2008 NFL Week 1 Picks

• Redskins @ NYG (-3.5) – Tough game to call. I guess I’ll take the Giants in a game that will feature a more exciting first half than second half. 16-7 final score, 16-10, no, no, I”ll go with 16-7. (Actually, in my pool, I did pick the Redskins – bad pick).
• Bucs @ NO (-3.5) – Saints to handle the Bucs. Statement game. Watch out for NO this year.
• Jets @ Dolphins (+2.5) – How will Favre do in his first NFL game in another uniform? 224 yards, 2TDs, 1int. Also, there will be a nice 1-2 punch from Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. Ricky WIlliams won’t waste any time showing that he’s ready for a big year.
• Bengals @ Ravens (+1.5) – seems like a close spread for this game. It will play out just like you think it will – primarily as a battle between the Cincy O and the Ravens D. If the Ravens offense can manage to do anything at all, they will win this game. (By the way, Ocho Cinco has officially changed his last name to Ocho Cinco and the NFL finally will officially recognize this new, crazy, official last name by allowing him to put it on his uniform).
• Lions @ Falcons (+3.5) – Kitna, his 2 receivers and the new addition of Kevin Smith will prove to be too much for a weak Atlanta team. On the flip side, if the Detroit is as bad as I think they may be, then I’d leave open the possibility that Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood might run the Lions into the ground and eke out a victory.
• Rams @ Phil (-7.5) – Phil will roll to give people the false impression that they’ll be good this year. Then, 100-200 Philly fans will fight with each other after the game because they won and because they always fight.
• Sea @ Buff (-.5) – Buff will handle Seattle and set people down the path toward badness. Holmgren’s swan song will not be very swan-like…not sure where “swan song” comes from – odd expression.
• Jax @ Tenn (+2.5) – Jax will set tone for the division.
• KC @ NE (-16.5) – KC is really bad and if NE wins this game easily, I will be as surprised as FDR when he learned that wife Eleanor was a switch hitter.
• Hou @ Pitt (-6.5) – This could be a match-up of one team on the way up (Hou) and the other fading out (Pitt). That whole passing up Reggie Bush thing doesn’t look so bad anymore – Mario has some game.
• Car @ SD (-9.5) – SD will take this one as LT will run wild. Chris Chambers will have a huge game ruining any fantasy victory chances for yours truly this week.
• Dal @ Cleve (+5.5) – While Dal may barely pull this one out (or just lose), I would be surprised if they handle Cleveland. If they do, look out because they may run over teams this year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dallas make a crazy play of Anquan Boldin if his contract issues persist.
• AZ @ SF (+2.5) – SF’s defense could end up being too much for AZ in the end, but the more realistic scenario would be for AZ to get an early, good lead because of an aerial assault and make a comeback by SF too difficult. Whisenhunt may be the last chance for the AZ franchise to improve – it he fails, the team may need to move simply because they are incapable of being successful.
• Chi @ Indy (-9.5) – Chi will keep this a game initially with an adrenaline-charged game swing or two (think Hester, or a lucky long Orton Bomb pass or two) and then the real colors will show and they will pull away in the second half (but not win by more than a TD). Indy won’t be the unstoppable offensive machine they’ve been in recent years. Wayne and Addai may be solid and maybe Clark, but outside of that, this team’s success will be dictated largely by the play and health of Freeney and Bob Sanders.
• MN @ GB (-2.5) – Ugh, just don’t have any sense for how this will play out. I can see GB winning a close one (by a field goal or so), MN blowing out the Packers, the Packers blowing out MN, MN winning by a small margin, GB winning by a medium margin and MN winning by a medium margin. So, like I said, I just don’t know what to make of this game. How about GB 17- MN 14
• Den @ Oak (+2.5) – Oak will be a surprise team this year. Denver will try to run over Oak and not have much success. Oak will run the ball well and when he’s not being harassed by Elvis Dumervil, JaMarcus Russell will show the NFL from day one that he can play effectively at this level.