The NFL Roundup - Week 2

There's a certain joy settling in for football fans, one that provides a sense of comfort and leaves that smile plastered on your face right after Kickoff Weekend. After all, football has returned at last and the next few months belong to our favorite sport and while some believe there's a certain anti climatic feel to the season as Week 2 arrives, that's simply not the case. There are some exciting games coming up and some compelling storylines and here are some of the top stories as we head into the second week of the NFL season and our top picks as well. 

Will the Denver offense finally jell in Kansas City?
After an anemic performance where they weren't able to get into the end zone, the Broncos offense has much to prove against a Kansas City Defense that tore the Houston Texans to pieces. The offensive line has to do a better job protecting Peyton Manning and setting up the run and let's be honest, Manning has to make some of the amazing plays that he is known for. It's a big test for the Broncos and the showdown in Kansas City will give everyone an idea of what kind of season Denver fans are in for. 

How will Indianapolis respond after being embarrassed in Buffalo? 
Let's just be honest, Buffalo not only destroyed the Colts in Week 1, they absolutely and utterly dismantled them, sold the parts for scrap and left the husk of the team in the middle of nowhere to rot. I mean this was ugly. In fact it was worse than the AFC Championship game because the team barely put up a fight, which means they need to do something special this week when the Jets come calling and while one could easily say "oh it's just the Jets" that's what some folks said about Buffalo and look what happened. The Colts need a big win here, plain and simple otherwise they will be staring down an 0-2 start in the AFC and that's a tough road to come back from. 

Can the Buffalo Bills beat the Patriots this week?
Rex Ryan has spoken a lot in the days leading up to this game, specifically on how he expects to beat Tom Brady and the Patriots in Buffalo and quite frankly, there's a strong chance the Bills can do it. If they stick to playing the same hard nosed and oppressive defense they executed against the Colts, there's a fair chance the answer to this question is a resounding yes. Brady hasn't faced a quality defense in a long time and this will be one tough test for him and the offense. Either way, this is the first time in a long time one can take the Bills seriously in a game against the World Champions and this is one to watch. 

Seattle needs a win in Green Bay, plain and simple. 
Let's be honest, despite the excitement and wonder of watching the Seahawks enter a wild and crazy shootout with the Rams, they lost the game. Part of it was due to more bone headed play calling, especially that ridiculous on side kick in overtime, but this is a team that has a lot on its shoulders. They are the defending NFC Champions, they lost the Super Bowl in spectacular fashion and now they dropped one to a division rival in week one. Heading into a showdown with Green Bay they need to show the NFC they are the team to beat. Anything less than a decisive win here is an utter failure and this will be quite the test because Green Bay is damn good.  

Will it be two Quarterbacks playing again for Cleveland this week?
This is quite the important question for Browns fans simply because the season opener ended in a quarterbacking disaster. Josh McCown left the game early with a concussion and that's unfortunate because it looked like he was giving the offense the spark the Browns so desperately need. His exit led to the return of Johnny Manziel and in classic Johnny Football fashion he managed to wow the crowd with a beautiful touchdown bomb...and then manage to disappoint the rest of the way. The good news is McCown passed his concussion protocol as of press time and will start, but will he finish the game?

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OUR PICKS OF THE WEEK

John's Picks
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs - Denver
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings - Detroit
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills - Buffalo
St. Louis Rams at Washington Redskins - St. Louis
Baltimore Ravens at Oakland Raiders - Baltimore
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Scotty's Picks
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs - Kansas City
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles - Dallas
Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars - Miami
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints - New Orleans
Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears - Arizona

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