2015-16 NFL Week 1 Picks Continued

Green Bay @ Chicago

The Chicago Bears begin the season with a new coach, a new GM, and hopefully a new outlook on what professional football should look like in Chicago.  The offense looks somewhat similar to last years with the caveat that there are a lot of injuries with their starting wideouts (Kevin White, Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal, and Marques Wilson ).  The biggest question is how much will Cutler be handing off this year instead of throwing the ball to Forte (102 receptions last year) and can he finally find a way to limit turnovers. 

The Bears defense is in a full rebuilding mode as they try to go from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4.  They weren’t able to bring in a lot of new talent so it was mostly moving existing pieces around and we’ll see how that works.  I’m looking for Pernell Mc Phee to become the leader of this defense and hopefully provide this defense with some semblance of toughness.  It’s going to be interesting to see Jared Allen standing up and playing LB this year also.  The surprise player on this defense may be Shea McClellin who probably should have been cut from this team years ago, but someone that played in a 3-4 previously, he should be a better fit in this defense.  It’s going to be a long year for the Bears,……a very long year. 

The Green Bay Packers start the season with the pain of losing Jordy Nelson firmly in the front of their minds.  With him gone, Davante Adams, along with the recently re-signed James Jones, will be expected to fill in admirably for Nelson.  Randall Cobb is nursing a shoulder injury, but he plans to be on the field on Sunday for the game.  Much of this may not matter when you have the baddest man on the planet at QB, Aaron Rodgers, so no one seems to be panicking in Green Bay.  Add to that the fact that the Packers still have a healthy Eddie Lacy and the only thing that worries me is whether the Packers’ right tackle can keep Rodgers alive all season.

Packers’ defense returns most of their folks from last year and this defense just has to figure out a way to stop the run and allow their offense to get back on the field.

Winner – Packers

Kansas City @ Houston

Houston comes fresh off their appearance on Hard Knocks as they prepare for their season opener against the Chiefs.  As most years start the question for the Texans is who is their QB and will he be able to manage the game on offense to allow that defense to do the heavy lifting.  Arian Foster is out for a few weeks so they will turn to Alfred Blue/Jonathan Grimes/Kenny Hilliard for their running game and it looks like Brian Hoyer will start at QB.  I am very interested to see how Hoyer responds with this type of talent around him. 

The Texans defense got a boost from acquiring Vince Wilfork to pair with the great JJ watt.  Wilfork should provide the push upfront that he was able to do for the Patriots for all these years.  The question mark on the defense is whether the often hurt Jadeveon Clowney will ever be consistently on the football field playing professional football.  Coaches think he’s ready and the hope is that he plays the entire season to actually see what havoc he can cause alongside Watt and company. 

The Chiefs enter this game still trying to get a WR to score a touchdown.  With the addition of Jeremy Maclin, anyone with a bet on how soon the Chiefs get a WR to score a TD, should expect this drought to end in Week 1.  The same crew is in the backfield, and as usual, expect Jamaal Charles to get a lot of touches no matter where he lines up. 

The Chiefs defense is bolstered by the return of Eric Berry who had been out last year battling cancer.  The ferociousness is still there and Berry looks like he’s going to be an impact player for this defense (great to have you back Mr. Berry, good luck).  The Chiefs feel that with Hali, Houston, and Johnson back, this Chiefs defense may be one of the best in the AFC. 

Winner - Chiefs

Cleveland @ New York Jets

The New York Football Jets come off a strange off-season where their starting QB got his jaw broken over $600 and the hilarity ensued from there.  The Jets are now starting Ryan Fitzpatrick until a better option comes up, or Geno’s jaw heals.  Fitzpatrick does have two pretty good wideouts in Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall to go along with the Jets more dominant running game which was a little improved with Zac Stacy being added to the roster.  It’s going to be a lot of ground and pound and hope that the WRs can make a few plays, but not much is expected of the Jets this year as they seemed to be limited by their QB situation. 

