NFL Week 2 Essentials
By Tony Mejia
Entering the Week 1 Monday night dud of a doubleheader, 11 of the NFL’s first 14 games were decided by one score, which included six games settled by two points or less. It’s unlikely that this second week will be as riveting, but it doesn’t hurt to hope. Here’s the card and what you need to identify before wagering:
Thursday, Sept. 15
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo: There’s truly no such thing as a Week 2 must-win, but this one will make you think twice about how definitive that statement is. The Jets suffered a gut-wrenching home loss to Cincinnati where they played well, but multiple core guys made mistakes, so a setback here could linger. Given how tough the rest of the early schedule is, a win could make a difference in salvaging the season. The Bills scored a week-low 7 points and have top receiver Sammy Watkins attempting to gut it out through discomfort in his surgically repaired left foot, so the clouds are already circling entering this key home game. Tyrod Taylor’s mobility should come in handy against a New York d-line that gets after quarterbacks as well as anyone in the league. He’ll be operating behind a new starting left tackle since Cordy Glenn has been ruled out due to an ankle injury.
Sunday, Sept. 18
Tennessee at Detroit: The Titans imploded due to Game 1 turnovers, but they’ll prepare for their first road game hoping to build on a solid first half against Minnesota that featured improved play on both sides of the ball. Matt Prater’s game-winning field goal in Indy helped preserve good vibes after the Lions nearly blew a 21-3 lead, so the Lions will look to start 2-0 despite Calvin Johnson’s early retirement. Matthew Stafford’s confident play had to be reassuring, but not every secondary is going to be as vulnerable as the Colts. It also helped that he had Theo Riddick taking pressure off him out of the backfield. The Notre Dame product will have to get through concussion protocol here.
Kansas City at Houston: Star RB Jamaal Charles didn’t play and the Chargers led 24-3 at Arrowhead, but the largest comeback in franchise history saved the day for a Chiefs squad that believes Alex Smith has truly turned the corner. Charles and standout pass rusher Justin Houston will be absent again, so depth will be tested in a hostile environment as Kansas City looks to win its sixth road game in seven tries including last year’s playoff run. Don’t forget that the Chiefs ended the Texans’ season in Houston 30-0 in last year’s AFC Wild Card round, so this one will be personal for J.J. Watt and the defense, not to mention a good test of where they are with Brock Osweiler at the controls. Notre Dame product Will Fuller looks like a game-breaker of a receiver, which will only make DeAndre Hopkins even more effective.
Miami at New England: The disappointed Dolphins had to fly back cross-country knowing they let one get away in Seattle, so their resiliency will be tested immediately. Considering rookie coach Adam Gase not only has to pick up his team, but also prepare for a Bill Belichick-led group, and injury-riddled Miami faces a huge challenge here. The Patriots may not get Rob Gronkowski back from his hamstring injury and will be riding Jimmy Garoppolo for the second of four games, but their supporting cast now believes they can go 4-0 without Tom Brady after passing their toughest test in Arizona. Those guys aren’t likely to come out flat at home, but we’ll see how they handle a stingy-looking Dolphins defense with so many backup offensive linemen likely back in play. They obviously held up well in Glendale.
Baltimore at Cleveland: The seemingly cursed Robert Griffin III had fans excited in rejuvenated Cleveland, but didn’t even make it to his home debut after suffering a shoulder injury that will keep him out at least eight weeks. Josh McCown will get the call against a Ravens defense that generated huge stops to deliver a season-opening win over Buffalo. Linebackers Elvis Dumervil, CJ Mosley and Za’Darius Smith all missed practice on Wednesday, so there’s concern there. Joe Flacco looked a bit rusty after his lengthy layoff, but has more weapons to work with and is rightfully favored to get his team off to a 2-0 start. The Ravens have won six of eight in this series, but split last year, losing in OT at home last October.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh: The Bengals couldn’t keep the Jets off Andy Dalton, so they’ll have to shore up some holes to keep him upright against a fast, aggressive Steelers defense. These teams are meeting for the first time since January’s memorable Wild Card game that Pittsburgh won after penalties foiled Cincinnati, so it’s certain to be spicy. Vontaze Burfict, whose violent hit in that game set up the winning field goal, is serving the second of a three-game suspension for that transgression, but the officiating will still be on alert to try and prevent a repeat. As a result, this could become a flag-fest. The Steelers rode their running game to create opportunities and control possession in their Monday night win in D.C., so you can likely expect more of the same here against a defense that gave up the fourth-most rushing yards in Week 1 when the Jets churned out 152.
Dallas at Washington: Rookie Dak Prescott proved the preseason was no fluke despite a one-point loss to the Giants. He belongs. Ezekiel Elliott proved he’s got a shot at being a force running behind the Cowboys stout offensive lineup. Despite those bright spots, Dallas again proved unable to win without Tony Romo (now 10-24, 1-12 last 13), which is obviously a problem as it hits the road for the first time. The ‘Skins will be favored despite facing a short week, which makes this a dicey game to wager when you add in the divisional rivalry angle. Washington saw Cousins take far too many checkdowns in the loss to the Steelers and may be more aggressive getting the ball downfield here as it looks to beat the Cowboys for the second straight time, something it hasn't accomplished since 2012.
