Picking NFL Week 2

How I did last weekend: 8-8

Rustier than Brett Favre's throwing arm.

Record on the season so far: 8-8

Don't be taking any of these picks to the bookies just yet.

Steelers at Titans: I don't have anything against Chris Johnson – he's undoubtedly one of the league's most exciting players – but I think he's dreaming if he really thinks he can have a 2,500 yard season. Even if he avoids injury and plays in every game, he's going to have to average 156.25 rushing yards per game. That means his vintage performance last week against the Raiders (142 rushing yards at an average of 5.3 yards per carry and 2 TDs) isn't good enough. The Steelers linebackers will help him rein in his targets a little. Steelers.

Ravens at Bengals: Watching Baltimore's opener, it appeared that Joe Flacco may finally have enough receiving weapons to regularly convert in obvious passing situations, something he hasn't had over the course his professional career so far. That's bad news for the division rivals Bengals who beat the Ravens twice last season. Meanwhile Cincinnati is in a slump: they haven't won against a good team since they overcame the Steelers in week 10 of last season. They need a W in a game like this one. Ravens.

Eagles at Lions: The battle of the backup QBs? If Kevin Kolb isn't cleared to play from his concussion, that's what this game will be. Even with 19 months of prison time under his belt, I'd still take Michael Vick over Shaun Hill any day (what an un-PC thing to say...apologies). After a poor preseason, Vick flashed the dual-threat ability that made him an NFL superstar while leading an Eagles fightback against the Packers last week. Should he produce another good individual performance, the Eagles faithful will be calling for the Kolb experiment to end though it has barely begun. Eagles.

Cardinals at Falcons: Derek Anderson shredded the Rams secondary for almost 300 yards last weekend, but he completed only 22 of 41 passes. I'm not buying Anderson stock just yet. I think Mr. Consistently Inconsistent throws at least one pick against Atlanta. Falcons.

Dolphins at Vikings: Miami always seems to be involved in close games: they don't earn many style points in victory (as evidenced by their uninspiring 15-10 victory over Buffalo last week) but they rarely get blown out either. Minnesota's current offensive frailties will keep this game close also, but Adrian Peterson is due a monster day and he'll deliver against the Dolphins. Vikings.

Chiefs at Browns: The Chiefs had a big win against San Diego last Monday. But I remember a similar win at home against the Steelers in week 11 of 2009. I jumped on the Kansas City bandwagon after that one, only to see them lose five straight games. What's that famous George W. Bush quote? “Fool me once...Shame on...Shame on you....You fool me, you can't get fooled again.” Point is Matt Cassel 's disappointing day (10 of 22 passes for 68 yards) was well disguised by some big special teams and defensive plays. I think the Browns will expose his lack of progress as the signal caller in Kansas City. Browns.

Buccaneers at Panthers: Big test for rookie defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. The two new starters will be charged with stopping two fuming running backs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, who each rushed for 1100+ yards last year but were held to 74 yards on 21 carries between them in week 1. Panthers.

Bills at Packers: If you have any doubt as to who is going to win this game, then you haven't been watching Aaron Rodgers run the Green Bay offense over the last twelve months. Packers.

Bears at Cowboys: Neither Chicago nor Dallas set the world alight in week 1. The Bears needed a controversial no-catch call to overcome the Lions, while the Cowboys played mistake-full football on route to being upset by the Redskins. Julius Peppers will be licking his chops at the prospect of facing the Cowboys porous/ hold-happy offensive line, and if the Bears can limit the damage done by Dallas receiver Miles Austin (easier said than done: he had 10 catches, 146 yards and a TD last week), they could win in Jerry's house. Cowboys.

Seahawks at Broncos: New Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll looked like his boisterous, energetic, USC self last Sunday and his players were loving every minute of it. How Carroll manages his team in moments of adversity, however, will be the true test of whether he succeeds in his return to the world of professional coaching. Playing on the road against a team that desperately doesn't want to lose its sixth straight regular season game (dating back to last December) could provide a first taste of adversity. Broncos.

Rams at Raiders: Way to ease your new franchise quarterback into the fray, Steve Spagnuolo. 55 pass attempts in Sam Bradford's first regular season start? You gotta be kidding me! Only Peyton Manning threw more passes in week 1. The bad news from Bradford's debut: the three picks he threw. The good news: he completed 58% of those passes and looked cool and collected out there. The best news: if he stays healthy, he's only going to get better. Raiders.

Jaguars at Chargers: David Garrard looked sharp in Jacksonville's opener, but I just can't see the Chargers slipping up at home when a 0-2 record is on the line. Chargers.

Patriots at Jets: New York's All-World cornerback Darelle Revis has been grabbing headlines (again), this time with a sore left hamstring that held him out of some practices during the week. But the Jets cornerback who should really be under pressure against the Patriots is Antonio Cromartie on the other side of the field. The Ravens picked on Cromartie last week, throwing pass after pass in his direction. He did intercept one, but he also gave up a lot of yardage. Now he faces the slippery Wes Welker, Brady's favorite third down target, who looked to be back to his best against Cincinnati. New York's offense struggles to keep pace with New England's. Patriots.

Texans at Redskins: You don't go and blow all the momentum gained from finally getting the better your longtime nemesis (as Houston did against Indianapolis last weekend) by losing the following week to a “work in progress” team like the Redskins. The game's two key match-ups: Texans running back Arian Foster against the Redskins defensive front seven and Houston Pro Bowl defensive end Mario Williams versus Washington rookie left tackle Trent Williams. The Texans win both. Texans.

Giants at Colts: Manning Bowl 2: Peyton vs Eli. Peyton got the better of the brothers' first professional encounter, leading the Colts to a 26-21 victory back in 2006. This time around, Peyton needs to win again to prevent the Colts from slipping to an 0-2 start for the first time since his rookie season in 1998. The Giants will try and test the Colts run defense, which is clearly one of their biggest weaknesses, as showcased by the Texans game. However New York's running game isn't as strong as Houston's. I expect both quarterbacks to get 30 to 40 passing attempts and you always like Peyton in a shootout situation; especially against his snot-nosed little bro. Colts.

Saints at 49ers: San Francisco suffered a major implosion last week in Seattle, casting serious doubt over their ability to be the cream of the NFC West crop. This Monday night game is a great chance for them to have a statement win by beating the Superbowl champs in front of their home fans and a national TV audience. Mike Singletary will have his team fired up that's for sure; if their defensive leader Patrick Willis doesn't lay someone out with a big hit by the end of the first quarter, I'd be very surprised. This game will be close, but until I actually see more out of the San Francisco offense in a non-preseason situation, I just can't pick them over New Orleans. Saints.