Washington Commanders @ Green Bay Packers
As a Packers fan, I have to temper my expectations after Green Bay looked like one of the three best teams in the league on Sunday. On a short week, it doesn’t seem likely that the Pack will fully deploy Micah Parsons, who was dominant in two games against the Commanders last season. Jayden Daniels’ ability to run around and extend plays makes him much harder to take down than Jared Goff. There are still concerns regarding Green Bay’s secondary, so Washington pulls out a gutsy victory on the road.
Commanders win 27-26
Sunday Early Games
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals’ offense will be better in Week Two than it was last Sunday simply because it can’t be any worse. The Jags’ pass defense should be better than last year’s, but going against Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins will be a true measuring stick to see how far this unit has come. Cincy’s passing attack should have an easier time putting up points this week. At the same time, the Bengals’ run defense will almost certainly not allow Jacksonville to run for 200 yards and average 6.25 yards per carry on the ground.
Bengals win 28-23
New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys
What I said yesterday remains true: as long as Russell Wilson is the starting quarterback for the New York Giants, they will have one of the worst offenses in the NFL, if not the worst. It’s also worth noting that Dallas’ defense has more playmakers than Washington’s. The most interesting matchup will be between the Cowboys’ offensive linemen and New York’s pass rushers. Expect Dallas to have more success protecting their QB than the Commanders did against the Giants’ front seven.
Cowboys win 26-17
Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions
There are strategic advantages that both teams have coming into this one. As the former OC of the Lions, Ben Johnson knows the weaknesses of Detroit’s offense and defense. On the other side, Lions head coach Dan Campbell has spent the last four years helping Johnson develop his in-game strategies and coaching tendencies. At the end of the day, though, this feels like the perfect revenge game for a guy like Dan Campbell, who will want to make Ben Johnson sorry for not taking a job outside of the NFC North.
Lions win 29-26
Los Angeles Rams @ Tennessee Titans
Tennessee had to go against the best pass-rushing team in the NFL when they played the Denver Broncos in Week One. Though the Los Angeles Rams don’t have the sack totals the Broncos have, they still know how to get after opposing quarterbacks. More importantly, Matthew Stafford will play much better against the Titans than Bo Nix did, which should give LA a comfortable victory, even though Cam Ward will look better in Week Two.
Rams win 30-17
Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
Justin Fields was very impressive in his first game with the Jets. In fact, one could argue that he was better in Week One than he was at any point last season with the Steelers. It also helps that he’s going up against a Buffalo Bills team this week that clearly struggled to stop a dual-threat quarterback. However, Breece Hall is nowhere near as good as Derrick Henry, and Josh Allen hasn’t lost to the Jets in almost two full years. Even in a hostile environment, my current favorite to win the 2025 MVP award will shine.
Bills win 31-27
San Francisco 49ers @ New Orleans Saints
Not only did Kyle Shanahan say it’s a “long shot” that starting quarterback Brock Purdy plays on Sunday, but there’s a chance he could be out for “multiple weeks,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That means, in all likelihood, fans who tune into this game will be forced to watch get to see Spencer Rattler face Mac Jones. San Fran is the better-coached team with the better defense, so they should be favored in what will certainly be a low-scoring affair.
49ers win 18-16
New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins
The “vibes,” as the kids like to say, are at an all-time low in South Beach. The ‘Phins got their doors blown off in Week One by a team that was supposed to be one of the worst in the NFL this season. They may be playing at home, but you can bet that fans will quickly turn on the Dolphins if they come out slow once again. Meanwhile, the Pats NEED to win this game if they want to revive their playoff hopes. Miami may not get blown out, but they’ll still look disappointing.
Patriots win 24-21
Seattle Seahawks @ Pittsburgh Steelers
This game will be a slugfest. Don’t anticipate Aaron Rodgers throwing for four touchdowns against one of the better-coached defensive teams in the NFL. With that being said, the Seahawks’ offense will probably run into the same issues it did last week. In the same breath, Sam Darnold is much less agile than Justin Fields and will be easier to take down from a pass-rushing standpoint. In a game where field goals will play a big role, the Steelers should be able to squeak out the victory.
Steelers win 19-17
Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens
Pressuring Joe Burrow and pressuring Lamar Jackson are two entirely different tasks. Joe Burrow is a pocket QB, while Lamar Jackson runs all over the field and feels impossible to catch. Also, the Ravens will have much more success running the ball against Cleveland than Cincinnati did. Plus, the Browns don’t have the offensive skill position players to go toe-to-toe with Baltimore. The Ravens should have no problems taking care of Cleveland at home.
Ravens win 33-21
Sunday Late Games
Carolina Panthers @ Arizona Cardinals
After an off-season filled with promise and hope, the Panthers now look positioned to be one of the worst teams in football. They clearly didn’t do enough to address their run defense, which was gashed for 200 yards by a Jacksonville Jaguars squad that isn’t even known for its ability to run the ball. Going on the road against a team with a running quarterback and a balanced one-two punch of Trey Benson and James Conner is setting up Carolina for a long day at the office.
Cardinals win 28-19
Denver Broncos @ Indianapolis Colts
This has the potential to surprise everybody and be one of the better games on the docket for Week Two. Bo Nix looked awful in Week One, while Daniel Jones was fantastic. Unfortunately for Indy, Jones will come crashing back down to Earth when facing the best pass-rush in the NFL. Bo Nix won’t have to do much to win this game. As long as he doesn’t turn the ball over more than two times, Denver should come out of this one with a victory.
Broncos win 21-16
Philadelphia Eagles @ Kansas City Chiefs
This game should favor the Chiefs. From Super Bowl LIX to now, Kansas City’s offensive line has improved, while the Eagles’ defensive line looks worse after it was ravaged by free agency. Also, the Kansas City Chiefs have a perfect record in their last 11 home games, which includes the playoffs. KC has been licking its chops to get revenge for the Super Bowl. They will beat the Eagles on a last-second field goal as Philly continues to struggle in the secondary.
Chiefs win 22-20
Atlanta Falcons @ Minnesota Vikings
The Falcons have found their quarterback of the future. And though I don’t believe in J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings do (for some reason). In a battle of young quarterbacks, this game will come down to which team is better prepared defensively. Between Vikings DC Brian Flores and Falcons defensive head coach Raheem Morris, I think Flores will have an easier time preparing his unit because he only has to prep the defense, unlike Morris, who has to have a whole team ready to go.
Vikings win 23-20
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Houston Texans
It’s unlikely, but there’s an outside shot that this could end up being the Super Bowl. Both of these squads are good enough to make the playoffs after all. The Texans’ defense can contain Mike Evans and Emeka Egbuka. They proved that last week against the Rams (even if they ended up losing the game). Houston will have an easier time protecting C.J. Stroud in this game, which will allow the offense to thrive and actually score touchdowns.
Texans win 24-22
Los Angeles Chargers @ Las Vegas Raiders
Raiders fans HATE the Chargers, so this will be arguably the most hostile environment we will see in Week Two, especially with first place in the AFC West on the line. Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll will be pulling out all the punches because these two have a rivalry that dates back to the mid-2000s. In Vegas, I think the Raiders have the edge. Also, the Chargers don’t have the cornerbacks to hold Geno Smith below 250 passing yards, which will be enough to earn the victory.
Raiders win 27-24
