Written by Shawn Stewart and AJ Olona

Atlanta (0-1) at dallas (0-1)

1 p.m. ET

FOX

Point Spread: Cowboys, -7

This Week 2 matchup will see two very disappointing teams from a week ago face off. Against the Seattle Seahawks last week, the Falcons looked completely out of sorts, and a few steps behind their competitors. While Matt Ryan was able to throw the ball well, the defense could do absolutely nothing to stop Russell Wilson. Entering this game, the Falcons might be without their starting left tackle Jake Matthews, after he has failed to practice all week. The Falcons are going to need to get things right on the defensive side of the ball to keep this game close. On the other end, the Cowboys are also struggling early after Week 1. The Cowboys were expected to have one of the most explosive offenses in the entire NFL, yet looked very mediocre out the gate. Ezekiel Elliott was trying to do everything for the Cowboys offense, but that can only go so far. Dak Prescott had a hard time finding his litany of receivers, while the Cowboys offensive line was singlehandedly bullied by the Rams’ Aaron Donald. In order to win this game, the Falcons are going to have to have a more balanced offense and get Todd Gurley going. If you need Matt Ryan to throw for over 400 passing yards, you are not in a good place. For the Cowboys to be able to win this game, they are going to have to be able to get the game going and rely slightly less on Zeke.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Cowboys 27 - 23

AJ’S PREDICTION: Falcons 31 - 28

Detroit (0-1) at greenbay (1-0) 

1 p.m. ET

FOX

Point Spread: Packers, -6

The Packers might have done the best thing for Aaron Rodgers by drafting Jordan Love. Aaron Rodgers is playing with a chip on his shoulder and is already looking like the Aaron Rodgers of old. In Week 1, Rodgers quickly quieted naysayers by throwing for 364 yards and 4 touchdowns without turning the ball over at all in route to a 43-34 win over the Vikings. Aaron Rodgers was also able to push aside the notion that the Packers have no one to catch the ball other than Devante Adams by also getting the ball to Allen Lazzard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling while still also getting Adams the ball 14 times for 156 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Packers will be without the heart of their defensive front, Kenny Clark on Sunday as they look to slow down the Lions. The Lions lost a close one to the Chicago Bears in Week 1 when rookie De’Andre Swift dropped the game winning pass. The Lions are going to be missing Kenny Golladay once more in Week 2 and will need to rely on Swift and Adrian Peterson to try to carry the offense. On the other side of the ball, the Lions will be missing Desmond Trufant so don’t be surprised if Aaron Rodgers outdoes his Week 1 performance.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Packers 24 - 16

AJ’S PREDICTION: Packers 38 - 10

NEW YORK GIANTS (0-1) at CHICAGO (1-0) 

1 p.m. ET

CBS

Point Spread: Bears, -5.5

The Chicago Bears got lucky to escape Week 1 with a win after Lions running back De’Andre Swift dropped the game winning touchdown. Through the first 3 quarters of the game, Mitchell Trubisky looked like the Trubisky that we have all come to expect. However, in the 4th quarter, he turned it on and brought his team back for the Week 1 win. The Giants on the other hand were not able to win in their season opener. The Giants offense typically runs through Saquon Barkley and in Week 1 they were not able to do that. For over two seasons now we have seen that when Barkley does not perform, the Giants lose. Well on Sunday, Barkley had only 6 yards on 15 carries. Daniel Jones had a few moments where he looked impressive but he also turned the ball over 2 times to help his team lose. The Giants are pretty healthy entering Week 2 and have only ruled out Adrian Colbert on the defensive side of the ball. The Bears on the other hand have not ruled any players out so far. If the Bears defense is able to slow down Barkley again, the Giants will have a hard time pulling this one out. But it is hard to bet against Saquon Barkley two weeks in a row.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Bears 16 - 13

AJ’S PREDICTION: Bears 20 - 14

Jacksonville (1-0) at Tennessee (1-0) 

