Scully's NFL Week 2 picks: Bills primed to pound Dolphins

Kansas City and Baltimore are considered by many to be the cream of the crop in the AFC, but don’t dismiss Buffalo, who will try to make a run for home-field advantage.

Let's preview their matchup in Week 2 — with a pick, of course — along with a couple more games on the NFL slate.

Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins

Buffalo has a favorable early schedule, with four straight games against teams that missed the playoffs last season, and the Bills are going to make a statement early in the season.

The defense is as fierce as ever and probably still haunts Sam Darnold after it relentlessly pursued the young quarterback last week, and the offense has become electric, with the addition of Stefon Diggs (eight catches, 86 receiving yards last week) and maturation of the strong-armed Josh Allen (33-for-46 for 312 passing yards and two touchdowns).

Miami didn’t perform well up front against New England, which got plenty of push into the backfield, and the offensive line is in for another long day. Miami’s run defense was ineffective, surrendered 217 rushing yards, and New England didn’t need to throw the ball downfield (only one pass traveled more than 10 yards), as the Dolphins struggled to slow down a short passing attack.

Buffalo will take advantage, and the pressure to play rookie Tua Tagovailoa will be amplified in Miami, following Sunday’s resounding defeat.

Free pick: Bills -6

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New York Giants at Chicago Bears

Maligned quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (three touchdowns, no interceptions) received a much-needed confidence boost when he rallied Chicago from a 17-point deficit in Week 1, and the Bears bring momentum to a favorable home opener against New York, which has lost 11 of its last 13 games.

Chicago faces a New York defense that is exiting a bruising Monday-night loss to Pittsburgh, and running back David Montgomery (4.9 yards per carry) can build upon a solid opener. Tarik Cohen adds another dimension out of the backfield, and Chicago put up 149 rushing yards last week, a year after it had the 27th-ranked rushing offense. I like the skill players in the Chicago passing game — Anthony Miller, Allen Robinson, and Jimmy Graham— and Matt Nagy remains a talented offensive mind.

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones continues to progress, and New York did some good things in the passing game against Pittsburgh, but its offensive line is a work in progress. Chicago’s strong defense is capable of slowing the ground game, which won't allow New York to take pressure off its young quarterback, and the Bears have the pass rushers to harass any quarterback. After a stiff road test, Chicago can win comfortably at Soldier Field.

Free pick: Bears -5.5

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New Orleans Saints at Las Vegas Raiders

The defense must play better, but Las Vegas rolled offensively in Week 1.

Quarterback Derek Carr played at a high level, Josh Jacobs carried the load with 93 rushing yards and three touchdowns, and rookie receiver Henry Ruggs III (who expects to play this week, after he tweaked his knee) looks poised to make a major impact.

New Orleans has the defense and special teams to win games, but the Las Vegas home opener promises to be a high-scoring affair. And the New Orleans offense was stagnant for much of last week’s game.

The Saints took advantage of a sloppy opponent — Tom Brady threw a pair of costly interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown), Tampa fumbled away a kickoff return and had a punt blocked, and the Bucs committed a league-leading nine penalties — but Drew Brees (73.5% completion rate over the last three years) was not sharp. He went 18-for-30 through the air and threw mostly short passes.

The Saints can have more success running the ball (only 82 rushing yards against Tampa’s top-ranked run defense), but the passing game is a concern, especially with leading receiver Michael Thomas banged up with a high-ankle sprain.

The points are attractive here. Las Vegas is trending in the right direction, off a disciplined opener with only three penalties, and the offense should be primed for a strong showing.

Pick: Raiders +5.5

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James Scully's 2020 NFL record ATS on BetAmerica heading into Week 2: 2-1