NFL Game Week 2 - Schedule, Picks, How to Watch, and more
Football is well and truly back now, and what a Week 1 we had! The reigning conference champions look as good as ever, and we saw several shocking wins from teams like New England and Pittsburgh. The schedule makers treated us to a barnstormer of a Week 1, and while the second slate of games doesn’t have quite as many marquee matchups, there are plenty of exciting storylines to look out for in Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season.
In this guide, we’ll break down the three standout games that we’re most excited to watch. We’ve listed the timings and broadcast information for each of them, but remember that you can find fully updated listings at livesportsontv.com.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs
- Date & Time: Sunday, September 10, 2024, at 4:25 p.m. ET
- Venue: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
- Broadcast Details: CBS
Game Preview:
This matchup looked a lot spicier before the Bengals’ shocking loss to New England in Week 1, a team many believed would be among the very worst in the NFL. Cincinnati often starts slow, but their fans will be hoping that loss has kicked them into action, because an 0-2 start would look pretty daunting in a loaded AFC.
You have to believe they’ll get their act together in time for this one. Cincinnati is the only team in the NFL that has managed to hold its own against the Chiefs, with Joe Burrow boasting a rare 3-1 record against Patrick Mahomes. He didn’t look back to his best in his first game returning from injury last week, but hopefully, the rust is now knocked off, and these two great quarterbacks can treat us to the elite football we expect from them.
In complete contrast to what we saw from the Bengals, Mahomes and the Chiefs started hot. Mahomes was as sharp as ever, picking apart the Ravens' defense and utilizing a range of different pass catchers. Rashee Rice emerged as the top guy, dominating over the middle of the field. Xavier Worthy showed off his speed to land two touchdowns on three touches, and it’s frightening to think what this offense will do when he’s integrated more and Marquise Brown returns.
Prediction/Analysis:
With Burrow holding a 3-1 record over Mahomes, this is one of the few games where backing the Chiefs’ opponent might actually make sense. However, with both teams kicking off their seasons in such contrasting ways, I will side with the three-peat-hunting Chiefs. Mahomes looked slick, and you can sense this offense is primed and ready to deliver a statistical explosion this year. The Bengals clearly have some things to figure out, and with Tee Higgins’ status up in the air, the Chiefs are the easy pick.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Detroit Lions
- Date & Time: Sunday, September 10, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
- Broadcast Details: FOX
Game Preview:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers started the 2024 season strong, with Baker Mayfield seemingly answering any concerns about how he would perform without Dave Canales as his offensive coordinator. That was against the Washington Commanders, though. Now it’s time for him and the Buccaneers to test themselves against a true NFC powerhouse.
Based on what we saw from them in Week 1, I’m very excited for this matchup and truly believe they can give the Lions a run for their money. Baker was dialed in, Mike Evans looks as good as ever, Chris Godwin thrived in his return to the slot, and there were promising performances from rookies like Jalen McMillan, Bucky Irving, and Graham Barton.
Of course, they’ll have to be at their absolute best to come away from Ford Field with a win, as the Lions have a pretty tidy team themselves. Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Penei Sewell all signed healthy contract extensions this offseason and are among the best at their positions. Add in sophomore superstars Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs, and you have another supremely talented offense. There should be plenty of points in this one, which is great news for NFL fans.
Prediction/Analysis:
Coming into the season, you would’ve chalked this up as a relatively easy win for Detroit. However, after that Week 1 display from Tampa Bay, I think they can keep it close. It’s early days, of course, but it looks as if the good version of Baker Mayfield is here to stay, and with the exciting array of wide receivers he has to work with, I expect this game to be a back-and-forth affair. While I do think Tampa Bay will be able to keep it close, Detroit is the better, more well-rounded team, and they’ll benefit from home-field advantage. With the Lions having a much better defensive unit than Tampa Bay, they get the edge here.
New York Jets @ Tennessee Titans
- Date & Time: Sunday, September 10, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
- Broadcast Details: CBS
Game Preview:
The New York Jets didn’t quite get off to the dream start they were hoping for against San Francisco on Monday night, but Aaron Rodgers did at least make it to the end of the game. I’m only kind of joking there. It was genuinely a relief to see him get through four quarters of football and, hopefully, keep Jets fan's dreams alive. Regardless of who you support, it’s always good to watch one of the greatest ever to take the football field, and his performances this season will be one of the most interesting narratives to follow.
The Jets did look like they were lacking another weapon aside from Breece Hall or Garrett Wilson, but we have to remember that the 49ers' defense is no joke. The reason I’ve included this game in my shortlist is because Tennessee had a sneaky good game despite losing to the Chicago Bears. This new-look Titans defense, with L’Jarius Sneed in the secondary, suffocated Caleb Williams in his debut, and it will be interesting to see what they do to this future Hall of Famer in Aaron Rodgers.
On offense, there’s a lot to be intrigued by as well. For reasons both good and bad, Will Levis is an entertaining player to watch—partly because you genuinely have no idea what he’s going to do next. There’s a very high chance the supremely talented New York defense has its way with him, but you really never know. Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, and the two Titans running backs (Pollard and Spears) have a lot of talent and playmaking ability, so this won’t be a walk in the park for New York.
Prediction/Analysis:
This game being New York’s second on the road to open the season could work in Tennessee’s favor. Starting against San Francisco was about as tough as you could ask for Robert Saleh’s men, and Tennessee will come into this game angry after letting Chicago get away with an unlikely victory.
Despite all of that, I think the New York Jets are just too talented to not land their first victory here. They’ll also feel like they have a point to prove after being humbled by the 49ers, and I think the elite defense will be able to confuse Will Levis and force some mistakes. It already feels like somewhat of a must-win game for them, so you better believe they’ll come motivated.
Honorable Mentions
Atlanta Falcons @ Philadelphia Eagles
- Monday, Sept 16th, 8:15 p.m. | ESPN (ManningCast on ESPN2)
Can the Kirk Cousins-led Falcons bounce back after a disappointing start to the season? And can the Eagles build on the momentum from their win in Brazil?
Author: Venuse, Inc.