NFL Predictions Week 2: Picking All 16 Winners

Last Week: 8-8

Last week was full of the great football action we've all been waiting for since last February. Now, as week two comes upon us, it's time to settle in and watch the script unfold. It is a very important week for many contenders who failed to win in Week One, including the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers and many other playoff hopefuls.

In the past,  only about 12 percent of teams who start 0-2 go on to make the playoffs, where a 1-1 team has been shown to have nearly a 41 percent shot. Even though it is only the second week for these teams, history shows the teams that fell to 0-1 really need a big win this week. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, perennial bottom feeders of their respective divisions such as the Oakland Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions have a shot to look at 2-0 this week, which has proved to yield a playoff percentage of over 60. 

Games highlighted this weekend include the San Diego Chargers visiting the New England Patriots, the Chicago Bears at the New Orleans Saints, and Michael Vick's return to the Georgia Dome as the Philadelphia Eagles prepare to put the Atlanta Falcons in an 0-2 hole. 

Following are the predicted winners for each of Week Two's matchups.

Oakland Raiders @ Buffalo Bills, Sunday, 1:00 PM

In a rare duel between the Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills in which both teams are undefeated, the Raiders will visit Ralph Wilson Stadium for the Bills' home opener. 

Last week both teams came away with "W's" in a different fashion. The Bills did Oakland a favor by pounding their AFC West rival Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 41-7 in a game where Buffalo was in control throughout. Meanwhile, Oakland did some work for themselves in beating another AFC West rival in the Denver Broncos 23-20. 

The Raiders did a lot of things right, but prevailed merely by three, which makes it even more worth noting that kicker Sebastian Janikowski drilled an NFL record 63-yard field goal as time expired in the first half against Denver.

This week—with both teams coming off successful showings of their running games—look for the respective squads to continue showcasing the run, while keeping the pass attempts to a minimum.  Darren McFadden of the Raiders ran for his third best game as a pro in Week One, gaining 150 yards on 22 carries. 

The McFadden-Al Saunders marriage seems to be off to a good start. The success of the running game kept Oakland from needing to air it out, holding Jason Campbell to just 22 attempts and 105 yards passing.  However, it does seem like newly acquired tight end Kevin Boss will be making his debut for the Raiders this week, which could tempt them to throw a little more this week.

The Buffalo Bills also used the run game to help construct their drives. Fred Jackson ran the ball 20 times for 112 yards, while quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for a modest 208 yards, though managing four passing touchdowns. The Bills will likely find this game to be much closer than last week's game.

I see Fitzpatrick managing another solid game and finding a couple of his targets a few more times than Jason Campbell does. McFadden should be good for another big game, but in the end I see a three-point game going the other way for the Raiders this week.

Prediction:

Buffalo Bills over Oakland Raiders 23-20

Kansas City Chiefs @ Detroit Lions, Sunday, 1:00 PM

The Kansas City Chiefs are fresh off a big home loss to the Buffalo Bills. Now they hit the road to visit one the most hyped teams coming into the season. The Detroit Lions have the look of a winner after winning their fifth straight game last Sunday, which including their last four games of last season. 

This is a classic example of a team that looked very good against a team that looked awful. The Chiefs are coming off a surprising playoff appearance last season, but after losing 41-7 last week there is not much to speak highly of in terms of things they did right. 

The Lions beat another playoff hopeful in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-20, but they were actually very in control of the game despite the score. 

Even more importantly for the Lions, quarterback Matthew Stafford finished the game.  He finished the game well, I might add, throwing for over 300 yards and completing 24 of 33 passes. 

As everyone knows, it is of the utmost importance to the Lions success this season to keep Stafford off his back. The Lions did that successfully by not allowing a sack or even a quarterback hit by the Bucs.

This week that will again be a key for the Lions who look to have a lot of exciting pieces on offense. The Chiefs managed one sack last week against the Buffalo Bills. If they don't get a lot more pressure on Stafford they could easily see another 41 points put up on them.

