Looking Back at Last Week's Picks
Patriots (-7) over Steelers (PUSH = 0-0-1)
Jets (-3.5) over Browns (CORRECT = 1-0-1)
Panthers (-3) over Jaguars (CORRECT = 2-0-1)
Redskins (+4) over Dolphins (WRONG = 2-1-1)
Colts (-3) over Bills (WRONG = 2-2-1)
Texans (pk) over Chiefs (WRONG = 2-3-1)
Packers (-7) over Bears (CORRECT = 3-3-1)
Rams (+4.5) over Seahawks (CORRECT = 4-3-1)
Raiders (+3) over Bengals (WRONG = 4-4-1)
Buccaneers (-3) over Titans (WRONG -= 4-5-1)
Cardinals (-2.5) over Saints (CORRECT = 5-5-1)
Lions (+3) over Chargers (WRONG = 5-6-1)
Broncos (-5) over Ravens (CORRECT = 6-6-1)
Cowboys (-6) over Giants (WRONG = 6-7-1)
Falcons (+3) over Eagles (CORRECT = 7-7-1)
49ers (+3) over Vikings (CORRECT = 8-7-1)
Power Rankings
The 'Well, that was in no way unexpected' Sexto
32.) Cleveland Browns (0-1 = 10-31)
31.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1 = 14-42)
30.) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1 = 9-20)
29.) Oakland Raiders (0-1 = 13-33)
28.) Chicago Bears (0-1 = 23-31)
27.) Washington Redskins (0-1 = 10-17)
No one expected any of these teams to be good... and they weren't. Only one really came close to winning. In my preseason power rankings, I had these six teams among the worst seven (the other was Tennessee, more on that in a minute). For the Browns, Manziel provided a second of fun before disaster struck. The Bucs didn't even get a second of fun. The Jaguars are a depressing mess. The Raiders are more of one. The Bears still have not learned how to do anything against Aaron Rodgers. And finally, the Redskins almost won!
The 'Well, that was in all the ways unexpected' Trio
26.) Houston Texans (0-1 = 20-27)
25.) Tennessee Titans (1-0 = 42-14)
24.) Minnesota Vikings (0-1 = 3-20)
Over the course of hard knocks, I actually thought the Texans were intriguing. I guess Hard Knocks make you think that. I gained a lot of respect for Bill O'Brien. Well, after that game I lost all of it. His team looked absolutely utterly unprepared for the Chiefs, and now he's already waffling on his QB. The Titans won big, but there's no way they're repeating that game again. Finally, the Vikings were a trendy playoff pick, but my God was that whole team terrible.
The 'Remember how much fun 2013 was!" Trio
23.) New Orleans Saints (0-1 = 19-31)
22.) Philadelphia Eagles (0-1 = 24-26)
21.) San Francisco 49ers (1-0 = 20-3)
In the 2013 season, these teams were seeded #3, #5 and #6. A year later none made the playoffs. A year after that, they still may not make it. The Saints lost in basically the same way they lost a lot of their nine games last year, with sketchy red zone play and awful defense. The Eagles were a schadenfreude gold-mine for a half. The 49ers were impressive, but let's see them play a team that didn't implode first before we say they're back.
The 'Maybe there is life' Trio
20.) Detroit Lions (0-1 = 28-33)
19.) New York Giants (0-1 = 26-27)
18.) Cincinnati Bengals (1-0 = 33-13)
Most people didn't expect these teams to be great this year, with the Lions and Bengals common picks to miss the playoffs after making it, and the Giants mired in their Giant-ness. Well, all three were to some level good in Week 1. The Lions and Giants had harrowing losses (especially the Giants - how do you not know to take a sack there?), but at least played well. I don't think many expected the Giants to even be in a winning position, and the Lions were impressive going up 21-3 before letting Rivers complete 20 passes in a row. Finally, those darn Bengals. We can't judge them too much because, you know, Raiders; but they really know how to look good winning games in September.
The 'Can you win with one half a team' Trio
17.) New York Jets (1-0 = 31-10)
16.) Arizona Cardinals (1-0 = 31-19)
15.) Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1 = 21-28)
The Jets showed life on offense, but they really capitalized on turnovers, and at some point the league figures out Fitzpatrick every year. The Cardinals can pass the ball well and defend the pass well, but they can't do anything else. The Steelers have a great offense, getting better with Le'veon Bell coming back (and Martavis Bryant eventually). All three of these teams have great strengths, but really clear weaknesses. Those types of teams generally end around 8-8, which would anyone be surprised if that is where all three end? Of course, Bruce Arians has made a habit of having teams play well enough to go 8-8, but somehow end up 11-5.
