HERE WE GO!
It’s week one, and we’re off! The long dark of the offseason and preseason is finally over. We’re back to football that MATTERS, and there are some big-time matchups this first week, including a rematch of this past Super Bowl.
Half the league will be undefeated this week… but which half? Time for this year’s picks challenge to begin.
GAME OF THE WEEK – THURSDAY NIGHT – Carolina Panthers at Denver Broncos, CAR by 3 – It’s been a while since we had a Super Bowl champion not return its starting QB the following season. The last one I can think of the 2001 Ravens. Peyton Manning may have been the league’s worst starting QB last year, but his presence and his mind for the game at least kept defenses honest. With a former seventh-round pick with almost zero in-game experience starting, this is a completely different team, even if that defense is still absolutely stacked. This is why just about everyone is picking the Panthers to win this game, and why many, including myself, are picking the Broncos to fall out of the playoffs. As tempted as I am to say the Broncos’ defense and the emotions of opening night will carry the defending champs to victory, I think Cam Newton and the Panthers will squeak by and get some very small measure of revenge. Panthers 17, Broncos 13
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons, ATL by 3 – It’s going to be interesting to watch these two teams do battle, as they both seem to be in similar spots right now. Each has the potential to be a playoff challenger or a major disappointment. The Falcons are the safer bet here, but don’t be surprised if the Buccaneers steal one on the road to open the season. Falcons 23, Bucs 17
Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans, MIN by 2 – The Vikings are still favored despite losing their starting QB for the year. This says a lot about how inconsequential Bridgewater is, as well as the lack of respect the pundits have for the Titans. The Vikings are going to want to come out and prove the doubters wrong, but Shaun Hill just isn’t capable of playing at the NFL level and Sam Bradford will not be prepared enough to get on to the field. Without capable QB play, the Titans can stack the box and stop Adrian Peterson, the only source of offense the Vikings have. This will be a sloppy one that the Titans take. UPSET! – Titans 23, Vikings 13
Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles, PHI by 4 – This season is looking like it could potentially be a trainwreck for the Eagles. While the Bradford deal was too good a trade to pass up, it left the Eagles with a project rookie and a terrible journeyman at the QB position. Plus, the Eagles are sorely lacking at many important positions across the board. For once, the Browns are not going to be the most dysfunctional team on the field. UPSET! – Browns 20, Eagles 10
Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets, CIN by 2.5 – This could very well be the best team the Jets have assembled in six years. But with the Bengals having Super Bowl aspirations and coming into the season about as healthy as they could hope, the Jets might be in for a rude awakening of what playing against high-caliber competition really feels like. Bengals 30, Jets 17
Oakland Raiders at New Orleans Saints, NO by 1 – The Saints are truly an enigma. Despite severely underperforming the last two years, they open the season as favorites against a promising Oakland team, which has finally started to win games on the road. While I’d never underestimate Drew Brees, I just feel like Oakland is the better team now and moving forward. UPSET! – Raiders 27, Saints 20
San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, KC by 7 – Well, we’re going to get a pretty good idea right out of the gate about whether @Messiah is right about the Chargers. This is going to be an important divisional game, and a chance for San Diego to prove we shouldn’t sleep on them. But unfortunately for them, it’s on the road against a good Chiefs team that is looking to build on the success of a year that saw them win their first playoff game in more than two decades. Chiefs 28, Chargers 17
Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens, BAL by 3 – Hard to know what to expect out of the Ravens this year. The Bills are a common pick to be a sleeper team in the AFC, but the Ravens are extremely well coached and perhaps, despite their struggles the last couple years, can be considered the more stable franchise. I really like what the Bills are doing, though, so I guess for this week I’ll drink the kool-aid. UPSET! – Bills 23, Ravens 16
Chicago Bears at Houston Texans, HOU by 6.5 – The Bears might just end up being one of the worst teams in the NFC this year. Hard to imagine them faring well against that stout Texans defense. Once Cutler gets pressured, it’s game over. Texans 20, Bears 13
Green Bay Packers at Jacksonville Jaguars, GB by 5.5 – The Jaguars are once again expected to be a much-improved team this year. Unfortunately for them, they open against the league’s best player, who just so happens to have his top receiving weapon back. Packers 33, Jaguars 17
Miami Dolphins at Seattle Seahawks, SEA by 10.5 – Every year the Dolphins are picked to be the “surprise team,” but the hype seems to have died down this year. Which is probably appropriate. Seahawks 34, Dolphins 10
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys, PUSH – I guess Vegas doesn’t know what exactly to make of Dak Prescott. If he can translate his preseason success into the regular season, the Cowboys could very well take the division. If not… well, it’s going to be chaos once again in the NFC East. I’m going with the safer option. Giants 24, Cowboys 20
Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts, IND by 3.5 – It’s really hard to know what to expect out of the Colts. They didn’t look particularly great even before Andrew Luck went down last year. But I feel comfortable saying that they will at least be better than the Lions. Colts 27, Lions 16
New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals, AZ by 6 – It’s too bad Brady is suspended, because it robbed us of what could have been one of the finest regular season games of the year. Fuck the NFL. Anyway, I still expect this one to be relatively close, but without Brady at QB the Pats just don’t have what it takes to hang with AZ in their home territory for a full four quarters. Cardinals 30, Patriots 20
Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington Redskins – The Steelers have the potential to get to the Super Bowl this year on the strength of their offense. It will be on full display against a Redskins defense that isn’t exactly stellar. Kirk and company will need to play their best to keep up with this high-octane machine. Steelers 33, Redskins 21
Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers, LA by 2.5 – Tough to know what to make of this one. The Rams aren’t anything special, but with Blaine Gabbert starting at QB for the 49ers, that’s the great equalizer. Rams 16, 49ers 10
