The NFL has done a great job with prime-time games in the first two weeks of the 2025 season. But they definitely built Sunday afternoon around the Super Bowl 59 rematch as I’m not sure a single other game on the schedule will be between teams who both make the playoffs this year.
In fact, some are already claiming the Chiefs are going to miss the playoffs this year after Week 1. It’s a classic overreaction to a Week 1 divisional loss in a one-score game, something the Chiefs haven’t lost since Christmas 2023 to the Raiders. Since that day, the Chiefs have lost just three games total with starters, but they are going into Sunday’s litmus test at their weakest point with Rashee Rice (suspended) and Xavier Worthy (dislocated shoulder) out, Jalen Carter (spitter) back in for the Eagles, and Patrick Mahomes is going to have to make some special plays to keep it competitive this time.
We could be staring down the first 3-game losing streak of the Mahomes era, and the Chiefs haven’t had a lead in back-to-back games (Super Bowl 59 and Brazil) for the first time in his career too. Expect the takes to amplify this week if they lose, but what a statement game if they do find a way to generate some heat on Jalen Hurts and win at home. The fact they’re only a 1.5-point underdog is a testament to how competitive Mahomes is, but this is one of the most mismatched games of his career.
I had a narrative all planned out that the Chiefs would start 0-2 with one-score losses to the Chargers and Eagles before getting Rice back and going on a run to still win 11-12 games. I’m sticking with it. I just hope the game is close and worth watching after what happened in February, but at least they don’t have a guard trying to play tackle this time. They have a bad tackle trying to play guard though (Kingsley).
Final: Eagles 23, Chiefs 20 after a Jake Elliott field goal late
I’ll have a special article out next week for Mahomes’ 30th birthday, looking back and looking ahead at his career.
This week’s articles:
- 2025 NFL Quarterback Rankings Week 2: If Your QB Isn’t a Demon, You’re Not Winning the AFC – Back to doing my weekly QB rankings
- Scott’s Seven NFL Picks: Week 2 – Parlays for PHI-KC and MNF doubleheader, and I like the Lions to beat up on Ben Johnson’s Bears and prove everything’s okay (for now) in Detroit. Also a DK Metcalf revenge game vs. Seattle.
NFL Week 2 Predictions
My Packers, my Super Bowl pick again, took care of Washington on Thursday night. That may have been the least effective game of Jayden Daniels’ career as that defense is thriving right now with Micah Parsons.
Can we trust the Ravens to hold any lead these days? I think Joe Flacco at least makes it interesting there as that’s a really huge spread for a Week 2 game that’s also a divisional game.
I like the over more than I like the spread in Bills-Jets, though they should be able to beat a team that blows leads and has Justin Fields, who is 2-19 at 4QC opportunities.
Dak Prescott wins his 14th straight against the G-Men.
I probably wouldn’t bet good money on SF-NO or NE-MIA, but I’m going with the idea of that Kyle Shanahan will have a classic loss with his backup QB (the dreadful Mac Jones) where they blow a lead and can’t close, and the Patriots will have their classic meltdown in Miami for some Revenge of the Nerdboy. After the Patriots sunk some of my best bets last week, I’m totally back on “Fvck the New England Patriots, forever and always.” Go Miami.
I think Steelers-Seahawks is closer to the ugly grind I expected last week, and they win a 20-17 type of game. Early body clock game for the Seahawks. Sam Darnold not able to find more than one receiver (JSN). Yeah, a grind.
If Daniel Jones lights up Denver, who weren’t that impressive last week (mostly because of the passing game though), I think we have to seriously consider he can be this year’s Sam Darnold, previously known as 2022 Geno Smith. Maybe it’s a MetLife Stadium curse.
I think SNF and both MNF games can all be decided by 1-10 points just as all 5 prime-time games have to start this season. In fact, most games were close last week and the under is 13-4. So, we’ll see if there’s some regression this week and we get bigger blowouts and higher scoring games.
I’ll post some parlays on Twitter later. I had zero wins in Week 1 but 8 different parlays came up a leg short, all with odds of +6400 or longer (four with +16000 or longer). Something’s gotta give this weekend.
Captain Comeback: NFL Analysis by Scott Kacsmar 