We are onto week two! As always, the first week of the season came with upsets and confusion with a few hints of clarity. The next few weeks should help us determine the men from the boys as far as NFL teams are concerned. I just want to give a heads up that I will still be giving predictions but will be shortening these to focus on pumping out fantasy football content. As a one man show, time is limited and I want to be able to focus on that. I hope to build this up some so I can give out the wrong fantasy football advice and receive death threats on twitter when Carson Wentz ends up quarterback number one over someone like Lamar Jackson. Thank you all for understanding and as always, god bless. Lets get into it!

Thursday, September 15th

Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs(-4)

What a way to kick off week two in the NFL with one of many AFC West matchups that should be epic. The Chargers head to Arrowhead without Keenan Allen to go up against Mahomes and the Chiefs.

Kansas City didn’t miss a beat on offense when they up 44 on the Cardinals. Patrick Mahomes had almost a perfect day for a QB with 360 yards and five touchdowns with zero picks. Not bad for a team that lost their number one wide receiver this offseason. Travis Kelce looked like his normal self with over a hundred yards and a touchdown. Newcomer Juju Smith-Schuster had six receptions for almost 80 yards in his Chiefs debut. As good as they looked last week against a subpar Cardinals team, this week should be the measuring stick with not only the Chiefs offense but the defense as well to how good they can be this year with the new pieces.

The Chargers defense showed up in a big way against the Raiders. They sacked Derek Carr six times and got six turnovers from the Raiders offense. The duo of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack looks like a destructive one but will be put to the test against one of the best offensive lines in the league. Justin Herbert did well with almost 300 yards and three touchdowns. Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams didn't have big numbers but without Keenan Allen, I expect that to change this week.

Keenan Allen will be out for the Chargers and cornerback JC Jackson is questionable. Kansas City rookie corner Trent McDuffey was put on IR and will be out Thursday, leaving the secondary hurting to defend Mike Williams and Josh Palmer. Last year, the Chiefs and Chargers split the series with both teams winning on the road. Even without Allen, I think Justin Herbert finds a way to take advantage of the Chiefs defense and hold off Mahomes.

Los Angeles Chargers 31 Kansas City Chiefs 30

Sunday, September 18th

Indianapolis Colts(-3.5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars

The Colts technically broke an 8 game season opener losing streak by finding themselves in a tie with the Houston Texans. Now, they look to break another losing streak when they head down to Jacksonville. The Colts haven’t beat the Jags in Jacksonville since 2014.

Even though the Colts haven’t been good at Jacksonville, Jonathan Taylor has been very productive in his career against the Jags. Michael Pittman made himself known to be the clear alpha in the offense but it is hard to say who the next one in line behind him is on offense. 

Jacksonville shot themselves in the foot with penalties against Washington and gave up four touchdowns to Carson Wentz. Number one overall pick Travyon Walker looked worth the investment with multiple pressures and an interception. On offense, James Robinson somehow looks good nine months removed from an achilles tear. Christian Kirk settled in nicely as Lawrence’s number one wide receiver after getting paid big this offseason. Travis Ettiene had some mistakes in his first official NFL game including a dropped touchdown. Mistakes and penalties need to be cleaned up before Jacksonville starts winning. 

In the regular world, the Colts would look like the better team and this would be an easy pick but the streak of losses in Jacksonville makes picking them a little uneasy. I’ll just say the Colts win a close one but they should be on upset alert once again this weekend.

Indianapolis Colts 21 Jacksonville Jaguars 20 

New England Patriots(-2) @ Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers got their first win of the year by getting five turnovers against Joe Burrow and holding the Bengals off in overtime. New England looked rough, especially on offense, against Miami last week. The co-offensive duo of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge is offensive to NFL offenses. Mac Jones hurt his back in the game but should be good to go for Sunday. TJ Watt will be out for awhile but was a wrecking ball on the defensive line for the Steelers before getting hurt. 

Both teams have terrible offensive lines which should lead to a pretty ugly game. Najee Harris is hurt for Pittsburgh and the bad offensive line will limit Trubisky from being able to capitalize with the talented wide receivers the Steelers have. For the Patriots, they really just don’t have much to work with on offense. It’s weird seeing them being favored by two here on the road. Even with Watt out, I’m taking the Steelers at home. They are the more talented team on both sides of the ball playing at home.

