NFL Week 2 Staff Picks: Why a bounce back is in the cards for Tom Brady and the Patriots

Each week during the NFL season, the staff at theScore will put on their prognosticator hats and offer up selections against the spread on each of the week’s top games, highlighting several marquee matchups.

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Unanimous selections: Jaguars +6, Cardinals -2.5, Patriots -3

Unanimous selections are 0-4 ATS for the season.

Marquee Matchups

Atlanta Falcons at Cincinnati Bengals (-5)

Chris Battaglia: Atlanta’s passing game was in fine form against New Orleans, with Matt Ryan racking up 448 yards – something that should give Cincinnati’s secondary pause after it allowed 329 passing yards against Baltimore. The Bengals weren’t exactly impressive in their Week 1 victory, and home field advantage isn’t enough to give them an edge against the Falcons. Falcons +5

Gino Bottero: The Falcons had a lot to prove in Week 1 and passed that test with flying colors. Now they head out on the road and hope to carry that momentum into one of the toughest places to play in football right now. The Bengals defense showed in their opener that while there are definitely some issues in the secondary, they have enough talent up front to overcome them. The Falcons haven’t been a good road team even at the best of times. Bengals -5

Caitlyn Holroyd: Atlanta began its season on a high note, defeating the division-rival Saints in overtime. Julio Jones led the way with seven catches for 116 yards while Matt Ryan threw for a team-record 448 yards. The Bengals are coming off a big win of their own, but have some improvements to make on defense after giving up a 15-point lead in the second half and allowing the Ravens to top 400 total yards. The Falcons will keep this game close. Falcons +5

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos (-12)

Battaglia: It’s difficult to believe Kansas City was the team on the field that was blown out by Tennessee in Week 1, but the Chiefs have a chance to show their resilience when they visit Denver. The Broncos held off the Colts, but Indianapolis clawed back enough to beat the spread, which is something Denver allows too often to make it a reliable pick. Jamaal Charles will do everything he can to overcome a weak season opener, which should help keep the score close. Chiefs +12

Bottero: The Broncos showed exactly why they can’t be trusted to cover a big number in Week 1, taking their foot off the gas and allowing the Colts back into the game. The Chiefs took some hits on defense in Week 1, which isn’t something a team wants when the Broncos are next on the schedule. Kansas City was guilty of looking ahead in its opener, and now’s the time to make good on that. Chiefs + 12

Holroyd: Peyton Manning and co. survived a late rally by the Colts in Week 1, coming away with a 31-24 victory. Their consistency will need to improve, but the Broncos should have no problem rolling over the Chiefs, who lost defensive end Mike DeVito and linebacker Derrick Johnson to season-ending injuries in their loss to the Titans. Broncos -12

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers (-7)

Battaglia: Chicago allowed 193 rushing yards in an overtime loss to Buffalo, which is a gift for a San Francisco offense built around mobile quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers defense looked comfortable against Dallas in Week 1 and will look to create more turnovers against Jay Cutler after intercepting Tony Romo three times. The questionable status of Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery makes San Francisco an even safer bet. 49ers -7

Bottero: This number figures to be higher come kickoff on Sunday night, with bettors looking to make back what they lost during the day and blindly backing the favorite. As long as it doesn't pass the key number, the 49ers are the play. They are built perfectly to exploit the Bears’ weaknesses, and concerns about their defense seem to have been overstated. 49ers -7

Holroyd: The 49ers cruised to a 28-17 road victory over the Cowboys in Week 1, but that had more to do with the poor play of Dallas's offense than anything, as Tony Romo threw three interceptions. Chicago is coming off a difficult overtime loss to the Bills, but should prove a much tougher test for the 49ers. Bears +7

Wild Card Selections

Houston Texans (-3) at Oakland Raiders

Battaglia: Houston showed it can win without much of an offense by defeating Washington in Week 1, and a Week 2 pairing with Oakland should provide a similar result. The Raiders managed 158 total yards of offense against the New York Jets and won’t fare better against the likes of J.J. Watt. The Texans defense is fierce even without rookie standout Jadeveon Clowney and Oakland’s porous run defense is a perfect matchup for Arian Foster, who recorded 103 rushing yards in the season opener. Texans -3

New England Patriots (-3) at Minnesota Vikings

Bottero: Talk about an overreaction to Week 1. The Patriots fell to the Dolphins, while the Vikings crushed the Rams. Flip the script on those two games and the spread in this contest is into the double digits. The Patriots’ roster is so full of talent that their opening loss to the Dolphins feels like an apparition. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady right the ship in a big way. Patriots -3

Jacksonville Jaguars at Washington Redskins (-6)

Holroyd: The Jaguars nearly upset the Eagles in Week 1, outscoring them 17-0 in the first half. They ended up losing the game, 34-17, but should have no problem rebounding against the struggling Redskins, who produced just one scoring drive and lost two crucial fumbles against the Texans. Jaguars +6

Lines courtesy Scoresandodds.com