The NFL is entering Week 2 and we have already had some great matchups take place so far. The season is in full gear and this is the time when teams start to figure out their identity and who they are.
The Week 1 jitters are out of the way and football can be played freely. While it’s still early in the season, sometimes, what happens during these early weeks can have big ramifications on the outcome of a season.
We saw the Buffalo Bills take down the Miami Dolphins to kick off Week 2 but what about the rest of the games?
The Newsweek Sports staff made predictions for every game and this is how the games are expected to play out.
Las Vegas Raiders @ Baltimore Ravens
Both teams enter this game with a record of 0-1 as they look to get their season back on track. Playing in Baltimore gives the Ravens the advantage and they almost shocked the world to grab a win at Arrowhead last week. Look for the Ravens to put on a show but Las Vegas does have some playmakers who could make things interesting.
Matt Levine: Ravens
Eva Geitheim: Ravens
Ricardo Sandoval: Ravens
Jeremy Hanna: Ravens
Valentina Martinez: Ravens
Alex Kirschenbaum: Ravens
James Brizuela: Ravens
John Robinson IV: Ravens
Los Angeles Chargers @ Carolina Panthers
The Chargers earned a hard-fought win last week but they have some real issues. They struggled to pass the ball, likely due to their lackluster wide receiver room. Thankfully for them, the Panthers looked terrible and could be the worst team in the NFL. However, Los Angeles must be careful and not take Carolina for granted in this matchup.
Matt: Panthers
Eva: Chargers
Ricardo: Chargers
Jeremy: Chargers
Valentina: Chargers
Alex: Chargers
James: Chargers
John: Chargers
New Orleans Saints @ Dallas Cowboys
Once again, the Cowboys could end up being one of the better teams in the NFL. They have a strong offensive attack and a solid defense to back this. But New Orleans also could be a sneaky team this season. This game will give us a better understanding of the Saints and if they can hang with the supposed elites of the NFC.
Matt: Cowboys
Eva: Cowboys
Ricardo: Cowboys
Jeremy: Cowboys
Valentina: Cowboys
Alex: Cowboys
James: Cowboys
John: Cowboys
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Detroit Lions
For the second straight week, the Lions get a playoff rematch, in the same order as the postseason. The NFL schedule had to have done this on purpose but nonetheless, Detroit gets another chance to prove themselves early on. Tampa Bay looked good last week, with quarterback Baker Mayfield putting on a show. If Tampa Bay can win this game, the outlook of their season could change dramatically.
Matt: Lions
Eva: Lions
Ricardo:
Jeremy: Lions
Valentina: Lions
Alex: Lions
James: Lions
John: Buccaneers
Indianapolis Colts @ Green Bay Packers
In what should have been a game between two young star quarterbacks is now a question mark for the Packers. Malik Willis takes over under center and the Packers offense remains a mystery. Indianapolis will be looking to bounce back from their loss last week and what better way than to take down Green Bay on the road while they are reeling?
Matt: Colts
Eva: Colts
Ricardo: Colts
Jeremy: Colts
Valentina: Colts
Alex: Colts
James: Colts
John: Colts
Cleveland Browns @ Jacksonville Jaguars
The Browns come in looking to put their blowout loss last week behind them. The road doesn’t get any easier as the Jaguars have the tools to be very successful this season. Both teams need a win in a bad way but which unit shows up? The defensive edge goes to the Browns in all likelihood but Jacksonville could surprise people. This game could be huge in determining playoff seeding down the line between two expected contenders.
Matt: Browns
Eva: Jaguars
Ricardo: Browns
Jeremy: Jaguars
Valentina: Jaguars
Alex: Jaguars
James: Jaguars
John: Jaguars
San Francisco 49ers @ Minnesota Vikings
The 49ers come in dealing with some injury issues but they also looked like they didn’t miss a beat last week. Even without star running back Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco looked like the best team in the NFC. For Minnesota, will the Sam Darnold magic continue? Or will it fade out against a tough 49ers defensive unit?
Matt: 49ers
Eva: 49ers
Ricardo: 49ers
Jeremy: 49ers
Valentina: 49ers
Alex: Vikings
James: 49ers
John: 49ers
Seattle Seahawks @ New England Patriots
Both of these teams come in after starting the year with a win, even if both victories were kind of ugly. New England’s offense will need to be better but the defense showed out. Seattle will need to be a little more careful with the ball but if the offense shows up, the Seahawks could leave Foxborough with two straight wins to open the season.
Matt: Seahawks
Eva: Seahawks
Ricardo: Seahawks
Jeremy: Patriots
Valentina: Patriots
Alex: Seahawks
James: Seahawks
John: Patriots
New York Jets @ Tennessee Titans
A battle of 0-1 teams takes place here, with the Jets being the favorite entering the game. Can Titans quarterback Will Levis shake off his poor second half from last week? Will Aaron Rodgers be able to perform well against a strong Tennessee defense? These are just a few questions from one of the more interesting games this weekend.
Matt: Jets
Eva: Jets
Ricardo: Jets
Jeremy: Jets
Valentina: Jets
Alex: Titans
James: Titans
John: Jets
New York Giants @ Washington Commanders
A battle between two NFC East teams takes place, with both teams coming in 0-1. The Giants looked awful last week, with quarterback Daniel Jones continuing to struggle. Washington looked a little shaky, with rookie Jayden Daniels showing some flashes of why he was picked No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Both teams need some hope and a big divisional win would do just that.
Matt: Commanders
Eva: Commanders
Ricardo: Commanders
Jeremy: Commanders
Valentina: Commanders
Alex: Giants
James: Commanders
John: Commanders
Los Angeles Rams @ Arizona Cardinals
Each of these two teams played very well in losses last week, potentially making this game even more meaningful. Los Angeles is dealing with a ton of injuries and this game could prove to be massive, with a matchup against the 49ers looming. Arizona almost took down Buffalo on the road last week and could make a statement with a win over the Rams at home.
Matt: Cardinals
Eva: Rams
Ricardo: Rams
Jeremy: Cardinals
Valentina: Rams
Alex: Rams
James: Rams
John: Cardinals
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos
Pittsburgh won a sloppy game against the Atlanta Falcons last week with Justin Fields under center. Now they head to Denver where the Broncos will want to put their own sloppy performance behind them. Both teams aren’t expected to be true contenders, making this an interesting game in its own right. Pittsburgh has the defense to make things happen but the home-field advantage for Denver can be tough on opponents.
Matt: Steelers
Eva: Steelers
Ricardo: Steelers
Jeremy: Steelers
Valentina: Broncos
Alex: Steelers
James: Steelers
John: Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs
Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images
While both these teams will be motivated to beat one another, Kansas City clearly has the advantage. Not only is the game being played at Arrowhead but the Bengals are likely to be without star wide receiver Tee Higgins. Something seems off in Cincinnati this season but a win against the defending champions could cure it all.
Matt: Chiefs
Eva: Chiefs
Ricardo: Chiefs
Jeremy: Bengals
Valentina: Bengals
Alex: Bengals
James: Chiefs
John: Chiefs
