2020 Week 2 Predix: Super Bowl Rematch in Seattle

Photo courtesy of Jim Davis

Written by Sam DeCoste

Football is back at last. What a wonderful sight it was to watch 16 NFL games this weekend, and write about real games. 

What a pleasure it was to accurately predict the exact scoreline of the Texans-Chiefs kickoff game as well! That's right, I correctly predicted the game to finish 34-20 in a Chiefs win. For just the fourth time in Franchise Quarterback history and the first time since 2017, I hit the bullseye. I also finished one point off of the Buccaneers-Saints scoreline, predicting the game to end 34-24 when it finished 34-23. That being said, my record was 9-7 across Week 1 games, which is rather mediocre. I didn't anticipate Washington, Jacksonville, or Chicago coming up with miraculous comeback victories, which nobody really did either. Nonetheless, I've watched the film, and saw where I went wrong in Week 1. It's time for a bounce back week, and get that Predix record up! 

Week 2 promises to be another great weekend of football. The curtain drops in Cleveland where the Browns host the Bengals in a matchup of former Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks, and concludes on Monday night in Las Vegas, where the Raiders host the Saints in the NFL's first ever game in Vegas. The cherry on top of Week 2 is Sunday Night Football, where the Patriots and Seahawks square off in a rematch of one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time. Exciting stuff in Week 2.

Let's get right into the Predix! Week 2 is here!

Here are my records this season:

Week 1 record: 9-7

Regular season record: 9-7

Lock of the Week record: 0-1

Bengals @ Browns

The Battle for Ohio will kick off Week 2, and kick start an era of head to head matchups between two former Heisman Trophy winners and number one overall picks.

For some reason, the Browns treat getting the ball to Odell Beckham like rocket science. Beckham had just 3 catches for 22 yards in Baltimore last Sunday, and no Browns receiver had more than 5 receptions (Jarvis Landry). The Browns ran the ball well totaling 138 yards against the Ravens, but could not sustain drives when it mattered. They match up well with the Bengals defense, and are bound for an offensive explosion at some point. The time is now to score some points, after putting up just 6 points against the Ravens.

While the Bengals also did not win on Sunday, they flashed some promise with their rookie quarterback. The Bengals were a pass interference call away from a fourth quarter comeback win for Joe Burrow in his first career start, and have the means to improve substantially from last season. For Burrow to get his first career win in Cleveland, he will have to spread the ball out and exploit the Browns defense which just gave up 38 points on Sunday. On a short week of preparation, Burrow will need to lean on Joe Mixon on the ground, and look towards A.J. Green all night long. 

The season is just five days old for the Browns and they are staring at a potential 0-2 start. Against the Bengals, it is difficult to imagine the Browns will drop two in a row to start off. The odds are in Cleveland's favor.

Prediction: Bengals 17, Browns 27

Falcons @ Cowboys

The Cowboys were unlucky not to send their opener to overtime against the Rams, but their performance over four quarters was just not good enough. Ezekiel Elliott looked as good as he has in 3 years, and the Cowboys moved the ball well all night. But in situational football, in third downs, and red zone possessions, the offense fell short. That needs to change against a high octane Falcons offense, featuring Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. Although Dallas matches up beautifully with a Falcons secondary which Russell Wilson carved up on Sunday. Amari Cooper is in for another big day, as is rookie receiver CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup. 

For Atlanta, it is put up or shut up time. Every loss the Falcons suffer is another loss closer to Dan Quinn's potential firing. The defense needs to be better than what they were on Sunday, when they allowed Russell Wilson to walk all over them while throwing just 4 incompletions on the day. That being said, the offense is still the backbone of the team, and the Falcons have the weapons to simply outscore the Cowboys. The offense racked up 506 total yards against the Seahawks, and Matt Ryan threw for 450 yards. Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, and Russell Gage each finished with over 100 receiving yards. The problem is the Falcons offense usually starts slow and have to play catch up.

