2022 NFL picks, score predictions in Week 2

Carolina Panthers (0-1) at New York Giants (1-0)

Sunday, September 18, 1PM ET

At this point, I’m not buying either of these teams. I knew the Carolina Panthers would fall short in the Baker Bowl, and the New York Giants also seemed to win in Week 1 in spite of themselves. With that said, there were some noteworthy positives to take away from the Giants’ win.

Saquon Barkley is back and appears to be ramping up towards his former self now that he’s back to full health. Daniel Jones made some good plays, and Brian Daboll clearly isn’t shy about making difficult decisions. I’ll need more convincing before buying stock in the G-Men, but they’re definitely on the rise.

The same cannot be said for the Panthers. Their offense is clunky and Baker Mayfield is not as talented as he thinks he is. Unless Carolina finds a way to get Christian McCaffrey to score two or three touchdowns per game, it’s going to be a long season for this squad.

This one ends up being close because I’m still not convinced either of these teams is as well-balanced as some would like to believe. Regardless, the Giants get the win at home as Barkley strikes paydirt twice and Jones avoids turnovers to help lift his team to a second-consecutive victory.

Prediction: Giants win 23-21