Pittsburgh Steelers 23 New England Patriots 14

*Pittsburgh Steelers ML*

Miami Dolphins @ Baltimore Ravens(-3.5)

This game is quietly one of the best of the week. Lamar Jackson got it done last week with his arm against the Jets. It is officially Tua time in Miami as the Dolphins spanked the Patriots. An intriguing matchup with two teams that are good on both sides.

Baltimore had a hard time running the football against New York. Lamar didn’t use his legs much and the combo of Kenyan Drake and Mike Davis just didn’t get it done on the ground. Whether JK Dobbins returns this week remains to be seen. Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay stepped up for Lamar and will be needed the rest of the season to help keep pressure off of Mark Andrews being the main receiver in Baltimore.

A great debut for head coach Mike McDaniel in Miami. The Dolphins left some plays on the field but Tua had almost 300 yards and a touchdown with both Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill having big days. The defense stepped up and completely shut down a lackluster Patriots offense. 

This is a great spot for Tua to show up and prove that he can be a good quarterback in the league and beat a quality team like the Ravens. The Dolphins defense is no joke and for the Ravens to execute on offense, either the run game needs to get better or Lamar needs to use his legs some more. Last year, the Dolphins blitz Lamar constantly and beat the Ravens pretty bad. I’m a believer in Tuanon and like the Dolphins chances on Sunday behind the duo of Tyreek and Waddle.

Miami Dolphins 27 Baltimore Ravens 23

Washington Commanders @ Detroit Lions(-1.5)

The Commanders got the full Carson Wentz experience in his debut. The rollercoaster of highs including four touchdowns that came with a a few interceptions, one in the fourth on a bad screen pass. The Lions are coming off a tough loss at home against the Eagles but should have optimism after putting up 35 points on offense.

This game has sneaky shootout potential. Detroit’s defense just gave up 38 points to the Eagles last week and Carson Wentz played pretty well with his new receivers. The Lions are a liability not only on the ground but through the air as well defensively. Antonio Gibson last week for Washington had 130 yards through the air and on the ground and could set up for another nice matchup. Detroit also gave up 155 yards to AJ Brown alone through the air. Terry McLaurin could be next to have a big day against the Lions secondary. 

For Detroit, they ran the ball pretty well against Philadelphia. D’Andre Swift had almost 150 yards and a touchdown and backup Jamaal Williams had two touchdowns on the day. Amon Ra St. Brown showed that last year was no fluke and newcomer DJ Chark had a nice debut for Detroit as well. 

I never thought having to pick between Jared Goff and Carson Wentz would be intriguing. If Carson Wentz shows up again for week two with the weapons he has, this has shootout potential. Detroit's defense isn’t good but could capitalize on a lapse of judgement from Wentz. I’ll take the home team in a close one.

Detroit Lions 30 Washington Commanders 24

New York Jets @ Cleveland Browns(-6.5)

This matchup is just ugly. Joe Flacco didn’t look good at all in the Jets loss to the Ravens. The Browns rode Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb on the ground into their first win in 2022. The Jets did well selling out for the run against Baltimore and will do it again against the Browns. The difference is that instead of Lamar Jackson they have to defend, it is piss pour Jacoby Brissett. Jacoby went 18/34 for a whopping 147 yards and a touchdown. That isn’t getting it done in the NFL on a weekly basis. The Jets behind Flacco isn’t much better but the wide receiving core would be one of the better ones in football if they had a competent quarterback. If Flacco stinks again, maybe God can bless us with a Mike White sighting. The Jets should have a better chance slowing down the Browns on Sunday and get one of their few wins of the year.

New York Jets 20 Cleveland Browns 17

Tampa Bay Buccaneers(-2.5) @ New Orleans Saints

New Orleans mounted a 17 point fourth quarter comeback to get the win against divisional rival Atlanta. Tom Brady started off 1-0 by the Bucs defense smothering the Cowboys before and after Dak Prescott’s injury. 

Tom Brady is 1-4 against the Saints since he has joined Tampa. His one win coming in the playoffs in Drew Brees’ final game. The one thing that New Orleans has done well against Brady since his time down south is getting pressure on him. Even though the Bucs looked good Sunday night, there was definitely pressure on Brady and New Orleans head coach Dennis Allen will make sure that happens again this weekend. Chris Godwin looks to be out and Mike Evans played through injury and might not be 100%. Julio Jones stepped up and Leonard Fournette should be expected of heavy usage once again.

For the Saints, the offense started off pretty cold but once they went to the no huddle late in the game, they started to cook. Jameis Winston threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns for Michael Thomas. Newcomer Jarvis Landry led the team with 114 yards and rookie Chris Olave did pretty well in his first game as well. They once again used Taysom Hill as a runner, having 81 yards and a touchdown on the ground. 

