Week 2

     Week 1 is in the books and, unlike last year, there were not many outstanding performances by a breakout player (such as Arian Foster in '10). The main headline we drew from Week 1 was Cam Newton, who had one of the best rookie debuts in NFL history (422 yards, 2 passing TD's, 1 rushing TD). I am not sure if this is the start of something huge, but there is definitely potential in Cam Newton. Another shocker from Week 1; Bears DESTROYING the Falcons. The Bears defense looked spectacular, and if it can stay consistent, they might make a run deep into the playoffs. Week 2 has many great match ups, which should lead to another great week of football.

Game to Watch: Patriots vs Chargers. Brady vs. Rivers. Great offense vs great offense. Every football fan is looking forward to the clash of the QB’s, when Philip Rivers and the Chargers take on Tom Brady and the Patriots this weekend. The last time these two teams faced off, the Patriots walked into San Diego and beat the Chargers 23-20. Now, Brady is coming off of a 500 yard performance against the Miami Dolphins, and it looks like he’s in mid-season form. This year, however, the Bolts look better than ever, with a Pro-Bowl QB, two great receivers returning from injuries, and a decent running game.

         The Patriots are coming off a horrendous defensive performance; they gave up 400 yards to QB Chad Henne. Yes, you heard that right. Chad Henne. I can’t possibly imagine what will happen when they play Philip Rivers (4,700 yards in 2010). The Chargers may have had one of the worst defenses in 2010, but last weekend, they allowed the fewest total yards out of any team in the NFL. I know they have only played one game, but this could be the start of something huge. In the end, it will come down to which defense can shut the opposing team’s QB. In their last 7 meetings, the Patriots are 5-2 against the Chargers, and the Pats will look to extend their 26 game home-regular season win streak. As the Chargers walk into Foxborough with a 1-0 record, I think they have the advantage over New England. However, these two teams will likely face each other once more in this year’s playoffs.

Prediction: Chargers over Patriots 31-24

Player to Watch: RB CJ Spiller. This will be Spiller's second year in the pros, and he already has a touchdown this season. Spiller is extremely fast, explosive and elusive. Luckily, he will be playing the Raiders, a team who let up the 4th most yards to running backs. He had an amazing college career at Clemson (Spiller college highlights), and I hope he can have a standout performance this week.
CJ Spiller: 90 total yards, 2 TD's


Stand-Out Performance: Philip Rivers. After missing Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates for most of 2010 (played together only once last season), Philip Rivers will face off against the Patriots in Foxborough. Rivers had a mediocre game against the Vikings, yet Minnesota appear to have a decent defense this year. The patriots on the other hand  are coming off a horrendous defensive performance against the Dolphins, allowing 390 passing yards in their first game. Rivers is 4x better than Chad Henne, and he should have an amazing game against the Patriots.
Philip Rivers: 470 yards, 3 TD's


Week 2 Game Predictions:


Bills over Raiders


Packers over Panthers


Lions over Chiefs


Browns over Colts


Buccaneers over Vikings


Saints over Bears


Jets over Jaguars


Steelers over Seahawks


Ravens over Titans


Cardinals over Redskins


Cowboys over 49ers


Broncos over Bengals


Texans over Dolphins


Chargers over Patriots


Eagles over Falcons


Giants over Rams