Let's do this quickly. Don't have much time. In fact, maybe taking less time to overthink the game might help in my picks. By the way, my record for week one was not that good. Let's go.
Week 1 Record: 7-8-1
Kansas City Chiefs @ Cleveland Browns (-3)
Obviously, Vegas doesn't really buy the Chiefs win over the Chargers either, since they are dogs against a Cleveland team that lost to Tampa last week. Either way, Vegas knows their shit. The Chiefs aren't any good. Watch the defenses, since they are led by Romeo Crennel, and Crennel's replacement, both in New England and Cleveland. The Browns are better. Barely, but barely.
Cheifs 14 Browns 20 (CLE)
Buffalo Bills @ Green Bay Packers (-13)
This line is great. For a team to be a 13 point underdog in Week 2 is insane, and you can't really argue that the line is wrong, or underselling the Bills. The real challenge is to see if the Packers can actually win this game by this many points, and although the Packers love to crush teams, the Bills defense is probably good enough to keep them within 20, but their offense is bad enough to let the Packers cover.
Bills 10 Packers 27 (GB)
Baltimore Ravens (-2.5) @ Cincinnati Bengals
So here we are. The Bengals, who won the AFC North last season, and swept the Bengals are having their home opener against a Ravens team who won a physical Monday Night game on the road six days earlier. Teams don't usually pull off back to back road wins, especially if the second is against a team that plays them extremely well, and that team has more rest.
Ravens 13 Bengals 17 (CIN)
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tennessee Titans (-5)
The Steelers got one game without Ben, and that really makes this one gravy (just like the Ravens one will be in two weeks). The Titans have legitimate playoff aspirations, and if they are serious about it. The Titans defense is good enough to crush Dennis Dixon (or Batch, or whoever), and their offense can put up points.
Steelers 13 Titans 24 (TEN)
Philadelphia Eagles (-6.5) @ Detroit Lions
If the Lions proved anything last week it is that their defensive line can dominate opponents. This isn't a huge concern to the Eagles, since Vick should allude that pass-rush. Vick should also show well. Teams aren't used to playing a QB that fast anymore, and it might take a while for teams to re-learn how to play Mike Vick. The team that learns it first definitely won't be those Lions. That said, this line is too high. There is optimism in Detroit, and their home opener is probably the best bet to get a fired up crowd.
Eagles 30 Lions 24 (DET)
Dallas Cowboys (-7) @ Chicago Bears
So, the Cowboys, who couldn't score more than 7 points, are giving seven points against a Bears team that gave up the fewest yards of any team in the NFL last week? That doesn't seem right. The Bears are a Tampa-2 team at heart, which makes them already better than most at red zone defense, and the Cowboys are abhorrent at red zone offense. The Bears steal one again, and the Cowboys nation gets an early conniption.
Cowboys 14 Bears 21 (CHI)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers (-3.5)
Again, this line seems like stealing. The Panthers are an average team, and that is much better than the Buccaneers. The Bucs are the worst 1-0 team in the league. The Panthers are one of the better 0-1 teams. The Panthers are at home, and should flex some muscle.
Buccaneers 10 Panthers 24 (CAR)
Arizona Cardinals @ Atlanta Falcons (-6.5)
The Cardinals are 1-0, but that was a close win against the Rams. This is a game against a fired-up Falcons team out to prove that their week one showing is not going to become a trend. The Falcons should be able to control the Cardinals offense well enough to let their offense fly in that carpeted dome of theirs.
Cardinals 17 Falcons 31 (ATL)
Miami Dolphins @ Minnesota Vikings (-5.5)
This game has gotten some underdog love, but I don't see it. The Vikings will probably never have that bad of an offensive performance again. The Dolphins had problems scoring on the Bills defense, and the Vikings defense is miles better. The Vikings should start their ascent again.
Dolphins 10 Vikings 24 (MIN)
St. Louis Rams @ Oakland Raiders (-3.5)
The Raiders biggest weakness is their o-line, and the Rams one of many weaknesses is their d-line, so advantage Raiders (since the Raiders are better at almost every other position except for RB). The Raiders should win this game, and hopefully put to rest their horrific Week 1 finish.
Rams 14 Raiders 27 (OAK)
Seattle Seahawks @ Denver Broncos (-3.5)
Really, was the Broncos performance in Jacksonville that good to merit being a favorite against a Seahawks team that at least for one week played like it was 2005 all over again. The Seahawks have the ability to beat this Broncos team easily. The Broncos love their short passing game, and the Seahawks are much more susceptible to the deep pass than it is to the short one (just ask Alex Smith).
Seahawks 27 Broncos 20 (SEA)
Houston Texans (-3) @ Washington Redskins
Both teams might not be as good as their Week 1 performance. The Texans better hope that McNabb isn't still rejuvenated and good at escaping pressure, because that is really their only hope. The Texans will probably have to turn to the pass more this game. It should be fun, and arguably the best game of the week, one that will go down to the wire, with the Texans pulling it off again.
Texans 27 Redskins 26 (WAS)
Jacksonville Jaguars @ San Diego Chargers (-7)
This is probably the 50th game that pits a 1-0 team against a 0-1 team where the 0-1 team is the better one. All the other games will probably end in both teams finishing the day at 1-1, and this game is no different. The Chargers should be able to shred the Jaguars slow secondary, and put up enough points to win this game easily.
Jaguars 17 Chargers 34 (SD)
New England Patriots (-3) @ New York Jets
The Patriots and Jets will steal more headlines than any other game, and maybe for a good reason, because if the Jets lose, they might not get any more big headlines the rest of the season. The Jets have to win this, HAVE TO. After the amount of shit they talked, if they start out 0-2 it is over. The Jets also have to send a statement to the Pats that they are still for real. The Pats offense is not at 2007 years, but they aren't going to be easy to stop either. I'll take the Pats and run the other way. Head says Pats, heart says Jets, but head wins the game, heart wins the spread.
Patriots 17 Jets 16 (NYJ)
New York Giants @ Indianapolis Colts (-5)
I'll go with head and heart here. The Colts need to make a statement, and what better way to make one then go out in their home opener and dominate the Giants. Last season, after their version of the Houston game (the Miami game where they gave up 250 yards rushing and held the ball for 15 minutes), they played a night game against the Cardinals and crushed the living shit out of them. It might happen again, and I think it will.
Giants 17 Colts 31 (IND)
New Orleans Saints (-5.5) @ San Francisco 49ers
The Saints are better, but the 49ers will be fired up. You can complete short passes against the Saints, which is good news for Alex Smith. I'll do something I rarely do (and only have once so far in this weeks' games), and pick the favorite to win but not to cover. I think the Saints pull it out, but the 49ers defense won't make it easy.
Saints 27 49ers 24 (SF)
Enjoy the Game!!
