NFL Pick ‘Em: Week Two Breakdown

While week one is out of the way, the NFL season has officially begun.  In my last picks, I landed a respectable 10-6.  Now if Terrance Williams ran out of bounds and the Oakland Raiders didn’t go for two, we would be telling a different story.  With that being said, lets take a look at who I have winning in this weeks NFL Pick ‘Em Series:

New York Jets (0-1) at Buffalo Bills (0-1)

For The Jets: The Jets were one of four teams to lose by only a single point in week one, as they disappointed fans in their home stadium.  This week, they face a Bills defense that struggled greatly against the pass.  Look for Brandon Marshall to recover from his week one debut in this one.

For The Bills: I picked the Bills to lose last week against the Ravens, and that’s exactly what happened.  The defense seems a bit overrated, even without Marcell Dareus for the first four games. In order for this team to succeed, they’ll need to protect Tyrod Taylor from a defense that recorded seven sacks last week against the Bengals.

Prediction: It’s just too tough to ignore the fact that the Jets pass rush was great last week.  I think Tyrod will struggle with blitz schemes, so I like the Jets in a close one here.

New Orleans Saints (0-1) at New York Giants (1-0) 

For The Saints: The Saints lost to the Raiders in a surprising game last week, but Drew Brees had an elite performance.  With 423 passing yards and 4 TDs, I don’t see him slowing down this week against a Giants defense that struggled to defend the pass against the Cowboys.

For The Giants: The Giants looked pretty good last week, as they surprised me and beat the Dallas Cowboys.  In order to win this one, they’ll need to keep Drew Brees off the field by managing their time more.  In last week’s game, the Giants had the ball for only 23:17, compared to Dallas’ 36:43.

Prediction: I think that both teams will score over 24 in this one, but I actually see the Giants stealing this one from the Saints.  Call me crazy, but the run defense that the Giants provided in week one could be enough to edge them out.

Tennessee Titans (0-1) at Detroit Lions (1-0)

For The Titans: In a nine-point lose to the Vikings last week, the Titans look to bounce back against a Lions team that preformed better than expected against the Colts. I don’t know how good this team can be without a receiving core handy, but the run game will be what wins it for them.

For The Lions: I was actually pretty certain the Lions would lose to the Colts, and they almost did up until the last couple minutes. In order to beat the Titans, they’ll need to stuff the run. They let up an average of 4.2 ypc to an old Frank Gore last week, so they need to buckle up against DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry.

Prediction: I’ve been saying that the Titans will only win 4-5 games this season, and this won’t be one of those wins.  Matt Stafford looked great, even if the Colts defense is below average. Look for Theo Riddick to continue his hot streak against the Titans defense.

Dallas Cowboys (0-1) at Washington Redskins (0-1)

For The Cowboys: The Cowboys lost on a variety of small mistakes last Sunday, but I wouldn’t fear quite yet. Prescott looked solid in his first game, and the only adjustment I would make is to utilize Dez Bryant some more. If the Cowboys can keep the Redskins offense under control, they should be able to win.

For The Redskins: In a Monday night football game against the Steelers, the Redskins proved exactly why NFC teams don’t repeat as division winners. The lack of offense and the holes at defense forced the team to swallow their first loss of the season.  In order to beat the Cowboys, they’ll need to take control of the clock, as well as stop the run game.

Prediction: Even if the Redskins are the home team, I still like the Cowboys chances here.  Monday night proved why Washington will struggle against offenses, and I see Dallas taking full advantage of that come Sunday.

Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) at Houston Texans (1-0)

For The Chiefs: In an overtime win against the Chargers last week, I liked what I saw from Spencer Ware.  Even if Jamal Charles does come back this week, I expect Andy Reid to continue to utilize him as much as he can. This is going to be quite a battle, but the Chiefs need to contain Lamar Miller and the Texans run game.

For The Texans: All around, the Texans looked really solid against the Bears last week. Lamar Miller got 28 touches, but the bigger surprise for me was Will Fuller getting 100+ receiving yards and a TD on Sunday.  For the Texans to win this, they’ll need to attack Spencer Ware, Jamal Charles, and whoever else the Chiefs decide to utilize out of the backfield.

Prediction: While I think both teams have a solid shot at making the playoffs this season, I like the Texans in this specific matchup.  The Chiefs didn’t use Jeremy Maclin much last week, and Spencer Ware was by far their top receiver against the Chargers.  The Texans looked to have all the chemistry in the world, and I expect them to win in a close one here.