Bry’s Week-by-Week NFL Preview: Week One

So, every year, right before football season, I run through the actual schedule and try and determine who I think will win every week.  I obviously take into account my own personal feelings about a team and whether they are home or away each week.  But, I also look at things like who they just played (letdown factor), who they have next week (the look-ahead factor), how many days they have had to prepare (coming off a bye or a Monday night game), and their coach and how much “preparation” or dealing with adversity will help/hurt them at particularly difficult junctures of the season.  I also look at the time (particularly West Coast teams at 1:00 and so on) and expected conditions (warm-weather teams in cold-weather cities late in the year).  I also try and keep track of the games that could “go either way,” just to see what kind of spread an individual team’s record would be.  Usually, I just do all this for myself when I’m bored (or I email Stri with my Giants prediction, so we can argue about it), but I figure now that there is a platform, why not just post it.  Stri will still probably be the only person to read it, but whatever.  There are 18 days from now until the first Sunday in the season, so if I do one week per day (I’ll try and get them out by noon each day), then we can hit the playoffs by that first Sunday in the season.  You can check all of them by hitting the tag “nfl week-by-week preview.”  So, here we go with Week One.  The team in CAPS is my pick to win, and an asterisk will represent a game that I think could “go either way.”

Thursday, September 10:
8:30 – Tennessee (0-0) at PITTSBURGH (0-0)
The defending champs are well-coached and will be prepared on opening day.  They should win this game at home to start the season.

Sunday, September 13:
1:00 – Jacksonville (0-0) at INDIANAPOLIS (0-0)
The Colts are not done, right?  And the Jags are not very good, right?

1:00 – Detroit (0-0) at NEW ORLEANS (0-0)
I don’t think the Lions will go winless again, but I definitely don’t think they go into New Orleans and win in Week One.

1:00 – Philadelphia (0-0) at CAROLINA (0-0)
Sorry, guys, but I think Carolina beats the Birds in Week One.  The Panthers are once AGAIN underappreciated when the season starts, and I have future bets on them again this year.

1:00 – DALLAS (0-0) at Tampa Bay (0-0) *
Everyone thinks that the Bucs are really bad this year.  I don’t think they’re that bad, but I don’t think they beat Dallas in Week One, though this one is pretty tough.

1:00 – New York Jets (0-0) at HOUSTON (0-0)
I kind of really like the Texans this year.  And, I think the Jets are going to be atrocious–at least in the early going.

1:00 – Kansas City (0-0) at BALTIMORE (0-0)
There is no reason to think that Baltimore won’t defend its home field in Week One against a rebuilding Chefs team…wait, who are the Chefs?

1:00 – DENVER (0-0) at Cincinnati (0-0) *
I don’t understand why everyone despises Kyle Orton.  He’s not a superstar, but he’s a bonafied NFL quarterback.  I don’t think Denver is going to be that terrible this year, but I do think the Bengals will be.  I like Denver to go into Cincy at get a win in Week One.  However, a western team at 1:00 is questionable.

1:00 – MINNESOTA (0-0) at Cleveland (0-0) *
I really wanted to take the Browns here, but I really just can’t see their offense doing anything against Minnesota.  I think it’s close, but I have to take the Vikes.

1:00 – Miami (0-0) at ATLANTA (0-0)
I think Atlanta might take a step backwards this year, but I think Miami is going to take an even larger step backwards.  I like the Falcons at home.

4:15 – Washington (0-0) at NEW YORK GIANTS (0-0)
Anyone who argues that the NFC Beast isn’t the best division in football just needs to take a look at the Redskins and try and reason who this team could be the worst team in a division.  They’re very talented and probably capable of beating anyone on any given day.  But, the other three teams are better, including the Giants, who should take care of business at home in Week One.

4:15 – SAN FRANCISCO (0-0) at Arizona (0-0)
There are always surprises every week, so expect them from me.  I am not sold on the Cardinals, who were a 9-7 team last year before a nice playoff run, and they lost both coordinators.  I really liked what I saw from San Fran at the end of the season, and I think Singletary will have them fired up for Week One, so I like them to go into the dessert and beat the Cardinals.

4:15 – St. Louis (0-0) at SEATTLE (0-0)
I don’t think, like many people, that the Seahawks are back to their prowess of a couple of years ago, but I do think they will be better than last year.  And, they don’t have to be that much better to beat the Rams at home (with probably the second-best homefield advantage in the league).

8:20 – Chicago (0-0) at GREEN BAY (0-0)
I am sold on Aaron Rodgers, and I think he’s going to have a great year.  I believe that the Packers will upstage the dawn of the Cutler Era and get a big divisional win right off the bat.

Monday, September 14:
7:00 – Buffalo (0-0) at NEW ENGLAND (0-0)
There is nothing to make me believe that the Bills can go into Foxborough on Monday night and win this game.

10:00 – San Diego (0-0) at OAKLAND (0-0)
Call me crazy, but I am picking the Raiders in this one.  The Chargers never seem to care enough about games like this, and I really think the Raiders have a chance to surprise people this year.

To go to Week Two, click here

STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 1:
NFC EAST:
1-0   Dallas
1-0   N.Y. Giants
0-1   Philadelphia
0-1   Washington

NFC NORTH:
1-0   Green Bay
1-0   Minnesota
0-1   Chicago
0-1   Detroit

NFC SOUTH:
1-0   Atlanta
1-0   Carolina
1-0   New Orleans
0-1   Tampa Bay

NFC WEST:
1-0   San Francisco
1-0   Seattle
0-1   Arizona
0-1   St. Louis

AFC EAST:
1-0   New England
0-1   Buffalo
0-1   Miami
0-1   N.Y. Jets

AFC NORTH:
1-0   Baltimore
1-0   Pittsburgh
0-1   Cincinnati
0-1   Cleveland

AFC SOUTH:
1-0   Indianapolis
1-0   Houston
0-1   Jacksonville
0-1   Tennessee

AFC WEST:
1-0   Denver
1-0   Oakland
0-1   Kansas City
0-1   San Diego