NFL 2018: Top 3 NFL Matchups for Week 2

Week 1 of 2018 NFL season went off to one of the most exciting starts for the NFL in recent times. Ten out of 16 games were one-score games, including the three of my Top 3 matchups from week 1.

Teams, that were expected to win, lost. Teams, that had no business winning, won. Browns tied with Steelers and to top it all off, Aaron Rodgers made one of the most improbable comebacks on just one leg, thus making his case stronger in the 'Best Quarterback Ever' debate.

Week 2 of the NFL starts on Thursday with Bengals hosting the Ravens in a AFC North divisional matchup. The winner will be taking a good significant lead over the Steelers in the divisional race. This is one of the eight divisional matches to take place in Week 2.

Week 2 is highlighted by many marquee matchups, including the rematch of the AFC championship game between the Patriots and the Jaguars. Also, Vikings return to Lambeau Field for the first time since Rodgers was injured last year on a tackle by Vikings' Anthony Barr, which led the former to miss the rest of the season.

With these three marquee matchups on the card, the NFL schedule makers have missed the mark in the prime-time games this week. The two prime-time games on Sunday and Monday are between the teams that combined 0-4 record. I understand the long standing tradition of Giants-Cowboys prime-time match, but they should have done that another week and have two of these three games on SNF and MNF.

Now let's take a look at the Top 3 Week 2 matchups in the NFL 2018:

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#3 Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0-1)

The Chiefs and the Steelers had some of the best matchups in the NFL in recent times, especially in the post season. As a matter of fact, their last play-off match against each other was in 2016 AFC divisional round, where Steelers beat the Chiefs 18-16 without scoring a single touchdown. That game prompted the Chiefs to trade up and grab Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 NFL draft.

Chiefs Flying Start

The Kansas City Chiefs were off to a flying start in Week 1 against the presumed favorites of winnings AFC West and the rivals the Los Angeles Chargers. Patrick Mahomes took the league by storm and made plays that he is used to doing in his College career. He stepped up and threw for 4 touchdown passes.

Mahomes got much needed help from the speedy receiver Tyreek Hill, who not only caught a TD pass from Mahomes, but also had a 91-yard punt returned for the touchdown. The explosiveness of Hill and the arm strength and gunslinger mentality of Mahomes opened up a new dynamic in the Chiefs offense that was lacking in the past few seasons with Alex Smith.

As good as Mahomes and Hill were in Week 1, there are a few concerns in the Chiefs offense, especially in the running game. Kareem Hunt had only 49 rushing yards in 16 carries which accounts for a measly 3.1 yards per carry. Hunt needs to step up and help out Mahomes and his receivers to open up. Travis Kelce, the second best Tight End in NFL behind Rob Gronkowski, also had a quiet night, reeling in just one catch off 6 targets for 6 yards.

Hunt and Kelce should find their groove back before the opposing defenses start catching up with Mahomes and Hill, which could very well happen in Week 2 against a stout Pittsburgh Defense.

The defense for the Chiefs is a concern. They let go a lot of play makers in the defense this off-season and also missed Eric Berry very much in Week 1. The Chiefs defense will need to step up and restrict the opposing offenses in order to keep winning in 2018.

Eric Berry, who missed another practice on Wednesday, looks like he will not be suiting up this Sunday against the Steelers. It's up to the other long-time Chief in Justin Houston and the newly acquired CB Kyle Fuller to step up and help the team create turnovers.

As bad as Roethlisberger was in Week 1 against the Browns, it was the road game for him and he always relishes against bad defenses, especially at home. So, if the Chiefs want to win the game, it is going to be by an all-round performance by both the offense and the defense and not just the offense like in Week 1.

Rough Steelers start

Speaking of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who started their 2018 campaign as one of the title favorites, tied their Week 1 match against the Cleveland Browns, who won only one game in last two seasons. There are a lot of things need to be cleaned up by the Steelers, if they want to stop a surging Chiefs attack.

Ben Roethlisberger had one of the worst weeks in his NFL career last week against a revamped and young Browns defense. He threw 3 Interceptions, 2 of them were picked off by the rookie Denzel Ward, and just a one TD. Big Ben needs to get back his moxie and has a very good chance of doing so against the soft Chiefs Defense.

