Week 2 NFL Predix

 By Jacob Sanders

Week 2 is here baby. And it started off with a fiery game of the Bengals vs Browns? Yes, that game was quite entertaining despite the teams. Welcome to 2020 everyone! Regardless, there were plenty of upsets last week and most that I couldn’t predict at all. In fact, I only got 1 of my 3 upset picks correct last year. Does that mean I’m a hack? Certainly not. Does it mean I’m bad at guessing? Possibly. Despite that, am I still confident in going 16-0 this week? Absolutely. So read below to hear how every match is going to go.

Sanders went 9-7 last week putting him to 9-7 on the season. He also picked the Browns to beat the Bengals on Thursday putting him to 1-0 on the season this week.

TEN Titans vs JAX Jaguars

The Jaguars won a fantastic match last week. I admit that I was wrong in having the Jaguars as my 0-16 team. I did say they would win a couple games because of Gardner Minschew but I really didn’t expect that to happen Week 1. I also don’t expect them to pick up a win here either. Consider my mind fully changed if JAX starts 3-0. This should be a game where the Titans find a groove offensively. After all, the Colts did move the ball pretty well last week. They just couldn’t score because of 2 Philip Rivers interceptions. That shouldn’t happen with Tannehill. The game will still probably be close and ugly as neither team is balanced on both respective sides of the ball.

Titans 20 Jaguars 17

TB Bucs vs CAR Panthers

Don’t get it twisted. The Bucs straight up lost to arguably the best team in the NFC. But also, the Panthers gave up 34 points to an offense that was outside the top 10 last season. The weakness of this Panthers team is it’s defense under an offensive minded head coach. Sounds like a great opportunity for a Tampa Bay offense to take advantage of. The matchup last week said the Bucs would take an L last week. This week, it says they take their first dub.

Bucs 28 Panthers 24

PIT Steelers vs DEN Broncos

This game feels so obvious just looking at the matchup, that I couldn’t possibly be surprised if this is the type of Mike Tomlin Steelers game where they play down to their opponent. However, it’s Week 2, and it also seems like the type of game where people jump ship on the Broncos if they start 0-2. Either way, it’s a brilliant matchup of a potentially explosive offense vs a lockdown defense. Courland Sutton, Jerry Juedy, Noah Fant and Melvin Gordon vs Bud Dupree, T.J. Watt, and Cameron Hayward. Both sides in the matchup are fully loaded. Historically, these type of matchups favor the lockdown defense. Steelers start Big Ben’s return tour 2-0.

Steelers 28 Broncos 21

PHE Eagles vs LA Rams

This one will be short, because of how apparent it’s been the last two seasons and in Week 1 that a defensive line can just swallow up an offense whole. If the WAS football team is allowed to just slam Carson Wentz for 8 sacks, what makes me think the Rams won’t do the same with Aaron Donald and a better secondary. People, this is Aaron Donald. If the Eagles don’t show up on offense this week, they don’t stand a chance of winning this game. Oh, and by the way, welcome back Jared Goff and Co. Y’all looked just fine last Sunday night.

Eagles 21 Rams 30

BUF Bills vs MIA Dolphins

Rough start for the Dolphins where they had to play in New England, and now have to play the hard-nosed Bills. I’m not saying the Bills are better or worse than New England, however, they do have the better, meaner, tougher defense. This Miami offense doesn’t look built to beat a defensive bully. Aside from that, I’m sure more people will talk about how Josh Allen looked great last week. Because he did. Let’s see him do it two weeks in a row before I jump on board the Josh Allen hype train. This Bills hype train runs through the defense, whether mainstream media is telling that to you or not. Sorry Dolphins fans, that’s rough starting a journeyman QB vs two stellar defenses. However, I love Brian Flores, and do think he’ll make a game plan that keeps this game close.

Bills 20 Dolphins 19

IND Colts vs MIN Vikings

This game is a tough one for me to pick. I can already hear the angry Vikings fans in my head. There were quite a few mad last week at their team’s performance. And they should be. The Vikings looked awful the entire first half of the game, and then got to participate in the second half, because Green Bay had already put the game away. They face a Colts team who had a ton of offensive production, and yet only scored 20 points. Sound familiar Chargers fans? It’s rough to pick a game where I like both teams, but never imagined either starting 0-2. That being said, I think the future looks brighter, sooner for the Vikings than it does the Colts. Call it more trust in Cousins than Rivers.

Colts 27 Vikings 28

GB Packers vs DET Lions

If last year was any indication, I should be picking this to be a tight game. The Lions held the lead for 120 minutes in both games. So they won both games, right? Nah, they took 2 L’s in games where they never gave up a lead to Green Bay. That’s the most Lions thing I have ever typed it’s ridiculous. Often, I like to give a head coach 2-3 years before I judge them. Heading into Year 3, I can’t trust a Matt Patricia lead Lions team at all. And they’re playing a pissed-off Aaron Rodgers? In Lambeau Field? Yeah...good luck with that.

