NFL Week 2 Pick Results

Winning team in bold.

Unanimous Picks (6-3)

Right:

Cheifs @ Lions
Jaguars @ Jets (APR deferred)
Texans @ Dolphins
Packers @ Panthers
Browns @ Colts
Rams @ Giants

Wrong:

Buccaneers @ Vikings (SRS deferred)

The Vikings have been a great first-half team so far, outscoring their opponents a combined 34-7. The bad news is, the NFL insists that games be played for four quarters. And the Vikings have been a different, far worse team in the second half, giving up a total of 41 points, and scoring none.

Eagles @ Falcons

The way this game went, you'd think that Michael Vick was the Eagles' most important player on defense. When he was in the game, the Falcons' offense was mostly stopped cold by the Eagles defense. When Vick got knocked out late in the 3rd quarter, all the Eagles' D needed to do was protect their 10 point lead for just less than 17 minutes of football time. But somehow that never happened. The Falcons' offense was able to move the ball down the field for two 80-yard touchdown plays. Vick's loss was a blow to the offense, but the Eagles defensive collapse was at least as big an issue.

Ravens @ Titans

We saw this last year in the playoff game against the Saints, and now again in this game: Matt Hasselbeck can still throw the ball. And when he has a good game, he can throw well on even a good defense. Meanwhile, the Ravens discover that playing on emotion can only get you so far.

Split Picks: (APR: 0-7, SRS 3-4, Line 7-0)

Ouch. Easily APRs' worst week to date.

Bengals (APR, SRS) @ Broncos (Line)

So, it's no surprise that the Bengals, with their rookie quarterback, went to Denver and came away with a loss, right? What is a surprise is that Andy Dalton looked pretty good: 332 yards and 2 touchdowns passing, with no interceptions. Dalton still has a ways to go, but somehow I think Bengals' fans may actually have reason to be optimistic about the future.

Bears (APR, SRS) @ Saints (Line)

In week 1, the Bears won because of 3 big plays, and a smothering defense that Matt Ryan just couldn't get started against. In week 2, they faced a quarterback who did get going against their defense. And while the Bears did have a few big plays, it wasn't nearly enough to keep up.

Seahawks (APR, SRS) @ Steelers (Line)

So, the rumors of the Steelers' demise turn out to be greatly exaggerated. And with the Ravens' face-plant against the Titans, the AFC North is still very much in play.

Cardinals (APR) @ Redskins (SRS, Line)

Sometimes, a game is a battle between two teams to see which one is best. And sometimes, it's a battle to see which one is worst. In spite of two interceptions, 3 sacks, and 97 penalty yards, the Cardinals led for most of this game. But the defense let the Redskins drive for a couple late scores that gave them the lead. The Cardinals' last chance was snuffed out on a final, lost fumble. Both of these teams are better than they were last year, but that's a low bar to clear, and they've both got a long way to go to contend at the highest levels of the league.

Raiders (APR) @ Bills (SRS, Line)

I could've used that "sometimes it's a battle to see which one is worst" bit for this game, too. Instead, I will just say that it's really not a good thing when your opponent scores 35 points, even if you do win the game.

Chargers (APR) @ Patriots (SRS, Line)

What's wrong with the Patriots offense? Yeah, Brady put up impressive passing numbers. But their defense turned the Chargers away from the endzone time after time, had 4 take-aways, and somehow this game was within 7 points until very late in the 4th quarter. It seems to me with an advantage like that, the Patriots should've put this game away much earlier.

Cowboys (Line) @ 49ers (APR, SRS)

I'm not sure what to make of the Cowboys. Last week, they took the Jets to the wire, and except for a couple of mistakes, could've easily won. This week, they need a late comeback and overtime to get by the 49ers. On second thought, maybe that says exactly where the Cowboys are right now: inconsistent.

Totals

	This Week	This Season	%
APR	6-10	6-10	37.5%
SRS	9- 7	9- 7	56.3%
Line	13- 3	13- 3	81.3%