Duh. They faced Drew Brees and the Saints. It seemed really strange to me to assume that Week 2 will be a carbon copy of Week 1. In fact, teams that struggled in one facet of their game in Week 1 are much more likely to over-compensate against it than anything else. Count on the Bengals being very ready to defend any tipped passes in the final minute this week, you know?
Here's what I'm thinking a couple hours before kickoff for Week 2:
1) I'd love to believe Mark Sanchez is the next Joe Namath. I like him a lot. However, I expect him to struggle more against the Patriots this week. The Jets, however, will keep this one close with supurb defense and will have a chance to beat Tom Brady with a final drive. In fact, I'll say they will win on a last-second field goal. Jets over the Pats.
2) This is the week that the 49ers assert themselves as clear NFC West favorites with an easy win over the Seahawks. Starting the year out 2-0 with solid wins over Arizona and Seattle bodes well in a weak division. Frank Gore will have a big day and the defense will do the rest.
3) I'm afraid that my Broncos will fall in their home opener against Cleveland, which would be a bad, bad portent of things to come. The final-minute win on a fluke play masked a horrible offensive performance, and that will continue against the Browns. On the other hand, Cleveland's run defense is better than the stats would suggest. They wore down against Adrian Peterson and the Vikings, and that won't happen against Denver.
4) Tough draw for the Texans, having to go into Tennessee against a Titans team that's coming off a brutal loss to Pittsburgh. The Titans will be ready, and I wish I could say the Texans will be a tough match. I don't think they will be this time. Probably an 0-2 start for a pretty good team.
5) In the "things that make no sense" category, watch for the Cardinals to win on the East Coast at Jacksonville. Last year they went 0-5 in games across the country, even as they swept through the NFC West en route to the Super Bowl. This year, they opened with a home loss to the 49ers, and I have a feeling they'll find some of their missing offense today. Larry Fitzgerald will have a more typical big day today, and the Cardinals will score some points. Maybe it's the beginning of the Beanie Wells show?
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