Week 2 NFL picks

Let me start by recapping my results from last week. I went 12-4. Not incredible, but not a bad way to start the season. Admittedly, it's two games worse than the predictions made by fellow blogger footballfanaticjoe, but it's on par with most of the analysts at espn.com. So I can't complain. In my defense, the Bengals should have won their opener, but somehow Denver was victorious in spite of Kyle Orton's efforts to lose.
Anyway, on with this week's picks:

Houston (0-1) at Tennessee (0-1)
I drank the kool-aid on the Texans last week, but after a poor outing against the Jets, I'm convinced they still aren't ready to make the jump to the next level, despite what all of the talking heads say. Meanwhile, the Titans looked great in defeat. It might surprise me and be a good game, but I'll take Tennessee.

New Orleans (1-0) at Philadelphia (0-1)
In all likelihood, Donovan McNabb's broken rib will keep him out of this game, and that definitely hurts the Eagles. The Philly defense was incredible last week and they'll need to be again if they want to shut down the potent Saints' passing game. I know they played Detroit, but six TD passes?! Seriously. Still, I'm not really high on New Orleans. I think they're a pretty one-dimensional club, and the Eagles' D should be able to scrape by with a win.

Arizona (0-1) at Jacksonville (0-1)
A week ago, I think this would have been an easy call, but now I'm not so sure. Arizona plays a very similar style of offense to what the Jags faced in Week 1 against Indy. And Jacksonville was able to hold its own pretty well in that game. Add to that the fact that Arizona has historically been a very poor road team. This one should be close, but I look for MJD to run the ball, and the clock, enough to Jacksonville out in front.

Oakland (0-1) at Kansas City (0-1)
Both of these teams performed better against tough opponents than I expected in Week 1, but in the end, they both lost. It's tough to say which one actually looked better. It's a long rivalry, even though they've both fallen a long way from their glory days. For lack of anything good to analyze, I'll give the edge to the home team and go with the Chiefs.

Cincinnati (0-1) at Green Bay (1-0)
I think the Bengals had about the best chance they'll have to get rolling last week and couldn't close it out. The Pack meanwhile looked pretty impressive. Their running game, which was somewhat of a question mark in my book, wasn't great last week, but wasn't awful either. Aaron Rodgers looks more comfortable running the offense, and I don't think Cincinnati will put up much of a fight. I'll take the Packers.

Minnesota (1-0) at Detroit (0-1)
Probably one of the easier picks this week. Adrian Peterson isn't human, and the Lions (while improved) still have a long way to go before they aren't awful. It pains me to say that, but it's starting to come a bit more easily. 'Nuf said. Vikings.

St. Louis (0-1) at Washington (0-1)
While the Redskins always finish the season with a worse record than they actually are, it's mainly due to the fact they play in a very competitive division. The Rams on the other hand really are that bad. While I anticipate this being a pretty ugly game, I think Washington will come out on top.

New England (1-0) at N.Y. Jets (1-0)
Both of these teams surprised me a little bit in Week 1. The Patriots because they played badly enough that they should have lost to the Bills, and the Jets because I didn't think they would play as well as they did. I think this one will be somewhat of a different story though. By the end of the opener, Tom Brady looked like he was thinking more about the game and less about Gisele, and that's when the tide really turned. The Pats should start a little more quickly this week and take this one the distance.

Carolina (0-1) at Atlanta (1-0)
The Panthers were awful in Week 1. They turned the ball over seven times enroute to a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Eagles. The Falcons won't make things any easier on them. I think opening weekend showed that the Panthers may be a team that is clearly in transition, and I don't look for them to compete in this one. Atlanta will win.

Tampa Bay (0-1) at Buffalo (0-1)
We'll get to see this week if the Bucs are more successful stopping former Cowboy Terrell Owens than they were stopping current Cowboys Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton last week. The return of Cadillac makes Tampa a better team, and the Bills are no powerhouse, but I think they played well enough to win last week. I think Buffalo finds a way to finish it out in Week 2.

Seattle (1-0) at San Francisco (1-0)
The Niners were another of those surprise victors in Week 1, but I still haven't really figured out how they pulled it off. While it's feasible that they would be even better at home than they were in Arizona, this team really has me scratching my head. Seattle on the other hand is actually a pretty good team. They were the only squad to pitch a shutout in Week 1, and I think they can get it done on the road this week.

Baltimore (1-0) at San Diego (1-0)
This is probably one of the tougher games to call this week. Both of these clubs have a legitimate shot to contend in the AFC, and I didn't really see enough good or bad in Week 1 to point out any major flaws or highlights. I will say that L.T. doesn't appear to be the same back he once was, and if San Diego insists on riding him all season, it may be more of a hindrance than a help. Ordinarily when I feel a game is kind of a push, I'll just play it safe and go with the home team, but for some reason, I've got a feeling about the Ravens in this one.

Pittsburgh (1-0) at Chicago (0-1)
Both of these teams lost a key member of their defense to injury in Week 1, but I think that Chicago will feel the effects more than Pittsburgh. The Steelers showed that they are much more than a power running team last week, but I still think that's their bread and butter. Without Urlacher to help shut down the ground game, I think Pittsburgh will be able to pick up their rushing attack in Week 2 and keep the sporadic Jay Cutler off the field. I'll go with the Steelers to start the year 2-0.

Cleveland (0-1) at Denver (1-0)
How did the Broncos manage to get this cakewalk of a schedule to start the year. I haven't looked ahead, but I wouldn't be surprised to see that they have Detroit up next. Anyway, neither of these teams are any good, and this one promises to be as lame as Denver's Week 1 snooze against Cincinnati. Maybe someone will actually find the end zone with more than 2 minutes to play in the game this time around. As weird as I feel doing this, I guess I'll take the Broncos to win again.

N.Y. Giants (1-0) at Dallas (1-0)
It's the big new stadium debut we've all been waiting for. Well, at least that's what all of the television analysts are saying. I could give a rat's ass. Longtime face of the franchise Emmett Smith said a week or so ago that he thinks Dallas is a 7-9 team this season, and I think he probably knows more than I do. I think the Boys probably looked better than the Giants in Week 1, but then again they were playing Tampa. I usually like to pick Dallas at home, but I think this might be one of those games that they lose. I'll take the G-Men.

Indianapolis (1-0) at Miami (0-1)
I think I mentioned last week that I'm kind of a Colts hater, and I was kind of glad to see them struggle a little in their opener. I'll give them credit though; they can win games. I don't think that this is the week Indy's ground game finally gets on track, but I don't think the Fins have enough stars on defense to slow down the Colts' passing. I'm going to take Indy on the road.

Good luck everyone.