NFL Week 1 Picks

Preseason is finally over, and it time to start picking the real games. Just for the final count, I finished up Week 4 of the preseason on a high note with a record of 11-5. That bumped my preseason picks over .500. The final tally came to 35 of 64 or 35-29 (.547). But that doesn’t really matter, nothing in preseason does, so let’s move on to the regular season!!!! I don’t even want to waste anymore time getting this started, so here they are, my Week 1 picks. Let’s get this season started!!!

ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN

Thursday, Sept. 6th

New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts (8:30 PM)

This game is a match up many of us would have loved to see in last years’ Super Bowl, but I think the end-result would have been the same. The Saints are going to be stepping onto the Colts home field and facing the mad skills of Peyton Manning. Drew Brees and company put up a good fight, but there's no upset brewing here. Colts win hands down.
Colts kick their season off with a win.

Sunday, Sept. 9th

Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings (1:00 PM)
Life without Vick will be difficult on the Falcons. Michael Vick made everyone on that team better just by being present. He offered an element to the offense that kept opposing defenses honest. So to move forward without him this year is going to be a true test of Atlanta's talent. We'll have to keep an eye out here, but I don't think I see things going well for the Falcons this year.
Minnesota manages to slip through with a win.

Carolina Panthers at St. Louis Rams (1:00 PM)

Carolina is going to have a decent year, but it won’t start here. I can't say for sure just how much juice Isaac Bruce still has in the tank, but Steven Jackson is sure to burn some of the thread of his tires. Expect a close game, a nail biter if you will, but the Rams put the last points on the board to steal away with the win.
Rams benefit from home field advantage.

Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills (1:00 PM)

Cutler is going to open up the season with a bang and Javon Walker will be his gun powder. Travis Henry isn't going to show any problems with that knee, in fact, he'll feel like he’s running free lined up behind the Denver O-line. Top that off with Denver’s newest tandem at cornerback, Dre Bly and Champ Bailey, and this defense will smother the Bills’ offense.
Broncos batter the Bills.

Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans (1:00 PM)

There were moments during this preseason that you could almost feel some hope for Houston this year. However, Kansas City kept you guessing over whether or not they wanted to play this year. I'd look for Larry Johnson to mark several yards on the Texan defense, but Matt Schaub is going to make Atlanta sorry they let him go. I think we're going to start seeing some chemistry between Schaub and Andre Johnson this week.
Texans give Houston a reason to celebrate

Miami Dolphins at Washington Redskins (1:00 PM)

I’m not sure we are ready to witness a huge season from the Miami Dolphins, but we will see their moments. Just as their defense stepped up to win games last year, we can expect big things from Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor this year as well. Add Trent Green behind center…and the Dolphins pull a victory out in Washington.
Miami upsets the Redskins at home.

New England Patriots at New York Jets (1:00 PM)
I’m not convinced that the Patriots have built a super team in the off-season. Looking good on paper and playing good on the field are two different things. They will be a playoff team this year, but won’t go undefeated. However, defeat doesn’t come at the hands of the Jets. Tom Brady will lead his team to another victory, and I don’t think Moss will be as big an impact as many seem to think.
Patriots defeat the Jets.

Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers (1:00 PM)

What can I say? Green Bay may have had some moments in the preseason, but I don't see a better than average year for the Packers. Brett Favre is getting past his prime and I don’t believe the Packers did enough to strengthen the team around him. Green Bay just doesn't have what it takes to defeat the Eagles this week.
Eagles start season with a bang.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns (1:00 PM)
As long as Big Ben Roethlisberger can stay healthy this year, I expect that he will get Pittsburgh back on the list as one of the top competitive teams in the league again. Combine that with the stout Steelers defense and you’ve got a winning combination.
Steelers dominate on Browns home field.

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars (1:00 PM)
To be honest with you…I found this one to be a tough pick. I think Vince Young could be great, but do we believe in the Madden Cover curse? It has been a hard phenomenon to ignore. That aside, I’m going to have to say the Jaguars defense holds to win the game in a tight battle.
Jacksonville edges over the Titans.

Chicago Bears at San Diego Chargers (4:15 PM)
I’m not saying the Chargers are doomed this year. LaDainian Tomlinson can only be stopped by an injury. However, the coaching staff for this team has been gutted, and I expect to see some growing pains. Chicago steps into San Diego and claws their way to a win.
Chargers start season with woes, Bears win.

Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders (4:15 PM)
Looks like it's time to see if Jon Kitna can make good on his promise of 10+ wins this season!!! I’ll give them this game against Oakland, the black hole as been looking pretty bright for opposing teams lately, but don’t look for a play-off season from Detroit this year. I expect Kitna will be avoiding replays of that discussion by mid-season.
Lions start their win streak.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Seattle Seahawks (4:15 PM)
With Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander both healthy for game one, I expect them to get the season underway in a positive direction. Tampa won’t make it easy, but given good health and home field, the Seahawks start this season 1-0.
Seattle gets off to a good start.

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys (8:15 PM)
No more Tiki? No problem. Brandon Jacobs should be set to have a good year this year. Expect him to add some yardage along side his touchdown totals this year. However, Eli Manning will continue to be over-shadowed by his big brother, and I see very little mutual respect and chemistry flowing through this team starting with Tom Coughlin. His failure to control this team last year will surely continue to haunt him this season, especially after a few losses and I'm going to say the first loss comes here.
Dallas opens Sunday night with a bang.

Monday, Sept. 10th

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (7:00 PM)
Expect this to be a good Offense VS Defense match up…with the defense coming out on top. I expect Carson Palmer to come out firing with Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh eager to be on the receiving end, but Ray Lewis and the Baltimore defense has been a stingy bunch. I expect that to carry over into game one of this new season.
Ravens wreak havoc in Cincy.

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (10:15 PM)
I’m looking to see improvement this year in San Francisco and Arizona just seems to be the team that can never get it all together. So, with that thought in mind, and given that the home field advantage goes to the 49ers….I’m taking the 49ers to win a close contest.
49ers hold down the home front

And with that, I bring a conclusion to the picks for Week 1. I was able to finish off the preseason on a high note, and only hope to continue with greater accuracy throughout the season, so let’s get ready for some football!!!