NFL picks and score predictions for Week 2 as the 2021 season gets rolling.
Oh sweet gridiron gods, thank you for delivering to us another season of NFL football. The new campaign is set to kick off in the next few days, and we’ve got our regular batch of weekly NFL picks and score predictions to help you through the upcoming weekend of football glory.
As will be the case every week this season, we’ve got you covered with the Week 2 edition of NFL picks and score predictions. Just as in years passed, I’ll never claim to know what the future holds. As it turns out, odds are high at least a few of my picks will be completely wrong. I will, however, make my selections based on research, experience and careful consideration.
Admittedly, my Week 1 outcome wasn’t the best — then again, it never really is as we get our first look at regular-season rosters. I finished the weekend with a meh 9-7 record, which wasn’t as strong as I was hoping for. Good thing there’s another round of games set to go down this upcoming weekend.
Just remember that making picks is not a science. Plenty of research goes into it, but there’s no crystal ball — craziness occurs every Sunday. Then again, isn’t that part of the fun of it all?
Now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way, here are my NFL picks and score predictions for Week 2. Just keep in mind that I assume no responsibility if you choose to place wagers based on my picks — that’s your decision, not mine.
Week 2 Byes: None
New York Giants (0-1) at Washington Football Team (0-1)
Sunday, September 19, 1PM ET
There was all of this talk coming into the season about the New York Giants defense being one of the best in the NFL. And then they got trounced by Teddy Bridgewater and the Denver Broncos offense. I’m thinking it’s time we temper expectations with the Giants.
Then again, it’s a little unclear what the future may hold for the Washington Football Team as well. With Ryan Fitzpatrick likely out for the foreseeable future, that leaves Taylor Heinicke to run the show in D.C. While that’s not the worst scenario to be in, it’ll leave Washington’s offense in a shaky scenario moving forward.
Luckily, WFT has a dominant defense to rely on while they await Fitzpatrick’s return. They kept the Los Angeles Chargers from going off on Sunday, and should make life miserable for Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley all game long.
Look for Washington to rely on Antonio Gibson to move the chains and put points on the board. Heinicke should also make some solid plays, but it should be the D.C. ground game and defense that gets the job done against the Giants.
Prediction: Washington wins 26-15
New England Patriots (0-1) at New York Jets (0-1)
Sunday, September 19, 1PM ET
Neither of these clubs got off to the hot start they were hoping for in 2021. And yet, both showed promise in their initial outings and still have the potential to pile up wins before the season is over. And yet, one of them has to lose in Week 2 when they go toe to toe.
My money is on the New England Patriots, who are a more complete team at this point. Mac Jones looked great in his rookie debut, and Damien Harris has the ground game firing on all cylinders. Even though the New England defense had a tough time slowing the Miami Dolphins, they showed enough to keep it close.
Against another rookie gunslinger in Zach Wilson, I expect the Patriots D to enjoy an improved performance that sees a couple of turnovers and a handful of sacks tallied before Sunday is over. That’s not to say Wilson won’t make some plays — he’s clearly got the arm talent to put points on the board. Still, it won’t be enough in Week 2.
The Patriots aren’t a legitimate contender in 2021, even with Bill Belichick still running the show and the New England defense looking like one of the NFL’s best. Still, getting past their divisional rivals and putting their first notch in the win column seems to be in the cards right now.
Prediction: Patriots win 26-16
Denver Broncos (1-0) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
Sunday, September 19, 1PM ET
In Week 1, the Broncos Denver exceeded all expectations, crushing a solid New York Giants defense with an outstanding effort from Teddy Bridgewater. Also in Week 1, the Jacksonville Jaguars flopped against the supposed worst team in the league.
It’s safe to say these two teams started the 2021 season going in completely different directions. Chances are when Week 2 is over, that will continue to ring true as Bridgewater shreds the Jacksonville defense and Trevor Lawrence’s rookie struggles remain a crutch for the Jaguars.
Honestly, is it really that surprising considering the weapons Denver has to work with on offense? As long as Bridgewater’s playing well, there isn’t much they can’t accomplish. While the loss of Jerry Jeudy will hurt, the Broncos have plenty of other options in the passing game capable of picking up the slack.
Lawrence will likely be a great NFL quarterback when all is said and done. However, at this moment, he’s still learning the ropes and suffering from a lack of talent around him. This could be a bumpy ride for the Jaguars in 2021 as their efforts to overcome their roster’s deficiencies end up being futile.
Prediction: Broncos win 27-10
Buffalo Bills (0-1) at Miami Dolphins (1-0)
Sunday, September 19, 1PM ET
In Week 1, we saw very different things from these two squads. Both played in close, defensive battles, but the Buffalo Bills wound up on the losing side of a game they were favored in while the Miami Dolphins enjoyed victory in a game that many expected them to drop.
