The NFL is back and didn't waste time giving us an entertaining matchup. Favre and the Vikings actually performed better than I thought they would. I wasn't sure Favre would make it out of week one alive, especially considering the beating he took against the Saints in the NFC championship last year. The absence of Sidney Rice was present as was Favre's lack of repetitions from missing training camp.
Peterson ran hard and made some nice plays, but the Saints defense was able to contain him, and held him to 87 yards. More importantly they held him to only 19 carries. For the Vikings to be competitive they need to run well enough to get Peterson 25-30 carries a game.
The Saints offense was pretty much kept in check by the Vikings defense which should be an encouraging sign in Minnesota. The 14-9 score was much lower than expected, but the Saints coming away with a home win was an easy call.
What aren't easy calls is the rest of the schedule week one. Week one games are the hardest to pick because you really never know what teams are going to look like coming out of an off-season. There are questions that can't be answered until you actually see a team play. Here are my thoughts on the rest of the week one schedule:
Carolina will be starting their first season in several years without Jake Delhomme at QB which is definitely a good thing if you are a Panthers fan. Still, they will be starting Matt Moore who has yet to prove he can lead an NFL team. Carolina had one of the best rushing offenses last year with Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, but it's a quarterbacks league. I never like picking the Giants, but you have to go with the home team on this one. Giants will break in their new stadium with a W.
Carolina 20
Giants 24
As a rule in my pick em league, I never take a visiting team playing at Heinz Field. Circumstances are a little different in this opener. Dennis Dixon will take the snaps with Ben Roethlisberger serving his suspension. Rashard Mendenhall will need to carry Pittsburgh while they wait for Roethlisberger's return. The Falcons bring in a nice looking offense with a lot of weapons, but it is traditionally tough to score in Pittsburgh. The loss of Roethlisberger will make the difference. Matt Ryan and crew get it done on the road.
Pittsburgh 13
Falcons 23
Battle of the bottom feeders. Who knows what will come of this one? A team led by Jake Delhomme is a scary concept, and I don't see how he is an improvement over the mediocre quarterback play Cleveland fans have become accustomed to. Tampa Bay is one of the few teams capable of making the Browns look good. The Buccaneers hope Josh Freeman grows up fast without his favorite receiver from last year's awful team. I guess I like the home team here. Perhaps Gerald McCoy will have an immediate impact on Tampa's defense.
Cleveland 13
Tampa 14
The quarterback edge surprisingly goes in the Broncos favor in this matchup. That won't happen too often this season. Kyle Orton and David Garrard are similarly unspectacular. Neither team has an elite receiver on the roster after the departure of Brandon Marshall from Denver. The Jags have Maurice Jones-Drew who is good for points every week. The Broncos hope last year's first round draft pick Knowshon Moreno will find his inner Jones-Drew and become a difference maker in the offense. The Broncos have a better pedigree, but I have to take the home team in this evenly matched game.
Denver 16
Jacksonville 20
Peyton Manning is a machine and he has yet to show any signs of slowing down. As long as he is under center, the Colts will be a winning franchise. The Colts are also very excited about their defense. Houston hopes to put the pieces together this season. They have tons of individual talent on both sides of the ball. There are still some question marks at running back, but they have a prolific QB with Matt Schaub (when he is healthy) and the world's baddest receiver in Andre Johnson. I believe Houston will put it together this year, but Indy is a tough draw for week one. You know Manning will be prepared. He's been through a few week one's in his career.
Indianapolis 28
Houston 17
This game is my lock of the week. Did the Bills get any better with the addition of CJ Spiller? Maybe. He might be a phenom. But the Bills failed to address any of their needs. They already had Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson. I'm not saying I don't love Spiller, but they had greater needs. The Dolphins did get better, acquiring Brandon Marshall. With Chad Henne more experienced, and two running backs capable a rushing for over 1,000 yards, the Dolphins future looks bright.
Dolphins 31
Bills 13
Call me crazy, but I like the Lions this year. If Jahvid Best works out, and Matthew Stafford develops some chemistry with Calvin Johnson, they could surprise some teams. They have high draft picks littered all over the field, especially at defense adding Ndamukong Suh. The Bears have been excited this off-season about the relationship of offensive coordinator Mike Martz and Jay Cutler, and are hoping for a bounce back season after last year's mess. They added Julius Peppers to an under performing defense that still has lots of big names. Chicago fans will help give da Bears a proper home field advantage.
Detroit 21
Chicago 28
Oakland is another team that I believe will be good this year. Jason Campbell walks into a beautiful situation with young talent all around him. Leadership is a big reason I believe Campbell will have a positive impact on the Raiders, who also have play makers on defense. The Raiders struggled to defend the run last year and face Chris Johnson in week one. I never like to pick a team with Vince Young at QB, but he sparked the offense and helped the Titans finish last year in a positive manner after a horrendous start.
