Well, we had about as bad of a start to the NFL season as we could have, going 1-4 in Week 1. Our Lock of the Week failed to hit by just one point as well, which pretty much summed up the opening weekend for us. But you can't have a major comeback without a significant setback. And we're in store for a massive comeback in Week 2.
I was traveling around all last week and super busy with other things going on, so I didn't have the time to devote to coming up with these picks that I wanted to for Week 1. The opening weekend is also the most difficult to predict every season. But I'm setting the excuses aside and looking forward to the 7-0 run we're going to go on in the second week of the NFL season. Here we go. Jacksonville Jaguars -3.0 vs. Cleveland Browns
I don't know if you saw the performance by Deshaun Watson and Cleveland's offense in Week 1, but it was absolutely abysmal. Browns fans are diving into Watson's contract situation to see how much it would cost the team to just rip the bandaid off and release him. It's easy to overreact to Week 1 outcomes, but I have little faith in Cleveland's ability to turn things around quickly. And that's why I'm going with the Jaguars here. Even though they lost their opener, they had some flukey plays go against them, including a fumble on the one yard line that bounced through the end zone and led to an 80-yard TD the other way just seconds later. But given how bad the Browns looked, I think the Jags are able to bounce back and get a convincing win against their struggling opponents.
New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys Over 46.5 The Cowboys are the team that made the Browns look so bad in Week 1, and they also put up a lot of points against a pretty good defense. And the Saints are coming off a 40-bomb against the worst team in the league. Both offensive units will be riding high on confidence, and Derek Carr looks like he might be able to do some damage down in New Orleans this season. I think Dallas will probably win, but I expect points to be abundant in this one. New York Giants at Washington Commanders Under 43.5 On the other end of the spectrum, these two teams are plummeting down the power rankings already this season. I'm pretty sure there are groups of people standing outside Daniel Jones's house booing him as we speak. Giants fans are fed up with their QB. And perhaps the guy who looked the best on their offense in Week 1, rookie Malik Nabers, is probably not going to be at 100 percent this week. I actually thought Washington QB Jayden Daniels had a pretty good game in his debut, but he did most of his damage on the ground and in garbage time. I think both these teams will struggle to move the ball and we should see a very low scoring game here, which is why I'm on the under. Tampa Bay Buccaneers +7.5 at Detroit Lions I honestly love the Lions this season. It's hard not to with how bad they've been for the last... ever. But I think the Buccaneers are getting a little disrespected with this line. Baker Mayfield was on fire in his season opener, going 24/30 with 289 yards and four touchdowns in their big win over the Commanders. So while Detroit is going to be very tough to beat, I definitely think the Bucs keep this close throughout. I wouldn't be too surprised if Tampa Bay sneaks out with a win, so getting them at +7.5 is too great to pass up. Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos Under 36.5 I take pity on any poor soul who has the displeasure of being forced to watch this game. If you're a fan of offense, this game isn't for you. In fact, if you're a fan of just plain good football, you should also steer clear of this one. The Steelers scored six times in Week 1, and they were all field goals. That's right, even on the occasions they get close to the end zone, they can't punch it in. Similarly, the Broncos did most of their scoring damage on field goals and a safety. This will be an ugly, defensive struggle that is certain to stay under the 36.5. Houston Texans -6.5 vs. Chicago Bears I know the Bears were able to get the win in Caleb Williams's debut. But it certainly wasn't because of Caleb Williams. In fact, the offense didn't account for any of Chicago's 24 points. I don't know how much success Houston's offense will have in this game, though it will almost assuredly be more efficient than Tennessee's last week. But more importantly, the Texans aren't going to allow a blocked punt touchdown and an egregious pick six in the crunch time. This game should be much more traditional. And traditionally, the Bears lose by quite a bit. So take the Texans here. Lock of the Week: Kansas City Chiefs -6.0 vs. Cincinnati Bengals I'm not sure what's going on with Joe Burrow and the Bengals, but they were really bad last week in their surprising loss to the Patriots. And it's not a good time to not be playing your best football when you have to travel to the home of the defending champs. The Chiefs picked up right where they left off with a clutch win over the Ravens in the opening game of the NFL season. And they've had an extended week to recover and prepare for Cincinnati. The Bengals will still likely be without Tee Higgins, and the Chiefs have found a new model of Tyreek Hill in rookie Xavier Worthy. I think Kansas City wins by double digits, and the Lock of the Week hits for the first time this year. Written by Nick Swatson Photo: "NFL Week 3: Washington Commanders vs. Philadelphia Eagles" by All-Pro Reels is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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