WEEK 2 CAPSULES

WASHINGTON AT ATLANTA

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Atlanta by 3.

Introduction: Backup Doug Johnson doesn’t have the athletic skills of Michael Vick, but he’s a good enough quarterback to keep the Falcons winning.

Plot: Washington’s secondary will be tested by Johnson’s ability to spread the ball around, which he did very well against Dallas, completing 15 passes to seven receivers. The Redskins will counter with second-year quarterback Patrick Ramsey and an underrated ground attack led by Ladell Betts and Trung Canidate. Coach Steve Spurrier called 34 running plays and only 23 passes in the Redskins’ victory over the New York Jets.

Bottom line: Look for Johnson to make enough plays, especially on third down, to give Washington more than it can handle in a tight game.

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CLEVELAND AT BALTIMORE

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Baltimore by 2 1/2.

Introduction: After a dismal effort in a season-opening loss at Pittsburgh, the Ravens will try to bounce back against Cleveland.

Plot: Expect Baltimore to run the ball with Jamal Lewis to make things easier for rookie quarterback Kyle Boller, who struggled in his NFL debut. The Ravens do not have many big-play players, which will be a problem against the Browns, who limited Indianapolis to 67 yards rushing last week. Cleveland quarterback Kelly Holcomb has to remain aggressive throwing the ball and not worry about interceptions.

Bottom line: Expect a better effort on defense from the Ravens, but they don’t have enough offense to defeat the Browns, who will score more points than they did against the Colts.

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DETROIT AT GREEN BAY

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Green Bay by 6 1/2.

Introduction: With its receiving corps short-handed because of injuries to Donald Driver and Robert Ferguson, Green Bay will rely heavily on the running game.

Plot: After losing at home to Minnesota last week, Green Bay can’t afford to open the season with successive home losses to division rivals. Running back Ahman Green should get plenty of work against a defense that gave up 439 yards and 24 points to Arizona last week. Detroit will ride the arm of Joey Harrington, who passed for four touchdowns with no interceptions against the Cardinals.

Bottom line: Packer quarterback Brett Favre will not throw four interceptions, as he did against the Vikings, and the defense should be able to frustrate Harrington.

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TENNESSEE AT INDIANAPOLIS

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Indianapolis by 2.

Introduction: Two defense-minded teams with great quarterbacks (Steve McNair and Peyton Manning) will battle in a key AFC South showdown.

Plot: Tennessee’s Eddie George will face a difficult test against the Colts, who are stingy against the run. Indianapolis has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in the last 13 regular-season games. Manning and Marvin Harrison need to produce more after hooking up for only 44 yards in nine completions last week at Cleveland. With Jevon Kearse free of injury and versatile Lance Schulters in the secondary, Tennessee can win games on defense.

Bottom line: McNair’s ability to keep drives alive should help keep the Titans undefeated.

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BUFFALO AT JACKSONVILLE

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Buffalo by 3.

Introduction: The Bills’ new-look defense will be seeking consecutive shutouts to open the season against Jacksonville and veteran quarterback Mark Brunell.

Plot: After spending more than $20 million in signing bonuses on defensive players Takeo Spikes, Sam Adams, Jeff Posey and Lawyer Milloy, Buffalo shut out New England, 31-0. Brunell needs running back Fred Taylor to have a big game to open up the passing attack for the Jaguars, who consider former UCLA standout J.J. Stokes their No. 1 receiver.

Bottom line: For the second week in a row, quarterback Drew Bledsoe won’t have to carry the Bills, who should roll behind running back Travis Henry and an aggressive defense.

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PITTSBURGH AT KANSAS CITY

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m., Ch. 2.

The line: Kansas City by 3.

Introduction: The Chief offensive line may be the best in the NFL. Just ask running back Priest Holmes and quarterback Trent Green.

