Bleacher Report's Expert Week 2 NFL Picks (2024)

In the NFL, Week 1 usually comes with some big surprises. Yet our crew of experts still finished the week over .500 against the spread and with their straight-up picks in a solid start to the 2023 season.

Who expected the Los Angeles Rams to throttle the Seattle Seahawks by three scores on the road? How about the Dallas Cowboys serving up a 40-piece and a doughnut to the New York Giants? And we can't forget about the New York Jets' upset over the Buffalo Bills without Aaron Rodgers.

Will we remember those outcomes as Week 1 blips, or will these teams establish a pattern for better or worse?

Before we get into our picks ATS and SU, take a look at the expert standings after Week 1—very few sub-.500 outcomes. Now, the group looks ahead to a profitable Week 2.

ATS Standings

1. Sobleski: 13-3

2. Davenport: 11-5

3. Knox: 9-7

T-4. O'Donnell: 8-8

T-4. Moton: 8-8

6. Gagnon: 7-9

7. Hanford 7-9

Consensus picks: 9-7

SU Standings

1. Knox: 12-4

2. Sobleski: 10-6

T-3. Davenport: 9-7

T-3. Hanford 9-7

T-3. Moton: 9-7

6. Gagnon: 8-8

7. O'Donnell: 7-9

Consensus picks: 9-7

Lines are from DraftKings as of Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 4 p.m. ET. Check the latest lines at DraftKings. Information on public betting trends is courtesy of the Action Network. ATS records are provided by Team Rankings.

The Minnesota Vikings will go on the road and try to shake off the stench of a turnover-ridden 20-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they face a tougher challenge in the Philadelphia Eagles who earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC and represented the conference in the Super Bowl last season.

This offseason, the Eagles lost both their coordinators, but they opened the campaign with a 25-20 road victory over the New England Patriots.

Though a six-point spread seems massive between two teams that made the playoffs last year, Davenport tapped into his recent memory to make his pick.

"When I went to make this pick, one part of my brain said, 'Yo, Gary—a touchdown is a lot to lay in a Thursday night game given how the Eagles offense turtled for a chunk of last week's win in New England.' Then another part of my brain said, 'But what happened last year when these teams met in prime time in Week 2?' That second part of my brain (the part that loves freedom, steak and not doing stupid things) has a point. In 2022, the Vikings traveled to Philly in Week 2 and got wrecked in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the 24-7 final score.

"This is a 'get right' spot for Philly's offense against a terrible Vikings D, and Philly's pass rush is going to tee off on prime-time Kirk Cousins, who will, in fact, NOT LIKE THAT!"

Predictions

Davenport: Eagles

Gagnon: Eagles

Hanford: Vikings

Knox: Eagles

Moton: Vikings

O'Donnell: Eagles

Sobleski: Vikings

ATS Consensus: Eagles -6

SU Consensus: Eagles

Score Prediction: Eagles 34, Vikings 27

The Kansas City Chiefs may have two of their best players back on the field after they missed the season opener.

The Chiefs agreed to terms on a one-year deal with defensive tackle Chris Jones, who sat out the previous week in a contract holdout. According to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer via Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, Kansas City expects tight end Travis Kelce to play if he doesn't have any swelling in his knee.

Moton believes the Chiefs will get a boost on both sides of the ball that helps them cover a three-point spread.

"Coming off a Thursday night game, the Chiefs had a little more time to prepare for this contest as they look to bounce back from a season-opening 21-20 home loss to the Detroit Lions. For now, Kelce looks like he'll make his regular-season debut, which means Patrick Mahomes won't have to rely on a group of No. 3 and No. 4 wide receivers. Kansas City's offense should score more than 20 points with its top pass-catcher back in action.

"Furthermore, Jones' presence beefs up the defensive front. He'll make life difficult for Trevor Lawrence in the pocket and slow down Jacksonville's run game.

"Last week, the Jaguars gave up 223 passing yards to rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, and trailed the rebuilding Indianapolis Colts up until running back Tank Bigsby scored a touchdown with five minutes and 14 seconds left in regulation. Jacksonville will face a much better offense even if Kelce plays at less than 100 percent.

"The Chiefs get back into championship form and win by a touchdown."

