The Steelers got a tough game against the Patriots in week two as there are some other interesting matchups across the NFL.
The Steelers head into week two of the regular season with their home opener against the New England Patriots. The rest of the matchups this week will be full of many unique and challenging games for different clubs to sift through. Predicting some of these contests was more challenging than others, especially with some unknowns involved.
LA Chargers (1-1) vs Kansas City Chiefs (2-0), Thursday at 8:15 P.M. EST
Amazon Prime kicked off their Thursday Night Football coverage with a doozy of a game between two AFC powerhouses. The Chiefs and Chargers showed their strengths on offense in a shootout that was entertaining to watch. Do not worry though Steelers fans, Thursday Night Football will be broadcasted on a local station for their upcoming game against the Cleveland Browns.
Outcome: Chargers 24, Chiefs 27
Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes continued to show why they will be a monumental matchup to watch for the next decade-plus. Both were able to show different things, but Herbert’s toughness to sustain great play after injury was remarkable. There was just not enough time for the Chargers to come back in this shootout and the Chiefs won.
Miami Dolphins (1-0) vs Baltimore Ravens (1-0), Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
Both teams will test their true strength against one another in a big AFC game. This one could lead to future consequences if these two are fighting for playoff position in the AFC towards the end of the year. The Ravens seem like the stronger team, but the Dolphins do have a good defense that should make things tougher on Lamar Jackson.
Prediction: Dolphins 17, Ravens 21
This is going to be a tough game, but the Ravens’ offense should be able to still move the ball down the field. The Dolphins were able to cause some turnovers last week that gave them a boost in the points department. Miami’s offense still seems suspect at times and the Ravens’ defense has been able to cause turnovers in the past.
New York Jets (0-1) vs Cleveland Browns (1-0), Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
The Cleveland Browns will head into a short week after this game as they will get ready for the Steelers on Thursday. Many thought the Browns should sink without Deshaun Watson in the lineup, but they should stay competitive. Lucky for them, they have an easy schedule to start things off.
Prediction: Jets 21, Browns 24
The Jets will still get their points even though Joe Flacco’s skeleton is the quarterback of the offense. There are some good weapons for New York, but Cleveland has the better roster. This should be a close game like last week was for the Browns with a last-second field goal to clinch the game. The Steelers will see both of these teams over the next couple of weeks.
Washington Commanders (1-0) vs Detroit Lions (0-1), Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
The Commanders have some weapons on offense and were able to overcome a close game against the Jaguars in week one. Now they head on the road to take on the Lions in a game that could mean a lot in terms of draft order later in the year. Neither of these two is going to be great in 2022, but they could affect their draft position later based on the outcome of this one.
Prediction: Commanders 18, Lions 20
There could be some fireworks in this one, as it should be a good game to watch. Carson Wentz will be the X-factor in this one as he continues to still throw interceptions on a routine basis. That should give the Lions life and create for opportunities to gather points to win this game.
Indianapolis Colts (0-0-1) vs Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1), Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
The Colts started off rocky in week one, which is not uncommon for them. Matt Ryan seems to still be adjusting to his new team, but he should be able to put out a better performance with the Colts in week two. The Jaguars are still going to have their season result in a top-ten pick in the draft when it is all said and done.
Prediction: Colts 27, Jaguars 17
The Colts did struggle against the Houston Texans last week, but that should not happen twice in a row against a lesser opponent. This will be a big bounce-back opportunity for the Colts and one they cannot fail. If they struggle or lose to the Jaguars, there might be some major concerns in Indianapolis.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) vs New Orleans Saints (1-0), Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
This might be a tougher game for the Buccaneers than most might be willing to admit. Tom Brady has struggled against the Saints before, and that might continue here. New Orleans seems to be a fringe playoff contender and this second of back-to-back divisional games for them will be crucial.
Prediction: Buccaneers 24, Saints 20
The swamps of New Orleans have not been kind to Brady in the regular season thus far, but he gets a win here. His defense continues to carry them as the offense will show signs of rust still. This will be a close contest that ends with Tampa Bay winning by a four-point margin.
Carolina Panthers (0-1) vs New York Giants (1-0), Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
Baker Mayfield was almost able to secure a win in his revenge game, but the cards did not fall in his favor. The Giants shocked the world and upset the Tennessee Titans in week one, which many were not expecting to happen. The Panthers seem like they should have the better roster by now, but the Giants might have something impressive in the early goings of this season.
Prediction: Panther 23, Giants 24
Mayfield and his offense were able to post up 24 points last week and they almost get to that mark again. They will be able to move the ball, but the Giants offense showed some nice things behind Saquon Barkley. This will come down to the wire with a last-second field goal to go home victorious.
New England Patriots (0-1) vs Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0), Sunday at 1 P.M. EST
The Steelers pulled off the biggest upset in week one by defeating the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. The win was not pretty and there is still a lot of work for this club to do moving forward. The Patriots enter this game with a bunch of concerns of their own, the main ones being on the offensive side of the ball.
Prediction: Patriots 20, Steelers 21
Neither offense is going to blow anyone away in this contest. There is going to be a lack of points on Sunday as both offenses will struggle. The Steelers showed some better things than the Patriots did last week and that is what got them the slight advantage to claim victory in this one.