Plot: The Chiefs enjoyed an easy victory over San Diego in Week 1, but they’ll have their hands full against a Pittsburgh defense that held Baltimore to 143 yards passing. Expect the Steelers to try to take away Holmes, who accounted for 183 yards in only 25 touches against the Chargers. In Tommy Maddox, Pittsburgh has one of the league’s smartest quarterbacks.

Bottom line: The Steelers will have to blitz to get pressure on Green, who should be able to use a variety of formations and pass plays to exploit Pittsburgh’s secondary.

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HOUSTON AT NEW ORLEANS

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: New Orleans by 8.

Introduction: The second-year Texans opened the season with a big victory at Miami but still will be underdogs against the Saints.

Plot: Behind Kris Brown’s five field goals, Houston raised a few eyebrows around the league with a come-from-behind victory. It was a different story for the Saints, who were crushed by Seattle. Quarterback Aaron Brooks needs to get more receivers involved in the passing game. But the key for the Saints will be their ability to run with Deuce McAllister.

Bottom line: If the offensive line can continue to protect quarterback David Carr and open holes for Stacey Mack on first-down running plays, the Texans will be looking at another upset victory.

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MIAMI AT NEW YORK JETS

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Miami by 3.

Introduction: An 0-2 start by the Dolphins would make Coach Dave Wannstedt’s seat hotter.

Plot: After losing to Houston to open the season, Miami is feeling pressure to bounce back against the Chad Pennington-less Jets, who lost at Washington in Week 1. The Dolphins have to get more production on the ground from Ricky Williams in order to make quarterback Jay Fiedler’s job easier. With veteran Vinny Testaverde at quarterback, the Jet offense is limited and will rely heavily on short passes to receivers Curtis Conway and Wayne Chrebet, and running back Curtis Martin.

Bottom line: The Dolphins have too much talent to keep losing. Against the Jets’ weak rush defense, Williams should have a huge game.

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SAN FRANCISCO AT ST. LOUIS

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m., Ch. 11.

The line: St. Louis by 3.

Introduction: An 0-2 start for the Rams might cost Coach Mike Martz his job.

Plot: Martz will not be able to blame a foggy Kurt Warner if the Ram offense struggles again after a dismal effort in a Week 1 loss to the N.Y. Giants. St. Louis has to find a way to get the ball to Marshall Faulk more and keep San Francisco quarterback Jeff Garcia off the field. The 49er secondary did not get much work last week against Chicago but will against backup quarterback Marc Bulger, who replaces Warner.

Bottom line: Bulger and the Rams should be more than ready for San Francisco’s blitz package, which worked well against the struggling Bears.

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SEATTLE AT ARIZONA

Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m.

The line: Seattle by 4 1/2.

Introduction: With a new, attack-first scheme on defense, the Seahawks will be looking to shut down Jeff Blake, who passed for 363 yards against Detroit.

Plot: Coach Mike Holmgren could not ask for a better opponent for his Seahawks, who were impressive in their season-opening victory over New Orleans. Seattle’s Shaun Alexander ran for 108 yards in that game. Arizona’s defense is shaky, but the Cardinals can move the ball with Blake and rookie receiver Anquan Boldin, who had 10 catches for 217 yards against Detroit.

Bottom line: The jury is still out on Matt Hasselbeck, but he’s an efficient enough quarterback to lead the Seahawks to a 2-0 start.

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CAROLINA AT TAMPA BAY

Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m.

The line: Tampa Bay by 9 1/2.

Introduction: The biggest problem for the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers will be overconfidence after their dominating effort against Philadelphia.

Plot: Expect Tampa Bay to throw a variety of looks and coverages at quarterback Jake Delhomme, who replaces Rodney Peete as starter this week. Delhomme rallied the Panthers to a victory over Jacksonville in Week 1, but he’ll need a lot of help from running back Stephen Davis against the Buccaneers. On offense, Tampa Bay again will feature running back by committee with Michael Pittman, Thomas Jones and Mike Alstott.

