Not a great start last week but not bad either. I hit the Eagles and Bengals but the Colts never arrived in Houston and the Titans fell short in Jacksonville. I’ll try harder today…

Cardinals @ Redskins, 1:00PM ET
Cam Newton was incredible in his debut but Arizona’s defense was sofffffft. Now the Cardinals have to hop a flight cross-country to play a Redskins team that didn’t have to move after playing at home last week. While the situation is built like a house of cards, Rex Grossman played well last Sunday against the Giants and I think he’ll carry that confidence into today. The Cardinals are just 1-6 against the spread in their last seven road games and 1-7 ATS in their last eight games as a road underdog. The Redskins, meanwhile, are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games overall and 3-0-1 ATS in their last four games versus the NFC.
THE PICK: REDSKINS –4

Browns @ Colts, 1:00PM ET
Apparently I’m a glutton for punishment because I’m right back on the Colts this week after their brutal performance in Week 1. It just doesn’t sit right with me that Indy is a 1-point home underdog against a Browns team that got drubbed by the Bengals at home last Sunday. Kerry Collins looked like crap-o-la in Houston but he should have an easier time this Sunday against Cleveland. The underdog is 3-1-1 against the spread in the last five meetings between these two teams while the Browns are 0-5 against the spread in their last five games versus the AFC.
THE PICK: COLTS +1

Chiefs @ Lions, 1:00PM ET
I happen to think that the performances of these two teams last week wasn’t an aberration. I think the Chiefs can be that bad and I think the Lions can be that good. That said, oddsmakers are clearly playing into the public’s perception that Detroit is a playoff sleeper because the line is set way too high in this one. I don’t expect Kansas City to play as poorly as it did last week against the Bills, who clearly snuck up on an unprepared Chiefs squad. I like the Lions to win, but the Chiefs to the score within a touchdown.
THE PICK: CHIEFS +9

Eagles @ Falcons, 8:20PM ET
Don’t expect the Falcons to play as sloppy as they did last week in Chicago but I still don’t like them in any matchup with the Eagles. Philly has won eight of its last nine against Atlanta and you know Mikey Vick is going to be pumped up playing against his former team. The Falcons are extremely talented on both sides of the ball but they lack that killer attitude that great teams like the Patriots, Saints and Packers have exhibited. That’s why I think they’ll be in awe of Vick instead of trying to make his life miserable for three hours. Maybe I’ll be wrong and the Falcons will view this as a statement game but something is definitely off right now in Atlanta.
THE PICK: EAGLES –1.5

Last Week: 2-2
Season: 2-2

Check out Bullz-Eye.com for a complete list of NFL Week 1 odds.

Week 2 is a little early for statement games but the Falcons may be the exception.

There were a handful of media members who predicted Atlanta to reach the Super Bowl this season, none more prominent than SI’s Peter King. But if the Falcons don’t believe they’re ready to take the next step then why should anyone else? Their brutal performance in Chicago last weekend followed an 0-4 preseason, which followed a 48-21 loss to the Packers in last year’s playoffs. Super Bowl? How about this team bothers winning a game of importance first?

Things don’t get any easier for the Falcons this Sunday night when Michael Vick and the Eagles come to town. ESPN has had a field day with the “Whose house is it?” topic, but the Falcons should be more concerned with starting 0-2 than trying to figure out whether Vick or Matt Ryan’s name should be on the doorknocker. Atlanta has lost four straight to Philadelphia and eight of its last nine to the Eagles, including two playoff games. To suggest Andy Reid has had the Falcons’ number over the years would be an understatement.

But Atlanta can change all that this weekend. The sloppiness that they exhibited in last Sunday’s loss to the Bears was rather uncharacteristic of the Mike Smith-led Falcons over the last three years. Thus, I expect Atlanta to play with more focus and pride this weekend.

But focus and pride are just two ingredients that this team is missing right now. They could also use a dash of attitude, swagger and aggressiveness. Their quarterback is seemingly ready to join the elite but he hesitates to throw downfield. Their offensive coordinator was viewed as a head-coaching candidate late last season but his conservative playcalling is befuddling with the amount of weapons the Falcons posses on offense. Their head coach was once a defensive coordinator in Jacksonville but thus far, he and his current DC can’t figure out the coverage woes that the secondary and linebacker corps is having. (Save for corner Brent Grimes, who has emerged as one of the team’s top playmakers.)

In other words, this team is a small mess right now – not a Super Bowl contender. But it’s not like the Falcons don’t have talent. On the contrary – this team is stacked. They have a slew of playmakers on offense, a ton of potential on defense, and thanks to the recent additions of James Sanders and Kelvin Hayden, plenty of depth as well.

