Well, here we go.\u00a0 It’s time to kick off another phenomenal NFL season.\u00a0 Every year, I get immensely excited for the start of the NFL season, and every year it brings the goods.\u00a0 This year should be no different, as we have a ton of interesting storylines, mostly surrounding the quarterback position (as usual):\u00a0 Big Ben’s suspension, Donovan McNabb in Washington, Kevin Kolb in Philly, Matt Leinart taking over in Arizona, Brett Favre’s return to Minnesota, who’s the best–Manning, Brady, Brees…Rodgers?\u00a0 Over the next 8 days leading up to the opening Sunday of the regular season,\u00a0we’re going to try and answer the ultimate question here: \u00a0“who is going to win?”\u00a0 To follow all the posts on the week-by-week schedule, you can click on the tag “2010 two-a-days.”<\/p>\n
So, without further ado, let’s kick this thing off…<\/p>\n
In CAPS is my pick to win the game.<\/p>\n
Thursday, September 9: Sunday, September 12: 1:00 – MIAMI (0-0) at Buffalo (0-0) 1:00 – Cincinnati (0-0) at NEW ENGLAND (0-0) 1:00 – INDIANAPOLIS (0-0) at Houston (0-0) 1:00 – Denver (0-0) at JACKSONVILLE (0-0) 1:00 – ATLANTA (0-0) at Pittsburgh (0-0) 1:00 – Oakland (0-0) at TENNESSEE (0-0) 1:00 – Carolina (0-0) at N.Y. GIANTS (0-0) 1:00 – Detroit (0-0) at CHICAGO (0-0) 4:15 – ARIZONA (0-0) at St. Louis (0-0) 4:15 – GREEN BAY (0-0) at Philadelphia (0-0) 4:15 – SAN FRANCISCO (0-0) at Seattle (0-0) 8:20 – DALLAS (0-0) at Washington (0-0) Monday, September 14: 10:15 – SAN DIEGO (0-0) at Kansas City (0-0) STANDINGS AFTER WEEK ONE NFC EAST The Cowboys and Giants get an early game on the other two in a division that should be a slugfest all the way through.<\/p>\n NFC NORTH Green Bay got a nice road win, while Chicago picked up a divisional win.\u00a0 The Vikings lost a game that was probably an L on their schedule anyway–nothing to worry about…yet.<\/p>\n NFC SOUTH No surprise here, as the Saints and Falcons are clearly the best two teams in this division, and they both start 1-0.<\/p>\n NFC WEST Any win is a good win for an NFC West team, as this division might be won at 8-8.<\/p>\n AFC EAST This division is going to be brutal all year.\u00a0 The three teams at the top should battle all year.\u00a0 The Bills may never leave that bottom spot.<\/p>\n AFC NORTH Who would have guessed that, at any point this year, the Browns would be in first place all by themselves in one of the best divisions in football?\u00a0 All three contenders suffered tough losses, while the Browns took care of business against a bad Tampa team.\u00a0 As the ole cliche goes, “if the season ended today,” the Cleveland Browns would win the AFC North.<\/p>\n AFC SOUTH A tough loss for Houston, as the rest of the division wins.<\/p>\n AFC WEST San Diego takes its rightful spot atop a really bad division.\u00a0 There is little doubt, to me, that they will win this division–maybe by Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> for Week Two (available 9\/3 at 7:00 pm).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Well, here we go.\u00a0 It’s time to kick off another phenomenal NFL season.\u00a0 Every year, I get immensely excited for the start of the NFL season, and every year it brings the goods.\u00a0 This year should be no different, as … Continue reading
\n<\/strong>8:30 – Minnesota (0-0) at NEW ORLEANS (0-0)
\nI do like this new NFL trend of giving the defending champs their own spotlight, at home, to start the next season on the opening Thursday night.\u00a0 And, I also like that the schedule-makers do the fans a favor by usually making it a fantastic matchup.\u00a0 This year is no different, as the first game of the year is a rematch of the NFC Championship Game.\u00a0 I do think that the Saints, with the emotion of raising a banner and whatnot, should take care of business and open the season with a big win.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>1:00 – CLEVELAND (0-0) at Tampa Bay (0-0)
\nThe Browns won their last four games last year and may have a real good running back in Jerome Harrison.\u00a0 I think that they can go into Tampa and beat a really bad Bucs team on the road.<\/p>\n
\nThe Dolphins caught a break this year, getting to play at Buffalo in early September, when the weather will probably not be a factor for the guys from South Florida.\u00a0 The Bills stink this year, and the Dolphins are solid.\u00a0 Should be an easy opening day win for the Fish.<\/p>\n
\nThis is definitely one of the better games in a fantastic slate of games on opening day.\u00a0 I think the Bengals are going to be really good this year, but I don’t know if I’d pick anyone in the league to go into Foxborough and beat Belichick on opening day.\u00a0 Tough scheduling here for Cincy.<\/p>\n
\nThe Colts own the Texans and, though this game is in Houston, I still like Peyton and company to get it done.\u00a0 Remember, this team only lost one game all year with its starters and that was the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n
\nThese are two teams that I am not that high on, but I think that the Jags should get a pretty easy win here in Week One.\u00a0 The Broncos are traveling a long way for a 1:00 game, and the Jags still do have Maurice Jones-Drew.<\/p>\n