The 'You guys know you need to play 60 minutes' Trio
14.) Kansas City Chiefs (1-0 = 27-20)
13.) Miami Dolphins (1-0 = 17-10)
12.) Atlanta Falcons (1-0 = 26-24)
The Dolphins decided to sleepwalk for a half. The Chiefs decided to basically stop playing for a half. The Falcons REALLY decided to stop playing for a half. All three ended up winning, the Dolphins and Falcons escaping and the Chiefs resting on the laurels of a great first half. But guys, if you want to take that step up from the 6-9 win range to the 10+, you can't take halves off. You can't lose your defensive intensity after 30 minutes, or forget how to play offense for 30. And, for goodness sakes Miami, go actually dominate a bad team for once.
The ' Hope Our Fatal Flaw Doesn't Get Exposed' Quinto
11.) Baltimore Ravens (0-1 = 13-19)
10.) Buffalo Bills (1-0 = 27-14)
9.) San Diego Chargers (1-0 = 33-28)
8.) Carolina Panthers (1-0 = 20-9)
7.) St. Louis Rams (1-0 = 34-31)
All these teams were thought of highly and/or had good week 1 performances, but their flaws got exposed as well. The Ravens lost their best, most consistent defensive player in Suggs, just an awful loss. The Bills offense probably can't depend on those types of Tyrod Taylor performances each week and their running game looks iffy at best. The Chargers need a defense. The Panthers need an offense (then again, Cam just makes stuff work), and the Rams need to stop turning the ball over. All five teams have the potential to make the playoffs, but flaws will ultimately doom them if they do.
The 'We're Still Favorites, right?" Trio
6.) Dallas Cowboys (1-0 = 27-26)
5.) Indianapolis Colts (0-1 = 14-27)
4.) Seattle Seahawks (0-1 = 31-34)
The Cowboys won but if 10 things don't happen (like a declined off-sides on the 1st down throw to OBJ that if it didn't occur that would have kept the clock running) they lose. The Colts and Seahawks (a pretty common Super Bowl pick) both lost. But let's not jump off the bridge too quickly. The Colts and Seahawks lost on the road to two potential playoff teams - those losses may look better in retrospect a few weeks from now. For the Cowboys, as long as they stop giving turnovers away, will be fine, as their run game still looked good and the o-line will stop anyone from touching Romo. These teams will be fine - just remember the Patriots lost in Week 1 last year too.
The 'Team It Won't Be Fun To Be' Uno
3.) Denver Broncos (1-0 = 19-13)
Yes, Peyton was bad. He looked bad. But then again, they still won. If that same game happened in 2003, and it was 2003 Tom Brady playing QB, he would've gotten praised. It would be some sweet irony if the Broncos win with an average Peyton season and a great defense. After all the flak they took this week, it is hard to remember that winning is the only thing that ever matters. Right?
The 'Let's Just Play Super Bowl 50 Already' Duo
2.) Green Bay Packers (1-0 = 31-23)
1.) New England Patriots (1-0 = 28-21)
The Champs are the Champs and the Pack are the Pack, no matter how average to bad their defenses look.
Looking Ahead to Next Week's Games
16.) Baltimore Ravens (0-1) @ Oakland Raiders (0-1) (4:05 - CBS)
15.) Miami Dolphis (1-0) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1) (4:05 - CBS)
14.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) @ New Orleans Saints (0-1) (1:00 - FOX)
13.) Detroit Lions (0-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (0-1) (1:00 - FOX)
12.) Tennessee Titans (1-0) @ Cleveland Browns (0-1) (1:00 - CBS)
11.) Houston Texans (0-1) @ Carolina Panthers (1-0) (1:00 - CBS)
10.) St. Louis Rams (1-0) @ Washington Redskins (0-1) (1:00 - FOX)
9.) Arizona Cardinals (1-0) @ Chicago Bears (0-1) (1:00 - FOX)
I call it "It Looks Like the League Scheduled It This Way" Sunday, as we get eight games on the Sunday slate that are all a variation of good team playing bad team (or in the case of the Buccaneers and Saints, maybe two bad teams). None of these games seem that interesting, a weird situation for Week 2. Of course that means there are a lot of good Week 2 games.
