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ESPN staff
The Week 2 NFL schedule is stacked with great matchups. Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the keys to every game, a bold prediction for each matchup and final score picks.
Additionally, ESPN Stats & Information provides a stat to know for each game, and the Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a matchup rating (on a scale of 1 to 100) and a game projection. ESPN Fantasy‘s Kyle Soppe and ESPN Chalk‘s Dave Bearman hand out helpful nuggets as well. It’s all here to help get you ready for a loaded weekend of NFL football.
Let’s get into the full Week 2 slate, including a Sunday night showdown between Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll.
Jump to a matchup:
LAR-PHI | ATL-DAL | DEN-PIT
SF-NYJ | MIN-IND | DET-GB
CAR-TB | BUF-MIA | JAX-TEN
NYG-CHI | WSH-ARI | BAL-HOU
KC-LAC | NE-SEA | NO-LV
Thursday: CLE 35, CIN 30
1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 56.9 | Spread: EVEN (45.5)
What to watch for: Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has zero sacks and just one tackle for loss in three career games against Philadelphia. He has a favorable matchup in this one, however, with inexperienced second-year player Nate Herbig projected to start at right guard. Center Jason Kelce will need to chip in on double-teams to prevent Carson Wentz, who was sacked a league-high eight times in Week 1, from having another rough day. — Tim McManus
Bold prediction: Donald will have a monster, multisack game to that end. In a season-opening win over Dallas, Donald knocked down Cowboys linemen as if they were bowling pins and recorded his first sack of the season. Now watch for the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year to take advantage of an inexperienced Eagles guard and make it another long day for Wentz. — Lindsey Thiry
Stat to know: This marks the second career meeting between the top two picks of the 2016 NFL draft, Wentz and Jared Goff. Wentz won the first back in 2017 with four passing touchdowns. But both enter off underwhelming Week 1 performances. Goff threw zero touchdowns for the fourth time in his past nine games, while Wentz took eight sacks.
What to know for fantasy: Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert has 6.1 more fantasy points over his past five games than Zach Ertz does. See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: Philadelphia is 5-0-1 against the spread (ATS) against the Rams since 2006. Read more.
Thiry’s pick: Rams 24, Eagles 21
McManus’ pick: Eagles 27, Rams 24
FPI prediction: PHI, 53.8% (by an average of 1.4 points)
Matchup must-reads: SoFi Stadium videoboard: ‘Eighth wonder of the world’ targets GenZ … Time is now for the Eagles’ Wentz to turn the corner … McVay’s Rams ‘ecosystem’ a challenging standard — even for its creator … Eagles’ Curry, James have ‘significant injuries’
1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 55.3 | Spread: DAL -4.5 (54)
What to watch for: When these teams met in 2018, running back Ezekiel Elliott had 201 scrimmage yards in the Cowboys’ win. Elliott had 122 yards on the ground and another 79 as a pass-catcher. Seattle’s Russell Wilson threw four touchdown passes against the Falcons last week, so you should see some course correction in turns of pass defense, which means Elliott is in for a big day. — Todd Archer
Bold prediction: Falcons running back Todd Gurley II will have his first 100-yard rushing game with Atlanta. He hasn’t hit the century mark since Week 13 of the 2018 season, but Gurley does have two 100-yard games in three career meetings with the Cowboys, and the Falcons need to stick with the run. — Vaughn McClure
Stat to know: Since 2011, only four teams haven’t started a season 0-2: the Cowboys (2010), Falcons (2007), Packers (2006) and Patriots (2001). But both Atlanta and Dallas sit at 0-1 entering this matchup.
What to know for fantasy: The longest active streak of games with 75-plus receiving yards belongs to Calvin Ridley (five straight). Julio Jones and Davante Adams are chasing him, as they each have four straight. See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: Atlanta is 4-0 ATS in its past four road games. Read more.
