It was a tough first week for NFL office pool players - four upsets and a few more surprising results made it hard for people to pick as many winners as they would like. Let's brush ourselves off and see if we can do better this week now that we've seen a game and we have a bit of a sense of what teams have to offer. Remember, these picks are made straight up, not against the spread.

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Oakland at Kansas City - This is quite possibly the worst football game in the history of football. Both teams had troubled games last week, and both have enough questions to fill 20 notebooks. You could flip a coin on this one, but in the end I'll take Kansas City - they are the home team, Damon Huard is old but he has shown he had some game at times in the past, and they looked marginally better in their first game than Oakland did. Take Kansas City.

Green Bay at Detroit - The Lions showed how flawed they were in their debut. Green Bay looked surprisingly good against Minnesota. I am a bit nervous about trusting Aaron Rodgers because he won't always be as strong as he was in his debut. Still, Green Bay has more talent and better coaching than Detroit. Take the Packers.

Tennessee at Cincinnati - A tough game to call. The Titans are sure to be distracted after the Vince Young situation this week. Cincinnati was hugely disappointing on offense against the Ravens. I don't like either team, but I'll give the edge to Cincinnati because they are at home, and because they need a win. Take the Bengals.

Chicago at Carolina - Both teams overachieved in their first week game, scoring upsets over AFC powers. I give them both a lot of credit, but I have more long-term respect for the Panthers. They have a more stable quarterback situation, and they seem much closer to being a contender than the Bears. The crowd will be fired up after the upset, especially since Jake Delhomme is back. Take Carolina.

Buffalo at Jacksonville - The Bills were one of the best teams in the first week, and the Jaguars were one of the bigger disappointments. It would be tempting to stick with Buffalo here, and I do think that they are an underappreciated team, but ultimately Jacksonville is more talented and will be looking to rebound powerfully from the starting setback. Take the Jaguars.

New Orleans at Washington - There wasn't a single thing Washington did in their first game that was good. Not one. Jim Zorn is the new coach, and he certainly didn't look comfortable in the gig. The defense was lethargic, and the offense was virtually non-existent. New Orleans doesn't travel as well as many teams, but they had a great offensive start in week one, and they are the better team here. Take the Saints.

Indianapolis at Minnesota - Which of the talented but flawed underachievers do you want to trust? The Colts had real offensive line woes, and they just looked disinterested in their first game. Minnesota looked alright in a lot of ways, but Tarvaris Jackson did nothing to quiet his critics. I didn't see the Vikings starting 0-2, but I don't see them beating the Colts. Take Indianapolis.

New York Giants at St. Louis - We'll be brief - the Giants looked solid in their first game and have reasons for hope and optimism. The Rams have none. Take New York.

San Francisco at Seattle - Another tough one. The Niners weren't awful in the first week, but they weren't great, either. Seattle looked awful in their first game, and their receiver situation is even worse than it was going into last week. I'd love to pick against the Seahawks, but I can't do it with the Niners. Take Seattle.

Atlanta at Tampa Bay - Matt Ryan and Michael Turner had great debuts. It won't be quite as easy here now that they will actually be facing a team that plays defense. It would be tempting to believe in the Falcons, but they just aren't as good as they looked last week. Take Tampa Bay.

Miami at Arizona - Miami looked so much better in the first game than they did at any point last year that hope has to be high in south Florida. It's not going to be an immediate turn around, though. Arizona plays in the worst conference in the league, but they aren't a terrible team. At home they will handle the Dolphins. Take the Cardinals.

New England at New York Jets - Here's what I don't get. A week ago the Pats were a very popular Super Bowl pick not just because of Tom Brady but because of their coaching, their talent, and their depth. Now Brady is gone and suddenly all hope is gone. What happened to all the other players? They obviously aren't as good now as they were with Brady, but they didn't suddenly turn into the Chiefs. The Jets were fine last week, but New England is still more talented, and Bill Belichick obviously trusts Matt Cassel, so they are still the pick here. Take New England.

Baltimore at Houston - Baltimore was better than expected, and Houston was much worse. That being said, I have to go with Houston here. Joe Flacco is going to be facing his first defense, and his first real pass rush. That could be scary. The Texans were embarrassed last week, and I am counting on their pride to help them rebound here. Take Houston.

San Diego at Denver - A week ago the Chargers were one of the best teams in the league and Denver was an after thought. One game later, perceptions have changed and the game is basically a 'pick 'em'. It's strange how fickle people can be. The Chargers need to be better than last week, but they really can be. The Broncos looked good, but a middle school girl's team could look okay against the Raiders. Take San Diego.

After you finish this NFL article check out our NFL Preseason Betting page. When it comes to betting NFL our How parlay wagers work feature is a must for any NFL fan. Doc's Sports NFL preseason betting page is and excellent NFL resource as well. For 35+ years the team at Doc's Sports Service has provided and insight on NFL handicapping.

Pittsburgh at Cleveland - I was thoroughly disappointed by Cleveland in Week 1. They looked confused and disinterested, and they got manhandled. They clearly have problems, and this won't be a good place to fix them. Pittsburgh was very good in their first game, and their strengths won't be significantly challenged by the Brown's defense. Take Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia at Dallas - Philadelphia looked strong in their first game. Dallas looked stronger. I find it much easier to believe that Dallas has the talent to maintain their level of play than Philadelphia. The Cowboys play well at home, and will be jacked up for this game. Take the Cowboys.