Predictions

Davenport: Chiefs

Gagnon: Chiefs

Hanford: Chiefs

Knox: Chiefs

Moton: Chiefs

O'Donnell: Chiefs

Sobleski: Chiefs

ATS Consensus: Chiefs -3

SU Consensus: Chiefs

Score Prediction: Chiefs 27, Jaguars 21

On the road, the Los Angeles Rams embarrassed the Seattle Seahawks with a 30-13 victory, one of the bigger surprises from Week 1.

Despite Seattle's humbling defeat, the public stands firmly behind the Seahawks, with 72 percent of the bets going to the road underdog in this matchup. Perhaps the masses expect a playoff team from the previous year to fare a lot better while faced with a 0-2 start.

Most of our panel agrees with the public, but Knox has a different take and raised a unique concern about Seahawks defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt.

"The Detroit defense won't get handed points by Kadarius Toney this week, but I like how the unit matches up with Seattle," Knox said. "The Lions can get after the quarterback, and with both of Seattle's tackles battling injuries, that's going to be a significant factor.

"The X-factor here is Devon Witherspoon. If Seattle's rookie corner (hamstring) can play and play at a high level, the Seahawks will have a better defensive showing than they did against the Rams. However, the Seahawks' reloaded defense is still coming together, and I believe that moving coordinator Clint Hurtt to the press box only adds to the learning curve. Detroit's offense is potent enough to provide a touchdown victory at home."

Predictions

Davenport: Seahawks

Gagnon: Seahawks

Hanford: Lions

Knox: Lions

Moton: Seahawks

O'Donnell: Seahawks

Sobleski: Seahawks

ATS Consensus: Seahawks +5.5

SU Consensus: Lions

Score Prediction: Lions 33, Seahawks 31

In Week 1, both of these teams suffered defeats in close losses. The Los Angeles Chargers came up short 36-34 in a scoring shootout with the Miami Dolphins, and the Tennessee Titans dropped a 16-15 defensive battle with the New Orleans Saints.

In terms of roster personnel, these clubs haven't changed much since Week 15 of the previous campaign when the Chargers beat the Titans 17-14. Hanford expects a similar matchup on Sunday and took the points with the Titans.

"Same story, different year? As three-point favorites in Week 15 last season, the Chargers pushed the result with a 17-14 win over the Titans in L.A. I'm expecting another closely fought matchup this season," Hanford said.

"The Titans boast a stellar run defense that should slow Austin Ekeler (who is also dealing with an ankle injury) and company after they racked up 234 yards on the ground in Week 1.

"Mike Vrabel's squad was 5-3-1 as underdogs ATS last season and is 23-14-1 as underdogs when it is getting points since Vrabel took over in 2018. This team likes to be overlooked. I like Ryan Tannehill to take better care of the football and the Titans to keep this within three, though I do like the Chargers to eke out the win straight up."

Predictions

Davenport: Chargers

Gagnon: Chargers

Hanford: Titans

Knox: Chargers

Moton: Chargers

O'Donnell: Chargers

Sobleski: Chargers

ATS Consensus: Chargers -3

SU Consensus: Chargers

Score Prediction: Chargers 27, Titans 21

Once again, Joe Burrow struggled against the Cleveland Browns in a Week 1 24-3 loss.

Yes, Burrow battled a calf injury during the offseason, but as a starter, he's 1-5 against the Browns. We should've known that Cleveland would come out strong against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Fortunately for the Bengals, Burrow has won three out of his four starts against the Baltimore Ravens.

Sobleski also noted Baltimore's poor fortune with injuries as a factor in his decision to back Cincinnati.

"Three factors came into play when leaning toward the Bengals," Sobleski said. "First, Joe Burrow and Co. will not play as poorly in Week 2 as they did last week against the Browns.

"Second, early weather projections don't expect a downpour like the Bengals endured in Cleveland.

"Finally, the Ravens are reeling to a degree after losing starting running back J.K. Dobbins (torn Achilles) to a season-ending injury. Safety Marcus Williams is out for an extended period of time with a pectoral injury. Meanwhile, center Tyler Linderbaum and left tackle Ronnie Stanley are currently dinged. The Bengals should be able to take advantage of these newfound shortcomings."

