Pierce's Picks 2012 - NFL Week 2

Week 1 saw me go 10-6; not bad to start the season.

Are Atlanta and San Francisco really the best teams in the league?  What about the swoons of the Saints and Packers?  See below...

Winners in gold.

Thursday Night -
Chicago (1-0) @ Green Bay (0-1)

Early Sunday -
Kansas City (0-1) @ Buffalo (0-1)
Cleveland (0-1) @ Cincinnati (0-1)
Minnesota (1-0) @ Indianapolis (0-1)
Oakland (0-1) @ Miami (0-1)
Arizona (1-0) @ New England (1-0)
Tampa Bay (1-0) @ NY Giants (0-1)
Baltimore (1-0) @ Philadelphia (1-0)
New Orleans (0-1) @ Carolina (0-1)
Houston (1-0) @ Jacksonville (0-1)

Late Sunday -
Washington (1-0) @ St. Louis (0-1)
Dallas (1-0) @ Seattle (0-1)
NY Jets (1-0) @ Pittsburgh (0-1)
Tennessee (0-1) @ San Diego (1-0)

Sunday Night -
Detroit (1-0) @ San Francisco (1-0)

Monday Night -
Denver (1-0) @ Atlanta (1-0)

I actually like Chicago over Green Bay... I think the Packers are due for a swoon, from a great team to a good one; however, I think they realize that they have to win this Thursday.  Opening the season 0-2, both losses at home?  The Pack must be feeling some urgency.  If they win this, they can settle down; if not, they're stacking the deck against themselves.

I think Kansas City might turn out to be sneaky good, certainly over a bad Bills team.  We won't get into the offensive train-wrecks that Cleveland, Miami, and Philadelphia appear to be.  I sort of like the odds of Indianapolis over Minnesota, but I'll give the nod to the team with the second-year QB and all-star RB.  I think Tampa might be better than we all expect, and wouldn't be surprised if they shock the Giants; but like the Packers, the Giants must feel some urgency to not open up the season 0-2.  The Saints will probably take out their opening loss frustrations on a lackluster-looking Panthers team, while Houston should roll a Jaguars team that barely kept up with a less-than-stellar Vikings team last week.

I'm tempted to take St. Louis over Washington, also.  The RG3-led Redskins impressed, and will probably continue to for awhile (see Carolina and Cam Newton last year), but St. Louis did look stout against Detroit last week - and Matt Stafford is more polished than RG3, for now.  Still, I'll take the lack of film on this new Redskins attack as the advantage the Redskins use to win.  I could see Seattle beating Dallas, also, especially at home - the Seahawks might have beaten Arizona if not for some poor pass-catching.  But I like Dallas this year, so I expect them to carry their momentum to 2-0 here.  The Jets' offensive explosion against Buffalo is a mirage to me until they do it against a respectable team... and look, here comes Pittsburgh.  San Diego might not have beat Oakland if not for an injury to the Raiders' long-snapper... but I'll take them over Tennessee.

I want to think Detroit can beat San Francisco on Sunday Night, and they probably can - but that 49ers' team looks stacked this year, and if the Lions can't field their first-stringers in the secondary, well, I expect them to get carved up.  Whoever comes out with the win on Sunday Night will have lofty expectations going forward.

And as for Monday... Peyton's Broncos looked pretty decent against Pittsburgh, but I think they run into a wall against the Falcons, who looked like the best team in the league on Week 1.  These Falcons?  Not a mirage.  They'll roll.