2015 NFL Season: Pokorny's Week 2 Picks

Tough Sledding for Peyton: Even though the Broncos emerged victorious in Week 1, my suspicions were correct: this is not the Peyton Manning I grew up with. Meanwhile, the Chiefs rolled against a quality opponent on the road this week. With both of those factors converging in Week 2, the Chiefs seem too good to pass up in Arrowhead to kick off the week. Chiefs 23, Broncos 17

Arians Always Finds a Way: Welcome back, Carson Palmer. The veteran quarterback led a 3-touchdown, 0-interception performance last week over the Saints, and his defensive match-up this week isn't a difficult one. The Cardinals are a good run-stopping team and once Matt Forte is taken out of the equation, I don't trust Jay Cutler to beat very many teams. Cardinals 28, Bears 14

Needs More Beckham: The Giants were in control for much of last week's game against the Cowboys, but surrendered the game-winning score with seven seconds to go. The Falcons were involved in a closely-contested contest too, but emerged victorious. Kyle Shanahan can put together a good offensive gameplan when he wants too, and having a quarterback the caliber of Matt Ryan might be the thing that finally pleases him in the NFL. I still sense protection issues for the Falcons, though, and think it'll come back to bite them at a critical juncture against a Giants team that needs to get Odell Beckham involved a whole lot more than they did a week ago. Giants 24, Falcons 23

What Happened to the Vikings? Remember last year when the Browns got Josh Gordon back, everyone thought it would be the spark that pushed the Browns over the edge? In a way, I'm wondering if the Vikings are going to experience a similar syndrome with Adrian Peterson. If you're going to play him, then play him and let him be the MVP-type of player he can be. The Vikings couldn't stop the run last week either, and it won't get better against the Lions. Lions 31, Vikings 13

I'll Win Ugly Every Time: Man, Brian Hoyer must rub people the wrong way or something. If he thought he had to look over his shoulder too much with the Browns, then what does he think about the Texans, where he was benched mid-way through Week 1? Ryan Mallett gets the start this week in what could be an ugly game. The Panthers don't have big-name receivers, but dating back to last year, they've shown that they know how to win ugly. Panthers 20, Texans 17

Game of the Week: It can't just be me, right? The Bills are must-see football on a weekly basis. Their defense is absolutely terrifying, which will make it even greater of a story when a well-oiled offensive machine in Tom Brady is still able to take them down in a closely-contested battle, one that is much lower than people would anticipate. Patriots 13, Bills 10

Shootout of the Week: The Bengals had their way with the Raiders last week, but now they'll tackle a more fierce foe in the Chargers. Philip Rivers was in midseason form to start the season, throwing for over 400 yards and completing 80% of his passes. The Bengals will get off to a fast start this week before the Chargers come racing back. The second half will be a back-and-forth track meet with the Bengals winning at the end. Bengals 35, Chargers 31

All on Big Ben Now: One of the biggest surprises of Week 1 was how well the 49ers did. If there is one element of their team they survived the massacre of the dreadful offseason, it was the offensive line. They ran the hell out of Carlos Hyde and should do the same against the Steelers' porous run defense this week. Ultimately, I think Roethlisberger will shoulder the load for Pittsburgh and lead them to victory with a big day through the air. Steelers 27, 49ers 17

Early-Season Firing: The first head coach out the door should be Jay Gruden. The offensive efficiency hasn't been there and they were fortunate to put up as well of a defensive performance that they did a week ago. The Rams have me intrigued after upsetting the Seahawks in Week 1. They've been stacking a lot of talent over the years, so is 2015 the year when Jeff Fisher's team finally takes that next step forward? Rams 28, Redskins 20

Blowout of the Week: I watched the Titans vs. Bucs game last week, and all I can say is "wow." The Browns owned them in the preseason, and Tampa Bay looked even worse in Week 1. The offense and defense are a disaster, and something is seriously out-of-whack if the Saints don't rout them by three possessions. Saints 42, Buccaneers 15

Giving a Bucs a Run for Their Money: It looks like Derek Carr will be able to start this week, and while they aren't quite as bad as the Buccaneers, they looked like the AFC's worst team last week. Baltimore couldn't score an offensive touchdown in Week 1 and might be ripe for an upset, but I'll still stick with Baltimore. Ravens 21, Raiders 16

Battle of the Florida Teams: Two of the three Florida teams take on each other in Dolphins vs. Jaguars, and this is an ideal start scheduling-wise for the Dolphins. They didn't play up to their potential against the Redskins last week, which is a testament to having good depth. The Jaguars were far worse than I expected, so my expectations for them have dropped. Dolphins 23, Jaguars 17

National FOX Game: The only game FOX is showing in the afternoon is this one, making it a national game except for those fans who have home teams playing on CBS at the same time. Both teams were involved in the two most exciting finishes to games in Week 1, so naturally I'd expect the same type of outcome this week. The Cowboys will miss Dez Bryant as the Eagles get off to a faster start than they did a week ago. Eagles 31, Cowboys 28

NFC Championship Re-Match: The Seahawks were dominated by the Packers in last year's postseason, and then proceeded to have one of the most shocking late-game comebacks I've ever seen. Their defense was unsettled without Kam Chancellor, though, and now they are expected to get their act together against the best quarterback in football? Packers 24, Seahawks 20

Are the Colts Being Set-Up? As much as I credit the Bills for the Colts' Week 1 struggles, there were definitely some concerns with the Colts' defense last week. A story that Browns fans might like to cling to is if the Jets play really well again, because maybe it can be a bit of a Week 1 excuse that the Jets were much better than anyone expected. I pegged the Colts as an AFC contender before the season, so this pick is me giving them the benefit of the doubt still. Colts 21, Jets 20

A Tale of the True Browns: This game will go a long way in determining fan optimism for the rest of the season. If they lose, it's doom and gloom. If they win, faith is temporarily restored. My full preview and prediction of the Titans vs. Browns game will be posted this Saturday on DBN.