New Orleans at N.Y. Giants: The same ol’ Saints showed up at the Superdome in losing to the Raiders, lighting up the scoreboard behind Drew Brees’ precision but coming up empty because the defense couldn’t get a stop. Making matters worse, top corner Delvin Breaux may have broken his fibula and is out indefinitely. New Orleans figures to be in every game so long as the line can keep Brees upright, so it’s going to be up to a New York defense that looked improved to string together some consistency. Eli Manning shook off a rough preseason and showed off the Giants impressive array of weapons. Adding rookie Sterling Shepard and seeing Victor Cruz return to health means Odell Beckham Jr. won’t command all the attention. And if he does, Manning can clean up. For the first time since the 2003 home opener, someone other than Tom Coughlin will coach the Giants in East Rutherford. Ben McAdoo will look to join each of his last four predecessors, Coughlin, Jim Fassel, Dan Reeves and Ray Handley, in winning their home debut. The last guy to fail? Bill Parcells.
San Francisco at Carolina: There will be a lot of eyes on this one given the presence of Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton. One is making his noise off the field, while the reigning MVP is generating discussion about why he seems to be getting protected less than other quarterbacks. As expected, the books have the Panthers as the heaviest favorite of this young season, which is no surprise given their excellence at home and the 49ers being forced to fly cross-country while facing a short week after blanking L.A. on Monday night. Despite their success, this is only the fourth time since 2013 that Carolina is a double-digit home favorite. The Panthers are 3-0 in those games, but are just 1-1-1 ATS.
Tampa Bay at Arizona: An improved Jameis Winston threw for four scores and looked incredibly impressive at Atlanta, finishing as Week 1’s top rated quarterback. Carson Palmer looked off his game against New England, firing the ball away a split-second early and missing open receivers in suffering through an upset loss. Can the Bucs pull off a second straight road upset and deal the Cardinals a second consecutive home defeat? Arizona is just 1-3 in its last four dates in Glendale, with the lone win being its OT triumph over Green Bay in last year’s playoffs.
Seattle at Los Angeles: Quarterback Russell Wilson got his ankle trampled by Miami’s Ndamakong Suh and stuck it out to help the Seahawks avoid an upset with a great final drive, but no one should expect him to be 100 percent here. The Rams will have their home debut, but it remains to be seen whether the L.A. Coliseum can offer them any real advantage and the early attitude seemed to be a cross between dubious and indifferent even before Monday night’s embarrassment. To have any shot at an upset, Case Keenum either has to play over his head or Sean Mannion has to come off the bench with the game of his life. Don’t expect to see rookie Jared Goff.
Indianapolis at Denver: The returning Andrew Luck shook off a slow start and looked like his old self in nearly helping the Colts avoid a home upset against Detroit, but concerns over Indy’s offensive line and the defense are merited and not going anywhere. The Broncos could feast as a result, especially if Trevor Siemian continues to prove that he’ll be able to handle being at the controls for the entirety of this repeat bid. Denver has won five consecutive home games and will have Demariyus Thomas available after concern over a hip injury that isn’t considered serious.
Atlanta at Oakland: Head coach Jack Del Rio saw his gamble on a two-point conversion in New Orleans pay off, so his Raiders are riding a high into their home opener. A win would deliver the franchise’s first 2-0 start since 2002, which not coincidentally doubles as the last time Oakland reached the playoffs. Matt Ryan brings the Falcons cross-country after having just been on the losing end of one shootout against Tampa Bay and will likely be faced with another here against Derek Carr. His offensive line, hoping to be improved from last year, faces a stiff challenge on the road against the Khalil Mack-led group. Top receivers Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu, both of whom suffered Week 1 ankle injuries, will be expected to play.
Jacksonville at San Diego: The Jaguars are also facing a long flight in an effort to avoid an 0-2 start, but had to feel encouraged by nearly taking down Green Bay on a day where Aaron Rodgers had it going. They couldn’t find much of a run game without Chris Ivory, who fell ill and had to be admitted to the hospital. It hasn’t been ruled out that they would get him back to split the load with T.J. Yeldon, but that isn’t likely. The Chargers probably suffered the most painful Week 1 setback since they also lost WR Keenan Allen for the season in addition to blowing a 24-3 lead, but they can heal at home here against an opponent that they’re 5-0 against since 2010, outscoring the Jags by an average margin of 33-14. Considering many were expecting the Chargers being in San Diego would be a thing of the past this time last year, it will be interesting to see how packed Qualcomm Stadium gets.
Green Bay at Minnesota: The Packers flourished after welcoming back Jordy Nelson, found weight loss agrees with Eddie Lacy and saw Rodgers flash his MVP form against Jacksonville. Now, their rejuvenated offense will really get a great test in facing a Vikings defense that single-handedly won their season-opener in Tennessee. Minnesota will need its passing game to be more productive so that teams can’t key in on Adrian Peterson, so this Sunday-nighter should be telling. Will Sam Bradford be deemed prepared enough to start so Shaun Hill can return to the backup role that better suits him? Green Bay believes that’s how its opponent will play it.
Monday, Sept. 19
Philadelphia at Chicago: Rookie Carson Wentz was among Week 1’s stars and certainly the most pleasant surprise, since few saw an impressive performance in his future after such a limited preseason. After showing great touch on his passes and poise and feel beyond his age and experience level, the 2016 Draft’s No. 2 pick ventures out on the road for the first time in his Monday night debut. The Bears had a poor second half in Houston to foil a strong start, so they’re hoping for progress in addition to their first home win since last Oct. 4, the only time they won at Soldier Field all last season.