McClure’s pick: Cowboys 28, Falcons 21
Archer’s pick: Cowboys 30, Falcons 27
FPI prediction: DAL, 64.4% (by an average of 5.3 points)
Matchup must-reads: Falcons run into familiar problem in opener: Not enough touchdowns early … 3 x 1,000 yards: Cowboys’ Cooper, Gallup, Lamb aim high … Falcons’ Jones 2nd-fastest WR to record 800 catches … Cowboys’ Elliott shows off ‘Feed Me’ tattoo on stomach … Sources: Cowboys’ Lee had surgery, out until mid-October
1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 53.6 | Spread: PIT -7 (40.5)
What to watch for: The Steelers shut down one of the league’s premier running backs Monday night, allowing Saquon Barkley only 6 rushing yards. The Broncos’ rushers fared a bit better against the Titans, averaging 4.1 yards per carry, but they enter Sunday’s matchup with a question mark on Phillip Lindsay‘s availability. Look for the Steelers’ defense to dominate yet another ground game. — Brooke Pryor
Bold prediction: The Broncos will sack Ben Roethlisberger at least four times and force at least one turnover on a QB hit. Yes, Von Miller is out for the year, Bradley Chubb is still working his way back from last season’s ACL surgery and the Broncos were tepid in the pass rush in much of their Week 1 loss to the Titans. But Roethlisberger has faced the Broncos nine times in his long career, and the Broncos have sacked him at least three times in seven of those games — and at least four times in four of them. — Jeff Legwold
Stat to know: The Steelers have gone 58 straight games with at least one sack, tied for the sixth-longest streak by any team since 1970. A sack in this one would put them in a tie for the fifth-longest streak.
What to know for fantasy: Roethlisberger (22.1 points) was better in Week 1 than the healthy version of him we saw in 2018 (21.4 points per game), as he threw three touchdown passes on just 32 attempts (zero TD passes on 62 attempts before his season ended in 2019). See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: The Broncos have failed to cover their past four games off less than a full week of rest. Read more.
Legwold’s pick: Steelers 20, Broncos 17
Pryor’s pick: Steelers 31, Broncos 16
FPI prediction: PIT, 66.8% (by an average of 6.2 points)
Matchup must-reads: QB Lock shows his leadership in season-opening loss … Steelers’ Roethlisberger is sore, but elbow is good after first game … After drops, Broncos’ Jeudy determined to prove ‘failure is growth’
1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 53 | Spread: SF -6.5 (41)
What to watch for: It’s a battle of two relatively inexperienced quarterbacks — the 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo and the Jets’ Sam Darnold (27 career starts each). Garoppolo (21-6) has done more winning than Darnold (11-16), who hasn’t had the same talent and coaching around him as his counterpart. How each performs on Sunday will be a difference-maker for two passing offenses looking to get going after Week 1 losses. — Rich Cimini
Bold prediction: 49ers rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk will go over 100 yards in his NFL debut. Aiyuk is back from a hamstring injury, and after a poor showing for the Niners’ receivers last week, Aiyuk will get plenty of chances to show why coach Kyle Shanahan coveted him in the first round of the NFL draft. — Nick Wagoner
Stat to know: San Francisco tight end George Kittle was held to 44 receiving yards on four catches in Week 1. But he hasn’t had back-to-back games under 50 yards since 2017.
What to know for fantasy: No player in the NFL accounted for a greater percentage of his team’s Week 1 scrimmage yards than Jamison Crowder (45.3%). But whether he suits up will be something to keep an eye on. See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: San Francisco is 7-21-2 ATS in its past 30 games as a favorite. But in its past 20 games as a road favorite, San Francisco is 13-7 ATS. Read more.
