Last week, I picked 13 games and I was 9-4 (picking winners only, not against the spread). I lost with the Eagles, Dolphins, Rams and Atlanta. I hope to do even better this week.
Let’s get to the picks without further delay.
Indianapolis at Tennessee – CBS, 1 p.m.
These games between Colts and Titans have become knock out, drag out affairs. Both are in the same AFC South division and last year, Tennessee took out the running game and ran the Colts defense ragged. The score was 20-17 on a last second figgy, but the Titans set the blueprint for beating the Colts, run the ball. This season, Tennessee plans to do the same thing to the Colts. Run, run, run, run and run some more. As long as the Titans are ahead, expect Chris Brown up the middle. LenDale White to the right. Brown to the middle. White to the left. If the Colts stop it, then the Titans become one dimensional with the pass and it’s something that the Titans aren’t geared for in this game. While Titans coach Jeff Fisher remains one of the best minds in the NFL, I’ll still take the defending champions. The Colts are favored by 7, but I’ll say the Colts will win, 24-21.
Green Bay at Giants – Fox, 1 p.m.
The Giants defense allowed Tony Romo to torch it for 345 last Sunday night and four TD’s. This was not a stellar performance by the secondary which is in a state of shambles. Not only that, you have QB Eli Manning nursing a shoulder injury that might or might not force him out of the game with the Packers. Now the Pack had a horrid performance on offense last week with the Eagles, but still manage to eke out a last second win on a field goal. Let’s face it, the Eagles handed the Packers the game. Now, Brett Favre hopes to cure what ails the Packers receivers by throwing against a secondary which is allowing yardage like it’s going out of style. Until the problems with the defense are solved, the Giants are going to have to get into a track meet every week. That’s my feeling here. We’ll see a track meet here with the Giants prevailing (even if Eli doesn’t play), 38-34.
New Orleans at Tampa Bay, Fox, 1 p.m.
I’m still wondering if the Bucs can ever come back to its high level in Jon Grudin’s first year as head coach. Tony Dungy and Monty Kiffin built the defense, but the offense wasn’t quite up to par and under Grudin, he managed to get the right mix to get the Bucs to the Super Bowl and beat the Oakland Raiders. But for the fans of the Pirates of Pewter, that win is a distant memory. The Bucs were winless against the NFC South last season and while I don’t expect that same result this season, I do expect the Bucs to go down against a Saints offense with something to prove. RB’s Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush should get the ball much more this week than the number of touches they received in the season opener against the Colts. I’m going to say the Saints win this one, 28-14.
San Francisco at St. Louis, Fox, 1 p.m.
These two division rivals get to meet early in the 2007 campaign. Last week, the Niners got a win against division rival, Arizona while the Rams were getting solidly beaten by the Panthers. RB Frank Gore has run rampant for the Niners in their last two meetings and I feel that he may do so again this week. Gore is only one man. QB Alex Smith was not impressive in the season opener until the GW drive. His receivers didn’t help with dropped passes, but still, the second part of last week’s Monday Night Football doubleheader had me regretting staying up late until we had some fireworks in the end. Marc Bulger has got to get off the schnide with only 167 yards passing last week. Something’s got to give the quarterbacks. I’ll take the Niners in an upset special pick, 21-17,
Cincinnati at my Browns, CBS, 1 p.m.
Every week, CBS chooses five games to broadcast in HD. With six games on its schedule this week, get which one CBS chose to be broadcast in standard def? That’s right, the Bungles/Browns, but this time, the Bungles aren’t going to the Bungles. Chad Johnson did his act after catching his first TD last week in the game against the Ravens. He and TJ Houshmandzadeh are going to have fun catching passes in Cleveland Browns Stadium. I said last week the Steelers were going to beat my Browns, 30-3. The final was 34-7 so I wasn’t off by that much. As bad as he was against Pittsburgh, Charlie Frye didn’t deserve to get shipped on Monday to Seattle. Ok, maybe he did, but instead of steady Brady Quinn at the helm, we get Derek Anderson who’s lucky to be playing professional football at this stage of his career. If I wasn’t confident for my Browns last week, how do you think I am this week? That’s right. I’ll say Cincy, 42-7.
