Last Week
Joe: 12-4
Aaron: 8-8
Current Standings
Joe: 12-4Aaron: 8-8
Aaron:Last week, the Packers surprisingly lost at home to a team with an efficientquarterback, strong running game and ferocious defense. It occurs to me that local beat writers maywant to save their copy of last Sunday's game and swap out the 49ers names withtheir positional equivalents on the Bears. Pick: Chicago
Joe: I think I'm gonna chalk up lastweek's Packers sluggishness to Week 1 ... well, sluggishness. The Packers needto solve their running game inefficiencies, like, immediately. It's a testamentto how far everybody bought into the "NFL Is a Passing League,Dammit" philosophy that the Pack were named Super Bowl locks with acompletely empty backfield. Meanwhile, I'm not going to make a huge deal of mebeing right about the Jay Cutler-Brandon Marshall thing. This week, they cangive it a try against a good defense. Pick: Green Bay
Kansas City at Buffalo
Aaron: Joe's heartbreaking real-timetweets from the first quarter of his beloved Bills' season-opener ended with"Aaaaand, there goes Fred Jackson's knee...". NotJoe-mentioned: WR David Nelson's torn ACL or the Bills' AWOL defense againstthe Jets. There's still plenty of season left for the Bills to rebuild Joe'shopes before spectacularly dashing them, but they'd better start winning ifwe're going to enjoy it. Pick: Kansas City
Joe: I mean, no, it was not funwatching that game last week. But it wasn't like I didn't see it coming. It'stough to figure out what the takeaway is, though: Fitz looked absolutelybrutal, but you could talk me into thinking he improved in the second half. Thedefense was SHOCKINGLY porous and exhibited that classic Bills trait of notbeing able to make a stop on 3rd down; but gosh, did CJ Spiller look good. I'dbe all over KC on the road, but at home ... I think I'm gonna cross my fingersfor a bounce-back game. Just don't make Matt Cassel look like Joe Montana,guys. Pick: Buffalo
Oakland at Miami
Aaron: Well. I suppose there's somehonor in establishing a sports precedent when your team's emergencylong-snapper has become a national laughingstock. That obvious narrative obscures the realstory from Oakland's season-opening loss, which is: "Try throwingthe goddam ball DOWNFIELD, you stupid Raiders!" Pick:Miami
Joe: As someone who had Houston in hisknockout pool last week, Miami hung around uncomfortably long in the first halflast week. I could see them being an exceedingly tough out this season,especially at home. But I think the Raiders bounce back here. After all,they've got the all-important "Aaron Cameron Doesn't Believe In Us"intangible. Pick: Oakland
Baltimore at Philadelphia
Aaron: Oh, those first weeknarratives. If I pick the Ravens, I'd be buying into their impressive winagainst Cincinnati last week AND the Eagles somnambulant effort againstCleveland. If I pick the Eagles, I'mignoring all of the above. Let's go withthe one that's less effort for me. Pick:Philadelphia
Joe: Yeah, safe to say I wasn'texpecting either of those narratives to emerge so dominantly. Week 2 isnotoriously frustrating for this kind of thing -- was Week 1 an aberration or atrend? And since I am not in any way equipped to tell, I'm just gonna pick theopposite of Cam. Pick: Baltimore
Tampa Bay at NY Giants
Aaron: Wondering if two Super Bowlwins worth of collateral bought the Giants some slacklocally after an Opening Night loss to the hated Cowboys. Me thinks the Bucs will make it allbetter. Pick: NYGiants
Joe: The Giants running game lookedseriously problematic last week, and the countdown is onbefore Victor Cruz's butterfingers become An Issue, but yeah, at home againstthe Bucs, they should be able to pull it out. Pick: NYGiants
Arizona at New England
Aaron: Unless Cardinals' WR LarryFitzgerald and his gargantuan wingspan is assigned to cover either of thePatriots' tyrannosaurus tight ends, it would seem Arizona's defense isill-equipped for this encounter. Thiswill give us all more time to cover the juxtaposition of Tom Brady's brokennose and beautiful face FROM EVERY ANGLE. Pick: New England
Joe: Did I have a high fever onSunday, or do I recall Kevin Kolb coming into the game late and "winning"it for the Cardinals? There is nothing that behaves more out of character thana QB coming off the bench. Pick: New England
Houston at Jacksonville
Aaron: I'd have to think NFLCommissioner Roger Goodell would at least listen when and ifJacksonville, Tennessee and Indianapolis decide to secede from the AFCSouth. Pick: Houston
Joe: I still can't trust the idea of a"dominant" Texans team, but if they keep playing these crappy teamsfrom Florida ... okay. Pick: Houston