1 p.m. ET

CBS

Point Spread: Titans, -10

After being set up for failure on the season, the Jaguars were able to pull off the upset on the Indianapolis Colts. Everyone knew that the Jaguars were moving their pieces in order to try to improve their draft pick for next season. But everyone underestimated the talents of Gardner Minshew. With Minshew playing the way that he has since entering the league, the Jaguars are going to win a few games. James Robinson was also a huge surprise Week 1, looking like a veteran rusher. On the other end, the Titans narrowly pulled out a win against the Broncos after Broncos Head Coach Vic Fangio horribly mismanaged the clock towards the end of the game. The Titans will be missing A.J. Brown for this game and will continue to need to rely on Derrick Henry in order to put down the Jaguars. Do not be surprised if Minshew keeps this one close.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Titans 26 - 10

AJ’S PREDICTION: Jaguars 30 - 17

Minnesota (0-1) at Indianapolis (0-1)

1 p.m. ET

FOX

Point Spread: Colts, -3.0

Although this is only the second week of the season, this game feels massive for both teams. The Vikings let Aaron Rodgers throw all over them on Sunday while the Colts let Gardner Minshew throw all over them. Both the Vikings and the Colts entered the season as playoff threats and now find themselves at the backend of their division. There were very few people that were expecting the Vikings to be able to pull off the win against the Packers. The Colts on the other hand were easy picks to beat the Jaguars and failed miserably. Phillip Rivers did Phillip Rivers things and had two costly turnovers (a 3rd one that was called back) including one late in the game. The Colts also lost starting running back Marlon Mack for the season with a torn Achilles. Rookie Jonathan Taylor will now step in as the main bell cow running back for the Colts. Both teams will need to try to slow the game down and rely on their backs in order to get the win on Sunday.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Vikings 23 - 17

AJ’S PREDICTION: Colts 24 - 14

buffalo (1-0) at Miami (0-1) 

1 p.m. ET

CBS

Point Spread: Buffalo, -6.0

This battle of AFC East foes comes early on in the season. The Dolphins already are finding themselves in a need of a win early on. While no one was expecting the Dolphins to be a playoff team in 2020, most were expecting to see somewhat of a rise in production. However, Ryan Fitzpatrick and the entire offense struggled to do anything. Not only that, but the Dolphins are struggling to sell the very limited tickets that they are offering. Another loss here means it’s one step closer to putting in rookie Tua Tagovailoa in order to re engage fan interest. The Bills on the other hand started out strong in their dominant win over the Jets. They will need to make sure that their offense is more balanced. The leading rusher in the game was Josh Allen. That kind of game plan will not be sustainable throughout the year. The Bills need to put less on Allen’s plate and rely more on Devin Singletary and rookie Zach Moss.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION:  Bills 30 - 13

AJ’S PREDICTION: Bills 41 - 12

San Francisco (0-1) at New York Jets (0-1) 

1 p.m. ET

FOX

Point Spread: 49ers, -7.0

The 49ers are already one of the most unlucky teams in the NFL this year. They have had constant health issues at the wide receiver position all year long. On Sunday, they will be without star tight end George Kittle. Without Kittle, the 49ers offense is going to have to rely heavily on their trio of backs to carry the offense. On the defensive side of things, they are also going to be without stars Dee Ford and Richard Sherman, the latter of which was placed on injured reserve this year. If the 49ers lose again this week, it is time to start worrying about the team big time. The Jets on the other hand are a disaster. Their offense is one of the worst in the league and will be missing their best offensive players in Le’Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder on Sunday. They are going to need to rely heavily on the 37-year old Frank Gore to try to keep themselves afloat in this one. It is already looking like the Jets will be selecting in the top 10 of the 2021 draft.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION: 49ers 21 - 9

AJ’S PREDICTION: 49ers 13 - 10

Los Angeles Rams (1-0) at Philadelphia (0-1) 

1 p.m. ET

FOX

Point Spread: Eagles, -1

The Rams came out week 1 against the Cowboys looking like they might once again be a top dog in the NFC. The Philadelphia Eagles on the other hand, they lost to a football team called “Football Team”. The Eagles are going to need much more out of Carson Wentz and that offense in order to get it going early. The weak point of that team very well may be its banged up offense live who has already lost two starters for the year. Getting Miles Sanders back will hopefully go a long way in improving the offense but it is Carson Wentz that will need to step up big time as Eagles fans are getting worried. While the Eagles are worried about their offensive line, the Rams are lucky enough to have Aaron Donald who single handedly destroys offensive line units. The Rams defense looked dominant in Week 1 and could very well carry that over here.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Rams 27 - 20

