In The NFL: Week 1

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Photo By: aRJay
September is finally here. That means NFL football is finally back after the horrifically long seven month absence. I wont spend too much time hyping it up, let's get down to business with the Week 1 Picks!
Titans at Pittsburgh: It looks as if the offseason hasn’t been all that negative for either of these teams, but the loss of Albert Haynesworth will all but ensure that the Titans aren't going to repeat the success they had last season; closely related to this, the Steelers offensive line is the key here. If they can get the running game going they will put this one in the books as a win.
Dolphins at Atlanta: The Dolphins defense is severely underrated. The Falcons defense appeared flat all preseason long. The only thing keeping this from being a Dolphins win is Chad Pennington. If Miami wins this game it will be because the Falcons beat themselves; Atlanta’s offense, especially the running game, is explosive enough to make a good defense look sub-par.
Chiefs at Baltimore: Baltimore had a fantastic offseason; even while losing fan-favorite Bart Scott. The Ravens are deep enough to win this game with the bottom of their 53, but that says a lot more about how dismal Kansas City is more than anything.
Eagles at Carolina: These two teams haven’t met up since 2006; it should be interesting to see how the Eagles plan to stop the run, and to also see how much emphasis they put on Steve Smith. That’s basically all the Panthers have going for them this season (again). The Eagles will grind this one out without many kinks.
Broncos at Cincinnati: Carson Palmer is back in action, Ocho Cinco claims to be back, Chris Henry has looked sharp, and Cedric Benson will look to add on to last year’s 100 yards rushing streak. The Broncos will not hold up against the Bungles underrated defense, and Cincinnati will take this game without much fight.
Vikings at Cleveland: Regardless of which QB Mangini starts, Minnesota will have this game by the 3rd quarter. Cleveland should be able to keep it respectable, however. The whole AFC North is looking to be competitive this season, and the Browns shouldn’t be drafting in the top 5 this year.
Jets at Houston: Mark Sanchez won’t exactly be fighting off exotic blitz packages or anything, but Mario Williams will be enough to scare the composure out of Sanchez in his first ever start. Rex Ryan’s defense will keep the score in the teens, but the Texans should still overcome.
Jaguars at Indianapolis: The Colts lost one of the best NFL Head Coaches of all-time in Tony Dungy and questionably plugged Larry Coyer in as their Defensive Coordinator, but it won’t stop Payton Manning from stomping the Jaguars in week 1. The Jaguars could have a bounce-back season, but they won’t be aided by wins against the much more talented Colts this season.
Lions at New Orleans: Stafford will see better defenses than the Saints’ throughout the season, but New Orleans is getting better on that side of the ball; Drew Brees will put this game away in the first quarter and there is nothing the Lions can do about it.
Cowboys at Tampa Bay: Obviously my upset pick of the week. The Bucs might not have had one of the best offseasons in 2009, but many of the core talent was already signed. The Offseason purge ensured that they our planning towards the future for once and the young Raheem Morris could hype his team up just enough to come out of the gates strong. The Cowboys won’t exactly have their hands full, but they also won’t be able to waltzes in and claim the win without a fight.
49ers at Arizona: Since 2001, the Super Bowl loser of the previous year has saw their luck drained to nil. With the 49ers continuing to improve and gain toughness through Singletary’s old school ways, this game could be the start of a long season for the Cardinals.
Redskins at New York: The Redskins’ defense looks absolutely terrifying this year. They were already above average last season, but the addition of Albert Haynesworth almost automatically put them into elite territory. The Giants will not be able to pound the rock quite as efficiently as they did early last season; losing Derrick Ward and Plaxico Burress means a lot more than the media is letting on. The Redskins will win this game close, but the Giants won’t get swept by Washington in 2009, because they still appear to be the superior team.
Rams at Seattle: Seattle had bad luck with injuries last year and could bounce back smoothly being that they are in the weakest division in the NFC. The Rams are in yet another transitional year. They might be able to keep their games interesting this year, if they’re lucky.

Bears at Green Bay: This could be one of the best games of the week. The Packers hired Don Capers to switch them to a 3-4 and went out and acquired the best NT in the draft in BJ Raji. Their defense was the sole reason they were debacled multiple times last season; they spent all offseason focusing on that side of the ball. On the flip side, The Bears spent most of their offseason focusing on the offensive side of the ball; They went out and got Jay Cutler, who they hope will be the answer at QB. The Bears have a long history of sub-par QBs, so this very well could change the culture of their team as we know it. The Packers will edge out a win this time around, but the Bears could answer back in December.
Bills at New England: The only way that the Bills could win this game is if they get to Tom Brady literally every play. New England will have their backups in this game in the third quarter. The Bills are an interesting team to follow this season though. Buffalo is starting two rookies on the offensive line; if they can keep up through the season, Buffalo fans could have something to look forward to next season.
Chargers at Oakland: This game could get ugly quickly, but it will be interesting to watch; JaMarcus Russell had a solid preseason and could be able to translate that to the regular season, but Oakland’s all around youth and inexperience will keep this game from being competitive. The Chargers should have this one wrapped up by 11:00 PM.
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