A fast start is key to this pivotal Week 2 matchup. If the Falcons set the tone early, the game script for them flips completely. But the Cowboys from top to bottom have the better personnel, and I count on them to execute more than I can count on Atlanta.

Prediction: Falcons 20, Cowboys 26

Rams @ Eagles

Arguably the most impressive team win of Week 1 belongs to the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams broke out their $5 billion stadium with a narrow win over the Cowboys, cemented by a stellar performance by the $105 million dollar man, Jalen Ramsey. Holding the league's number one offense last season to just 17 points marks a brilliant defensive performance. The offense was not nearly as explosive as we are accustomed to, but they were efficient. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are still formidable receivers and fit the Rams system very well, and the additions of Cam Akers and Van Jefferson will rejuvenate the unit which slowed down at the end of last year.

The home team, meanwhile, is coming off an epic upset defeat in Washington. The Eagles gave up 27 unanswered points as they watched a 17-0 lead slip away. Carson Wentz was sacked 8 times by a young Washington defense, and turning the ball over twice. The load does not fall on Wentz, though, because the Eagles defense crumbled in the second half along with the offense. That being said, the Eagles need to set the tone and control the tempo for four quarters. The running game needs to succeed 57 yards, with or without Miles Sanders, who will elevate the game of the Eagles offense if he is healthy.

This is a very intriguing matchup, and both teams are coming off remarkably different weeks. But the Eagles losing to Washington is deeply concerning, and the Rams have the looks of a team more than capable of capitalizing.

Prediction: Rams 23, Eagles 20

Broncos @ Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are back. In a gritty win over the Giants, Ben Roethlisberger tossed 3 touchdowns and Benny Snell pounded the rock for 113 yards. The Steelers are ready for postseason contention at last, and they have the means to take down a Broncos squad coming off a short week and narrow defeat to Tennessee. The Steelers will hope to start fast after a stagnant first half performance on Monday night, and they have the weapons in place to do so. Juju Smith Schuster should be in for another big day with A.J. Bouye placed on I.R., and Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool looked impressve as well. Roethlisberger will be quick to air it out against a shorthanded Denver secondary. 

The Broncos looked to control the game on the ground against the Titans, but the offense looked unimpressive. Drew Lock ran an efficient rather than explosive offense, and made Noah Fant his top target, who played very well on Monday night. The running game totaled 107 yards, and the duo of Melvin Gordon and Philip Lindsay will be counted on to set the tempo. But considering the Steelers gave up just 6 yards to Saquon Barkley, the Broncos will have a difficult matchup on their hands. Drew Lock is going to face pressure all game long, and he will need to use his arm to open up the offense for Denver. 

The Steelers are riding high while the Broncos are pretty banged up. The home team will be 2-0 when it's all said and done.

This is my Lock of the Week.

Prediction: Broncos 13, Steelers 24

Vikings @ Colts

I have the Colts to thank for losing my first Lock of the Week. But it's alright, I'm not salty.

The Colts were undone by the Jaguars thanks to Philip Rivers turnovers, an inconsistent running game, and lack of pressure on the quarterback. Minshew threw just one incompletion against the Colts defense, and Kirk Cousins marches in to Indy coming off a 259 yard performance. Although the Colts have the week to calm themselves and control the game with the running game, and ease Rivers' gunslinger mentality. The Colts will unravel this season if turnovers become an issue, and the offense needs to balance itself out to contend this season. Indy matches up well with Minnesota on both sides of the ball, and the home team should have a bounce back performance.

The Vikings, however, are reeling after setting a franchise record for points allowed in a season opener, with 43 points scored by the Packers. The team played catch-up all day, but were throughly outmatched. Dalvin Cook carried the ball just 12 times against Green Bay. That will not cut it this week. Cook and Alexander Mattison need to see their roles increased, after totaling 134 yards on just 22 carries. The Vikings want to slow the game down and keep Rivers on the sidelines as much as possible. With the running game in high gear, Adam Theilen can do his thing and make the Colts secondary look silly all afternoon.