On the other hand, the Jets’ defense is primed to probably win a lot of 10-9 games this season.  The re-addition of Darrelle Revis and this secondary, you’d be wary to expect to throw on them too much during a game.  This defense could have a great year and this team will probably go close to 8-8. 

Cleveland trots out Johnny Football, finally maybe.  He looked pretty good during the preseason but the hope is that this is the beginning of the Manziel Era in Cleveland.  Here’s to hoping that it’s better than any of the other iterations of Cleveland Browns’ QB eras.  As far as talent on the Browns side,…there isn’t much.  Isaiah Crowell is a little more than serviceable and they picked up Dwayne Bowe (from KC) and I’m not so sure if his best days are behind him or not.  Browns need to make a splash in free agency or through the draft next year to get some talent for Manziel. 

The Browns defense will be decent.  They have some quality guys in Haden and Whitner in the secondary and a decent front 7.  Their only hope is that this offense finds a way to put some points on the board so that they can stay in some of the games this year. 

Winner - Jets

Indianapolis @ Buffalo

Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills.  The Bills have a fresh new coach, some new talent on the offensive side of the ball (McCoy, Clay, Taylor), and an always impressive defense.  Tyrod Taylor gets the nod at starting QB over Cassel and Manuel and I think that was the correct decision.  Taylor is athletic enough and provides this team with best chance of winning, and hey he’s a former Raven so I gotta give him some love.  On paper, this team has some players on offense IF McCoy and Harvin can stay healthy.  This may be the best group that the Bills have trotted out on the field in a long time. 

The Bills defense is nasty.  The newly paid Marcell Dareus paired with Mario Wiliams should cause opposing QBs little rest during the game.  This defensive secondary looks pretty good with Gilmore, Darby, Graham and Williams.  With Rex making the defensive calls, I expect this defense to be one of the top ones in the league. 

The Colts have Andrew Luck, and hopefully some other type of luck.  They finally brought in a running back that should be able to produce all season long in Frank Gore (Ray Rice is also available Colts) and the addition of Andre Johnson to TY Hilton should make for an interesting combo for Luck to throw to.  The big thing this year is Luck has got to pare down on some of his YOLO throws before people start comparing him to Jay Cutler.  With a veteran added to the running game, look for the Colts to hand the ball off a little more and pound defenses to protect their own. 

The Colts defense is still smallish, but they find a way to get off the field,..most of the time.  If they can find a way to get a few more turnovers and keep teams from running on them,…the Colts may easily make the Superbowl this year as some have already put their money on. 

Winner – Bills

Miami @ Washington

The Washington (redacted) have been nothing short of a comedy routine unfurling right before our eyes.  RGIII and his performance (and injuries) are so sad when you go back to 2012 and realize that he was good for this team.  I guess the Kirk Cousins Era will officially start, but I imagine that this will be short lived.  In my mind Cousins has 2 games before he’s hurt or pulled, and if he’s pulled I’m not so sure that they will even go with RGIII.  They just need to release him and let him start over somewhere.  It’s going to be a long year in Chicago and Washington if you’re rooting for your local professional football team. 

The Dolphins are being picked to win the AFC East.  I am trying to let that digest, but it just seems wrong to put that expectation on this team.  Yes, they have a work horse in Lamar Miller and some viable receivers to throw the ball to, but they lost Charles Clay and Mike Wallace in the off-season.  I don’t yet believe in Ryan Tannehill, but I guess this is the year he turns the corner and becomes ‘that guy’ for the Dolphins. 

The Dolphins defense will surely help this team with their addition of the Ndamukong Suh to pair with Cameron Wake on that left side of their defensive line.  With Grimes and an improved Taylor in the secondary, this Dolphins team may surprise.  We’ll see if they are real after Week 13 as they really have a pretty soft schedule to start the season.  This game against Washington should be a cakewalk. 

Winner - Dolphins

Carolina @ Jacksonville

Jacksonville is an interesting young team to me.  I like Blake Bortles and what he showed late in the year last year.  He’s got some decent WR targets and Denard Robinson seemed to transition from college QB to an every-down back, but I’m expecting TJ Yeldon to prosper as a rookie running back and make Robinson more of a 3^rd down back or an option in the Jags passing game.  It’s going to be important for Bortles to take the next step to improve his play and if he does, the Jags should be respectable. 