The script will be flipped in Week 2 when the Bills get back on track after running into the brick wall that was the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. Overcoming the Miami defense won’t be nearly as high of a hurdle, which will open the door for Josh Allen to light it up and help fantasy owners in ways they were expecting during the opening weekend.
That’s not to say the Dolphins won’t put up a fight, though. The Miami offense was surprisingly effective in Week 1, as Tua Tagovailoa appears primed for a breakout sophomore campaign. With weapons like Devante Parker, Jaylen Waddle and a returning Will Fuller, it’s going to be tough for the Buffalo secondary to limit this offense.
In the end, though, I expect Allen to outscore the Dolphins and get the Bills back on track. They’re still one of the top AFC contenders — you’ll see evidence of that this upcoming weekend.
Prediction: Bills win 34-28
San Francisco 49ers (1-0) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
Sunday, September 19, 1PM ET
I’ll admit it — I was not confident in Jalen Hurts’ ability to lead this Philadelphia Eagles team to success. I also didn’t think the Eagles were fully invested in him as their starting quarterback. However, both of our confidence is likely much higher after Week 1.
Now, he faces a real test against a San Francisco 49ers defense that’s among the most talented in the league. Don’t think that’s incorrect after they nearly crumbled against the Detroit Lions this past Sunday — that was a coaching and momentum problem, not a lack of talent.
With all of that said, I’m beginning to believe Hurts can get it done for Philadelphia. He’s got plenty of capable weapons to work with, a quality offensive line, and enough improvisational skills to make defenses pay for even the smallest of mistakes. The 49ers made plenty of those in Week 1, and Hurts will take advantage in Week 2.
Especially with the uncertainty under center and injuries in the backfield, San Francisco isn’t at their best right now. They survived a mental lapse against the Lions, but will simply be defeated by a quality Eagles club this upcoming weekend.
Prediction: Eagles win 24-20
Los Angeles Rams (1-0) at Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
Sunday, September 19, 1PM ET
If the Indianapolis Colts thought they had a tough time against the Seattle Seahawks defense, they’ve got another eye-opener coming when the Los Angeles Rams come to town. This is one of the top defenses in the league, and they’re not going to take this matchup lightly.
In fact, expect Carson Wentz to be on the run all game long. The Rams are one of the top teams in the NFL when it comes to putting pressure on opposing passers, with guys like Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd up front. Wentz should find himself on the ground early and often in this one, with a few turnovers occurring as a result.
And if the Indy defense couldn’t contain Russell Wilson, I don’t imagine they’ll have much better success against Matthew Stafford and Co. While not as dynamic of a group as Seattle’s offense, the Rams are still more than capable of running up the score.
I’m going to put it bluntly — the Colts are in for a rough game in Week 2. The Rams are going to come to town, knock their opponents around for 60 minutes, and walk away with the W.
Prediction: Rams win 40-17
Las Vegas Raiders (1-0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
Sunday, September 19, 1PM ET
It was rather impressive what both of these teams did in Week 1. Both required a comeback to get the W, but pulled it off in dominant fashion to avoid falling to 0-1 to start the year. Now who will keep the momentum rolling and who will tumble back to the middle of the pack?
I’m going with the Pittsburgh Steelers to get the job done at home. They’ve got a defense that just stopped Josh Allen in his tracks and an offense that can get going when they’re not faced with one of the best defenses in the league. Sounds like a recipe for success against a talented but flawed Las Vegas Raiders roster.
Derek Carr will be expected to sling it all game long, with Josh Jacobs seemingly nursing an injury. That’ll mean a surplus of opportunities for T.J. Watt to get after the quarterback. That’ll also mean at least a few sacks and maybe even a turnover or two. It’s going to take a herculean effort from Carr to get the win, and I’m not sure he has it in him.
Najee Harris finally gets going after a slow start to his rookie season, and Ben Roethlisberger does his usual thing. It’s not a monstrous offensive performance for the Steelers, but they muster more than enough points to win in the friendly confines of Heinz Field.
Prediction: Steelers win 33-24
Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) at Chicago Bears (0-1)
Sunday, September 19, 1PM ET
Are the Cincinnati Bengals actually good this year? I don’t know for sure. They survived a close call against the Minnesota Vikings, and their offense impressed in spurts. I’m just not sure if they’re ready to rack up wins on a weekly basis.
I guess we’ll find out this weekend when they take on the Chicago Bears, who are coming off a disappointing showing against the Rams. The offense was inconsistent, and the defense failed to slow just about anything Los Angeles threw at them. While that was the case in Week 1, I’m expecting an improved effort in Week 2.