8.) Atlanta Falcons (1-0) @ New York Giants (0-1) (1:00 - FOX)
7.) San Francisco 49ers (1-0) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1) (1:00 - FOX)
6.) New York Jets (1-0) @ Indianapolis Colts (0-1) (MNF - ESPN)
I call it "The Whole Surprise Week 1 Winner Plays Against the Desperate Week 1 Loser Deal Again, Huh?" Sunday and Monday, as we get three games where surprisingly competent Week 1 teams have to now see if their shit sticks on the road in Week 2. The Giants, Steelers and Colts are all desparate for a win, as it is hard to come back from 0-2 starts. Out of the three, the Colts up against that defense is another test for their offense and a chance to perform against a good defense for once. The 49ers get another chance to take on a bad defense and show their Week 1 offensive performance wasn't a fluke. Finally, the Giants get a chance to make up for that Week 1 disaster.
5.) San Diego Chargers (1-0) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) (1:00 - CBS)
I call it "There's Always That Game You Like For No Reason" Sunday, as the Chargers and that wizard Philip Rivers go to Cincinnati and play arguably the most dominant team in Week 1. There's also some history here, as this is a rematch of that harrowed Wild Card game two years ago, when the Chargers upset a legitimately very good Bengals team in Cincinnati - the worst playoff loss out of all of them in the Dalton era.
4.) Dallas Cowboys (1-0) @ Philadelphia Eagles (0-1) (4:25 - FOX)
3.) New England Patriots (1-0) @ Buffalo Bills (1-0) (1:00 - CBS)
2.) Denver Broncos (1-0) @ Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) (TNF - CBS)
I call it "Key Division Games are a Thing in Week 2, right?" as we get a chance for three home teams beat their current division masters. The Cowboys go injured to Philadelphia, the scene of their division stealing win last December. The Bills get a chance to further the '09 Jets comparison with a win in Week 2 at home against the Patriots, and we get an early test of the Rex Ryan Bills. Finally, on Thursday Night, the Chiefs get to play Denver as the favorite for the first time in the Manning era. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if the road teams go 3-0, but 0-3 might be as likely.
1.) Seattle Seahawks (0-1) @ Green Bay Packers (1-0) (SNF - NBC)
I call it "Key Conference Games are a Thing in Week 2, right?" Sunday, as we get a rematch of the NFC Championship Game, this time in the other location. We also get to see if the Seahawks can continue their run of beating Super Bowl and MVP QBs. People will often throw out the stat of them being 8-1 against Manning, Brady, Brees and Rodgers. Of course, they are 8-0 in Seattle, and 0-1 outside (the Super Bowl loss last year). We'll see if their magic continues in their first true road game. Also, a Packers win here and you can probably hand them home field advantage - a sad state for a conference in Week 2.
Patriots (-7) over Steelers (PUSH = 0-0-1)
Jets (-3.5) over Browns (CORRECT = 1-0-1)
Panthers (-3) over Jaguars (CORRECT = 2-0-1)
Redskins (+4) over Dolphins (WRONG = 2-1-1)
Colts (-3) over Bills (WRONG = 2-2-1)
Texans (pk) over Chiefs (WRONG = 2-3-1)
Packers (-7) over Bears (CORRECT = 3-3-1)
Rams (+4.5) over Seahawks (CORRECT = 4-3-1)
Raiders (+3) over Bengals (WRONG = 4-4-1)
Buccaneers (-3) over Titans (WRONG -= 4-5-1)
Cardinals (-2.5) over Saints (CORRECT = 5-5-1)
Lions (+3) over Chargers (WRONG = 5-6-1)
Broncos (-5) over Ravens (CORRECT = 6-6-1)
Cowboys (-6) over Giants (WRONG = 6-7-1)
Falcons (+3) over Eagles (CORRECT = 7-7-1)
49ers (+3) over Vikings (CORRECT = 8-7-1)
Power Rankings
The 'Well, that was in no way unexpected' Sexto
32.) Cleveland Browns (0-1 = 10-31)
31.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1 = 14-42)
30.) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1 = 9-20)
29.) Oakland Raiders (0-1 = 13-33)
28.) Chicago Bears (0-1 = 23-31)
27.) Washington Redskins (0-1 = 10-17)
No one expected any of these teams to be good... and they weren't. Only one really came close to winning. In my preseason power rankings, I had these six teams among the worst seven (the other was Tennessee, more on that in a minute). For the Browns, Manziel provided a second of fun before disaster struck. The Bucs didn't even get a second of fun. The Jaguars are a depressing mess. The Raiders are more of one. The Bears still have not learned how to do anything against Aaron Rodgers. And finally, the Redskins almost won!
The 'Well, that was in all the ways unexpected' Trio
26.) Houston Texans (0-1 = 20-27)
25.) Tennessee Titans (1-0 = 42-14)
24.) Minnesota Vikings (0-1 = 3-20)
Over the course of hard knocks, I actually thought the Texans were intriguing. I guess Hard Knocks make you think that. I gained a lot of respect for Bill O'Brien. Well, after that game I lost all of it. His team looked absolutely utterly unprepared for the Chiefs, and now he's already waffling on his QB. The Titans won big, but there's no way they're repeating that game again. Finally, the Vikings were a trendy playoff pick, but my God was that whole team terrible.
