Unpredictable NFL

And it has me at 19-13 after two weeks. I followed up my 10-6 prediction record in the first week with a 9-7 record the second week. Dammit... let's try and fix that this week.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons
A desperate Bucs team will look to avoid an 0-3 start in Atlanta on Thursday night. To do so, they'll have to be able to slow down the normally high flying Falcons passing offense that wasn't flying at all in Cincinnati. Getting a big game out of Bobby Rainey, Doug Martin or both with the run would help a lot and I do think the Bucs passing game could also have a nice game against what is not a very good Atlanta defense. However, this one's at the Georgia Dome, and I expect Matty Ice to be hooking up a lot with the likes of Julio Jones and Roddy White. It'll be enough in a high scoring affair. I'll take Atlanta by a touchdown and a field goal.
My Call: Falcons 34, Buccaneers 24

San Diego Chargers at Buffalo Bills
Who would have thought we'd be talking about the 2-0 Buffalo Bills after two weeks of action? If you're one of those, pat yourself on the back knowing you know a helluva lot more about football than I do. Anyway, they'll be looking for 3-0 as they host a Chargers team that just knocked off the defending Super Bowl champs (Seattle) at home. With a letdown most likely in store and an early kickoff along with a long flight to the East Coast, I'm gonna take the Bills to move to 3-0. That would mean exciting times in Buffalo if I'm right!
My Call: Bills 27, Chargers 24

Dallas Cowboys at St. Louis Rams
Knowing how the Cowboys can be so unpredictable from week to week, it makes it hard for me to predict how their games will go. As far as my Rams go, I'm 0 for 2 in predicting how they'd do so far. They do have the record of 1-1 I pegged them for, just in opposite fashion of what I expected. Since I predicted them to lose last week and they won, I'll pick the Cowboys in this one in hopes of being wrong again. Why fix something that isn't broken, right? DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant with big days get Dallas by in this one.
My Call: Cowboys 23, Rams 20

Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles
Sometimes the backup QB can be the most popular player on the team in some circles. That appears to be the case in Washington. It was that way during the preseason when Robert Griffin III was healthy and struggling and it has no choice but to be the case now that he's hurt. Kirk Cousins will now start and he did a very good job in Washington's 41-10 win over Jacksonville. Another big question mark for the Redskins is if former Eagle WR DeSean Jackson will play in this one. I'll say he does and predictably gets booed by the Eagle fans and comes up with a big play or two, but that the Eagles win this one. Granted I wouldn't be surprised if this one was close with Philadelphia coming off an emotional Monday night win in Indianapolis.
My Call: Eagles 38, Redskins 31

Houston Texans at New York Giants
Interesting call for me in this one. On one hand, the Texans look pretty good so far while the Giants have been horrible. On the other, that means Big Blue needs this one considerably more. Since we're only in the third week of the season, it's probably not the time where Houston QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will begin to fall completely apart yet. Plus he'll be able to hand the ball off to Arian Foster a lot anyway in this one against a bad Giants run defense. New York hangs in, but I think an untimely interception from Eli Manning will do them in.
My Call: Texans 24, Giants 20

Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
Home is a man's palace... his castle, so to say. After two road losses in Atlanta and Cleveland by a combined 5 points, the Saints are probably very happy to be getting back to their palace for their home opener. At this point anyway, they'll have to deal with running back Adrian Peterson, whom the Vikings reinstated despite the fact that he's got some child abuse charges hanging over his head. Whether AP plays or not though, I'd pick New Orleans in this one. No chance in hell Matt Cassel will outgun Drew Brees on that Superdome turf.
My Call: Saints 34, Vikings 20

Tennessee Titans at Cincinnati Bengals
So far, it's the Bengals who have perhaps been the most impressive team in the NFL. Granted it's only been two games, but a gutsy win in Baltimore the opening week and shutting down an excellent Atlanta passing attack is what I'm talking about. Tennessee will look to bounce back after taking a beating in their home opener from Dallas. They won't. Even though Cincinnati may be without star WR in this one after suffering a toe injury, the rest of the offensive cast will do enough to pick up the slack as will their strong defense.
My Call: Bengals 24, Titans 14

