NFL Week 1 Picks

It's that time of year again. Football season. And this is my first sports blog that I'm writing from my new home in Kenosha, Wisconsin at Carthage College. I really have no idea how often I will be able to write and what the college workload will look like. But what I do know is that I want to share my weekly picks on this blog with you all. I also hope to have an NFL season preview up for you soon with my picks.

NOTE: I made most of these picks on Thursday, September 5, 2013, including the game from

Thursday, 9/5
Ravens @ Broncos- Broncos. Honestly I am not a fan of either of these teams, as a fan. However, I have high hopes for the Broncos this year. I think they get off to a good start tonight. Also, wouldn't be surprised if this turns in to a blowout. I'll take the Broncos at home tonight.

Sunday, 9/8
Patriots @ Bills- Pats. Do I really need to give an explanation?
Titans @ Steelers- Steelers. The Steelers are a bit of a mystery this year. As a fan of the team, even I have no clue how good they will be. There were a good amount of changes this offseason (no more Mike Wallace or James Harrison), and yet the one thing I wanted to change didn't. That's right, Todd Haley is still the offensive coordinator. If the Steelers want to contend, they gotta pick up a win this Sunday. They need to get off to a good start and start building momentum. While they have a lot of questions about their running game, I say Big Ben wills them to victory. Side note: keep your eye on rookie receiver Markus Wheaton this season.
Falcons @ Saints- Saints. Sean Payton makes his return to coaching and the Saints win.
Buccaneers @ Jets- Bucs. To put it nicely, I can't see the Jets being too good this year. They will have a lot of problems, and my bet is it's Rex Ryan's last year as head coach. While some rookie quarterbacks have had great success in their first career starts (Cam Newton's 422 passing yards in 2011 and Robert Griffin III's 364 all-purpose yards last season come to mind), I see Geno Smith having a rough first start.
Chiefs @ Jaguars- Chiefs. I'm pretty sure I've picked the Chiefs to win the division the last two years and they have certainly let me down both times. Big time. But I think we're about to see a new era of Chiefs football. The young defense has looked good and Alex Smith is a decent quarterback. Are they a playoff team? You'll find out in my season preview coming up soon. But I like them better than a Jaguars team that has Blaine Gabbert as their starting quarterback.
Seahawks @ Panthers- Seahawks. I think this will be a fun game. Getting to watch Russell Wilson and Cam Newton run the option and then fire the ball down the field will be fun to watch. This could be a quarterback duel. I'm giving an edge to the Seahawks because I have high hopes for this season, and I think the defense will stop Cam when they need to.
Bengals @ Bears- Bears. The Monsters of the Midway return to Chicago for the first time without Lovie Smith. I'm still not sure how I feel about that firing. I also don't know how to feel about the hiring of CFL coach Marc Trestman (why not at least interview Bill Cowher?). This could be a revealing game for the Bears' story this season. On paper, the Bears are a better team than they were last season. However they do have a much tougher schedule. I have high expectations for the Bengals this year, but I can see the Bears stealing one here, just like when they stole one from the Falcons on opening day two years ago.
Dolphins @ Browns- Dolphins. Officially the snoozefest of the week. Does it really matter who wins?
Vikings @ Lions- Vikings. All Day's gonna run crazy and the Vikings are going to take this one.
Raiders @ Colts- Colts. Yeah, I'm not betting on the Raiders.
Packers @ 49ers- 49ers. This could be the game of the week. I believe these two teams played week one last year, and this could be a new rivalry. I really am tempted to pick Rodgers in a high-scoring shootout. But I also might say the 49ers are the best team going in to week one. I'll go with the 9ers.
Cardinals @ Rams- Rams. Interesting match-up. While neither of these teams are the most exciting, I think of them could be a good surprise team. The Cardinals started out 4-0 last season, beating the Seahawks, Patriots, Eagles (who looked good at the start of the season) and Dolphins, and then dropped the next 9 games. Meanwhile, the Rams quietly went 7-8-1. One of these teams could be a surprise team this year. Only problem is that this is a TOUGH division. Anyway, I'll take the Rams at home, but I have no idea
Giants @ Cowboys- Giants. Eli Manning > Tony Romo.

Monday, 9/9
Eagles @ Redskins- Eagles- I like the Birds here. Lot of questions surround RGIII and his return. I can see the Eagles catching the Skins off guard and making big plays with Chip Kelly's offense.
Texans @ Chargers- Texans. I see this one being a blowout. Start your Texans in fantasy football this week!

So those are my picks. My full NFL preview will be coming soon!