Buffalo at Pittsburgh – CBS, 1 p.m.
The Steelers had one of those games last week where everything clicked. The passing game, the running game, the special teams, the defense, nothing went wrong for new coach Mike Tomlin’s NFL debut. The Bills were reeling after playing so well against Denver, only to have the Broncos with no times outs run onto the field with its kicking unit just in time for Jason Elam to win the game at Wilson Park. I do like the Bills, but with the Steelers wanting to show that its offensive output last week was not a fluke, QB Ben Roesthlisberger should be able to have a good day. Emotions on the Bills are running high especially with what’s happened with Kevin Everett against Denver. I do think the Bills will dedicate this game to him and hope emotion will carry them to a victory, but unfortunately, it won’t. Take the Steelers to win, 28-17.
Houston at Carolina – CBS, 1 p.m.
QB Matt Schaub is making Texans fans say, “David Who?” after one game. Schaub played well enough last week to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs. But Houston is facing a much better defense than the Chiefs. In addition, Jake Delhomme will want to better his throwing numbers in which most of the yardage in Week 1 went to all-pro WR Steve Smith. Expect Delhomme to throw a lot in this game. Take the Panthers to win this one by a score of 21-10.
Atlanta at Jacksonville – Fox, 1 p.m.
No way I’m going to even start a capsule on this.
Dallas at Miami – Fox, 4 p.m.
That aforementioned 345 yard game for Tony Romo was the gold standard for QB’s last week. The Dolphins screwed me last week when it lost in OT to the Washington Redskins. This is why you can never trust the Dolphins to win for you. Miami fans know it all too well. Right now, the Dolphins are not a good football team so expect Romo to have more fun throwing the ball in South Florida. It’ll be a Dallas win, 16-7.
Minnesota at Detroit – Fox, 4 p.m.
John Kitna believes in his Lions. If you’re the starting QB of a team that’s not expected to do much this season, you have to make your team believe that you believe in the team. Kitna did a decent job throwing the ball last week against the Raiders, but that was a team in disarray. The Vikings won its openeer against the Falcons and I still wonder when the shackles are going to be taken off QB Tavaris Jackson. It won’t be this week. Lions will have a 2-0 start with its 17-10 win over the Vikes at home.
Jets at Ravens – CBS, 4:15 p.m.
Even without a spycam, the Patriots exposed the Jets as a weak team. With a defense that played decently in Cincy last week, expect the Ravens to show QB Chad Pennington who’s the boss this week. And the Ravens will hand the ball to Willis McGahee who has had field days against the Jets in the past. Ravens, 20-3.
KC at Chicago – CBS, 4:15 p.m.
If the
Chiefs couldn’t beat the Texans last week, what makes you think they can beat the Bears? Won’t happen. Bears win 17-3.
I won’t pick Seattle-Arizona because I don’t feel like it.
San Diego at Patriots – NBC, 8:15 p.m.
Game of the Week even without the controversy over Cameragate. The whole thing has been blown way out of proportion. Wrong? Yes. Every team has done this, so to make this sound like it will kill the NFL is crying wolf. Please. By the end of the year, this whole thing will be forgotten. But in the meantime, you have this rematch of the AFC playoffs where the Pats went into Jack Murphy Stadium and shocked the Chargers. You know LaDanian Tomlinson wants to get revenge in one way or another. Pats defense is very good. The offense is even better. With or without spy cameras, take the Pats to win this one, 35-21.
Washington at Philadelphia – ESPN, Monday, 8:30 p.m.
I can’t believe Washington was as good as it was against Miami and I can’t believe the Iggles were so pedestrian last week against Green Bay. Redskin QB Jason Campbell still doesn’t impress me, but neither did Donovan McNabb in Week 1. I’m wondering if the real McNabb will show up this week. RB Brian Westbrook will be asked to carry the load for the Eagles offense again, but it’s a challenge that he relishes. Good NFC East battle. I’m going to say the Eagles to win, 16-13.
Those are your picks for Week 2.