AJ’S PREDICTION: Rams 34 - 23

Denver (0-1) at Pittsburgh (1-0)

1 p.m. ET

CBS

Point Spread: Steelers -7.0

Both of these teams saw varying success when the took the field on opening Monday Night Football. The Steelers were able to pull out a win against the lowly Giants. In that game, Ben Roethlisberger looks like he may finally be back to form. Roethlisberger threw for 229 yards and 3 touchdowns and was able to get JuJu Smith-Schuster going again. While the Steelers once again lost James Connor to injury, it was second year player Benny Snell Jr. who showed up. Snell finished the game with 113 rushing yards and a touchdown. If Connor continues to be unproductive and continues to struggle staying on the field, the Steelers might have to turn things over to Snell for good. One the other end of the ball, the Steelers defense was shut down. Not only were they able to keep Daniel Jones out of sync, but they were surprisingly able to hold star rusher Saquon Barkley to only 6 yards on the day. While the Broncos made it a close game against the Titans, they ultimately could not get it done. While they were banged up on offense, they were still able to show some promise. Drew Lock looked very accurate in Week 1. If it were not for some key drops by Jerry Juedy or a late fumble by Melvin Gordon, the Broncos may have gotten the win. Getting Courtland Sutton back healthy will also help the Denver passing game going. The Broncos will need to rely heavily on Drew Lock’s arm this week if they want to have any chance at all.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Steelers 24 - 14

AJ’S PREDICTION: Steelers 24 - 10

Carolina (0-1) at Tampa Bay (0-1) 

1 p.m. ET

FOX

Point Spread: Buccaneers, -8.5

Two NFC South teams who disappointed in the debut of their new quarterbacks. The Panthers were not able to get it done against the Raiders. The Panthers offense was its usual self; it was Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey does everything for the Panthers and that was no different in Week 1 with Teddy Bridgewater. While Bridgewater was serviceable, he was not enough to turn the tides. It was actually the Panthers weak defensive that struggled the most. Derek Carr was constantly able to find an open man while Josh Jacobs tallied 3 touchdowns. The Panthers will be without Kawaan Short and will have to face a much improved Bucs rushing attack. Tom Brady failed to bring the excitement to Tampa Bay that was promised this year. He failed to consistently move the ball and turned the ball over at an inopportune time. Chris Godwin has been ruled out this week so Brady is going to have to try to establish a better connection with Mike Evans and try to reignite his flame with tight end Rob Gronkowski. It seems like there might be some issues between Brady and head coach Bruce Arians, but they will get things figured out very quickly.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Buccaneers 24 - 17

AJ’S PREDICTION: Buccaneers 28 - 27

Washington (1-0) at Arizona (1-0)

4:05 p.m. ET

FOX

Point spread: Cardinals, -7.0

The Washington Football Team surprised a lot of people when they were able to go out and beat the Eagles Week 1. Dwayne Haskins looked like he was able to not lose games this year. The Washington Football Team struggled to run the ball super effectively. However, it was Washington’s defense that got the job done. They were able to hold both the Eagles passing game and running game in check while also getting to Carson Wentz on eight different occasions. That defensive momentum will need to carry over to win this week. The Cardinals were also a surprise of Week1 when they were able to stop the 49ers. The Cardinals fed the ball to DeAndre Hopkins, getting him the ball 14 times. For this game to be competitive, the Redskins are going to need to pressure Kyler Murray early. Murray had 91 rushing yards against the 49ers. If the Washington Football Team wants to be competitive, they’ll need to make sure that that doesn’t happen. If they can contain Kyler Murray on the ground, they will be able to keep this one close.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Cardinals 28 - 17

AJ’S PREDICTION: Cardinals 35 - 27

Kansa City (1-0) at Las Angeles Chargers (0-1)

