Which players and teams will surprise in week two?

From the heavily favored Cincinnati Bengals falling to the New England Patriots to the comebacks of the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins, the first week of the 2024 NFL regular season brought a few surprises.

While the second week’s schedule appears to be much quieter, the lack of important matches could foreshadow some major plot twists.

The consensus returns in a big way this week, with six USA TODAY Sports experts unanimously picking 11 of the 16 games. But we asked the writers to weigh in with one big prediction for this week’s games.

Here are USA TODAY Sports’ bold predictions for Week 2 of the NFL:

Caleb Williams will have to wait until Week 3 to find the end zone

Despite starting his NFL career 1-0, Caleb Williams’ debut with the Chicago Bears was no statistical beauty. He completed less than half of his passes (48.3%), had fewer than 100 passing yards (93) and averaged 3.2 yards per attempt. The Bears still beat the Tennessee Titans without scoring an offensive touchdown. They won’t be so lucky against the Houston Texans on “Sunday Night Football.”

Houston allowed 27 points in a Week 1 win over the Indianapolis Colts. But they were efficient in the running game, holding Jonathan Taylor to 3.0 yards per carry and largely keeping quarterback Anthony Richardson in check on the ground. What carried the Texans away were explosions off Richardson’s arm and a pair of touchdown plays that went for more than 50 yards.

Williams and the Bears offense aren’t that much of a threat — at least not at this point. Chicago’s running game won’t save Williams. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans will keep his defense flying around the field and confusing him. And the rookie will have to wait until Week 3 for his first career touchdown.

— Chris Bumbaca

Jordan Mason topped 100 yards rushing again

The 49ers will be cautious with Christian McCaffrey, who is battling calf and Achilles injuries. With McCaffrey still recovering, the 49ers will add Mason’s numbers, and the backup quarterback will provide a solid performance for the second straight season. Mason will once again surpass 100 rushing yards after a breakout performance that saw him post career-highs in both rushing (28) and rushing (147) in Week 1. The 49ers have an advantage in the offense against the Minnesota Vikings, especially on the edges. Expect 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan to include a ton of zone runs in his game plan. Mason will take advantage of the opportunity and run with confidence and authority. Mason had five runs of 10 or more yards in Week 1. He could match those numbers in Minnesota.

— Tyler the Dragon

Bucs to make big statement with win over Lions

The Lions beat Todd Bowles’ team twice last season — in a Week 6 meeting in Tampa and in the divisional playoffs in Detroit. So the Bucs, winners of three consecutive NFC South titles, should be motivated to avoid losing three in a row to the Lions starting 2023. Bad for Tampa Bay: All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield is expected to miss the game with a foot injury, making it even harder for an already fragile defense to face receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and center Sam LaPorta. Good for the Bucs: Baker Mayfield has started the season with a bang — passing for 289 yards and four touchdowns and the league’s best passer rating (146.4) in Week 1 — and has one of the NFL’s best 1-2 receiver combinations in two with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Dan Campbell’s determined squad earned a trip to the NFC title game in January, eliminating the Bucs after breaking a 17-17 tie early in the fourth quarter. Now the Bucs return to raucous Ford Field with another chance to prove they can match it.

—Jarrett Bell

Seahawks record six sacks in win over Patriots

The return of Malcolm Butler to Foxborough as the “Keeper of the Light” is impeccable trolling work by New England — and a reminder that both teams are far from their Super Bowl 49 form. But while Mike Macdonald’s defense can’t be mentioned in the same breath as the Legion of Boom, there’s plenty of reason to believe this unit could pose serious problems for the Patriots on Sunday. Jacoby Brissett had just one sack in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, but he faced the highest pressure rate (48.3%) of any quarterback, according to Next Gen Stats. That’s a testament to Brissett’s presence in the pocket and his composure, but the Seahawks could face a much tougher challenge. With deep threats inside and out in Leonard Williams and rookie Byron Murphy, as well as Boye Mafe on the edge, Macdonald’s stacked scheme has plenty of ways to generate heat without blitzing often. Six sacks is a high bar — the Dallas Cowboys were the only team to reach that mark in Week 1, and they did it against a Cleveland Browns team that was missing its two best offensive quarterbacks — but the Seahawks could top that total against a team that appears to have clear deficiencies on offense.

—Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Predictions: Bold picks for Week 2 games