The lean for me in this game is the Saints in an upset. Tom Brady is an immobile 45 year old quarterback who hates pressure. The Saints have given him fits the entire time he has been in Tampa and now will face them with the offensive line being the weakest it has ever been. This should go back and forth but in the end, the Saints defensive line is just too much for Brady to handle. I'm surprised the Bucs are favored on the road honestly.

New Orleans Saints 23 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21

*New Orleans ML*

Carolina Panthers @ New York Giants(-2)

Brian Daboll got his first win as a head coach for the Giants last week behind a monster game from Saquon Barkley. The Panthers lost by a game winning field goal to the Browns in a game where the offense didn’t look great. The lack of CMC last week was a bit concerning but I expect for both him and DJ Moore to get more of a workload in the weeks to come. The Giants desperately need wide receiver(Kadarius Toney) to step up and help on offense. He has been in the dog house with coaches but when he is on the field, he is electric. He would make a great 1-2 punch with Saquon to help on offense. 

Both of these teams aren’t very intriguing but overall, I do think the Panthers have more talent on both sides of the ball. This can go either way and to be honest, this game looks to be ugly. I’ll lean Carolina.

Carolina Panthers 23 New York Giants 17

Atlanta Falcons @ Los Angeles Rams(-10.5)

The Rams are coming off a beating from the Bills that showed some flaws from the Super Bowl champs. The Falcons did what they do best, blew another lead to the Saints after looking pretty good for three quarters. How the Falcons will be able to contain Aaron Donald this weekend, I do not know. I don’t expect it to end well for Marcus Mariota and the Falcons though. Matt Stafford and the offense should have a much better game on offense. I expect if Cooper Kupp sees AJ Terrell, Allen Robinson should be much more visible than he was last week. The Rams get out to an early lead and ride Darrell Henderson the rest of the way. I don’t see the Falcons lasting very long on Sunday.

Los Angeles Rams 34 Atlanta Falcons 17

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers(-8.5)

Geno Smith shined on Monday night against the Broncos. Whether he will be able to sustain being a good enough starter full time remains to be seen but he is off to a good start. It’s hard to grade the 49ers because of the monsoon they played in against Chicago. Trey Lance looked shaky but I think he deserves a game in decent weather before we write the verdict and throw Jimmy G out there. This is a divisional game obviously so logic usually gets thrown out the window but on paper, the 49ers are the better team. Jeff Wilson will replace Elijah Mitchell for the time being but I expect Deebo Samuel to be running the ball plenty as well.

DK Metcalf got targeted a good amount but it was mainly the tight ends for Seattle who did the work Monday night. Rashaad Penny looked good on the ground but overall, Seattle lacks explosiveness on offense and will suffer defensively without Jamaal Adams. I think San Fran being heavily favored here has me a little on edge but I am still siding with them and for Trey Lance to bounce back this week.

San Francisco 49ers 24 Seattle Seahawks 18

Cincinnati Bengals(-7.5) @ Dallas Cowboys

Both teams are coming off pretty rough week one games. The Bengals lost in overtime to the division rival Steelers with Joe Burrow having five turnovers while almost still winning the game. The Cowboys got shut down completely by Tampa Bay and quarterback Dak Prescott will be out at least six weeks with a broken hand. Before the injury, the Cowboys were actually favored by one and a half.

The feeling for Dallas this week is the season is about over before it started. The lack of weapons and offensive line help looks to doom the Cowboys now that Dak will be out for a significant period of time. Cooper Rush will fill in and Will Grier will end up the backup quarterback…not ideal for Dallas. The offense, that already looks rough, will have a much harder time keeping up until Dak returns. The high point from Sunday night is how good Micah Parsons has looked on the defensive end. 

Cincinnati almost pulled off the comeback after multiple turnovers and sacks for Joe Burrow. The offensive line looked to still have issues but should improve as the season goes on. The defense held up pretty well even when being put in tough spots by the offensive turnovers. 

The Bengals should’ve been favored before the Dak injury but look to now be in a prime spot to clobber Dallas on the road. There isn’t a reason to think Cooper Rush can keep up with Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati offense. Bengals should roll behind the potent offense and the stout defense.