I actually feel sorry for the Panthers.  They lost their #1 receiver Kelvin Benjamin to a knee injury and I honestly have no idea who Cam Newton will be throwing the ball to.  Yes, he still has Greg Olsen, but I’m not sure he can replicate his play from last year.  Some expect Devin Funchess to make the rookie leap that Benjamin did last year, but if he doesn’t it looks like Ted Gin Jr is going to have to step it up the entire year.  I see a down year for Cam Newton and a very limited offense.

On defense the Panthers are led by arguably the best LB in the game in Luke Kuechly (just got paid too).  This defense is solid all around and if they can find their rhythm early, they may make some noise in the NFC South. 

Winner - Panthers

Seattle @ St. Louis

The first great game of the season.  The Rams get a visit from the Seahawks and the Nick Foles Era begins in St. Louis.  The Rams are solid and I think that Foles will play well for this team.  He definitely has some weapons in Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Jared Cook, and Brian Quick.  Add to the mix the rookie Todd Gurley and the Rams should be able to put some points on the board.  That Rams defense might just be special.  It’ll be interesting to see how they match up against this Seattle offense and what they bring to the table. 

The Seahawks retooled over the summer and have Jimmy Graham as their main receiving target.  I bet you money they wish they would have run that ball last year in the Superbowl.  Anyway, I expect a good season for Russell Wilson and the regular crew, but look out for that late add of Fred Jackson as a backup to Lynch as he should be able to spell Lynch and still give them something close to Beastmode. 

The Seahawks defense is missing Cam Chancellor.  That’s a big hole to try and cover up, but I expect that defense to show up and play well.  I hope Chancellor gets his money, but I would love for him to play this year for the Seahawks. 

Winner – Seahawks

New Orleans @ Arizona

The Cardinals welcome the Saints to the desert.  Carson Palmer comes back and the hope is that he can stay healthy.  With a healthy Palmer, this Cardinals team is dangerous.  It seems like forever since Larry Fitzgerald has been good, but I’m expecting a big year for him this year.  Chris Johnson also is a few years removed from being good and maybe, ust maybe he isn’t finished yet. 

The Cardinals defense has changed with the release of Darnell Docket and the losses over the summer to free agency, but this is like Pittsburgh West and they’ll reload pretty quickly.  Frostee Rucker and Calais Campbell will be stout on that defensive line which will allow those LBs to roam and make plays.  The one things the Cardinals need is good health for this team and we may hear from them in the playoffs. 

The Saints lost Jimmy Graham and that may hurt them long term.  What is Drew Brees’ comfort worth?  We don’t know what this team is going to be able to do on offense, but having Brees and some of the regulars (Colston and Cooks) should make this team a little better than most think they’ll be. 

The Saints defense will have their hands full this year as they hope to be able to stop someone,…anyone this entire year.  The additions of Cameron Jordan and Brandon Browner should help. 

Winner – Cardinals

Detroit @ San Diego

The San Diego Superchargers are looking good this year.  This team returns the usual suspects on offense with a newly paid Philip Rivers, but the expectation is that this offense will get a boost when Melvin Gordon has an opportunity to get on the field.  This may be the swan song for Antonio Gates, but coming off of his suspension, we’ll see how much more he has to give this team. 

The Chargers defense hasn’t changed much and this team has repeatedly had issues stopping the run.  Can they get better or will they rely on the Chargers offense to win shootouts?  We shall see. 

The Lions are always going to be dangerous as long as they have the Stafford/Megatron duo, but the hope is that other people can continue to step up.  Looking to see if Ameer Abdullah makes a big contribution this year. 

The Lions lost Suh over the summer but they feel like they’ll be ok with Haloti Ngata (I’m crying Raven tears writing this).  The rest of this defense is going to have to step up to get some stops and not allow their season to be one shoot out after the next. 

