NFL 2024 Week 3 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming soon upon us yet again. The first two weeks are in the books and we have seen the first step in the marathon that is the NFL regular season. The games I'm keeping an eye on for this week are: Patriots-Jets, Texans-Vikings, Chargers-Steelers, Ravens-Cowboys and Chiefs-Falcons. In this post I'll do a Week 3 preview, the picks for the games and the Early & Late TV Broadcasting pairings for Week 3. Let's get to work!

Week 3 Preview

The 3rd week in the National Football League's regular season will start in East Rutherford, New Jersey and finish up in Cincinnati, Ohio. The week features a 16-game slate where all 32 teams will play. There will be a Thursday night game, seven early games, five late games, a Sunday night game and two Monday night games. Week 3 features 10 AFC vs NFC contests, two division matchups, two AFC matchups and two NFC matchups. No teams are on a bye this week. CBS will have the regional, single game and FOX will carry the doubleheader this week. Let's get to the picks! 

Week 3 Picks

Note: All game times are in US Eastern. TW is me 

New England (1-1) @ NY Jets (1-1) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Patriots

The Patriots lost to the Seahawks and the Jets beat the Titans last week. Week 3 starts with a somewhat intriguing matchup in the AFC East. New England comes off a gut-wrenching loss to Seattle. They had their opportunities to score touchdowns in the game but sadly missed them. At least they played a competitive game against a really good team. New England's defense needs to get better. The Jets last week got a big win in the Aaron Rodgers era. Their offense put up enough points in the win against Tennessee but I feel they could've been better. The defense took to task and kept the Titans from really coming back into the game and tying it. New York should just be better on offense but something seems off with them. I'll take the Patriots. 

All-time series: Patriots lead 74-55-1

Chicago (1-1) @ Indianapolis (0-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Colts

Both teams lost last week as the Bears lost to the Texans and the Colts lost to the Packers. Another week, another AFC South opponent for the Bears. Chicago last week had their opportunities to win as they really were the least penalized team. Pass protection really broke down for Chicago as Caleb Williams was sacked seven times. They need to get better in that department and Williams needs to get the ball out quicker. The Colts last week against Green Bay didn't do so bad but they didn't do great either. Anthony Richardson so far has more interceptions than touchdowns in two games thus far. If they can cut back on the turnovers they can possibly win a game. Alec Pierce has been a solid contributor to the offense thus far. I think if there's an opportunity for the Colts to get into the win column, it'll be this game. If Indy's defensive line ravages the Bears, it'll be a long day for them. 

All-time series: Colts lead 25-19

Denver (0-2) @ Tampa Bay (2-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers

The Broncos lost to the Steelers and the Buccaneers beat the Lions last week. Denver and bad starts is like a beautiful marriage that no one wants. Sadly for Broncos fans, they're likely used to it by now. I think the issue with them is that their offense expects Bo Nix to do many great things but he is just a rookie. He does deserve some of the blame though. Tampa is off to a great start. They had a big win against a great Lions team that were picked to win (yeah I know I picked Detroit). Confidence has to be riding high with them for sure. The season has been a bit of a weird one where underdogs have won a bit. I think I'll take the Buccaneers. 

All-time series: Broncos lead 7-3

Green Bay (1-1) @ Tennessee (0-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Packers

The Packers beat the Colts and the Titans lost to the Jets last week. Green Bay had a big win against the Colts in a game where they didn't have Jordan Love at quarterback. Malik Willis did alright, he wasn't Aaron Rodgers out there but he wasn't Brett Favre on a bad day either. He got a touchdown pass and that was really all that was needed. The Packers defense really helped win last week. They can have a decent shot to win against Tennessee. The Titans have had their chances to win games and/or play competitive ball. They lost both of their games by a 24-17 score (kind of weird). If the Titans score more than 17 points, they might actually win a game. I think the Packers are the better team on offense with the talent they have outside of the quarterback. Jordan Love won't likely play in this one. 

All-time series: Titans lead 8-6

Houston (2-0) @ Minnesota (2-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings

The Texans beat the Bears and the Vikings beat the 49ers last week. Houston has cruised along so far in this young season. They haven't looked the best that some people have expected. Penalties were a factor in last week's win against the Bears as they had 12 infractions. DeMeco Ryans will have to have his troops more disciplined against a very formidable opponent. Minnesota had a solid win against San Francisco. They took charge on defense and made the 49ers offense uncomfortable and they made the most of their offense on a 97-yard deep play to Justin Jefferson. Jefferson did have a quadriceps injury during the game and he might be inactive for this game. Which could be a troubling sign. Minnesota has yet to lose to Houston in their series. Keep in mind that the Texans 1st season was in 2002. I'll take the Vikes in a safe bet. 

All-time series: Minnesota leads 5-0

LA Chargers (2-0) @ Pittsburgh (2-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers

The two teams won last week as the Chargers beat the Panthers and the Steelers beat the Broncos. Home opener for the Yinzers. The Chargers ahve been the most impressive team thus far as they really went from a passing team where Justin Herbert threw for 40 to 50 times to a ground and pound team under the leadership of Jim Harbaugh. They face a stiff test as they take on the vaunted Steelers defense. Pittsburgh and defense has been a cornerstone for the franchise since probably day one. At least in the 1970's it was. Justin Fields has done enough to help the offense but I feel the Yinzers want more from him and that he can't become the next Ben Roethlisberger. Russell Wilson has yet to play for the Steelers which most people seem to forget a bit. This is a toughie but I think the Steelers will try to win it by forcing Justin Herbert to beat you. It's a tall task but I'll take the Steelers. 

All-time series: Steelers lead 24-11

NY Giants (0-2) @ Cleveland (1-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Giants

The Giants lost to the Commanders and the Browns beat the Jaguars last week. New York has had a rough go of it in 2024 so far. They've spent most of the last few seasons with an 0-2 mark with the exception of the 2022 season. Their offense has been lackluster and just hasn't played very good football. Daniel Jones deserves some of the blame with his turnovers. The Browns found some drive and beat a solid Jaguars team on the road. Their defense made a few stops and their offense helped out a defense that needed the offense to pick up the slack. DeShaun Watson actually played a game where he didn't totally shit the bed and even scored a rushing touchdown. I feel it's bound to happen for the Giants to win a game and I'll take them. 