Both teams came into the season expecting to be in the playoffs, and starting the season 0-2 would be a disaster for either squad. One of these squads will walk out 0-2, and the Vikings are the likelier of the two to fall. Besides, it seems fitting that the Colts would lose to the Jaguars in Week 1, then follow it up with a win over a playoff team from last season.

Prediction: Vikings 20, Colts 24

49ers @ Jets

The Niners are traveling cross country this week following a devastating home opener loss to the Cardinals, hoping to return to San Fran at .500. On paper, the road team is in prime position to erase the memories of last week against the New York Jets.

The Jets got creamed by Buffalo last Sunday. The Bills pretty much did whatever they wanted on offense and the Jets defense could not stop them, and the Jets offense was pathetic and inefficient. Dropped passes, overthrown passes, batted passes, and blown up screen plays pretty much summed up New York's bad day at the office. Head coach Adam Gase needs to open the game up for Sam Darnold to run an efficient offense, which totaled just 254 yards against the Bills. But the 49ers defense is as talented if not more so than Buffalo's, and Darnold could be in for yet another long day. 

For San Francisco to turn things around, the defense needs to step up. Just 2 sacks against Arizona will not cut it this week. The 49ers need to dial up some pressure to get to Darnold and force him to make errant throws, and get more possessions for Jimmy Garappolo and crew. The offense looked impressive in the absence of Deebo Samuel, and the rushing attack looks as unstoppable as it was last season. The offense is in for a big day going against a Jets defense which let Josh Allen walk all over them a week ago. 

Both teams are trending in polar opposite directions. While San Fran is looking for their first win, the state of these two squads are remarkably disparate, and the Jets will hardly put up a fight.

Prediction: 49ers 30, Jets 6

Bills @ Dolphins

These AFC East foes are each coming into this game at less than 100%. Bills John Brown, Matt Milano, and Tremaine Edmunds are all battling injuries, while Dolphins Devante Parker, Xavien Howard, and Byron Jones were each limited in practice. But each team will have to overcome their injuries for this divisional matchup.

Ryan Fitzpatrick had a day to forget in Foxboro. Fitzmagic threw 3 picks in the 21-11 loss, and the offense fell down to earth after a hot end to the season. The defense had an even worse day at the office, surrendering 217 rushing yards, including 75 yards and 2 touchdowns for Cam Newton. Following Buffalo's first game in which Josh Allen rushed for 57 yards and a score, piled on top of Allen's first 300 yard performance in the air, the Dolphins defense has another potential long day on their hands. 

The Bills will look to control the game from the ground with the running backs, after Devin Singletary and Zach Moss combined for just 41 rushing yards against the Jets. Nonetheless, the Bills passing attack matches up well with a Dolphins defense at less than full strength. Stefon Diggs caught 8 passes for 86 yards in his Bills debut, and could have another standout performance in Week 2.

The Dolphins will put up a fight, but Josh Allen matches up much better with the Dolphins defense than Ryan Fitzpatrick with the Bills. Buffalo will move to 2-0. 

Prediction: Bills 27, Dolphins 21

Panthers @ Buccaneers

Twitter pounced on Tom Brady following a very disappointing debut with the Buccaneers. Brady threw for 239 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in a decisive loss to the Saints. Even the great Tom Brady is inevitably going to have growing pains in adjusting to a new offensive philosophy, along with getting acquainted with new teammates and coaching staff, without the luxury of offseason or preseason reps. 

Nonetheless, the Bucs are primed to bounce back against the Panthers, who fell to the Raiders on a last-minute game-winning drive. The Panthers are very vulnerable on the ground, where the Raiders totaled 133 yards last week. While the Bucs are not known for their productive backfield, there is an opportunity for Tampa to control the game on the ground and let Brady make his pay on play-action. Ronald Jones carried the rock 17 times on Sunday, and Leonard Fournette will see his role increase by the week. When the Bucs go to the air, Brady has weapons in Godwin and Evans on the outside, as well as Scotty Miller, who Brady made a habit of targeting on Sunday.