Winner - Chargers

Tennessee @ Tampa Bay

The battle of the 2015 top two picks.  Famous Jameis gets his first NFL start.  I hope that he has a good career and hopefully it starts this week.  Supposedly Doug Martin is back in rare form and he has got two of the biggest WRs in the game to throw to in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans.  This should be a good recipe for Winston to be successful. 

Did I mention the Bucs have a pretty decent defense that should make some plays this year?  Looking for good things from this team.

Marcus Mariota has been good in the preseason, but the more and more that I look at this team, they really haven’t given the kid too much help.  Maybe, just maybe he’ll be the rookie of the year, but I hope that he doesn’t have to carry this team on his shoulders all year long. 

Winner - Bucs

Cincinnati @ Oakland

The Raiders seem to be turning the corner on respectability (from a football standpoint).  Derek Carr looks to build upon his few successes last year and he has some talent to work with.  Amari Cooper already looks like he’ll carry the mantle for rookie WRs, similar to those studs from last year.  Can Latavius Murray be ‘the man’ for the Raiders as he showed some flashes last year.  If this offense finds a way to click, we might have some wins in Raider-land this year. 

The Raiders defense is expected to be physical and they have a stud in Khalil Mack.  With the recent signing of Aldon Smith, depending on his availability this year, this defense has some pieces that ought to make watching the Raiders fun this year.  Get your popcorn ready. 

The Bengals have lots of talent and they bring back many of the usual suspects, but this team is all about whether their QB/Andy Dalton can make strides to be a good/great QB on a consistent basis.  That’s really the one thing that will make or break their season. 

The Bengals defense will be consistent and can make some plays, but if Dalton sucks when it counts, none of their play will matter. 

Winner - Bengals

Baltimore @ Denver

This is the second really good game this week.  Denver brings Manning and crew with a slightly new offense.  I expect a lot more running for this team this year to give Peyton’s arm a break.  Julius Thomas is no longer in Denver, but Manning will find other people to catch the ball. 

This could be the best Denver defense since the Orange Crush days.  We’ll all get to see just how they attack teams and I expect Flacco to take some heat in this game. 

The Ravens offense will have Flacco and Steve Smith Sr. but they will need someone to step up and help this team.  The Ravens are more ball control and defense driven and none of that has changed.  I always enjoy watching the Ravens defense. 

Winner - Broncos

New York Giants @ Dallas

The Cowboys pick up where they left off last year,…and yes Dez caught the ball BUT it didn’t count.  The Cowboys were successful by giving the ball to Murray last year and limiting Romo’s opportunities to mess it all up.  Expect more of that this year and an improved defense, especially when Greg Hardy returns from his 4 game suspension.

The New York Football Giants have to hope that Eli shows that he’s truly ELITE and won’t lead the league in interceptions again this year.  If Cruz can return and OBJ can continue his meteoric rise from last year, that should help Eli.  That Giants defense is in trouble, so they have got to win some shootouts. 

Winner - Cowboys

Philadelphia @ Atlanta

The Falcons still have a great offense, but their big issue is can they stop someone?  They’ll definitely have a test with the Eagles coming to town. 

The Eagles get to trot Sam Bradford out on the field and you may want to take a picture as this may be the only time you see Sam Bradford healthy all year long.  When he’s healthy he can be good, but I don’t think that Bradford has played a fully season since high school.  Good luck man. 

Winner - Eagles

Minnesota @ San Francisco

The 49ers have been decimated this offseason due to retirements and losses during the free agency period.  They weren’t able to make any big time adds on offense and it looks like this is the make or break year for Colin Kaepernick.  God help him,…cause the cupboard is bare. 

The Vikings get AP back and oddly enough his absence was probably a good thing for Teddy Bridgewater last year.  Teddy had to really learn the system and get comfortable with being ‘the man’ in a sense last year because of AP’s legal issues.  I expect the addition of a dominant running game will allow this Vikings team to battle the Packers for NFC North. 