All-time series: Browns lead 28-22-2

Philadelphia (1-1) @ New Orleans (2-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Saints

The Eagles lost to the Falcons and the Saints beat the Cowboys last week. Philadelphia really had a chance to put the nail on the coffin in the Falcons but a dropped pass by Saquon Barkley really reversed the fortunes of that game. Enough for the Eagles defense to give up a game-winning touchdown with less than a minute to go. Not also to mention Jalen Hurts throwing a pick when the Eagles still had a chance to hit a game-winning field goal. New Orleans had a big win against the Cowboys. It gave Cowboys fans PTSD of last January in the loss against Green Bay. The Saints currently have the highest scoring offense putting up 45.5 points/game in two games. They've done it with a big total offense with the 3rd ranked total yardage in 405.5 yards/game. I think the game will bring those stats a bit lower but I think the Saints will take it. 

All-time series: Eagles lead 19-16

Carolina (0-2) @ Las Vegas (1-1) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Raiders

The Panthers lost to the Chargers and the Raiders beat the Ravens last week. Carolina made a big bold step in benching Bryce Young in favor of the journeyman quarterback Andy Dalton. Yep he's still in the league. The push for change was somewhat needed as Young seems lost at times and the offense has sputtered to a halt. I think the Panthers will put up some better numbers but the Raiders defense will keep them in check I think. Las Vegas hung around and beat the Ravens and sent them to their 0-2 record last week. They really did it with a defense and offense that mostly featured the passing game. As well as scoring three straight drives in the 4th quarter. Maybe the Panthers can pull off the upset after going 0-2 to start the year but I'll take the Raiders. 

All-time series: Raiders lead 4-3

Miami (1-1) @ Seattle (2-0) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Seahawks

The Dolphins lost to the Bills and the Seahawks beat the Patriots last week. Miami lost in a big way last week. Not just the game either. Tua Tagovailoa will be out for this game with a concussion suffered from a hit by Damar Hamlin. If the Dolphins were smart he should not play at all or at least for over a month. The guy doesn't know how to slide. Skylar Thompson will get the start for the Dolphins. I think he should do okay-ish. He still has an offense that is still solid. He just has to throw it to them. Seattle is coming off a tough win against the Patriots. New England gave a bit more of a fight than Seattle probably wanted to admit. Suffice to say, they are 2-0 in the Mike MacDonald era. Seattle has done it with their offense and a bend but don't break defense. Geno Smith has had a solid year so far in 2024 with 498 passing yards with two touchdown passes. I don't trust Skylar Thompson enough to give him the nod to win this one. I'll take the Seahawks. 

All-time series: Dolphins lead 10-6

Baltimore (1-1) @ Dallas (1-1) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Ravens

The Ravens lost to the Raiders and the Cowboys lost to the Saints last week. Baltimore really faltered last week against Las Vegas. They had a game where they should've won it and ran out the clock. Fortunately they have a shot to beat one of the better teams in the NFC. I think the Ravens just need to gameplan around Micah Parsons who can wreck havoc if you let him. Dallas suffered one of the roughest losses so far this season. The Saints win over them in a 44-19 rout was reminiscent of the Packers rout last January. Turnovers were a bit of a factor for the Boys so if they want to win this one, they need to limit it to a zero. The running game of the Ravens will give Mike Zimmer, the Cowboys defensive coordinator, work cut out for him. I'll take the Ravens. 

All-time series: Ravens lead 5-1

Detroit (1-1) @ Arizona (1-1) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Lions

The Lions lost to the Buccaneers and the Cardinals beat the Rams last week. Detroit kind of had a letdown last week. Their offense which usually does well only put up 16 points last week. The offense deserves the blame as Jared Goff hit two interceptions in the loss. Despite the loss, the Lions defense kept the Bucs to 20 points. So if the offense can actually play well, they should win games. Arizona had a big surprise as they didn't just win against the Rams, they ran them out of the stadium with a 41-10 win. The biggest loss in the Sean McVay era in Los Angeles. Kyler Murray is hitting it on all cylinders with a running and passing game that is playing really well. James Conner had a great game and Marvin Harrison Jr. finally broke through and had a monster game last week. I think the biggest challenge for the Lions is the matchup between the secondary and Marvin Harrison Jr. if they can force everyone else to beat you, I think they should take care of business. I'll take the Motor City Kitties. 

All-time series: Lions lead 35-28-6

San Francisco (1-1) @ LA Rams (0-2) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: 49ers

The 49ers lost to the Vikings and the Rams lost to the Cardinals last week. San Francisco fell back to earth last week in the loss to Minnesota. to make matters a little worse is that Christian McCaffrey is hurt and on the Injured Reserve. Have no fear 49ers fans, Jordan Mason has been a steady replacement for the star running back. Brock Purdy has stayed relatively the same but could use some more touchdowns under his belt. Los Angeles suffered probably the biggest loss in the Sean McVay era. The defense really got outplayed against a Cardinals team that looks nearly unstoppable. Matthew Stafford to needs to get going as well as the Rams offense has sputtered a bit. It doesn't help that Puka Nacua hasn't played a lot if not at all this season. Worser news for the Rams was the news that Cooper Kupp is on the IR. Safe to say the two teams are feeling the hurt. I'll take the 49ers. 

All-time series: 49ers lead 78-69-3

Kansas City (2-0) @ Atlanta (1-1) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Chiefs

The Chiefs beat the Bengals and the Falcons beat the Eagles last week. The defending champs didn't look so hot last week against Cincinnati. Still they managed to come back and win it with some luck. They gave up the ball quite a few times in the win. Goes to show how they can play ugly but still manage to win. Atlanta managed to get a win against a good Eagles team. They also had some luck on their side. That luck being Saquon Barkley dropping a pass that the Eagles are paying good money for him type of dropped pass. Atlanta I think is still searching within themselves on what kind of team they are as well as Kirk Cousins adapting to his new surroundings. The Cousins-London connection is something to behold though. I'm kind of torn between these two. I do think that the Chiefs are the better team but they need to stop turning it over and not play stupid football. I'll take the Chiefs. 

All-time series: Chiefs lead 7-3

Jacksonville (0-2) @ Buffalo (2-0) (ESPN; 7:30 pm): TW: Bills

The Jaguars lost to the Browns and the Bills beat the Dolphins last week. Jacksonville has been a train wreck since their collapse late last year. They should be better than they are but are somehow 0-2 for the season. Jacksonville's offense has been off by a bit as Trevor Lawrence is hitting just above 50% of his passes and he hasn't gotten better. The Jags have a chance to get their season going but they are facing a tough challenge. Buffalo last played on the 12th of September and this game will be played on the 23rd. They'll have quite a bit of rest for this one. Is it possible that the Bills will feel the rust in this game, maybe. Josh Allen certainly hasn't missed a beat so far in 2024. Passing two touchdowns and rushing for two touchdowns as well is helpful as well. Maybe some rust will happen but I feel Buffalo will win. 