Wagoner’s pick: 49ers 31, Jets 20
Cimini’s pick: 49ers 24, Jets 20
FPI prediction: SF, 61.1% (by an average of 4.0 points)
Matchup must-reads: It’s hitting us pretty hard right now’: Sherman latest 49ers injury … Jets CEO Christopher Johnson expresses confidence in Gase, Darnold … 49ers’ crown means little in loaded NFC West … If Darnold sputters, Jets will face complex question: Trevor Lawrence? … Jets place RB Bell on IR with hamstring injury, sign Ballage
1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 50.1 | Spread: IND -3 (48.5)
What to watch for: Colts cornerback Xavier Rhodes faces his former team after being released by the Vikings in the offseason following seven seasons with the franchise. Rhodes’ debut with the Colts didn’t go too well in Week 1 against Jacksonville. He gave up a 22-yard touchdown when he was caught peeking in the backfield expecting a run. Then he was flagged for 30-yard pass interference, which ended up leading to a field goal for the Jaguars. Can he improve while trying to contain Minnesota’s passing attack? — Mike Wells
Bold prediction: Vikings receiver Adam Thielen will haul in seven catches for 120-plus yards. It’ll be his second straight week crossing the century mark, putting him on his way to matching the historic streak he set in 2018 when he started the season with eight straight 100-yard receiving performances. — Courtney Cronin
Stat to know: Colts quarterback Philip Rivers has four passing touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 1-3 record in four career starts against the Vikings. And his 35.1 Total QBR against them is his worst against any team since the metric was first tracked in 2006.
What to know for fantasy: Indianapolis receiver Parris Campbell not only set career highs in routes (38), targets (9), catches (6), yards (71) and fantasy points (14) in Week 1, but he also led the team in deep targets (3). See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: The Vikings have covered their past five games after a loss. Read more.
Cronin’s pick: Colts 28, Vikings 24
Wells’ pick: Colts 27, Vikings 23
FPI prediction: IND, 51.4% (by an average of 0.6 points)
Matchup must-reads: Life without Diggs? Vikings run out of time to see new reality … Colts lose Mack for season with torn Achilles … Colts sad for Mack, excited about Taylor … Rivers brings turnover problems to Colts in Week 1
1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 49.6 | Spread: GB -6.5 (49)
What to watch for: Can Packers receiver Davante Adams have another big day after his career-high 14-catch performance in Week 1 against the Vikings? Well, the Lions’ secondary is banged up, and Adams is a tough cover. He had at least one catch on nine different route types last week, according to ESPN Stats & Information research using NFL Next Gen Stats. The Lions played man coverage on 82% of their defense snaps in Week 1, the highest rate of any team on opening weekend. — Rob Demovsky
Bold prediction: Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws four more touchdowns this week against Detroit. Rodgers has had just intermittent success against Matt Patricia’s Lions, but this is a different Detroit secondary. Its corners are banged up — Desmond Trufant and Darryl Roberts both missed practices this week — and rookie Jeff Okudah might be making his debut. Depending how the Lions match up, that debut could come against Adams. So watch for Rodgers to slice through a depleted Lions secondary. — Michael Rothstein
Stat to know: Per the Elias Sports Bureau, only two teams have gone 2-0 against an opponent in a season without ever holding a lead in regulation. The first was the 1977 49ers, who bested the Saints twice. The second was the 2019 Packers, who won both of their games against Detroit last season on game-ending field goals despite not holding a lead at any point in either game.
What to know for fantasy: Adams was the top scoring player in Week 1 (41.6 points) and has caught six touchdown passes over his past six matchups with the Lions. See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: The Lions have covered in six straight games against the Packers. Read more.
