win a game himself.

Prediction: Colts 23, Browns 17 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) at Minnesota Vikings (0-1)

Storyline

Bucs QB Josh Freeman disappointed in his first start with a bona-fide target on his back, and Vikings QB Donovan McNabb did more than disappoint by turning in one of the most forgettable debuts in recent memory.  

Both teams look to make sure they don't start the season 0-2.

Big Matchup: Vikings special teams vs. Bucs special teams

Though both of these offenses have their share of stars and the defenses are solid, this game will be won by whichever team wins the battle on special teams.  

This is especially true for the Vikings, who could use some big plays to help their struggling offense.

Impact Stat: 39

We've seen it several times now. Donovan McNabb threw for 39 yards in a full game against the Chargers on Sunday, and it's up to him to improve upon it and live up to his name.

Prediction: Buccaneers 24, Vikings 14 

Chicago Bears (1-0) at New Orleans Saints (0-1)

Storyline

In one of the biggest games of the week, the dominant Bears defense takes on Saints QB Drew Brees and the vaunted New Orleans offense.  

This rematch of the 2006 NFC Championship Game (won by the Bears 39-14) will be as entertaining as any game on the Week 2 slate.

Big Matchup: Bears OC Mike Martz vs. Saints HC Sean Payton

While many think this may be a low-scoring game, I feel like it could be very high-scoring, and the victor will be the team who plays more efficiently on offense and controls the clock.  

The play-callers for both sides will have to be at their very best in order to get a leg up on the opposition.

Impact Stat: 8-1 

 In the last two seasons, the Bears are 8-1 when Jay Cutler doesn't throw an interception.  

Of course, the flip side of this is that this means Cutler has thrown at least one interception in 23 of 32 games.

Prediction: Bears 27, Saints 14

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) at New York Jets (1-0)

Storyline

The Jets won in comeback fashion against the Dallas Cowboys, overcoming a 24-10 fourth-quarter deficit to win 27-24.  

The Jaguars ground out a tough 16-14 win against the Tennessee Titans. Surprise Jaguars starter Luke McCown will go up against one of the NFL's best defenses.

Big Matchup: Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew vs. Jets linebackers

It's going to be very, very tough for McCown to move a Jaguars offense with little talent at receiver against one of the league's best secondaries. MJD will have to run for at least 120 yards and catch a few passes out of the backfield.  

The Jets' linebackers should be tasked with stopping him.

Impact Stat: 335

Against Dallas, Jets QB Mark Sanchez completed 26-of-44 passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns.  

Does this show that he's ready to step into the upper-echelon of NFL QB's?

Prediction: Jets 34, Jaguars 3

Seattle Seahawks (0-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)

Storyline

The proud Steelers were humbled in Baltimore by the Ravens 35-7 and will be looking to take out their frustration on the Seahawks, who looked hopeless in a 33-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.  

This is a rematch of Super Bowl XL, which was won by the Steelers 21-10.

Big Matchup: Seahawks QB Tarvaris Jackson vs. Steelers DB Troy Polamalu

 As usual, Jackson looked lost and unprepared as the Seahawks fell behind 16-0 at halftime against the 49ers. Against a Steelers defense looking to improve upon a horrible showing against Baltimore, Jackson will have to play the game of his career to have a chance.

Impact Stat: 7

The Steelers turned the ball over seven times against the Ravens and will have to hold on to the ball in order to win convincingly against Seattle.

Prediction: Steelers 31, Seahawks 0

Green Bay Packers (1-0) at Carolina Panthers (0-1)

Storyline

The Packers took an aerial assault into New Orleans and outscored the Saints, while Panthers rookie QB Cam Newton threw for 422 yards in a losing effort against the Arizona Cardinals.  

Newton tries to follow up his stunning performance against last year's No. 2 defense.

Big Matchup: Packers wide receivers vs. Panthers defensive backs

The Pack has the most talented wide receiver corps in the NFL, and the inexperienced Panthers defense will have to contend with that, along with Super Bowl MVP QB Aaron Rodgers.  

If the Panthers can limit the Packers' receivers, they might have a chance.

Impact Stat: 28 and 4

In his last 12 games, counting the playoffs, Aaron Rodgers has thrown 28 touchdown passes compared to just four interceptions.