All-time series: Jaguars lead 10-9

Washington (1-1) @ Cincinnati (0-2) (ABC; 8:15 pm): TW: Bengals

The Commanders beat the Giants and the Bengals lost to the Chiefs last week. Washington didn't score a touchdown at all last week. Not even one. All of the scoring was seven field goals from Austin Seibert. They even did it with 425 total yards of offense of all things. Washington has done it with a balance of offense on pass and run. It seems that it is helping with Jayden Daniels' development. Cincinnati has been on a torrid start since 2020 as they are 1-9 since that season. They did run into some tough luck in playing tough opponents but this season they had a good chance to put the Patriots to bed before they really effectively shut down the Bengals offense. Last week against Kansas City, they looked like they might win there again and Burrowhead might become a reality again. Then the Bengals bungled and let the Chiefs comeback and beat them. I'm staring at the play of the pass interference where the defender hit the wide receiver. You had better luck letting him try to catch the ball and then make the tackle. Sadly this isn't the case. I think the Bengals will find a way to win as they usually have had their a-ha moment and go on a roll. Or they just lay down and take a cat nap. I'll take the Bengals. 

All-time series: Series tied 5-5-1

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings

CBS Single 

LA Chargers @ Pittsburgh 

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Houston @ Minnesota
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Chicago @ Indianapolis
Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Jason McCourty

Miami @ Seattle (Late)
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Carolina @ Las Vegas (Late)

Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta 

FOX Early

Philadelphia @ New Orleans
Joe Davis, Greg Olson

NY Giants @ Cleveland
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Green Bay @ Tennessee
Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston

Denver @ Tampa Bay

Tim Brando, Matt Millen

FOX Late

Baltimore @ Dallas

Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady

San Francisco @ LA Rams
Adam Amin, Mark Sanchez

Detroit @ Arizona

Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL Week 3 Maps

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6

Total: 24-8

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week # Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2024 Week 2 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. The week that was Week 2 brought forth a lot of intriguing storylines. Such as: Bills winning big in Miami, a scorigami in Dallas, an overtime thriller in New England and a whole bunch of upsets. All that and more in this week's recap post! Let's get to work!

NFL Week 2 Freaky Stat

The Chargers 2-0 start is their first since 2012. Minnesota is 2-0 for the first time since 2016. The 97-yard touchdown pass play from Sam Darnold to Justin Jefferson is just the 2nd longest play in Vikings history. 

NFL Week 2 Recap

Buffalo 31, Miami 10: TW: Bills

The Miami Dolphins on Thursday lost more than just the game. Josh Allen hit 13 of 19 passes for 139 yards with a touchdown pass to James Cook. Along with the receiving touchdown, Cook ran over the Miami defense with 78 yards rushing and two touchdowns from 49 and 1 yard plays. Khalil Shakir was the leading receiver with 54 yards on five catches. Buffalo would muster 247 total yards in the game. It would be not just their offense making plays but the Bills defense showing themselves off. Tua Tagovailoa would start the game for the Dolphins. He hit a touchdown pass to Devon Achane in the 1st quarter. It would be the only touchdown the Dolphins would score all game. The interceptions would come in the 2nd quarter and all the way up to the 4th quarter. The last interception was a pick-six grabbed by Jamarcus Ingrim, his 2nd pick in the game. Devon Achane was the leading rusher and leading receiver for the Dolphins with 96 rushing yards and 69 receiving yards. Miami would outproduce Buffalo with total yards with 351 yards. Despite this, the turnovers were what killed Miami along with the injury to Tua. On a diving play, Tua Tagovailoa would try to dive but would get his head hit by a Bills player. In a story all too familiar to Dolphins fans, Tua would have his hands flailing familiar to an incident in 2022. Skylar Thompson would play in the game for the Dolphins and got 8 of 14 passes for 80 yards. Before he left the game, Tua had 17 of 25 passing for 145 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. For the Bills, they get to 2-0 with quite a bit of rest on their hands as they won't play again until Monday of next week. For the Dolphins, they're faced with a concussion injury to Tua and a 1-1 record. 

Next week:
Buffalo: vs Jacksonville (Monday night)
Miami: @ Seattle

TW: 1-0

Indianapolis 10, Green Bay 16: TW: Colts 

No Jordan Love, no problem for the Pack. Anthony Richardson would have a tough afternoon. He hit 17 of 34 passes for 204 yards with a touchdown pass to Alec Pierce in the 3rd quarter. Richardson would give up the ball quite a bit to Green Bay, throwing three interceptions. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 103 yards with 12 carries while going on a 29-yard run being the longest for him. The Colts had a chance to win it on a hail mary but was also intercepted by Packer Evan Williams. Indianapolis had 338 total yards in the game. Malik Willis would get the nod at quarterback for Green Bay. The former Titan and Liberty University player was pretty accurate with 12 of 14 passes for 122 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown pass went to Dontayvion Wicks that gave the Pack their first touchdown of the game. It would be the only touchdown in the game. Josh Jacobs would do most of the heavy lifting as he rushed for 32 times on 151 yards with a 34-yard run being the longest. Romeo Doubs was the leading receiver for the Packers with 62 yards on three catches. Green Bay had 383 total yards in the game. Green Bay's defense did a lot of the work as well with three interceptions from Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams and Eric Wilson. Green Bay's offense would do enough but given the circumstances, it'll have to do. For the Colts, they drop to 0-2 on the season For the Packers, they get a big team win while picking up dub #1 for the 2024 season at a 1-1 record. 