With that in mind, the Falcons can’t allow this game to be about Vick and his heroic homecoming. After all, if they’re going to play second fiddle to him in their own stadium, then they might as well lay down for the rest of the NFC powers as well. This game needs to be about making a statement. This needs to be about beating an opponent that has had their number and stomping out the cloud of doubt that is starting to form around them.

A loss to the Eagles this Sunday isn’t going to eliminate the Falcons from the playoffs. But it wouldn’t kill them to have a sense of urgency right now either.

Eagles (1-0) @ Falcons (0-1), 8:20PM ET
Outside of Chargers-Patriots or maybe Bears-Saints, there isn’t a juicer matchup on the schedule this week. The Falcons should be embarrassed by the way they performed last week in Chicago but they have zero time to wallow in self pity because Michael Vick and the Eagles come storming into the Georgia Dome this weekend. Andy Reid has had major ownage on the Falcons over the years, as Philly is 9-2-1 against the spread in its last 12 games against Atlanta, which includes a 4-1-1 ATS mark on the road. With defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux set to miss over a month with a knee injury, the Falcons’ defense is in major trouble. An 0-2 start for the defending NFC South champions is a big-time reality.
THE ODDS: EAGLES –1.5

Chargers (1-0) @ Patriots (1-0), 4:15PM ET
Two teams picked by many to win their respective divisions will square off in New England on Sunday when the Pats host the Chargers at 4:15PM ET. These two teams met in San Diego last October and despite dominating the first half, the Bolts fell to the Pats, 23-20. The underdog is 6-2 against the spread in the last eight meetings between these two teams, while the under is 4-1 in the last five meetings. That said, the over is 4-1 in the last five meetings in New England and after watching Tom Brady dissect the Dolphins on Monday night, it’s hard to envision a low-scoring game this Sunday at Foxboro.
THE ODDS: PATRIOTS –7

Bears (1-0) @ Saints (0-1), 1:00PM ET
It’s a little early for anyone to be playing the disrespect card but if there were one team who could justify it, it would be the Chicago Bears. I couldn’t find one prognosticator who picked them to repeat as NFC North champions, which is understandable given that they play in the same division as the Super Bowl-winning Packers. But some people even had the Bears finishing below the Lions in the North. (Not that Detroit is bad, but the Bears essentially have the same roster as last year and some expect them to crash this season.) All Chicago did in Week 1 was dominate the Falcons in all facets of the game and yet, Da Bears find themselves as 6.5-point road dogs against the Saints. If they can beat New Orleans in the Superdome this Sunday, the Bears will certainly have everyone’s attention in the NFC. Chicago is 2-0-2 against the spread in its last four games against the Saints, while the underdog is 5-2-2 ATS in the last nine overall meetings between these two teams. That said, the home team is 3-0-2 ATS in the last five meetings.
THE ODDS: SAINTS –6.5

Rams (0-1) @ Giants (0-1), 8:30PM ET
The Giants will look to get back on track this Monday when they host a banged-up Rams team. Steven Jackson has been ruled out for St. Louis but quarterback Sam Bradford plans to play. The favorite is 5-2 against the spread in the last seven meetings between these two teams, while the Rams are 0-5 against the number in their last five games against the Giants. Many analysts picked the Rams to win the NFC West but they have a brutal first-half schedule and after hosting the Eagles last week, they’ll hit the road on Monday to face another tough NFC East opponent.
THE ODDS: GIANTS –5.5

Check out Bullz-Eye.com for a complete list of NFL Week 2 odds.

Here’s a look at what local NFL beat writers and columnists have to say following their teams’ performance on Sunday.

- Steve Serby of the New York Post writes that Jets’ rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez “outswaggered” the Pats’ Tom Brady.

- Gil LeBreton of the Star-Telegram writes that the Cowboys’ offense spoiled Jerry Jones’ new stadium party.

- Mike Mulligan of the Chicago Sun-Times says that Jay Cutler’s signature game saved the Bears from defeat on Sunday.

- Damon Hack of SI.com says that the Patriots showed a rare loss of composure in their defeat to the Jets.

- David Climer of the Tennessean compiles a list of troubling signs for the 0-2 Titans.

- Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune wonders if the Chargers can be fixed after their loss to the Ravens and their near-loss to the Raiders in Week 1.

- Tom Oates of Madison.com writes that the Packers’ offensive line (which struggled mightily on Sunday against the Bengals) could ruin the season for Green Bay.

- Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post can’t help but think that head coach Jim Zorn has low expectations for the Redskins.

- Never afraid to hand out criticism, Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star writes that the Chiefs coaching performance against the Raiders was embarrassing.

Here are quick-hit previews for all of Sunday afternoon’s action in Week 2. Be sure to check out my picks and predictions for this week as well.