New Orleans at Carolina
Aaron: The Saints' defense didn't showup last week and it wasn't an aberration. They'll have to win a good share of shootouts if they have any hope ofplaying in January. And, how can the ArenaFootball business model possibly fail? Pick: New Orleans
Joe: I'd have been all over the upsetpick here if Carolina has shown even a little bit of life against Tampa lastweek. Pick: New Orleans
Cleveland at Cincinnati
Aaron: I'm looking forward toover-thinking Browns games in November as I attempt to predict the inevitableupset that will be their first win of the season. Pick: Cincinnati
Joe: "The world's largest cubiczirconia." "What an eyesore!" That one's for you, Battle ofOhio. Pick: Cincinnati
Minnesota at Indianapolis
Aaron: Unless the Colts drafted"an entire defense" with their next pick after Andrew Luck this pastApril... Also, the impressive return ofVikings RB Adrian Peterson from reconstructive knee surgery just eight monthsago is either a flashpoint in the evolution of 21st century sports medicine oraccidentally symbolic of the league's reckless, win-at-all-costs culture thattrades on a player's health for a few more wins. Pick: Minnesota
Joe: I hope somebody is telling AndrewLuck to enjoy this season full of padding his stats and not bearing anyresponsibility for his team's losses. It's rare and spectacular in this"blame the QB" world of sports media. Pick:Minnesota
Washington at St. Louis
Aaron: Redskins QB Robert Griffin IIIisn't the most polished rookie passer, but his athleticism was breathtaking attimes in week one. I suppose no roadgame is a gimmie for a kid QB, but...the Rams, you guys. Pick: Washington
Joe: The Rams looked feistier lastweek and more like the team I thought could go 8-8 (and challenge for what Ithought would be another 9-7 NFC West championship, before I realized theNiners could go 13-3) last year. God help me, though, the Redskins/Griffin lookfor real. Pick: Washington
Dallas at Seattle
Aaron: Is it too early for a"let-down game"? Probably, butI think the Seahawks give the Cowboys for the first half or so. Unfortunately, Seattle's offensive lineissues combined with RB Marshawn Lynch's wonky back combined with the Cowboysstout run defense...you know where I'm going with this. Pick: Dallas
Joe: Why was everybody so down on theCowboys anyway, is my question? I know it's fun to hate on Jerry's Boys, but Ithink it fools us into thinking that "not great" equals"terrible." They're still not great, but Seattle looked ROUGH againsta bad team last week. Pick: Dallas
NY Jets at Pittsburgh
Aaron: New York City's collectivecrush on Jets QB Mark Sanchez ends here. Well, for the week, anyway. Pick: Pittsburgh
Joe: Yeah, I can't imagine theSteelers' defense is as generous as the Bills' was. BUT! I was kind of struckby how much better/more confident Mark Sanchez looks when he's throwing to widereceivers who don't hate him. It's that QB/WR chemistry thing again. Sorry,Santonio Holmes, but Whatshisname and That Guy have supplanted your complainingass. Pick: NY Jets
Tennessee at San Diego
Aaron: Look, Chargers fans...ifyou wanna take pride in a win over a rebuilding Raidersteam, have at it. But, one touchdown and three field-position-gifted fieldgoals aren't going to be enough to knock off any of the AFC's legitimateplayoff contenders...right, AFC?! Not sofast, Tennessee. No one was talking toyou. Pick: San Diego
Joe: One blowout loss to the Patriotsisn't going to rob me of picking the Titans to be a sleeper this year. ChrisJohnson starting the season with another deeply troubling ground outing ...that might. Pick: San Diego
Detroit at San Francisco
Aaron: Looks like the 49ersmight've been one of two teams that I grossly underratedcoming into this season. I'm still notsure how QB Alex Smith was both accurate and efficient last week in Green Bay,but here they're home and the Lions ain't the Packers. Pick: San Francisco
Joe: JESUS HOPPING CHRIST, MATTHEWSTAFFORD, GET IT TOGETHER. SIGNED, JOE'S TENUOUS FANTASY FOOTBALL PROSPECTS.Pick: San Francisco Denver atAtlanta
Aaron: And, here's theother team that might be better than I thought! Broncos QB Peyton Manning was nothing shortof surgical with his short-to-moderate passing approach last week. The Falcons have a few more weapons onoffense than the Steelers -- the Broncos' week one opponent -- but, Manninglooked great against a much better defense than what's in Atlanta. Pick: Denver
Joe: But that Julio Jones, though ... what a guy. Pick:Atlanta
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