Oakland 21
Tennessee 27
The Bengals are coming off a great regular season, and added some weapons on offense. Terrell Owens is always tremendously conditioned and physical which will keep him productive as he ages. Playing alongside Chad Ochocinco won't have the impact the duo thinks, but they will still give Carson Palmer options. They also drafted tight end Jermaine Gresham who could be a weapon with most of the attention going to the wideouts. If Cedric Benson is productive, the Bengals should have a great offense. The Patriots are coming off a disappointing playoff loss with contract negotiations capturing most of the headlines this off-season. Tom Brady should be fully recovered from knee surgery and there's no reason to think he won't be productive. The Patriots will put up big points, but I expect them to give up big points also. With Wes Welker coming off of surgery, and no run game to speak of, New England will probably have severe highs and lows this season.
Cincinnati 27
New England 28
These are two teams going in opposite directions. The Cardinals were a wonderful story with Kurt Warner. But Warner's gone. So is Anquan Boldin and Karlos Dansby. Warner's replacement is Browns castoff Derek Anderson. Yep. Browns castoff. The success of Arizona lies with their ability to run the ball and set up the play action to Larry Fitzgerald. Defensively the Cardinals have lots of questions with a rebuilt lineup.
The arrival of Sam Bradford in St. Louis has given the fan base reason to be positive after toiling as one of the worst franchises in the NFL the last several years. Steven Jackson needs a lot of help from Bradford to make his prime years meaningful. As a long time interested observer of Bradford, I believe he is capable of walking out to the field and helping his team immediately. The Rams have a long way to go, but they're going in the right direction. I like
Arizona 17
St. Louis 24
The 49ers are the popular pick (and mine) to win the NFC West this season. It's been a long time out of the spotlight, but the Niners are loaded on offense, and tough defensively. Lots of reasons to believe they are ready to return to their winning ways. But, there is one lingering question. What kind of season is Alex Smith capable of? As we all know, poor QB play can make a great team average. Hopefully for San Francisco this season will be a breakout for Alex Smith. There's really nothing to say about the Seahawks other than they're playing at home in one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL. Perhaps Matt Hasselbeck will be able to have another bounce back year, but it would be optimistic to think he will last ten games this season. Even if he does stay healthy, he has no one to throw it to, and a weak rush attack to support him. Don't expect much from the Seahawks this season. SF in a laugher.
San Francisco 30
Seattle 10
The Packers are a Super Bowl favorite of mine and many others. Aaron Rodgers has given every indication that he will be tremendous this season. Offensively the Packers are stacked and they should be able to score on anyone. The Eagles are more of a mystery starting the season with a QB not named McNabb. Although Kevin Kolb excited Eagles fans last year with his play in relief of Donovan McNabb, he is starting his first year as "the man" which is a much different challenge, especially in Philadelphia. Kolb will have the pressure of getting out to a fast start on a team that was very good offensively last year with McNabb. I believe Kolb will struggle a bit, but he gets the Packers at a good time with both starting cornerbacks hurt. Playing in Philadelphia is always a challenge for visitors (and fans), but Green Bay is too strong.
Green Bay 34
Philadelphia 27
A rivalry game in week one. You have to love this matchup. Dallas swept the rivalry last year and look to be better this year. The health of the Cowboys offensive line is a concern entering the season, but Dallas is another team loaded with offensive weapons. Defensively, the Cowboys should be able to pressure the quarterback, but might give up more yardage than they want. The Redskins are not terribly good, but there is some excitement with the arrival of Donovan McNabb. The problem I have with the Redskins is their age in skill positions. This will hurt them all year.
Dallas 31
Washington 17
I love the Ravens this year. They made excellent off-season personnel moves to bolster their already impressive roster. All the offensive players are primed for great years, and even though the Ravens defense isn't what it once was, it will help win games. The Jets are now America's most talked about team with their brash head coach and big name roster. I don't have a lot of confidence in Mark Sanchez yet, and the collective team ego might be a lot to manage if the season doesn't go exactly as planned. The Jets want to tell you that they're going to win the Super Bowl. The Ravens will show them why that won't happen.
Baltimore 20
Jets 10
San Diego is not a complete team currently. Holdouts from two key offensive players will keep the Chargers from playing at full strength. They should improve in the running game with rookie Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert. Phillip Rivers will face his most challenging year without his favorite target Vincent Jackson and his best offensive lineman Marcus McNeil. Kansas City is a work in progress and haven't been much of a threat in recent years. Chiefs fans are excited about recent coaching hires, Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel. They do play at home with a crazy fan base. The house will be rocking, and it should be a great game. San Diego has a history of struggling in KC and starting the season slow. My inner fan won't allow me to pick against the Chargers.
San Diego 17
Kansas City 14
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