Our picks blew so bad in Week 1 that the storm surge threatens to breach the seawall in Galveston.

 

Of course, the start of a new NFL season is predictably unpredictable, and that reality was reflected in our results. We went 8-8 straight up and 7-9 against the spread.

 

Yeah, we know that you loved the Panthers and Bears to win outright over the Chargers and Colts, respectively. And everyone is aware that the NFC always dominates the AFC.

 

The crystal ball should become clearer once we have enough data for our Quality Stats. In the meantime, here’s how we see Week 2:

The Chiefs probably aren’t as good as they looked in taking the Brady-less Patriots to the wire. The Raiders can’t possibly be as bad as they looked in being trounced by the Broncos. Considering Kansas City’s deficiencies, which include being the league’s worst in our Big Play Index last season, Oakland should be able to keep it competitive.

 

As Vince Young deals with damage to his knee, psyche and reputation, Kerry Collins gets the start at quarterback. He won’t be asked to make a lot of plays, relying instead on a defense that allowed just 189 net yards to Jacksonville. Sadly, that total would be an improvement over the 154 yards that Cincinnati managed last week versus the Ravens.

 

Both teams have postseason expectations, but the loser will fall to 0-2 and be looking at an uphill battle for hosting a playoff game at its home dome. The Colts surrendered 183 rushing yards to the Bears and now have to try and corral Adrian Peterson. The Vikings, meanwhile, must contend with the prolific passing of Peyton Manning…but he could be without security blanket Dallas Clark.

 

Jim Zorn couldn’t have seemed less prepared for his first game as a head coach, struggling with simple concepts like “clock management,” “play selection” and “math.” Yet his Redskins are favored over a Saints team that just outlasted the Bucs for a hard-earned win? Even without WR Marques Colston, who will miss several games after thumb surgery, New Orleans should have too much firepower here.

 

Let’s see…The Lions just allowed Atlanta’s Michael Turner to run for 220 yards and two scores. Now, they face Ryan Grant, who averaged better than 7.5 yards per carry against them in two games last year. Grant’s career best was 201 yards in a playoff win over Seattle in January, but he could conceivably eclipse that total against the accommodating Detroit D.

 

In Week 1, each of these teams was an underdog of more than a touchdown, playing on the road against an AFC juggernaut. Both won their games outright, serving notice that the balance of power may be switching to the NFC. With a smothering defense and sparkling special teams, the Bears play the role of road warriors for a second straight game.

 

The Giants scored a touchdown on their first possession, added three first-half field goals and sleepwalked through the second half in beating the Redskins 16-7. The Rams were held scoreless for three quarters and then averted a shutout by kicking a useless field goal with nine minutes remaining in losing to the Eagles 38-3. Clearly, momentum is with St. Louis.

 

What appeared to be Jacksonville’s greatest strength – an offensive line that shared the top spot in our Offensive Hog Index last season – proved to me a tremendous liability against Tennessee. The Jaguars allowed seven sacks and generated a measly 33 rushing yards. They will get all they can handle from an improving Bills team that believes the AFC is now wide open.

 

The Matt Ryan Project got off to a good start, as the rookie threw a touchdown on his first pass and delivered a victory in front of the home crowd. The Buccaneers are hoping for similar success from Brian Griese: The Sequel. Taking over for the injured/ineffective Jeff Garcia, Griese could rekindle the magic that saw him lead Tampa Bay to four straight wins to open the 2005 season.

In the NFL, it’s not often that a team will get obliterated by 24 points one week and then be a touchdown favorite the next. But that’s the case for the Seahawks, who were no-shows in Buffalo, but now play host to the 49ers. Seattle won by 20 or more in both of last year’s meetings, and should have little trouble on Sunday – even with a depleted receiving corps.

 

The Dolphins showed a lot of fight in their 20-14 loss to the Jets, possessing the ball in the red zone with 30 seconds remaining and a chance to take the lead. Still, fresh off a 1-15 season, they have a ways to go before the victories are actual instead of moral. Riding an opportunistic defense and a prolific offense, the Cardinals start 2-0 for the first time since 1991.

 

Brett Favre makes his first home start for the Jets, while Matt Cassel makes his first start…wait for it…since high school. Tom Brady’s understudy becomes the trigger man of an aerial attack that led the league in Yards Per Passing Attempt last season. But Cassel is expected to be more of a caretaker early on, and New England’s defense should be the difference.

 

This game has been moved to Monday night because of Hurricane Ike, so it will probably have a smaller viewing audience than when this was a clash between the Colts and Oilers. The Ravens turned in an impressive defensive performance to make Joe Flacco a winner in his debut. The Texans, meanwhile, couldn’t mount enough offense to hang with the Steelers…which makes taking the points attractive.

 

At the end of a 23-3 Chargers victory late last season, Philip Rivers was trash-talking his opposite number, Broncos QB Jay Cutler. That fact won’t be overlooked by a raucous Mile High crowd bent on seeing their rivals fall to 0-2. With rookie WR Eddie Royal coming off a 146-yard debut and fellow wideout Brandon Marshall returning from a one-game suspension, Cutler and his teammates can exact some revenge.

 

After posting a surprising 10-6 record last season, the Browns will be a primetime fixture this fall. In the first of five games under the lights, they welcome a Steelers squad that has owned them recently and that just rode roughshod over the Texans in Week 1. Cleveland should be more productive offensively, but it won’t be enough to compensate for a suspect defense.

 

These NFC East foes were both dominant in their openers, flashing a combination of potent offense and stingy defense. Dating back to last season, the Eagles haven’t allowed a touchdown in 11 straight quarters – but that streak should come to a quick halt against the explosive Cowboys. Since the loser of this game will likely drop to third place in a tough division, look for it to remain tight throughout.