2009 Week Two NFL Football Game Previews
Click Here For This Week's Current NFL Football Matchup Previews
Sunday, September 20th, 2009
Carolina Panthers (0-1) @ Atlanta Falcons (1-0)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Atlanta - 6
Over/Under: 43
Preview: The NFC South will see an early battle between the top two teams in 2008. The Carolina Panthers won the division, while the Atlanta Falcons finished up in second place last season. Carolina got off to a horrid start in Week Two, getting absolutely blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles, while the Falcons put a pounding on the Miami Dolphins in Week Two. Carolina will look for a better performance from quarterback Jake Delhomme, who threw four interceptions in the opener. DeAngelo Williams was held under 50 yards in the loss, but did score the first touchdown of the season for the Panthers. The Falcons return second year quarterback Matt Ryan, along with break-out players from a year ago Roddy White and Michael Turner. Ryan threw two touchdown passes in the opener, on 36 passes and 229 yards. Turner rushed for just 65 yards, but his presence along has defenses wondering what will happen next. Tony Gonzalez, who came over from Kansas City, and been a perennially pro bowler out of the AFC caught a touchdown for the Falcons.
Minnesota Vikings (1-0) @ Detroit Lions (0-1)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Minnesota - 10
Over/Under: 46.5
Preview: In a NFC North tilt, the Minnesota Vikings will travel to Detroit to take on the Lions. The Vikings were winners in the season opener over the Cleveland Browns, while Detroit took a Week Two defeat from the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings did not get overwhelming numbers from Brett Favre, but he did his job in a 34-20 win. Favre completed his first Vikings start by completing 14 of 21 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. Stud running back Adrian Peterson galloped for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns for Minnesota. Percy Harvin, the rookie wide receiver from Florida caught his first professional touchdown as well, in the win. The Lions competed early, but ran into an offensive buzz saw - New Orleans Saints. The Saints saw their quarterback Drew Brees set a personal and team record by tossing six touchdown passes. The Lions rookie quarterback from Georgia - Matthew Stafford struggled in his first professional start. Stafford threw three interceptions and did not throw a touchdown in the loss.
Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) @ Green Bay Packers (1-0)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Green Bay - 9
Over/Under: 42
Preview: The Cincinnati Bengals walked off the field Sunday with their heads hanging. Had the last 30 seconds of the game not taken place the Bengals would be celebrating an excellent start to the season. The Broncos got a miraculous touchdown to edge the Bengals 12-7. Carson Palmer threw for 247 yards, but was not able to lead his offense into the end zone. The lone Cincinnati touchdown came on a run play to Cedric Benson. Cincinnati’s week two opponent - the Green Bay Packers picked up a huge Sunday night win over their long time rival - Chicago Bears. Green Bay saw Aaron Rodgers conduct a late drive for a touchdown to win the game. The Packers defense was able to force Jay Cutler and the Bears to turn the ball over four times in the win. Green Bay is tied with Minnesota at the top of the NFC North.
Arizona Cardinals (0-1) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Jacksonville - 3
Over/Under: 42.5
Preview: The defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals took a loss at home at the hands of divisional foe San Francisco on Sunday. The Arizona offense led by Kurt Warner, and with receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin were shut-down for the most part. The Cardinals main offensive threat was Tim Hightower, who went over 100 yards receiving. The loss was rare for Arizona, due to it being at home, as the Cardinals have been one of the best home teams the past several seasons. The Jaguars played a 14-12 game with the Indianapolis Colts, but came up on the wrong side. That is something Jacksonville has been familiar with in recent tangles with the Colts. Jacksonville, saw David Garrard complete 14 of 28 passes for 122 yards, but no touchdowns. Maurice Jones Drew was the star offensively for Jacksonville rushing for 97 yards and a touchdown. The Jaguars will be without defensive end Reggie Hayward after breaking his left shin.
