NFL Week 2 open thread

Okay, I admit that last week the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t get off to such a great start.  They lost to a sharp-looking Peyton Manning in Denver, but were competitive until almost the end, when Tracy Porter jumped a route and got a pick-six to put the game away.  Today, the Steelers play at home against the New York Jets, which makes this the Super Bowl for Jazz Shaw and me.  Normally I don’t pick Jets games because Jazz whines about it when I do out of courtesy to Jazz, but I’m going to pick the Steelers to win at home in a tough game, 27-21.

Last week I went 4-2 in my picks, a pretty decent start to the season.  Can I do better this week?  Let’s see:

• Vikings at Colts — Like I predicted last week, the Vikings had to hold on to win their home opener, taking it to OT before putting it away.  Andrew Luck got off to a sloppy start, throwing three picks on the road against the Bears but still getting over 300 yards in his regular-season debut.  Luck gets to play at home in one of the toughest away venues, and the Vikings defense isn’t as good as Chicago’s.  I’ll pick the Colts to ring up their first win, 31-24.
• Redskins at Rams — RG3 got the better start to the season in last week’s surprising domination of the New Orleans Saints, going 19-26 for 320 yards and two TDs.  The Rams are … the Rams.  The Redskins should win their first second road game, 28-20 over St. Louis.
• Lions at 49ers — Both of these teams have greatly improved over the last few seasons, and this may end up being the game of the week.  After San Francisco beat Green Bay at Lambeau, though, I won’t pick against them at home.  49ers top the Lions, 35-24.
• Broncos at Falcons — I still think that Peyton Manning should have retired.  He has a Super Bowl ring and nothing left to prove, and potentially a lot to lose with his neck still a work in progress by his own admission.  Still, he looked like the Peyton Manning of old last week against the Steelers, and I don’t think Atlanta will intimidate him.  The Falcons are favored, but look for a mild Broncos upset in Atlanta, 33-27.
• Cowboys at Seahawks — Tony Romo looked sharp 11 days ago on the road against division rivals New York Giants.  He and his O-line got extra rest for their second road game in a row on the opposite coast.  Seattle narrowly lost in Arizona last week, with a weak offense that only produced 254 yards total offense.  Romo passed for over 300 yards alone against the tough Giants defense.  If he can keep up that kind of production, Romo should easily outpace the Seahawks, winning 28-17.

Meanwhile, the NFL has a new message for its fans in the stands.  Get excessively rowdy, and you may have to go to school to learn comportment and sportsmanship before you’re allowed back into a game.  I may have to send Jazz there if he gets too upset over a loss to the Steelers this week.

Update: I made a mistake on last week’s Redskins victory; I thought they were playing at home, but they were on the road in New Orleans.  Impressive.

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