Predictions

Davenport: Ravens

Gagnon: Ravens

Hanford: Bengals

Knox: Bengals

Moton: Bengals

O'Donnell: Ravens

Sobleski: Bengals

ATS Consensus: Bengals -3.5

SU Consensus: Bengals

Score Prediction: Bengals 31, Ravens 27

The quarterbacks for both squads have a lot to prove this season.

On one side, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love won his first career start since the team selected him in the first round of the 2020 draft. No longer a backup to Aaron Rodgers, he shined against the Chicago Bears last week as one of three quarterbacks to throw for three touchdowns in Week 1.

As for Atlanta Falcons' second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder, he managed the game well in a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers, completing 15 out of 18 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown.

Our group picked the squad that had the more impressive quarterback in the previous week, but O'Donnell isn't quite sold on Love and sided with the home underdog.

"Trying to pick this game drove me to legitimately type 'Falckers' when making my choice. Ultimately, I landed on this: both teams are playoff hopefuls (hopefuls, one-and-done playoff team potential), particularly with the respective divisions being completely up for grabs and devoid of a dominant team. I see the Packers as the better overall side with a defense and run game that can protect them against similarly talented opponents.

"In theory, I should be taking the points. But as a forever Jordan Love skeptic, I'm not yet there in believing he can deliver strong back-to-back performances. I'm no Desmond Ridder truther either, but I'll opt for the home team with a less-than-field-goal spread between two evenly matched squads."

Predictions

Davenport: Packers

Gagnon: Packers

Hanford: Packers

Knox: Packers

Moton: Falcons

O'Donnell: Falcons

Sobleski: Packers

ATS Consensus: Packers -1.5

SU Consensus: Packers

Score Prediction: Packers 27, Falcons 24

The Chicago Bears set off some alarm bells with a 38-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers has routinely beat the Bears, and his successor, Jordan Love, followed in his footsteps with a solid outing thanks in part to a defense that gave him short fields.

Love went 15-of-27 passing for 245 yards and three touchdowns against the Bears, and the Packers defense forced two turnovers.

Most of our panel believes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can copy the Packers' winning formula with efficiency in the passing game and a stout defense. Knox spoke on behalf of the group consensus.

"This could easily be the week in which things start to click for Justin Fields and the Bears' new-look offense," Knox said. "However, the Buccaneers defense presents a very tough challenge in Tampa. The Buccaneers allowed Justin Jefferson to go off in Week 1 but still limited Minnesota to 17 points.

"While DJ Moore and Darnell Mooney are a solid receiver tandem, Chicago doesn't have a playmaker of Jefferson's caliber. The Bears defense looked as inconsistent in Week 1 as it did in 2022, and Baker Mayfield has enough command of Dave Canales' offense to take advantage. I don't think this will be a blowout, but it's a small line, and I see Tampa moving to 2-0."

Predictions

Davenport: Buccaneers

Gagnon: Bears

Hanford: Buccaneers

Knox: Buccaneers

Moton: Buccaneers

O'Donnell: Bears

Sobleski: Bears

ATS Consensus: Buccaneers -3

SU Consensus: Buccaneers

Score Prediction: Buccaneers 19, Bears 14

After a 22-16 overtime loss to the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen took the blame for the team's defeat when he spoke to reporters.

Allen threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. He clearly understands how his turnovers changed the game. The Bills' dynamic signal-caller must balance his playmaking ability with smarter decisions in the pocket to avoid giving away games.

Allen will face a Las Vegas Raiders defense that features several new starters compared to the previous season.

Moton has concerns about the Raiders pass rush and its ability to speed up Allen's questionable decision-making process.

"If this line swells back to a 10-point spread, the Raiders would get the benefit of the doubt as underdogs, but at 8.5, the Bills should be able to cover against a team with a lackluster pass rush. Aside from Maxx Crosby, Vegas doesn't have anyone else who can consistently force Allen to make poor or hurried decisions from the pocket.

"Even though the Raiders beat the Broncos 17-16 in Week 1, they allowed Russell Wilson to stand in the pocket for an average of 2.7 seconds per dropback before he threw the ball or felt pressure, which tied for the fifth-longest time across the league.

