Chicago at New Orleans
Sunday, 1 p.m.
The Bears have already shocked one NFC South powerhouse this season – the question on everyone's mind is if they can do it again. Though the Falcons put up over 400 yards of total offense in their loss against the Bears last week, Chicago's stout defense managed to keep them out of the endzone; playing the Saints in the Superdome will be another story, though. The fast artificial surface – to say nothing of the home field advantage – will favor New Orleans and its high-octane offense. Look for the Saints to route the Bears at home this weekend.
Prediction: Chicago – 17, New Orleans – 31
San Diego at New England
Sunday, 4:15 p.m.
Without a doubt, these teams boast the two best offenses – and, with Indianapolis' Peyton Manning out for the foreseeable future, the two best quarterbacks – in the conference. Tom Brady was unstoppable week one, and put up over 500 passing yards on the self-proclaimed best cornerback tandem in football. While Brady's stat line won't be equal to a month's worth of offense from the circa-2010 Carolina Panthers again, it's safe to assume that the Pats' offense will continue to roll, especially playing at home. Look for the Patriots to come out ahead in a shootout.
Prediction: San Diego – 28, New England – 34
Philadelphia at Atlanta
Sunday, 8:30 p.m.
Aside from the really obviously storyline here – Michael Vick is going back to Atlanta, again – this game presents a truly intriguing matchup: the Eagles' "dream team" of free agent acquisitions will test their mettle against the NFC's No. 1 playoff seed from last year. Yes, Atlanta's coming off a bad week one loss to Chicago, but keep in mind they lost week one last year, too – to a Roethlisburger-less Steelers team, no less – and they played just fine the rest of the season. Philly's cornerback trio should keep Atlanta's passing game in check, but Atlanta's defense should do the same to Michael Vick. Vick completed less than half of his passes against a less-than-impressive Rams squad – playing against the Falcons' superior unit in a hostile environment could throw the quarterback through some loops.
Prediction: Philadelphia – 20, Atlanta – 27
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