Kansas City Chiefs(0-2) @ Philadelphia Eagles(1-1) Sunday 1 ET
-The biggest storyline in this matchup is not even the game. After being convicted of dogfighting charges and serving time in Federal prison along with his NFL suspension, Eagles QB Michael Vick will be activated and available to play Sunday. There is a very good chance that QB Michael Vick will see playing time because QB Donovan McNabb is expected to miss his second straight game due to fractured rib suffered in week 1. There is no doubt that he will be used one way or another. This could be the first time that QB Michael Vick will play in an NFL regular season game since December 31, 2006. No matter if it is QB Kevin Kolb or QB Michael Vick the Eagles have enough to beat the Chiefs who lost to the Raiders last week at home.
New York Giants(2-0) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers(0-2) Sunday 1 ET
-The New York Giants had a very impressive win over the Cowboys on SNF to ruin the party as Jerry Jones prized new Cowboys Stadium made its NFL regular season debut. TampaBay continues to struggle at the QB position and the Giants Defense is looking very good. Giants win big.
Green Bay Packers(1-1) @ St. Louis Rams(0-2) Sunday 1 ET
-The Packers are coming off a disappointing and stunning loss at home to the Bengals. The Packers have significant protection problems up front that need to be solved immediately as they have given up 10 sacks through the first two games of the season. Bottom line: the Offense needs to improve. Fortunately, the Packers play the Rams. You would think that this game could not come at a better time. The Packers could use this game as a confidence builder. Packers bounce back with a victory.
San Francisco 49ers(2-0) @ Minnesota Vikings(2-0) Sunday 1 ET
- What a matchup this game is. The 49ers may be the biggest early surprise of the year so far in the NFL with wins over NFC West divisional rivals Cardinals and Seahawks, while the Vikings have also started off 2-0 with much expected wins over the Browns and Lions. Vikings head coach Brad Childress has QB Brett Favre throwing high percentage passes out of the backfield and across the middle of the field as Defenses have to load the box to account for RB Adrian Peterson. 49ers RB Frank Gore had a huge game last week, but faces a much tougher run Defense anchored by DT Kevin and Pat Williams. I would love to see the 49ers win and hand the Vikings their first loss of the season, but the Vikings improve to 3-0 heading into the MNF showdown vs. Green Bay.
Tennessee Titans(0-2) @ New York Jets(2-0) Sunday 1 ET
- Wow, Jets Rookie QB Mark Sanchez looks like a veteran playing the QB position in this league two games into the season after an impressive win over the Patriots. Jets head coach Rex Ryan has his team playing with a lot of confidence. On the other side, the Titans have dropped to 0-2. However, the Titans are a very good football team with too much talent. A football team that has a lot of talent and that is also put in a desperate situation can be dangerous. Titans win on the road to avoid a 0-3 start. QB Mark Sanchez has to come down back to Earth at some point.
Atlanta Falcons(2-0) @ New England Patriots(1-1) Sunday 1 ET
-Another great early season matchup as the Falcons visit the Patriots. In the loss against the Jets, the Patriots failed to score a TD for the first time in 42 games. The Patriots are always known for bouncing back, but I just think second-year QB Matt Ryan and the Falcons are too much. QB Tom Brady is coming off one of his worst performances of his career and if it was not for Buffalo blowing the game in week 1 allowing the Patriots to score 2 TD in the final 76 seconds of the game, the Patriots would be at 0-2. This Patriots team is not the Patriots of the past. Too many of the players who were valuable pieces for their success are no longer on the team(Bruschi, Seymour, Harrison, Vrabel, Samuel). The Patriots are still a good football team and will be in the playoff race this season, but I believe this game is symbolic as the Patriots run may be fading and the Falcons are on the rise to elite status in the NFL. Maybe I am wrong. Just have that feeling. Nothing lasts forever. Falcons win a close game.
Jacksonville Jaguars(0-2) @ Houston Texans(1-1) Sunday 1 ET
-Coming into the season I picked the Texans to be the Dark Horse in the AFC. The Texans had an offensive explosion last week to come-from-behind and beat the Titans. The Jaguars on the other hand are terrible. There seems to be a common theme when you look at teams that have started 0-2(with exception of the Raider(1-1) who are also in this category): inconsistent play at the QB position. You need to have an individual under center that can atleast manage the game and in the end hopefully put your team in position to have a chance to win the game. Jaguars QB David Garrard is actually a decent QB, but just does not have supporting cast around him to do so. Texans win.
Washington Redskins(1-1) @ Detroit Lions(0-2) Sunday 1 ET
-Upset? The Lions went 0-16 last year, but they will not end at that mark again this season as the team is much improved. The Lions have fought hard and not quit in their two losses to what appears as two of the top teams in the NFC(Saints & Vikings). Lions Rookie QB Matthew Stafford continues to learn on the job as he has completed 50.7 percent of his passes for 357 yards and 1 TD. Stafford is also leading the NFL in INT with 5. However, the Redskins have not been much better on offense either through the first two weeks. Some think this may be the time for the Redskins to step out of their offensive slump, but I believe this is the time the Lions end their losing streak and win. Yes, I said it the Lions will actually win a game. Well, maybe not…
Cleveland Browns(0-2) @ Baltimore Ravens(2-0) Sunday 1 ET
-So far into the season the Ravens have looked impressive. Not on Defense as always expected, but on Offense as well. To make the long trip to the West Coast and seal the victory over the Chargers in dramatic Ray Lewis fashion was a huge win. The Browns may be the worst team in football. The score may be closer than it should, but the Ravens will be in total control from start to finish. Ravens win.