Oakland Raiders (0-1) @ Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Oakland - 3
Over/Under: 38
Preview: This game will feature two winless teams at the bottom of the AFC West. The Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs both competed with teams expecting to make the postseason, but both came up on the wrong end. Oakland led into the fourth quarter on Monday night, only to fall to the San Diego Chargers 24-20. The Chiefs played a back and forth game with the Baltimore Ravens, but dropped a 38-24 decision. Oakland will look for more offensively from quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Russell only completed 12 of 30 passes, and just a lone touchdown pass. Darren McFadden rushed 17 times for 68 for the Raiders. Zack Miller was the star offensively for Oakland, catching 6 passes for 96 yards. The Chiefs were without new quarterback Matt Cassell, but Cassell looks to be on his way back for week two. Brodie Croyle played behind center for the Chiefs, faring decent, completing 16 of 24 passes for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns.
New England Patriots (1-0) @ New York Jets (1-0)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: New England - 3.5
Over/Under: 45.5
Preview: The AFC East will see an early season tilt for first place. The New England Patriots, counting their lucky stars on Tuesday as they came up with a come from behind win over Buffalo will travel to the Meadowlands to take on the New York Jets. The Jets were an impressive winner over the Houston Texans in Week Two. New England trailed by two scores late in the game, but saw Tom Brady orchestrate two touchdown drives to win the game 25-24. Brady, who missed all but one game last season, completed 39 of 53 passes for 378 yards and 2 touchdowns. Brady also threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown by Buffalo. The New York Jets under new head coach Rex Ryan put up an impressive 24-7 win over Houston. The Jets defense did not allow Houston to score an offensive touchdown. Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez was solid in his first NFL start, throwing 31 times for 272 yards and a touchdown. Thomas Jones got the season started on the right foot, as he rushed 20 times for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dustin Kellar also had a solid day for the Jets, garnering 94 receiving yards.
New Orleans Saints (1-0) @ Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Pick’em
Over/Under: 47
Preview: Two teams that picked up impressive Week Two wins will get together for a week two tilt. The New Orleans Saints put up 45 points in Week Two over Detroit, while the Philadelphia Eagles made quick and easy work of the Carolina Panthers. The Saints saw their quarterback Drew Brees go off for six passing touchdowns, as the vaunted Saints offense started the season out strong. The Eagles lost their quarterback Donovan McNabb to a rib injury, but over the week picked up veteran back-up Jeff Garcia. Recently Michael Vick has been added to the Eagles roster, but he will not be eligible for this game as part of his suspension. The Saints running back Pierre Thomas missed action in Week Two, he remains questionable for this game. Jeremy Shockey, who always seems to find an injury is listed as probable with an injury. Despite not having Pierre Thomas, back-up Michael Bell carried the load, rushing for 143 yards on 28 carries.
Houston Texans (0-1) @ Tennessee Titans (1-0)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Tennessee - 6.5
Over/Under: 40.5
Preview: The Houston Texans will be ready for Sunday’s game all week. Their Week Two performance left a poor taste in their mouth, and also of their fans. The Texans did not score an offensive touchdown against the New York Jets losing 24-7. Their week two opponent will surely not allow it to come easy for them, as the Tennessee Titans are also coming off a Week Two loss. The Titans fell in the first game of the NFL season 13-10 to Pittsburgh. The Titans took the defending champions to overtime, but Jeff Reed’s field goal defeated them. Kerry Collins did an admirable job as quarterback for Tennessee completing 22 of 35 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown. For Houston, Matt Schaub threw for 166 yards, but was unable to lead the Texans into the end zone. Steve Slaton was limited to just 17 yards on 9 carries in the loss for Houston.