The 'Remember how much fun 2013 was!" Trio
23.) New Orleans Saints (0-1 = 19-31)
22.) Philadelphia Eagles (0-1 = 24-26)
21.) San Francisco 49ers (1-0 = 20-3)
In the 2013 season, these teams were seeded #3, #5 and #6. A year later none made the playoffs. A year after that, they still may not make it. The Saints lost in basically the same way they lost a lot of their nine games last year, with sketchy red zone play and awful defense. The Eagles were a schadenfreude gold-mine for a half. The 49ers were impressive, but let's see them play a team that didn't implode first before we say they're back.
The 'Maybe there is life' Trio
20.) Detroit Lions (0-1 = 28-33)
19.) New York Giants (0-1 = 26-27)
18.) Cincinnati Bengals (1-0 = 33-13)
Most people didn't expect these teams to be great this year, with the Lions and Bengals common picks to miss the playoffs after making it, and the Giants mired in their Giant-ness. Well, all three were to some level good in Week 1. The Lions and Giants had harrowing losses (especially the Giants - how do you not know to take a sack there?), but at least played well. I don't think many expected the Giants to even be in a winning position, and the Lions were impressive going up 21-3 before letting Rivers complete 20 passes in a row. Finally, those darn Bengals. We can't judge them too much because, you know, Raiders; but they really know how to look good winning games in September.
The 'Can you win with one half a team' Trio
17.) New York Jets (1-0 = 31-10)
16.) Arizona Cardinals (1-0 = 31-19)
15.) Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1 = 21-28)
The Jets showed life on offense, but they really capitalized on turnovers, and at some point the league figures out Fitzpatrick every year. The Cardinals can pass the ball well and defend the pass well, but they can't do anything else. The Steelers have a great offense, getting better with Le'veon Bell coming back (and Martavis Bryant eventually). All three of these teams have great strengths, but really clear weaknesses. Those types of teams generally end around 8-8, which would anyone be surprised if that is where all three end? Of course, Bruce Arians has made a habit of having teams play well enough to go 8-8, but somehow end up 11-5.
The 'You guys know you need to play 60 minutes' Trio
14.) Kansas City Chiefs (1-0 = 27-20)
13.) Miami Dolphins (1-0 = 17-10)
12.) Atlanta Falcons (1-0 = 26-24)
The Dolphins decided to sleepwalk for a half. The Chiefs decided to basically stop playing for a half. The Falcons REALLY decided to stop playing for a half. All three ended up winning, the Dolphins and Falcons escaping and the Chiefs resting on the laurels of a great first half. But guys, if you want to take that step up from the 6-9 win range to the 10+, you can't take halves off. You can't lose your defensive intensity after 30 minutes, or forget how to play offense for 30. And, for goodness sakes Miami, go actually dominate a bad team for once.
The ' Hope Our Fatal Flaw Doesn't Get Exposed' Quinto
11.) Baltimore Ravens (0-1 = 13-19)
10.) Buffalo Bills (1-0 = 27-14)
9.) San Diego Chargers (1-0 = 33-28)
8.) Carolina Panthers (1-0 = 20-9)
7.) St. Louis Rams (1-0 = 34-31)
All these teams were thought of highly and/or had good week 1 performances, but their flaws got exposed as well. The Ravens lost their best, most consistent defensive player in Suggs, just an awful loss. The Bills offense probably can't depend on those types of Tyrod Taylor performances each week and their running game looks iffy at best. The Chargers need a defense. The Panthers need an offense (then again, Cam just makes stuff work), and the Rams need to stop turning the ball over. All five teams have the potential to make the playoffs, but flaws will ultimately doom them if they do.
The 'We're Still Favorites, right?" Trio
6.) Dallas Cowboys (1-0 = 27-26)
5.) Indianapolis Colts (0-1 = 14-27)
4.) Seattle Seahawks (0-1 = 31-34)
The Cowboys won but if 10 things don't happen (like a declined off-sides on the 1st down throw to OBJ that if it didn't occur that would have kept the clock running) they lose. The Colts and Seahawks (a pretty common Super Bowl pick) both lost. But let's not jump off the bridge too quickly. The Colts and Seahawks lost on the road to two potential playoff teams - those losses may look better in retrospect a few weeks from now. For the Cowboys, as long as they stop giving turnovers away, will be fine, as their run game still looked good and the o-line will stop anyone from touching Romo. These teams will be fine - just remember the Patriots lost in Week 1 last year too.