The Panthers can keep this close, and after their offensive explosion last week, there is definitely reason to be optimistic. Teddy Bridgewater debuted with 270 yards passing and a touchdown, complementing Christian McCaffrey's 134 total scrimmage yards. McCaffrey will be leaned on early and often as always, and Bridgewater will need to make plays with his arm to keep up with the Bucs offense. 

The young Panthers defense is going to be tested, and despite the Bucs stagnant offensive performance in Week 1, it is difficult to imagine Brady and the Bucs starting the season 0-2. Tampa wins it, but it's going to be tight.

Prediction: Panthers 17, Buccaneers 23

Lions @ Packers

The Lions have a habit of folding in the fourth quarter of their season openers. Last season, Detroit watched an 18 point lead vanish before tying with the Cardinals. On Sunday, the Lions gave up a 17 point lead to the Bears, making Mitch Trubisky look like Aaron Rodgers. Well, the Lions actually play Aaron Rodgers this week. Oh no.

Aaron Rodgers played out of his mind against the Vikings, tossing 4 touchdowns in a 43 point performance over division rivals. Davante Adams was busy as well, catching 14 balls for 156 yards and 2 scores, and the Pack looked unstoppable. They match up beautifully with a young Lions defense which has habitually crumbled in fourth quarters. The Packers can control the tempo with Aaron Jones, or they can give Rodgers the control, and he can carve the Lions up as he always does. 

However, we should not forget that the Lions were a D'Andre Swift catch away from winning their opener in stunning fashion. There are pieces in place for the Lions to contend this year, and they will come into this game feeling they have a shot. Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola played well, T.J. Hockenson stepped up big time with a touchdown grab, and Kenny Golladay will surely register a few catches unlike last week. The Lions will have to win by outscoring the Packers offense, because the Lions defense doesn't have enough plays in them to contain Aaron Rodgers. This should be a comfortable win for the home team.

Prediction: Lions 10, Packers 30

Giants @ Bears

Take a bow, Mitch Trubisky. Everyone wrote Trubisky off to be the Bears starter in the offseason, but he won the starting job and rallied the team down 17 points in the fourth quarter to a road win. Momentum is high in Chi-town, and the Bears can build on it with the Giants in town. Although the Bears would be smart to control the game from kickoff, and that starts with the ground game. The two-headed backfield of David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen was productive in Week 1, and the team totaled 149 rushing yards against the Lions. A similar performance will go a long way to a Week 2 win, especially if Trubisky is as accurate as he was a week ago.

Meanwhile, the Giants came to play against the Steelers when nobody gave them a shot. Ultimately, their talent was outmatched by Pittsburgh, and it could be a similar situation this week. The Giants can only go as far as Saquon Barkley beyond the line of scrimmage, and against the Steelers, Barkley was stuffed completely. Barkley finished with just 6 yards on 15 carries, finishing with his longest carry at 7 yards. The Bears defense presents another unfavorable matchup for the Giants rushing offense, with Khalil Mack roaming in the trenches. Daniel Jones did all he could on Monday night, and threw a dime deep down the middle to Darius Slayton to open the scoring. But the turnovers still prove to be a place to work on for Jones, and the Bears defense has the personnel to capitalize.

The Giants will play hard, and Barkley will surely see his production rise after a slow start to the season. But the Bears are more talented than the Giants, and dare I say, maybe Mitch Trubisky can get it done.

Prediction: Giants 16, Bears 20

Jaguars @ Titans

Somebody forgot to give the Jaguars the script. Nobody told them they were tanking. 

Gardner Minshew is electrifying. Completing 19 of 20 passes for 3 touchdowns in a divisional win over the Colts is very impressive, and doing so with James Robinson as a leading rusher and Keelan Cole as the leading wideout stands out even more. This level of success is unsustainable due to the lack of talent on either side of the ball, but Minshew will continue to elevate the level of this offense's efficiency and scoring. Minshew is going to make me pay in plenty of games this season as he has already. That being said, the Jags offense matches up poorly with the Titans secondary which held Drew Lock to 216 passing yards. Kevin Byard and Malcolm Butler will keep the likes of D.J. Chark and Keelan Cole in check, and give Minshew a tougher test than the Colts put up a week ago.

