Thursday Night Football: Commanders @ Packers, 7:15 PM (Prime)
Our first Amazon Prime game of the year, which means it’s time to remind our senior family members what the Prime “channel” is and how to get there.
The Commanders are a lot of experts’ dark horse team to possibly win the NFC this year, after Jayden Daniels’ stellar rookie campaign that saw them reach the NFC Championship Game last season. The Commanders’ Week 1 win was an unspectacular 21-6 affair against the Giants, which more or less showed that Russell Wilson better start working on that retirement/farewell video rather than showcasing the Commanders’ prowess. But even in a game where they only scored 21 points, Washington ran the ball extremely well with 220 yards, averaging 6.9 yards a carry, led by rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt with 82 yards on 10 carries.
For the Packers, they thoroughly handled the Lions in Week 1, steamrolling their NFC North rivals 27-13, as Micah Parsons recorded his first sack as a Packer while the offense played complementary football, piling up 27 points with zero turnovers. The Packers, on paper, have everything you want in a contender, with a young QB surrounded by a well-constructed roster from top to bottom. The only thing left to do is prove that they are indeed a force to take seriously.
This is the type of game both sides desperately want to win—not just for the obvious playoff implications, but also to establish themselves as Super Bowl threats.
Prediction: 26-20 Packers
Sunday Noon Window
Jaguars @ Bengals (CBS)
Never has a win felt more like a loss than the Bengals’ victory last week against the Cleveland Browns, as Joe Burrow barely cracked 100 yards passing while the Bengals’ ground game couldn’t even muster 50 yards. They needed a missed chip-shot field goal from Cleveland to scrape out a 17-16 win. The silver lining in all of this is that the defense played well. How much of that was actual improvement versus the Browns just being incompetent will soon be determined against Jacksonville, who put up a more than respectable showing against the Panthers.
The Jaguars controlled their game against Carolina from the word “go,” quickly taking a 17-3 lead and never letting the Panthers back in it. Offensively, first-year head coach managed to get the ground game going early, but if Jacksonville truly wants to achieve its potential, they’ll need Trevor Lawrence to be better than he was last week (178 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT). Defensively, the Jaguars will look to duplicate the Browns’ success against the Bengals, as rookie Travis Hunter will get his first head-to-head matchup with the likes of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
On paper, the better team is Cincinnati, which is why I’m picking them to win. However, at some point the Bengals need to stop being paper tigers and turn themselves into actual contenders.
Prediction: 27-20 Bengals
Giants @ Cowboys (FOX)
The good news for the Cowboys is that their defense did a more than acceptable job against Saquon Barkley and the Eagles’ running backs, keeping them in check. The blame for the Cowboys’ Week 1 loss to the Eagles falls squarely on the offense. The bad news is that once again, we’re wondering when Dak Prescott will live up to his contract after another big game where he simply didn’t play his best. A key factor for Dallas will be the ground game, which managed to committee its way to 5.4 yards a carry last week after struggling to run the ball all of last season.
The Giants’ defense lived up to expectations, holding the explosive Commanders’ offense to only 21 points. The problem is that the Russell Wilson-led offense could only muster six points, with both the ground and passing games producing mediocre results. Wilson completed less than 50% of his passes, while the ground game averaged 3.2 yards a carry. The Giants have been a quarterback away from success for years, convincing themselves last season that Daniel Jones was the root of all their problems—only to watch Jones drop 33 points in his first game with the Indianapolis Colts last week.
As long as the Cowboys don’t get in their own way, they should be more than capable of handling the Giants. I know there’s nothing the Cowboys love more than getting in their own way, but I’m trying to be a bit optimistic.
Prediction: 24-13 Cowboys
Bears @ Lions (FOX)
For one fleeting moment it appeared as if the Chicago Bears had finally found their quarterback-coach combination that would lead them back to the days of Ditka and McMahon. Then the rest of the game played out, and if not for a bad J.J. McCarthy pick-six, the game would’ve been an absolute runaway for the Vikings. Could things even out against a Lions team coming off getting their bell rung by the Packers in Week 1? Of course. However, there’s also an equal possibility that Ben Johnson joins the ranks of Josh McDaniels and Freddie Kitchens—coaches who were supposed to be franchise saviors but didn’t amount to anything.
