Week 1 Review/Week 2 Preview:

For Week 1:
vs. W/L: (10-6)
vs. ATS: (9-7)
vs. Aggregate: (13-3)

Against “The Loyal Opposition”:
vs. ATS:
CBS Judge 11-5-0
CBS Brinson 10-6-0
Postcards: 9-7-0
CBS Freeman 9-7-0
ESPN Simmons 8-7-1
CBS Prisco 8-8-0
CBS Richard 7-9-0
USAT Saraceno 6-9-1
Walter Football 5-9-2

vs. W/L:
USAT Jarrett Bell 12-4
ESPN Wickersham 11-5
USAT Pete O'Brien 11-5
ESPN Schefter 11-5
ESPN Schlereth 10-6
ESPN Accuscore 10-6
ESPN Pick 'em 10-6
USAT Gary Mihoces 10-6
FOX Schrager 10-6
PFT Florio 10-6
Postcards: 10-6
ESPN Allen 10-6
ESPN Golic 10-6
ESPN Hoge 9-7
ESPN Mortensen 8-8
USAT Jim Corbett 8-8
USAT Nate Davis 8-8
USAT Robert Klemko 8-8
USAT Tom Pedulla 8-8
USAT Jon Saraceno 10-6
PFT Rosenthal 7-9

Week 1 Notes:

Even in defeat, the big story of Week 1 was Cam Newton passing for over 400 yards in his pro debut. That was over 100 more yards than Peyton Manning passed in his debut. Speaking of Manning, we got to see the poor quality of his team in his absence. We had a winning week, thanks to ½ point picks on Buffalo, Jacksonville and Arizona. We also accurately predicted the final score of the Oakland-Denver game. Buffalo blew KC out of the water in Week 1, one of the many upsets that we predicted would occur. Perhaps there is something to that “Super Bowl Loser” trend because the Ravens took Pittsburgh to the woodshed. One of our big plays for the week was Detroit, and they came through against the Bucs in fine fashion. Tampa Bay may be in line for a step back this year. Philly had a big day as expected but the Rams were bitten by the injury bug as Steven Jackson and Bradford went out with injuries. The Panthers’ best defensive player, Jon Beason, was carted off the field, as were San Diego’s Robert Castillo and Nate Kaeding. In the late games, Donovan McNabb was abysmal in his Vikings’ debut, passing for less than 50 yards. The mounting injuries of the Giants really affected their depth as the Redskins routed them in the second half. How about Ted Ginn, Jr.? He singlehandedly broke open a tight game against Seattle with a kick return and punt return for touchdowns. The Patriots put up over 600 yards in total offense but the defense did not play well. Coach Belichick stated, “[W]e’re nowhere near playing like a good football team.” We’ll see. The games on this week’s slate are much tougher than last week, so let’s look at each one:

Week 2 Preview:

At New Orleans -7.5 Chicago 47

Give credit to the Bears as they played a terrific two-way game against Atlanta last week. But this week shapes up to be a really tough challenge for Cutler & Co. Brian Urlacher (NFC defensive player of the week) was away from the team for a couple of days after a death in his family but will play on Sunday. The Saints’ offense played well in the opener but Rodgers shredded the Saints’ defense pretty badly in Green Bay. This week, things are bound to improve for the Saints. They return home to the very loud Superdome and, if they produced 477 yards of total offense on the road, one can only imagine what they can do at home.

Projected Final Score: New Orleans 31, Chicago 20

At Detroit -9.5 Kansas City 44.5

Was that a pathetic effort put forth by the Chiefs last week or what? 213 yards of total offense put them near the bottom of the league in output. They were flattened 41-7 at home by a Bills’ team that had everything working right. It was an inexcusable humiliation for which Coach Haley assumed all of the blame. Certainly the offense can do much better. In the loss, safety Eric Berry was lost for the year with a torn ACL. Now they have to travel to Motown where the Lions’ confidence has to be a mile high after easily downing the Bucs on the road in Week 1. Matt Stafford will certainly exploit the deficiencies in the Chiefs’ secondary as he’ll be looking to Calvin Johnson early and often.

Projected Final Score: Detroit 27, Kansas City 20

At NY Jets -9.5 Jacksonville 38

The schedule makers toss the J-E-T-S a cookie with this matchup. Coming of a thrilling last-minute win over the Cowboys on Sunday night, the Jets will be greeting the Jags with open arms. The Jets surrendered 100 more yards in total offense than the Jags did last week, but that was against a high-powered offense. Last week, Jacksonville played their typical plodding game and just squeaked past a Titans’ team that is rebuilding. This week, Josh McCown has to go up against one of the AFC’s best defenses. It probably won’t be a pretty result for the Jags. The Jags have a fairly good run defense so this will be a good challenge for Sanchez. The Jets will pound the rock, but if their success is limited in that regard, Sanchez has adequate options through the air in Holmes, Keller and Burress.

