NFL Weekly Wonder, Edition #2
By Peyton Schultze
The Rams’ impressive Week 1 win against the Cowboys should give them some momentum as they head on the road to face the Philadelphia Eagles (via Ramblin’ Fan).
Week 1 is officially one for the books, and what a shocking week it was!
From the Jaguars’ passionate upset of the Colts to the Packers’ offensive explosion against a solid Vikings’ defense, there were plenty of surprising results across the league in Week 1. Now, as we look ahead to a Week 2 slate full of eventful matchups, the hype for the 2020 season is starting to build up even higher amid the return of sports across the country.
So what will we see in Week 2? Can Cam Newton lead the Patriots to a road win against the Seahawks in a Super Bowl rematch? Will the 49ers bounce back from their disappointing Week 1 performance? Can Joe Burrow secure the first win of his young career on Thursday Night Football? Or will the Raiders open up their new stadium with a surprise win over the Saints? Let’s look ahead at an interesting Week 2 across the NFL.
Game-by-Game Looks
Aaron Rodgers once again looked like a MVP candidate under center for Green Bay after a dynamic Week 1 performance versus Minnesota (via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).
Thursday: Cincinnati @ Cleveland (-6.0), 5:20 PM PT, NFL Network
Cleveland put up a disappointing Week 1 performance versus Baltimore, especially considering it was the first game of the Kevin Stefanksi-era. But even though Cleveland looked out of sorts and all over the place on both sides of the ball on Sunday, they should be the beneficiaries of a scheduling break versus a young team coming off a crushing loss featuring a rookie quarterback. While it’s tempting to lean toward Joe Burrow and the Bengals to pull off the upset after an encouraging first week versus the Chargers, the Browns’ strong run game and talent across the board should be too much to overcome in the end.
Cincinnati: 21 Cleveland: 23
Sunday: Denver @ Pittsburgh (-6.0), 10:00 AM PT, CBS
A matchup of two teams coming off eventful Monday night games, Pittsburgh and Denver has a real chance of being a defensive slug fest in a battle of two of the best units in the league. Drew Lock and the Bronco’s offense flashed some real potential in Week 1 against a solid Tennessee defense, but a matchup with arguably the most aggressive defense in the league could be a lot of trouble for a Denver team looking to get back in the win column. Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers have struggled against the Broncos for a long time now, but this could be a great early season win for a team with some realistic Super Bowl aspirations.
Denver: 17 Pittsburgh: 20
Sunday: Carolina @ Tampa Bay (-8.5), 10:00 AM PT, FOX
Tampa Bay’s loss to the Saints has a lot of people concerned, but expect a furious bounce-back performance from Tom Brady and the Buccaneers on both sides of the ball. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin were near non-factors in Week 1, but they should have plenty of space to run free against a poor Panthers’ secondary that struggles to match up with size and athleticism. Carolina’s defense may rank among the worst in the league after getting torn up by the Raiders, so all signs point toward Brady’s first career win with another team outside of New England.
Carolina: 21 Tampa Bay: 38
Sunday: Jacksonville @ Tennessee (-9.0), 10:00 AM PT, CBS
After a shocking Week 1 upset over the Indianapolis Colts, it is fair to assume many think that the Jaguars may have a shot at winning more games than expected in 2020. Nevertheless, that won’t happen in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans, one of the best teams in the league and a true Super Bowl contender. Even though they struggled a ton against a ruthless Denver defense in their first game of the season, the Titans have everything they need on offense to be able to move the ball up and down the field all afternoon long on Sunday. Expect huge numbers from Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill in the Titans’ second win of the young season.
Jacksonville: 13 Tennessee: 41
Sunday: New York G. @ Chicago (-5.5), 10:00 AM PT, CBS
The Bears pulled off the most miraculous win of the first week after Mitchell Trubisky’s excellent fourth quarter comeback, but it will be interesting to see if they let down against an inferior Giants’ squad in the Bears’ first home game of the season. The Giants are quietly one of the most explosive young offenses in all of football, but quarterback Daniel Jones is about to face all he can handle against one of the league’s most productive defenses. If Chicago finds a way to pull off a win, maybe a playoff berth doesn’t seem so out of reach for the sneaky Bears in the Windy City.