The Lions new defense will be put to a different test this week as the Chiefs offense brings a lot more team speed to the table than the Buccaneers did last week. If the Chiefs are able to get Jamaal Charles and the offense rolling this could be a game, but I see another controlling victory by the Detroit Lions.

Prediction:

Detroit Lions over Kansas City Chiefs 34-17

Baltimore Ravens @ Tennessee Titans, Sunday, 1:00 PM

The Baltimore Ravens were dominant last week, and proved me wrong in a big way.  They finally beat Ben Roethlisberger in a game where Joe Flacco started against him, and they did it by forcing seven turnovers; making a Super Bowl favorite look helpless in the process by holding them to only seven points as they put up 35 of their own.

The Tennessee Titans on the other hand were unable to get the ball rolling versus their divisional rival Jacksonville Jaguars, losing 16-14.  Chris Johnson was held in check with only nine carries that average 2.7 yards per. 

If Tennessee is to find a way to make this a game, Johnson will need to have a much better showing. A turnaround performance which will prove tough as the Ravens have given up allowed less 100-yard rushing performances on them than any other team besides the Steelers since 1999.

I wouldn't put my money on Chris Johnson breaking 100 this week, especially since he just hit the field a little over a week ago.

The Ravens look to keep their offensive momentum rolling against the Titans, but even if they can't match 35 points they may not need it. The defense was the big story last week holding Pittsburgh to as many points as they had turnovers with seven. 

Tennessee does not pose the kind of threats that Pittsburgh did and I see Baltimore playing a tough game here, but pulling away in the second half.

Prediction:

Baltimore Ravens over Tennessee Titans 31-13

Cleveland Browns @ Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, 1:00 PM

Last week was very disappointing for both clubs facing off here. More so for the Cleveland Browns who took a big step back; losing a game at home against the Cincinnati Bengals.

It was a game they should have won, and a lot of the blame sits on Colt McCoy's shoulders. He finished the game with a 47.5 completion percentage out of 40 attempts, and must get better if they are to beat the Colts this week.

The good news for the Browns is the Colts' widely known weakness against the run, as they can give Peyton Hillis the rock here and take a lot of pressure off McCoy. Expect Hillis' name to be called upon repeatedly, around 25 to 30 touches, against the Colts porous run defense.

The Indianapolis Colts are a great team with Peyton Manning, although after a 34-7 drubbing by the Houston Texans last week, it is still up in the air how good they can be without Manning. 

In Kerry Collins' defense, he has not been in this system or worked with these receivers for very long.  Collins can help this team be competitive, but he must get in rhythm and get more targets involved. 

He was quickly able to strike up a good rapport with Reggie Wayne, which is good news. Once he can find a better connection with Dallas Clark, Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon, they will look much better.

I think another week's practice and home field at Lucas Oil Stadium will be a boost for the Colts and they will squeak out a win here.

Prediction:

Indianapolis Colts over Cleveland Browns 20-14

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, 1:00 PM

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hit the road after a disappointing performance at home against the Detroit Lions. The good news for them they will face a Minnesota Vikings team that looked simply awful on offense as they were outgained 407-187 in yardage by the San Diego Chargers. 

Meanwhile, the Vikings must find a way to get Donovan McNabb going in the right direction after he went passed for a putrid 7-for-15 for an unheard of 39 yards. I believe McNabb still has some left in the tank and, with Adrian Peterson keeping the defenses honest, he can make a positive contribution for Minnesota. 

Just not this week. 

I do not see the Vikings bouncing back this quickly, especially against the Buccaneers who are not all that flashy, but don't have too many holes.

Tampa Bay needs to get LeGarrette Blount into a rhythm this week to keep the game at their tempo. If they go three and out a few times and let McNabb start airing it out they could be upset again by an NFC North opponent.

Prediction:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Minnesota Vikings 26-20

Chicago Bears @ New Orleans Saints, Sunday, 1:00 PM

Not necessarily easing into the season by any means, the New Orleans Saints find themselves facing the Super Bowl champs Week One, then the NFC runner up Week Two. They will welcome the Chicago Bears to the Superdome a week after the Bears dismantled the Saints' biggest competition in the Atlanta Falcons.

