NFL Preview: Week 2

Steelers @ Titans. Chris Johnson's streak of 12 straight 100-yard games will be put to the test on Sunday against a Pittsburgh D that limited Michael Turner in Week 1. But Johnson is a different breed of back and he will be relied upon heavily, so the century mark is certainly within reach. All the Titans' other offensive players get slightly downgraded for this matchup, except Rob Bironas. For the Steelers, until Big Ben gets back, just Mendenhall and Hines Ward are must-starts every week. Mike Wallace and Heath Miller are on the fringe until that time. Take the Titans in a field-goals game.

Ravens @ Bengals. Baltimore's offense should rebound from their poor showing in Week 1. The Bengals are far less stingy on D than the Jets, which should signal breakouts for Ray Rice and Joe Flacco, and simultaneous sighs of relief from their owners. Carson Palmer, Cedric Benson, T.O. and C.O. will pose more of a threat to the Ravens D than the Jets, but against this hard-hitting unit, they could all be in for a long day. Baltimore wins this roadie and moves to an earned 2-0. Their Week 6 visit to New England might just determine home-field advantage in the AFC.

Vikings vs. Dolphins. Adrian Peterson will get on track in Week 2 vs. the Dolphins. The void left by Sidney Rice was a cavernous one, as evidenced by Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin's inability to make plays. The Vikings will have to go back to basics for some time until they either acquire Vincent Jackson, have Sidney Rice back from his hip injury, or both. Until then, Visanthe Shiancoe seems to be Favre's most reliable target, and if that's true, they'll be leaning heavily on AP. Take Peterson and the Minny O-line over Ronnie and Ricky.

Colts vs. Giants. This is a pride game for Peyton and a house-money game for Eli. The Texans found the formula vs. Indy last week, and the Giants will want to get Bradshaw and Jacobs going, which will take even more pressure off of lil' bro. There is no doubt that Peyton has been stewing over the Colts' Week 1 defeat, and will do whatever he can to stave off 0-2. Take Indy in another high-scoring tilt.

Patriots @ Jets. This game will be played at 4:15pm Sunday in northern New Jersey, but may as well be played on New Year's Eve at midnight...on the moon. The Jets will be desperate to not open their new building 0-2, but Tom and Randy will be juiced up just boarding the bus to Soprano-ville. The Pats win this one handily, and at 2-0, are extremely tough to move from atop the AFC East.

Chargers vs. Jaguars. The Jags look to be AFC West slayers, having dispatched the Broncos in Week 1 and taking aim at the Chargers this Sunday. The Chargers are out to prove that rain, Arrowhead and special teams were the reasons they fell to KC, and will certainly improve in two of those areas this week. Rivers, Gates, Mathews, Floyd and I am Legedu are all starts this week; for the Jags, use MJD, and only activate Garrard, Sims-Walker and Lewis if you have to.

Bears @ Cowboys. The Bears got gifted their 1-0 start and the Cowboys gifted theirs away. The significance of Tashard Choice's fumble that got returned for Washington's lone TD is twofold. First, if Dallas just took a knee they would have won 7-6. Second, the catch was one of 7 touches in the game for Choice, while Felix and MB3 only received 8 carries apiece. Tashard is useful in either back's absence, but shouldn't two lead running backs be enough to spell each other? Increased workload helps any runner get into a rhythm, and Dallas' attempts to get three guys going in one game may cost them many. For Bears fans, Jay Cutler's 372 yards in his first regular season game under offensive coordinator Mike Martz was almost as big an exhale as the one let out at the end of regulation.

Chiefs @ Browns. This is Patriots-Jets Lite. Ex-Jet Mangini's dogs host ex-Pats Scott Pioli, Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel and Matt Cassel in Week 2. There's way less salt to this matchup than the real deal, but these teams, specifically their executives and coaches, know each other well. The Chiefs will make the Chargers' inevitable uphill climb even tougher, beating out the Browns and starting out 2-0.

Texans @ Redskins. A matchup of surprising 1-0 teams, few expected Houston to top Peyton and Shanny to beat the Eagles in their openers. But here they are, Arian Foster for President and McNabb undefeated in DC. Schaub gets rolling in Week 2 and Foster provides a balanced attack that will be enough to lower Donovan's winning percentage by 500 points.