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Here we are, heading into the second weekend of NFL action. Half the teams are undefeated, while the other half are winless and looking to win before they start off the season at 0-2, digging themselves a hole to try and dig out of. Nobody wants to start off 0-2. An 0-2 start is not necessarily a death sentence, of course.
Some teams have overcome far greater horrendous starts to the season, and earned their way to the playoffs. The 1992 San Diego Chargers started the season 0-4, and wound up winning the AFC West. The 1993 Houston Oilers were not winless, but 1-4, before they won out their remaining games to finish the season 12-4 to win their division and earn the second seed in the playoffs. And the 2015 Kansas City Chiefs started that season 1-5, before also winning out their remaining games to reach the postseason. At the very least, an 0-2 start complicates matters, and makes the rest of the season a lot more difficult. Certainly teams have overcome 0-2 starts to reach the playoffs, but most teams that start off 0-2 do not.
Only three teams in NFL history, the 1993 Dallas Cowboys and the 2007 New York Giants, managed to overcome 0-2 season starts to ultimately win the Super Bowl. A few others have also overcome such a miserable start to not only reach the postseason, but even to go deep into then playoffs. However, these tend to be the exceptions, and not the rules. So for teams who felt that they had realistic hopes at going far this season, but who lost last weekend, it surely must feel imperative for them to turn things around and find their way to a win this weekend. Some of the teams that will especially feel the need to win to avoid an early disaster include Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, San Francisco, Houston, Indianapolis and, to some extent, Minnesota.
Let’s take a look at the upcoming games for week two of this season:
Atlanta at Dallas – The Falcons did not look impressive in their season opener to Seattle last weekend. Then again, the ‘Boys hardly looked overwhelming in their loss to the Rams last weekend, either, but at least Dallas came close and lost on the road to a pretty decent team. Atlanta also played a good team, but looked miserable in getting blown out the way that they did. Frankly, the Cowboys are the better team, and will come in with a sense of urgency, obviously intent on avoiding the 0-2 start and digging a fairly deep hole for themselves. Watch for the Cowboys offense to finally show some of their real potential, which they hardly did against the Rams last weekend. My pick: Dallas
Denver at Pittsburgh – The Broncos lost their first game of the season last weekend at home, and now have to travel across the country to take on a tough Steelers team in one of the most inhospitable environments in the league, if not in North American sports. The Steelers, meanwhile, played well in defeating the Giants at the Meadowlands last weekend, and should be riding high, feeling confident. They played quite well both on offense and on defense, and they should be able to get past the Broncos in this one. My pick: Pittsburgh
Carolina at Tampa Bay – The Panthers seemed like they might be a playoff team at the midpoint of last season, before a complete collapse shook the franchise up considerably. They lost all eight of their remaining games, and their defense looked horrible in the last four games in particular, as opponents racked up 150 points in those four games, an average of 37.5 points allowed per game. While the Panthers offense was considerably better last weekend against the Raiders, they still lost, and allowed 34 points in so doing. They now head to Tampa, where Brady and Gronk are looking to get past the frustrations they faced in New Orleans last weekend, while obviously hoping to avoid the dismal 0-2 a start. Look for the Bucs to finally show some of their true offensive potential against a vulnerable Panthers defense, and for Tampa Bay to notch their first win for the season, as well. My pick: Tampa Bay
Jacksonville at Tennessee – The Jaguars surprised quite a few people – myself included, admittedly – in winning last weekend. They surprised a seemingly quality Colts team, and have another divisional game this weekend, to boot. But this time, in Tennessee, the Titans defense should seal up the Jax offense better than the Colts defense did. It should be a tough, physical, low-scoring affair, with the Titans ultimately winning it. My pick: Tennessee
Buffalo at Miami – The Bills looked solid in their home win against the Jets last weekend. But they will be leaving cool Buffalo, where the weather is gorgeous this time of the year, and heading to hot and humid Miami, where it should be uncomfortably hot and humid. I guess the league really wanted the extremes in weather this season when these two teams hook up. Otherwise, why would they play this game in Miami in September, and schedule the closing game of the season in frigid Buffalo, when the weather conditions will likely be brutally cold? It seems a little silly to me, but without fans in the stands, I guess the two teams will just have to buckle down and take care of business. Miami has some potential, despite that disappointing loss at New England last weekend. But the Bills are a tough team, and they swept the Dolphins last season, and have won three in a row against them overall. They know how important this game will be for them, and should play sharply. They are likely the better team, and I expect them to win out in a tough and close game, and the forecast calls for a soggy game, which should also help them stay cool and take advantage of that running game. My pick: Buffalo
