Well my friends, we are officially back. After a long seven months of waiting, NFL season is upon us.
Week One kicked off with an upset as the defending champion New England Patriots fell to the Kansas City Chiefs. While it is no reason to panic in Foxboro, losing on the same night that they raised their 2016 Super Bowl banner. Last Sunday came and went with little surprises, as the Falcons, Steelers, and Raiders all took their openers as expected. One surprise came out of Houston, however, as the Jacksonville Jaguars dominated the Texans, winning the opener by a score of 29-7.
The Houston Texans faced off against the Cincinnati Bengals this Thursday, and with both teams coming off embarrassing losses at home last week, it was a tossup. While the Jaguars handled the Texans last week, the Bengals did not even get on the scoreboard and lost to the Ravens 20-0. But the Deshaun Watson era official began on this night, as the quarterback out of Clemson made his first career start for the Texans. With Watson at the helm, Houston was able to tame the Bengals in Cincinnati by a score of 13-9.
With Week One complete, it is time to look forward to the rest of Week Two…and make some picks.
Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m.
The Titans lost a tough one to the Raiders last week, but it is no cause for alarm. Tennessee has one of the highest-powered offenses in the league, and has an emerging defense to match. QB Marcus Mariota and the other Titan boys will be loose this weekend in Florida, and should get back to winning form. Titans over Jags.
Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m.
The Browns have had their struggles over the past decade, but this year seems to be a bit different. Last week, they gave the Steelers fits and held the best offense in the league to only three scores. But, the Ravens were impressive last week too. I expect some of the same from both sides, with the; Ravens ultimately taking a close win in Baltimore.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m.
Eagles coach Andy Reid will look to take down his former club this weekend in a battle at Arrowhead. While the Eagles and college standout QB Carson Wentz looked solid in their opener, the Chiefs are coming off a big upset. Look for RB Kareem Hunt to carry over his last week’s dominance to help the Chiefs to ground the Eagles on Sunday.
New England Patriots @ New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m.
Who would have thought that we would get to Week Two of the NFL season and the Patriots would still be looking for win No. 1? Well, they are winless until this week. They’ll bounce back and take this one in a shootout.
New York Jets @ Oakland Raiders, 4:05 p.m.
While the Jets may be in rebuilding mode, the Raiders are in beast mode. With running back Marshawn Lynch back, the boys in black are ready to go. Raiders will take this one big.
Sunday Night Football: Green Bay Packers @ Atlanta Falcons, Sunday 8:30 p.m.
Sunday Night Football features a rematch of the 2016 NFC Championship game. What a treat. These two explosive offenses struggled to find their grooves last week, but I expect the kinks to be worked out this week. While QB Aaron Rodgers and the Pack seek revenge, QB Matt Ryan and the Falcons will take this one in their stadium opener.
Monday Night Football: Detroit Lions @ New York Giants, 8:30 p.m.
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s absence last week left the Giants searching for answers on the offense. The offensive line struggled as receivers like Brandon Marshall were nowhere to be found. The Lions on the other hand tackled the powerful Arizona Cardinals. However, with a possible Beckham return to the lineup, I like to think the G-Men will rebound strong against Detroit in the Meadowlands. Giants over Lions.
Only time will tell on these predictions. Now the question is, who ya got?