"Allen put the Bills' loss to the Jets squarely on his shoulders. He'll turn down more of those hero-ball throws downfield for short passes and throwaways on Sunday, which will limit the Raiders' opportunities to capitalize off turnovers.

"The Bills rebound from a divisional loss with a 10-point victory at home."

Predictions

Davenport: Raiders

Gagnon: Raiders

Hanford: Bills

Knox: Bills

Moton: Bills

O'Donnell: Bills

Sobleski: Raiders

ATS Consensus: Bills -8.5

SU Consensus: Bills

Score Prediction: Bills 31, Raiders 21

The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts picked their quarterbacks of the present and hopefully the future in this year's draft. In this matchup, we'll get a glimpse of what could become a rivalry between a couple of young signal-callers for years to come.

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson had a more impressive regular-season debut than Houston Texans signal-caller C.J. Stroud. The former went 24-of-37 passing for 223 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 40 yards along with a score while the latter completed 28 out of 44 pass attempts for 242 yards.

Sobleski favors the Colts in essentially a pick 'em game because of how their coaching staff has helped Richardson's transition into the NFL; he still has concerns about Stroud's early development.

"This meeting of two division rivals will revolve primarily around their rookie quarterbacks and which one of them makes the fewest mistakes," Sobleski said.

"In Week 1, the Colts' Anthony Richardson outplayed his classmates. He did so, in part, because of a strong game plan with tempo that simplified his reads and allowed him to be a part of the ground game. The Texans' C.J. Stroud struggled to see the field a little more. Now, the latter will face Gus Bradley's defense, which made life difficult for Trevor Lawrence last week.

"This first meeting between these top-four draft picks should be fun, but Richardson has the edge based on the Colts' approach compared to the Texans' plan for Stroud."

Predictions

Davenport: Colts

Gagnon: Texans

Hanford: Texans

Knox: Colts

Moton: Colts

O'Donnell: Colts

Sobleski: Colts

ATS Consensus: Colts -1

SU Consensus: Colts

Score Prediction: Colts 24, Texans 21

In Week 1, both these teams scored 30 points to make a strong first impression for the 2023 campaign, though the Los Angeles Rams exceeded expectations in their blowout win over the Seattle Seahawks.

Leading up to the Rams-Seahawks matchup, wide receiver DK Metcalf said he didn't know the name of anyone in Los Angeles' secondary. Well, he certainly found out in a humbling 17-point loss.

The Rams slowed down a top-10 scoring team that made the playoffs from the previous season and then added a couple of skill players (wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and running back Zach Charbonnet) in the first two rounds of this year's draft. Yet one has to wonder if Los Angeles' young defense can match that performance against a Super Bowl contender.

In 2022, the 49ers beat the Rams with a combined score of 55-23 in two outings, which swayed the opinion of most of our panel because Matthew Stafford played in both games.

On the flip side, Gagnon isn't quite a believer in Brock Purdy, who hasn't started in a game against the Rams.

"This number is just too big considering that I still don't trust Purdy," Gagnon said. "The Rams played well without Cooper Kupp in Week 1 and can absolutely keep this within a touchdown."

Predictions

Davenport: 49ers

Gagnon: Rams

Hanford: 49ers

Knox: 49ers

Moton: 49ers

O'Donnell: Rams

Sobleski: 49ers

ATS Consensus: 49ers -7.5

SU Consensus: 49ers

Score Prediction: 49ers 30, Rams 16

The New York Giants took the most brutal Week 1 loss, and to make matters worse, their divisional rivals handed it to them.

The Dallas Cowboys scored 40, and their defense shut out the Giants at MetLife Stadium in the prime-time Sunday Night Football slot.

In a dominant victory, the Cowboys exposed New York's major flaws, particularly its poor pass protection. On top of that, the Giants' best offensive lineman, left tackle Andrew Thomas, could miss time with a hamstring injury. On Sunday, New York will face the Arizona Cardinals, who sacked Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell six times.

This isn't a "gimme game" for the Giants, though O'Donnell expects them to respond well in an early must-win scenario.

"Good grief, Giants. When this season's schedule was released, this matchup screamed 'trap game' assuming Brian Daboll's team actually took the field in its Week 1 tilt with Dallas. That's out the window after Big Blue suffered a historically disappointing defeat. Daboll and the Giants aren't just backed into a corner here; they're already fighting for their lives, and it's only Week 2.

