After a wild Week 1, the weekend is upon us and a new slate awaits. Here is a compilation of my thoughts regarding Week 2’s most interesting games, along with schematic information and what to watch for this weekend! Each matchup has a score prediction with reasoning. Skip to the end to learn about the most intriguing game this weekend!
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Most Intriguing Matchups
Ravens at Bengals
Sunday | 1:00 ET
Week 1 was an enigma for the Cincinnati Bengals. In a rainy trip to the Dawg Pound in Cleveland, Joe Burrow put up his worst game as a pro, throwing for only 82 yards. He looked out of sync and was missing throws like he never has before in the NFL. It seemed like Burrow was having a very tough time gripping the ball, even having to make a couple “push-throws” after losing ahold of it. On Sunday, the Bengals look to correct course after the dreadful Week 1 loss. The Ravens are coming in off of a win against Houston in a grinder-type game. This divisional rivalry never disappoints, so expect another fun matchup on Sunday.
Though Week 1 was extremely poor, the Bengals had the highest rated PFF passing grade last season. Joe Burrow was just awarded the largest contract in NFL history, and it’s for good reason. He’ll have it a real test against the Ravens secondary this week. S Kyle Hamilton was particularly exceptional last season. They chose to major in Cover 6 in 2022, meaning that WR Ja’marr Chase could be bracketed quite often. Look for WR2 Tee Higgins to step up and have a nice game. It will be tough against such a solid defense, but I expect the Cincinnati offense to look much better than they did against the Browns.
Zay Flowers was the star of the show Week 1 in Baltimore. The rookie wide receiver led the Ravens in both catches (9) and receiving yards (79). He looked incredibly agile and fast. Baltimore will certainly continue to put the ball into his hands. However the Bengals were much better at stopping the pass than the run last season. The way to score against them is through the ground, at least initially The Ravens have a strong run game, but starting RB J.K. Dobbins went down with a season-ending ACL tear last week. It will be up to RBs Justice Hill and Gus Edwards to establish the run game, along with QB Lamar Jackson. Though, with pass-catching options like TE Mark Andrews, WR Odell Beckham Jr., and Zay Flowers and the talented Lamar Jackson under center, the Baltimore will still look to create fireworks through the air. I expect this to work, but only to a certain point.
With two great defenses and two strong offenses, it will be interesting to see which units falter. I expect a low scoring rock fight, with Burrow and the Bengals taking the slight edge.
Score Prediction: Bengals 24 Ravens 20
Jets at Cowboys
Sunday | 4:25 ET
Monday night’s season opener proved to be a nightmare scenario for the New York Jets. Aaron Rodgers tearing his achilles after playing only 4 snaps with his new team has to be one of the biggest letdowns in recent memory in the NFL. Perhaps the most painful aspect for Jets fans is that the defense was still good enough to carry the team to victory against the Bills. On defense, the Jets are elite. With Rodgers behind center, who knows what New York could’ve accomplished in 2023. They will head to Dallas this Sunday to face the Cowboys, who are coming off of a Sunday Night Football beatdown of the Giants. They looked as good as advertised Week 1, and look to keep the train rolling.
If you like defense, this is the game for you. It showcases arguably two of the best three defenses in the NFL. The Jets are going to have a difficult time scoring against Dallas, who ranked 2nd in PFF pash rush, coverage, and overall defensive grade Week 1. This was no fluke either, as they finished 2nd, 11th, and 12th in those same metrics last season. Micah Parsons, who projects to be one of the top candidates for DYOP, will be shedding the New York’s weak offensive line and chasing around QB Zach Wilson all day. Don’t expect the Jets to do much of anything through the air. The only chance that they have is through the running game. RBs Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook have to have productive games to make up for the downgrade at quarterback.
On the other side of the ball, the Jets defense is just as good, if not better than Dallas’. They finished 3rd in both PFF coverage grade and pass rush grade last year, and 1st in coverage grade in Week 1. CBs Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed Jr. have made Metlife stadium a no-fly-zone, and that’s not even mentioning S Jordan Whitehead, who intercepted Josh Allen three times in Week 1. QB Dak Prescott will have to stay grounded an avoid getting loose with the football. I expect Sauce to shadow Cowboys WR Ceedee Lamb for the most part. The Jets played the most quarters coverage in the NFL last year, so the Cowboys will have to pound the run game and sustain long, methodical drives if they are going to score touchdowns against this defense.
