Sep 8, 2007 

Week 1: Football Is Back

BILLS UPSET DENVER; JETS SET TONE AGAINST PATS

It's time for kickoff. Many at the NFL's corporate office in New York City are happy to have game highlights flushing away a very trying summer. I, on the other hand, rather enjoyed seeing a league scurry in the face of wife beaters, drunk drivers and dog killers. Here's how the opening week shakes down:

The Raiders were tops against the pass last season, but they didn't face a receiving corp like Detroit's. Take the Lions and weep over Calvin Johnson....What an opportunity for the new-look Texans to reveal how far Kansas City has fallen....Openers have a way of making season-long success stories. Buffalo will upset Denver's opener but America meet Bills RB Marshawn Lynch....The Browns shock the Steelers with a three-point shocker ruining Mike Tomlin's steeler debut.

Jacksonville's head coach Jack Del Rio's gutsy pick of QB David Garrard works well enough. The Jags are too strong right now defensively to allow Tennessee much success even with the great Vince Young....St. Louis shouldn't have much trouble with Carolina in the dome....Green Bay has made Lambeau Field a home field advantage for their opponents recently. Donavan McNabb's first opportunity to test his knee will be successful. A few inexplicable INT's from Brett Favre help, too.

How will the Vick-less Falcons open the Bobby Petrino era? Pretty well and it helps to be opening with a feckless Vikes squad...Joe Gibbs' Redskins may not be as good the original, but you can expect them to defend FedEx Field on opening day against a fragile Miami QB....The Jets play a statement game and ruin the unveiling of Tom Brady's newest receiving weapons....How will new Tampa QB Jeff Garcia communicate with his new mates in the cauldron of sound that is Seattle. The "Hawks win the battle of 1976 expansion teams.

You might imagine the Chargers-Bears game in San Diego to be some clash of styles. It won't the Chargers rout the Bears and remind us that Super Bowl loser never look the same....The Giants should play the Cowboys tough but lose. Fans of Gotham might remember this game as being the best the Gints look all season....

 

Dallas Too Strong For Weak NFC

HERE'S THE SKINNY ON THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE

Dallas' Demarcus Ware leads a big play defense without weakness

|||||||NFC WEST
1. ST. LOUIS Wins division with 9 wins. Stephen Jackson is the best player in NFC
2. **ARIZONA Everything is nearly set. Whisenhunt will get Leinart to put it together
3. SAN FRANCISCO Alex Smith is not the franchise. Not there yet Niner fans.
4. SEATLLE Watch the natural progression of a good team getting old.

|||||||NFC EAST
1. DALLAS No weanesses on defense. Bum's son get the 'Boys to Super Bowl.
2. **PHILADELPHIA Solid top to botton. McNabb's last chance to stay healthy.
3. WASHINGTON The last year of Coach Gibbs II. Jason Campbell is not a starter
4. N.Y. GIANTS Still fighting even in off-season. Coughlin gone by week 12.

||||||NFC NORTH
1. CHICAGO Nobody else worthy. Sexy Rexy gets ripped again, but wins 10.
2. DETROIT Even Kitna can't go wrong with Calvin Johnson and co. 7 wins.
3. GREEN BAY More Favre retirement talk. WR James Jones as good as Johnson.
4. MINNESOTA Fans can't even name their starting QB. No direction in Minny.

||||||NFC SOUTH
1. NEW ORLEANS If you thought Reggie Bush was good last year, watch out.
2. ATLANTA Didn't win with Vick. Will be fine with present cast and new coach.
3. CAROLINA David Carr won't be on bench long. Still great D, RBs and S.Smith.
4. TAMPA BAY Jeff Garcia won't duplicate '06. Gruden is out before week 17.

 

Out On A Limb: Colts Return To Big Show

HERE'S THE SKINNY ON THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE

Indy's Joseph Addai hopes for a return to the Super Bowl.

||||||AFC West
1. SAN DIEGO Loaded. The Curse of Norval will bite them. Thomlinson: MVP.
2. DENVER Can Travis Henry make TDs like he does babies? Cutler: so-so.
3. KANSAS CITY Cupboard is bare. This is the last year of a dominant LJ.
4. OAKLAND Be patient. The kid coach will struggle, but he has the chops.

||||||AFC EAST
1. NEW ENGLAND Brady being Brady. Wes Welker is the key, not Moss.
2. **N.Y. JETS Mangenius! Clemens is a good one; Pennington still has it.
3. BUFFALO Marshawn Lynch: ROY. Nate Clements will be sorely missed.
4. MIAMI Cam can't. Defense looses a step; Offense looses many games.

||||||AFC NORTH
1. BALTIMORE Opponents will not score, period. Kyle Boller will save them.
2. **CINCINNATI Can't stop scoring. Palmer finally healthy; 12 wins possible
3. PITTSBURGH New coach will clash badly with the Steelers way.
4. CLEVELAND Jamal Lewis is wasted space. Brady Quinn love affair begins.

||||||AFC SOUTH
1. INDIANAPOLIS Return to S.B. will foregone conclusion. Defense steps up.
2. HOUSTON NFL's surprise team. Nine wins and a good defense.
3. TENNESSEE Vince Young is about to explode. Titans in 2008 will be real.
4. JACKSONVILLE Del Rio made the right pick, but the locker room is tense.

 

TAILGATER Super Bowl Pick: Colts over Cowboys


SUPER BOWL REMATCH Colts kicker Jim O'Brien beat Dallas in SB V.

||||||POSTSEASON FORECAST
---------------------------------------------------------------
||||||AFC WILDCARD: CIN over BAL, NYJ over SD
||||||NFC WILDCARD: CHI over ARZ, NO over PHI

||||||AFC DIVISIONAL: IND over CIN, NYJ over NE
||||||NFC DIVISIONAL: DAL over CHI, NO over STL

||||||AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: IND over NYJ
||||||NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: DAL over NO

||||||SUPER BOWL XLI: IND over DAL