Cincinnati Bengals 31 Dallas Cowboys 13

Arizona Cardinals @ Las Vegas Raiders(-5.5)

Both teams coming off tough losses on Sunday. Arizona got throttled by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Derek Carr got beat up pretty good by the Chargers and their defensive line. Both teams seem pretty similar. Both could be dynamic on offense but have offensive line and defensive issues. Davante Adams had 17 targets in his Raider debut, guaranteeing that he will be a focal point even with guys like Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller. Hollywood Brown got a touchdown late but overall was a bit disappointing in his debut for Arizona. The offense for the Cardinals did not do well and was only able to get points in garbage time with both Hollywood Brown and Zach Ertz scoring late. 

This matchup has shootout potential. The Raiders have the edge here with better weapons on offense and I trust Derek Carr more than I do Kyler Murray. Arizona could just end up a bad team this year. A big day from Davante Adams leads the Raiders by Arizona in a shootout.

Las Vegas Raiders 34 Arizona Cardinals 27

Houston Texans @ Denver Broncos(-10)

The Texans are coming off a tie against the Colts…yes a tie. Denver is coming off a loss to Seattle that ended with one of the worst two minute drills ever seen that should raise eyebrows. Not agreeing with a coach going for it is one thing but wasting 40 seconds to send out a kicker to kick a 62 yarder was just abysmal and is criminal. The offense for Denver had its moments but overall looked promising. Two fumbles on the goal line prevented the Broncos from blowing the game wide open. Houston was giving the Colts the business before letting them come back late in the fourth to tie the game after a Davis Mills fumble. 

Denver should rebound this week and even though their head coach is an absolute idiot, the team is too talented to hang around with the Texans at home.

Denver Broncos 28 Houston Texans 17

Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers(-10)

Chicago got their one of very few wins this season and now go up to Lambeau. They will go up against a pissed off Aaron Rodgers who is 22-5 all time against the Bears. Chicago won a sloppy game in a midwest hurricane against the 49ers last week. Justin Fields made a few plays but honestly, there is not much to take away from the game with how bad the conditions were. Minnesota beat up on Rodgers, who was without Allen Lazard. The defense for Green Bay should be able to get pressure on Fields who is a sitting duck behind a terrible offensive line. Another heavy dose of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon will be put on the Bears defense. This has ugly written all over it.

Green Bay Packers 27 Chicago Bears 10

Tennessee Titans @ Buffalo Bills(-10)

Buffalo looked like a team of destiny last Thursday against the defending Super Bowl champs. The Titans are coming off a loss against the Giants after Randy Bullock missed a game winning field goal. The Titans actually beat the Bills last year 34-31 but both of these teams look a lot different from last year.

On offense for Buffalo, its simply the Josh Allen show. Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis cooked the Rams secondary and look to do the same to the Titans. Saquon Barkley alone ran wild on the Titans defense, gaining almost 200 yards. Now comes in the entire weaponry for Buffalo which looks like a tough offense to stop.

Ryan Tannehill played alright for the most part. Two touchdowns and 266 yards with no turnovers. Derrick Henry got his normal workload but will now be running into a stout defensive line for Buffalo. Rookie wide receiver Kyle Phillips led the team in receptions and in yards. Overall for Tennessee, the offense just isn't anything to shake a stick at.

Maybe the Titans defense can slow down Buffalo some but I just don’t see Tennessee being able to keep up.

Buffalo Bills 35 Tennessee Titans 17

Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles(-2)

We start week two with a banger and we are going to end it with a banger. It got a little dicey towards the end but the Eagles defense hung 38 points on the Lions without Jalen Hurts throwing a touchdown pass. New weapon AJ Brown started off hot with ten receptions for 155 yards. Minnesota’s offense looked really good against a Packers defensive unit that is suppose to be one of the best in football. New head coach Kevin O’Connell and his offense kickstarted with Justin Jefferson having almost 200 yards through the air and two touchdowns. 

The one thing that stands out is the Eagles run defense. They gave up over 140 yards to D’Andre Swift last week and now have Dalvin Cook coming to town. On the flip side, the Vikings will get their first taste this season of a mobile quarterback, a top rushing offense, and the best offensive line in football. The Vikings secondary did well against a subpar Packers receiving core but will now have to go up against AJ Brown, Devonte Smith, and Dallas Goedert. A big time challenge for a secondary that has had issues in the past. 

Even though Kirk Cousins has won his last two starts in primetime, he was 0-7 in primetime games beforehand. As much as I like the Vikings this year, it's hard to pick them on the road here in a tough spot.

Philadelphia Eagles 30 Minnesota Vikings 27