For the Lions, last week looked like what a lot of people feared. With Detroit breaking in a pair of new coordinators, the Lions lacked the precision and polish that made them an unstoppable machine last year in the regular season.
This is what I like to call a “panic button” game. Whoever loses will have alarm bells going off all over the facility, because this was supposed to be their year. Meanwhile, the winner will get to exhale and remember that there are still 15 games left to play.
Prediction: 27-23 Lions
Rams @ Titans (CBS)
Welcome to the NFL, Cam Ward. Unlike college, there’s no transfer portal you can take to find a better team to play on. This year’s No. 1 overall pick found out quickly that there’s a major difference between preseason speed and regular-season speed, as he was sacked six times by the Broncos and only registered 112 passing yards with a sub-50% completion percentage. The Titans’ run game was also abysmal, racking up 71 yards on 3.4 per attempt. The good news is that the defense managed to hold the Broncos to only 20 points, which should bode well if they can consistently duplicate that effort.
The Rams won an ugly 14-9 game vs. the Texans in Week 1, with Matthew Stafford putting up a respectable 245 yards and a touchdown. The problem for their offense was consistency, only really putting together three legitimate scoring threats all game—one of which was marred by a fumble deep in Houston territory. The good news is that the defense still looks elite, and they should be more than a match for Tennessee.
Prediction: 23-10 Rams
Patriots @ Dolphins (CBS)
Last week couldn’t have been more disappointing for either the Patriots or Dolphins. The Patriots watched Drake Maye stumble around for four quarters against the Raiders, trying to drag a hopelessly lifeless New England offense down the field. The Dolphins, meanwhile, saw Daniel Jones carve up their defense for 272 passing yards while allowing 33 points, with Tua turning the ball over three times.
Now we get to see which team bounces back and which one stays flat on the floor after a disastrous Week 1. My criticism of Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is that he doesn’t seem to get his players to play for him, and once things start going downhill, he can’t rally them back. Patriots new head coach Mike Vrabel has plenty of experience pulling hapless franchises out of the mud from his time with Tennessee.
This game will come down to which side is more motivated to show up, and I just don’t see the Dolphins being rallied in this one.
Prediction: 20-17 Patriots
49ers @ Saints (FOX)
The Saints are not a good football team—that goes without saying. However, their loss to the Cardinals wasn’t as bad as some thought it might be. The defense held what many believe could be a good offense to only 20 points, and they managed to run the ball for close to 5 yards a carry. The real issue will be quarterback play, as the Saints need to limit Spencer Rattler to about 25-28 attempts per game instead of the 46 he had in Week 1.
The 49ers squeaked out a win over the Seahawks, as the defense looks like it might be back in dominant form, holding Sam Darnold to 0 TDs while forcing three fumbles and recovering two. Brock Purdy, however, needs to be better and avoid turning the ball over like he did against Seattle. Kyle Shanahan teams love to dominate on the ground, and with the Saints allowing over 5 yards per carry to Arizona last week, this could be a big fantasy week for Christian McCaffrey.
With Purdy listed as doubtful, this could be a prime opportunity to pick the Saints. But if there’s one thing we know about Shanahan, it’s that he can turn almost any quarterback into a competent player—even if that quarterback is Mac Jones.
Prediction: 23-17 49ers
Bills @ Jets (CBS)
It feels like every great quarterback needs a great comeback game, and that’s exactly what Josh Allen and the Bills delivered in Week 1 against the Ravens. With the Chiefs looking like a shell of themselves, Buffalo’s win over Baltimore gives them the fast lane to the coveted No. 1 seed in the AFC. But they need to avoid pitfalls against teams like the Jets. The good news is they don’t have to face Derrick Henry this week. The bad news is they do have to face a Jets team that, even in a loss, managed to rack up 32 points against what is normally a stout Steelers defense.
