As we'll see in the coming weeks, the NFL will begin to sort itself out, as Week 1 is not the most accurate representation of how a team is going to perform in a given season. In about a month is when the NFL hierarchy will begin to make some sense.
And with the Week 1 festivities now over, the primetime slate is going to begin looking more normal, as we do have the three normal primetime games this week with Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, and Monday Night Football.
With Week 2 just one day away now, let's dive into our picks and score predictions for the three primetime games, starting with two offensive juggernauts on TNF.
2026 NFL picks and predictions for Week 2's three primetime games
Thursday, September 17th
Detroit Lions @ Buffalo Bills, 8:15 PM ET
This could end up being one of the highest-scoring games of the week. Both Detroit and Buffalo were in shootouts in Week 1, as the Saints took the Lions into overtime, but Detroit escaped 31-30, and the Bills were able to escape the Texans, 36-31, thanks to a late touchdown pass from Josh Allen.
The defenses across the league in Week 1 essentially 'left the chat,' so it'll be interesting to see if that trend continues in Week 2, or if we begin to see defenses playing as they typically do in the beginning part of the season - well.
In this one, the Bills have the obvious home-field advantage and do have the more dynamic quarterback, but the Lions have the better overall roster and a more seasoned head coach. This could mean the game honestly ends up in a coin flip, but Allen is sometimes an overwhelmingly dominant player, and it's usually not a good idea to bet against him in a major regular season game, so the Bills could, like we saw in Week 1, do just enough to win.
The Lions will be able to put points on the board, though, as their playmaking group is among the best in the NFL, and I am not sure the Bills have the pass rush to get through the Lions offensive line. Buffalo's defense is also in their first year with Jim Leonhard calling the shots, so some slows starts are likely.
Allen, though, is likely the deciding factor in this one. Bills win.
Prediction: Bills win 30-27
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