Packers 38 Lions 17

SF 49ers vs NY Jets

The 49ers are in an injury-riddled nightmart. I can’t remember seeing a team this banged up since the Chargers. It’s unbelievable how bad their situation looks. It’s not bad enough for me to pick them against the Jets. The ADAM.GASE. LED. JETS. No thank you. I want no part of that Jets team. Adam Gase is going to ruin Sam Darnold’s career if they keep up the effort they’ve been putting up. Which looked like no effort against the Bills. In shocking news, Kyle Shanahan will outcoach Adam Gase.

49ers 20 Jets 13

ATL Falcons vs DAL Cowboys

I know an 0-2 start isn’t the worst thing in the world. But, I can’t see a scenario where either one of these teams bounces back from an 0-2 start. It’s the kinda game that you need to win early to get some confidence going. What’s funny, is neither of these teams look like they have grown from their narratives of last year. The Falcons looked like the same old team that gave up early leads and didn’t become competitive till the game was already over. The Cowboys played a good game where Dak and Zeke played decent games and yet couldn’t score when it absolutely matter (poor 4th Q call aside). All this being said, I think the Cowboys can pull away with a win. If not, I’m very concerned for them.

Falcons 24 Cowboys 26

NY Giants vs CHI Bears

Do I REALLY believe the Bears finally see Trubisky as a franchise-QB? Not at all. I would need to see a stellar season from Trubisky to believe in that. But also, I can’t keep watching Daniel Jones move the ball, only to turn it over to the defense. Neither QB instills any confidence into me wanting to make a pick, so I turn to the defense for answers. The Bears still have a pretty good defense. The Giants I can not say the same for. That’s rough.

Giants 16 Bears 19

AZ Cardinals vs WAS 

This game is a little unpredictable. WAS has a nasty front-seven as Carson Wentz can tell you first-hand. That leads me to believe they can control a game anytime they get going. However, the Cardinals have the antidote in a mobile QB. Kyler is one of the sole reasons I have this Cardinals team winning this division. He’s also the reason I believe the Cardinals can negate the strength of this WAS team. Being mobile and escaping pressure helps an O-line handle monstrous D-lines. I’d know as a Ravens fan. I’d also know because Kyler has done it now for 3 games against that monstrous 49ers D-line.

Cardinals 24 WAS 17

KC Chiefs vs LA Chargers

Kinda crazy how the Chiefs just cruised to a dominant 34-20 win without even looking dominant. Also kinda crazy that the Chargers won a game because of a missed field goal as they are normally on the losing side of those kinda plays. All that being said, it’s hard to imagine a game where the Chargers find themselves ahead in the 4th Quarter against this multi-dimensional and dynamic Chiefs offense. If I was a gambling man, this is the game I would bet on. The Chargers already miss Derwin James, and his absence will feel even worse this game.

Chiefs 31 Chargers 20

BAL Ravens vs HOU Texans

Will this game end up 41-7 like last year? Well….no. But, the Texans got worse in the offseason while the Ravens got better in the offseason. So how do you look at this matchup? Week 1 showed that Lamar only looked better as a passer while it showed for the Texans that they miss having an X receiver. Hmm. I wonder why. Jokes aside, I can’t imagine a scenario where the Texans magically find an answer on defense for the complex Ravens offense. They couldn’t find it last year and I doubt they find it this year.

Ravens 38 Texans 27

SEA Seahawks vs NE Patriots

My favorite matchup this week. Four months ago, I thought this was a terrible choice for SNF and I now know why they did it. They are STIL TO THIS DAY marketing it as a Super Bowl rematch for a Super Bowl that happened FIVE YEARS GO!!!! WHY!!!! These teams are so different years later and the franchise guys back then on both teams don’t play on these teams anymore. However, it’s a fantastic matchup because we get to see Newton vs Wilson. Personally, I think you’re a fool if you choose against Wilson these days. Then again, it can be foolish to pick against Bill Bellichick. On paper, this could be one of the best games of the year, and I’ll give it to the team that has more explosive potential on offense.

Seahawks 35 Patriots 28

NO Saints vs LA Raiders

It’s nice to see that the Raiders offense picked up where it left off last year. Jon Gruden and Derek Carr lead an efficient offense that employs Josh Jacobs as their No. 1 playmaker and it led to 34 points. Nice. But, they’re asked to take on a much tougher task as they take on the most complete team in the NFC right now. The Saints are a well-balanced team that can make defensive plays and use it’s versatile offense to confuse opposing defenses. I find it hard to believe that the Raiders will be well-equipped to deal with that kind of versatility.

Saints 35 Raiders 24