ASK THE EXPERTS: NFL WEEK 2
Denver Broncos
vs.
New York Giants
This Sunday, MetLife Stadium will be the site of the long-anticipated Manning Bowl, and the two brothers can’t be coming off of more different (and eerily similar) games. Both Peyton and Eli threw for over 450 yards and recorded passer ratings over 100 last week. On the other hand, the Broncos’ signal-caller played a game for the ages and single-handedly carried fantasy teams around the country (unless you are Jason Corcoran ’16) with seven touchdowns and no interceptions. The Giants, in stark contrast, turned the ball over six times last Sunday, and three of them were picks from Eli. Not to mention (former?) first-string running back David Wilson's pathetic two fumbles and 19 yards. The loss of safety Stevie Brown has also been a major blow for the G-Men, and an already shaky secondary became a little more suspect before the start of the season. Tony Romo shredded it, so what do you think Peyton Manning can do? The Giants' vaunted pass rush was also less than explosive last Sunday, and aside from back-to-back sacks late in the game, the defensive line failed to really pressure Romo. In other words, Denver is firing on all cylinders while New York is in shambles (they signed free agent running back Brandon Jacobs on Tuesday – yes, that’s how desperate they are), and barring a miracle, this is an easy victory for Peyton and Co. and an anticlimactic blowout in the Manning Bowl. The Broncos will start 2-0, the Giants will start 0-2 and I will get in trouble for yelling at the TV in the basement for the second week running.
Denver Broncos 31, New York Giants 17
Washington Redskins
vs.
Green Bay Packers
For me, this is the game to watch this week. Both of these teams are supposed to win their divisions, both of these teams are supposed to go far in the playoffs and both of these teams fell flat on their face in Week One. And even though both these teams only lost by 6 (Packers to the Niners and the Redskins to the Eagles), their offenses under-performed, and their defenses looked very tired late into drives. We saw a late surge from the Redskins, as they erased their 33-7 deficit to make it a 33-27 game very late in the game. This last quarter ‘surge’ really excites me, and it gives me faith in London Fletcher and the Redskins this week. The "rust" we saw on RGII early in the game as well as the lack of protection that the 'Skins’ offensive line provided for him all seemed to fix itself in the fourth quarter. In addition, the 'Skins’ defense, which in reality is very strong, will get a break from Chip Kelly’s fast-paced offense and will be energized for the whole game. I’m not counting the Packers out; I know their offense attack is unreal, but Rodgers and his team looked flat against San Francisco last week. Also, Eddie Lacy is not the runner the pre-draft hype made him out to be. The Packers line was making holes last week, and Lacy could not hit them. The only way the Packers win this game is if they burn Washington deep. Rodgers' deep ball looked shaky last week, though, and his receivers dropped many of his passes. The Redskins, playing with a chip on their soldiers, will fight it out and win this matchup in the end, putting them on track to win the division title they were predicted to win and to make a playoff run.
Washington Redskins 31, Green Bay Packers 24
New York Jets
vs.
New England Patriots
The Patriots-Jets rivalry has been one of the louder match-ups in the league, if not one of the better ones. Tom Brady and the Pats escaped a near shocker last week in Buffalo, with Stephen Gostkowski hitting a 35-yarder for the win with five seconds left. The Pats' D performed about as expected, but the offensive gaps from a depleted receiving corps already showed. Brady targeted Wes Welker’s replacement, Danny Amendola, for 10 catches and 104 yards, but he is already out with an injury, and he’s likely to miss tonight’s game. Running back Shane Vereen was placed on the IR after the game with a broken wrist, and Stephen Ridley was benched in the second half after a second fumble. Bottom-line: Julian Edelman is the Pats' only reliable weapon going in.
The Jets finished in similar fashion against the Bucs in Week One, taking a one-point victory with a field goal in the final seconds. Rookie Geno Smith played far better than he did in the preseason, throwing for 256 yards and picking up a TD and INT. But while Rex Ryan probably dreams of a wild-card season, his hopes will stop there. The Jets have even fewer weapons than the Pats, and Ryan has never been able to develop his offensive squad. Belicheck, on the other hand, has a history of making winning seasons out of nothing, and even without his top tight-ends of last year, Brady will find a way to get the ball downfield. This won’t be an offensive or defensive showdown: the Patriots will simply grind out a Thursday night win.
New York Jets 17, New England Patriots 23