The Jets might have the most optimism of any Week 1 loser, as the offense finally showed some life behind Justin Fields, who accounted for three touchdowns (one passing, two rushing). However, Aaron Rodgers decimated their defense through the air with four touchdown passes, and they’ll receive no break against a balanced Buffalo attack.
If this is finally the year for the Bills, they have to win games like this—which they’ve struggled to do in previous seasons. They’re the better team, and it’s time for them to prove it.
Prediction: 35-27 Bills
Seahawks @ Steelers (FOX)
The Seahawks left their game with the 49ers last Sunday kicking themselves, because they had multiple opportunities to win but let San Francisco hang around long enough to rip it away. When your defense holds a team to barely three yards a carry and gets you a pair of interceptions, the least your offense can do is take advantage of the freebies. But Seattle’s offense failed to do so, managing only a pair of field goals off those turnovers while also missing/seeing a kick blocked by the 49ers.
The Steelers, meanwhile, are on cloud nine after Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock and diced up the Jets’ defense for four touchdowns. Now it’s time to see if he can do it again, or if this is a classic case of being “as good once as you ever were.” Pittsburgh’s identity has long been defense, so watching them give up 30+ points to a Justin Fields offense was surprising to say the least. It’ll be interesting to see how they fare against a slumping Seahawks attack.
Prediction: 24-20 Steelers
Browns @ Ravens (CBS)
Watching the Ravens is a bit like watching a talented but lazy student. They can breeze through a test without studying, only to pull down C’s and B’s because they don’t turn assignments in on time. Baltimore was destroying the Bills, as Derrick Henry looked like he was filming a Hall of Fame highlight reel in just one game. Then the fourth quarter happened, and everyone who went to bed early woke up to headlines about Josh Allen’s comeback.
The Browns should’ve beaten the Bengals, but it’s not like they played well. Yes, they were a missed field goal away from springing the upset, but that had more to do with Cincinnati’s Week 1 yips than anything Cleveland was doing. The Browns’ defense should still be one of the better units in football, but how long will they stay motivated if their offense is only capable of scoring in the low-to-mid teens every week?
After the disaster in Week 1, I have a bad feeling the Ravens might take out some frustrations on the Browns here. The only real question is whether Baltimore’s defense decides to show up for all four quarters.
Prediction: 38-10 Ravens
Sunday Afternoon Window
Broncos @ Colts (CBS)
The Broncos nearly managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, but the Titans were far too green to take advantage of Denver’s countless turnovers in Week 1. The defense was elite against another overmatched opponent, which shouldn’t be surprising considering the Broncos’ knack last year for dispensing with the NFL’s riffraff. But if they’re going to take the next step forward, they can’t keep giving the ball away like they did in the opener.
This game will go a long way toward showing whether or not the Colts are for real. They don’t even have to win to validate their status—just show they can contend with playoff teams in the AFC. If Daniel Jones and the Colts hang 30 on this defense while their own defense shuts down another quality unit, people will start to take notice of what’s brewing in Indianapolis.
Prediction: 23-20 Broncos
Panthers @ Cardinals (CBS)
Every year there’s a team I just can’t quit. Last year it was the Titans—I firmly believed that if they figured out the offense, they’d become a quality team. They ended up with the first pick in the draft. This year, I convinced myself Carolina could be a dark horse playoff team led by a resurging Bryce Young. How did I get rewarded? By watching the Panthers get shellacked 26-10 by the Jaguars.
I’m not falling into this trap again, so I’m hopping off before I’m too far gone.
The Cardinals might not have looked as impressive as I thought they would against the Saints, but they still looked much better than the Panthers. On paper, Arizona has enough weapons to field a menacing offense, and a defense good enough to keep them in contention weekly. But like I said about the Bengals, at some point you have to show it on the field instead of just looking good on paper.
Prediction: 24-14 Cardinals
Eagles @ Chiefs (FOX)
With the NFL going out of its way to make sure Jalen Carter gets to play in this game after spitting on Dak Prescott in Week 1, the whole “ the NFL favors the Chiefs” narrative should be well dead and buried. Not that the Eagles need Carter’s help this week to beat Kansas City. Their defense, after a shaky first half against Dallas, looked as dominant as ever, blanking the Cowboys in the second half. Offensively, the Eagles did what they do best: play complementary football without putting the ball in harm’s way. In short, they played like champions.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, looked like every washed-up former champion—slow, lethargic, and never really in the game despite what the scoreboard indicated. They’ve neglected putting talent around Patrick Mahomes for far too long, keeping the gang together instead of surrounding him with better weapons. With Xavier Worthy out for an extended period, Mahomes’ best targets are a well-past-his-prime Travis Kelce and a never-was JuJu Smith-Schuster. That’s not even mentioning a defense with a below-average pass rush and secondary, which means the Eagles should dominate offensively.
I’ve never been more certain of a blowout. The Chiefs weren’t a match for the Eagles last year, and now they’re worse. This game shouldn’t be close, and I’ll be surprised if it’s within two scores at halftime.
Prediction: 38-14 Eagles
Sunday Night Football: Falcons @ Vikings (NBC, 7:20 PM)
Vikings fans were sweating bullets through the first three quarters of Monday Night Football, as J.J. McCarthy looked completely overwhelmed and had just thrown a pick-six. But credit Kevin O’Connell for settling his quarterback down and finding a way to punch it into the end zone on three straight possessions in the fourth quarter. With the defense only allowing 17 points, if the Vikings can duplicate this formula of grinding their way to at least 24 points a game, they should win plenty of football games.
The Falcons nearly pulled the Week 1 upset, but Tampa Bay rallied for a late touchdown, and Atlanta once again missed a clutch field goal late. Michael Penix Jr. played well enough to win—posting over 300 yards of total offense and two touchdowns—but was let down at critical points by the rest of his team. At some point, Atlanta will start consistently winning close games. Until then, it’s hard to pick them in tight matchups.
Strangely, both of these QBs were two of the most lambasted selections in the 2024 draft, but both organizations have shown incredible faith in them despite their flaws. With quarterback being a wash, this game comes down to which roster is better built.
Prediction: 24-21 Vikings
Monday Night Football
Buccaneers @ Texans (ABC/ESPN, 6:00 PM)
Baker Mayfield got off to a great start against Atlanta last week, tossing three touchdowns, with rookie Emeka Egbuka pulling down a pair in his debut. The passing defense, however, left much to be desired, allowing nearly 300 yards through the air and giving the Falcons a chance to tie the game late before being bailed out by a missed field goal.
The Texans, meanwhile, looked as bad offensively as possible in Week 1. C.J. Stroud will take plenty of heat for the performance against the Rams, and some of it is deserved. But at what point do we acknowledge that Houston has shown zero interest in protecting him with anything resembling an NFL-caliber offensive line? They seem content to let their young QB get destroyed week after week while their defense plays its guts out in vain.
I’d like to believe this will be a get-right game for Stroud, but I don’t trust the team around him to give him that chance.
Prediction: 26-17 Buccaneers
Chargers @ Raiders (ESPN, 9:00 PM)
The Chargers flat-out pummeled the Chiefs in Week 1, despite what the scoreboard may suggest. When one team can’t stop the other, it doesn’t matter how many times the deficit is cut down—the better side will always pull away. The Chargers’ success was due in large part to Justin Herbert, who threw for 300+ yards, three TDs, and scrambled to seal the win. Still, Jim Harbaugh teams aren’t built on weekly QB heroics, so expect them to diversify the offense against the Raiders.
Las Vegas probably felt they should’ve blown out the Patriots last week but were held to only 20 points thanks to stalled drives deep in opponent territory and having to settle for field goals. The defense they’ll face this week is far tougher, so Geno Smith must avoid turnovers, and rookie Ashton Jeanty has to be more productive than he was in his debut.
This is another “checklist game,” where I try to find a reason to pick the underdog. But I can’t. The Chargers have the better offense, the better defense, and at worst, a wash in coaching. If this is finally the year they live up to their potential, they need to win games like this.
Prediction: 27-17 Chargers
Overall Record: 11-5