Week 2 Picks

8:20 PM Thursday, September 13, 2012

The Packers are coming off a tough game against the 49ers. That game showed that, unlike last year, they can't depend on Aaron Rodgers to win games on his ability alone. The absence of a quality running game was evident. For the Bears, it was the opposite. A relatively easy win over a Colts team that is learning and may surprise as the season moves on. If Jay Cutler can just avoid the one big mistake, I think the Bears can win outright. The interception to Jerrell Freeman was brutal. Arian Foster is probably the best running back in football but Matt Forte is up there, too. Where Cutler has Forte, Rodgers has Benson. Bears keep it close.

1:00 PM Sunday, September 16, 2012

It was a very tough Week 1 for the Bills. Not only did they lose to a divisional opponent in the Jets, and give up 48 points, but they lost Fred Jackson and David Nelson to injuries. While Jackson has C.J. Spiller behind him, the absence of Nelson will be a harder hole for them to fill, as he had 61 catches last year. I don't think Ryan Fitzpatrick will repeat a three-interception game, especially now that he's back at home. He will also see opportunity as the Chiefs allowed 40 points to the Falcons last week. There will be a lot of pressure on the Bills defensive line to make game-changing plays. The Bills will cover.

1:00 PM Sunday, September 16, 2012

Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden will improve, especially considering his passing rating was 5.1 out of a possible 156.8. The Bengals will also improve from Week 1 and I say that knowing that the Ravens were by far the better team on Monday. The Bengals had three dropped interceptions that helped destroy their chance for the win. I hate to give up seven points in a divisional game, but the Bengals are better than what they showed last Monday. The Bengals will cover.

1:00 PM Sunday, September 16, 2012

The easy thing to do is jump on the Andrew Luck bandwagon and take the Colts, but Vikings' quarterback Christian Ponder had his best game as a pro going 20-for-27 with no interceptions last week. Running back Donald Brown averaged 5.3 yards-per-carry vs. the Bears and Adrian Peterson is back. Since they're a dome team playing on the road in a dome, I like the Vikings.

1:00 PM Sunday, September 16, 2012

Historically teams that travel west to east have a tough time winning. The time change is a big issue, as the Raiders will feel like they're starting the game at 10am, which is a significant change in energy and routine. The issue of special teams was immense in the 22-14 loss to the Chargers in Week 1 and that should not happen again. The Raiders outgained the Chargers significantly on Monday night and should have won the game. Ryan Tannehill is a rookie quarterback that has started 19 college games at Texas A&M and three exhibition games. Carson Palmer is not. It should be a field goal game as the Dolphins front seven is very good. While I hate going against the east-west thing, I'm going to take the Raiders.

1:00 PM Sunday, September 16, 2012

Kevin Kolb will get the start for the Cardinals in place of the injured John Skelton and I'm interested to see what he does with the opportunity after losing the starting job to Skelton through direct competition. He'll face stiff completion in the form of Tom Brady, who has 125 wins in 160 games. No quarterback in NFL history has gotten to 125 wins faster. Last week, Titans running back Chris Johnson had only four rushing yards on 11 carries, which could be an early indication that maybe , just maybe, the defense has caught up to the offense in New England. I believe the Patriots will cover the 13.5.

1:00 PM Sunday, September 16, 2012

The Giants, who are coming off their Week 1 loss to Dallas, have extra time to prepare and will be focused. With that said, I thought the Bucs were one of the surprise teams last week. They held the Panthers to only 10 rushing yards in Week 1 and had a quality pass rush all game long. Rookie running back Doug Martin looked good and Josh Freeman had an interception-free game. It is early, but it looks like head coach Greg Schiano is going to develop a tough team that wins with the basics of football: run and stop the run. I'm taking the Buccaneers.

1:00 PM Sunday, September 16, 2012

The main advantage for the Eagles is that this is the home opener. The main disadvantage is their pass protection problems. For the Ravens, they should be happy with Joe Flacco's Week 1 performance, completing 21 of 28 passes with two touchdowns and no interceptions. They are facing the disadvantage going from a Monday night game to a Sunday game on the road. The Eagles will need to see positive progression for Micheal Vick soon, as four interceptions in one game should never happen at this point of his career. Last year the Eagles were among the league leaders in giveaways with 38. They can't afford to go there again. I'm going with the Ravens.