Prediction: Packers 41, Panthers 13

Dallas Cowboys (0-1) at San Francisco 49ers (1-0)

Storyline

The Cowboys look to bounce back after a stunning last-second loss to the New York Jets in which they blew a 14-point lead with 14 minutes left.

The 49ers are coming off a 33-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, a game that was much closer than the final score indicated.

Big Matchup: Cowboys wide receivers vs. 49ers wide receivers

Both of these teams have a luxury that many other teams do not have—two wide receivers who can dominate any game.  

On Dallas' side, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant torture secondaries. For the 49ers, Braylon Edwards and Michael Crabtree run wild through opposing defenses.  

The unit that performs better may end up winning the game.

Impact Stat: 118.8

For all of 49ers QB Alex Smith's faults, there is one area he excels in, and that's his performance in the red zone.  

Last season, Smith completed 71.4 percent of his passes for 177 yards, nine touchdowns and zero interceptions in the red zone. That led to a superb quarterback rating of 118.8 in the red zone.

Prediction: 49ers 24, Cowboys 16

Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) at Denver Broncos (0-0)

Storyline

The Bengals look to shock the world and win another game.  

The Broncos look to leave their tumultuous offseason behind and get off to a great start in 2011.

Big Matchup: Take your pick

This has a chance to be the worst game of the weekend. There are very few stars on either side, and no singular matchup will really make or break this game.  

I think it'll simply come down to whichever team sucks less.

Impact Stat: 0 

 As in ZERO playoff wins for the Bengals since 1991. They ain't called the "Bungles" for nothing.

Prediction: Broncos 16, Bengals 3

Houston Texans (1-0) at Miami Dolphins (0-0)

Storyline

The Texans look to continue their quest to unseat the Colts and win the AFC South.  

In their way is the Dolphins, a team with too many questions to count.

Big Matchup: Dolphins QB Chad Henne vs. Texans secondary 

 If Henne can effectively move the ball against a Texans defense that shut down the Colts last week, the Dolphins may have a shot against a superior Houston team.

Impact Stat: 10

The Texans are entering their 10th year in existence and have yet to appear in the playoffs. If they don't get over the hump this season, head coach Gary Kubiak could be hitting the road.

Prediction: Texans 27, Dolphins 19

San Diego Chargers (1-0) at New England Patriots (0-0)

Storyline

The Chargers look to exorcise their early-season demons and start the season 2-0.  

The Patriots are hoping to keep dominating the Chargers and run through their schedule to another Super Bowl.

Big Matchup: Chargers QB Philip Rivers vs. Patriots QB Tom Brady 

These are two of the most elite quarterbacks in the NFL. The performances they have made over the years have left us in awe, and whoever plays the most efficient, turnover-free football game will win this Sunday.

Impact Stat: 2-3

The Chargers have started the season 2-3 every year in which Norv Turner has been coach.  

They are 1-0 now.  

Will history repeat itself?

Prediction: Chargers 21, Patriots 20

Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) at Atlanta Falcons (0-1)

Storyline

In the most exciting matchup of the week, Eagles QB Michael Vick returns to Atlanta where he was first drafted in 2001. Much has happened since then, and it will be entertaining watching an intense game between two legitimate contenders.

Big Matchup: Falcons defensive line vs. Eagles offensive line

It seems like the only thing standing between the Eagles and their apparently inevitable run to the Super Bowl is their Swiss cheese offensive line.  

The Falcons have the potential to have big games from their big guys up front, so the Eagles need to be very careful.

Impact Stat: 7

Last season, Michael Vick displayed unbelievable ability in the pocket. He threw only six interceptions all season and threw no interceptions in seven consecutive games.

Prediction: Falcons 33, Eagles 30

St. Louis Rams (0-1) at New York Giants (0-1)

Storyline 

 The Giants looked inept on offense against a Redskins defense that ranked 31st in the NFL in 2010. They must be more effective against a St. Louis defense that is improving with every game.  

Steve Spagnuolo makes his return to the Meadowlands as the head coach of the Rams.

Big Matchup: Giants running backs vs. Rams front seven

The Giants can only go as far as RBs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs take them. They were effective against Washington until the Giants abandoned the run.  

The Rams' defensive front is formidable, so it could be a grind-it-out game for Big Blue's backfield.

Impact Stat: 25

Eli Manning threw 25 interceptions in 2010, enough to lead the league. He threw one against the Redskins and must cut down on turnovers to help his team.

Prediction: Rams 24, Giants 10