Winner - Vikings

NFL 2010 Thursday Night Wrap Up

Baltimore @ Atlanta – This game pretty much went as I thought it would all the way up to the end.  The Falcons were able to move the ball against the Ravens defense in the air, but not on the ground as we saw Turners' numbers (17 carries, 39 yards).  Roddy White did indeed play and play well he did.  White ended the game, literally, with 12 receptions for 138 yards, and 2 TDs (with his last one being the game winner).  The Ravens scored a TD with 1:05 left on the clock in the 4th quarter and we (yes, you did too) all thought that it was over.  Well, the Ravens defense choked and after some incidental contact, White walked into the end zone for the game winner.  The Ravens played pretty well for the majority of the game, with that bend, but don't break mentality.  Joe Flacco led the Ravens with a good game (22 of 34, for 215 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT) and thought he had a game winner in hand.  Normally, scoring the go ahead points and then putting the Ravens defense on the field means a 'W' for the Ravens, but Matty 'Ice' Ryan (32 of 50 for 316 yards, 3 TDs) quickly led his team to the 'W' at home.  One team had to win.  Great way to step up for the Falcons.  Inquisitive Mind 0 - 1 for the week.

NFL Week 9 Matchup

Not a bad week last week, but I am still searching for an undefeated week with my picks. I stand at 71-45 for the year. Let me relax, light a candle, and see if I can't predict a little better this week.

New York Jets @ Buffalo - Well, Favre had a terrible last game and so did the entire Bills team. The Jets will need to work more on the ground while the Bills will need to make sure their receivers still work, well actually their quarterback. Trent Edwards has got to make something positive happen this week. The Bills are at home and this game is important if they want to show the league that they are for real. Both teams should run the ball well but this will come down to quarterback play and I think that Favre is either showing his age or he's hurting. Winner - Bills

Detroit @ Chicago - Just when the Bears thought it was safe to come out and play they get the Lions. No I don't think that the Lions have the team to beat the Bears, but this is the trap game for the Bears. They are coming off their bye and they are at home. Calvin Johnson could wreak havoc on the Chicago secondary and make this game a lot closer than it needs to be. In the end, I doubt the Lions defense has enough to stop a potent Bears offense (when's the last time you could say that about the Bears?). Winner - Bears

Jacksonville @ Cincinnati - TJ Houshmandzadeh has come out and said that the Bengals won't go winless this year. He didn't promise a win against a certain team, but he said there's no way they go 0-16. Is this the week? I'd have to say 'NO'. The Jaguars are on a roll and their quarterback is playing good ball. The Bengals really don't have any offense and Ryan Fitzpatrick can be good in spurts, but that's it. I imagine that the boo birds come out, against the home team, right before halftime. Winner - Jaguars

Baltimore @ Cleveland - With all of the craziness that's been going on in Cleveland, they luck up and get the Ravens at home (tongue in cheek). It's about time for a Brady Quinn sighting in my mind. Jamal Lewis doesn't look like a good pick this week in Fantasy Football because he's going against this Ravens defense. The Ravens are showing that they trust Flacco a little more and opening the offense for him. The worst case if he doesn't succeed is that they have a good player in Troy Smith right behind him. Maybe, just maybe the Browns head coaches will find a way to text the Ravens defense saying 'I'm going to have a big game against you guys - signed Kellen Winslow' and then all of their problems will be solved. Winner - Ravens

Green Bay @ Tennessee - After beating the Colts on Monday night, the Titans get to host the Packers. The blueprint will be the same. Run the ball, make timely passes, and win. The Packers come in a little beat up at quarterback and running back. After having some success early in the season, Aaron Rodgers is looking to bounce back. This is going to be a tough game for the Packers and I don't think they have the moxy to pull it off. Winner - Titans

Arizona @ St. Louis - This is a hard game to pick. Early word is that Stephen Jackson is out, but I'm not buying that one, not yet. The Cardinals get back to full strength with Boldin back in the lineup and Kurt Warner wants a new contract. Nothing like stating your case by beating the Rams, soundly. The Rams are playing better, and if they can finally break out (Torry Holt, I mean you), they can actually make some things happen. I just don't think this is the week for the Rams. Winner - Cardinals