Next week: 
Indianapolis: vs Chicago
Green Bay: @ Tennessee

TW: 1-1

Cleveland 18, Jacksonville 13: TW: Jaguars

The Browns somehow hold off the Jaguars. DeShaun Watson hit 22 of 34 passes for 186 yards in the game. He rushed for the Browns only offensive touchdown on a 1-yard run to the left. Jerome Ford rushed for 64 yards on seven carries. Jerry Jeudy caught five times for 73 yards. Cleveland got a boost from a safety on a Alex Wright tackle on Trevor Lawrence. Dustin Hopkins hit three field goals. Cleveland's offense had 297 total yards in the game with 4.6 yards/play and had 2 of 14 conversions on 3rd down. Trevor Lawrence had 14 of 30 passes for 220 yards. Travis Etienne had the lone touchdown for the Jaguars on a 4-yard score. He had 52 yards rushing on 13 carries. Brian Thomas Jr had two catches for 94 yards, with a 66-yard play being the longest in this game. Jacksonville had 323 total yards in this game. The Jags offense had better luck on 3rd down with 3 of 9 conversions and had 5.9 yards/play. Trevor Lawrence was also sacked four times in the game. For the Browns, they get to the win column with a 1-1 record. For the Jaguars, they drop to 0-2 on the season with the Bills coming up. 

Next week: 
Cleveland: vs NY Giants
Jacksonville: @ Buffalo (Monday night)

TW: 1-2

LA Chargers 26, Carolina 3: TW: Chargers

Business taken care of in Carolina for the Chargers. Justin Herbert hit 14 of 20 passes for 130 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Quentin Johnston caught both passes from Herbert. Another small amount of passing yards for the star Herbert. JK Dobbins rushed 17 times for 131 yards with a touchdown as well. A good day for him continuing his great start to the 2024 season. The touchdown came on a big 43-yard run. Cameron Dicker hit two field goals. Los Angeles had a good day in total yards with 349, 219 of them coming on the ground. Bryce Young would have a trying day. He hit 18 of 26 passes for 84 yards with an interception. Chuba Hubbard rushed 10 times for 63 yards, with a 23 yard run being the longest for him. Tommy Tremble was the leading receiver for the Panthers with 23 yards. Carolina had 159 total yards in the game. Eddie Pineiro scored the only points for the Panthers on a 38-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter. The big thing for the game was the Panthers inability to sustain drives, going 1 for 12 on 3rd down. For the Chargers, they reach the 2-0 mark as they have to travel to Pittsburgh next week. For the Panthers, they drop to 0-2 and have to go to Las Vegas. 

Next week: 
LA Chargers: @ Pittsburgh
Carolina: @ Las Vegas

TW: 2-2

Las Vegas 26, Baltimore 23: TW: Ravens 

Gardner Minshew and company spoil the Ravens. Minshew hit 30 of 38 passes for 276 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception. Davante Adams caught the pass from Minshew for a score. Zamir White carried the ball nine times for 24 yards. Alexander Mattison rushed into the endzone for a 1-yard score but had four carries for that net one yard in the game. Adams had nine catches for 110 yards. Las Vegas had 260 total yards in the game. Daniel Carlson had four field goals in the game. The Raiders kept the Ravens off the field as they were nearly even with the Ravens in time of possession. They were 4 of 12 on 3rd down conversions. The Raiders won it on a 20-point onslaught in the 2nd half. Lamar Jackson hit 21 of 34 passes for 247 yards with a touchdown pass but also had an interception. Zay Flowers was the recipient of the touchdown pass while catching seven passes for 91 yards. Derrick Henry had 84 yards rushing with a touchdown in the game. The Ravens had 383 total yards in the game. Penalties were an issue for the Ravens as they had 11 yellow laundry infractions for 109 yards. The game was also a big upset as the Ravens were tabbed as favorites by 8.5 points. For the Raiders, they get to 1-1 on the season. For the Ravens, they drop to a shocking 0-2 record. 

Next week: 
Las Vegas: vs Carolina
Baltimore: @ Dallas

TW: 2-3

New Orleans 44, Dallas 19: TW: Saints

Who saw New Orleans destroying Dallas in Jerry World? Derek Carr hit 11 of 16 passes for 243 yards with two touchdown passes and threw an interception. Rashid Shaheed and Alvin Kamara caught the passes from Carr. The star for the Saints was three touchdown runs from Alvin Kamara who rushed 20 times for 115 yards. The touchdowns were from 5, 12 and 7 yards. For Fantasy owners, he had 43 points. Rashid Shaheed was the leading receiver with four catches for 96 yards. New Orleans torched the vaunted Dallas defense for 432 total yards. Dak Prescott hit 27 of 39 passes for 293 yards with a touchdown pass but also tossed two interceptions. CeeDee Lamb was the player that caught the pass from Prescott. He was also the leading receiver for the Cowboys with four catches for 90 yards. Rico Dowdle carried the ball seven times for 30 yards. Not quite the game for him. The Cowboys had 353 total yards in the game. New Orleans had a bit of a chip on their shoulder as the Cowboys were 6.5 point favorites in the game. For the Saints, they get to 2-0 but have a big test next week. For the Cowboys, they get humbled and drop to 1-1. The 44-19 score is also a Scorigami! Praise the Scorigami!

Next week: 
New Orleans: vs Philadelphia
Dallas: vs Baltimore

TW: 3-3

NY Giants 18, Washington 21: TW: Commanders

Washington kicker Austin Siebert did it all by himself. Daniel Jones threw 16 of 28 passes for 178 yards with two touchdowns. Malik Nabers and Wandale Robinson were the players that caught the passes from Jones. The Robinson touchdown gave the Giants a 18-15 lead with 11:32 left in the game. Devin Singletary had a good day as he had 16 carries for 95 yards with a touchdown. Malik Nabers caught 10 passes for 127 yards. Jayden Daniels threw 23 of 29 passes for 226 yards in the game. Brian Robinson Jr had 17 carries for 133 yards. Zack Ertz was the leading receiver with four catches for 62 yards. Both teams had good yardage numbers with the Giants had 304 total yards and Washington had 425 total yards. Austin Siebert hit field goals from 27, 45, 26, 29, 27, 33 and 30 yards in the game with the latter field goal being the game-winner. Giants head coach Brian Daboll definitely was feeling the anger. For the Giants, they drop to 0-2, something they're well familiar with. For the Commanders, they get to 1-1 on the season. 

