Week 2 Brings Division Rivalries Front and Center

Week two of the National Football League kicks off with plenty of division games and of course, divisional play equals rivalries and rivalries equal spirited football.

The first couple weeks of the NFL season are a feel out process and it usually isn't until about week three or four that the wheat starts to separate from the chaff.

Even so, there are plenty of excellent games on tap for any football connoisseur, so set back, grab your chips and dip, get your fantasy football sheets out and enjoy the games.

Here's the Corners predictions for week two in the NFL:

Arizona at Seattle
The Cardinal offense is one of the best in the league, but did anyone notice that the Redbirds gave up 27 points and a ton of yardage to San Francisco? Newly acquired WR Deion Branch probably won't play in this game, but at home the Seahawks should prevail. Winner: Seattle.

New York Giants at Philadelphia
Donovan McNabb looked like his old self in week one and Donte Stallworth could be a huge steal. The Giants played alright against the Colts, but Eli Manning's turnover killed their chances. New York has a brutal opening schedule (they travel to Seattle next week), but I can't see them going 0-3 to start the season. Brian Westbrook is gimpy and Lito Sheppard is out. Winner: New York Giants.

New England at New York Jets
Chad Pennington had a brilliant game in the opener and new coach Eric Mangini is a Bill Bellichick disciple. Could be an interesting matchup after the Pats filed a complaint with the league office accusing the Jets of tampering in the Branch situation. Winner: New England.

Tampa Bay at Atlanta
Cadillac Williams may not play and Atlanta is all a buzz after manhandling Carolina last week. If Warrick Dunn has another day like last Sunday, look out Bucs. Winner: Atlanta.

Kansas City at Denver
The Broncos played horribly against St. Louis last week and will be anxious to have a bounce-back game. The Chiefs will be without Trent Green and everyone knows it's almost impossible to beat the Broncos at home. Winner: Denver.

Detroit at Chicago
Air Martz was deflated in the opener against Seattle, while the Bears defense picked up where it left off last season. Lion receiver Roy Williams is guaranteeing a win this week. Doesn't he know how stupid that is going in to play the Bears? Winner: Chicago.

Oakland at Baltimore
Can the Raiders score a touchdown? Can they get past midfield? Can they win a game this season? Probably, but not this week. Winner: Baltimore.

Carolina at Minnesota
Carolina is banged up and the Vikings looked sharp against the Redskins last Monday night. Even so, the Panthers are a veteran team with a lot of pride and they can't and don't want to start 0-2. Winner: Carolina.

Houston at Indianapolis
Can you say blowout? Expect it in this game. Winner: Indianapolis.

Tennessee at San Diego
Fantasy owners who have the Chargers defense have a big smile on their collective faces. With slow-footed Kerry Collins at QB for the Titans, look for Merriman and Co. to have a big day. Winner: San Diego.

Cleveland at Cincinnati
The battle for Ohio bragging rights shouldn't be much of a battle. Chad Johnson and the Bengals keep the pressure on Pittsburgh and Baltimore in the rough and tough AFC North. Winner: Cincinnati.

Buffalo at Miami
The Bills played decent against the Patriots, but heading down to face the Dolphins, who are very good at winning home games in September, will be a problem. Winner: Miami.

New Orleans at Green Bay
Back in the day, the Packers under Brett Favre were practically unbeatable at home. Too bad those days are gone. Winner: New Orleans.

St. Louis at San Francisco
Jim Haslett had the Rams defense playing like those during the Jack Youngblood days. The offense hasn't scored a touchdown through the preseason and against Denver, but that should change this week against the porous 49er defense. Winner: St. Louis.

Washington at Dallas (Sunday night)
The Cowboys kicked off the Terrell Owens era with a loss to Jacksonville. The Redskins will be without the services of Clinton Portis and with the offense struggling to learn Al Saunders' 700-page playbook, an 0-2 start looks like a good possibility. Winner: Dallas.

Pittsburgh at Jacksonville (Monday night)
The Steelers will be without Ben Roethlisberger for another week so Charlie Batch gets the start. Batch is 3-0 as a starter for Pittsburgh, but the Jaguars have a very good defense that harassed Drew Bledsoe into throwing three interceptions and generally made his life hell. The Jags are better than people think and with Leftwich continuing to get better, this could be a nice win for the underdog Jaguars. Winner: Jacksonville.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!