"This isn't a trap game anymore. This is a must-win game for the Giants—a win-or-go-home game—a season-defining opportunity against arguably the least talented football team in the NFL. They must right the ship in dominant fashion, covering the spread, because on the other side of this matchup is a short week Thursday night game against the current Super Bowl favorite (per DraftKings) San Francisco 49ers.

"The Giants will win and cover because they simply must do so, or they can start looking at the 2024 draft class."

Predictions

Davenport: Giants

Gagnon: Cardinals

Hanford: Giants

Knox: Giants

Moton: Giants

O'Donnell: Giants

Sobleski: Cardinals

ATS Consensus: Giants -5.5

SU Consensus: Giants

Score Prediction: Giants 24, Cardinals 17

In Week 1, the Denver Broncos went down in a 17-16 home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Washington Commanders eked out a 20-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals at FedEx Field.

Neither of these teams showed its fans a lot offensively, so we'll likely see a defensive battle in this matchup.

Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson looks lighter on his feet while on the move, but he's not going to threaten defenses with a ton of big plays. Yet our crew sided with Denver because Commanders quarterback Sam Howell's inexperience in his third career start could lead to trouble against a stout defensive unit.

However, Davenport isn't going to get "hooked" with what may be a low-scoring game.

"It's always such a joy to provide commentary on a game that feels like it should be sponsored by Cologuard. The Commanders tried their best to lose to the Arizona Cardinals' JV team last week (not that the varsity squad is good), and the Broncos offense looked under Sean Payton a lot like it did under Nathaniel Hackett—which is to say offensive. Russell Wilson's 5.2 yards per attempt against a bad Raiders secondary in Week 1 is more than two yards lower than his season-long average last year (7.3).

"Denver will probably win this game late, if only because Washington's offense isn't measurably better. But I'm not laying the hook with a team that won't throw the ball more than seven yards downfield. What year is this?"

Predictions

Davenport: Commanders

Gagnon: Broncos

Hanford: Commanders

Knox: Broncos

Moton: Broncos

O'Donnell: Broncos

Sobleski: Broncos

ATS Consensus: Broncos -3.5

SU Consensus: Broncos

Score Prediction: Broncos 21, Commanders 16

The New York Jets' offseason buzz evaporated once quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles four plays into their Week 1 matchup with the Buffalo Bills, but they still pulled out a 22-16 victory in overtime thanks to undrafted rookie wide receiver Xavier Gipson's punt return for a touchdown.

Rodgers will miss the remainder of the season, and the Jets have named Zach Wilson their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.

Moton doesn't like the Jets' chances of covering a massive spread with Wilson under center against the Dallas Cowboys, who blanked the New York Giants 40-0 in Week 1.

"The Jets showed their resilience in a 22-16 overtime win over the Bills, but they won't be able to keep pace with a more disciplined Cowboys squad. Yes, quarterback Dak Prescott tied Davis Mills for most interceptions (15) last season, but Dallas may field the only defense that's better than the Jets' unit.

"Furthermore, unlike the Bills, the Cowboys have a solid ground attack that features Pro Bowl running back Tony Pollard, who averaged five yards per carry against the Giants in Week 1.

"Prescott just needs to protect the football, avoid the boneheaded mistakes that Allen made last week and hand the ball off to Pollard. The Cowboys will likely load the box against the Jets running backs and force Wilson to beat them, and he won't be able to do it.

"Gang Green's defense will keep Dallas under 30 points, but the Jets may not score more than 10 points against the Cowboys' stingy unit."

Predictions

Davenport: Cowboys

Gagnon: Cowboys

Hanford: Cowboys

Knox: Cowboys

Moton: Cowboys

O'Donnell: Cowboys

Sobleski: Cowboys

ATS Consensus: Cowboys -9

SU Consensus: Cowboys

Score Prediction: Cowboys 23, Jets 10

In the previous meeting between these two teams, the Miami Dolphins started Teddy Bridgewater in place of Tua Tagovailoa (concussion protocol), but he left the game with a finger injury, which thrust then-rookie Skylar Thompson into action. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots had a former defensive coordinator in Matt Patricia calling plays for their offense.

