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Home / frontnfl / 2024 NFL Game Picks: Week 2
Evan Sanders/Kansas City Chiefs

2024 NFL Game Picks: Week 2


Last week: 13-3

 

BUF (1-0) @ MIA (1-0)

Thursday, September 12 | 8:15 PM ET | Prime Video

 

Thursday Night Football is filled with divisional games this season, and the first one will be a heated AFC East battle with Josh Allen and the Bills heading to Miami. For his career, Allen—coming off a four-touchdown performance in the opener—has torched the Dolphins to the tune of 280.3 passing yards per game and 38 total touchdowns in 12 meetings (10-2 record), and Buffalo looks tough to defend in the post-Stefon Diggs era with a spread-the-wealth attack. Last week, Dalton Kincaid didn’t even get involved, but rookie Keon Coleman was an immediate factor by leading the team in targets (five), receptions (four), and receiving yards (51), so it’ll be fun to see him go head-to-head with Jalen Ramsey for the first time. Defensively, the Bills need to contend with the speed of De’Von Achane (ankle) assuming he’s active, but they’ve typically limited Tyreek Hill in the regular season with 52.3 receiving yards per game in seven matchups, and I like Buffalo in the trenches on both sides of the ball after Greg Rousseau (3.0 sacks) and Von Miller (1.0 sack) made plays in Week 1.

 

Winner: Buffalo Bills

 

LV (0-1) @ BAL (0-1)

Sunday, September 15 | 1:00 PM ET | CBS

 

I have been worried about the Raiders being able to build on what they did under Antonio Pierce last year based on their offseason, and the loss to the Chargers was not at all a promising start to 2024 with Gardner Minshew II and the offense struggling, the defense being run on, and a lack of composure leading to a near all-out brawl. If the passing attack doesn’t play through Davante Adams this week after Kansas City showed the blueprint to do it with Rashee Rice last Thursday night, Las Vegas should frankly think about getting ahead of things by trading the All-Pro wideout before his frustration becomes apparent to the entire league. A clear advantage for the Silver and Black this week will be Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins facing a remade right side of the offensive line for Baltimore with a combination of Patrick Mekari and rookie Roger Rosengarten at right tackle and Daniel Faalele at right guard, but Lamar Jackson showed a willingness to make plays with his legs (including buying time to throw)—and Isaiah Likely becoming a featured weapon makes the Ravens very difficult to defend.

 

Winner: Baltimore Ravens

 

LAC (1-0) @ CAR (0-1)

Sunday, September 15 | 1:00 PM ET | CBS

 

The situation that Bryce Young has been in to begin his career is Exhibit A as to why I wouldn’t blame a player—especially at quarterback—for making it known they don’t want to be drafted by a particular franchise. There is plenty of time to turn things around, but teams that lose by 37 points in the opener aren’t typically heading in the right direction, and Carolina promoting Dan Morgan to general manager after he was part of the previous regime could be a decision that team owner David Tepper comes to regret. The Panthers had built the roster to be more physical than opponents, but the Saints punched them in the mouth and never let them off the mat in Week 1, and now the Chargers will have the same mentality under Jim Harbaugh. I don’t anticipate another in-season firing for a first-year head coach, but things could get very dicey for Dave Canales if they come out flat at home, so it’s key for Carolina to at least put up a fight in the home opener.

 

Winner: Los Angeles Chargers

 

NO (1-0) @ DAL (1-0)

Sunday, September 15 | 1:00 PM ET | FOX

 

As stated last week, I wouldn’t have been eager to pay Dak Prescott $60 million per year due to the lack of postseason success for Dallas, but Jerry Jones locked up his quarterback on the morning of the opener—and the biggest positive to come from the deal is that the “vibes” were immediately improved with Prescott and CeeDee Lamb both locked up (and Micah Parsons being content to play on his current contract). New Orleans has their sights set on ruining the good times, though, and for all the negative talk about Dennis Allen and his bluntness discussing players like Kendre Miller leading up to the season, it’s clear the locker room has brought into his vision. My concern for them this week is right tackle Trevor Penning being unable to block Parsons on the edge, but new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will use plenty of pre-snap movement to perhaps drain Dallas early, and I’d expect rookie cornerback Caelen Carson to be attacked vertically by Derek Carr. Overall, the trio of Prescott, Lamb, and Parsons could be too much to handle on Sunday.