St. Louis Rams (0-1) @ Washington Redskins (0-1)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Washington - 9.5
Over/Under: 36.5
Preview: The St. Louis Rams will not only look for their first win when they start Sunday’s affair in Washington, they will also be seeking their first points of the season. The Rams were held scoreless in a 28-0 blanking by Seattle in Week Two. The only Rams excitement came on a blocked field goal, returned to the end zone, only to be brought back due to St. Louis having too many men on the field. The Rams saw their stud running back Stephen Jackson held to just 67 yards in the loss. The Rams are tied with Arizona at the bottom of the NFC West. For Washington, the Redskins will also be seeking their first win of the season. Jim Zorn’s squad came away a 23-17 loss at the hands of the New York Giants on Sunday. The Redskins also saw a dismal game from their star running back. Clinton Portis picked up just 62 yards on 16 carries against the Giants. Washington will be starting a string of three winnable games in a row with Detroit and Tampa Bay following this tilt with the Rams. The Redskins are the only team within the NFC East that did not win in Week Two.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) @ Buffalo Bills (0-1)
Time: 4:05pm ET
Spread: Buffalo - 5
Over/Under: 42
Preview: Two winless teams will square off in Buffalo on Sunday. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, while the Bills were defeated by New England on Monday Night Football. The Buccaneers quarterback Byron Leftwich threw for 276 yards and a touchdown in a loss. Raheem Morris, in his first year as the head coach in Tampa Bay will be seeking his first win. Morris, the youngest coach in the NFL took over for John Gruden after he was fired at the end of the 2008 season. For Buffalo, Dick Jauron’s team will still be feeling the effects of the Monday night meltdown. By now, everyone knows what happened on Monday night, but the result should not have been a loss. Now Buffalo will be looking to play catch up in the ultra competitive AFC East. Terrell Owens just caught two passes in the loss. He left the locker room without talking to the media following the loss.
Seattle Seahawks (1-0) @ San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
Time: 4:05pm ET
Spread: San Francisco - 1.5
Over/Under: 39.5
Preview: An early season NFC West showdown will take place by the bay on Sunday afternoon. The Seattle Seahawks under new coach Jim Mora Jr. will take on Mike Singletary and his San Francisco 49ers. Both teams came away from Week Two as winners. The Seahawks blanked the St. Louis Rams at home, while San Francisco upended the defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals on the road. Seattle had a productive day for Julius Jones who garnered 117 yards on 19 carries, along with a touchdown. Quarterback Matt Hasslebeck was solid as well, as he completed 25 of 36 passes for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Seahawks’ wide receiver T.J. Houshmanzadeh is being listed as questionable for this game. For the 49ers, their win over the Arizona Cardinals may have come as the biggest surprise for many in Week Two, but don’t tell Mike Singletary that. The 49ers, who appear to have matured greatly from 2008 held the vaunted Arizona offense to just 16 points. Quarterback Shaun Hill did enough, throwing for 209 yards and a touchdown. San Francisco was able to win on the road, despite running back Frank Gore only scampering for 30 yards.
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) @ Chicago Bears (0-1)
Time: 4:15pm ET
Spread: Pittsburgh - 3
Over/Under: 37.5
Preview: These two teams will meet up in Chicago, both missing their top defensive player. The Steelers lost Troy Polamalu to a knee injury. Polamalu’s status is unknown at this time, but it is certain he will not play in Chicago. The Bears lost Brian Urlacher for the season with a wrist injury. Pittsburgh beat the Tennessee Titans during the first game of the season on Thursday evening. Jeff Reed kicked a field goal to tie the game in the fourth quarter, and also in overtime to win the game. Ben Roethlisberger did a fine job behind center for the Steelers, throwing for 363 yards and a touchdown. Running back Willie Parker was a disappointment despite the win. Parker rushed for just 19 yards on 13 carries. For the Bears, things could not have gone any worse for new quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler threw three first half interceptions against rival Green Bay. He was fortunate it was just three, as several more of his passes could have and should have been caught by the Packers. Cutler finished the game with four interceptions.