Bottom line: Even if Delhomme and the Panthers play an error-free game, the Buccaneers have too many weapons to fall victim to an upset.

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CINCINNATI AT OAKLAND

Kickoff: Sunday, 1:15 p.m., Ch. 2.

The line: Oakland by 12.

Introduction: The Raiders need an easy victory to help their confidence, meaning the lowly Bengals are perfect opponents.

Plot: Including last season’s Super Bowl, Oakland has lost two games in a row and is starting to show a few cracks. But Rich Gannon & Co. should have an easy time against Cincinnati, which gave up nearly 300 yards in a loss to Denver. Running back Corey Dillon needs to get more than 15 carries for the Bengal offense to be effective. Rookie quarterback Carson Palmer may play if starter Jon Kitna continues to struggle.

Bottom line: Look for the Raider secondary to shut down the Bengals’ passing game, and look for Raider receivers Tim Brown and Jerry Rice to have big games.

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NEW ENGLAND AT PHILADELPHIA

Kickoff: Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

The line: Philadelphia by 5 1/2.

Introduction: The Eagles need a convincing victory to help their confidence, but they will not have an easy time against the Patriots.

Plot: Philadelphia is hoping that its second game at Lincoln Financial Field has a better ending than in Week 1, when the Eagles lost, 17-0, to Tampa Bay. Quarterback Donovan McNabb might have to carry his teammates until the Eagles develop a running game. The Patriots also were shut out in their season opener, by Buffalo. Tom Brady did not complete a pass until the end of the third quarter against the Bills.

Bottom line: With Bobby Taylor and Brian Dawkins out because of injuries, the Eagle secondary will have a difficult time slowing down the Patriots.

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DENVER AT SAN DIEGO

Kickoff: Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

The line: Denver by 3 1/2.

Introduction: Don’t expect the Broncos to give up on quarterback Jake Plummer, who should play much better against the Chargers than he did in Week 1.

Plot: Plummer threw three interceptions and Denver still easily defeated Cincinnati last week. The Broncos can afford to give Plummer time to get comfortable with the offense because they run the ball so well. San Diego’s defense also is a work in progress, which puts a lot of pressure on offensive leaders Drew Brees and LaDainian Tomlinson.

Bottom line: If Plummer has problems completing passes against the Chargers’ young secondary, Denver fans will really have fun ripping the team’s decision to sign him as a free agent.

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CHICAGO AT MINNESOTA

Kickoff: Sunday, 5:30 p.m., ESPN.

The line: Minnesota by 8.

Introduction: Quarterback Kordell Stewart had a horrible debut with the Bears in Week 1. Daunte Culpepper and the Vikings couldn’t have asked for a better start.

Plot: Stewart had a passer rating of 21.9 on 14-of-34 passing for 85 yards against San Francisco. It will be hard for the Bears to win if Stewart continues to play this way. Chicago has to find a way to get receivers Marty Booker, Dez White and David Terrell more involved. Minnesota rushed for 154 yards against Green Bay, and Randy Moss caught nine passes for 150 yards. The Viking defense also was strong, especially end Kenny Mixon.

Bottom line: The Bears are a bad team that will have major problems trying to contain Culpepper and the Vikings’ balanced offense.

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DALLAS AT N.Y. GIANTS

Kickoff: Monday, 6 p.m., Channel 7.

The line: N.Y. Giants by 7 1/2.

Introduction: Coach Bill Parcells returns to the Meadowlands with a rebuilding Cowboy team that will be heavy underdogs.

Plot: After shutting down the Rams in Week 1, the Giants will face Quincy Carter and the Cowboys’ weak attack. Dallas needs to control the ball with running back Troy Hambrick, who rushed for 53 yards in 14 carries against Atlanta in Week 1. Expect the Giants to feature running back Tiki Barber in a variety of plays to confound Dallas’ fast but small linebackers.

Bottom line: As long as quarterback Kerry Collins makes smart decisions and doesn’t try to force throws, the Giants should have an easy time in this game.