NFL second week preview: Packers, Bears face off 1st
Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) gets sacked by Indianapolis Colts defensive end Robert Mathis (98) at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois on Sunday, September 9, 2012. The Bears defeated the Colts, 41-21. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune/MCT)
The NFL’s second week starts Thursday night with the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears facing off at Lambeau Field. The Packers go into the game coming off a 22-30 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Chicago comes in after defeating the Colts 41-21. It was a dominating performance with the defense forcing five turnovers. The offense was also in mid-season form, putting up 428 yards and 41 points.
With the Packers struggling against a mediocre offense like the San Francisco 49ers, the Bears should be able to move the ball well and improve to 2-0.
Another big match-up this week is the Detroit Lions taking on the 49ers. Last year’s meeting of the two teams ended with San Francisco besting the Lions 25-19 in Detroit.
Both teams come into the battle with 1-0 records. Detroit gained their first win as Matthew Stafford threw a five-yard touchdown to running back Kevin Smith with five seconds left. That gave them a 27-23 victory over the St. Louis Rams.
San Francisco comes into the game earning their victory in a much different way. They were a dominating force against the Packers and were in control of the lead for almost 50 minutes of the game. With the home-field advantage and strong defense, the 49ers have a good chance of beating the Lions two seasons in a row.
Baltimore will travel to Philadelphia for an intense interconference contest. Both teams won in week one, they will be looking to build on that in their week two duel.
Baltimore defeated Cincinnati, a division foe, 44-13. Joe Flacco had 299 yards and two touchdowns. The defense held the Cincinnati Bengals to 322 yards and forced two turnovers.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ offense sputtered against the Cleveland Browns. Michael Vick, quarterback for the Eagles threw four interceptions and completed just over 50 percent of his passes going 29-56. The defense kept them in the game only allowing nine points and forcing five turnovers.
Baltimore looks like the sizeable favorite coming into week two.
Last but not least, the week will close with the Denver Broncos heading down to Atlanta to take on the Falcons for Monday Night Football.
Both teams are coming off decisive wins. The Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-19 at home in Peyton Manning’s regular season debut.
Matt Ryan, quarterback for the Falcons, will look to pick up where he left off last week after throwing all over the Kansas City Chiefs. He went for four touchdowns, three of which were passing and the other rushing, and threw for 299 yards. He led his team to a 40-24 victory and now looks to defeat the Broncos in the Georgia Dome.
Even though Peyton Manning looks to not be missing a step after a whole season out of the game, the Falcons have a slight edge. They always play well at home and Ryan has a 25-4 record since he became the starter in 2008.