The 'Team It Won't Be Fun To Be' Uno
3.) Denver Broncos (1-0 = 19-13)
Yes, Peyton was bad. He looked bad. But then again, they still won. If that same game happened in 2003, and it was 2003 Tom Brady playing QB, he would've gotten praised. It would be some sweet irony if the Broncos win with an average Peyton season and a great defense. After all the flak they took this week, it is hard to remember that winning is the only thing that ever matters. Right?
The 'Let's Just Play Super Bowl 50 Already' Duo
2.) Green Bay Packers (1-0 = 31-23)
1.) New England Patriots (1-0 = 28-21)
The Champs are the Champs and the Pack are the Pack, no matter how average to bad their defenses look.
Looking Ahead to Next Week's Games
16.) Baltimore Ravens (0-1) @ Oakland Raiders (0-1) (4:05 - CBS)
15.) Miami Dolphis (1-0) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1) (4:05 - CBS)
14.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) @ New Orleans Saints (0-1) (1:00 - FOX)
13.) Detroit Lions (0-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (0-1) (1:00 - FOX)
12.) Tennessee Titans (1-0) @ Cleveland Browns (0-1) (1:00 - CBS)
11.) Houston Texans (0-1) @ Carolina Panthers (1-0) (1:00 - CBS)
10.) St. Louis Rams (1-0) @ Washington Redskins (0-1) (1:00 - FOX)
9.) Arizona Cardinals (1-0) @ Chicago Bears (0-1) (1:00 - FOX)
I call it "It Looks Like the League Scheduled It This Way" Sunday, as we get eight games on the Sunday slate that are all a variation of good team playing bad team (or in the case of the Buccaneers and Saints, maybe two bad teams). None of these games seem that interesting, a weird situation for Week 2. Of course that means there are a lot of good Week 2 games.
8.) Atlanta Falcons (1-0) @ New York Giants (0-1) (1:00 - FOX)
7.) San Francisco 49ers (1-0) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1) (1:00 - FOX)
6.) New York Jets (1-0) @ Indianapolis Colts (0-1) (MNF - ESPN)
I call it "The Whole Surprise Week 1 Winner Plays Against the Desperate Week 1 Loser Deal Again, Huh?" Sunday and Monday, as we get three games where surprisingly competent Week 1 teams have to now see if their shit sticks on the road in Week 2. The Giants, Steelers and Colts are all desparate for a win, as it is hard to come back from 0-2 starts. Out of the three, the Colts up against that defense is another test for their offense and a chance to perform against a good defense for once. The 49ers get another chance to take on a bad defense and show their Week 1 offensive performance wasn't a fluke. Finally, the Giants get a chance to make up for that Week 1 disaster.
5.) San Diego Chargers (1-0) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) (1:00 - CBS)
I call it "There's Always That Game You Like For No Reason" Sunday, as the Chargers and that wizard Philip Rivers go to Cincinnati and play arguably the most dominant team in Week 1. There's also some history here, as this is a rematch of that harrowed Wild Card game two years ago, when the Chargers upset a legitimately very good Bengals team in Cincinnati - the worst playoff loss out of all of them in the Dalton era.
4.) Dallas Cowboys (1-0) @ Philadelphia Eagles (0-1) (4:25 - FOX)
3.) New England Patriots (1-0) @ Buffalo Bills (1-0) (1:00 - CBS)
2.) Denver Broncos (1-0) @ Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) (TNF - CBS)
I call it "Key Division Games are a Thing in Week 2, right?" as we get a chance for three home teams beat their current division masters. The Cowboys go injured to Philadelphia, the scene of their division stealing win last December. The Bills get a chance to further the '09 Jets comparison with a win in Week 2 at home against the Patriots, and we get an early test of the Rex Ryan Bills. Finally, on Thursday Night, the Chiefs get to play Denver as the favorite for the first time in the Manning era. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if the road teams go 3-0, but 0-3 might be as likely.
1.) Seattle Seahawks (0-1) @ Green Bay Packers (1-0) (SNF - NBC)
I call it "Key Conference Games are a Thing in Week 2, right?" Sunday, as we get a rematch of the NFC Championship Game, this time in the other location. We also get to see if the Seahawks can continue their run of beating Super Bowl and MVP QBs. People will often throw out the stat of them being 8-1 against Manning, Brady, Brees and Rodgers. Of course, they are 8-0 in Seattle, and 0-1 outside (the Super Bowl loss last year). We'll see if their magic continues in their first true road game. Also, a Packers win here and you can probably hand them home field advantage - a sad state for a conference in Week 2.