 

Winner: Dallas Cowboys

 

TB (1-0) @ DET (1-0)

Sunday, September 15 | 1:00 PM ET | FOX

 

The second consecutive playoff rematch for Detroit to begin the season, Buccaneers-Lions should be a highly competitive game between two confident squads—but the secondary groups are heading in opposite directions as we enter Week 2; Tampa Bay was already thin behind Jamel Dean, and they could be without their second, third, and fourth cornerbacks and will definitely be without All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot) on Sunday, while the Lions have to be encouraged about their remade secondary, including Carlton Davis III having insights on former teammates Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. On the injury front for Detroit, we’ll see about the status of Penei Sewell (ankle) and Marcus Davenport (groin), but D.J. Reader (quadricep) is set to make his season debut, which will help in slowing down Rachaad White and impressive rookie Bucky Irving on the ground. A letdown following another emotional win against the Rams on Sunday night is possible, but the Lions have the makings of a powerhouse and are tough to beat at Ford Field.

 

Winner: Detroit Lions

 

IND (0-1) @ GB (0-1)

Sunday, September 15 | 1:00 PM ET | FOX

 

The Packers aren’t closing the door on Jordan Love (knee) playing this weekend, but it would be a major surprise if it wasn’t Malik Willis under center—and the former Liberty star is entering the best situation of his career with Matt LaFleur providing the answers for a quarterback as well as any play-caller in the NFL. That said, I would expect a very conservative game plan built around Josh Jacobs and designed touches for Jayden Reed, and the rushing ability of Willis is something that should be highlighted for as long as Love is out. The Colts don’t have any qualms about featuring their quarterback on the ground with Anthony Richardson rushing for 56 yards and a score in the opener, but this week sets up for Jonathan Taylor to explode versus a Green Bay front that remained soft against the run with Saquon Barkley totaling 132 yards and three touchdowns in Brazil. I’d be more hesitant to pick Indy at Lambeau Field if it were November, December, or January (and I want to see Willis do well), but Richardson and Taylor might be too much to handle for the Packers.

 

Winner: Indianapolis Colts

 

CLE (0-1) @ JAX (0-1)

Sunday, September 15 | 1:00 PM ET | CBS

 

The Browns catch a break this week with Jacksonville placing top cornerback Tyson Campbell (hamstring) on injured reserve, as they badly need Deshaun Watson and the passing attack to get going. If nothing else, a good game from Watson might clear up some of the smoke about Cleveland potentially having a way to back out of the fully guaranteed deal for their quarterback after more sexual assault allegations came to light this week. Because the Jaguars don’t have Campbell, I’d anticipate Amari Cooper having a big game, and it’ll be needed with David Njoku (ankle) joining Nick Chubb (knee) out of the lineup. On the other side of the ball, I don’t like how things set up for the Jaguars with Denzel Ward, Martin Emerson Jr., and Greg Newsome II being able to match their trio at wide receiver, so look for Travis Etienne Jr. and Evan Engram to be the top targets for Trevor Lawrence, and I’ll continue calling for the Jags to get their athletic quarterback more involved as a runner.

 

Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars

 

SF (1-0) @ MIN (1-0)

Sunday, September 15 | 1:00 PM ET | CBS

 

The 49ers needing to settle for more field goals than they would have liked was the only real negative about their Week 1 performance, and the team is now 18-4 with Brock Purdy as the starter—and they’ll have a chance to avenge one of the losses for a rematch against the Vikings after losing to them 22-17 last October. Of course, Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) is an important piece that will be needed against top competition, but Jordan Mason is a punishing runner that brings a different style to the backfield, and Deebo Samuel Sr. in an increased role (17 combined targets and carries last week) helps to make up for some of the things missing with McCaffrey out. Also, the Niners didn’t have Deebo or Trent Williams last year in the loss to Minnesota, and we’ll see if the San Francisco defense knows how to play Sam Darnold after a year of development under Kyle Shanahan. I’ll have my eye on Christian Darrisaw—who Williams compared to himself a couple of years ago—versus Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd after the star tackle erased the edge duo of Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux last week in New York.

