Given some of the unpredictability that the first week of the season brought to the table, I don't feel too bad about going 10-6. Still, I would like to achieve at least 11 wins in these weeks in which 16 games are being played.
My Week 2 NFL picks are below; feel free to share your general thoughts on this week's games in the comments section. The theme for this week's explanations involve me picking a particular match-up or storyline that interests me about the game.
Week 2 Games | Explanation | Pick | ||
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Patriots Face Another Rookie QB: Is there any chance that Geno Smith is for real? The Patriots already got some experience facing a rookie quarterback lack week, so this may seem like a carbon copy matchup for them. Tom Brady will be happy to beat a defense that doesn't feature Darrelle Revis. Patriots 31, Jets 16 |
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vs. | Can Griffin Step Into His Throws? These are two teams I'd like to see succeed -- I'm interested in seeing if Robert Griffin can snap out of his funk from last week; if he can't, you might be able to write the Redskins off for 2013. The Packers played great last week, but can't afford to lose too many games if Chicago plays as well as they did in Week 1. Packers 24, Redskins 20 | |||
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Jackson Takes on Some Familiar Faces: This storyline writes itself: Steven Jackson goes up against his former team. Jackson will surely be motivated to show he still has the goods, but the Falcons might be more content just utilizing their passing attack with Matt Ryan. I'm still rooting against Jeff Fisher for trashing Bernie Kosar, so seeing them lose becomes a priority in 2013. Falcons 28, Rams 17 |
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Near-Mirror Outcomes in Week 1: Both of these teams' offenses got off to fantastic starts last week. The Chargers were up 28-7, and then lost 31-28 to the Texans. The Eagles were up 33-7, and then just held on with a 33-27 win over the Redskins. I think the Eagles have a chance to be more consistent with their hot scoring stretches. Eagles 23, Chargers 20 |
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vs. | Can Peterson Take Over? I want to see if Adrian Peterson rebounds from last week. After an awesome start to the game, he was held in check after that. Peterson is the Vikings' only redeeming player to watch; otherwise, they aren't very good offensively or defensively. Bears 30, Vikings 14 | |||
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Chudless Panthers Looking to Prevail: Without Rob Chudzinski, all the Panthers can muster is 7 points? OK, I shouldn't crack any jokes -- Cleveland's offense sucked too, and Carolina faced a tough Seahawks team. I think Carolina can be a sneaky playoff contender, so I want to see if my hunch is true. Panthers 20, Bills 13 |
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vs. | Not Over-Estimating the Titans Yet: Were the Titans that good, or were the Steelers that bad? I don't even need to wait to find out the answer to that -- the Steelers are that bad this year. The Texans got their heads on straight late to rally against the Chargers, but they'll be on track from the get-go against the Titans. Texans 27, Titans 17 | |||
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Compelling Match-Up of the Week: Every time an opponent physically dominates the Browns' offensive line, I'm very interested in seeing how they do the following week. That is the case with the Dolphins this week, and I'm glad it comes against a formidable opponent in the Colts. If the Colts struggle excessively in pass protection, maybe we just under-estimated the Dolphins. I think Miami will play well, but Indianapolis will execute better on offense than Cleveland did last week. Colts 24, Dolphins 21 |
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Back-and-Forth Game of the Week: Do I feel like a fool for picking the Jaguars as an upset special over the Chiefs last week? You betcha. Never again -- for the Jaguars, that is. The Chiefs looked very impressive last week, but I thought Dallas' defense did a fine job too, and I don't trust the Chiefs' receivers quite yet. Cowboys 28, Chiefs 27 |
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vs. | Blowout of the Week: With all of the controversy surrounding the Buccaneers, I want to see if this team flops into a disaster and sends all of the Doug Martin fantasy fans into a corner to cry. I also want to see if the Saints' defensive effort against Atlanta last week is a sign of things to come. Saints 35, Buccaneers 10 | |||
vs. | Shootout of the Week: I was wondering if Carson Palmer could be the guy to resurrect the Cardinals' offense from last year's disaster, and he showed that he could. I was a bit surprised how well the Lions executed on offense last week; maybe Reggie Bush will be the key difference maker after all. This one should be a shootout, but Palmer will get the upper hand. Cardinals 34, Lions 31 | |||
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Peyton vs. Eli - One Last Time? Sit back and enjoy; this might be the final time the Manning brothers ever face each other. I want to see if Peyton can stay turnover-free a second straight week; if he can, who can possibly stop him with all of the weapons he has? Broncos 34, Giants 24 |
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Pryor to the Rescue: I thought these would be the worst two teams in the NFL this season. The Jaguars lived up to that billing last week, but the Raiders showed some spark, thanks to Terrelle Pryor. Chad Henne will be much better than Blaine Gabbert for Jacksonville, but I want to see if Pryor can keep riding high at quarterback. Raiders 17, Jaguars 14 |
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Sunday Night + Home Field Advantage: Oh, boy -- we're in for a good one on Sunday Night. The Seahawks could not be stopped at home last year, and you know that crowd will be going extra bonkers against a top division rival and in prime time. These could be the best two teams in the NFC, and while I think the 49ers are the better overall team, I can't pick against the Seahawks' home track record. Seahawks 27, 49ers 24 |
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The Day the Steelers Enter the Basement: Maybe I am just delusional, but I now view the Steelers as perhaps the second-worst team in the AFC, outside of Jacksonville. The Bengals had the best showing in the division last week, despite a tough loss to the Bears. This won't be a heated battle, but rather a slaughter-fest. Bengals 28, Steelers 10 |
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Two Teams Looking to Rebound: The Browns suffered a lot of pass protection issues against the Dolphins, which made the offense look pretty pitiful. The defense, particularly against the run, was very good, though. The Ravens had a good pass rush last week at times, but were very porous in the secondary. They also may have fewer weapons on offense than the Browns do. Too many people are assuming that Baltimore will win because they are raising their Super Bowl banner, but half of the team's key contributors from that victory are gone. |
TBD |
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Pokorny's 2013 NFL Picks Record: 10-6
Survivor Pick: I am 1-0, having picked IND last week. This week, I am going with the Cincinnati Bengals to take out the Steelers. Pittsburgh can't possibly win after the losses they suffered in Week 1.