New York: 20 Chicago: 21
Sunday: Atlanta @ Dallas (-5.0), 10:00 AM PT, FOX
Dallas didn’t play poorly in their first game of the season against Los Angeles, but there’s certainly some major concerns across the board considering their weak division and iffy play on both sides of the ball. Meanwhile, the Falcons were smashed at home by a Seahawks team that looks like a real contender, which has many people once again writing Atlanta out of the playoff picture. So what will the result of this week be in a matchup of Week 1 disappointments? Against a shaky Cowboys’ defense that showed plenty of cracks in Week 1, the Falcons pull off the upset on the road with major production from quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Todd Gurley.
Dallas: 27 Atlanta: 31
Sunday: Detroit @ Green Bay (-5.5), 10:00 AM PT, FOX
The Packers’ offense was one of the most impressive storylines of Week 1, especially considering how much firepower they lacked at times last season despite a 13-3 record. And now heading into a matchup against a defense that just allowed Mitchell Trubisky to stage an impressive late-game comeback, there should be plenty of scoring once again from Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Expect Lions’ quarterback Matthew Stafford to put up numbers of his own, but Green Bay should be able to pull it out against a divisional foe.
Detroit: 24 Green Bay: 30
Sunday: Minnesota @ Indianapolis (-3.0), 10:00 AM PT, FOX
Two teams with disappointing Week 1 losses match up with one another in an early-season battle with immediate playoff implications. The Vikings were not impressive by any means in Week 1 versus the Packers, but the Minnesota offense did put up a bit of a late fight despite their defensive struggles. Adding in the fact that these same Colts just shocked the world by losing to the Jaguars, there’s not much confidence right now in picking against a team that many expect to be in the NFC playoffs. The Vikings cruise on Sunday, and Philip Rivers’ immediately comes under fire after a questionable 0-2 start to his Colts’ career.
Indianapolis: 20 Minnesota: 27
Great things could quickly be on the way for Arizona if Kyler Murray and the Cardinals can start off with a 2-0 record (via Arizona Sports).
Sunday: Buffalo (-6.0) @ Miami, 10:00 AM PT, CBS
Buffalo looked every bit like the AFC East favorites against the New York Jets in Week 1, which should serve them well heading into a matchup against a divisional rival coming off a bad game. Miami isn’t terrible, especially on the defensive side, but they simply do not match up well on offense with arguably the game’s best defense in Buffalo. The Bills have a real shot at starting 2-0 after this matchup, which should have them walking away with another easy divisional win.
Miami: 7 Buffalo: 23
Sunday: San Francisco (-6.5) @ New York J., 10:00 AM PT, FOX
The Jets played miserably in Week 1 against one of the game’s best defenses, which is a troublesome sign heading into a battle against one of the favorites in the NFC. The 49ers had some struggles of their own in a bad loss to the Cardinals as well, but they should be able to drop the cause for concern that has followed them over the week with a scheduling break. Even with George Kittle not looking like he’ll be ready to suit up for Week 2 and a long travel across the country for an early start, San Francisco should ride their defense to an easy win against one of the worst teams in the league.
New York: 14 San Francisco: 27
Sunday: Los Angeles R. (-1.0) @ Philadelphia, 10:00 AM PT, FOX
The Rams may have been the most impressive team from Week 1 with a reinvigorated run game that propelled them to a win, so it’ll be interesting to see them head on the road for a matchup in Philadelphia. In addition, these Eagles had one of the most disappointing performances of Week 1 with some of the worst offensive line play seen in a while, which had Carson Wentz on the ground way too many times. So how will this offensive line fare against the game’s best defensive player in Aaron Donald? That speaks for itself, and the Rams should start 2-0 with a nice win on the road.
Philadelphia: 17 Los Angeles: 24
Sunday: Washington @ Arizona (-7.0), 1:05 PM PT, FOX
Although it has not been mentioned a ton, Arizona may have pulled off the upset of Week 1 after pulling out a close game versus the reigning NFC champions. Meanwhile, Washington pulled off a shocker of their own in defeating the already-beaten up Eagles, which has them at the top of the NFC East after one week. So which upstart team pulls off another win and starts 2-0 in the early season? These Cardinals look flat out scary on offense right now, so expect another solid performance from Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins against a solid Washington full of elite defensive line talent.
Washington: 13 Arizona: 28
Sunday: Baltimore (-6.5) @ Houston, 1:25 PM PT, CBS
Houston wasn’t horrible by any means in their Week 1 kickoff game versus the Chiefs, but Deshaun Watson and the rest of their offense could not keep up with the explosive nature of Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City. However, over in Baltimore, the Ravens clearly looked like one of the favorites to take home a Super Bowl after a dominant win over the typically lowlife Browns. This matchup wasn’t close when they faced each other last year, and don’t expect it to be any closer with Baltimore looking even better on offense and defense.