Houston @ Minnesota - What happens in the course of a week? I think the Vikings got healthier during their bye week and the fact that they aren't losing their big beef on defense (at least for this game) makes this game that much more interesting. The Vikings will continue to run the ball and try to manage the game. I'll say it again, we haven't seen an AP breakout game yet. Houston has quietly played well this year and it looks like they are turning the corner. Matt Schaub has provided some direction on offense while Mario Williams is finally making people think that maybe the Saints got it wrong for picking Reggie Bush instead of him. Going with the home team here coming off the bye. Winner - Vikings

Tampa Bay @ Kansas City - I can sum this game up in about 2 sentences. The Chiefs are without Larry Johnson for an extended period of time and the Bucs are coming off a close loss to the Cowboys. Nothing like giving the Bucs a reason to play better. I feel sorry for Tyler Thigpen this week as he is sure to get hit and hit hard sometime (probably often) during this game. Winner - Bucs

Miami @ Denver - This will be an interesting game. More interesting is my pick. Denver had been a high flying point producing team on offense, but that has slowed down as of late. The debacle at New England being the ultimate loss. They welcome the Dolphins into town this weekend. The funny thing is that I think the Dolphins are talented enough to win this game. They may not shock and awe you, but they will be prepared and they will play it tough. Dolphins don't do well in the cold, but I'll take them. Winner - Dolphins

Atlanta @ Oakland - The Raiders are still having all types of problems and I doubt they get any better anytime soon. I am however pulling for JaMarcus Russell who is having a decent year. Atlanta comes in with a good all around offense led by rookie Matt Ryan. The Falcons defense will get a chance to come after the Raiders after they get behind. I expect this one to be a blowout. What is former Falcon DeAngelo Hall going to do when he has to go against his former team? Winner - Falcons

Dallas @ New York Giants - This will be the game I watch. I'm not sure why though. All signs point to this being a blowout in the Giants favor because Brad Johnson can't stretch the field and all of the offensive play calls seem to forget that they have a beast in the Dallas backfield. But, isn't this the type of game where the Cowboys could come out and dominate. No one is giving them a chance and they are playing in NY. I can just see it now, Brad Johnson dropping back and throwing a deep ball to TO for a 50 yard TD,........then I wake up. Winner - Giants

Philadelphia @ Seattle - Matt Hasselbeck might as well hit the campaign trail with his wife since he won't be playing anytime soon. The Eagles defense won't allow Seneca Wallace to play like he did last week, although, he may be able to give them problems with his legs. I look for Donovan to play well and send his Eagles home with a win. Just call it the residual effect of the Phillies winning the World Series. Winner - Eagles

New England @ Indianapolis - At the beginning of the season this looked like the game of the week. 8 weeks later it's two struggling teams trying to right their ships, although the Patriots seem to have a head start on that. The Colts can't pass, run, or do anything right during game time, but you still can't count them out at home. Joseph Addai may play which will help, but for some reason these Patriots are giving me heartburn. Maybe they have found a way to make Matt Cassell a household name or maybe he is good? We'll see during this game. I still have faith in Peyton to get it done. They were thisclose last week to beating the Titans, so let's see if they can't finally make it happen. Winner - Colts

Pittsburgh @ Washington - This is going to be a better game than most think. The Steelers are playing off of fumes after a few close ones and the pounding that Big Ben has been taking. They do get 'Fast' Willie Parker back this week which will help their running game. Washington is sporting an equally good running game with Clinton Portis leading the way. This game is going to come down to Jason Campbell and whether he's made that step or he was just faking. Mike Tomlin has never lost on Monday night. There's a first time for everything. Winner - Redskins
**According to ESPN, the Presidential candidates are going to be interviewed during Monday Night Football.

