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| Peyton Manning has never lost to the Chiefs as a member of the Broncos, and has only lost once to them his entire career. |
Thursday September 17, 2015 8:25pm
CBS, NFL Network -- Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Watching the Broncos struggle to beat the Ravens at home was an indication of something we all didn't want to see. It appears Peyton Manning is very near the end, but one game may be fooling us. Usually, Manning is on point early in the season, making crisp and sharp throw with zip on his passes. He had numerous passes that had great zip on it, but the Ravens were able to defend them well because they defended the short crossing route patterns well. When Manning tried to throw it over the top of the defense, he wasn't accurate. The Chiefs were impressive in Week One, against a lowly Texans team. I expect them to get a win here in their home opener. Finally, they beat the Broncos.
Denver Broncos 16 Kansas City Chiefs 20
Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants
Sunday September 20, 2015 1:00pm
FOX -- Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
The Giants coughed away an opportunity at an impressive road win, even though the Cowboys did a lot to shoot themselves in the foot. The Giants should be able to beat the Falcons at home, but that is no sure thing. The Falcons' offensive is impressive as usual, but it's their defense that'll determine whether or not they can win on the road. The Giants' offense didn't impress at all until their fateful final drive, when their rush game broke open, and Eli Manning was able to complete clutch passes. The Giants will use this game and their next home game to get off to a decent start.
Atlanta Falcons 23 New York Giants 27
Houston Texans vs. Carolina Panthers
Sunday September 20, 2015 1:00pm
CBS -- Greg Gumbel, Trent Green
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
The Texans looked awful in their home opener under the guidance of Brian Hoyer, but they looked better under Ryan Mallett. It has been reported Bill O'Brien will go with Mallett for this game and beyond, but the Texans simply aren't a very good team right now. The Panthers' defense is expected to continue their stellar play that propelled them into the playoffs late last season, and the defense that led them to a 12-4 record the season before. This pick is a no-brainer.
Houston Texans 6 Carolina Panthers 24
San Francisco 49ers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Sunday September 20, 2015 1:00pm
FOX -- Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston
Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
Many expected the 49ers to be awful this season, but they dominated in their season opening win Monday night against the Vikings, the last game of Week 1. The 49ers' defense showed they can still dominate and Colin Kaepernick is a decent quarterback, but to expect the 49ers to win in Pittsburgh is asking too much of the 49ers. For the Steelers, their offense seems to be on point, with the exception that they couldn't get points on the board in the season opening loss to the defending champion Patriots. Look for the Steelers to find it a little easier to put up points here. They won't be dealing with headset malfunctions.
San Francisco 49ers 17 Pittsburgh Steelers 27
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints
Sunday September 20, 2015 1:00pm
FOX -- Chris Myers, Ronde Barber
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
The Saints were locked in a battle against the Cardinals in the season opener, but the Saints will look to bounce back from last season's debacle to reclaim their good years under the helm of Drew Brees and Sean Payton. A home opener against the Buccaneers is a good way to start. The way the Buccaneers played in the season and home opener against the Titans, they may very well be the worst team in the NFL. Time will tell if Jameis Winston can improve during his rookie season. If not, the Buccaneers may not be patient enough with Mike Glennon as the backup.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13 New Orleans Saints 30
Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings
Sunday September 20, 2015 1:00pm
FOX -- Sam Rosen, Kirk Morrison
TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
The Lions blew a huge opportunity at a statement win on the West Coast when they blew an 18 point lead against the Chargers. Many thought the Lions' defense will be a lot worse this year without Ndamukong Suh, but they still have quality guys like DeAndre Levy, Darius Slay, Glover Quin and Ziggy Ansah who are terrific and underrated defenders. The Lions should still be a good defense despite last week's showing. The Vikings, on the other hand, were overhyped, mainly because many believe Teddy Bridgewater will take that next step. Only problem is the only truly talented players on the team happen to be Bridgewater and Adrian Peterson. They have two solid young corners in Xavier Rhodes and rookie Trae Waynes, but they need time.
Detroit Lions 24 Minnesota Vikings 17
Arizona Cardinals vs. Chicago Bears
Sunday September 20, 2015 1:00pm
FOX -- Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Tony Siragusa
Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
Many expected the Bears to be a mess, but Jay Cutler has shown the ability to be an average quarterback and play solid at times. This probably isn't the defense he wants to go up against, but at least they're at home. While the Cardinals have Carson Palmer back and their stout defense largely intact, look for the Bears to get a victory. I don't expect the Bears, even a team lacking talent, to lose their first two games at home.
Arizona Cardinals 20 Chicago Bears 23
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| Rex Ryan got the Bills a win in Week 1. Now they face the division rival and defending Super Bowl champion Patriots. |
Sunday September 20, 2015 1:00pm
CBS -- Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon
Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY
I tout this as an upset special, but I'm certainly not the only one. There are good expectations for this Bills team this year, and Rex Ryan has shown the ability to get the most out of his players early in his tenure. Ryan has experience trying to confuse Tom Brady, and did so successfully in the 2010 AFC Divisional Round after getting spanked in the regular season a month before. Look for Ralph Wilson Stadium to be rocking, and Brady won't be able to utilize the quick snaps on the road like he did in their home opener.