4:25 p.m. ET

CBS

Point spread: Chiefs, -9.0

In the season opener, the Chiefs were able to show up offensively and put up 34 points with the focal point not being Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, or Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs were able to ride the back of rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. With CEH, the Chiefs have somehow managed to find another way that they can take over the game, offensively. If the Chiefs can move that ball effectively and score that easily without having to rely too much on Mahomes, they are going to be hard to stop. On the other end, the Chargers narrowly escaped with a win in Week 1. Against the Bengals, the Chargers had a hard time moving the ball both through the air and on the ground. Then the very next week, we saw the Browns torch that very same Bengals defense all night long. That certainly makes you wonder if the Browns offense is just that good (despite the fact that they were very mediocre against the Ravens in Week 1) or if the Chargers offense is just that bad.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Chiefs 38 - 21

AJ’S PREDICTION: Chiefs 23 - 9

Baltimore (1-0) at Houston (0-1)

4:25 p.m. ET

CBS

Point Spread: Ravens, -7.0

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens were able to pick up right where they left off. They were able to move the ball with ease while also playing great defense. The run game is a bit of a question mark heading into this season only because rookie JK Dobbins out of Ohio State is factoring in more than some may have figured. The Texans on the other hand looked very undermanned against the Chiefs in Week 1. While David Johnson looked good, the Texans had to abandon the run early and were forced to throw. Not surprisingly, the lack of DeAndre Hopkins really showed on the Texans offense. While Will Fuller was able to step up, there was nothing outside of him in the passing game. Randall Cobb, Brandin Cooks, and Kenny Stills all combined for a total of 4 catches and 42 yards. Tytus Howard was consistently getting beat on the edge and Deshaun Watson was pressured way more than Texans fans are comfortable with. It looks like it might be a long season for the Texans who should already be regretting the Hopkins trade.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION:  Ravens 34 - 23

AJ’S PREDICTION: Ravens 30 - 17

New England (1-0) at Seattle (1-0)

8:20 p.m. ET

NBC

Point Spread: Seahawks, -4.0

In Week 1, the Patriots were able to display what life would be like without Tom Brady. It looked like the days of the high powered passing offense were gone, and in its place was the new age of mobile, dual threat quarterbacks. The Patriots were able to handedly beat the Dolphins by throwing the ball less than 20 times. New Patriots quarterback Cam Newton has only 19 pass attempts on the day for only 155 yards and no touchdowns. In fact, Newton has just as many completions on Sunday as he did rushing attempts. Of those 19 passing attempts, 15 were completed. Newton ran the ball 15 times for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns and was the Patriots leading rusher. On the other side of the ball, many wondered how the Patriots defense would look in 2020. The defense was far and away the best in the NFL. But during the offseason lost several key defensive starters in the offseason and just before the season started, they had 5 players opt out due to COVID-19. Many people expected that defense to regress big time and be towards the bottom of the league. However, we forgot that Bill Belichick was the Patriots Head Coach and that was never going to happen. While it was against the Miami Dolphins, Week 1 was as good as you could have expected for the New England defense. They were completely able to shut down the Dolphins offense in every aspect of the game, They held Ryan Fitzpatrick to under 200 passing yards while causing him to turn the ball over 3 times. The Dolphins couldn’t get it going on the ground either, as they had less than 90 rushing yards with only one player going for over 40 yards on the day. The Patriots displayed an old school approach to the 2020 season and were able to play great defense and keep the ball on the ground. They will have a much harder task this Sunday.

The Seattle Seahawks also looked dominant in Week 1 as they were able to handedly put away the Atlanta Falcons. In that game, Russell Wilson threw for 322 yards and 4 touchdowns and didn’t turn the ball over. The only knock on the Seahawks in Week 1 was their lack of a rushing game. Seattle’s leading rusher was Russell Wilson who had 29 yards. While the Seahawks were able to win through the air against Atlanta, they will need to have a much more balanced offense against Bill Belichick. Russell Wilson is amazing but he can only do so much for his team. The Seahawks were able to hold the Falcons to 25 points but they did allow Matt Ryan to throw for 450 yards. They are going to have to figure out things on the backend, as Cam Newton could exploit them through the air just as much as he could in the ground. Don’t be surprised if this game ends up coming down to the wire.

SHAWN’S PREDICTION: Seahawks 24 - 22

AJ’S PREDICTION: Patriots 20 - 17

Follow A.J. on Twitter @age_lona and Shawn @ShawnSportsNut