Rothstein’s pick: Packers 35, Lions 23
Demovsky’s pick: Packers 31, Lions 25
FPI prediction: GB, 68.0% (by an average of 6.7 points)
Matchup must-reads: Why Patricia’s team struggles to close out games … No tailgating: Lambeau closed to fans … Once deep at CB, Lions now thin after injuries facing Rodgers … Rodgers-Adams combo rivaling Nelson-Rodgers
1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 47.1 | Spread: TB -8.5 (47.5)
What to watch for: The Bucs fell short in their quest to go toe-to-toe with the Saints last week, but since his first career start in 2001, Tom Brady has a career 48-13 record coming off a loss (.787 win percentage), second only to that of Russell Wilson. Panthers coach Matt Rhule said it himself: “No one’s better at bouncing back from a loss than Tom Brady.” But what about Mike Evans? Can he rebound from his one-catch performance? And how quickly can a Panthers defense that started four rookies last Sunday make progress in Week 2? — Jenna Laine
Bold prediction: The Panthers will sack Brady at least five times and pull off an upset. They were one of three teams that did not get a sack in their opener and the only team that didn’t contact the quarterback while running or throwing. But coach Matt Rhule says he wants them to get more violent at the point of attack. — David Newton
Stat to know: Both of Brady’s interceptions last week came when throwing within 2.5 seconds of the snap, per NFL Next Gen Stats. He had three such picks in all of 2019.
Injuries: Panthers | Buccaneers
What to know for fantasy: The Bucs held Christian McCaffrey to 7.3 points in Week 2 last season. Since then, he has joined Emmitt Smith (23), Marcus Allen (17) and Todd Gurley (15) as the only running backs to score at least 15 fantasy points in 15 straight games. See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: Carolina quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is 10-0 ATS as an underdog of 3.5-plus points. Read more.
Newton’s pick: Panthers 34, Buccaneers 24
Laine’s pick: Buccaneers 28, Panthers 21
FPI prediction: TB, 72.5% (by an average of 8.5 points)
Matchup must-reads: Anderson hilariously mistakes Panthers mascot for a bear … Arians on Favre’s critique: Brady and I are ‘fine’ … Rhule takes blame for not calling McCaffrey’s number … Is it time to reset expectations on Bucs after disappointing start? … Godwin not worried: Bucs learning life with Brady
1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 43.2 | Spread: BUF -5.5 (41)
What to watch for: In two games against the Dolphins in 2019, Bills quarterback Josh Allen completed 62.7% of his passes for 458 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions, along with 11 rushes for 88 yards and a touchdown. We should keep an eye on whether that success continues against a revamped Dolphins defense which now includes former Bills edge rusher Shaq Lawson but still gave up 217 rushing yards last week to the Patriots — including 75 yards to Cam Newton. — Cameron Wolfe
Bold prediction: The Bills will have two 100-yard receivers on Sunday. They ran a four-receiver set on a league-high 25% of their snaps last week, and despite the Dolphins’ struggles against the run in Week 1, the Bills will commit once again to their passing game. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Stat to know: The Dolphins had 87 rushing yards in Week 1, and they had 13 games with fewer than 100 rushing yards last season (tied for the most in the NFL with the Jets).
What to know for fantasy: Allen has thrown multiple touchdown tosses nine times in his career, and he is 4-for-4 against the Dolphins and 5-for-25 against the rest of the NFL. See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: The Bills have covered four straight games as the favorite. Read more.
Louis-Jacques’ pick: Bills 31, Dolphins 17
Wolfe’s pick: Bills 27, Dolphins 16
FPI prediction: BUF, 65.3% (by an average of 5.6 points)
Matchup must-reads: Early returns exciting for Allen in Bills’ revamped passing game … Dolphins’ defense faces Week 2 test: Stop another QB from running
1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 35.6 | Spread: TEN -7.5 (44)
What to watch for: Titans running back Derrick Henry has terrorized the Jaguars to the tune of 498 rushing yards in his past four games against them. Jacksonville added middle linebacker Joe Schobert in the offseason, allowing Myles Jack to move to his more natural weakside linebacker spot. Pay attention to how the Titans find ways to get Henry to the second level of the defense, and how Jacksonville’s linebackers attempt to prevent explosive plays. — Turron Davenport
Bold prediction: Henry doesn’t hit 100 yards rushing. He has rushed for 238 yards and 159 yards in the past two meetings in Nashville, and he has seven 100-plus-yard rushing games since the start of the 2019 season (tied for the most), but the Jaguars’ run defense did a good job against the Colts for the final two and a half quarters last Sunday, and rookie defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton played well in his debut. The Jaguars are making Henry their top priority — they might get hurt by the pass game, but they’re not going to let Henry beat them again. — Mike DiRocco
Stat to know: Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II has three passing touchdowns in consecutive games dating to last year, and no QB in Jaguars history has thrown at least three in three consecutive games.
