Packers (2-0) at Bears (1-1)
Sunday, 4:15 p.m.
Line: Packers 3.
Jay Cutler is a 50-Tesla, super-cooled, solenoid-style electromagnet for criticism. He can attract scorn from hundreds of miles away. Everything about Cutler’s career is polarizing: the gaudy statistics that contrast his 35-35 win-loss record; his penchant for turnovers; his snippy, irritable public demeanor; and his career-long association with mercurial offensive masterminds like Mike Shanahan, Josh McDaniels and Mike Martz, who only magnify his peculiar attraction-repulsion effect.
Last season’s N.F.C. championship game became Ferris Cutler’s Day Off, with the (somewhat) injured quarterback looking less willing than able on the sideline as his backups got battered by the Packers. It was the type of nonperformance that defines a career, fairly or not, and a win Sunday could deflect a tiny bit of criticism. Unfortunately, Cutler’s Bears are 1-4 against the Packers in the past two seasons, and their offensive line is still bad enough to make even the toughest quarterback consider using a sick day. Pick: Packers
Texans (2-0) at Saints (1-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m.
Line: Saints by 4.
Had the Texans faced the Saints last year, Drew Brees would have thrown for 600 yards. Houston’s defense has improved drastically since then. The coordinator Wade Philips has apparently grown smarter since leaving the Cowboys (it’s a common phenomenon), and newcomers like cornerback Johnathan Joseph and the rookie defensive lineman J.J. Watt have helped the star pass rusher Mario Williams make an early impact. The Texans rank first in the N.F.L. in pass defense, though the Dolphins’ defeatist attack and the Colts’ “Men of a Certain Age” offense did not offer the kind of test the Texans face this week.
The Saints offense is just like it was in previous years, only moreso: the arrivals of running backs Darren Sproles and Mark Ingram have more than offset the loss of the injured receiver Marques Colston. The offense no longer gets much attention because a) we are used to it and b) offensive production around the league is so high that Brees can complete 67.4 percent of his passes and throw for six touchdowns in two weeks without attracting notice. The first team to score 30 points will win this game, but at least the Texans defense is now good enough to keep that from happening before halftime. Pick: Saints
Giants (1-1) at Eagles (1-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m.
Line: Eagles by 7.
For Philadelphia, Dream Team is not a boast but a descriptor. The Eagles’ games follow the disjointed logic of the subconscious, each one a fantasia of improbable joys and unspeakable terrors jumbled together in a neurotic heap. In the fourth quarter, a fellow named Kafka arrives to make it clear that you have left the physical world for some existential realm, though Nietzsche may be more appropriate: when you gaze into the abyss, you realize that it is the middle of the Eagle defense, and Ahmad Bradshaw could easily run straight through it for a 60-yard gain.
The Giants do not expect to see the backup quarterback Mike Kafka on Sunday; Michael Vick (concussion) made progress during the week and is capable of producing much more tangible nightmares. Memories of the Eagles’ comeback last season are fresh for the Giants, and while punter Steve Weatherford has vowed to kick the ball where he is told (i.e. nowhere near DeSean Jackson in the fourth quarter), nothing in dreams or Eagles games happens quite the way you expect it to. Pick: Eagles
Falcons (1-1) at Buccaneers (1-1)
Sunday, 4:15 p.m.
Line: Buccaneers by 1.
When the former Falcons punter-kickoff specialist Michael Koenen signed a $19.5 million contract with Tampa Bay, it appeared that the league’s general managers had grown a little lockout-loopy and wanted to spend big money on anyone, even a punter-kickoff specialist, just to get the tingle back. But as ESPN.com noted this week, the Buccaneers’ move has paid dividends. Koenen is averaging 49.5 yards per punt, and his two kickoffs that weren’t touchbacks were returned a total of 17 yards. He also executed a successful onside kick. His rookie replacement in Atlanta, Matt Bosher, shanked an 18-yard punt against the Eagles and is one of the few kickoff specialists in the league who cannot consistently produce touchbacks.
Bosher costs the Falcons almost $3 million less than Koenen, but four of the last five games between these teams have been decided by a touchdown or less, so trading a lot of money for a little field position could come back to haunt them. Pick: Buccaneers
Steelers (1-1) at Colts (0-2)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m.
Line: Steelers by 10.
Opinions on how the Colts should address their quarterback problem correspond directly to the speaker or writer’s overarching philosophical stance. The optimist waits for Peyton Manning to return. (“He will return. He must return.”) The pessimist wants to give up and draft Andrew Luck. (“This era is over. Can’t you see it’s over?”) The pragmatist looks to the young backup Curtis Painter. (“Let’s use this opportunity to evaluate some prospects.”) The realist advocates sticking with Kerry Collins. (“There are no viable solutions, so we might as well get our $4 million worth.”) The nihilist wants to call Brett Favre. (“The season is ruined, so why not destroy hope and sanity as well?”) The cynic comments on all of the others from above the fray, mocking their opinions but offering no viable alternatives, and profiting from the enterprise. Pick: Steelers
Patriots (2-0) at Bills (2-0)
Sunday, 1 p.m.
Line: Patriots by 8.
The Patriots lead the league with 563 yards per game, but the Bills lead the N.F.L. in scoring with 79 points. Both teams are on pace to break offensive records set by the Patriots during their 2007 Year of Hubris, but while the Patriots do this sort of thing all the time, the Bills are still figuring out how to cope with success. Both quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and receiver Steve Johnson become free agents at the end of the season, and every time they connect for a touchdown, it raises their market value to too-expensive-for-Buffalo heights. Pick: Patriots
Jaguars (1-1) at Panthers (0-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m.
Line: Panthers by 3.