Next week: 

NY Giants: @ Cleveland

Washington: @ Cincinnati

TW: 4-3

NY Jets 24, Tennessee 17: TW: Jets 

The Jets survive in Tennessee. Aaron Rodgers hit 18 of 30 passes for 176 yards with two touchdowns. Breece Hall and Braelon Allen were the players that caught the passes from Rodgers. Braelon Allen also had 33 yards rushing with a touchdown and had seven carries. Breece Hall was the leading rusher with 62 yards with 14 carries. Garrett Wilson had four catches for 57 yards. The Jets had 265 total yards in the game. Will Levis had 19 of 28 passes completed for 192 yards with a touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley but also had an interception in the game. Tony Pollard was the leading rusher for the Titans with 62 yards on 17 carries. Ridley was also the leading receiver with 77 yards and four catches and a 40-yard play being the longest. The Titans had a solid 300 total yards in the game. Tennessee had a shot to get to to a 24-24 tie close to the end but the Jets defense stepped up when they needed to and prevailed. Both teams finished with 5 of 12 conversions on 4th down. One of the weirder plays you'll see is a Levis fumble where the quarterback looked like he leaped but the pocket closed in and tripped losing the ball that was recovered by Quinnen Williams. For the Jets, they get to 1-1 after losing big lsat week to the 49ers. For the Titans, they drop to 0-2 in the season. 

Next week: 
NY Jets: vs New England (Thursday night)
Tennessee: vs Green Bay

TW: 5-3

Seattle 23, New England 20 (F/OT): TW: Seahawks

Jason Myers wins it for the Seahawks. Geno Smith hit 33 of 44 passes for 327 yards with a touchdown pass to DK Metcalffor a 56-yard big play that tied the game at 7-7. Metcalf had 10 catches for 129 yards. Zach Charbonnet scored the 2nd touchdown on a 1-yard run up the middle. Charbonnet had 38 yards on 14 carries. Seattle had 358 total yards in the game. Jacoby Brissett hit 15 of 27 passes for 149 yards with a touchdown pass to Ja'Lynn Polk for his first touchdown of his career. Antonio Gibson had a big day in his young season at New England with 11 carries for 96 yards with a 45-yard run being the longest in the game. Rhamondre Stevenson had 21 carries for 81 yards with the 2nd touchdown on a direct snap to him that gave the Patriots a 20-17 lead. Hunter Henry was a menace to the Seahawks defense as he caught eight passes for 109 yards. New England had 310 total yards in the game. Jason Myers hit the game-tying field goal from 38 yards and would hit the overtime winner from 31 yards. For the Seahawks, they get to 2-0 as Mike MacDonald has success in his first season. For the Patriots, they drop to 1-1 on the season. 

Next week: 
Seattle: vs Miami 

New England: @ NY Jets (Thursday night)

TW: 6-3

San Francisco 17, Minnesota 23: TW: Vikings

The Vikings won but it might've been at a cost. Brock Purdy hit 28 of 36 passes for 319 yards with a touchdown and an interception. George Kittle had the pass from Purdy that was for six points. Jordan Mason, who had 147 yards last week, had 100 yards for this game with a touchdown. Christian McCaffrey was on the Injury Reserve for this game with a calf injury. Deebo Samuel had eight catches for 110 yards. San Francisco had 399 total yards in the game. San Francisco was fairly quiet in the first half but did heat up in the 4th quarter. Sam Darnold had 17 of 26 passes completed for 268 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Justin Jefferson and Justin Nailor were the players that caught the passes from Darnold. Jefferson was the leading receiver with four catches for 133 yards before leaving the game with a quad injury that is currently day-to-day. Tyson Chandler had 10 carries for 82 yards with a 25-yard run being the longest in the game. The Vikings finished with 403 total yards in the game. For the 49ers, they drop to 1-1 as Brock Purdy is 0-2 against the Vikings. For the Vikings, they improve to 2-0 but have some unknown going into their future with Jefferson feeling hurt. 

Next week: 
San Francisco: @ LA Rams

Minnesota: vs Houston

TW: 7-3

Tampa Bay 20, Detroit 16: TW: Lions

Tampa Bay get revenge over the Lions on the road. Baker Mayfield hit 12 of 19 passes for 185 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Chris Godwin caught seven passes for 117 yards including the touchdown from Mayfield. Baker also had five carries for 34 yards with a touchdown that was the game-winning touchdown with 42 seconds left in the game. Chase McLaughlin hit two field goals in the game. Tampa had 216 total yards in the game and had just 26 minutes of ball possession in the game. Jared Goff had a busy and long day in this one. He hit 34 of 55 passes for 307 yards with two interceptions in the game. Jahmyr Gibbs had 84 yards with 13 carries. David Montgomery ran for the only Lions touchdown on a 1-yard run up the middle that gave the Lions a 16-13 lead. Amon-Ra St. Brown had 11 catches for 119 yards. Detroit had 463 total yards in the game. Along with the turnovers, the Lions had four penalties for 71 yards, it was also interesting as the Lions went 7 of 17 on 3rd down and 3 of 5 on 4th down conversions. Maybe a bit too much of a gamble at times for the Lions. In terms of offense, you'd think the Lions won this game handily. Sadly not the case. For the Buccaneers, they improve to 2-0 on the season. For the Lions, they drop to .500 football with a 1-1 record. 

Next week: 
Tampa Bay: vs Denver
Detroit: @ Arizona

TW: 7-4

LA Rams 10, Arizona 41: TW: Rams

Kyler Murray and the Cardinals stomp on the Rams. Matthew Stafford hit 19 of 27 passes for 216 yards. He didn't throw a touchdown but also didn't throw an interception. Blake Corum carried eight times for 28 yards. Kyren Williams had the only touchdown for the Rams on a 4-yard run up the middle. The touchdown would give them a 34-10 deficit in the 3rd quarter. Demarcus Robinson was the leading receiver for the Rams with two catches for 50 yards. Cooper Kupp was limited to four catches for 37 yards. Puka Nacua was inactive for the game which might be the reason why the Rams did not do as well in this game. Suffice to say, the Rams had no excuses. Los Angeles had 245 total yards in the game. Kyler Murray didn't miss a beat in this one. He hit 17 of 21 passes for 266 yards with three touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns went to Marvin Harrison Jr. and Elijah Higgins had the other touchdown. James Conner carried the ball 21 times for 122 yards with a touchdown run of his own. Marvin Harrison Jr. had a big game in just his 2nd game of his career, catching four passes for 130 yards with the aforementioned two touchdowns. The big takeaway was how efficient the Cardinals offense was. The first four Cardinals drives resulted in either a touchdown or a field goal, it wouldn't be until their 2nd drive in the 2nd quarter that lead to a punt. Maybe its the lack of a defensive presence like an Aaron Donald was key for the Rams. For the Rams, they drop to 0-2 and face with an uphill battle to get to the top of the division. For the Cardinals, they rebound and get to a big win to improve to 1-1. 