What to know for fantasy: Henry has seven rushing scores over his past three games against the Jags, and the Titans sure weren’t shy about handing him the rock in Week 1 (31 carries, the only player in the NFL with more than 25). See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: The Titans have covered five of their past six against the Jaguars. Read more.
DiRocco’s pick: Titans 17, Jaguars 16
Davenport’s pick: Titans 20, Jaguars 14
FPI prediction: TEN, 72.4% (by an average of 8.5 points)
Matchup must-reads: Jaguars’ Henderson thinks great debut could have been even better … Titans’ Byard can share home-birth story with his son ‘for the rest of our days’ … Minshew and rookies come up big in upset … Fourth-quarter comebacks becoming routine for Tannehill, Titans
1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 32.5 | Spread: CHI -5.5 (42)
What to watch for: The focus is squarely on Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. The embattled former second overall pick led Chicago to a memorable fourth-quarter comeback in Week 1, but not even Trubisky’s three touchdown passes in the final 15 minutes could cover up for how inconsistent he played in the opening three quarters at Ford Field. Head coach Matt Nagy wants even play from the 25-year-old quarterback. The Giants might present Trubisky with an opportunity to have a more balanced performance on Sunday. — Jeff Dickerson
Bold prediction: Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson II tops 150 yards receiving. Clearly, Robinson is not happy with his contract, and what better way to prove he deserves to get paid than to play against the Giants’ defense? Robinson’s best game last year came against the Giants, when he had 131 yards receiving and a touchdown. The Bears put him in the slot throughout that game and let him eat. The Giants apparently haven’t fixed that problem. JuJu Smith-Schuster caught six passes on six targets for 69 yards and two touchdowns out of the slot against this Giants defense on Monday night. — Jordan Raanan
Stat to know: Giants running back Saquon Barkley had just 6 rushing yards in Week 1 and averaged minus-0.2 yards before contact per rush. His 3.96 yards per rush since Week 7 of last season is the 10th-lowest average in the NFL among 32 players with at least 100 rushes in that span.
What to know for fantasy: New York quarterback Daniel Jones has run for at least 20 yards in five of his past seven and thrown at least 40 passes in seven of his past nine. See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: Chicago is 1-6 ATS in its past seven games as a favorite. Read more.
Raanan’s pick: Bears 22, Giants 21
Dickerson’s pick: Bears 21, Giants 18
FPI prediction: CHI, 65.5% (by an average of 5.7 points)
Matchup must-reads: Can Giants’ Slayton continue to produce like a No. 1 receiver? … Trubisky leads Bears to comeback
4:05 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 38 | Spread: ARI -7 (46.5)
What to watch for: The matchup to watch will be Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray vs. Washington edge rusher Chase Young. It’s a matchup of two of the best young players in the NFL, last year’s No. 1 pick and this year’s No. 2 pick. It’s a dream matchup. In their respective openers, Murray ran for 91 yards, and Young had 1.5 sacks. While this matchup won’t determine the game, it’ll definitely have an impact and will be quite fun to watch. — Josh Weinfuss
Bold prediction: Washington will hold Murray to 50 yards rushing, and Young will sack him twice (giving him 3.5 sacks two games into his NFL career). Young can be moved around but had his best success as a right end against Jason Peters last week. He’ll also be used on some stunts inside, and that’s where he’ll get Murray. But Murray will still throw for 225 yards in a win. — John Keim
Stat to know: Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. had an off-target percentage of 30% in Week 1, which ranked No. 31 out of 32 qualified quarterbacks.
