Chiefs win key early season AFC West showdown. Plus, expert NFL Week 2 predictions, fantasy advice.

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It's Week 2. Teams that opened the season with a win will want to keep the good times going. Teams that opened the season with a defeat will desperately strive for that first victory.

About last night: Kansas City Chiefs 27, Los Angeles Chargers 24 -- Patrick Mahomes was more steady than sensational, and a rookie seventh-round draft pick made the game-breaking play as the Chiefs rallied to win this key early season AFC West showdown with an expected contender.

Game of the week: Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles -- Both the Vikings (over the Packers) and Eagles (over the Lions) are coming off impressive Week 1 wins and meet in what could -- down the line -- be an NFC playoff picture-shaping showdown (is it too early for such a proclamation?). Vikings WR Justin Jefferson meets the team that passed on him in the 2020 NFL draft to select Jalen Reagor, who recently was traded to the Vikings.

Sneaky-good game of the week: Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens -- A win over the Ravens last season was a turning point of sorts for the Dolphins who entered the Week 10 matchup in Baltimore at 2-7 and finished the season at 9-8. Coming off a Week 1 rout of the New England Patriots (yes, the Bill Belichick-coached Patriots), the Dolphins could make a statement about their place in the AFC hierarchy with a big road win against the Ravens.

Survivor pool game of the week: Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles Rams -- The author of this newsletter has been in a melancholy mood all week. After surviving until Week 8 last season and going to distance in 2020, we were eliminated right out of the gate this season, no thanks to Nathaniel Hackett's puzzling late-game management (Status: Eliminated 😞). We weren't alone ... only 1,586 of 4,630 entries remain alive after Week 1 in Paste BN Pro Football Survivor Pool.

So, for fun, we will provide one more survivor pick for this season before moving on. And this week, we really like a bounce-back from the defending Super Bowl champion Rams against the visiting Falcons. The Rams are a hefty 10.5-point favorite in this game, according to Tipico Sportsbook.

Paste BN Pro Football Survivor Pool

PHOTOS: Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games

NFL Week 2: Pigskin prognostications

Week 2 picks: Paste BN Sports' expert panel provides fans with the great public service of making predictions for every game this weekend.
Lorenzo's Locks for Week 2: The Browns are nearly a touchdown favorite against the Jets, but are they a lock to cover that spread?
Power rankings: See how all 32 teams stack up after the events of Week 1.

NFL news, notes and analysis

What to watch for in Week 2: A total of 10 teams that that missed the 2021 playoffs won in Week 1. Can that success continue this weekend?
Who needs to rebound in Week 2? We're looking at you, Packers and Broncos.
What are most foolish overreactions from Week 1? Paste BN Sports' experts provide a dose of reality to some of the biggest overreactions after one week of play.
Dak Prescott's injury is final straw for Cowboys' playoff hopes: Yes, already! This is not a Week 1 overreaction. It's a reality check. This team just is not good enough.
Joe Burrow is rarest of NFL QBs: Burrow is the NFL's only quarterback to publicly address gun violence and abortion rights at the risk of backlash.
Julio Jones primed for a revival as key Tom Brady target: On his third team in three seasons, Jones is hoping for big things with a Super Bowl contender.
Ex-Green Beret, Seahawk Nate Boyer's next project? The veteran of six combat tours shifts his focus to the silver screen amid endeavor to help service members and athletes following their careers.
Best and worst debuts from Week 1: From new head coaches, to familiar faces in new places, the NFL's opening weekend featured some impressive debuts, as well as some forgettable first outings.
Ranking NFL TV theme songs: There's a new hype tune in mix after the debut of the NFL on Amazon Prime Video. Where does its theme song rate among those from FOX, CBS, NBC and MNF?

Fantasy football: Get your lineup right

Our fantasy football experts have valuable advice to get the most out of your lineup for Week 2.

Fantasy rankings for Week 2: For your convenience, these position-by-position rankings were updated for this week's games.
Fantasy stock watch: While Giants RB Saquon Barkley and Saints WR Michael Thomas are rising, Rams RB Cam Akers and Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb are seeing their fantasy stock fizzling.
Studs, duds and sleepers: Here are some names to know going into Week 2. While Davante Adams appears to have brought his production to Vegas, the same can't be said for Amari Cooper in Cleveland.