Next week: 
LA Rams: vs San Francisco

Arizona: vs Detroit 

TW: 7-5

Cincinnati 25, Kansas City 26: TW: Chiefs

Burrow-Mahomes had its moments of drama. Joe Burrow hit 23 of 36 passes for 258 yards with two touchdowns. Andrei Iosivas was the player that caught the two passes from Burrow. Zack Moss had 12 carries for 34 yards in the game. Mike Gesicki was the leading receiver for the Bengals with seven catches for 91 yards. Ja'Marr Chase had four catches for 35 yards. It was certainly a better offensive showcase than last week, only scoring 10 points against New England. Cincinnati had 320 total yards. Patrick Mahomes had 18 of 25 passes completed for 151 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Not quite a great game for him. Rashee Rice and Wanya Morris were the players that caught the passes from Mahomes. Rice was the leading receiver with five catches for 75 yards with a touchdown. Isiah Pacheco was a machine in the ground game with 19 carries for 90 yards. Kansas City had 286 total yards of offense. Towards the end of the game, he looked a bit hurt as he was limping to the sideline. The game was a entertaining one in the 2nd half, resulting in five lead changes. There was some controversy in this one as there was quite a bit of contact in a pass interference infraction. There was indeed contact prior to the ball arriving and the ball was indeed catchable. The Chiefs would pull it off with a Harrison Butker field goal from 51 yards and the Chiefs would prevail. For the Bengals, their stretch of bad starts continues as they are now 1-9 in Week 1 and 2 as their record drops to 0-2 for 2024. For the Chiefs, they improve to 2-0 but in an ugly way. 

Next week: 
Cincinnati: vs Washington
Kansas City: @ Atlanta

TW: 8-5

Pittsburgh 13, Denver 6: TW: Steelers

The Steelers handle the Broncos on the road. Justin Fields hit 13 of 20 passes for 117 yards with a touchdown pass to Darnell Washington. It was the Steelers first touchdown in the game and in the young season. Najee Harris had 17 carries for 69 yards. Pat Friermuth had four catches for 39 yards. Pittsburgh had 251 total yards in the game. Chris Boswell, who had six field goals last week, had just two field goals in this game. Bo Nix had a similar game to last week in this game. Nix hit 20 of 35 passes for 246 yards with two interceptions. He was also the leading rusher in the game with 25 yards on 4 carries. Javonte Williams had 11 carries for 17 yards. Josh Reynolds was the leading receiver with four catches for 93 yards. Denver had more offensive yards with 295 yards in this game. The turnovers killed Denver as well as only converting 2 of 12 on 3rd down. Penalties also hurt as the Broncos had nine infractions for 124 yards. Pittsburgh did also have 10 flags for 78 yards. The game was almost a revenge game for Russell Wilson. Wilson was inactive for the 2nd straight week. He had spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons for Denver and the latter season working with Sean Payton. For the Steelers, they get to 2-0 and have some signs of offensive fortitude. For the Broncos, they once again face with a 0-2 record. At least the Colorado Buffaloes give some Colorado football fans some hope. 

Next week: 
Pittsburgh: vs LA Chargers

Denver: @ Tampa Bay

TW: 9-5

Chicago 13, Houston 19: TW: Texans

The Texans prevail over the Bears. Caleb Williams hit 23 of 37 passes for 174 yards with two interceptions. Will have to wait for another week to get that first touchdown pass I guess. Khalil Herbert had the only touchdown for Chicago on a 2-yard run to the left. Caleb Williams had 44 yards rushing on five carries with a 24-yard run being the longest in the game. Dandre Swift had the most carries with 14 and rushed for 18 yards. DJ Moore had 53 receiving yards with six catches. Chicago had 205 total yards in the game, went 6 for 17 on 3rd down. Just a mediocre performance from Chicago. CJ Stroud hit 23 of 36 passes for 260 yards with a touchdown pass to Nico Collins on a 28-yard play that was flagged for illegal use of hands but was declined as it was on Chicago. Cam Akers had seven carries for 32 yards. Nico Collins had eight catches for 135 yards as he was the leading receiver for this game for Houston. Houston had 310 total yards in the game. Pass rush was a factor in this game as the Texans swarmed over the Bears offensive line and sacked Caleb Williams seven times for 40 yards of lost yardage. Both teams dealt with penalties as the two teams combined for 21 penalties (12 on Texans, 9 on Bears) for a combined 175 yards. Just a rough one if you like disciplined football. For the Bears, they drop to 1-1 on the season as they face off against another AFC South opponent. For the Texans, they improve to 2-0 and head north to visit the Vikings. 

Next week: 
Chicago: @ Indianapolis

Houston: @ Minnesota 

TW: 10-5

Atlanta 22, Philadelphia 21: TW: Eagles 

A Kirk Cousins to Drake London connection and Jessie Bates intercepts the Jalen Hurts pass. Cousins hit 20 of 29 passes for 241 yards with two touchdowns. Both touchdowns went to Darnell Mooney for 41 and Drake London for the game-winning 7 yard play. Bijan Robinson had 14 carries for 97 yards in the game. Darnell Mooney caught three passes for 88 yards. Atlanta had 385 total yards of offense in the game. Looking at the team stats, the pass protection was good as Kirk Cousins was only sacked once and only had 24:21 of ball possession and still put up more points in that time than the Eagles did. Jalen Hurts hit 23 of 30 passes for 183 yards with a touchdown pass to Devonta Smith and rushed into the endzone for a score as well. Saquon Barkley had a solid day as he rushed 22 times for 95 yards with a 11-yard run being the longest in the game. He did have a dropped pass that might've translated into six points had he held on. It would be the big moment that helped the Falcons find a way to win. Hurts rushed 13 times for 85 yards. Devonta Smith had seven catches for 76 yards. Philadelphia had 365 total yards in the game. They had their chances to pull it off in the end but the Barkley drop and going 2 for 5 in redzone situations were the killer to them. For the Falcons, they pull off the upset and improve to 1-1. For the Eagles, the gut-wrenching loss will hurt as they drop to 1-1. 

Next week: 
Atlanta: vs Kansas City

Philadelphia: @ New Orleans

TW: 10-6

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6

Total: 24-8

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 3 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2024 Week 2 Picks

    Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action will be here before you know it. The hope and dreams of NFL fans are still there after the first week of action. The teams with a 1-0 record hope to keep up the good start while teams with an 0-1 mark hope to avoid the dreaded 0-2 record. Games that I'll be keeping an eye on this week is the Bills-Dolphins, Raiders-Ravens, Buccaneers-Lions, Bengals-Chiefs and Falcons-Eagles games. In this post I will do a preview of the week's action, the picks and the Early and Late Game TV Broadcast pairings. Let's get to work!

