NFL Week 2 Previews: 15 Games, Injuries & Expert Picks — SkimNews
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- ESPN previews all 15 NFL Week 2 matchups with reporter intel, key stats, bold predictions, fantasy advice, and betting insights, culminating with a Monday Night Football Giants-Rams game on ESPN.
- Vikings DC Brian Flores posted an 83% first-half blitz rate against the Packers in Week 1 — nearly triple the NFL average — and now faces Bears QB Caleb Williams, whom Chicago coaches dubbed the "King of the Cover 0 blitz."
- Bengals QB Joe Burrow will manage back tightness against the Texans' edge duo Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., whom Cincinnati OC Dan Pitcher compared to the team's own Ja'Marr Chase-Tee Higgins WR tandem.
- Saints long-snapper Zach Wood will miss several weeks with a calf strain — the first such problem for New Orleans in his 10 seasons with the team — while Texans WR Nico Collins could miss the Bengals game after a Wednesday hamstring injury.
- The Chicago Bears need 37 points to break the 1968 Raiders' NFL record of 95 points through two games; ESPN's FPI gives them a 65.6% win probability and all three analysts pick Chicago over Minnesota.
- The Texans are 1-8 against the spread in September under DeMeco Ryans over the past three seasons, per betting analyst Pamela Maldonado, with a potential 0-2 start looming after a Week 1 loss.
Why it matters: With Week 2 injury clouds over Burrow's back, Collins' hamstring, and the Saints' long-snapper spot, bettors and fantasy players face a slate where late-week health updates could swing lines — and with the Texans already 1-8 ATS in September under Ryans, the matchup signals exploitable value for Cincinnati despite a narrowing point spread.
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