We cannot use that contest as a measuring stick for what's going to transpire between these clubs in this week's Sunday Night Football game.

Moton took the new variables into account, and he sided with the Dolphins' ascending offense over a well-coached Patriots defense.

"As usual, the Patriots have a respectable defense under head coach Bill Belichick and his assistants. Last week, against the Philadelphia Eagles, they gave up 251 total yards, which ranks ninth across the league after Week 1.

"However, the Patriots faced an Eagles squad with two new coordinators. On Sunday night, they'll face the Dolphins, who have a new defensive coordinator in Vic Fangio but carry over the same offensive system from the 2022 campaign.

"Based on the Dolphins' 36-34 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa looks comfortable in Year 2 under head coach and offensive play-caller Mike McDaniel. He leads the league in passing yards (466) and yards per completion (16.6).

"While Patriots quarterback Mac Jones played well in his first game with Bill O'Brien as his offensive coordinator, throwing for 316 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, the Patriots won't be able to keep pace with Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and the Dolphins' prolific aerial attack. Miami wins by a field goal."

Predictions

Davenport: Dolphins

Gagnon: Dolphins

Hanford: Dolphins

Knox: Dolphins

Moton: Dolphins

O'Donnell: Dolphins

Sobleski: Dolphins

ATS Consensus: Dolphins -2.5

SU Consensus: Dolphins

Score Prediction: Dolphins 28, Patriots 24

Rookie quarterback Bryce Young will get a look at a division opponent in consecutive weeks. In a 24-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, he went 20-of-38 passing for 146 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Falcons safety Jessie Bates III picked him off twice.

In Week 2, Young will face arguably a tougher secondary with four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore on the boundary and versatile three-time All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu lurking in various areas of the field.

Though Young may be headed for another rough outing, Gagnon has reservations about the New Orleans Saints after they failed to cover a three-point spread in a 16-15 win over the Tennessee Titans.

"How can anyone feel great about the Saints right now? That was sloppy in Week 1 and now they're on the road against a Panthers team that is every bit as talented on paper. With that hook at home, this is a no-brainer for Carolina," Gagnon wrote.

Last week, the Saints scored one touchdown, settled for two field goals and knelt to end the game in four red-zone trips. With that level of offensive inefficiency, we can understand why Gagnon went against the group to pick the Panthers.

Predictions

Davenport: Saints

Gagnon: Panthers

Hanford: Saints

Knox: Saints

Moton: Saints

O'Donnell: Saints

Sobleski: Saints

ATS Consensus: Saints -3.5

SU Consensus: Saints

Score Prediction: Saints 22, Panthers 16

In Week 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers took a 30-7 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The Steelers looked overmatched on both sides of the ball, and they'll have to bounce back against a division rival on Monday night without a couple of key starters.

On a brighter note, the Steelers have won three of their last four meetings with the Cleveland Browns with double-digit win margins in two of those outings.

Despite Pittsburgh's recent edge over Cleveland, Hanford took the Browns in large part because of the Steelers' injury woes.

"The Steelers lost more than just the game to the 49ers in Week 1. Cameron Heyward is set to miss an extended period of time with a groin injury. Diontae Johnson looks likely to miss up to four weeks with a hamstring injury. Steelers starting RT Chukwuma Okorafor is in the concussion protocol. If Okorafor misses this week, starting LT Dan Moore Jr. (who graded as PFF's worst OT in the NFL last week) would likely bump to the right side and prized rookie Broderick Jones would get his first start at LT and deal with Myles Garrett in his welcome-to-the-NFL moment.

"AFC North division rivalry games are more often than not knock 'em down, drag 'em out matchups, and this one will be no different. I wouldn't expect a lot of points to be scored. The Browns made life miserable for Joe Burrow last week, and I'm expecting them to do the same to Kenny Pickett. The Steelers defense will really feel the loss of Heyward with Nick Chubb primed for a big game on the ground. I like the Browns to cover the two points in a win here."

Predictions

Davenport: Steelers

Gagnon: Steelers

Hanford: Browns

Knox: Browns

Moton: Browns

O'Donnell: Steelers

Sobleski: Browns

ATS Consensus: Browns -2

SU Consensus: Browns

Score Prediction: Browns 21, Steelers 17

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