1:00 PM Sunday, September 16, 2012

Sometimes, it's not who you play as much as when you play them. For the Saints - who are coming off a home loss - this divisional game suddenly has great value. One early area of concern is third-down conversions. Last week the Saints were 2-11, but last season they were the best in the league, posting first downs 56.7 per cent of the time on third down. This will be the bounce-back game of the week. I'm picking the Saints to win and cover.

1:00 PM Sunday, September 16, 2012

Everyone knows about explosive offences, but what about an explosive defence? It took only 1:49 for Houston to force three turnovers and set up 21 points in their 30-10 win over Miami in Week 1. The question is whether or not Blaine Gabbert, who is coming off his best game in the NFL, can stand in against one of the NFL's best defences. I don't think he can. The Texans will roll and cover the spread.

4:05 PM Sunday, September 16, 2012

After beating the Giants in New York, the Cowboys learned that they are a pretty good team, if they didn't already know it. DeMarco Murray is a powerful A to B running back that can take a lot of pressure off Tony Romo. They also found two good cornerbacks in Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr. With 10 days between games, the Cowboys will be well rested. For Seattle, the biggest surprise of all rookie quarterbacks to start or make an impression was Russell Wilson. His 18-34 for 153 yards last week is about normal for a rookie starter, but normal will not do against Dallas. If the Cowboys can beat Eli Manning by seven in New York, they can do the same against Wilson in Seattle. I'm taking the Cowboys to cover.

4:05 PM Sunday, September 16, 2012

While it was fun to watch Robert Griffin III last week, now St. Louis and 30 other teams have one game of film on the front runner for Rookie of the Year. This week will be different because the Rams may be one of the most improved teams in league. Last week Detroit, a playoff team, needed two fourth-quarter drives for points to win. I think this is a little bit of a risky pick, but I like the Rams to win outright. I'm picking the Rams.

4:25 PM Sunday, September 16, 2012

They may have lost to Denver last Sunday night but I like what I see from the Steelers. Starting in the second quarter and moving into the fourth, Pittsburgh ran 44 plays and the Broncos ran three. That is impressive. The Steelers should also have starting free safety Ryan Clark back. When he is in the lineup, Troy Polamalu can freelance, take risks and achieve rewards close to the line of scrimmage. The battle between the Jets' defensive backs and the Steelers' receivers is the key, as Ben Roethlisberger is throwing the ball well. I'll take the Steelers to cover.

4:25 PM Sunday, September 16, 2012

How can a running back go from rushing for 2,006 yards in 2OO9, and then open the 2012 season with only four yards like Chris Johnson did against New England last week? His challenge does not get any easier this week, as the Raiders' Darren McFadden only ran for 81 yards against the Chargers. It's hard to get a read on the Chargers because they beat Oakland more due to the Raiders dramatic mistakes then the Chargers' excellence. I think the Titans will keep it close and cover.

8:20 PM Sunday, September 16, 2012

The challenge this week for the 49ers is very similar to their challenge last week. Defensively, they had to stop a top five quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and his excellent set of receivers led by Jordy Nelson. The Packers don't have a dominant running game. This week, the 49ers once again face a top five quarterback in Matt Stafford and a collection of excellent receivers, led of course by Calvin Johnson. Detroit, like Green Bay last week, also does not have a dominant running game. The 49ers won by eight points last week on the road, and this week they are at home. The 49ers had 30 passes and 32 runs over the 62 plays called and Alex Smith was 20-26 for 211 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. The Lions beat the Rams with 10 seconds left on the clock. I'll take the 49ers to cover.

8:30 PM Monday, September 17, 2012

This will be a great Monday night football game. The difference in this game is not so much the quarterbacks, but those players around him. In Kansas City, which is a tough place to win, the Falcons scored points on their first eight possessions of the game in Week 1. The trio of Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White and Julio Jones may be the best trio of receiving targets in the game. Payton Manning will look to take advantage of the loss of Brent Grimes in any three receiver set. Last week, the Broncos had great balance with 28 pass plays and 27 runs. On defence however, the Broncos were dominated in time of possession and third down efficiency. I think Atlanta can do the same. I'm taking the Falcons to cover the three point spread.

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