By Danny Cox 

The second week of the 2012 NFL season started with a defensive bang as the Green Bay Packers tormented Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears. Many wonder how things will go with one week of wins and losses down; so, it seems incredibly appropriate to make some picks for the rest of the action.

There is a rather good slate of games scheduled for Sunday, September 16, 2012, and it is headlined by the nightcap of the Detroit Lions against the San Francisco 49ers. Just a couple years ago, there is no way that game would have drawn as much national interest as it does now.

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills

Buffalo got simply demolished last week and things aren’t looking up for them as injuries continue to mount. The Chiefs were looked at as the surprise team from a number of experts this season so look for them to take this one.

Pick: Chiefs

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals

Not much to wonder about here except if Brandon Weeden is going to be as bad in week two as he was in week one.

Pick: Bengals

Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck will end up being a star in the NFL, and he’s going to make the Colts a contender. It’s just not going to happen this year, and not this week either if Adrian Peterson plays like he did last week.

Pick: Vikings

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers

Which loss last week was a fluke and which showed a team’s true colors? Drew Brees is angry and the injured Panthers won’t like him when he’s angry.

Pick: Saints

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars

The Texans should run away with the division this year as they continue to improve every season. Jacksonville, on the other hand, continues to be mediocre and sometimes even less than that.

Pick: Texans

Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins

Believe it or not, the Raiders actually showed signs of life in week one against the Chargers and looked a lot better than anyone thought they would. Miami did not look good and likely will need another week or two before things really get started in a positive direction.

Pick: Raiders

Arizona Cardinals at New England Patriots

Arizona isn’t really sure just who will be the quarterback for their team each and every week. New England has Tom Brady and a host of offensive weapons. Easy peasy.

Pick: Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants

A week one loss to the Dallas Cowboys has many wondering if this year’s Giants team will be the one that is quite awful in the regular season yet perseveres in the postseason once more. TampaBay defeated the Carolina Panthers. Not exactly earth-shattering, but it was unexpected. Expect a change of pace this week for both teams.

Pick: Giants

Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles

Both teams started off the season with a win, but they looked completely different on the field. Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco looked impressive and like a born leader. Eagles’ quarterback Michael Vick – and his four interceptions – did not.

Pick: Ravens

Washington Redskins at St. Louis Rams

Sam Bradford is the better quarterback, but RG3 has the better supporting cast.

Pick: Redskins

Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks

Tony Romo and the Cowboys are already looking much better than they did last season. Everyone expected Matt Flynn to be leading the Seahawks, but rookie Russell Wilson has made this his team. This game is going to be a lot better than it has any right to be, but Seattle will come up just short.

Pick: Cowboys

New York Jets at Pittsburgh

The Jets looked impressive last week while Steelers got embarrassed. Neither seemed like a one-trick pony either.

Pick: Jets

Tennessee Titans at San Diego Chargers

Tennessee just seems like an absolute mess while the Chargers looked better in week one than they have in a long time. Will this be the year that San Diego isn’t fighting for their lives? It sure appears so and will continue on in week two.

Pick: Chargers

Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers

An NFL joke for years, the Lions are a true contender now as Matthew Stafford continues to pull rabbits (victories) from his hat each week. San Francisco just went out in week one and defeated NFC powerhouse Green Bay at Lambeau Field. No big deal, eh? One of the bigger games this entire season is happening early and it’s on Sunday night.

Pick: Niners

Monday Night Football: Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta looked overly impressive in a week one victory over the Chiefs, and it looks like they will contend for the NFC South crown this year. Peyton Manning came out in his Broncos’ debut and showed not a single sign of rust in decimating the Steelers’ defense. This is going to be a fun one and possibly an old time shootout.

Pick: Broncos

Danny Cox. Danny Cox knows a little something about the NFL, whether it means letting you know what penalty will come from the flag just thrown on the field or quickly spouting off who the Chicago Bears drafted in the first round of the 1987 draft (Jim Harbaugh). He plans on bringing you the best news, previews, recaps, and anything else that may come along with the exciting world of the National Football League. His work can be found on Examiner.com.