\nDennis Dixon or Byron Leftwich?\u00a0 I don’t think it really matters, I think the Steelers are going to struggle without Big Ben.\u00a0 I also think that the Falcons are poised for a pretty big year this year.\u00a0 This is a huge <\/em>break for them, getting a road game against an elite team out of the way when that team is missing their quarterback.\u00a0 Then again, it’s probably just a return for the brutal <\/em>“circumstantial” schedule that the Falcons had last year–facing like\u00a06 teams coming off a bye or something like that.<\/p>\n
\nI actually think the Raiders are going to be a lot better this year, but this is a tough spot.\u00a0 The Titans are always good and incredibly well-coached.\u00a0 Plus, this is an early game for a West Coast team.\u00a0 I like Jeff Fisher and company to get it done on opening day.<\/p>\n
\nThe opening of the brand-new stadium–it’s going to be rocking.\u00a0 I’m not a huge fan of this Giants team, but I think that bolstered by the new stadium and facing a relatively weak Carolina team, the G-Men should open the stadium with a W.<\/p>\n
\nThe Lions, on paper, are getting better and better.\u00a0 But, I’m not sure the schedule does them any favors, but we’ll see.\u00a0 I think that people are completely forgetting about the Bears–and probably rightfully so, considering the division in which they play and the performance of their QB last season–but this team still does have\u00a0a lot of talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball, where they added Brian Urlacher and Julius Peppers to the unit they had last year.\u00a0 I think the Bears win game one easily.<\/p>\n
\nSam Bradford’s debut (maybe) is definitely a winnable game, but I do not think that Whisenhunt and company will let that happen.\u00a0 Yes, Matt Leinart stinks, but let’s not forget that one of these teams was nine <\/em>game better than the other last year.\u00a0 Give me the Cards in a game that’s closer than it should be.<\/p>\n
\nNormally, I find it hard to pick against an Andy Reid team with extra time to prepare, but his track record on Week One is surprisingly mediocre, and this Packers team is for real.\u00a0 I like the Pack to come into the Linc and beat the Birds to get the Kevin Kolb Era off to a rough start.<\/p>\n
\nI think the 49ers are the best team in this division, but that doesn’t mean that I think they’re all that good.\u00a0 I have no confidence in anyone from the NFC West, including Seattle.\u00a0 I think the Niners are hungrier and much <\/em>better on defense.\u00a0 They should be able to go into Seattle and eke out a low-scoring, ugly game.<\/p>\n
\nSunday night.\u00a0 Romo and the Cowboys versus McNabb and the…Redskins?\u00a0 That is, of course, if McNabb is healthy enough to take the field.\u00a0 With McNabb out there and the motivation of playing his first game for a new team against a hated rival, the Redskins really have a shot here, but all in all, I just think that the Cowboys are a much more talented, and just a flat-out better team than the Redskins.\u00a0 In a very unconfident pick, I’ll take the ‘Boys here to beat McNabb and company.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>7:00 – Baltimore (0-0) at N.Y. JETS (0-0)
\nThe new trend that I do not like about the opening week is the Monday night double-header because the second game is usually a snooze-fest that starts at 10:30.\u00a0 Fortunately, though this year, is that the first game is probably the best game of the week.\u00a0 The Jets, coming off an AFC Championship Game appearance and, more importantly, a Hard Knocks appearance, get their chance to open their new stadium against everyone’s darling pick in the AFC, the Ravens.\u00a0 This game is so tough to predict, and I’m about 51% sure of this pick.\u00a0 But, I am going to go with the Jets, on prime time, opening their new stadium, to come out and just play with a little bit more emotion than the Ravens.\u00a0 It should be interesting, however, to see who has the edge between Rex Ryan’s defense and a Baltimore offense that spent so many years practicing against a Rex Ryan scheme.\u00a0 Give me the Jets about as unconfidently as I can be.<\/p>\n
\nI’m not as big on KC being a “sleeper” as some people.\u00a0 And, I’m also not as big on the Chargers being “not good anymore” as most people.\u00a0 And, I’m not really that sold on the Chiefs’ homefield advantage any more, since the town is struggling to sell out every game.\u00a0 Give me the Bolts in an easy Monday night win.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>After each week, we will update the standings for each division, maybe do a little synopsis of the division races, and then, starting about 6 games in, we’ll give the tenative playoff positioning.\u00a0 But, for now, it’s just about the standings.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>1-0 Dallas
\n1-0 N.Y. Giants
\n0-1 Philadelphia
\n0-1 Washington<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>1-0 Chicago
\n1-0 Green Bay
\n0-1 Detroit
\n0-1 Minnesota<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>1-0 Atlanta
\n1-0 New Orleans
\n0-1 Carolina
\n0-1 Tampa Bay<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>1-0 Arizona
\n1-0 San Francisco
\n0-1 Seattle
\n0-1 St. Louis<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>1-0 Miami
\n1-0 New England
\n1-0 N.Y. Jets
\n0-1 Buffalo<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>1-0 Cleveland
\n0-1 Baltimore
\n0-1 Cincinnati
\n0-1 Pittsburgh<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>1-0 Indianapolis
\n1-0 Jacksonville
\n1-0 Tennessee
\n0-1 Houston<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>1-0 San Diego
\n0-1 Denver
\n0-1 Kansas City
\n0-1 Oakland<\/p>\n