S46 Week 2 Predictions: The AFC South Takes Center Stage
Realized today that I really need to write these articles a couple (in-game) weeks in advance so I don’t ever get caught missing entire swaths of games based on my personal availability. So welcome to week 2, even though for me week 1 hasn’t even started yet! Congrats on your wins, sorry about your losses, man [insert user here] looks like they could go for it all this year! Idk. ChatGPT could at least make up results for me next time.
Hero’s Packers v. Ben’s Falcons
What a fun stylistic contract here! A user who has defined himself as one of if not the best of the past two cycles based on relentless efficiency featuring a run-heavy style vs. someone who has the capability of an EXPLOSIVE offense but also is liable for a couple mistakes even on his best days. I hope I was wrong and Ben beat Tim, cause losing that and then facing Hero week 2 would be about as rough of a start to the year as you could cook up. Packers roll.
Packers 41, Falcons 24
Samoan’s Raiders v. Little’s Bills
Maaaaaaan would it be funny if Little actually lost to Matt week 1 like I predicted. Too bad I don’t know in the moment! I’m not getting too cute here, even though I expect this to be a competitive game I default to one of the best and most consistent regular season users the league has ever seen.
Bills 38, Raiders 28
Cody’s Ravens v. Austin’s Bengals
Another absolute banger AFCN matchup! Rough for Austin that he starts the cycle with Hooty and Cody back-to-back, but I’m sure he wouldn’t want it any other way. Though I have Cody as my Super Bowl pick (something I’ll only bring up 30 more times in these articles) I have Austin torching a suspect Ravens secondary that drops off hard after Marlon Humphrey.
Bengals 35, Ravens 31
Allen’s Seahawks v. Gamble’s Lions
I hate for Gamble that he started the cycle with Troy and Allen. Just a tough break. Gamble will keep this competitive for a half, but at the end of it all we know where this is going.
Seahawks 42, Lions 20
Kook’s Colts v. Kiing’s Texans
Kook’s in a very interesting scheduling spot here with games against Byron and Kiing to open the season up. The narrative on Kook will shift drastically depending on the results of these two games, and you could very easily see him starting 2-0 or 0-2. Both winnable, both divisional, and if he’s able to sweep them the league will take notice. I say all of that but I have him starting a perfectly average and unexciting 1-1, as Dameon Pierce will carry Kiing to success here.
Texans 31, Colts 21
Monk’s Chiefs v. Byron’s Jaguars
I said in the Bettercast that I probably know less about Byron than any other user, and this is a matchup I will be keeping a close eye on to help me learn. Home game against a solid but not dominant Troy coming off an early divisional test, these are the sorts of games that determine the trajectory of your season. A blowout loss would cause me to write off Byron’s chances of squeaking into a stacked AFC wild card. I worry that’s what’s coming.
Chiefs 38, Jaguars 17
Cmass’s Bears v. Dan’s Bucs
Fun one! Very fun one. I expect both of these users to be 0-1 coming into it, and we know the success rate of users starting 0-2 and making the playoffs in the modern iteration of BL is not great. I would love to know who on this Bears secondary is checking Mike Evans. Jaylon Johnson maybe? Everyone else would get torched, and frankly I don’t love Johnson’s chances either. Bucs win a shootout.
Buccaneers 45, Bears 35
Warren’s Chargers v. Steel’s Titans
This would have been a competitive game at this point last cycle! I just don’t think Steel has enough juice here. That’s not to discredit him, there are very few users I’d bet on straight up against Warren right now, but I also think Steel’s fallen off a bit from his peak in M22 and early 23.
Chargers 38, Titans 20
Cam’s Giants v. Ptown’s Cardinals
(Slight) upset watch! I think Cam is a bad matchup stylistically for Ptown, as all of the elements of Madden Ptown struggles with in my opinion exactly line up with what Cam tries to turn every game into. A grindfest of a game where you need 12-play drives to succeed is not what Ptown needs in this game, and I suspect Cam has the ability to turn this game into exactly that. Giants by a couple touchdowns.
Giants 31, Cardinals 17
Morty9ers v. Nick’s Rams
I could see Morty fucking around and letting Nick hang around in this one for longer than you would expect on offense, but I also have no clue what Nick’s path is to more than like 13 points against this vicious 9ers defense. I love this 49ers team match for Morty because even on days where he may be turnover-prone, the defense will keep him in just about every game. I expect an ugly one that Morty’s ultimately able to pull away in.
49ers 35, Rams 10
Matt’s Jets v. Alex’s Cowboys
I will not do the same Rudy underdog speech that I did for the Matt-Little game. This is a matchup where I could easily see Matt self-combusting and throwing 5 picks, as he needs chunk plays to be available for his offense to flow and Alex is better than just about anyone in the league at preventing the chunk play.
Cowboys 31, Jets 13
Justin’s Commanders v. Phil’s Broncos
This actually might be the single game I’m most interested in in week 2 (yes, more than Cody-Austin) as I think it will tell us the most about both users’ competitiveness season 1. Should be a grindfest, should be toxic, should be a war. I wish this wasn’t a week 2 game cause I’d like more datapoints (any, really) to give a more informed prediction here, but I think we’ll see more of a pre-reboot Justin here and he takes it in a close one.
Commanders 28, Broncos 24
Niko’s Dolphins v. Bos’s Patriots
Ok league! Y’all had Niko and Bos tied for 3rd in the preseason poll! This should be close! Frankly I expect it to be close too, and am excited to see how Niko utilizes the bomb threats of Hill and Waddle against a secondary that truthfully might be the best aspect of this Patriot’s team. Gonzalez v. Waddle, early test for the rook!
Patriots 30, Dolphins 21
Lucky’s Saints v. Tim’s Panthers
Ok, I expect THIS one to be a FW. Tuff.
Duhooty’s Browns v. Wohzi’s Steelers.
Time to back up the talk, Wohzi. We just had a winnable, if not exactly easy game against Morty and now you get your first of many divisional games against one of three of the best users the league has ever seen. I love the spice and I love the confidence, would rather see that any day over someone whining about how hard the div is, but now we need to see it on the field.
Browns 41, Steelers 14 ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2byanyY4rs )