Houston: 10 Baltimore: 34
Sunday: Kansas City (-9.0) @ Los Angeles C., 1:25 PM PT, CBS
Kansas City looked every bit like the reigning Super Bowl champions in their first matchup against the Texans, which was led by the phenomenal play of rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Meanwhile, the Chargers looked a little out of sorts on both sides of the ball in Week 1 against the Bengals, so how will they fare against a team that looked nearly unbeatable in the league’s kickoff game? The result may be obvious, and expect a blowout for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in their first game inside the Chargers’ new facility in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles: 14 Kansas City: 38
Sunday: New England @ Seattle (-4.0), 5:20 PM PT, NBC
A game that figures to be extremely fun to watch after exciting performances in Week 1, the rematch of Super Bowl XLIX could come down to the play of two stupendous signal callers. While Russell Wilson showed some flashes of MVP-type play against Atlanta, Cam Newton took over the Patriots’ running game in the first game of the post-Brady era in New England. Seattle should be favored due to Wilson’s consistent performance under the lights in primetime games, but expect plenty of resiliency on both sides of the ball from New England all night long.
New England: 20 Seattle: 24
Monday: New Orleans (-6.0) @ Las Vegas, 5:15 PM PT, ESPN
New Orleans pulled off a big time win against some solid competition with the Buccaneers in Week 1, which many people assumed made them presumptuous favorites in the NFC South. But Las Vegas’ elite ground game and ball control emphasis could cause some big issues for a team that lacked some explosiveness in the first game of the season, even if the Black Hole is not in attendance in the team’s first home game in Las Vegas. Especially considering they’ll likely be without reciever Michael Thomas for several weeks, our big upset of the week lies in the desert in the inaugural game played on the primetime stage of Allegiant Stadium.
New Orleans: 17 Las Vegas: 27
Daily Fantasy Targets
Ravens’ reciever Marquise Brown appears to be poised for a big year after an impressive offseason training program (via Yahoo! Sports).
Quarterbacks: Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) and Tom Brady (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
The Bengals may not have pulled out a win, but rookie quarterback Joe Burrow put together an impressive performance against one of the league’s best group of defensive backs. Now, as Burrow goes on the road to Cleveland for a primetime matchup, we’ll get to see if this is the same player who took over the college football landscape in 2019. With the Browns boasting a mediocre secondary and bound to make a mistake or two on the offensive side, Burrow could easily have his coming-out party in the NFL in only his second career game. On the complete opposite side of the quarterback position, Tom Brady enters the second game of his career with the Buccaneers after a disappointing performance against a solid Saints’ defense. However, with a Carolina defense on the schedule that was just shredded by Las Vegas on offense, there has to be some confidence in the building for the GOAT to put together a typical Brady game with so many weapons around him. Brady and the Bucs should look way better in Week 2 and should put up some big points on the scoreboard.
Running Backs: Todd Gurley (Atlanta Falcons) and David Montgomery (Chicago Bears)
Todd Gurley’s debut with the Falcons was okay at best against a rather stout Seattle defense, but he should be in for a better performance in Week 2 versus a Cowboys’ defense that was shredded by the Los Angeles Rams. In addition, the Falcons will likely want to avoid getting into a shootout with a capable Cowboys’ offense, so it would bot be a surprise to see Atlanta use Gurley early and often against a defense that showed plenty of cracks in the first week of the season. Over in Chicago, running back David Montgomery appears to be poised for a breakout game sooner rather than later. And as the Bears prepare to face a Giants’ defense that allowed Steelers’ back Benny Snell to run all over them on Monday Night Football, the path to a big game could be very wide for Montgomery. If the Bears start fast and are able to get out in front of the Giants early, look for Chicago to hand the ball off plenty of times to Montgomery to take the load off of Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears’ passing game.
Wide Receivers: Amari Cooper (Dallas Cowboys) and Marquise Brown (Baltimore Ravens)
Cowboys’ wide reciever Amari Cooper struggled to do a ton against Rams’ corner Jalen Ramsey in Week 1, but he should be a focal point for the Cowboys on offense against a weak Falcons’ secondary if Dak Prescott looks his way. If the Cowboys can get the ball into the hands of Cooper early on so that he can use his yards-after-catch abilities in the open field, Dallas will be well-served to put up a solid game against a fellow NFC team hoping to make the playoffs this season. Cooper has dominated teams without elite corners to match up with him for most of his career, and expect that trend to continue once again on Sunday. Over in Baltimore, Marquise Brown is starting to quickly look like one of the best young receivers in all of football. And after a nice showing versus the Browns last weekend, expect Lamar Jackson to look toward the speedy wideout once again after Houston allowed some big plays to Kansas City in Week 1. Brown is just starting to hit his stride as a pro in the league, and his journey toward becoming one of the best offensive weapons in the league could easily continue this Sunday against a weak Houston defense that has allowed plenty of big plays over the past two seasons.