Chicago Bears(1-1) @ Seattle Seahawks(1-1) Sunday 4:05 ET
-The Bears beat the Defending Super Bowl Champs at home behind a solid performance from QB Jay Culter, who one week before was a disaster. Meanwhile in Seattle, QB Matt Hasselback’s status for the game is uncertain as he had to leave last weeks loss against the 49ers early after suffering a broken rib. QB Jay Culter continues to improve as the Bears beat the Seahawks who may be missing the leader.
New Orleans Saints(2-0) @ Buffalo Bills(1-1) Sunday 4:05 ET
-How good has QB Drew Brees and the Sizzling Saints Offense looked through the first two weeks? Unstoppable. QB Drew Brees has completed an NFL-leading 75 percent of his passes throwing for 669 yards, 9 TD, and a QB rating of 132.9. WOW. I like the Bills QB Trent Edwards as well. Buffalo has been very surprising on the offensive side of the ball despite being without RB Marshawn Lynch due to suspension. Heck, the Bills could be 2-0 if they did not manage to blow the season opener to the Patriots on MNF. Saints continue to roll and beat a Bills team that is better than a lot of people think.
Miami Dolphins( 0-2) @ San Diego Chargers(1-1) Sunday 4:15 ET
-The Dolphins lost a heartbreaker on MNF at home against the Colts. Poor clock management near the end of the game cost them as time expired with the ball on the Colts 30-yard line. The Chargers lost a close game against the Ravens. The injuries are beginning to pile up for the Chargers. RB LaDanlian Tomlinson is potentially out for the second straight week and also two starters on the O-line. The Fins much like the Titans are a much better football team than their record shows. The Fins did start 0-2 last year and still manages to fight back and make the playoffs. Dolphins win on the road as RB Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams pound the Chargers into submission.
Denver Broncos(2-0) @ Oakland Raiders(1-1) Sunday 4:15 ET
-The best cure for Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels and the rocky offseason? Winning. I do not believe the Broncos are a playoff team in the AFC as the two wild card spots will come from another division, but if there Defense continues to play well they could be in the picture. Any team that has QB Kyle Orton leading them will fail in the end. It is only a matter of time. However, there is one QB that I am reluctant to say that Kyle Orton is better than and that is Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell. I can not believe this guy is a starting QB in the NFL. He is awful. Through two games he has a QB rating of 46.6. So bad he will make QB Kyle Orton in this game look good. Al Davis and the Raiders drafted QB JaMarcus Russell because he is 6’6” 260 lbs. They got caught up in his physical attributes and failed to see that he can not play the QB position at this level at all. Now, they have seemingly invested way too much time and effort in him to give up on him. By doing this, the Raiders have set their franchise back years. OK, enough venting. However, I do like the Raiders rushing attack with RB Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. They are both workhorses. All that said, Broncos win in a game that will be close, but QB JaMarcus Russell will hurt the Raiders in the end to lose the game.
Pittsburgh Steelers(1-1) @ Cincinnati Bengals(1-1) Sunday 4:15 ET
-The Bengals bounced back after their stunning last minute defeat a week earlier and beat the Packers in Lambeau Field. QB Carson Palmer may be struggling, but he is only going to get more comfortable and improve as the season goes on, especially with RB Cedric Benson behind him who carried the ball 29 times for 141 yards last week. The Steelers meanwhile lost to the Bears after K Jeff Reid missed not one, but two 4th quarter FG attempts. The Bengals have lost five straight overall in the series and nine in a row to the Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium. This is a huge divisional matchup and statement game for both teams early in the year. The Steelers will try to assert themselves in the AFC North, while the Bengals will try to prove that they will not just be thought of as an after thought in the AFC North and finish near the bottom anymore. I have to go with the Steelers until the Bengals prove otherwise.
Indianapolis Colts( 2-0) @ Arizona Cardinals(1-1) Sunday 8:20 ET
-QB Peyton Manning and the Colts always seen to find a way. Even in a game where the Offense was not even on the field for the majority of the game, they still outscored their opponent as QB Peyton Manning and the Colts drove the length of the field and scored in the final two minutes to win the game. Like we have not seen that before right? However, the Cardinals have a pretty good Offense as well. This game pits two of the NFL’s smartest veteran QB in Manning and Warner. I hate picking against QB Peyton Manning and the Colts, but after a short week as they played this past week on MNF where the Defense was on the field nearly the entire game the Colts may not have enough in the tank to hang around with the Cardinals Offense which with players like Hightower, Fitzgerald, Boldin, and Breaston has the potential to score a lot of points.
Carolina Panthers(0-2) @ Dallas Cowboys(1-1) Monday 8:30 ET
-Jerry Jones and the Cowboys thoroughly enjoyed showing off the new 80,000 seat Cowboys Stadium that can also accommodate up to 100,000+ standing room only fans as well. Too bad the Cowboys game was not as big as the new stadium as they lost the inaugural game to the Giants. QB Tony Romo will use this week to bounce back after a below average showing last week and public criticism from Cowboys great Tony Dorsett. As stated by Sports Soup on Versus: If only CB Adam “Pacman” Jones could have lasted one more year in the NFL, because as much as he loves the strip club he would have to like the new Cowboys Stadium even better because night clubs and cage dancers are also included in the new stadium. What more could you ask for? Football and strippers. Hahaha. Seriously, Jerry Jones? This is as to what you believe should be the future of the NFL? No comment. Joking aside, Cowboys win.
