What exciting happenings await the NFL world in Week 2? First of all, a vintage quarterback plucked from retirement will make his regular season debut after dazzling audiences in the preseason. What is in store this week for good old, smoking Jay Cutler?
Speaking of smoke, will the Baltimore Ravens’ defense smoke another opponent and force multiple turnovers ‒ again? Interceptions are always exciting to watch, especially pick sixes. We predict one NFC East quarterback will struggle in this category in Week 2.
Meanwhile, somebody has to step up and fill the shoes of Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson. We have an idea how that might turn out.
While all of these events play out, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be aiming towards accomplishing a feat that the team has not managed in over one decade.
Enough with the spoilers. Here are our bold predictions for each Week 2 NFL game.
Bears allow O.J. Howard his first career touchdown
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took a first-round flyer on tight end O.J. Howard who is primed for a breakout performance on Sunday. Howard and the Bucs host a Chicago Bears defense that had no answers for stopping Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper last week. Hooper torched the Bears for 128 yards, including this long touchdown in Week 1. Could Howard find the same success? Keep in mind, the rookie will be competing with fellow tight end Cameron Brate as well as the Bucs other talented pass-catchers for quarterback Jameis Winston’s attention.
Trumaine Johnson returns Captain Kirk INT for TD
Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins started the season off with more turnovers than scores. This why there is good chance that Cousins’ woes will strike again. This time it will be against the Los Angeles Rams on the road. Our choice Ram to have the honor of taking an intercepted ball to the house for a touchdown is cornerback Trumaine Johnson. Johnson had a glorious pick six against Indianapolis Colts quarterback Scott Tolzien in Week 1. We will boldly suggest he manages another against a tougher opponent in Week 2.
Ravens hold Browns to one lousy field goal
It is not a shocker that the Baltimore Ravens and their booming defense are heavily favored to beat the stuffing out of the Cleveland Browns in Week 2. The Ravens were relentless, forcing five turnovers from poor Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton in Week 1. Now, they’ll get to chew on rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer and his offense. There aren’t too many scenarios that point towards the Browns being able to score on the road in Baltimore. Perhaps if the Browns are lucky, the Ravens will allow one ball through the uprights.
Jay Cutler delights fans with four touchdowns
Cutler makes his much-anticipated Miami Dolphins debut on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Fan or not, we all want to see what Cutler delivers as a Dolphin. The team is well-rested and anxious to start out with a road win. Cutler thrived in the preseason and has several awesome pass-catchers to throw to including Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker (a training camp favorite) and tight end Julius Thomas. The Chargers just yielded two passing touchdowns to Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian. Cutler has much more experience and is primed to best his younger counterpart here.
Jacksonville Jaguars break decade-long streak
Sorry Tennessee Titans fans. If the Jaguars can pull off win in Week 2, it will be the team’s first 2-0 start since the year before the iPhone was invented. The last time the Jags started 2-0 was in 2006. They’ll look to snap this less-than-stellar streak on their home turf. A big part of slowing down quarterback Marcus Mariota and his gang should be accomplished in the Jags’ defensive efforts. If this unit performs anything like it did against the Houston Texans, the Titans offense will be in trouble. Rookie running back Leonard Fournette should also help tip the scales in favor of the Jags.
San Francisco 49ers help Chris Carson earn Seahawks starting gig
The Seattle Seahawks backfield is clutter. So a showdown against the San Francisco 49ers might sort things out. Running back Thomas Rawls is currently listed as the starter. Keep in mind Rawls crawled at an average pace of 3.2 yards per carry in 2016. C.J. Prosise is best utilized in passing plays. And it is no shocker that Eddie Lacy looked like a slug last week, spitting up three yards on five carries. San Francisco’s run defense gave up 165.9 rushing yards per game on average last year at 4.8 yards per carry. The seventh-round rookie out of Oklahoma State should rise up the ranks and lead the Seahawks here.
Jets launch Derek Carr into land of the elite
There is the slimmest of chances the New York Jets pull off a win on the road at the Oakland Raiders. But there is very much the chance that quarterback Derek Carr puts on a lights-out performance that compares with the elite quarterbacks of the league. We don’t envision the Jets offense sustaining drives long enough to eat up much clock. On the other hand, Carr will have plenty of passing opportunities. The Jets gave up 30 touchdowns through the air in 2016. Is four touchdowns too tall of an order for Carr in Week 2? We think not.