Despite Boos, Steelers Win

What a game last night between the Eagles and the Steelers? Who would have thought that one call would change the whole momentum of the game? The Ravens started the games last night by punishing EVERYONE with a Steelers jersey on. I'm sure there will be lawsuits coming shortly (just jokes). Rashard 'I'm going to have a big game' Mendenhall met Ray Lewis in the hole and came out with a cracked shoulder blade (out for the season), Carey Davis sprained his ankle and was out for the rest of the game, and Kendall Simmons tore his right Achilles (out for the season). The Ravens O was led by rookie Joe Flacco and they put up 13 points going into halftime. This was really my first chance to watch Flacco this closely but I liked what I saw. He has a good arm, some mobility, and a good head on his shoulders. This game all came down to one 15 yard penalty against the Ravens by Jarrett Johnson for some after the play pushing. After this call the Steelers were able to get in the end zone and make the score 13-10. On the Ravens' next possession, Flacco was sacked and fumbled and the Steelers ran it in for a TD to make it 17-13. After that Flacco was still able to drive his team down the field in the final minutes to tie the score at 20.

I don't know about you guys, but I watched the best linebacker in the game last night. We all know about Ray Lewis' intensity and ability to motivate his teammates, but a 33 year old LB who hits like that shouldn't still be in the league. Yes, he's better than Urlacher, he's better (by a smidgen) than Derrick Brooks, and last night he just proved how good he was. Lewis led his team with 13 tackles last night, 7 solo.

We all know that the Steelers ended up winning this one in overtime by a field goal by Jeff Reed. But for some reason, I just think the better team walked away with a loss last night. I know Ray would agree with me that the only W's that count are the ones on your record. It's a short week for both teams, so they better get ready. Thanks for a great game.

NFL Week 1 Wrap Up

Well, it was a good thing that I didn't take my bets to Vegas or I'd be trying to walk back home. All in all a good day of NFL Football, just a bad day to be a QB. We'll see what I got right and what I got wrong on my picks.

Detroit @ Atlanta - Wow!!!! Not sure if I'm more surprised by the Lions not playing or the way the Falcons did. 22 carries for 220 yards, and two TDs, I think that gets Michael Turner the game ball for the week. Atlanta destroyed the Lions, although Roy Williams at least got me the TD I needed for fantasy. Inquisitive Mind 0 - 1 for the week.

Seattle @ Buffalo - Another good game, but the Buffalo special teams won it for them. Marshawn Lynch had 18 carries for 76 yards and a TD. Edwards played well, but Julius Jones disappointed in his Seahawk debut. Inquisitive Mine 1-1 for the week.

New York Jets @ Miami - A little shaky start for the folks in New Jersey. Favre played decently and Thomas Jones got his 101 yards (and a TD), but this game came down to the last few minutes. It really shouldn't have. The Jets should be happy that they played the Dolphins this early in the season. Inquisitive Mind 2-1 for the week.

Kansas City @ New England - Wow and not in a good way. Brady is probably out for the year and the Pats snuck by a terrible Chiefs team. I know they are glad for the win, but thinking about Brady being out for the year has got to temper all of the Superbowl talk. There were reports from ESPN saying that Brady tore ligaments in his knee and that Tim Rattay and Chris Simms are en route to New England for possible tryouts. That last sentence has soooo much wrong with it. Inquisitive Mind 3-1 for the week.

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans - Can you feel sorry for a team that has had success and has won a Superbowl in the last 8 years? The Bucs were so close yesterday, but yet so far. They kept a Saints team within reach the entire game but not enough O to win it. Inquisitive Mind 4-1 for the week.

St. Louis @ Philadelphia - Could I have been wrong? This was an old school out behind the shed butt whuppin!! McNabb looked great and he was throwing to scabs. Philly looked like the team that they said they were, or did they just play a terrible Rams team? We'll see over the next few weeks. Inquisitive Mind 5-1 for the week.

Houston @ Pittsburgh - Add another butt whuppin to the menu. Roethlisberger was almost perfect for the game, Willie Parker had 138 yards and 3 TDs, and even Byron Leftwich played. I don't think that you could write it up any better than this. Inquisitive Mind 6-1 for the week.

