Welcome back to the NFL season everyone! The NFL: returns with a free-agent filled off-season to remember, and with a lot of teams climbing up to playoff-caliber, while perennial champions still hang on as well. Who will win it all? WHO CARES RIGHT NOW! It's week one and those first-week fantasy rosters are due, so let's get looking at the games! Here we go with week one!
THURSDAY NIGHT: SAN FRANCISCO AT NEW YORK GIANTS:
Easy way to figure this one out…make it a grudge match with those little clay guys between Tiki Barber and Terrell Owens against Mooch and Strahan. That otta draw a crowd. With all the infighting in these two clubs, it's a miracle they would even remember to show up to fight against someone but themselves. Anyway…10 bucks on Mooch and Strahan…
Bottom Line: 49ers 23; Giants 17.
KICKOFF SUNDAY!:
NEW YORK JETS AT BUFFALO:
Buffalo welcomes in the Bledsoe era in with a big win, while the Jets get to be part of Buffalo lore as the team that gave up Bledsoe's first FOUR TD passes (yes I said FOUR people). And yes…Buffalo fans DO remember that kind of thing…
Bottom Line: Bills 31; Jets 20.
MINNESOTA AT CHICAGO:
Remember when this was "the future of fantasy football game?" You remember…Cade McNown and Daunte Cullpepper went wild, and this game was a fantasy score-fest. Yeah…the good ol' days…gone in this case. Now it's the "How many times will they throw it to Moss who is quadruple covered" game. Moss gets his 8 catches (out of 27 attempts thrown his way, if he decides to play this game) but Da Bears prove teams win games…not crybaby receivers. Batter up on Moss across the middle…oh yeah…he doesn't run those routes…
Bottom Line: Bears 24; Vikings 13.
SAN DIEGO AT CINCINNATI:
If anyone knows how to beat Cincy…it's Schottenheimer… not like that isn't a real hard concept to figure out. San Diego is just all around better, and Brees gets a win his first day out. Cincy won't have that 2-0 feeling this season…
Bottom Line: Chargers 19, Bengals 13.
KANSAS CITY AT CLEVELAND:
A battle of much-improved teams. KC will run all over the Browns. The Browns will pass all over KC
Bottom Line: Chiefs 17; Browns 21.
GOooooo Browns.
ATLANTA AT GREEN BAY:
Michael Vick will run around and be really entertaining, and sell lots of home tickets…while the rest of his team gets STOMPED by GB. Note to Dan Reeves…Favre won't give your boys any of those free sacks he gave the G-Men last year…
Bottom Line: Packers 25; Falcons 15.
PHILADELPHIA AT TENNESSEE:
Two good defenses against two average offenses. Ouch. Good teams, good seasons, both playoff contenders…BORING game. Fantasy wise, start only the D's in this game. Fan wise…take some Vivrin with that coffee…it's gonna be a punt fest…
Bottom Line: Eagles 13; Titans 10.
DETROIT AT MIAMI:
Some teams have to start actually trying to win once week one begins. The Dolphins aren't one of them…The real question is which will be higher…the score for the Lions or the INTs thrown by them??
Bottom Line: Dolphins 24; Lions 3.
ARIZONA AT WASHINGTON:
Steve Spurrier gets to look good his first week debuting his new "Fun and Gun" against the hapless Cards' D.
Bottom Line: Redskins 32; Cardinals 10.
BALTIMORE AT CAROLINA:
This year's StuperBowl comes in week one with the two future bottom-dwellers of their divisions. The saddest part? At least Carolina is young and has a future with their players…ouch Baltimore…how far the mighty have dropped…
Bottom Line: Watch something else Panthers 17; Ravens 13.
INDIANAPOLIS AT JACKSONVILLE:
This would have been a great matchup with Tony Dungy's new D against the high-flying Jags O. But now it's just another pre-season warm up for the Colts, but they get the added benefit of getting a free W in their column. Just when Fred Taylor gets healthy…the rest of his team bails on him. START ALL YOUR COLTS IN WEEK #1!!!!
Bottom Line: Colts 27; Jaguars 16.
NEW ORLEANS AT TAMPA BAY:
The two things Tampa has always lacked are an offense and intensity. How cool to get them both with the arrival of the same person…Chuckie. Anyone's doubts about the importance of the trade for Gruden will be erased after the week one showing…do they make Chuckie dolls in Tampa colors yet, and what do I do with my Raider Chuckie???
Bottom Line: Bucs 30; Saints 10.
SEATTLE AT OAKLAND:
Last year, Shawn Alexander made the Raiders' D look like the parting of the black sea. This year, the Raiders can stack all their big men up front and let Charles Woodson, Rod Woodson, Philip Buchanan and co. roam and destroy WRs in the secondary. Not a bad plan. See…if Romanowski was there with a run-stopping lugie for Alexander last year…it would have been different…
Bottom Line: Raiders 24; Seahawks 17.
ST LOUIS AT DENVER:
Remember two years ago when this was a shootout between perennial Super Bowlers? Well, after a revamped STL D and a healed Denver O…the sparks should fly again. Look for a nail biter finish as these two throw-caution-to-the-wind coaches go at it again. Fantasy numbers will abound, but in the end STL will prove why they are still the team to beat in the NFL…
In OT: Bottom Line: Rams 33; Broncos 27.
DALLAS AT HOUSTON:
The battle for Texas begins (and won't happen again until 2004)! The lines are drawn, the talk is big, and the teams are ready. Dallas is much improved this year, and the Texans are a tough expansion team! OK, enough of the talking up over this one…the Texans are STILL and expansion team and the Cowboys are a playoff contender this season with a TOUGH D. Bye bye Texans, and welcome to getting sacked David Carr…start running now……
Bottom Line: Cowboys 32; Texans 10.
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: PITTSBURGH AT NEW ENGLAND:
An AFC Championship rematch! These rematches always go to the guy who got his butt kicked the year before. This year, Bill Cowher's bunch is still hurting to sit…
Bottom Line: Steelers 20; Patriots 10.
Disagree with a game post the game and tell me why you disagree. Guess we all know how unpredictable the NFL can be at times.