Dez Bryant busts coverage in Denver
This is a juicy Week 2 matchup that will pit stud wideout Bryant against the Broncos’ shut-down secondary. Bryant failed to score in Week 1 versus the New York Giants. But we are boldly predicting that he fights his way into the end zone and beats either cornerback Aqib Talib or Chris Harris in coverage. Not many expected Philip Rivers to tally three passing scores against Denver in Week 1. This included one touchdown by top wideout Keenan Allen. Sit back, relax and enjoy Bryant making his first trip to the end zone in Week 2.
No David Johnson, no problem
Arizona Cardinals fifth-year running back Kerwynn Williams makes his official debut as a starter in David Johnson’s absence. Fortunately, Williams will square off against the bad-to-the-bone Indianapolis Colts defense. Even though it is a road game, Williams should have no problem barreling his way through a rush defense that that ceded an average of 4.7 yards per carry and 120.4 yards per game in 2016. It is worth noting that Williams — in his limited opportunities in 2016 — rushed for 8.7 yards per carry. He also scored two touchdowns in 18 attempts.
Tom Brady, Drew Brees combine for 800 yards and seven touchdowns
This head-to-head matchup is one of the finer ones to enjoy in Week 2. Two vintage quarterback greats square off in a game that should feature upwards of 800 passing yards and seven (or more) touchdowns. Last week saw each the Patriots’ defense and Saints defenses each allow highway robbery from its opposing quarterbacks. Kansas City Chiefs signal caller Alex Smith and Sam Bradford of the Minnesota Vikings combined for 714 yards and seven touchdowns. Brady and Brees both stand to top this production. But, one team will be 0-2 by the end of this showdown.
Vikings hold Antonio Brown scoreless
This is not what Brown’s fantasy football owners would like to hear. The fact is, the Pittsburgh Steelers play host to a Minnesota Vikings defense that was ruthless against the pass in Week 1. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees only threw one touchdown and that landed in the hands of his tight end. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could easily struggle, meaning Brown will fall victim to a scoreless outing. This is a matchup where Brown’s teammate Le’Veon Bell should find more scoring success.
Carolina and Buffalo running backs all fall flat
The Carolina Panthers host the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. Unfortunately, the whole slew of running backs from both teams may fail to tally 100 total rushing yards. In the case of Buffalo’s LeSean McCoy, he will face a Panthers defense that ceded only 51 rushing yards at a pace of 3.4 yards per carry in Week 1. The Panthers’ running backs may also hit wall against a Bills defense that allowed only 2.5 yards per carry and 38 rushing yards last week. This tilt should see both team’s wide receivers steal the show.
Packers allow Julio Jones 150-plus yards and two touchdowns
In Jones’ three career games against the Green Bay Packers, he has averaged 20.3 yards per reception. It is a must for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan to get that ball to Jones as much as possible at home on Sunday. Green Bay’s secondary was stingy against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1. But, we must note the Packers finished 2016 the second-worst passing defense in the NFL. This is why we see Jones absolutely annihilating Green Bay’s defensive backs.
Ameer Abdullah re-earns his comparison to Barry Sanders
The Detroit Lions will look for their second win on the road against the win-less New York Giants. We are boldly predicting that Abdullah busts out a knockout performance and reclaims his comparison to the legendary Barry Sanders. Is this a stretch? The Giants defense just laid back and let Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott rush for 104 yards at a pace of 4.3 yards per attempt last week. Abdullah really needs a dominant performance to avoid that dreaded bust status looming over head.
Nelson Agholor makes us forget about Alshon Jeffery
Some think Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor won’t repeat last game’s success. Agholor hauled in six catches for 86 yards and one touchdown. Now, he will take to the road to face a relentless Kansas City Chiefs defense. This is the same defense that gave the New England Patriots receivers fits in Week 1. Well, we think Agholor shines once again while the Chiefs secondary focuses on neutralizing Alshon Jeffery.