Injuries: Washington | Cardinals
What to know for fantasy: Washington posted a sack on 16% of Philadelphia dropbacks last week, the highest rate in the league and better than any performance it had last season. And since the beginning of last season, Murray ranks 27th in completion percentage when under pressure (37.7%). See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: The total has gone under in nine of Arizona’s past 11 September games. Read more.
Keim’s pick: Cardinals 21, Washington 17
Weinfuss’ pick: Cardinals 31, Washington 24
FPI prediction: ARI, 68.2% (by an average of 6.8 points)
Matchup must-reads: Young, Washington’s pass rush ‘as advertised’ in promising start … Hopkins has championship aspirations with Murray as his QB
4:25 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 75.4 | Spread: BAL -7 (50)
What to watch for: Will Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson continue to have success on the run? Both rushed for seven touchdowns in 2019, but they also each scored eight touchdowns (with no interceptions) when passing on the run, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Only then-Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston threw more touchdowns on the run last season. — Sarah Barshop
Bold prediction: Baltimore’s Jackson will rush for at least 100 yards. He showed in Week 1 that he has made great strides as a passer, but let’s not forget he’s among the league’s most dangerous playmakers when scrambling. The Texans have allowed quarterbacks to average 5.6 yards per rush since the start of 2019, which is the second-worst average over that span. Last season, Jackson ran for 79 yards against Houston, including a 39-yard run (which was his second longest of the season). — Jamison Hensley
Stat to know: Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the 2020 Texans are the second team in NFL history to face the reigning MVP and Super Bowl MVP in each of their first two games of a season (they faced Patrick Mahomes in Week 1). The 2004 Colts are the other, as they faced Tom Brady (Super Bowl MVP) and Steve McNair (MVP) to open their year. They started 1-1 and finished 12-4.
What to know for fantasy: 250 passing yards, 25 rushing yards, a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown. Watson led the NFL with two such games in 2018, led again in 2019 with three such games and was one of two quarterbacks (Josh Allen) to accomplish the feat in Week 1 this season. See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: The Ravens have covered in five straight regular-season games, and 10 of their past 11. Read more.
Hensley’s pick: Ravens 30, Texans 27
Barshop’s pick: Ravens 34, Texans 23
FPI prediction: BAL, 68.5% (by an average of 6.9 points)
Matchup must-reads: Three ways Jackson is better than his MVP season … Texans must quickly figure out what went wrong … All virus tests negative from Texans’ opener … Texans squander chance to show they can thrive without Hopkins
4:25 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 73.5 | Spread: KC -8 (47.5)
What to watch for: Keep an eye on the turnover margin. In losing five of six games to the Chiefs since Anthony Lynn took over as head coach, the Chargers’ offense has committed 17 turnovers, and their defense has generated only two of them. “That’s ridiculous,” Lynn said. “You’re just not going to beat this team that way.” — Alden Gonzalez
Bold prediction: The Chiefs, who intercepted 15 passes in their past six games against the Chargers, will get a couple of picks against Tyrod Taylor. The Chiefs got consistent pressure on the Texans’ Deshaun Watson last week, and look for them to have similar success against Taylor, who isn’t as prone to throwing interceptions as ex-Chargers QB Philip Rivers but will be forced into mistakes on Sunday. — Adam Teicher
Stat to know: Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is 8-0 with an 89 Total QBR and 26 passing touchdowns in the month of September, all the best in the NFL since the start of the 2018 season. And the Chiefs have won 10 straight games overall (including playoffs), the second-longest streak in franchise history (11 straight in 2015 season).
What to know for fantasy: Chargers running back Austin Ekeler has converted just 15.4% of his career red zone carries (the RB average is 18%), so it’s worth noting that rookie Joshua Kelley out-touched him in the red zone, 4-3, in Week 1. See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: The Chiefs have covered in their past seven divisional games. Read more.