Cleveland Browns (0-1) @ Denver Broncos (1-0)
Time: 4:15pm ET
Spread: Denver - 3
Over/Under: 37.5
Preview: The Denver Broncos will look to complete a clean sweep of wins over teams from within the state of Ohio. The Cleveland Browns, who fell in Week Two to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings will travel to Colorado to take on the 1-0 Denver Broncos. Cleveland continued like much of 2008 and scored just one offensive touchdown. Brady Quinn was elected the Week Two starter by head coach Eric Mangini and he completed 21 of 35 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown. Jamaal Lewis rushed 11 times for 57 yards in the loss. The Broncos used a miracle pass from Kyle Orton in the waning moments of the game on Sunday to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals. Denver also had trouble offensively scoring just the one touchdown late in the game. Orton finished the game 17 of 28 for 243 yards and a touchdown. Rookie Knowshon Moreno rushed 8 times for just 19 yards in his debut in the NFL.
Baltimore Ravens (1-0) @ San Diego Chargers (1-0)
Time: 4:15pm ET
Spread: San Diego - 3
Over/Under: 40.5
Preview: The Baltimore Ravens and the San Diego Chargers will both take the field on Sunday afternoon coming off wins in their season opener. The Ravens had a dog fight with the Kansas City Chiefs, but were able to pick up a win by two touchdowns. The Chargers picked up a late touchdown to beat the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football. Baltimore, who hopes to dethrone Pittsburgh within the AFC North will hope for productive days from Joe Flacco and Ray Rice. Flacco had a nice start to the season throwing for 307 yards and 3 touchdowns. Rice was equally as impressive garnering 108 yards on the ground. The Chargers are tied with Denver at the top of the AFC West. Oakland led on three occassions against the Chargers, but Phillip Rivers and Darren Sproles marched down the field and picked up a 24-20 win. Chargers stud running back LaDainian Tomlinson is listed as questionable for this game with an injury.
New York Giants (1-0) @ Dallas Cowboys (1-0)
Time: 8:20pm ET
Spread: Dallas - 3
Over/Under: 44.5
Preview: Two longtime NFC East rivals will square off for the first game at the new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. The New York Giants, coming off a divisional win over Washington will take on the Dallas Cowboys, who picked up a road win in Tampa Bay. The Giants a year removed from their Super Bowl run welcomed defensive stud Osi Umenyiora back as he picked up a rare defensive touchdown in the first part of the game. Eli Manning tossed for 256 yards and a touchdown, with 80 of the yards going to Steve Smith. The Giants are trying to find a replacement for the star wide receiver Plexico Burress, who is currently in jail for gun charges. Dallas was relived to see a healthy Tony Romo before, during and after the win over Tampa Bay. Romo was healthy and threw the ball well. He found many new receivers now that Terrell Owens has left for Buffalo. Romo finished the game with 353 yards and 3 touchdowns. Felix Jones has been listed as questionable for this game, but many think Jones will be just fine come game time. The Cowboys officials say this game could see upwards of 100,000 people in attendance.
Monday, September 21th, 2009
Indianapolis Colts (1-0) @ Miami Dolphins (0-1)
Time: 8:30pm ET
Spread: Indianapolis - 3
Over/Under: 42
Preview: The excitement that ensued during Monday Night Football in Week Two will be difficult to pass, but the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins will do their best to entertain once again. The Colts played a normal Indianapolis game on Sunday edging the Jacksonville Jaguars 14-12. The win for the Colts gave them a head start to re-gaining the AFC South, after being displaced by Tennessee last season. The Titans, Jaguars and Texans all lost in Week Two, paving a path for the Colts. Jim Caldwell picked up his first win on Sunday for the Colts after replacing Tony Dungy. The Dolphins walked off the field on Sunday disappointed in their 19-7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The defending AFC East division champions could not seem to get the offense moving. Running back Ronnie Brown rushed for just 43 yards, and quarterback Chad Pennington tossed just 179 yards and a touchdown. Tony Sparano turned the Dolphins around in 2008 from a 1-15 team in 2007 to 11-5.
|