Week 2 Preview

The 2nd week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Miami, Florida and wrap up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Week 2 will feature a 16-game slate where all 32 teams will play. No teams are on a bye this week. There will be a Thursday night game, 10 early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. FOX will have the single, regional game while CBS will carry the doubleheader this week. 

Week 2 Picks

Note: All game times are in US Eastern. TW is me

Buffalo (1-0) @ Miami (1-0) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Bills

The Bills and Dolphins got wins last week as the Bills beat the Cardinals and the Dolphins beat the Jaguars. Week 2 starts off with a solid AFC East rivalry matchup. The last time these two teams met was in Week 18 and the Bills won the AFC East on the Dolphins own field. The Bills last week showed that they are still Josh Allen's team and they will still need him to be their leader. The defense was a bit shaky as they let a good Cardinals offense get to them. Miami had some struggle in their game against Jacksonville. Their offense stuttered a bit until they found success in the deep ball on a Tua to Tyreek connection. Safe to say they will need to do their best on offense and play better. Miami's defense had some success in keeping Jacksonville in a reasonable distance. I'll still take the Bills for the win. 

All-time series: Dolphins lead 62-58-1

Indianapolis (0-1) @ Green Bay (0-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Colts

The Colts and Packers lost last week as the Colts lost to the Texans and the Packers lost to the Eagles. Green Bay's loss to Philadelphia hurt but losing Jordan Love to injury will sting a bit more. The quarterback will be out for 3-4 weeks. In his place will be the 3rd year player Malik Willis out of Liberty University. The quarterback has placed in 11 career games and has yet to throw a touchdown pass in his career while tossing three interceptions. The Packers cast will need to help him a bit. Indy played well enough to almost pull off the upset against Houston. Their offense had some great signs as the deep ball worked well for them. Alec Pierce was the recipient of a successful play that resulted in 60 yards and a touchdown. It will be a tall task for the Packers defense to keep the Colts from succeeding in such ventures. I'll take the Colts. 

All-time series: Colts lead 24-21-1

Cleveland (0-1) @ Jacksonville (0-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars

The Browns lost to the Cowboys and the Jaguars lost to the Dolphins last week. Cleveland looked pretty rough around the edges without a solid offensive line and Nick Chubb around. The Brownies will need to find an answer somewhere in their offense. Pass protection broke down a lot and fortunately this week, they aren't facing Micah Parsons. Jacksonville really had Miami's number in last week's contest. Their defense kept Miami at bay and really turned their offense loose. Sadly the Jaguars let the Dolphins back in and ended up winning their game. I think the matchup will be a challenge to how good the Jaguars offense can be as the Browns defense is no slouch.

All-time series: Jaguars lead 12-7

LA Chargers (1-0) @ Carolina (0-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Chargers

The Chargers won against the Raiders and the Panthers lost to the Saints last week. Jim Harbaugh won in his debut of head coach of the Chargers. Will there be a repeat performance? Carolina's play last week against New Orleans might point to yes as they got steamrolled. Carolina's offense turned the ball over thus giving their defense a lot of pressure and the Saints ended up scoring 17 points in the 1st quarter. A hole Carolina wouldn't get out of. Justin Herbert didn't put up numbers like some were expecting but he didn't blow it either. Passing just 144 yards with a touchdown. JK Dobbins was the one that gave this team a boost. I don't think it'll be a blowout but I think the Chargers will win by at least 10.

All-time series: Panthers lead 6-1

Las Vegas (0-1) @ Baltimore (0-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens

The Raiders and Ravens lost their games last week as the Raiders lost to the Chargers and the Ravens lost to the Chiefs. The Raiders looked like they were manhandled in the game against the Chargers. They kept it to a 12-point margin but they just got ran over. Maybe it was just JK Dobbins running all over them. Gardner Minshew did alright in his Raiders debut but he hit the lone touchdown for the Raiders and an interception in the game. Zamir White looked like he might be a decent option if he can get going. Obviously the Raiders will need to sustain drives. The reason for that is the Ravens offense looked great. They had 452 total yards of offense in the loss against Kansas City. Despite losing that game, they can feel somewhat confident that they went toe-to-toe against the two-time champs. Their offense should try to get more production out of Derrick Henry. The runner is more of a inside runner than an outside one but he can make your offense so much better. I think the Ravens will handle business at home and get to 1-1.

All-time series: Ravens lead 9-4

New Orleans (1-0) @ Dallas (1-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Saints

The Saints beat the Panthers and the Cowboys beat the Browns last week. New Orleans looked impressive against Carolina. Granted the Panthers were god awful last year and last week. They did it on a balanced offense with running and passing the ball effectively. Turnovers played a part as well as they Saints had scored 30 points at halftime. Whether they can repeat that performance is up to them. Dallas was also a team that dismantled a team. Their offense took advantage of Browns mistakes as well and really made the Browns defense turn on its head. I'm taking the Saints as I don't trust the Cowboys enough yet and I don't like Dallas in general.

All-time series: Cowboys lead 18-13

NY Giants (0-1) @ Washington (0-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Commanders

Both teams lost last week as the Giants lost to the Vikings and the Commanders lost to the Buccaneers. The teams come off a rough week last week. The Giants really couldn't generate anything in offense and they gave up the ball quite a few times to the Vikings, resulting in some plays as scores to the Purple Gang. They will obviously need to improve on ball protection. Washington as well had a bit of a rough game against Tampa. Despite losing to them 37-20 the Commanders showed some fight despite losing to a better team. That will give them some hope in this game against the rival Giants. I think the offense will have some success as the Giants defense is off to a rough start. I don't trust Daniel Jones I'll go with Washington.

All-time series: Giants lead 108-71-5

NY Jets (0-1) @ Tennessee (0-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Jets

Both teams lost last week as the Jets lost to the 49ers and the Titans lost to the Bears. New York managed to get a full game out of Aaron Rodgers. About 55 minutes (of game time) more of him than they got last year. I'd say that the Jets won at least in that aspect of last week. Despite that, the Jets kind of got humiliated and run over by a backup running back. Safe to say, they do have somewhat of an easier time against Tennessee. The Titans had somewhat of a handle against the Bears. In terms of offense, the Titans had at least the better offense. The rest of the team, not so much. The Bears defense and special teams manhandled them. In general, the Jets should be able to get back to it and beat the Titans. If the Jets lose to the Titans, all bets are off.