Teicher’s pick: Chiefs 27, Chargers 20
Gonzalez’s pick: Chiefs 31, Chargers 24
FPI prediction: KC, 71.0% (by an average of 7.9 points)
Matchup must-reads: Edwards-Helaire leads solid rookie class for Chiefs … SoFi Stadium videoboard: ‘Eighth wonder of the world’ targets GenZ … Mahomes praised for checkdowns in opener … Opportunistic defense leads Chargers to narrow win over Bengals
1:05
Adam Schefter and Marcus Spears react to the news that Chargers center Mike Pouncey will need to undergo season-ending hip surgery.
8:20 p.m. ET | NBC
Matchup rating: 73.4 | Spread: SEA -4 (44.5)
What to watch for: Will the Seahawks continue to let Russell Wilson cook? They strayed from their usual establish-the-run M.O. and dropped back to pass on 11 of their 14 first-quarter offensive plays against Atlanta. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has said matchups will factor into how much the Seahawks throw early, and the matchup this week includes the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year in cornerback Stephon Gilmore. — Brady Henderson
Bold prediction: Undrafted rookie running back J.J. Taylor will make a play that leads the national television audience to take notice. At 5-foot-8 and 185 pounds, he can play “hide and seek,” according to running backs coach Ivan Fears, who also has compared him to Dion Lewis and Darren Sproles in terms of his physical stature. — Mike Reiss
Stat to know: Cam Newton and Wilson have combined for five seasons with at least 3,500 passing yards and 500 rushing yards. The rest of the players in NFL history have combined for four such seasons.
What to know for fantasy: Newton was the sixth-highest-scoring quarterback in Week 1, and his 25.7 points were more than Tom Brady had in any single game from last season. See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: This ends the Patriots’ streak of being favored in 64 consecutive games. Read more.
Reiss’ pick: Seahawks 20, Patriots 17
Henderson’s pick: Seahawks 27, Patriots 20
FPI prediction: SEA, 61.8% (by an average of 4.3 points)
Matchup must-reads: Belichick calls Seattle Seahawks QB Wilson underrated … Bring your own energy: Carroll’s Seahawks prepared for no fans at CenturyLink … Did Patriots revamp their playbook for Newton? Not so fast … Adams fires back at Jets’ Gregg Williams; not ‘bored’ in Seahawks debut
Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN
Matchup rating: 67.5 | Spread: NO -5.5 (49)
What to watch for: Las Vegas is breaking in a new stadium in the most bittersweet of circumstances. With no fans, there is not much of a home-field advantage to help cover up the Raiders’ injury woes at right tackle, where Trent Brown left the opener with a right calf issue and his replacement, Sam Young, suffered a groin injury. Keep an eye, then, on the Raiders’ willingness to run the ball if they fall behind early. — Paul Gutierrez
Bold prediction: Raiders running back Josh Jacobs will end the Saints’ remarkable streak of 44 straight games, including the playoffs, without allowing a 100-yard rusher. But Saints running back Alvin Kamara will have more than 100 receiving yards to help make up for the absence of Michael Thomas. — Mike Triplett
Stat to know: Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr is completing 71% of his passes since the start of last season, second-best in the NFL to … Saints QB Drew Brees (73%). Carr has thrown at least one passing touchdown with zero interceptions in five straight games, the second-longest active streak in the NFL and tied for the longest streak of his career.
What to know for fantasy: Saints wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders led the league with four red zone targets in Week 1 and figures to stay busy with Thomas’ role now up for grabs — if he is healthy enough to play himself. See Week 2 rankings.
Betting nugget: Brees is 9-2 ATS against the Raiders in his career. Read more.
Triplett’s pick: Saints 27, Raiders 23
Gutierrez’s pick: Saints 31, Raiders 23
FPI prediction: NO, 58.0% (by an average of 2.9 points)
Matchup must-reads: Sources: Saints expect WR Thomas to miss MNF … Raiders ecstatic to finally open luxurious ‘Death Star’ Allegiant Stadium … Saints lock up LB Davis with 3-year extension, source says … After struggling, Raiders’ defense shows up when it matters most