Both offenses played very well in the opening week, but the Bears' defense obviously gets the nod for their performance of not allowing a touchdown to Roddy White's "Greatest Show on Turf II."  This should be more of the back-and-forth styled game that defined the Packers-Saints showdown last Thursday night. 

Drew Brees will be without his favorite target in Marques Colston, which takes away one of his mismatches, but he will find a way to score nonetheless.  I see the Bears defense causing fits for Brees in a similar fashion to the way they rattled Matt Ryan's cage and getting an interception or two out of it.  Unfortunately for the Bears and Jay Cutler (who was just sacked by the Falcons five times), they will be the ones under more duress in this one.

In the end I see the Saints finding a way to score inside the dome, on their home turf, just one more time than Cutler's Bears.

Prediction:

New Orleans Saints over Chicago Bears 27-24

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Jets, Sunday, 1:00 PM

The New York Jets pulled out a stunning comeback win last Sunday night over the Dallas Cowboys. Their vaunted defense was somewhat exposed by a talented Dallas offense, but still came up with the big stops, and forced two turnovers in the game's last nine minutes. 

This week Rex Ryan's troops will again play at home, facing the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have far less offensive firepower.  The Jaguars came out on top over the Tennessee Titans last week in a close one with a 16-14 final score. 

Nevertheless, the Jaguars did make a lot of nice additions to the defensive side of the ball and will be a challenge for the Jets. As long as Mark Sanchez, who had a fumble and an interception last week, takes care of the ball, though, they should be able to outscore Jacksonville. 

Jacksonville will rely heavily on Maurice Jones-Drew per usual. Their star running back was just shy of 100 yards against the Titans and will probably find it tough sledding against the Jets this week. 

For the Jags to have a shot in New York on Sunday they will need quarterback Luke McCown to take care of the ball as he did this past week, but they will also need him to open up the passing game a little more.

The Jets have too much defense in this one and hold they Jaguars under 20 points for the second straight week.

Prediction:

New York Jets over Jacksonville Jaguars 27-13

Seattle Seahawks @ Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, 1:00 PM

Heinz Field opens its doors for a showdown with the Seattle Seahawks as their hometown Pittsburgh Steelers try to avoid an 0-2 start. The Steelers are a much better team than what they exhibited last week in Baltimore, and they will certainly welcome an inferior opponent this week for their home opener.

The Seahawks struggled against the San Francisco 49ers in the race to seven (eight or nine) wins, which has proven enough to take the NFC West division crown. Their defense did okay in holding the 49ers to only 12 first downs, but it was the special teams unit that lost them the game; giving up two long return touchdowns to Ted Ginn, Jr. 

As bad as the special teams group was, the offense was worse. They managed only 4.2 yards per pass and 2.7 yards per rush, while yielding three turnovers and five sacks. Tavaris Jackson and company will be hard-pressed to find it any easier this week against one of the most feared defenses in the game.

The Steelers offense was no better, if not worse. They turned it over seven times, with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger accounting for five of them.  It starts with No. 7; he must play better this week and I beleive he will he will. Big Ben has had immense success against NFC teams at home throughout his career.

Look for a big statement win for the humbled Pittsburgh Steelers this week.

Prediction:

Pittsburgh Steelers over Seattle Seahawks 31-10

Arizona Cardinals @ Washington Redskins, Sunday, 1:00 PM

The Arizona Cardinals will visit the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field where the 'Skins look to use their scheduling to their advantage with two straight home wins. Both of these teams had success last week with impressive offensive outputs.

The Redskins, however, looked a lot better on defense, holding the New York Giants to just 14 points. On the other end, the Cardinals let Panthers rookie signal caller Cam Newton throw for over 400 yards in his first ever NFL game. 

Rex Grossman must be licking his chops to get at that secondary. Rex can expect a big game against Arizona this week, especially if Santana Moss can expose the Cardinals defensive backs the way Steve Smith of the Panthers did. Tim Hightower will also be fired up against his former team and I expect him to be very involved Sunday.