With Leveon Bell still not reporting to the Steelers camp, it's going to be James Connor again who had an eye-opening start to his 2018 campaign as a starter and gets his audition to become the full-time starter extended against a pretty bad Chiefs defense.

The receiving core of the Steelers is the best of all the NFL. Led by Antonio Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster, The Steelers receivers had a great Week 1, along with the Tight End, Jesse James. Those three together had average of 16 yards per reception. That dominance should continue into Week 2 against a vanilla Chiefs attack.

Connor, along with Roethlisberger, needs to protect the ball. The fumbles lost by both has cost the Steelers a Wwn against the Browns in Week 1.

The defense of Pittsburgh Steelers had a great start to the season in Week 1. If not for the defense, Week 1 could have been a disaster for the Steelers against the Browns of all teams. The defense kept the Steelers in the game despite the 3 INTs and 3 Fumbles lost by the offense. That speaks volumes about how good this defense is.

But, the Steelers will be facing a different monster this week against a very, very good Chiefs offense run by a dynamic quarterback in Mahomes. The Steelers need to be wary and contain Mahomes and make him throw some off-scheduled targets. The way the Steelers D handles the Mahomes-Hill combination will set the result of the game. If those two connect one or two deep throws, it's all done for the Steelers.

Fantasy Outlook:

Must Start:

Tyreek Hill and Mahomes, after that Week 1 romp-off by these two, this a no brainer.

Big Ben: Roethlisberger, granted was awful in Week 1. But, that was expected because it was on the road, in bad weather and against a sneaky good Browns Defense. But, Big Ben has a very good matchup and he is also playing at Home, where he is a different animal.

James Connor: He ran past Myles Garret in Week 1 like nobody. Chiefs do not have anyone young like that in the defensive line. Connor will go off again.

Under the Radar:

Travis Kelce: Kelce had a quiet Week 1. He only had one catch for 6 yards. But he still had 6 targets. Look for Mahomes targeting more towards Kelce, with Hill being tied by the Steelers cornerbacks.

Jesse James. James quietly caught 3 catches for 60 Yards. He could see his targets increased against this weak Chiefs Defense.

Chiefs Defense: As bad as the Chiefs Defense is, it is hard to ignore the fact that the Steelers had 6 turnovers in Week 1 against the Browns. There is a very good chance where Chiefs could come up with at least half of that many turnovers.

Caution:

Chiefs and Steelers Defenses: Both these teams face monster offenses this week. I had Chiefs as Under the Radar pick as well partly because of the way the Steelers played in Week 1. But this is a new week and this is at home, So there can be a cause of concern to start the Chiefs Defense. It is a Boom or bust pick this week.

The Steelers, who had a very good Week 1 defensively, could be in some trouble against the high flying Chiefs Offense.

Prediction:

This rematch of the 2016 divisional playoff matchup, will have a different result than it had in January of 2017. The Chiefs will narrowly escape Week 2 at Steelers, thanks to the heroics of Mahomes and Kareem Hunt Scoring 2 TDs. This is going to be a close one.

Chiefs 24, Steelers 20.

#2 Minnesota Vikings (1-0) at Green Bay Packers (1-0)

Green Bay Packers came back from death last week against the division rivals in Chicago Bears to start their 100th season in a dramatic fashion, all thanks to an amazing one-legged comeback performance by the best in the position -- Aaron Rodgers. This game marks the first time these two play since Rodgers was injured on the tackle by Anthony Barr, which forced the league to create a new Helmet rule, that play would now be a penalty.

Packers Uncertainty

Green Bay Packers are one of the toughest teams to predict this year, but easiest to analyze. The code in Green Bay is simple. With Aaron Rodgers they are tough, they are relentless, but with almost anyone else at quarterback, they are a very easy team to beat.

They do not have a good running game or good offensive line, but what they have and majority of other teams, except for the Patriots do not, is they have the Best Quarterback playing the position and they do not need the aforementioned running game or O-line. It was clearly evident in Week 1, when Rodgers threw for 3 TDs and 24 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to lead the team back to win against the Khalil Mack-led Chicago Bears Defense.