The Bears defense will show up against the Bengals, putting plenty of pressure on youngster Joe Burrow and making life difficult for Joe Mixon. That should open some extra doors for Andy Dalton, David Montgomery and the rest of the Chicago offense to find the end zone, resulting in more points than we saw from them in Week 1.
Cincinnati plays well, but the Bears defense and a big game from Montgomery are too much to overcome. Chicago sneaks by with the victory and earns the NFC North’s first win of the year.
Prediction: Bears win 26-24
Houston Texans (1-0) at Cleveland Browns (0-1)
Sunday, September 19, 1PM ET
That Week 1 win had to have been a fluke, right? There’s no way we can expect the Houston Texans to put up 37 points on a regular basis. I’m going to assume it was simply an awful performance from the Jacksonville Jaguars that led to that disaster.
This Week 2 matchup with the Cleveland Browns won’t be nearly as easy for the Texans to take advantage of. While we have to give Tyrod Taylor credit for his efforts, it’s going to be a completely different story against a dangerous Browns defense. Plus, there’s no way the Houston defense is going to keep Cleveland’s offense from going off.
Look for plenty of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, with Baker Mayfield also tossing the pigskin around for 250+ yards. The Browns offense gets going early, and doesn’t look back as they quickly build a big lead on a Texans team that still has the makings of one of the worst of the 2021 campaign.
It’s a feel-good story that the Texans managed to win one early. Don’t expect the fairytale to continue in Week 2, as the Browns welcome them into town and bowl them over for 60 minutes.
Prediction: Browns win 38-14
New Orleans Saints (1-0) at Carolina Panthers (1-0)
Sunday, September 19, 1PM ET
For the second week in a row, I’m including the New Orleans Saints in my upset of the week. However, this time around, I’m calling for them to be on the losing end, as the Carolina Panthers get a big early-season win to remain relevant when not many expected them to be.
Sam Darnold looked like a quality NFL quarterback outside of a Jets jersey. Christian McCaffrey is back, healthy and racking up yards at an alarming pace. The Carolina defense looks like it has the potential to be an exceptional group, especially if it can find some consistent production in the pass-rushing department.
Now I know the Saints showed out in Week 1, steamrolling the favored Green Bay Packers and making a mockery of Aaron Rodgers. I also know that Jameis Winston is historically a wildly inconsistent quarterback. During his Tampa Bay days, he’d throw for five touchdowns one game and five interceptions the next. We could see something similar in Week 2.
The Saints don’t get blown out like the Packers did, but it’s not like the Panthers have a high-octane offense. They rely on steady McCaffrey production, smart play from Darnold, and a quickly improving defense to slide by with the upset win.
Prediction: Panthers win 18-15
Minnesota Vikings (0-1) at Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
Sunday, September 19, 4:05PM ET
As a Minnesota Vikings fan, I hate to have to do this. But I can’t in good conscience pick them to take down the Arizona Cardinals on the road — especially after the Cardinals looked like one of the league’s top teams in Week 1.
Right now, it doesn’t appear as though there’s anything the Cardinals can’t do well. The offense was scorching hot this past Sunday, putting up points early and often as Kyler Murray appears ready to live up to the hype of being a No. 1 overall pick. It also helps having players like DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green and Christian Kirk to throw to.
Meanwhile, the Vikings were only able to get their offense going when it got to crunch time. While their defense stood its ground for the majority of its Week 1 matchup with the Bengals, it eventually faltered against an offense that isn’t exactly bursting with talent. There’s no way they’re going to be able to slow down Murray, Hopkins and the Cardinals passing attack.
The hope is the Vikings get Dalvin Cook going early, and can get enough pressure on Murray to force him into a mistake or two. More than likely, though, Chandler Jones and the Arizona defense will do more than enough damage to maintain a comfortable lead throughout this one.
Prediction: Cardinals win 32-17
Atlanta Falcons (0-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)
Sunday, September 19, 4:05PM ET
While they weren’t as dominant as I expected them to be in Week 1, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers still managed to pull out the win against the Cowboys. Now they face a much easier matchup against an Atlanta Falcons team that looked lethargic in their opener.
If Jalen Hurts can put up 32 points against Atlanta, expect Tom Brady to have little trouble moving the football on Sunday. Especially against a Falcons secondary that looked lost at times in Week 1, look for the Buccaneers’ bunch of outstanding receivers to light it up in Week 2.
It won’t be much better on the offensive end for the Falcons. Matt Ryan looked overwhelmed at times against Philadelphia, and he didn’t get much help from the ground game. Going up against a Tampa Bay defense that’s one of the best in the league, don’t be surprised if we see another lackluster effort from Atlanta’s offense.
