RADIO
Week One is done and dusted, and it's time to gear up for another fantastic week of football. The Pie Shops’ debut had a solid two out of five correct selections. We started the weekend hot with opening touchdowns from David Montgomery and Bijan Robinson, however, that’s where it ended.
The good news was that we finally received answers to many of the questions being asked all offseason. Is Brock Purdy still great? Does Calvin Ridley still have it? The answer to both was a resounding yes. Although we have some answers from week one, we still have a lot of questions. Is Kyren Williams the lead Rams back? Are the Giants as bad as we saw this week? Only time will tell.
Welcome to the Pie Shop. If you’re new, the term “Pie Shop” is commonly used for Rugby in Australia. They used this iconic term to determine whether or not they believed a player would score a Try (or in this case, touchdown). If a player was predicted to score, the Pie Shop was declared “open” for that week. My name is Ellis Johnson, and here are my Week Two Pie Shop selections.
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Nico Collins (WR, HOU)
Colts @ Texans
Let’s stick to the process here. A trendy breakout pick this offseason, Nico Collins saw the target share and usage we were hoping for in Week One. Leading the team with 11 targets, Collins finished with six catches for 80 yards against a tough Ravens secondary.
He now faces a divisional rival in the Colts, who were picked apart by Trevor Lawrence in Week One. Although the Colts performed better than expected (or maybe the Jaguars were worse than expected), this defense has its holes. Going into this season PFF ranked the Colts' secondary 31st in the league.
This is a great matchup for both rookie QBs and should set the foundation for a divisional rivalry for years to come. If Collins leads the team in targets again, I think he will catch C.J. Stroud’s first NFL touchdown and open the Pie Shop.
Chris Godwin (WR, TB)
Bears @ Buccaneers
Despite Mike Evans stealing the show in Week One, Godwin showcased that he is still one of the league’s premiere receivers. It is clear that Godwin and Evans are the core of this team, and we have an abundance of data to show Baker Mayfield isn't afraid to air it out.
This week they face a Bears defense that was torched in their season opener by Jordan Love. The defense now gets to go against a gunslinger in Baker Mayfield who is surrounded by more proven talent than the Packers (outside of Aaron Jones).
In this matchup, the Buccaneers should continue to stay hot in Week Two. I’m calling for Godwin to find the endzone this week, however, I won’t be surprised if both Evans and Godwin each open the Pie Shop.
Saquon Barkley (RB, NYG)
Giants @ Cardinals
Despite having the same amount of points as Skyy Moore and Tee Higgins had receptions in Week One, I am selecting a New York Giant for the second week in a row. Trust me, I was (un)lucky enough to be at Metlife to see the Giants game for their incredible 40-0 loss to the Cowboys last week.
Thankfully, this team has the perfect matchup for a “get-right” game in Week Two. The Cardinals played an impressively competitive game against the Commanders last week. However, I think that game said more about the Commanders not being as good as we hoped than it did about the Cardinals outperforming expectations.
The Commanders managed to run the ball fairly successfully last week, with Brian Robinson leading the backs with 66 yards and a receiving score. One of the very few positives from the Giants game was that Barkley looked like his explosive self, and this offense is going to move (or not move in last week’s case), through Barkley and Darren Waller.
It’s time for this Giants’ offense to put on a show and gain some confidence in a perfect matchup. At least they better… I’ll tell you firsthand hand those Giants fans are inches from going off the deep end into the big blue abyss.
Deebo Samuel (WR, SF)
49ers @ Rams
This 49ers team was absolutely cooking in Week One. Although Brandon Aiyuk managed to have the best day, I think the tables turn this week.
Deebo Samuel has a history of torching the Rams. In his last three games against the Rams, he has averaged 130 total yards and 1.3 touchdowns per game. Those are absolutely wild numbers. If you ask anyone (not named Geno Smith), this Rams defense is expected to be one of the worst this season.
The 49ers have a history of lighting up their division rivals and this offense is cooking with gas. Samuel is perfectly set up to open the Pie Shop for the first time this season.
Michael Thomas (WR, NOS)
Saints @ Panthers
In this week’s Pie Shop, I'm selecting a player who hasn’t opened his own shop since Week Two of 2022. Exactly a year from then, I’m expecting Thomas to find pay dirt once again.
It was encouraging to see Thomas looking sharp in his return from injury. Although Derek Carr passed for over 300 yards, the only passing touchdown went to Rahid Shaheed. Thanks to Arthur Smith’s run first, run second, run third, punt, philosophy to offense, we have yet to see this Panthers' secondary get tested.
Going into the season, PFF ranked the Panthers’ secondary to be 21st in the league. Although I am not sure how good they will be, I am confident they won’t lock down the Saints’ passing game. Chris Olave’s below-average red zone success rate last season gives me confidence that one of the big-bodied receivers will score. I’m putting my chips on Michael Thomas, however, I’ll admit, Juwan Johnson was tempting for this Pie Shop selection.
Najee Harris (RB, PIT)
Browns @ Steelers
In honor of the two games on Monday, I am going to double-up my Monday picks. I believe Najee Harris is primed for a score in this one.
With Diontae Johnson likely to miss this week, Kenny Pickett will need to find someone else to dump the ball to. We saw Myles Garrett dominate and taunt the Bengals in Week One, and we also saw the 49ers bring down Pickett five times. The Steelers line is in for another long day, as this Browns line should manage to get to Pickett quickly.
Nearly 30% of Joe Burrow's completions were to the RB position last week and over 50% of their yards were from the ground game. If Harris and Jaylen Warren receive that volume, one of them will surely score. However, you can only have one Pie Shop. I'm going with the veteran who has scored in all four of his career games against Cleveland.
Thanks again for reading my work. Catch me next in Week Three’s Pie Shop calls!
(Record: 2-3)
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