New England Patriots 23 Buffalo Bills 27
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| San Diego's last visit to Cincinnati was a successful one as the Chargers shocked the Bengals in the 2013 AFC Wild Card game. |
Sunday September 20, 2015 1:00pm
CBS -- Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts
Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
The Bengals were very impressive in Week 1, but Andy Dalton always gives you a reason to believe in him, especially against poor teams. The last time the Chargers played in Cincinnati, they were putting the clamps on the Bengals' offense in the 2013 AFC Wild Card game, a game in which the Bengals were expected to get their first playoff win in over 20 years. They still have not won a playoff game, but I expect the Bengals to win their home opener. Pressure is relatively non existent in Week 2 for Dalton.
San Diego Chargers 17 Cincinnati Bengals 27
Tennessee Titans vs. Cleveland Browns
Sunday September 20, 2015 1:00pm
CBS -- Tom McCarthy, Adam Archuleta
FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, OH
The Titans looked very impressive in their season opener, albeit against a poor team in the Buccaneers. However, the Browns are another poor team, so I expect rookie Marcus Mariota to keep things going here in Cleveland, and ruin the home opener for the Browns. Let's see if Johnny Manziel gets the start here. Josh McCown took a pretty bad fall in that opener, and due to concussion protocol, will not be able to practice until Friday at the earliest. A Browns team without McCown has no shot.
Tennessee Titans 27 Cleveland Browns 13
St. Louis Rams vs. Washington Redskins
Sunday September 20, 2015 1:00pm
FOX -- Dick Stockton, David Diehl
FedEx Field, Landover, MD
The last time the Rams played in Landover, Jeff Fisher was pulling funny stuff against the Redskins as he sent out the six players the Rams acquired in their 2012 NFL Draft day trade with the Redskins, in which the Redskins acquired Robert Griffin III. RG3 has not panned out the way the Redskins would have liked, and Kirk Cousins, also drafted by the Redskins in 2012, is the starter. The Rams have an opportunity to build on last week's great win against the defending NFC champions Seahawks. However, the Rams tend to do stuff like this, and I believe they'll play poorly and lose.
St. Louis Rams 14 Washington Redskins 21
Miami Dolphins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday September 20, 2015 4:05pm
CBS -- Andrew Catalon, Steve Tasker, Steve Beuerlein
EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
The Jaguars have not shown the ability to play against quality defenses yet. Simply put, they do not possess the offensive firepower to do so. It remains to be seen whether the return of Julius Thomas will give their offense a boost. However, his return won't be for another couple of weeks. I expect the Dolphins to control this game from start to finish, en route to a 2-0 start on the road.
Miami Dolphins 20 Jacksonville Jaguars 10
Baltimore Ravens vs. Oakland Raiders
Sunday September 20, 2015 4:05pm
CBS -- Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots
O.co Coliseum, Oakland, CA
There were expectations Derek Carr would improve in year 2, and there is still time for him to do so. However, he didn't look good at all in Week 1's terrible loss to the Bengals. The Ravens' defense looked solid against the Broncos, so the Raiders should be an easier task. The Ravens did lose Terrell Suggs for the season, and have signed Jason Babin. It'll be interesting to see how the defensive unit performs without their emotional leader. They won't have to worry much about that in this game, but they'll worry later in the season.
Baltimore Ravens 26 Oakland Raiders 10
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| DeMarco Murray did not have a good showing in Week 1. He'll want to impress his former team here in Week 2. |
Sunday September 20, 2015 4:25pm
FOX -- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
While many people say the Cowboys were fortunate they came away with a season opening victory against the Giants, the same case could be made that the Giants were pretty fortunate to be up 10 in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys looked lazy at times, and looked disinterested in their season opener. While the Cowboys should play better football here in Philadelphia, the Eagles will not go 0-2 this season. Look for the Eagles' offense to open the floodgates and put up a lot of points against the Cowboys like they did in AT&T Stadium last Thanksgiving.
Dallas Cowboys 27 Philadelphia Eagles 38
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| This fateful play all but cost the Packers a chance at a Super Bowl appearance and title. |
Sunday September 20, 2015 8:30pm
NBC -- Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
It's hard to see the Seahawks starting off at 0-2, but that is exactly where they will be after this game. A defensive unit without Kam Chancellor struggled against the Rams last week, and Aaron Rodgers is probably the best quarterback in the league. The Seahawks' pass rush can still get to Rodgers like they did in both matchups last season, but both matchups last season were in Seattle. Rodgers finally gets them in Green Bay, and he'll take advantage. The taste of the crushing defeat should still be fresh to the Packers as well, so they'll be motivated to put up some points.
Seattle Seahawks 20 Green Bay Packers 31
New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts
Monday September 21, 2015 8:30pm
ESPN -- Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
The Jets looked good in their season opener, while the Colts looked like a team that lacked talent. I've seen several predictions from NFL analysts that the Colts will be much improved this year due to the additions of Frank Gore and Andre Johnson. I do not believe both of those players are difference makers at this point in their careers. The health and productivity of Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton is most important, but their defense has to step up and be more physical. With the home crowd behind them, they will do that and get this victory.
New York Jets 17 Indianapolis Colts 27
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