 

Winner: San Francisco 49ers

 

SEA (1-0) @ NE (1-0)

Sunday, September 15 | 1:00 PM ET | FOX

 

One of my biggest takeaways from Week 1 is that Seattle’s defense will be a top unit under Mike Macdonald, and Riq Woolen rebounding from a disappointing sophomore campaign is a scary thought paired with Devon Witherspoon’s versatility in the new scheme. The Patriots were similarly excellent on defense in Week 1 to beat Cincinnati, and while they have talent on that side of the ball and were coached by the greatest defensive mind ever in Bill Belichick over the past few years, their focus on fundamental football is something that Jerod Mayo should be praised for. The secondary might be able to match up well with Christian Gonzalez on DK Metcalf and the combination of Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones on Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but the Seahawks have the clear overall talent advantage in a ten-year anniversary rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, and also ten years since former Jets quarterback Geno Smith has taken on his former AFC East rival.

 

Winner: Seattle Seahawks

 

NYJ (0-1) @ TEN (0-1)

Sunday, September 15 | 1:00 PM ET | CBS

 

I expected the Jets to make the postseason this year, and Aaron Rodgers was very sharp for a guy that hasn’t played in nearly two years and is coming off a torn Achilles. However, the Monday night loss was never competitive, and San Francisco is obviously great, but it didn’t feel much different than previous seasons for a team that is now 27-57 under Joe Douglas. The Haason Reddick saga not being solved is something hanging over a defense that didn’t generate pressure like they’re accustomed to in the opener, and Robert Saleh’s comments about stopping the run when they want to will be tested versus a Tennessee team that will want to play to their defense after Will Levis threw a very costly pick-six in the loss to Chicago. This should be a very close battle, but with L’Jarius Sneed potentially shadowing Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams not being a full-time player yet, I’m going with Tennessee to rebound from last week’s collapse.

 

Winner: Tennessee Titans

 

NYG (0-1) @ WAS (0-1)

Sunday, September 15 | 1:00 PM ET | FOX

 

There is no such thing as a must-win game this early in the season, but it’s about as close as it gets for the Giants when you consider how they played in Week 1, how Saquon Barkley played for the Eagles (surely impacting player morale), and their schedule through October after this week (@ CLE, v DAL, @ SEA, v CIN, v PHI, @ PIT). To get the offense on track, I would expect a heavy dose of Malik Nabers, and rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. needs to be more of a factor, including in the passing game. I’m just worried about New York being directionless in their roster construction—with two examples from last week being Jalin Hyatt barely playing on offense and Isaiah Simmons not even seeing the field on defense. Fortunately for the Giants, Washington didn’t look any better in coverage under Dan Quinn than they were last year, and Daniel Jones has played well versus the NFC East foe with a 5-1-1 career record. If Brian Daboll’s offense is ever going to made good on the desire to push the ball downfield, Sunday is the time to do it.

 

Winner: New York Giants

 

LAR (0-1) @ ARI (0-1)

Sunday, September 15 | 4:05 PM ET | FOX

 

The Rams losing to the Lions in overtime last Sunday night was compounded by injuries striking the offense, as Puka Nacua (knee), Steve Avila (knee), and Joe Noteboom (ankle) were all placed on injured reserve—creating a very banged-up roster heading into a matchup versus an improved Arizona squad. Based on how the Cardinals played the Bills last week by having extra attention on Dalton Kincaid, I’d expect a similar game plan implemented on Cooper Kupp, and it’s notable that he had a 7/148/1 line against Jonathan Gannon’s defense in the first matchup last year before being limited to three receptions for 18 yards in the rematch. Still, Kupp is extremely difficult to stop when Matthew Stafford locks onto him like he did on Sunday night with 21 targets, and Kyren Williams will need to be a focus for the Cardinals as well after a whopping 181.0 total yards per game in two 2023 meetings. Keep an eye on Marvin Harrison Jr. getting going against a smaller cornerback group for LA, but I don’t envision an 0-2 start for Sean McVay.

