Minnesota @ New Orleans
Clearly I’m getting a late start and missed this game. But, if I’m being perfectly honest, I had Minnesota taking the opener against the Saints. And they would have had it too if it weren’t for those meddling refs.
Result: I had Minnesota winning 24-21
Cleveland @ Tampa Bay
If this is the game your local station is bringing you, let me apologize on their behalf. They likely don’t have a choice in the matter. There will be nothing pretty about this game, and it will likely be a blowout since one team is much more incompetent than the other.
Result: Cleveland wins 37-14
Miami @ Buffalo
No one, outside of Chris Berman who might be just a little bias, is picking the Bills. Chan Gailey just hasn’t done enough in Buffalo for the team to see a quick turnaround, and is at least three years from even showing signs of being a competitor.
Result: Miami wins 26-13
Cincinnati @ New England
And here is where the doozies begin. Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens team up for the first time with Carson Palmer and the Bengals offense has limitless potential. New England, with Tom Brady now the highest-paid player in NFL history, looks to start off the new decade the same way they started the previous one.
Result: Cincinnati wins 27-26
Indianapolis @ Houston
Since the Texans’ inception in 2002, they are 1-15 against the Indianapolis Colts. However, the Texans are more talented than they’ve ever been and certainly have the Colts at least paying attention. But with Peyton Manning still under center and the Colts looking healthy, Houston likely won’t improve on their dreadful mark.
Result: Colts win 33-25
Denver @ Jacksonville
It’s a battle of two teams who are a lot better on paper than they are on the field. Neither franchise is filled with superstars, but there’s certainly enough talent for both teams to be at least .500, although it likely won’t happen for either team and this will wind up a game of attrition.
Result: Jacksonville wins 16-7
Atlanta @ Pittsburgh
Ben Roethlisberger is on the bench for the first month of the season, and for some reason the Steelers are starting Dennis Dixon instead of Charlie Batch, a guy who has proven he can win in Pittsburgh when he must. Dixon, to me, doesn’t look like an NFL quarterback and certainly doesn’t fit in Pittsburgh.
Result: Atlanta wins 22-13
Oakland @ Tennessee
I’m a fan of Jason Campbell. He caught too much flak in Washington for a lot of things that were outside his control, and I think he’ll do much better in Oakland if Al Davis will keep Tom Cable around. But with that said, the combination of Vince Young and Chris Johnson will prove too much for the Raiders.
Result: Titans win 24-19
Carolina @ NY Giants
What in the world happened to the Giants? They’ve completely crumbled ever since their Super Bowl season in 2007, and haven’t looked like they’re going to hit an upswing in 2010. Carolina hasn’t looked much better and has a lot of questions at quarterback, receiver, and in the secondary.
Result: Giants win 20-16
Detroit @ Chicago
Jay Cutler enters his second season in Chicago, but does so with Mike Martz as his offensive coordinator. Martz running the show means a lot of points for Chicago, but their defense is still going to struggle as they fight to rediscover the magic they found in 2006.
Result: Chicago wins 38-31
Arizona @ St. Louis
Kurt Warner is out, Matt Leinart is out, and Derek Anderson is in. Anquan Boldin is also out, so we’re going to see if Steve Breaston is a legitimate No. 2 receiver or not. St. Louis gets the future underway early as Sam Bradford makes his first start, but the Rams probably don’t have enough talent to stick with even a depleted Cardinals team.
Result: Cardinals win 27-10
Green Bay @ Philadelphia
A youth movement is underway in Philadelphia as the Eagles retool. The Packers, on the other hand, look poised to make a push for supremacy in the NFC and are the sexy pick for the Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers has looked very good during the regular season, but must show he’s got the clutch factor his predecessor had.
Result: Green Bay wins 33-21
San Francisco @ Seattle
The 49ers should have a lock on the NFC West as the other teams are likely to regress. That would include the Seattle Seahawks. Pete Carrol is not an NFL head coach and jumped ship at USC to avoid the bad publicity. Unfortunately for him, he’ll see the NFL is not much more forgiving than the first time he was here.
Result: San Francisco wins 31-16
Dallas @ Washington
The Cowboys’ talent on paper has a lot of people picking them for to make it to and win the Super Bowl in their own stadium — a feat never before accomplished. But with Donovan McNabb the man in Washington, the Redskins are going to have a new confidence and swagger to them that could have them overachieving all year.
Result: Washington wins 26-18
Baltimore @ NY Jets
Rex Ryan, once the defensive coordinator of the Ravens, will face his old team in a clash of two franchises that could easily wind up as the AFC’s representative in the Super Bowl. The two teams are exactly the same on the field, but couldn’t be more different off it.
Result: Jets win 27-21
San Diego @ Kansas City
The Chiefs added some pieces in the offseason, but a lot of their improvement will come from the development of players like Jamal Charles, Matt Cassel, Brandon Flowers, Tyson Jackson, and others. If those guys have made the steps forward that some think they have, the Chiefs could be heading in the right direction, but likely aren’t ready to handle the Chargers’ firepower.
Result: San Diego wins 44-23