Nevertheless, the Arizona Cardinals and new quarterback Kevin Kolb got off to their desired start with a win over the Carolina Panthers last weekend. In doing so they saw Kolb throw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, all with no interceptions. 

It is certainly night and day compared to the situation they had at quarterback last season. All the efficient passing opened up a good game for running back Beanie Wells who had 90 yards rushing at a rate of 5.0 yards per carry.

The Redskins ability to play tough defense will be the determining factor in this one. I think Grossman will have it a lot easier than his counterpart Kevin Kolb in tune to a surprising Redskins 2-0 start.

Prediction:

Washington Redskins over Arizona Cardinals 30-23

Green Bay Packers @ Carolina Panthers, Sunday, 1:00 PM

The Green Bay Packers will leave "Title Town" for the first time this season to visit the Carolina Panthers. The next game in defense of their Super Bowl championship should be much easier than the Thursday Night bout they had with the New Orleans Saints last week.  

The Panthers don't see it that way, though, as there is a lot of excitement in Carolina after they competed for a victory until the final minutes of their game last week. Much of the excitement is surrounding rookie quarterback and this year's No. 1 overall pick Cam Newton. He came out firing last week in Arizona for 422 yards and two touchdowns while running for one score as well. 

This week will be entirely different, and if its not I don't think I will be the only one who is shocked.  The Packers possess a tenacious pass rush that not many teams can duplicate. Newton will meet sack master Clay Matthews face-to-face in addition to dealing with one of the talented groups of defensive backs alongside Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams and Nick Collins.

The Panthers did not find much success last week in stopping the Cardinals on the ground or through the air, and the much more fine-tuned offense of the Packers should keep on rolling.

I expect Newton's coming out party to come to an end this week, or at least take a pit stop as the Packers roll.

Prediction:

Green Bay Packers over Carolina Panthers 31-17

Dallas Cowboys @ San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, 4:05, PM

Last week was a major let down for anyone having anything to do with the Dallas Cowboys organization. This week they hit the road again, desperate for a win to get off to a better start that last season. The San Francisco 49ers had a better start to their season by tallying a 33-17 victory over their division rival Seattle behind two Ted Ginn Jr. return touchdowns. 

Every win is important for NFC West teams such as San Francisco since the scrappy division let a 7-9 team into the playoffs last year.  Both teams will be ready for this one in a matchup that was one of the best rivalries of the 1990's. 

Look for Tony Romo to be on alert, ready to make up for last week's ill-timed barrage of turnovers against the New York Jets.  The Cowboys may be without play-maker Dez Bryant, but nonetheless I expect Romo to find it fairly easy to move the ball down the field. 

The Cowboys are favored by three after their impressive control they exhibited on both sides of the ball against the Jets. I expect this one to get away from new coach Jim Harbaugh and company as they catch a fired up team coming off a demoralizing loss.

Prediction: 

Dallas Cowboys over San Francisco 49ers 30-16

Cincinnati Bengals @ Denver Broncos, Sunday, 4:15 PM

The Denver Broncos will get another shot at defending their home field after losing a tough one against the Raiders last Monday night. The Cincinnati Bengals on the other hand will look to start their season 2-0 on the road.

The Bengals were a surprise winner last week, beating the Browns in Cleveland behind rookie quarterback Andy Dalton and backup Bruce Gradkowski. Neither of these teams were expected to be very good this season, so it's a tough game to pick when both teams aren't very good. 

I believe Cedric Benson will have a nice game on the ground, making it easier for whichever Bengal quarterback gets the start here.  However, John Fox will utilize his ground game preference here a week after Kyle Orton threw it 46 times and the Bronco backfield only combined for 12 rushes.

The Broncos may be without starting running back Knowshon Moreno and No. 1 wide out Brandon Lloyd, however, they will still find a way to reverse their fortunes at home this week behind a more useful running game that will allow Orton to lead a more efficient, dialed-down passing attack.