Patriots at Jets, 1PM ET
Thanks to Rex Ryan and Kerry Rhodes boastfully stating that they won’t be afraid of the Patriots this year (or ever), this has become one of the more intriguing Week 2 matchups. Under Ryan’s guidance, the Jets now play an aggressive, attacking style of defense. If New York’s front seven can generate consistent pressure on Tom Brady, the Jets have a good enough secondary to at least contain Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Without Jerod Mayo (out with an injury) and Richard Seymour (out like yesterday’s news), Bill Belichick’s defense suddenly looks human. Is there an upset brewing in East Rutherford?

Saints at Eagles, 1PM ET
The general consensus is that without Donovan McNabb (out with a rib injury), the Eagles don’t stand a chance Sunday against the offensive juggernaut that is the Saints. But don’t forget that Philly’s defense is a tad more talented than Detroit’s (NO’s opponent last Sunday) and that the Eagles are a tough team to beat at home. While Kevin Kolb certainly doesn’t instill a lot of confidence in the Philly faithful, New Orleans allowed rookie Matthew Stafford and the Lions to put up 27 points on them last week, so maybe Kolb (who will be protected by an excellent line and be aided by the Eagles’ solid running game) won’t have to win the game on his own. Nobody should expect the Saints to roll into Lincoln Financial Field today and put up 45 points again like they did last week.

Rams at Redskins, 1PM ET
It would be nice to see Jim Zorn take the training wheels off his offense and let quarterback Jason Campbell throw the ball downfield more. If Zorn doesn’t trust Campbell to throw the ball vertically against the defensively challenged Rams, then he’ll trust him in any situation. As soon as Zorn establishes the run with Clinton Portis, he should allow Campbell to challenge St. Louis’s suspect secondary and take shots down field. The over/under on sacks for Albert Haynesworth in this game has been set at 24. And the over/under on Marc Bulger flashing that hapless expression after he makes a mistake is 70.

Cardinals at Jaguars, 1PM ET
Rise and shine, Ken Whisenhunt! It’s once again time for your team to prove themselves after losing to the 49ers last week at home. The effects of losing playcaller Todd Haley this offseason showed last week as the Cards couldn’t muster more than a couple of first downs in their last three offensive series against San Fran. Of course, Jacksonville has its own issues, including a major lack of firepower on the offensive side of the ball. I’m willing to bet that Arizona wins in a small upset today, if only so their supporters can bust out the see-we-told-you-we-weren’t-a-fluke chant for at least one week.

Panthers at Falcons, 1PM ET
Everyone’s ready to write Jake Delhomme off, which is exactly about the time he’ll come out and throw for 270 yards and two touchdowns. Of course both of those scores will come from Steve Smith breaking eight tackles on his way to the end zone and making Delhomme look like a hero. Delhomme needs to focus because he’s in jeopardy of losing his job to A.J. Feeley. The Falcons defense played inspired last week in a win over Miami and I’m sure John Abraham and company are licking their chops at the chance to take Delhomme’s self respect even lower than it already is. But they need to worry about DeAngelo Williams first and foremost. John Fox isn’t going to put the game in Delhomme’s hands, so if Atlanta can’t stop Williams, the Panthers could sneak out of Georgia with a victory.

Vikings at Lions, 1:00PM
I know what everyone is thinking: Adrian Peterson is going to rush for 565 yards and nine touchdowns today in Detroit. But I want you to keep in mind two scores: 12-10 and 20-16. Those are the two scores from Minnesota’s wins over Detroit last year. For some reason, the Lions can usually keep things somewhat close with the Vikings and don’t be surprised if they do it again today. I don’t have the kahones to predict a Lions’ victory, but I bet they at least keep it interesting throughout.

Bengals at Packers, 1:00PM ET
The Packers’ defense looked great last week against Chicago, but now it’s time for Aaron Rodgers and company to puts some points on the board like everyone in Green Bay knows they can. Cincinnati’s defense is actually a little underrated, but the Pack should have more than enough opportunities to put some points on the board as the defense stymies Carson Palmer and the Bengal offense. It would be nice to see Ryan Grant get in the mix early and show the same quickness and burst he did last week against the Bears. A healthy Grant might just be the secret ingredient to Green Bay succeeding offensively this year.

Texans at Titans, 1:00PM ET
Only one running back rushed for over 100 yards on the Titans’ defense last year and that was Steve Slaton. After a disappointing performance in the opener, Slaton and the Texans look to rebound against a team in Tennessee that usually makes its opponents look sloppy on game day. Houston must do a better job of stopping the run or else this team will never be considered a legitimate playoff contender. They’ll get a great test this week going up against Chris Johnson and LenDale White.