We knew the Buccaneers were a force to be reckoned with in 2021, and another win against the Falcons will further emphasize that point. The Brady train keeps rolling with a home win for Tampa Bay.
Prediction: Buccaneers win 34-13
Tennessee Titans (0-1) at Seattle Seahawks (1-0)
Sunday, September 19, 4:25PM ET
I had very high hopes for the Tennessee Titans this season. Honestly, I still do. However, after Week 1’s effort, I’m thinking it’s going to take some time for their offense to start clicking. It’s clear chemistry issues and pass blocking are going to hurt them early during the 2021 campaign.
It won’t get much easier against the Seahawks, who are coming off an impressive Week 1 performance. Russell Wilson was cooking, Chris Carson was doing work on the ground, and the Seattle defense was making plays when it mattered. They’re more than capable of shutting down Ryan Tannehill and Co. as well.
The important part for me, though, is Wilson vs. the Tennessee defense. They struggled mightily against Murray, who is a very similar quarterback to Wilson. Don’t be surprised if we see another big game from No. 3 as he looks to yet again earn his first MVP award (or vote, for that matter).
This one will be interesting if the Titans can get going on offense, but I don’t see that happening for them just yet. There are another 16 games to go this season, so don’t count out Tennessee yet, even if they fall to 0-2 in Week 2.
Prediction: Seahawks win 30-21
Dallas Cowboys (0-1) at Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)
Sunday, September 19, 4:25PM ET
As we saw in last Thursday’s season opener, the Dallas Cowboys are far from the incompetent team they were last year after Dak Prescott got hurt. Then again, having a relatively healthy Prescott back under center makes a big difference.
However, his skills will be put to the test in Week 2 against a Los Angeles Chargers squad that’s more than capable of shutting down an opposing passing game. The Cowboys will also need to rely on Ezekiel Elliott more than they did against the Buccaneers, as we saw last weekend that Los Angeles isn’t immune to the rushing game.
When all is said and done, I think this one will come down to whether or not the Cowboys can keep Justin Herbert from going off. Washington kept him in check last Sunday, but I’m not sure Dallas has as much talent on defense. Can they keep the pressure on and force the sophomore into enough mistakes to tip the scales? It’s possible.
This has the makings of one the Chargers should win, but don’t. I think it’ll come down to the wire like their Week 1 battle did, but ultimately the Cowboys get the W and avoid falling to 0-2 to start the season.
Prediction: Cowboys win 19-17
Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) at Baltimore Ravens (0-1)
Sunday, September 19, 8:20PM ET
Even against an outstanding Browns team, the Kansas City Chiefs were, well, the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes played like the former MVP we know all too well, and his gaggle of offensive playmakers showed up when called upon. Even the KC defense made plays when needed.
What about the Baltimore Ravens? Sure, Lamar Jackson was electric on Monday night, but he didn’t quite steal the show the way Mahomes did. The offense was lethargic at times, and the defense couldn’t keep Carr and Co. from shredding them through the air when the game was on the line. That’s why the Ravens currently sit at 0-1.
That’s also why they’ll be sitting at 0-2 when next Monday rolls around. The Ravens struggled mightily to keep Carr in check, which doesn’t bode well for their ability to slow Mahomes. The Chiefs’ superstar quarterback has bested the Ravens in each of his three games against them, and I don’t see that trend changing in 2021.
Jackson will still shine, but the lack of a reliable rushing attack won’t help. Mahomes starts racking up points early, and Baltimore falls too far behind to ever catch up. Not a great way for this season to kick off for the Ravens.
Prediction: Chiefs win 35-20
Detroit Lions (0-1) at Green Bay Packers (0-1)
Monday, September 20, 8:15PM ET
Yes, I called the Green Bay Packers’ Week 1 loss to the Saints. I had a feeling they were going to stumble out of the gates, and they did so in disastrous fashion — a blowout at the hands of Winston. That, however, doesn’t mean the losses will keep coming.
Let’s be real — Rodgers is still at the helm and there’s plenty of talent on this Green Bay roster. Unless Rodgers really has decided to tank this season and force the Packers to suffer through it, I have a strong feeling that the opening-week performance will not be indicative of what we can expect from this squad in 2021.
With that said, the Lions aren’t going to roll over and let their NFC North rivals get back on track. We saw evidence of their resolve in Week 1, when they nearly overcome a 21-point deficit to upset the 49ers. Jared Goff looked good in his Detroit debut, and he got plenty of help along the way.
The Lions will keep this divisional showdown interesting, but I don’t see them managing to outscore Rodgers and the Packers. Detroit takes it down to the wire, but the former MVP bounces back and puts Green Bay in the win column.
Prediction: Packers win 23-20