Tight Ends: C.J. Uzomah (Cincinnati Bengals) and Jimmy Graham (Chicago Bears)
Both of these tight ends don’t pop off the page by any means, but both could put up some remarkable performances with positive matchups in their direction. C.J. Uzomah is not one of the spectacular and versatile tight end options in the league, but he looked like he and Joe Burrow found an early connection as a safety blanket for the young signal caller. And after Cleveland allowed a big game to Ravens’ tight end Mark Andrews in their Week 1 bout, Burrow may have some confidence in Uzomah in big moments in what should be a close game on Thursday night. Meanwhile, even though he has not been an elite fantasy option in years, Jimmy Graham did look like he established a solid connection as a big weapon for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. If Graham can find targets in the red zone against one of the league’s worst secondaries in New York, Graham might be able to put up a vintage performance in Week 2 versus the Giants.
Defenses: Kansas City Chiefs (vs Los Angeles C.) and Minnesota (vs Indianapolis)
The Chargers’ offense looked lethargic and the Chiefs’ defense was flying around the field during their Week 1 matchups, which should be a great sign for fantasy football owners who have the Chiefs’ defense for their upcoming game. With a unit that has a knack for getting after the quarterback and causing turnovers in the secondary, Kansas City may be able to rattle quarterback Tyrod Taylor behind a shaky offensive line on Sunday afternoon in the Chargers’ first game inside SoFi Stadium. Meanwhile, after their terrible performance against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, many people have lost immediate faith in the Minnesota defense. This defense is still one of the most talented in all of football, and they have the talent to cause some trouble for opposing offenses willing to let the ball fly. And in terms of a way to bounce back on defense, what better way is there right now than to face off against a turnover-prone quarterback in Philip Rivers? Even though Indy should be focused on running the ball on Sunday, the Vikings’ defense should respond from last week’s loss with an impressive showing.
Fanatical Focus, Week 2
Cam Newton, New England Patriots
Cam Newton looked stellar in his Patriots’ debut over the weekend with two rushing touchdowns (via WCVB-Boston).
Was there a more fun player to watch in all of Week 1 than quarterback Cam Newton? The former league MVP looked fresh, healthy, and rejuvenated in his new Patriots’ uniform over the weekend, and the sky appears to be the limit for the superstar quarterback on his new team.
Sure, Newton only had 155 passing yards on 19 attempts without a passing touchdown in Week 1, but the Patriots’ new-look offense looked like a unit that could give defenses trouble all year. With Newton leading the way on 15 carries for 75 rushing yards and two touchdowns, New England formed a running attack that wore down the Miami defense over the course of the game with a bruising and physical mentality all afternoon long. If this attack continues and Cam can limit his back-breaking turnovers, head coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots may not even miss a beat without Brady in town, which speaks to the pedigree of Newton in his first year with the Pats.
Of all the things that stuck out in the Patriots’ Week 1 win, the lack of roster change on offense outside of Newton appeared to stick out like a sore thumb. And just how it was last year with Tom Brady under center, the Patriots are going to lack immediate impact weapons on the outside for the short-term in the passing game. So how can Newton and the Patriots find a way to win games over the course of the season without the presence of Brady in the lineup? That will likely come in the form of their hardcore running game as displayed against the Dolphins on Sunday, which is a throwback mentality that we have not seen since Newton’s early days in Carolina and since Belichick’s early days with Brady under center. For years, the Patriots’ offense has looked like a well-oiled pro scheme with an emphasis on play-action passing and quick throws from Brady. Now? It appears they’re going to turn into something you might see from the college ranks, which speaks to the versatility and willingness of Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to do whatever it takes to win with Newton under center.
As the Patriots head on the road and into this week’s primetime matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, it will be interesting to see how Newton responds from his impressive debut. Will he be able to compete with Russell Wilson and put enough points on the board to keep the game close? Or will the Patriots’ offensive limitations be exposed on the game’s big stage of Sunday Night Football? For Cam and the Pats, after offseason rumblings about a potential MVP award, all eyes will be on this weekend’s matchup to find out just how good this team can really be in 2020.