Packers and Rodgers will be facing another tough defense in Minnesota Vikings. If there is any quarterback who can dissect this defense, it is Rodgers. But, is he healthy enough to play? Rodgers did say after the game in Week 1 that he is playing, but he is yet to practice this week. But, Rodgers doesn't need to practice after all these years in the league. A film study session of the Minnesota Defense could be all enough for the two-time MVP.

The receivers led by Devante Adams and Randall Cobb will be good enough for the Packers to keep them in the game, but the difference-maker could be the third receiver Geronimo Allison, who caught one of the three TDs. Also look out for Jimmy Graham in the red zone who had a quiet Week 1.

The running backs are going to be the key for the Packers. This is the week for Jamaal Williams to step up and lock the starting job before Aaron Jones comes back from suspension next week.

The Defense needs to step up and create turnovers. As good as the Vikings Defense is, they also have a very dynamic offensive attack led by the running back, Dalvin Cook. The defensive line needs to block the running game and flush the quarterback Kirk Cousins out of the pocket and bring pressure onto him. Cousins' decision-making under pressure is erratic, and Packers defense needs to create that in order to win the game for the Packers.

Virtuous Vikings

Kirk Cousins had a very good debut as the quarterback for Minnesota Vikings. He was consistent and found Thielen, Cook and Diggs in regular intervals to help the team win. Even though quarterbacks face opposing defenses, this week Cousins will also be facing the opposing quarterback Rodgers and a very, very loud Lambeau crowd.

When you play against the Packers, you not only play against the Defense you also play against their quarterback. Rodgers will always find a way to keep his team in winning position. Cousins needs to pace himself with Rodgers and maintain that through out the game. The Packers defense and the weapons he has around him should most certainly make that happen.

Dalvin Cook needs to continue his Week 1 performance. In Week 1, he was great catching the passes, but had a measly yards per carry. He needs to improve his running game and create holes and help set up the passing game.

With Thielen, Diggs and a big red-zone target in TE Kyle Rudolph, the Vikings have amazing group of pass catchers if the offensive line could hold up and give Cousins ample time to get the ball to his play makers.

The defense, as good as they are, they are never good enough against Rodgers.They need to block the passing game as much as they can and create pressure on Rodgers, which is not an easy task. If Rodgers could escape Khalil Mack with the porous offensive line he had, he can escape anyone. Vikings do not have a single player of the caliber of Mack, but they do have an entire defensive unit as a whole who can generate turnovers.

Xavier Rhodes, is going to be the key for the Vikings, blocking the big play receiver Adams, forcing Rodgers to go to either Cobb or Allison. In order to beat a Rodgers-led Packers, you need a group effort from the whole defense, if there is any team that can do it, that is the Minnesota Vikings.

Fantasy Outlook

Must Start

Aaron Rodgers: If healthy, especially with momentum on his side and in Lambeau Field, he should be a must-start.

All skill position players of Vikings: They have second straight week against a weak defense and they could repeat their Week 1 success

Under the radar

Geronimo Allison, Packers WR: He will be seeing some targets come his way, especially with Xavier Rhodes covering Adams and Cobb. Jimmy Graham could also be a huge Red-zone Target. Look out for him every time the Packers take a Red-Zone trip.

Kyle Rudolph, Vikings TE: He had a quiet Week 1, with just one catch for 10 yards and a Touchdown. Same like Graham, look out for Rudolph in Red Zone scenarios for Vikings.

Caution

Randall Cobb and Devante Adams: They could see less targets come their way with a stout defensive back that they will be facing in Vikings.

Kirk Cousins: Though having a favorable matchup, the Lambeau crowd could be overwhelming making him miss reads and play calls.

Minnesota Defense: Any defense facing Rodger will always be in Caution zone.

Prediction

This is going to be a very tough game to predict. As a team on any given day, the Vikings are better and should beat a team like the Packers. But, with momentum on their side and playing in their home in a historic Lambeau Field, the Packers have the slight edge.

Packers 24, Vikings 20.