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns
Old Cleveland Browns vs. the new Cleveland Browns. The Ravens were the Cleveland Browns until 1995 when then owner Art Modell decided to bring the NFL back to Baltimore, turning them into the Ravens and leaving Cleveland without a football team for a few years. Cleveland eventually got their Browns back though. Both teams have to be feeling good after their Week 2 wins. Baltimore crushed rival Pittsburgh while the Browns got a last second upset win over the Saints in their home opener. This Browns team certainly isn't lacking for competitiveness as they beat New Orleans and rallied from a 27-3 deficit in Pittsburgh to tie that game before ultimately falling. I see more competitiveness coming here from the Browns, but this time I think in a loss.
My Call: Ravens 20, Browns 17

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions
I may be letting the Lions terrible game in Carolina play into my decision too much here, although it does have as much to do with me having more faith in Aaron Rodgers than Matthew Stafford as well as Eddie Lacy finally getting going in the run game. This should be a shootout in the Motor City. The two teams will exchange explosive plays. Last team to have the ball could win. I'll say the Packers will be that team.
My Call: Packers 38, Lions 35

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars
Bad news for the Colts is they're sitting at 0-2 with 0-3 staring them right in the face. The good news is I expect they'll get off the ropes and get into the win column. Although it won't be easy after that emotional loss at home on Monday night to Philadelphia. Jacksonville will give it their all, but Andrew Luck and that Indy offense will come up with a play in the 4th quarter to get this one.
My Call: Colts 27, Jaguars 23

Oakland Raiders at New England Patriots
Blowout City of the Week prediction right here. Yes, 'blowout city' may be a term used by a college basketball announcer (Dick Vitale) who I hate, but that's one of the few things this announcer will say during the course of a game I enjoy. Knowing that, the Raiders will probably jump out to a 10-0 lead which shocks everyone before order is restored and New England takes full command. Sandwiching all of that, I'll say the Raiders also end well in garbage time to make the score a bit more respectable in what would otherwise be a three TD loss.
My Call: Patriots 31, Raiders 17

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals
Big chance for the Cardinals to put a two game distance between them and the 49ers after the Cards got their season off to a 2-0 start and the Niners blew their chance to do the same in a 28-20 loss to Chicago on Sunday night in their Levi's Stadium opener. I'll say the tables turn here and it's Arizona who finds a way to blow it. The Cardinals just don't have that history which says they'll take this chance and run with it. There's a reason why they've only made the playoffs what, three times since they moved to Arizona back in the late 1980s? They remind us why in this one.
My Call: 49ers 23, Cardinals 20

Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks
Rematch of the Super Bowl takes place in Seattle. Good news for the Broncos is I don't think they'll lose 43-8. Bad news is I think they'll lose again to the Seahawks. They'll have go make it back to the Super Bowl and hope the Seahawks do the same for a shot at revenge. Yeah, I know the Seahawks showed they were human against the Chargers, but that was on the road.  They'll come out much more fired up and ready for this one.
My Call: Seahawks 24, Broncos 17
Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins
Shot in the Dark pick of the Week right here. I throw my dart and it hits Miami.
My Call: Dolphins 17, Chiefs 16

Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers
In what will be a battle of the two most physically imposing QBs in the game in Cam Newton and Ben Roethlisberger, I've got to take Carolina. They look considerably stronger on defense in that they can actually generate a pass rush while Pittsburgh struggles in that area and while Roethlisberger can make things happen with his feet, he's not Cam Newton in that regard. Then again, there aren't many like Cam when it comes to making things happen on the ground as well as through the air. I'll take Carolina by a couple TDs. They'll win the wars up front on both sides of the ball and win the game.
My Call: Panthers 27, Steelers 13

Chicago Bears at New York Jets
Interesting second week games for both of these teams. Chicago bounced back from a home loss to the Bills in the first week and rallied from a 17-0 deficit to beat the 49ers on the road in spite of having their star WRs in Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery playing at less than 100 percent. The Jets actually jumped out to a 21-3 lead in Green Bay only to lose 31-24, which was probably as much to the dissatisfaction to Bears fans as it was to Jets fans. Knowing a letdown for the Bears is entirely possible in this one,  I'll tentatively pick them to win this game by a point. This Jets team does look better, but I trust the Bears offense more in coming up with the big play when needed.
My Call: Bears 24, Jets 23