What Bettors Need to Know for NFL Week 2, 2020

Tom Brady looked sluggish, Aaron Rodgers was dropping dimes, and the Baker Mayfield still has a long, long way to go. The Eagles and Lions completely blew it, while Cardinals and Raiders seized opportunities on the road.

There’s a lot you can learn from a quick recap of week 1, but don’t hang your hat on every storyline you encounter.

It’s time to wipe the slate clean and look ahead.

Here are 6 things NFL bettors should know going into week 2.

I’m rooting for Joe Burrow to succeed as much as anyone, but I understand it’s going to take some time until the Bengals offense can fall into a rhythm. Simply put, the 295 total yards they amassed versus the Chargers aren’t going to cut it.

The Browns offense was even more inefficient scoring just six points and turning the football over three times. They converted just 3/12 third downs and committed eight penalties, and here’s the stat that jumps out.

The Bengals and the Browns were the only 2 teams that failed to reach the red zone at least twice in week 1. All of a sudden, that “under 43.5” bet is starting to smell pretty fragrant.

Not having Von Miller already puts the Denver defense behind the eight ball in Pittsburgh. Ed Donatell’s unit catches a break with the Steelers losing both their right tackle and right guard to season-ending injuries, but Pitt’s offense runs like a well-oiled machine as long as Big Ben is under center.

Look for the Broncos to struggle to get off the field, just as they did in week 1.

Case in point – Denver’s defense was on the field for 78 snaps against the Titans – the second most of and D in the league. Taking a beating from Derrick Henry on Monday night doesn’t exactly bode well for their week 2 affair.

Noah Davis loves Green Bay and even he backed Detroit in his Lions vs. Packers pick. For whatever reason, Aaron Rodgers and his crew have struggled against Detroit in recent years. The Lions won four straight meetings against the Pack before losing both games in 2019 by a combined four points.

GB’s offense was firing on all cylinders in week 1, and credit to A-Rod for coming out guns blazing.

Aaron Rodgers 96.0 PFF grade was the highest week 1 grade by a QB since 2011 ?

The Aaron Rodgers revenge tour is officially underway pic.twitter.com/0AVUZTrdXM

— PFF (@PFF) September 15, 2020

At the same time, Matthew Stafford has some unfinished business to tend to after letting one slip away versus the Bears. Remember, the Packers defense was far from sufficient last Sunday, and in fact, was downright terrible.

Green Bay surrendered 6.1 yards per rush and 8 yards per play – both ranking dead last among all 32 teams.

How poorly did the Texans offensive line perform in week 1?

Deshaun Watson was pressured on a whopping 60% of his dropbacks and was sacked four times. No other quarterback faced pressure more than 34% of the time.

To make matters worse, the Ravens are a “blitz-happy” group that has speed and power coming off both edges. Don Martindale led the NFL in blitz % in 2019, and he picked up right where he left off blitzing more often than any other team in week 1.

Bill O’Brien needs to shore things up quickly or Baltimore is going to make Houston look like a pretty inept squad.

Ryan Fitzpatrick fumbled and was picked three times versus the Patriots. The running game averaged a paltry 3.2 yards/rush. DeVante Parker got banged up, and even if he plays in week 2, he won’t be at full strength.

After a borderline offensive performance from this offense in New England, don’t expect the tide to turn against the Bills.

Buffalo’s secondary is lights out, and their front seven is equally as ferocious. Hence, Sam Darnold was only able to push the ball down the field for an average of 5.3 yards per throw (29^th in the NFL in week 1).

Given how much Buffalo loves to blitz, Fitzpatrick will be forced into rushing his decisions.

Add that all up and laying 5.5 points isn’t all that bad.

Michael Thomas is expected to miss several weeks with a high-ankle injury, per @TomPelissero, @RapSheet pic.twitter.com/tW4OIFjGdq

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 15, 2020

3 catches for 17 yards sure didn’t look like the same guy who turned in the most prolific season by a wide receiver in the history of the league. However, beating the Buccaneers by double-digits withstanding Michael Thomas’ subdued output reminds you how well-rounded the Saints offense is.

Alvin Kamara can do it all and Jared Cook is an explosive tight end. Emmanuel Sanders is going to become more integrated into the game plan, and it’s quite apparent that Taysom Hill is a straight beast.

Nevertheless, the main reason Drew Brees can breathe a sigh of relief in week 2 (without the services of Thomas) is due to the leaky back end of the Raiders defense. For crying out loud, Damon Arnette allowed a perfect passer rating in week 1 to a guy who was wearing two gloves.

Now the rookie is facing Drew Brees in a prime time spot on Monday Night Football.

Yikes.