All-time series: 25-20-1

Seattle (1-0) @ New England (1-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Seahawks

Both teams won last week as the Seahawks beat the Broncos and the Patriots beat the Bengals last week. Seattle last week did dominate in their matchup against the Broncos. In the scoreboard not so much. They gave up two safeties but despite all that only won by six points. I guess the turnovers by Denver helped a bit. New England proved quite a few wrong (including me) in their win against the Bengals. They did it by taking the ball away and not giving the ball up to the opposition. The defense did really well and sacked Joe Burrow three times and ravaged the offensive line that was supposedly going to be great. I don't know how long the good feelings will last in New England but I think reality will fall back to them in this one.

All-time series: Seahawks lead 10-9

San Francisco (1-0) @ Minnesota (1-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings

The two teams got wins last week as the 49ers beat the Jets and the Vikings beat the Giants last week. Classic NFC matchup on CBS. The 49ers had no Christian McCaffrey in the win against the Jets. Shocking that the 49ers managed to put up 32 points in a game. The production of Jordan Mason was a big boost to the 49ers offense. It'll be a bit of a challenge this week as they go up against the Vikings defense. Minnesota really took it to the Giants and the Sam Darnold debut was a fairly successful one. The key will be the defense in putting a slow down on the 49ers offense. Assuming that Christian McCaffrey starts in Week 2, I think the Vikings will prove to the rest of the league how good they can be. Or they falter and fall back down to earth. I'll take the upset.

All-time series: 25-24-1

Tampa Bay (1-0) @ Detroit (1-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Lions

Both teams won last week as the Buccaneers beat the Commanders and the Lions beat the Rams. Another playoff rematch in store for the Lions. Tampa looked pretty good. Baker Mayfield hit four touchdowns. Bucky Irving might be a decent addition to the Bucs running game. Detroit had at one point lead their game against Los Angeles by a 17-3 score and then all of a sudden it became 20-17. Fortunately the offense and David Montgomery stepped up in their overtime win. They will need to stay focused and keep the gravy train rolling. Tampa Bay will not show mercy as they are a good team. I'll take Detroit despite them nearly blowing it last week.

All-time series: Lions lead 33-29

LA Rams (0-1) @ Arizona (0-1) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Rams

The Rams and Cardinals lost last week as the Rams lost to the Lions and the Cardinals lost to the Bills. Matthew Stafford and company nearly pulled off a win in Detroit but couldn't quite get there. The Rams did have some issue with pass protection and turning the ball over. They almost pulled off the win though. Arizona opened a few eyes last week in the loss to Buffalo. Despite losing, the Cardinals have an offense that might make opposing defensive coordinators quiver in their shoes. For the first time since they had Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals have a wide receiver that makes their passing game a lot better. However, Marvin Harrison's first game resulted in one catch for four yards in the loss last week. I think I'll take the Rams.

All-time series: Rams lead 50-40-2

Cincinnati (0-1) @ Kansas City (1-0) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs

The Bengals lost to the Patriots and the Chiefs beat the Ravens last week. Cincy had a bit of an issue with their offense and execution against New England. They couldn't run as well as they should've and the passing game was very pedestrian. The Bengals and bad starts to a season have been hand in hand. They have a tough task as they take on rival Kansas City. The Chiefs didn't look awful but they didn't look great either last week. Patrick Mahomes passed the ball well enough despite throwing an interception. Despite the slow start, they will get better as the season comes along. Despite the defense allowing 452 yards against the Ravens, they did keep the Ravens to 20 points. I'll take the Chiefs.

All-time series: Bengals lead 18-16

Pittsburgh (1-0) @ Denver (0-1) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Steelers

The Steelers beat the Falcons and the Broncos lost to the Seahawks last week. Pittsburgh didn't put up a lot of offense against the Falcons. They did enough for Chris Boswell to hit six field goals in the win. Their defense really kept the Falcons from doing anything real special in Kirk Cousins debut. Denver kind of didn't do great but they stayed with the Seahawks in the game last week. Bo Nix wasn't spectacular as a passer but he did get his first career rushing touchdown. Denver will have a big test to see how well they can play against a Steelers defense that is just that good. I don't trust the Broncos to really make an effective production on offense. I'll take the Yinzers.

All-time series: Broncos lead 20-13-1

Chicago (1-0) @ Houston (1-0) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Texans

The Bears beat the Titans and the Texans beat the Colts last week. Houston would stand the big test and beat the Colts and they did it on their offense and their defense making big plays via turnovers. The Bears had to rely on defense and special teams for their scoring. Caleb Williams didn't do great but he didn't do awful either. He didn't turn the ball over in general. Williams will need to play better to defeat the Texans in this game. Stefon Diggs for Houston was a big factor in the win against Indianapolis. Their combo with Tank Dell and Nico Collins is great as well. I'll take the Texans as I don't trust the Bears to keep up with the Texans. I could be wrong.

All-time series: Texans lead 4-2

Atlanta (0-1) @ Philadelphia (1-0) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Eagles

The Falcons lost to the Steelers and the Eagles beat the Packers last week. The Kirk Cousins era started off with a dud against Pittsburgh. Granted the Steelers defense was pretty good last week. Cousins did throw two interceptions. They will need to play better and protecting the football against a good Eagles team. Atlanta did find some success in the run game. Philadelphia faced a bit of a challenge against the Packers. Despite the up and down affair, they won based on their run game and the dual-threat of Jalen Hurts as a passer and runner. Hurts did throw a couple of interceptions in the game. 

All-time series: Eagles lead 21-15-1

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings

CBS Early

NY Jets @ Tennessee
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

San Francisco @ Minnesota
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Las Vegas @ Baltimore
Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber

LA Chargers @ Carolina

Tom McCarthy, Jay Feely

Cleveland @ Jacksonville
Chris Lewis, Jason McCourty

CBS Late

Cincinnati @ Kansas City

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Pittsburgh @ Denver

Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta

FOX Single

New Orleans @ Dallas

Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady

Indianapolis @ Green Bay
Joe Davis, Greg Olson

Seattle @ New England

Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Tampa Bay @ Detroit

Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston

NY Giants @ Washington

Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth

LA Rams @ Arizona (Late)

Adam Amin, Mark Sanchez

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2024: Week 2 Maps

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week # Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom