Week 2 Review/Week 3 Preview:

For the Week/Season:
vs. W/L: (15-1)/(25-7)
vs. ATS: (9-7)/(18-14)
vs. Aggregate: (10-6)/(23-9)

Against “The Loyal Opposition”:
vs. ATS:
CBS Judge 23-9-0
CBS Brinson 20-12-0
Postcards: 18-14-0
ESPN Simmons 16-14-1
CBS Prisco 15-17-0
CBS Freeman 15-17-0
CBS Richard 14-18-0
USAT Saraceno 13-17-2
Walter Football 11-17-4

vs. W/L:
Postcards: 25-7
USAT Jarrett Bell 24-8
USAT Pete O'Brien 24-8
ESPN Golic 24-8
ESPN Schefter 24-8
ESPN Schlereth 23-9
ESPN Wickersham 23-9
ESPN Allen 22-10
ESPN Pick 'em 22-10
USAT Nate Davis 22-10
ESPN Hoge 22-10
ESPN Accuscore 21-11
USAT Jim Corbett 21-11
USAT Gary Mihoces 21-11
USAT Tom Pedulla 21-11
PFT Rosenthal 21-11
PFT Florio 20-12
ESPN Mortensen 20-12
USAT Robert Klemko 20-12
USAT Jon Saraceno 20-12

Week 2 Notes:

Last week, we picked 15 out of 16 on the W/L, which wasn’t bad and we had winning weeks ATS and in the over/under. Every week presents new challenges and this week is no different. There are some interesting matchups this week that’ll test any handicapper.

Can things get any worse for the Chiefs? They’ve been outscored 89-11 in their first two games and lost Jamaal Charles for the season. With their best players on offense and defense now through for the year, they may be in freefall hereafter.

Week 3 Preview:

At Cincinnati -1.5 San Francisco 40

The Bengals make their home debut after barely losing last week in Denver. Andy Dalton had a good afternoon in the loss and should have a decent afternoon against the ‘Niners pedestrian pass defense. Right now, the Bengals’ defense is slightly ahead of the ‘Niners in total production but the ‘Niners are rated first against the run. The 49’ers had the Cowboys on the ropes last week only to see it slip away on a last-second field goal to tie the game and send it to overtime, where they lost. This is the first road game under Coach Jim Harbaugh and it’ll be interesting to see how well they play on the road. The loss to Dallas was highlighted (or lowlighted if you prefer) by the fact that Alex Smith was sacked six times. Those red flags ought to be exploited by the Bengals’ pass rush, which is pretty good.

Projected Final Score: Cincinnati 23, San Francisco 20

New England -8.5 At Buffalo 51.5

The Patriots may have won last week, but that defense (ranked 31st) left much to be desired. We’ve lost ATS in successive weeks against New England in part because they’re held to a very high standard around here. Now Aaron Hernandez is out of the lineup for up to six weeks with an MCL sprain. His absence will definitely hurt the offense. The Pats also suffered injuries on defense and special teams that will have a big effect on the lineups. Myron Pryor and Dan Koppen were also placed on IR. Meanwhile, the Bills’ offense had an explosive afternoon, winning 38-35 over the Raiders on a last second touchdown pass. Although the Bills’ victories came against the lesser lights of the AFC West, there’s no doubt that the team has significantly improved over last year and they’re primed to give their ancient AFL rivals an awful fight on Sunday. If Henne and Rivers had big days against the Patriots’ defense, why can’t Ryan Fitzpatrick? He’s got great weapons with which to work in the backfield and receiving corps. This game will be reminiscent of those old AFL shootouts at War Memorial Stadium. Then again, the AFL Patriots weren’t really that good. Look for a close game on Sunday.

Projected Final Score: New England 31, Buffalo 28

At New Orleans -4.5 Houston 53

Houston’s top rated defense makes a short hop across the Gulf to the Superdome for a date with Drew Brees and the Saints. If the Texans prevail on Sunday, they’re in the conversation with the legitimate contenders. For two weeks (against vastly inferior opponents) the Texans’ new 3-4 defense has been lights out. They’re in for a tough test this week with the Saints offense, which had a pretty good day with the Bears last week. Arian Foster may be a no-go with ongoing hamstring problems. But Ben Tate will carry the rock against a Saints’ run defense that hasn’t exactly set the world on fire. The insane noise in the Superdome is going to make things difficult for Matt Schaub to direct the offense.

Projected Final Score: New Orleans 27, Houston 20

At Philadelphia -7.5 NY Giants 42

As long as Vick was in the lineup, the Eagles were in control last Sunday night in Atlanta. Once he left with a concussion, the Falcons rallied to win the game in thrilling fashion. On Thursday, he was taking snaps with the first team offense, so look for Vick to be ready to go on Sunday. The Giants, despite being racked with injuries on defense, rebounded quite nicely against a young Rams’ squad. Having reviewed the game, the Rams really shot themselves in the foot on several occasions during the first half. Now, they’ll have to do without Dominik Hixon, who was placed on IR with a torn ACL. But the Giants’ strength in running the ball also is the Eagles’ weakness in defending the run. Eli will have to rely on Jacobs and Bradshaw to pound the rock if they’re going to succeed. Having one less day to prepare for a quality opponent may really hurt the Giants’ chances moving forward.

Projected Final Score: Philadelphia 31, NY Giants 23

At Cleveland -3.5 Miami 41

After two games, the Dolphins’ defense is statistically the worst in the league. Although they played better against Houston than in their first game, they simply lack the horses on both sides of the ball to compete. It only took one week for the Dolphins to conclude that Reggie Bush is not a “between-the-tackles” runner as rookie Daniel Thomas stepped up and rushed for over 100 yards. The 1-1 Browns return to the Dawg Pound after having a fairly easy time of things with Indianapolis. The Browns should be preparing for a tougher challenge. Miami’s failing so far has been in the secondary, but the Browns don’t exactly feature a stable of thoroughbreds at wide receiver. The Browns will continue to heavily lean on Peyton Hillis to pound the ball. The Dolphins’ D-Line is the strength of the defensive unit.

Projected Final Score: Cleveland 21, Miami 20

At Tennessee -7.5 Denver 41

The Titans stunned everyone (except themselves) with a convincing win over the Ravens. The put forth a great two-way effort by defeating a heavily-favored opponent. After two weeks, the Titans are second in total defense and that’s no fluke. Denver may be 2-0, but close home wins over Cincy and Oakland have yet to convince the skeptics that they’re back on track. This game will enable the Broncos to determine whether they’re legit. Unfortunately, they’re seriously banged up on both sides of the ball and the poor run defense may just be the elixir that Chris Johnson needs to break out of his early season doldrums.

Projected Final Score: Tennessee 24, Denver 20

Detroit -3.5 At Minnesota 44.5

The Lions have been a great story through two weeks. It’s hard to argue that they’re not for real. They blew the Chiefs off the field last week and can’t wait to have a go with the offensively-challenged Vikings. Donovan McNabb has been pretty brutal behind the controls for two straight weeks. So it’ll be up to AP to keep the chains moving. It’s hard to pick against the home team in an NFC North rivalry game, but so far the Vikings haven’t shown that they’re capable of putting forth any sort of an attack on offense. When McNabb drops back to pass, he’ll have Suh & Co. in his face and that’ll be darned near impossible to stop.

Projected Final Score: Detroit 27, Minnesota 20

At Carolina -3.5 Jacksonville 42

After passing for over 400 yards in his first two pro games, it’s safe to conclude that this Newton kid can throw the football. This week he and the Panthers face a tough test against a Jaguars’ team that was whipped by the Jets (appearing as NY Titans) last week. Luke McCown was replaced by Blaine Gabbert starting this week, so it’ll be interesting to see how the rook fares against a makeshift Panthers’ defense. Despite the 32-3 loss, the Jags are 5th in total defense and they will try to throw young Mr. Newton off track with a variety of looks. The Panthers’ defense is awful at just under 400 yards/game allowed (rated 26th). Will this be Newton’s first win?

Projected Final Score: Carolina 27, Jacksonville 17

At San Diego -14.5 Kansas City 45

One can only pity the Chiefs heading into to this game. They’ll play out the string without their best players on offense (Charles) and defense (Berry). At one point, Matt Cassel was regarded as the face of the franchise. Now, he’ll have to rely on McCluster and Jones to move the chains. While the Chiefs have been the NFL’s hardest-hit team in terms of injuries, they are professionals. Cassel knows first-hand how to rally a team that faced adversity. The defense also has solid contributors, so it’s not as if they’re threadbare. The Chargers again had a chance to contend with New England, but once more committed a number of turnovers that cost them dearly. Brady passed for over 400 yards against the Chargers’ D, but Rivers also carved up the Patriots’ defense. They’re really looking forward to returning to Paradise where Rivers will undoubtedly have another big day. The Chargers will win, the only question is by how much.

Projected Final Score: San Diego 34, Kansas City 17

NY Jets -3.5 At Oakland 41.5

It’s the “Heidi Bowl” revisited (if you have to ask it was before your time). These teams were once great rivals in the late ‘60’s but time and distance has done much to change the fortunes of both. Last week, the Raiders were denied victory at the last second in Buffalo, though they did put five touchdowns up on the board. Now they’re back home to face the 2-0 Jets, who are coming off a big home win over Jacksonville. This is going to be a tough matchup for the Jets as the Raiders have been competitive in both of their games and are disinclined to play pushovers for Coach Rex’s team. Since Jason Campbell will have to contend with the two-headed monster of Revis and Cromartie, it is essential that McFadden have success running the football. The Jets’ O-Line may be susceptible to Oakland’s pass rush so Sanchez needs to stay on his toes.

Projected Final Score: NY Jets 23, Oakland 20

Ravens -3.5 At St. Louis 41.5

The Ravens suffered a humiliating loss in Nashville last week and one would hope that they would atone against a Rams team that was expected to improve but instead has played like the Lambs teams of recent vintage. In a bit of a surprise, the Ravens’ defense has slipped to 22nd overall and the Rams are rated slightly higher. The Rams’ offense has been the culprit so far as they only mustered 16 points against the G-Men on Monday night. They had their chances to score on Monday night but the offense repeatedly broke down at critical junctures. Now they have one less day to prepare for a quality opponent. The Rams’ run defense has been sub-par in two games, so look for Ray Rice to have a big afternoon.

Projected Final Score: Ravens 27, St. Louis 23

At Tampa Bay -1.5 Atlanta 45.5

At home, the Falcons are seemingly invincible; on the road they’re simply ordinary. This week, they travel to Tampa where the Bucs return home after a convincing win over the Vikings. The Falcons are coming off of a thrilling comeback win over the Eagles. But a trip to Mabry Blvd. is fraught with danger for a team whose road performances have been a big disappointment. Both team’s defenses have been nothing to write home about (27th and 28th respectively). The Falcons need to rely on a balanced attack if they’re going to move the ball while Josh Freeman simply needs to play smarter.

Projected Final Score: Atlanta 24, Tampa Bay 23

Arizona -3.5 At Seattle 41

This is the worst matchup of the day. The Cardinals are in the awful position of having to criss-cross the country in successive weeks. Last week, they put forth a credible effort, losing to the Redskins by only two points. This week, they travel to noisy Qwest Field where the rabid Seahawks fans will greet their 0-2 team for the team’s home opener. Last week, (as expected) the Seahawks were steamrolled in Pittsburgh. They simply lack a major-league ready quarterback as Tarvaris Jackson is the worst quarterback in the NFL. While the offense has been brutal, the Seahawks’ defense comes into this one in 10th in total production, and the run defense has been stout. Maybe the emotion of the day carries the Seahawks to victory.

Projected Final Score: Arizona 24, Seattle 20

Green Bay -3.5 At Chicago 45.5

This is the BIG game of the day. The Bears had a big day at home against Atlanta in Week 1 only to falter in the Superdome last week. There’s no shame in that. Meanwhile, the Panthers gave the 2-0 Packers quite a tussle last week before losing 30-23. Although the Packers’ offense has performed as expected, the defense has allowed well over 400 yards in two straight outings (31st in total defense). The Bears’ O-Line continues to stink and Cutler has taken a few beatings as a result. There have been problems with the Bears’ run defense as well (currently ranked 28th) and that could enable Rodgers to effectively mix the run and the pass.

Projected Final Score: Green Bay 27, Chicago 21

Pittsburgh -10.5 At Indianapolis 39

When the SNF matchmaker scheduled this matchup for primetime, they obviously didn’t know that you-know-who would be unavailable. As such, this game won’t draw nearly the level of public attention it ordinarily would have. How many people (besides degenerate gamblers and Steeler fans) are going to tune in to watch Pittsburgh lay the lumber to Indianapolis? The Steelers’ #2 rated defense ought to have a big night ripping apart Kerry Collins and the inept Indianapolis offense. Indianapolis is incapable of playing any run defense, so look for Mendenhall to run wild. Can’t you just hear Bobby “Blue” Bland singing, “I pity the fool…”

Projected Final Score: Pittsburgh 27, Indianapolis 13

Monday Night Preview:

At Dallas -6.5 Washington 45

Anyone who ever questioned Tony Romo’s bona fides ought to hang their heads in shame after last week. Playing with a severe rib injury and a punctured lung, he single-handedly led the Cowboys back from a big deficit to an overtime victory. The Cowboys are really banged up on both sides of the ball coming into this one but Romo is expected to play. For the first time in ages, the historic Washington-Dallas rivalry actually means something this time. The Redskins are 2-0, but that may be an illusion as they defeated a weakened Giants’ team and (barely beat) an Arizona team that traditionally plays poorly when traveling East. The question for this week is how healthy Romo will be.

Projected Final Score: Dallas 27, Washington 21