There's no doubt who the best player on the field is for this game, and that would be Derrick Henry. The human bowling ball started 2020 with 116 yards against Denver, and has a history of racking up the yards against Jacksonville. Who can forget Henry's 99 yard rushing touchdown against the Jags two seasons ago? Henry carried the ball 31 times on Monday night, and he will be the focal point of the offense once again on Sunday. Considering the history, there's no reason for Tennessee to steer away from the ground game to propel them to their second straight win to start the season. 

The Jaguars have proved they are not to be underestimated, or Minshew will make you pay. But I will not underestimate Derrick Henry. The Titans are the much more well-rounded team, and they will steamroll Duval's defense on their way to their first 2-0 start since 2008.

Prediction: Jaguars 14, Titans 28

Football Team @ Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals begin the season with a road win over the NFC Champion 49ers, and the Washington Football Team sits alone atop the NFC East going into Week 2. Just like all of us expected.

Dwayne Haskins rallied his squad from a 17-0 deficit to beat the Eagles to start the season 1-0, after a disastrous offseason in Washington. To follow that up with another upset win, the Football Team needs to improve their offensive production. Haskins needs to throw for more than just 178 yards against the Cardinals defense, and the running game needs to yield more than 36 yards from Anthony Gibson. But Haskins will be running for his life with Chandler Jones lurking on the other side, who is still somehow underrated as one of the league's most dominant defensive players.

Arizona, meanwhile, have the formula to go to 2-0 on the season with a similar performance from last Sunday. Kyler Murray can beat the Football Team with his arm and his legs, and keep the Washington defense gassed on the field all afternoon. DeAndre Hopkins will definitely be a focal point of the offense once more, and could be in for another big day after catching a career high 14 passes against the 49ers. 

Even though Washington is not to be underestimated, the Cardinals have too much talent to be contained. The Arizona rushing attack will be too much for Washington to handle, and the Cardinals will move to 2-0 for the first time since 2015.

Prediction: Football Team 17, Cardinals 27

Ravens @ Texans

New season, same Lamar Jackson. The reigning MVP dominated the Browns defense with 310 scrimmage yards, and having another efficient performance through the air. The backfield is even better than last year, with J.K. Dobbins thrown into the fold of what is already in place. Oh and Mark Andrews is quickly ascending as one of the league's best tight ends, and Marquise Brown is getting even better. The Texans have it all to do on defense.

Last time the Texans visited M&T Bank Stadium, the team folded. Houston gave up 491 yards, including 301 scrimmage yards and 4 touchdown passes for Lamar Jackson. Considering the state of the Texans on defense, the only hope for the Texans to pull off the win is to simply keep up with what the Ravens do. Deshaun Watson needs to match every 80 yard drive led by Jackson to keep up. But as we saw on Thursday night, the Texans are not built to do that. Deshaun Watson was running for his life all night against the Chiefs. Watson completed just one pass in 14 pressured dropbacks against the Chiefs, and against a defensive line featuring Calais Campbell, Derek Wolfe, and the promising rookie Patrick Queen at linebacker, this thing could get ugly quickly.

Watson may produce a better fantasy performance, but that will be the only difference between Weeks 1 and 2 for Texans fans. The Ravens outmatch the Texans in every facet. Baltimore will win comfortably.

Prediction: Ravens 34, Texans 14

Chiefs @ Chargers

Even on an off day, the Chiefs proved they are the best team in football. The Chiefs played well against the Texans in the opener without wowing us or knocking our socks off. But the addition of rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has made this team more balanced, and even more dangerous than ever before. As he is commonly referred to as C.E.H., the star running back touched the ball 25 times and racked 138 yards on the ground and a touchdown. The Chiefs will lean on the ground game once again to control the game, and minimize throw attempts towards a loaded Chargers secondary, featuring Chris Harris and Casey Hayward. 