Rookie watchers alert: Blaine Gabbert makes the first start of his N.F.L. career this week. He is already a dozen laps behind Cam Newton in the rookie of the year race; not only does Newton lead the Panthers in passing and rushing, but he also leads an offense that ranks second in the league to the Patriots in net yards. Gabbert had to wait for his chance behind the ineffective journeyman Luke McCown, who replaced David Garrard, who was released just days before the season opener in a money-saving move. It is the kind of disorderly succession we normally associate with island nations ruled by individuals with the official title of “strong man,” but this is really how the Jaguars conduct business. Pick: Panthers
Broncos (1-1) at Titans (1-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m.
Line: Titans by 6.
Random fact: the Titans have not yet returned a kickoff this year, while the Broncos have not yet allowed a kickoff return. Broncos kicker Matt Prater is 10 for 10 on touchbacks, but this is his first trip out of the rocket propulsion laboratory in Denver this season, so he is due to send one less than 70 yards. Mark Mariani is theoretically the Titans’ kickoff returner, though the team may want to consider Chris Johnson (probable, ribs), who is averaging 2.3 yards per carry after signing a $53 million contract and needs to start making some positive contributions. Pick: Titans
Lions (2-0) at Vikings (0-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m.
Line: Lions by 3.
The Vikings have outscored opponents, 34-7, in the first half this season, only to be outscored, 41-3, in the second. Strange personnel decisions have hurt them late in games. The injury-prone receiver Percy Harvin has become the porcelain tea service that is too precious to actually use: he often leaves the game in critical situations so that he will be available for hypothetical even-more-critical situations that never come. The Lions have a chance to make a statement this week. That statement is “beating the Chiefs really does count.” Pick: Lions
Dolphins (0-2) at Browns (1-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m.
Line: Browns by 2.
The Dolphins’ early-season woes transcend bad play and bad luck. The issue is now bad posture. “It’s a body-language thing,” safety Yeremiah Bell told The Palm Beach Post. “If you’ve got bad body language, that’s not a good sign.” Coaches have spent the week stressing to Dolphins receivers that they should not curl into the fetal position after incomplete passes. Pick: Browns
49ers (1-1) at Bengals (1-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m.
Line: Bengals by 2.
The 49ers needed two special-teams touchdowns to beat the merrily bumbling Seahawks, then fell victim to Romo: the Resurrection in an overtime loss to the Cowboys. With their stout defense, exceptional kicking game and nearlyadequate offense, the 49ers are arguably the best team in the N.F.C. West. If fainter praise exists, you do not want to be damned by it. Pick: Bengals
Jets (2-0) at Raiders (1-1)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
Line: Jets by 3.
Stop us if you have heard this before: the Raiders have an exciting new rookie wide receiver, a former high school track champion with iffy football fundamentals. This time it’s Denarius Moore, who has five catches for a whopping 146 yards this season. He also gained 25 yards on a reverse, because the Raiders cannot count on Jason Campbell to throw the ball to wide receivers and therefore often ask him to hand it to them. These Raiders burners have a way of burning out after a game or two. After his trip to Revis Island, Moore will still be the Raiders’ top receiver. With five catches for 146 yards. Pick: Jets
Ravens (1-1) at Rams (0-2)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
Line: Ravens by 3.
The Rams are 1 of 5 on red-zone conversions this year, but the way they screw up near the goal line makes them compelling to watch. They drive effortlessly down the field, get inside the 20-yard line, then turn and pitch the ball straight backward so opposing defenders can scoop and score. The laterals to nowhere are interspersed with bouts of crippling stage fright at around the 5-yard line, with Sam Bradford spraying passes outside the diving reach of his receivers. The possible return of the powerful running back Steven Jackson (day-to-day, thigh) could help; when your your top red-zone weapons are guys like Greg Salas, the urge to just heave the ball away in frustration must be powerful. Pick: Ravens
Chiefs (0-2) at Chargers (1-1)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
Line: Chargers by 14.
Last week, we explored Bill Belichick’s perpetual post-victory grouchiness. This week, we bathe in the eternal sunshine of Norv Turner’s mind after losing to Belichick’s Patriots. “I’m so excited about our football team,” Turner said before channeling Ernie (Let’s Play Two) Banks. “Obviously, when you have a game like this, you can’t wait to go play again.” Obviously; who wouldn’t want to relive the magic of a four-turnover 35-21 loss? It is always sunny in San Diego, and in Turner’s psyche, because the Chargers do look great when not making mistakes in the red zone, and the A.F.C West gets weaker every time Todd Haley makes a decision. Pick: Chargers
Cardinals (1-1) at Seahawks (0-2)
Sunday, 4:15 p.m.
Line: Cardinals by 3.
The Seahawks’ offensive highlight reel is so short that it is a subliminal message. The team averages just 3.8 yards per pass attempt, which ranks 31st in the N.F.L. (or dead last if you no longer count the Chiefs). The running game produces just 2.7 yards per carry, so at least no one can point fingers. The Cardinals have allowed 713 passing yards to Cam Newton and Rex Grossman in the first two games, so if the Seahawks cannot get something going this week, they never will. Pick: Cardinals
Redskins (2-0) at Cowboys (1-1)
Monday, 8:30 p.m.
Line: Cowboys 5.
Tony Romo led the Cowboys to an overtime victory last week over the 49ers despite cracked ribs and a punctured lung. In light of this effort, we would like to apologize for a few of our slights against Romo’s toughness over the years: wise-cracking about Cabo vacations, mistaking Carrie Underwood songs for scouting reports and so on. Rex Grossman may also someday merit an apology, but let’s wait for him to go two straight weeks without a two-interception game before we get carried away. Pick: Cowboys
Times are Eastern. Picks do not reflect the betting line.
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