Prediction:

Denver Broncos over Cincinnati Bengals 23-17

Houston Texans @ Miami Dolphins, Sunday, 4:15 PM

This matchup should feature some potent offenses. That is, unless last week was a fluke for the Miami Dolphins just playing catch-up with the New England Patriots.

Houston got their desired result after switching roles and making the Indianapolis Colts their whipping boy last week. This week they travel to Miami where the Dolphins appear to have opened up their offense after letting go of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams to alleviate their previous run-heavy scheme.

Expect points to be put up in a back-and-forth fashion for awhile and the Texans new defense to have its first true test. Arian Foster looks ready to go, although I'm sure coach Gary Kubiak will be cautious with the amount of work he gets returning from injury.

Miami will have a another optimistic showing, but the Texans will be a confident group and I would rather rely on Matt Schuab than Chad Henne at this point.

Prediction:

Houston Texans over Miami Dolphins 30-27

San Diego Chargers @ New England Patriots, Sunday, 4:15 PM

The San Diego Chargers will travel from coast-to-coast here and make an attempt to slow down Tom Brady's aerial attack. The New England Patriots started right where they left off last regular season with Brady looking surgical in lighting up the Dolphins in Miami for 517 yards passing.

Phillip Rivers has illustrated some firepower of his own over the years and this should play out as the game of the week. The Chargers boasted last year's top defense, so if anyone is to slow down Brady, they have a great shot. 

It would not surprise anyone to see these two playing again in the playoffs; making this match-up even more exciting.  This one will go down to the wire and whichever quarterback has the ball in his hands to end the game will probably win. 

In San Diego's case, they have lost six of their last seven in New England and will fall again this week.

Prediction:

New England Patriots over San Diego Chargers 34-31

Philadelphia Eagles @ Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, 8:20 PM

Hopefully this game will follow suit with the thriller we, as fans, got in New York last Sunday night.  It certainly has all the makings, starting, first and foremost, with Michael Vick's return to the Georgia Dome as a starting quarterback for the first time. 

This will be an emotionally charged atmosphere and the Vick hoopla may overshadow the fact that this is a great match-up of two real contenders. The Falcons went 13-3 last year en route to home field advantage in the playoffs, where they eventually lost their first game. 

They also have a bad taste in their mouth after being pushed around in Chicago last week. On top of those two disappointments, don't think the Falcons have forgot about their 14-point loss to Philly last year.

The Philadelphia Eagles soared over the Rams last week, but everything didn't look perfect. Vick completed just over 43 percent of his passes, and he threw 32 of them.  Other than Vick's accuracy being down, the Eagles looked great on the ground and the defense made plenty of plays.

I wouldn't worry about Vick much here, he knows all eyes are watching and will be ready.  In the end, though, Atlanta will be a very tough out at the Georgia Dome, but Philadelphia just looks like the better team.

Prediction:

Philadelphia Eagles over Atlanta Falcons 27-23

St. Louis Rams @ New York Giants, Monday, 8:30 PM

The New York Giants get their turn at MetLife Stadium after the Jets stole the show last week. In this Monday Night Football showcase, it will be a battle of the beat-up. Both teams are dealing with injuries at key positions; the Giants more than anyone in the league at this point.

Eli Manning may be without his top target Hakeen Nicks who is dealing with swelling in his knee, but he has to come out sharp regardless. Manning has looked poor in the preseason and Week One in Washington.  If he doesn't find his rhythm very soon it will be a long season for the G-Men. 

The Rams lost their sensational young quarterback Sam Bradford, and their best offensive weapon Steven Jackson last week.  It looks like Bradford will be fine, but Jackson's availability is in question still. It will be a tall task winning in New York. If there ever was a time to pull off the upset it would be now.  New York just got beat up by the Redskins last week and just don't look like the Giants of old.

I expect Bradford to lead a good charge and find ways to score much like Rex Grossman did last week.  I also expect Manning to improve on last week's performance just enough to get the win here.

Prediction:

New York Giants over St. Louis Rams 20-16