Raiders at Chiefs, 1:00PM ET
This may sound crazy, but I’m actually interested to see how Oakland plays in Week 2. The Raiders played inspired football last week against the Chargers and even though they lost, they showed flashes of potential as a team. Richard Seymour made a big impact for their defense and it’ll be interesting to see how Oakland fairs against a team that by all accounts, they should beat. It doesn’t look like Matt Cassel will play again this week for Kansas City, who must get running back Larry Johnson going so that he’ll take the pressure off the passing game.

Bucs at Bills, 4:05PM ET
If it weren’t for a Leodis McKelvin fumble late in Week 1, Buffalo would be 1-0 right now. They’ll face a Tampa team that had issues in pass coverage last week with safety Tanard Jackson out for serving a four game suspension. If Trent Edwards can get Terrell Owens involved in the passing game, the Bills could walk away with a much-needed rebound victory at home.

Seahawks at 49ers, 4:05PM
Which 2008 disappointment will step up today and start the 2009 season 2-0? The 49ers’ win last week in Arizona was impressive, but quarterback Shaun Hill must make more plays in the passing game if Mike Singletary’s team wants to make a playoff push this year. Seattle’s defense looked improved last week against the Rams, although any defense will look good against a St. Louis team that loves to self-destruct. San Fran has the secondary to take away Seattle’s passing game, so can the Hawks get something going on the ground? If not, we could be looking at a 2-0 49ers team by the end of the day.

Ravens at Chargers, 4:15PM ET
This has all the makings of a great, physical battle. Both of these teams love to hit and create problems for opposing quarterbacks, although San Diego could be in trouble without DT Jamal Williams (placed on IR) plugging up the middle. LaDainian Tomlinson won’t play today, so look for the Bolts to try and use Darren Sproles in a variety of ways. The Ravens will get a great opportunity to see how good their offense really is after shredding Kansas City last week at home. San Diego will look to take away the run and make Joe Flacco beat them his arm.

Steelers at Bears, 4:15PM ET
After opening the 2009 season by throwing four interceptions, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler won’t find any relief this week as Pittsburgh comes to town. Not having Troy Polamalu and Lawrence Timmons will be tough to overcome, although Dick Leabeau is still going to do everything in his powers to make life a living hell for Cutler. The Bears need to get running back Matt Forte involved early and often so that Cutler doesn’t feel like he needs to win games on his own. Of course, it might not matter because Chicago’s secondary is in bad shape and Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger might rip them apart if he can get into a rhythm. Pittsburgh doesn’t have to run effectively to win on Sunday, which is a good thing since its running game is non-existent.

Browns at Broncos, 4:15PM ET
This has all the makings of being the most boring game on the Week 2 schedule. We could be looking at a 6-3 halftime and a 13-10 final when its all said and done in Denver this week. Josh McDaniels will once again try and get his offense rolling with Kyle Orton after lucking into a win last week in Cincinnati. Cleveland’s defense actually played better than the final score indicated last week in a loss to Minnesota. The Browns appear to be an improved team, but they must get better play out of the quarterback position or 2009 will turn out being just like 2008 – a lost cause.

Jets’ safety Kerry Rhodes is taking a page from his head coach in calling out the Patriots, saying that he wants to “embarrass” New England this Sunday when the two teams clash in New York on Sunday.

From ESPN.com:

“You go out from the first quarter on, from the first play on, and try to embarrass them,” Rhodes said, according to the New York Daily News. “Not just go out there and try to win, try to embarrass them. Try to make them feel bad when they leave here. We don’t want to just beat them. We want to send a message to them, ‘We’re not backing down from you and we expect to win this game, and it’s not going to be luck, it’s not going to be a mistake.’ ”

Brady, returning from a knee injury that cost him almost the entire 2008 season, was hit only six times by the Buffalo Bills in Week 1′s comeback victory. Rhodes said Brady will be hit far more often by the Jets’ defense, which hit Texans quarterback Matt Schaub eight times in Week 1.

“We will hit him more than six times. I promise you that,” Rhodes said, according to the Daily News.

Rhodes insisted the Jets “won’t play dirty” but that Brady will be vulnerable.

“I’m sure if somebody is around his leg, or he feels pressure below, he’s not going to step into his throw,” Rhodes said, according to the Daily News.

As a writer, I love this kind of smack talk. But I don’t think it’s wise for Rhodes (or anyone else for that matter) to give the Patriots any extra motivation on game day. That said, New England is coming off a short week and its defense didn’t play well without Jerod Mayo on Monday against Buffalo. Mayo won’t play this week, so maybe the Pats are primed for the taking.

The Jets backed up Rex Ryan’s offseason talk last week in Houston, so maybe they’ll do the same for Rhodes this Sunday against New England.