For the home team, the Chargers' best chance of victory comes from the ability of Tyrod Taylor to outscore Pat Mahomes. That is a tall ask from the journeyman quarterback, who averaged 7 yards per attempt against the Bengals defense. The Chargers will stick to their ground and pound formula, which yielded 39 carries for 155 yards. Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson will be counted on early in the game to control the clock, but head coach Anthony Lynn may have to toss this plan out the window very early if the Chiefs are scoring in bunches. Then it falls on Taylor to spread the ball out and score touchdowns on every possession, and Taylor has never been wired to do that.

The Chargers know how to put up a fight against the Chiefs, but the Chiefs are just too powerful to be contained this time around. Edwards-Helaire will have another big day, and Mahomes will lead the champs to a 2-0 start.

Prediction: Chiefs 27, Chargers 14

Patriots @ Seahawks

Every time the Patriots and Seahawks face off, the occasion does not disappoint. This time will be no different.

So far, so good for the new-look Patriots led by Cam Newton. Miraculously, Newton already set a franchise record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in his first start in Foxboro, with 75 yards on the ground. The team racked 217 total rushing yards and 3 scores, and will lean on this new philosophy all season. But to sustain efficient offensive production, Newton will need to move the chains with his arm. Newton averaged just 8 yards per attempt on 19 throws, which will not cut it against a Seahawks squad which laid 38 in Atlanta last week. Newton will need to spread the ball out more, which he should be able to do, considering Matt Ryan just threw for 450 yards against this secondary. 

On the other side, Russell Wilson has an opportunity to keep his momentum rolling following an MVP caliber performance against the Falcons. Wilson threw for 322 yards and 4 touchdowns in a dominant Seahawks win, and now goes up against the number one passing defense in the AFC from a year ago. Wilson should be able to get the best of the Pats secondary, which has lost key pieces in the offseason. Not to mention Wilson's scrambling ability can extend plays and find D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett deep down the field. 

This promises to be a very entertaining affair between two of the winningest teams, quarterbacks, and coaches in football. But when it's all said and done, I think Russell Wilson makes more plays than Cam Newton. Seahawks will pull out the victory.

Prediction: Patriots 17, Seahawks 26

Saints @ Raiders

Las Vegas welcomes its football team for its first ever home opener, but the stands will sadly be empty for this one. With the Saints marching in, this promises to be an exciting matchup.

The Saints handled Tom Brady's Bucs quite comfortably, but they face a pesky Raiders squad on Monday night. Josh Jacobs racked 95 yards and 3 touchdowns, while rookie wideout Henry Ruggs flashed just how dangerous he is in the open field with a couple of touches in the backfield and on the outside. The Raiders can run the ball down their opponents' throat, and the Saints need to be ready for that. With Malcolm Jenkins back in the secondary, the passing game led by Derek Carr should be rather pedestrian. 

With Michael Thomas out for a few weeks, the Saints will face their first test of the season without their star wideout. No receiver behind Michael Thomas caught more than 30 balls last season, and that is why Emmanuel Sanders was signed in free agency. Sanders can fill the void in Thomas' relief, while Alvin Kamara sees his role increased, as well as Latavius Murray. Kamara can control the game out of the backfield, and Drew Brees will be looking in his direction all night. Besides Kamara and Sanders, the role players need to step up and make game-winning contributions, because the Raiders a physical team that will fight to the end.

Fans or no fans, the Raiders will be desperate to win their first ever game in Las Vegas. I'm not writing out the possibility, but the Saints would need to have a very poor day at the office to lose to the Raiders. 

Prediction: Saints 27, Raiders 20

Thank you for reading NFL Predix! Check out the weekly Predix every Thursday afternoon before Thursday Night Football, and be sure to let me know what you think of my predictions in the comments section below! You can also follow me for more football takes on Twitter @thesamdecoste. Thanks for reading!