Ramblin’ Fan’s NFL Picks and Predictions: Week 2

One week into the NFL season and we have our fair share of upsets. Week 1 this season may have been harder to see coming than any year in recent memory with underdogs going 11-5 against the spread. The Rams performance is one that fans will not be phoning home about coming up on the wrong end of a thrashing at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings. It’s still only one loss, but the Rams have the Buccaneers and Cowboys before their Week 4 bye, two teams that are very beatable and going into the break with momentum will be critical to the teams success.

What is the spread? In the gambling world, a “spread’ is a term used to handicap games by allowing a team to lose or win by a certain number of points while still winning for a bettor. If the Rams are +3 against the Seahawks, that means that the Rams could win outright or they could lose by two points and still be a victory for a bettor. In the same situation as above, the spread could also read as the Seahawks -3 which again would mean they have to win by three or more points to cover the spread.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (-3)

The Steelers barely survived a run-in with the Cleveland Browns in Week 1. Offensively the Steelers were on point with Roethslisberger passing for 365 yards, Le’Von Bell rushing for 109 and Antonio Brown netting 116 receiving yards. Defensively the team is continuing to show its age letting the Browns climb back from a 24-point deficit. The Ravens were on the opposite end, losing to the Cincinatti Bengals after a late surge. This game may not be the usual Steelers-Ravens tilt with both defenses looking shaky and the offenses needing to carry the action in this AFC clash. I expect that Le’Von Bell will be the big difference-maker in this game and pushing the Steelers to victory. Steelers win 31-24 (Steelers cover spread)

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (+1)

Don’t look now, but the AFC East could feature two greatly improved teams this season. The Miami Dolphins played well in every aspect of the game and beat up on the AFC North champion New England Patriots. The Buffalo Bills defeated a Chicago Bears team that many had pegged as one of the best in the NFC. Both quarterbacks have some kinks to work out, but a balanced offense and tight defensive play have got them off on the right foot. But EJ Manuel is not Tom Brady. Expect the Dolphins to nab a timely interception or two that will steer them to a 2-0 record. Dolphins win 24-20 (Dolphins cover spread)

Jacksonville Jaguars at Washington Redskins (-5.5)

The Jaguars shocked the world…for a quarter. Nobody expected the hapless Jags to dominate the Eagles early before turning back into themselves. The Redskins on the other hand were decisively mediocre against the Texans. The Jags offense could be deadly with the quick emergence of Allen Hurns (110 yards, 2 Tds) which could open the passing game for rookie Marqise Lee (62 yards). Defensively you can’t fault the Jags for not being able to stop the high octane offense of the Eagles. Robert Griffin III managed to play the entire game for the Redskins which was a positive but only averaged 7.2 yards a completion. The Jags more aggressive mentality should lift them past a Redskins team that’s conservative approach will make sure they don’t realize their full potential. Jaguars win 28-10 (Jaguars cover spread)

Dallas Cowboys at Tennessee Titans (-4)

Tony Romo had an abysmal game against the 49ers. Aside from his three interceptions, Romo also averaged a mere 7.2 yards per competition. DeMarco Murray proved to be the lone highlight rushing for 118 yards and a TD. The Titans are riding high after beating up on the Chiefs. The Titans defense tallied three interceptions, four sacks and allowed only one TD. Perhaps the biggest takeaway for the Titans though was Jake Locker. Playing for his career, Lock went 22-33 for yards with two TD’s and no interceptions. The Cowboys seemed doomed for mediocrity until the culture around that team changes. By comparison, the Titans are now Ken Whisenhunt’s team and they seem to be playing his kind of football. They type of football that took a surprising Arizona Cardinals team to a Super Bowl victory. Titans win 24-14 (Titans cover spread)

Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants

The Cardinals have a lot of positives coming into Week 2. They orchestrated a fourth quarter comeback thanks to a steady Carson Palmer and 11 different recivers caught the ball. They held a good offense to only 17 points on the defensive side as well. The Giants are heading in the opposite direction. Eli Manning had another multi-interception game and we have all seen how wide open Calvin Johnson was on one of his TD’s. With the downright awful play by the Giants secondary, as well as the whole team, coupled with a Cardinals offense that has so many hands; I expect this to be a beatdown. Cardinals 24-10 (Cardinals cover spread)

New England Patriots at Minnesota Vikings (+3)

The New England Patriots find them in sole possession of last in the AFC East for the first time in recent memory. And their performance in Week 1 reflects their current position. Though they started solidly, they fell apart in the second half. Not one Patriot had rushed for more than 36 yards and only Julian Edelman was a receiving threat. The Patriots opponents, the Minnesota Vikings, are coming off a demolishing of the Rams. The Vikings showed creativity on the offensive side of the ball and a renewed focus on defense that new coach Mike Zimmer is known for. This is a difficult game call. On one hand you have the normally good Patriots and the other you have the young Vikings who are going into battle with a quarterback who know their opponent well. I want to pick the Vikings, but it’s too early to jump the gun on the Patriots demise. Patriots win 24-21 (Vikings cover spread)

New Orleans Saints at Cleveland Browns (+6)

The Saints offense could be getting even better, with the early emergence of Brandin Cooks and a reemergence of Mark Ingram. However the defense was lacking the killer instinct that helped the unit last season and allowed Matt Ryan to throw all over them in Week 1. The Browns are in a similar place as the Saints. Coming off a field goal loss, the team’s offense was a gem. An offense that was highlighted by rookie running backs Terrance West and Isiah Crowell. However the defense was dominated by the Steelers run game. This game could very easily turn into a shootout and if it does, I’m taking the Browns DB’s over the Saints’. Browns win 38-27 (Browns cover spread)

Atlanta Falcons at Cincinnati Bengals (-4.5)

The Falcons squeaked out a win in Week 1 thanks to Matt Ryan who completed 72 percent of his passes for 448 yards and three TDs. However the defense could not generate much pressure and did not produce a single sack despite Drew Brees dropping back 42 times. The Bengals managed to hold off a charging Ravens team, again, thanks to their passing game. Most puzzling though was the lack of contribution of their running game which saw Giovanni Bernard and Jeremy Hill total 67 yards. It’s hard to get a gauge on the Bengals. They still have one of the better QB-WR combos in the NFL and tons of potential in the backfield, but defensively they lost Mike Zimmer which could hurt the team more than anything on the field. With both teams so tight i’ll always take the points. Falcons win 28-24 (Falcons cover spread)

Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers

The Detroit Lions showed why they could have one of the most terrifying offenses in recent memory Monday night. Three players notched six or more receptions and Matthew Stafford looked composed even when under pressure. The Panthers don’t have much to go by after a Week 1 win that saw them play with their back-up quarterback and the Buccaneers best offensive player, Doug Martin, miss most of the game. Though it does seem that rookie reciever Kelvin Benjamin could be something special. This is going to be one of the harder games to call this week because we simply don’t know how the Panthers are going to look. I expect there to be a few TD’s with neither team boasting a fantastic secondary, but I can’t move off the Lions to an unproven Panthers team. Lions win 37-28 (Lions cover spread)

St. Louis Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-5.5)

The Rams were hard to watch in Week 1. Early in the game it seemed like the defense would be able to set the tempo and contain a potentially explosive Vikings offense. Then the wheels came off. Offensively the team looked mediocre at best when Shaun Hill was clicking, but then Austin Davis stepped in due to a questionable injury. Offensively the lone bright spot was Brian Quick who flashed true potential snagging seven catches and totaling 99 yards. The offensive line was terrible when it came to run blocking making the offense become one-dimensional. On the defensive side there were more highlights. The Rams showed how fierce their d-line could be and the DB’s showed a willingness to really help in the run game. The Rams will travel to Tampa Bay and play a Buccaneers team that got picked apart by 31-year old backup. The Rams will need to capitalize on a Bucs defense that hasn’t yet been fully molded to Lovie Smith’s liking. The Buccaneers passing game was far from immaculate with Josh McCown tossing two picks and averaging 5.2 yards per competition. If the Rams want to turn around the season this could be the chance. Rams win 16-14 (Rams cover spread)

Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers (+5)

What can I say about the Seahawks that hasn’t already been said? The team looks damn-near unbeatable after their Week 1 performance. The offense and defense complimnt each other perfectly and they have the top home field advantage in football. They are going to San Diego to play a Chargers team that looked less than par in three quarters of play so far this season. Though Philip Rivers was okay, the defense was consistently beaten by the Cardinals recivers and the running game was pretty much useless. Until someone or something proves otherwise, don’t stop backing the Seahawks. Seahawks win 21-17 (Chargers cover spread)

Houston Texans at Oakland Raiders (+3)

The Texans got off to a good start this season through solid quarterback play and a good running game. Defensively the team contained RGIII, but most of that can be contributed to the Redskins lack of pffensive creativity or risk-taking. The Raiders looked solid, especially rookie Derek Carr who managed to throw two TD’s and no picks. The team though is still missing a lot of pieces and the running game averaged 1.7 yards per carry Week 1. I really want to give the Raiders a win here because I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Carr, but with J.J. Watt in his face all day I can’t back a rookie QB. Texans win 17-14 (Push)

New York Jets at Green Bay Packers (-8)

I’ll be the first to admit that I have reservations about Geno SMith, but he played fantastic in Week 1. Smith had the highest percentage of pass completions of any quarterback and had a solid 96.6 QB rating. But facing the Raiders secondary and the Packers are two different things. The Packers were completely stifled by the Seahawks in the season opener and they are going to come into Week 2 with a chip on their shoulder. I’m expecting the Packers to make an example of the Jets. Packers win 42-14 (Packers cover spread)

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos (-13.5)

Week 1 Kansas City should be an anomaly. Andy Reid has already said that he underutilized Jamaal Charles and that the stud running back will be more involved. The Chiefs defense, though not as good as last year, still sacked Jake Locker four times and hit him eight more. The Broncos defeated a young Colts team thanks in large part to the Manning-Thomas connection (three TD’s), but they never looked great aside from that. Yes the offense was clicking as always, the defense was solid and they should easily win the AFC East; I’m not 100 percent sold on the Broncos as a Super Bowl threat yet. Broncos win 28-21 (Chiefs cover spread)

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers (-7)

What happened? The Bears were suppose to be real contenders this season, but instead they get beat Week 1 by the Buffalo Bills. Jay Cutler threw two interceptions and the team only rushed the ball 18 times, which is criminal with Matt Forte. From one enigma to another, the 49ers have seemingly not convinced many that they are a top team in the NFL. Their win in Week 1 can be chalked up to the Cowboys imploding again rather than the teams ability. This is should be a statement game for the Bears, but on a Sunday night in San Francisco I think the 49ers find a way to win. 49ers win 24-21 (Bears cover spread)

Philadelphia Eagles at Indianapolis Colts (-3)

The Eagles got a good scare in the first half against the Jaguars, but then promptly scored 34 unanswered points to show hos great this offense can be. The Eagles offense has so many weapons, but give the defense credit for adjusting and shutting down the Jags in the second half. Though the Colts may be one-dimensional, they are amazing at it. Considering that the team combined for 54 yards rushing and still almost came back to top the powerhouse Broncos. The Colts did effectively use the short passing game as an extension of the run game though so that is a step in the right direction. I just don’t think one dimension is enough to beat this Eagles team. Eagles win 31-24 (Eagles cover spread)

Season record to date: 8-8 straight-up, 5-11 against the spread