Jacksonville @ Tennessee - Things went horribly wrong here. The Titans D stepped up and played great. They had 2 picks of Garrard and they held the Jaguars running game in check. The bad part is that Vince Young hurt his knee/leg and he's being examined as we speak. The hope is that it isn't anywhere near as bad as Brady. Inquisitive Mind 6-2 for the week.

Cincinnati @ Baltimore - The Baltimore D played like they haven't played in a while. They kept the Bengals under 200 yards total offense. Flacco got his first win and my week's picks are starting to go in the wrong direction. Inquisitive Mind 6-3 for the week.

Carolina @ San Diego - San Diego wins this game in a thriller. Oh no,.......what?!?!? Delhomme did what? That wasn't picked? The Panthers shock the Chargers on a last second (actually 2 seconds) touchdown catch by Dante Rosario. The Chargers D looked stale and the offense wasn't that good either. This is one of those that got away from the Chargers. The Panthers took it from them. Inquisitive Mind 6-4 for the week.

Arizona @ San Francisco - This was a yawner. It seemed like the Cardinals thought that by showing up they would win. It took them the second half of the game to put it out of reach. Nothing spectacular in this one, but I did get a pick right. Inquisitive Mind 7-4 for the week.

Dallas @ Cleveland - Talk about a half of domination. I thought the Cowboys would have gotten close to 50 in this game the way they were playing. Romeo Crennel talked to his D at half time and the result was them at least bloodying Tony Romo. The Browns made a lot of mistakes on O, and they couldn't stop the Cowboys running game. Marion Barber got hurt in the first game of the season, that running style isn't going to lend to him playing all 16. Inquisitive Mind 8-4 for the week.

Chicago @ Indianapolis - Was this a home game for the Bears? It sounded like there were more Bears fans in Lucas Oil Stadium than Colts fans. All that talk about Manning just turning the page and coming out smoking, well it doesn't happen quite that easily. The Bears tried their best to confuse Manning and his new starting center by bringing some kind of blitz the entire game. They would line up 7 and you never knew who was coming. Forte played well in his debut ending the game with 123 yards and a TD. He also became the answer to a trivia question, Who was the first person to score a TD in the new Lucas Oil Stadium? Inquisitive Mind 8-5 for the week.

Two more games to go,...let's see if I can't go 10-5 for the week with wins by Minnesota and Oakland.

NFL Round Up

Kyle Boller, better known as the reason Brian Billick was fired as head coach of the Ravens, is injured and the initial results from tests aren't looking good. Boller is having his shoulder examined because he is having trouble lifting it above his head. He's awaiting a second opinion. This is starting to signal the beginning of the Joe Flacco era in Baltimore. With Boller and Troy Smith out of the picture (due to an illness of sorts), Flacco looks to be your day 1 starter and the only healthy option at QB. What is going on in Baltimore? Is this the Billick curse or something? They haven't had a QB (I'm taking Steve McNair out of this equation) since they had game manager Trent Dilfer. You can't tell me that out of all the drafts that they have had since winning the Superbowl in 2000, that they weren't able to get a live body at QB for 8 years?!?!?! Things are not looking good in B-more, but with a stingy defense, let's see if Joe Flacco can win some games there. Maybe he is the Billick curse breaker.

Parked Cadillac - Carnell 'Cadillac' Williams has been put on the PUP list. This will keep him on the roster but out of the first 6 games. After those 6 games he'll have a 3 week window to 'make' the team or he'll be done for the year. You have to root for this guy because of the injury that he had last year (torn patella tendon) and the fact that doctors have told him that he won't be back at full speed ever again. So for a Fantasy Football Alert, don't draft the Caddy because it's still parked and will be for a while.

No More Years - Michael Strahan has decided to stay retired instead of taking about $8M to come back and play for the Giants. I guess you can insert all of your Brett Favre jokes here, but Strahan wants to enjoy living in LA and being a sports commentator (much easier on your body during the football season). He'll make close to $2M for his gig on TV and personal appearance money, so we won't vote him off the island for not helping his former team by coming back.