Detroit at Green Bay – Oh, boy. After a brutal loss that saw the Lions collapse against the Bears late in the game, ruining what had been a solidly played game, this team now has to go up to Lambeau Field, where they rarely seem to win. The Packers, meanwhile, should be flying high after the road win at Minnesota, and will likely take advantage of the notoriously tough home environment, where they lost only once last season. The Lions might be able to keep it close for the first half, but it is hard to see them keeping it close for long enough to actually have a chance to win, unless the Pack have a major letdown following their big win last weekend. Detroit have now lost ten straight games, dating back to a total collapse last season, when they dropped their final nine games. Hard to see how the Lions can win this one, either, frankly. The Packers are just too tough at this point. My pick: Green Bay
Minnesota at Indianapolis – Both teams lost disappointing divisional games last weekend, and find themselves facing each other this weekend. These two teams only meet once every four seasons, so they are not especially familiar with one another. The Colts were a middle of the pack kind of team on both offense and defense last season, while the Vikings, by contrast, were closer to the top in both categories. But the Minnesota defense looked leaky last weekend against the Packers, and the Colts offense looks potentially dangerous this season. In another tough game for both teams, I see the Colts just outlasting the visiting Vikings. My pick: Indianapolis
Washington at Arizona – The Washington Football Team, fresh off a solid come-from-behind win over the Eagles last weekend, will now travel across the country to take on the surely fired up Cardinals, who stunned the defending NFC champion 49ers in San Francisco last season. The Cardinals, with Kyler Murray, are building towards a promising future, and their offense could be very dangerous. Look for them to show some of that this weekend, and find their way to another solid win in this one. My pick: Arizona
Kansas City at LA Chargers – The defending champions are just about the most well-rested team at this point, having won their season opener a week and a half ago over the Texans. They have the league’s best player in Patrick Mahomes, who earned NFL MVP honors two seasons ago, and then led the team to the Super Bowl title last season, winning the MVP award in that big game. They are riding high, and are the better of these two teams. Hard to see how the Chargers can stop that dangerous KC offense if they really get going. Look for the Chiefs to do just enough to spoil the Chargers home opener in the new Los Angeles stadium. My pick: Kansas City
Baltimore at Houston – The Ravens once again looked incredible and intimidating in completely dismantling the Browns last week. Their offense and defense were very sharp, so they seem to be picking up where they left off last season, when they enjoyed the best record in the entire league, winning their final 12 regular season games, before being stunned by Tennessee in the postseason. The Texans were a playoff team last season as well, but they had to face two of the toughest teams in the entire league to open this season. They do have home field advantage, but I suspect that the Ravens will still prove a bit too much for them this week. They have a very dangerous offense with an unpredictable quarterback who can kill opponents with either his arm or his legs, and they have a very tough defense. That should be enough to assure plenty of wins this season, and this should be one of them. My pick: Baltimore
Sunday Night Football – New England at Seattle – A rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, with the infamous “second and one” interception that some people myself included, consider the worst play call in NFL history, given the gravitas The Pats won the first of the rematches, but this time should be different. The Seahawks are riding high, with every expectation to contend for the NFC West title and possibly enjoy a deep run in the playoffs. With home field advantage to boot, they should prove a bit too tough for the Patriots in this one, even with the coaching wizardry of Bill Belichick. My pick: Seattle
MNF – New Orleans at Las Vegas – The explosive black and gold take on the also explosive black and silver. What an opening game to christen their new stadium in their new city. Both teams have expectations of qualifying for the playoffs, although for the Saints, they have bigger expectations for possibly reaching the Super Bowl. Their window of opportunity is closing, with star quarterback Drew Brees not getting any younger. Their offense has been explosive under Brees for many years now, and they looked dangerous in their win against Tampa last weekend. True, the Raiders are up and coming, a rising team, and they got a big road win in Carolina last weekend. But the Saints are a much tougher test for them, even in their new home in Las Vegas, and the Saints should pull this one off. My pick New Orleans
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