Projected Final Score: NY Jets 24, Jacksonville 13

At Buffalo -4.5 Oakland 41

How ‘bout those Bills? They put forth a great effort in smashing KC and now have a great chance of going to the top of the AFC East. The Raiders put forth an honest and credible night’s work when they defeated Denver by a field goal. This is a good test for Buffalo to determine whether last week’s win was an outlier or indicative of a productive trend. Coach Gailey has installed an offense with explosive potential and the Bills stout run defense may put a crimp in McFadden’s style. In recent years, the Raiders have struggled whenever they travel to the east. Combine that with a short week of preparation and it may be a long afternoon for the “Pride and Poise Boys”.

Projected Final Score: Buffalo 27, Oakland 20

At Washington -4.5 Arizona 44.5

The Redskins had a good week against a depleted Giants’ defense and Rex Grossman played a relatively mistake-free game. The question is whether Grossman can pull off the same feat two weeks in a row. The Cardinals did win last week, but allowed over 400 yards in the air to Cam Newton. This begs the question whether they’ll duplicate that dubious effort on the road (and against a much better opponent). Fred Davis had a big afternoon for the ‘Skins last week and is looking for bigger and better things this week. The Cardinals are another west coast team that struggles whenever they travel to the east coast to play. Unless Grossman has a bad day (which could happen), the Cards could find themselves in a jam.

Projected Final Score: Washington 27, Arizona 21

Ravens -6.5 At Tennessee 37.5

Last week, the Ravens served notice that there will be a changing of the guard in the AFC North when they punked out the Steelers 35-7. The Ravens certainly benefited from seven turnovers by the Steelers. This week, they travel to Nashville looking to mash the rebuilding Titans. Last week, Chris Johnson discovered that an electric ball carrier needs the benefit of training camp to get the legs in game shape, as he only gained around 25 yards. The Titans really struggled to get the offense going against the Jags. If the Ravens’ defense is markedly superior to Jacksonville’s, how well do you think Coach Munchak’s offense will fare this week?

Projected Final Score: Ravens 31, Tennessee 20

At Pittsburgh -14.5 Seattle 38.5

Someone has to pay for last week’s debacle against the Ravens and the Seahawks will likely play victim to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Losing to the Ravens was bad enough; getting humiliated was another matter entirely. The Steelers committed seven turnovers in the loss. When is the last time that happened? The youngest O-Line in football goes up against the oldest defense in the league: this ought to be a monumental challenge for the Seahawks. The Seahawks played tough against the ‘Niners until the fourth quarter when their kickoff and punt teams allowed touchdown runs by Ted Ginn, Jr. They really don’t stand much of a chance here. Right now, the Steelers’ O-Line is a mess with Willie Colon just having been put on IR. The Steelers will come out super-motivated to atone and will pretty much have their way against the offensively-challenged Seahawks.

Projected Final Score: Pittsburgh 27, Seattle 13

Green Bay -10.5 At Carolina 46

Cam Newton makes his home debut, but faces a very tough test against the Super Bowl champs, whose offense was hitting on all cylinders last week against the Saints. Right now, Rodgers and the Pack offense are a machine. Newton will probably not enjoy the same degree of success as in Week 1. The Panthers’ defense also took a huge hit with the loss of Jon Beason for the season with an Achilles injury. The Packers’ defense did allow Drew Brees to have a big night, but there’s a world of difference between the Saints and the Panthers.

Projected Final Score: Green Bay 35, Carolina 21

At Minnesota -3.5 Tampa Bay 40.5

Why are the Vikings favored here? After last week’s pathetic performance by McNabb, you’d have to think that Coach Frazier’s patience won’t last indefinitely. The offense put up only 187 yards against the Chargers, and that was 32nd in terms of output. McNabb passed for a grand total of 39 yards. The Bucs were skunked at home last week, but they’re just as talented as the Vikings if not more so. Maybe the Bucs are in line for a step back this year, but right now no one can say for certain. The defense gave up 431 yards to the Lions last week. They’re capable of much better than that. For now, we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and blame that performance on the Florida heat and humidity.

Projected Final Score: Tampa Bay 23, Minnesota 20

Cleveland -2.5 At Indianapolis 37

Last week, Indianapolis got a taste of Life Without Peyton. Without him, Indy put up a measly 233 total yards. There have been times when Manning has put up that much in a quarter. In this week’s episode, they return home to face a Browns’ team that fell flat on their faces in the home opener. Cleveland is a much better team than what they displayed last week. Indianapolis played like lost souls on Sunday and need to rebound with Kerry Collins (if such is possible) to avoid a disastrous start to the new season. Even though the Browns lost last week, they surrendered under 300 yards of total offense. This week, they need to pound the rock against Indy’s suspect run defense.

Projected Final Score: Cleveland 23, Indianapolis 20

Dallas -3.5 At San Francisco 42.5

Any time these teams get together it brings back memories of Dwight Clark’s famous catch in the ’81 NFC Championship. After starting out the year on the East Coast, the Cowboys travel cross country for a date with the ‘Niners. That amount of travel has to be draining. Coach Jim Harbaugh had an auspicious debut, thanks in large part to Ted Ginn, Jr. who had both a kickoff and a punt return for touchdowns late in the game. The Cowboys present a much stiffer challenge for Coach Harbaugh’s crew. The Cowboys were hard-luck losers on Sunday night against the Jets but it was a matter of Romo’s fumble near the goal line and interception late that sealed the Cowboys’ fate. Now the national media is asking whether Romo has what it takes to lead the Cowboys to the Super Bowl. It’s Week 2 for cryin’ out loud! The Cowboys did have a 24-10 lead on Sunday night before faltering late. The defense played well for three quarters. Unless they run out of gas from all the travel, the Cowboys should play well for 60 minutes.

Projected Final Score: Dallas 27, San Francisco 21

Houston -3.5 At Miami 44

From the Texans’ perspective, this game has warning signals all over. After an easy win against Indy, they may come into the South Florida thinking that the Dolphins are easy pickings. No matter how good or bad a Dolphins team may be, they’re always a tough draw at home – especially in September. Despite giving up 622 yards against New England, Coach Sparano is going to get a much better effort out of his defense this week. When the Patriots went no-huddle last week, Miami’s front seven were gassed. After the loss, they essentially fired Benny Sapp as the scapegoat on defense. There was a lot more wrong with the defense besides Sapp. Offensively, Sparano tried to use Reggie Bush as an every-down back when it was painfully obvious that he was being miscast in that role. Unless they want to burn him out by Week 4, they should look to be filling that role with a meat n’ potatoes back (like Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams—alas, they’ve both left town). Arian Foster is slated to return from a hamstring injury and he’ll work with Ben Tate to batter the Dolphins’ front seven. On balance, the Texans have better talent on both sides of the ball but to go from playing in climate-controlled conditions to South Florida is a tough task.

Projected Final Score: Houston 27, Miami 21

At New England -7.5 San Diego 50.5

The Chargers travel to New England already banged up, with season ending injuries to Kaeding and Castillo. Despite the injuries, they had a fairly easy time with the Vikings. Even though it’s only one game, the Chargers allowed the fewest yards (188) of any team in the League. This week presents a whole new dimension of challenges for Rivers and the offense. The Patriots had a big night offensively against Miami (622 yards) but the defense was so-so at best, allowing over 400 yards through the air and ranking 31st in total defense. Much of the Dolphins’ production came on their opening drive and then in garbage time. The Pats are also coming in with one less day to prepare. Rivers is a much better quarterback than Henne and the weapons he has at his disposal are clearly better than Miami’s. If the Pats’ pass defense duplicates the effort they put forth in Miami, Rivers will shred them. Mike Tolbert also had a big day with three TD’s and almost 100 yards rushing. But he suffered a knee knock late in the game and may not be at 100%. The Pats suffered a big loss when Dan Koppen was carted off the field with a broken left ankle but the versatile Dan Connolly stepped right in without missing a beat. Pats’ fans can’t expect Brady to pass for 500+ yards every week. Given the Chargers’ strength on defense, this game will likely come down to the wire.

Projected Final Score: New England 27, San Diego 24

At Denver -4.5 Cincinnati 40

The Broncos get another bite at the apple at home against a Bengals’ team that rose to the occasion and easily handled the Browns. Both teams’ defenses kept the opposition under 300 yards in total offense. Kyle Orton didn’t have a good night on Monday and the Mile High faithful were screaming for Tebow. They apparently fail to appreciate the fact that Coach Fox was brought in to rebuild the house almost from scratch and these things take time. Brandon Lloyd and Knowshown Moreno may be out for this game, and that may be a big blow to the Broncos’ struggling offense. On defense, Champ Bailey and Elvis Dumervil are also banged up. Andy Dalton suffered a wrist injury last week so the Bengals may turn to Bruce Gradkowski to run the offense. For non-AFC West teams, the Mile High experience can leave them gasping by the second half since they rarely play at such altitudes. Maybe, for once, the Bengals won’t be Bungles.

Projected Final Score: Denver 23, Cincinnati 21

Philadelphia -2.5 At Atlanta 49.5

Vick returns to Atlanta; that’s the big media story leading into this game. The more important issue is whether the Falcons will fall to 0-2. When the Falcons are at home, they’re about as tough a draw as there is in the NFL. After one week, both teams’ defenses are in the middle of the pack. Vick has to be feeling the heat coming back to the place where his time ended in disgrace, and the Atlanta fans will loudly remind him of that fact. The vitriol will be palpable. The Eagles started out slowly last week in St. Louis before overpowering the Rams with over 400 yards of total offense. This week will be a much tougher challenge for the Eagles as Atlanta will be highly motivated to knock the Iggles’ block off.

Projected Final Score: Atlanta 27, Philadelphia 24

Monday Night Preview:

At NY Giants -4.5 St. Louis 43.5

Both teams lost last week and both are banged up. What was particularly disturbing about the Giants’ loss was that they played worse as the game played out. That was a signal of some serious depth problems, especially with the injury-ravaged defense (though Justin Tuck is expected to return this week). The Rams lost Amendola and Steven Jackson to injuries last week and both are out for this game. Cadillac Williams will get the carries for the Rams this week. Sam Bradford injured a finger on his throwing hand but it looks like he’ll play in this one.

Projected Final Score: NY Giants 24, St. Louis 17