#1 New England Patriots (1-0) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)

This AFC championship rematch is going to be a much different game than the one in January 2018. The Patriots lost many key play-makers this off-season and the Jaguars also lost some pass catchers in offense, but they also added some key missing pieces. Both these teams started 1-0 in 2018 and remain the teams to beat in their respective divisions.

Patriots Luck

New England Patriots were lucky to get away with a win in Week 1, despite a very poor offensive outing by the Houston Texans. Thanks to a very bad officiating just before the half, a first down was given to Rob Gronkowski, while it was clear it wasn't a catch. The referees didn't stop the play in time to review, thus inadvertently helping Brady and the Patriots score another touchdown.

Despite going 21-6 into the half, the Patriots helped the Texans to make a comeback which they fell short of a hail-mary to tie the game. Patriots got out, thanks to a rusty Texans offense and the absence of Will Fuller. The big takeaway, though, for the Patriots in Week 1 will be that the defense played lights out in creating pressure on rusty Deshaun Watson.

The defense has another easy matchup as far as skill position players go. The Jaguars have one of the worst passing attacks in the league. But, after Week 1, they even lost their lead back Leonard Fournette to Injury. So that should help the Patriots' defense to force Blake Bortles to throw. But, Jaguars O-Line has improved and even if Fournette couldn't suit up, T.J. Yeldon could be dangerous. The Patriots allowed the Houston Rushing to accumulate 167 Yards.

On the other side of the ball, the Patriots are Patriots. They are again getting most out of the other teams cast-offs. A new player to get his career revived thanks to Bellicheck and Brady, is former Indianapolis Colts receiver, Phillip Dorsett. The latter went off with 7 catches for 66 Yards and a Touchdown in Week 1.

Gronkowski remains the lead receiver for the Patriots, who was seen wide-open many times against the Texans. That shouldn't be the case this week as the Patriots will face arguably the best defense in the league. Gronk will be covered by two of the best D-backs in A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey.

The Patriots Rushing is a Committee and took a big blow. With Hill being placed in IR, the Patriots will need James White to continue his presence with catching the passes and rushing. The Patriots had a tough time rushing against a stout Texans D-Line and will face an even stouter D-Line in the Jaguars this Sunday.

Jagged Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a rough outing in Week 1, narrowly escaping the Giants, thanks to the stout defensive performance. The Jaguars offense and Blake Bortles need to step up. With an improved O-line, Bortles has all the time to find his receivers. The receivers need to break away from the defenders and get open to give Bortles chances.

The Jaguars almost nearly pulled off the upset in the AFC championship game until Brady brought back the Patriots to win the game. But, this Patriots team is different from the one in the AFC title game. If the Jaguars defenders can hold off Gronkowski, they have a very good chance in winning the game.

The defense needs to be wary of the Running back James White who had more Targets in Week 1 than any other pass catcher. He could be the difference-maker in Win or Lose for the Jaguars this week.

With Fournette set to miss practices this week, there is a good chance T.J. Yeldon could get a start this week. Yeldon had an impressive outing against the Gaints, rushing for 51 yards and catching a Touchdown pass from the Bortles.

If the Jaguars stand a chance to win the game, they need to establish the run game and help the receivers get open and use a lot of Run-Pass option plays.

Fantasy Outlook

Must-Start

New England Defense: With Fournette injured and underwhelming receivers in the squad, the NE defense could have an amazing outing against the Jaguars.

Under the Radar

James White, NE Running Back: He remains to be a Flex starter in PPR leagues. He is leading the targets for NE.

TJ Yeldon, RB Jaguars: With Fournette injured, Yeldon could take the lead back duties if Founette doesn't suit up. Even with Fournette, Yeldon has a good upside to be a Flex starter in PPR leagues.

Caution

Tom Brady: He could have a hard time finding his receivers this week against the stout Jags defense.

NE WRs: Dorsett had a good outing in Week 1, but his chances of repeating are very slim and he could regress back to his own self in Week 2 against the Jags along with his fellow receivers.

Prediction

This has ugly written all over it. The Jaguars have a very good chance of winning the game this time around, but with not-so-good passing game and many turnovers, the Patriots could escape Jacksonville with a win, but an ugly one.

Patriots 17, Jaguars 10