Atlanta Falcons (0-1) vs LA Rams (0-1), Sunday at 4:05 P.M. EST
The Falcons are going to continue to be a terrible franchise for the next couple of years unless they luck out on making great picks over the next few years. It will take some time and going up against the LA Rams on the road is not going to make them any better in the immediate future. This contest should be a walk in the park for the Rams.
Prediction: Falcons 17, Rams 31
Matt Stafford looked to have something going on that could become a major concern for fans of the Rams. Their offense and defense will be too much for the Falcons to handle during the game. They are the better team in every way and should put together a better performance than they did last week.
Seattle Seahawks (1-0) vs San Francisco 49ers (0-1), Sunday at 4:05 P.M. EST
Another big upset in week one was the Seahawks beating Russel Wilson and the Denver Broncos. It was a tight game that saw Geno Smith lead his team to victory. The 49ers struggled on the flooded field of Chicago last week, but the offense seemed to sputter under Trey Lance.
Prediction: Seahawks 17, 49ers 14
The struggles of Lance as the starting quarterback will continue further here and Smith will do enough to get Seattle to a 2-0 record. This is a tough game to judge, mostly because of the unknown that is the 49ers quarterback. Perhaps going back to Jimmy Garoppolo will end up happening if the struggle continues. The 49ers quarterback controversy could soon rival the Steelers soon.
Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) vs Dallas Cowboys (0-1), Sunday at 4:25 P.M. EST
The Bengals are going to be fired up this week after a tough loss against the Steelers. They are going up against a Dallas Cowboys team who are without their starting quarterback. That is a tough pill to swallow on a normal day, but they were having issues even before Dak Prescott went out with an injury.
Prediction: Bengals 28, Cowboys 19
This should never be a close game besides the beginning score of 0-0. Expect Cincinnati’s offense to come out and start clicking like normal again. A turnover or two will give Dallas a closer score at the end of the day, but this will never be a nail bitter for the cats.
Houston Texans (0-0-1) vs Denver Broncos (0-1), Sunday at 4:25 P.M. EST
Somehow the Texans were able to hang on and secure a tie with the Colts in week one. Now they move onto a Denver Broncos team that did not look too spirited last week. Some poor coaching decisions at the end of last week could have caused them the game and that should not happen again.
Prediction: Texans 16, Broncos 24
Houston seems like one of those clubs that will give each team a fight every week, but still wind up losing. Denver is a good team that is still trying to figure things out as they continue to try and gel together on the fly. Rookie coaches make mistakes, but the Broncos should be able to bounce back here with a late touchdown.
Arizona Cardinals (0-1) vs Las Vegas Raiders (0-1), Sunday at 4:25 P.M. EST
Kyler Murray looked lost against the Kansas City Chiefs in week one, in fact, most of them did. The Chiefs destroyed this Cardinals team from top to bottom. That embarrassing performance should lead to a better fight in week two against another playoff hopeful, the Raiders.
Prediction: Cardinals 24, Raiders 28
The Cardinals offense was finally able to put up a respectable result in this game, but it was not enough to win. The Raiders almost beat the Chargers in week one, and probably would have if Derek Carr did not turnover the ball so much. He should get those things cleaned up in this game and that will be the difference maker in this one.
Chicago Bears (1-0) vs Green bay Packers (0-1), Sunday at 8:20 P.M. EST
“I own you”, the famous quote hailed from Aaron Rodgers to the Chicago faithful. That has been the case for most of his career and that does not seem to be changing this Sunday. The Packers started off poorly against the Vikings in week one, but poor performances in the opener have not defined Green Bay in years prior.
Prediction: Bears 17, Packers 27
The Bears were able to barely defeat the San Francisco 49ers last week, but there were a bunch of things that could have altered that outcome. They should be able to keep things close for a while before Rodgers and his weapons on offense start to click. It will become too much for the Chicago defense to handle after a certain period.
Tennessee Titans (0-1) vs Buffalo Bills (1-0), Monday at 7:15 P.M. EST
The Titans are going to be motivated to play in this one after falling to the Giants last Sunday after missing a game-winning field goal. The Bills are a well-oiled machine and seem to be the odds-on favorite to make it to the Super Bowl coming out of the AFC. This could be a potential playoff matchup later in the year.
Prediction: Titans 23, Bills 31
Tennessee’s defense has not looked good in the secondary, even though they can apply some pressure on the quarterback. Expect Buffalo to spread things out and have Josh Allen run when things start to break down in the pocket. This will be another game that many will be surprised was so close.
Minnesota Vikings (1-0) vs Philadelphia Eagles (1-0), Monday at 8:30 P.M. EST
The Vikings were able to beat the Packers with relative ease in their previous game, and it was an impressive win. They head to Philadelphia against a well-constructed roster with the Eagles. It is going to be a good game to watch on Monday Night Football finally.
Prediction: Vikings 24, Eagles 21
This is going to be another close game between two teams that should be able to make the playoffs in 2022. If Kirk Cousins and the offense do not commit turnovers, they should be able to win this game. Jalen Hurts is just not consistent enough to believe that he can help this club win consistently against playoff-caliber defenses.
The NFL has some good games on the schedule for week two of the 2022 season. The Steelers have a tough matchup at home, which they should win.