I think that the score will stay tight for a while, but the Cowboys will break away in the end. With Zach Wilson facing such a difficult challenge, the Jets defense will probably be spending a lot of time on the field. It will eventually catch up to them.
Score Prediction: Cowboys 24 Jets 13
49ers at Rams
Sunday | 4:05 ET
Last week, I took the Steelers over the 49ers in what I expected to be a rock-fight. I was sorely reminded of the limitless ceiling that the San Fransisco offense possesses, and the suffocating way that their defense plays. They look to bring their buzzsaw to SoFi Stadium against a Rams team that is coming off of a surprising win in Seattle. In a game that almost no one had them winning, they completely dominated. They more than doubled the Seahawks in both offensive yards and first downs. Though the 49ers are much stronger on paper, this game is intriguing considering Week 1’s results and the way that the Rams have performed against the Niners in the past.
The coaching battle between Kyle Shanahan and his disciple Sean McVay is always interesting. If you don’t like outside zone runs, this is not the game for you. Both offenses are run very similarly, revolving aronud the outside zone run scheme and YAC in the passing game. It will come down to personnel in the end. These teams run the same things, but the 49ers simply have the better players.
With Cooper Kupp out with a hamstring flare-up, rookie WR Puka Nacua took over his role in Week 1. He was targeted a whopping 15 times in his first NFL game, catching 10 for 119 yards. Though I’m excited to see what he can do in Week 2, I don’t expect the Rams to be anywhere near as productive against the 49ers defense, who ranked 1st in PFF overall defensive grade in Week 1.
The 49ers should be able to put up some points on Sunday. The Rams only gave up 13 points last week to a solid Seahawks passing attack, but I can’t see them shutting down San Francisco. Between Deebo, Brandon Aiyuk, CMC, and George Kittle, the young Rams defense will be overwhelmed. I think that the Niners will be able to score in any way they choose.
Score Prediction 49ers 31 Rams 17
Honorable Mentions
Dolphins @ Patriots
Sunday | 8:20 ET
The Dolphins may be the most fun team to watch in the NFL. Tyreek Hill is a freak of nature, proven by have 200+ yard performance last week. The Patriots played well against the Eagles Week 1, so this could be a good game. New England has a good secondary, as well as a good defense as a whole. It will be interesting to see what Bill Belichick draws up to slow down the explosive Miami playmakers.
Colts @ Texans
Sunday | 1:00 ET
The QB battle between Anthony Richardson and CJ Stroud should be fun, #2 pick vs #4 pick. This game could potentially be the start of a long rivalry between the two AFC South rookies. Though both teams are average to below-average squads, they are good tests for each other. The game actually has the lowest spread according to Caesars Sportbook, Houston -1, so it should be interesting to watch.
Score Prediction: Texans 20 Colts 17
Game of the Week
Chiefs @ Jaguars
Sunday | 1:00 ET
Two of the NFL’s best offenses will clash in Duval County on Sunday. Considering the mutual amount of star-power, they could easily provide the most exciting game of the week. The Chiefs will look to right the ship after a tight Week 1 loss to the Lions. With the returns of both Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, Kansas City will be back to full strength. The Jaguars, on the other hand, are riding hot and hoping to grab a massive victory at home. Last week, WR Calvin Ridley showed no signs of rust after his year-long suspension. It will be interesting to see what he and Trevor Lawrence can do against Kansas City’s often underrated secondary.
Scheme-wise, it will be fun to watch these two powerful offenses duel. They are actually quite similar. Both are passing offenses that are heavily reliant upon yards after the catch (YAC). This means that they gain the majority of their passing yards after receiving the ball. Both teams focus on getting the ball into their playmakers’ hands by completing short, quick passes.
On defense, the Jaguars play a lot of man coverage. Assuming Travis Kelce is good to go, this is good for the Chiefs. Though Jaguars LB Foyesade Oluokun is strong in coverage for his position, Travis Kelce is a matchup nightmare for almost anybody one-on-one. Look for the Chiefs to pepper him with targets. On defense, the Chiefs tend to tailor their scheme to stop the pass since they are usually playing with the lead. This should give Travis Etienne an opportunity for a big game. Even if they get down early, Jacksonville must not stray from pounding the rock. This will keep the Chiefs defense honest and allow Ridley, Engram, and Kirk to get open.
Ultimately, I can’t see the Chiefs falling to 0-2. I don’t think last Thursday left a good taste in Patrick Mahomes or Andy Reid’s mouth. They, along with Kelce and Jones, will head into Jacksonville with a vengeance.