 

Winner: Los Angeles Rams

 

PIT (1-0) @ DEN (0-1)

Sunday, September 15 | 4:25 PM ET | CBS

 

Rookie quarterbacks facing Mike Tomlin have not fared well over the years with a 6-24 record, so Bo Nix certainly has his work cut out for him after struggles last week in his NFL debut. I would say a lot of the issues for Denver in Week 1 stemmed from a lack of separation for the wide receivers that forced Nix into throws he wouldn’t normally make, but I’d love for Marvin Mims Jr. to be more of a factor after playing just 12 offensive snaps against the Seahawks. If not, a lot will be on Josh Reynolds and rookie Devaughn Vele with Courtland Sutton facing coverage from Joey Porter Jr., and even designed touches for Mims could help offset T.J. Watt and the pass rush. It’d also be great to get Nix on the move more both as a passer and runner after he flashed that ability late in the loss to Seattle, and the same is true for Justin Fields under center for Pittsburgh with him almost looking a bit hesitant because he wanted to avoid mistakes in the opener. I think this weekend will show Nix is a quick learner and can knock off the Steelers after C.J. Stroud and Dorian Thompson-Robinson did so in 2023.

 

Winner: Denver Broncos

 

CIN (0-1) @ KC (1-0)

Sunday, September 15 | 4:25 PM ET | CBS

 

You know the Bengals and Chiefs have an intense rivalry when a player who hasn’t yet been involved (Xavier Worthy) takes unsolicited trash talk (from Cam Taylor-Britt) before the game. Based on how both sides looked in Week 1, my initial thought is that Kansas City should be able to take care of business at home, especially with Tee Higgins (hamstring) likely out and Joe Burrow not being at his best coming off wrist surgery. But the Bengals simply come to play in this matchup, and it’s tough to forget Ja’Marr Chase going for a 11/266/3 against the Chiefs as a rookie—and we can expect more than the six targets he saw in the loss to New England. On defense, Cincinnati will look to replicate the success they’ve had containing Travis Kelce in the regular season with lines of 5/25/1, 4/56, and 3/16 over the past three years, but the ability of Rashee Rice (5/127 last year) to work between the numbers makes opponents pick their poison every week. Kansas City might not fully explode until Hollywood Brown (shoulder) is back, but they have the edge at home with a chance to make Cincinnati 0-2.

 

Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

 

CHI (1-0) @ HOU (1-0)

Sunday, September 15 | 8:20 PM ET | NBC

 

Caleb Williams versus C.J. Stroud in primetime should provide plenty of excitement, but Chicago needs to be much better than they were in the opener (93 passing yards) if they are going to hold up their end of the potential fireworks. While it sounds like No. 9 overall pick Rome Odunze (knee) will be out on Sunday night, the news could end up being a blessing in disguise by forcing the Bears to play through DJ Moore at a higher level after Keenan Allen and Odunze combined to catch just five-of-15 targets for 40 scoreless yards in Week 1; basically, a more centralized game plan could be a good thing for Williams early in his career, and Houston allowed three huge gains to Indy last week with a couple of others being missed as well. Either way, this matchup will come down to the Bears playing stingy and opportunistic coverage to make things difficult on Stroud, but Joe Mixon provides needed balance, and the Texans have plenty of ways to attack opponents, so they’re tough to pick against at home.

 

Winner: Houston Texans

 

ATL (0-1) @ PHI (1-0)

Monday, September 16 | 8:15 PM ET | ESPN/ESPN2

 

Kirk Cousins going to Philadelphia for a primetime matchup in Week 2 is like a recurring nightmare out of The Twilight Zone with Monday night being the third consecutive season that it’s happened, but that’s not as scary as T.J. Watt consistently screaming off the edge like we saw last Sunday. That is not to say the Eagles can’t generate pressure, though, as Bryce Huff should make his presence felt soon after a quiet opener, and transitioned off-ball linebacker Zack Baun showed his previous pass-rushing chops with 2.0 sacks in the win over Green Bay to form a great duo with Nakobe Dean. This week, I’m looking at Jalen Carter to make Cousins very uncomfortable once again, so Atlanta needs to run screens for Bijan Robinson and try to get mismatches for Kyle Pitts on a shorter collection of linebackers and safeties; plus, I think rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell can be attacked if the Eagles leave him in one-on-one coverage across from Darius Slay Jr. All that said, Philadelphia has too many different ways to win with stars all over on offense, and Jalen Hurts should play better than he did in Brazil.

 

Winner: Philadelphia Eagles