NFC West Featured Columnist Competition: Week One Picks

Welcome to the first week of the 2009 NFC West Featured Columnist Competition.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this competition, please click here for a brief outline of the rules as well as a small bio of each contestant.

In short, this is a pick 'em competition. Contestants are in teams of two, each representing the team which they write for on Bleacher Report.

Each week, I will publish an article which announces the picks, such as this. Additionally, I will publish a results article once the games are completed, which will include weekly and yearly standings.

Observations from Week One Picks

• Everybody likes the Colts, Cowboys, Pats, and Saints—While a number of games are heavy favorites (six or seven selections), only the Colts, Cowboys, Patriots, and Saints took the honor of being unanimous choices.
• Nobody likes the Bills, Bucs, Jags, and Lions—One of these teams will pull an upset, and all eight contestants will equally suffer. Book it.
• Rob and Scotty: The Odd Couple—Rob and Scotty agreed on the fewest choices of anyone. Of the 16 games available, these two agreed on only ten.
• Chris and Steven: The Even Couple—Conversely, Chris and Steven seemed to be in harmony while picking. These two agreed on an astonishing fourteen of the 16 games.
• Scotty might not have been sober—Apologies in advance to Rob for a few ill-advised selections. Among four choices which qualify for the Underdog Bonus, I took the Titans over the Steelers, the Chiefs over the Ravens, and (drum roll please) the Raiders over the Chargers. In all honesty, I think the Titans could do it and the Chiefs will do it (the Raiders might need an act of God).

Without further ado, here are the picks. Please comment below with your thoughts.

	Chris	Steven	Andrew	Dray	Rob	Scotty	Ron	Seth
TEN@PIT	PITT	PITT	PITT	PITT	PITT	TENN	PITT	PITT
NYJ@HOU	HOU	HOU	NYJ	NYJ	NYJ	HOU	HOU	NYJ
MIN@CLE	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN	CLE
MIA@ATL	ATL	MIA	ATL	ATL	ATL	MIA	ATL	ATL
JAX@IND	INDY	INDY	INDY	INDY	INDY	INDY	INDY	INDY
DEN@CIN	CINCY	CINCY	DEN	CINCY	CINCY	CINCY	DEN	CINCY
PHI@CAR	CAR	PHILLY	PHILLY	PHILLY	PHILLY	PHILLY	PHILLY	CAR
DAL@TB	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL	DAL
KC@BAL	BAL	BAL	BAL	BAL	BAL	KC	BAL	BAL
DET@NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO
SF@ARI	ARI	ARI	ARI	ARI	ARI	ARI	ARI	SF
STL@SEA	SEA	SEA	SEA	STL	SEA	SEA	SEA	SEA
WAS@NYG	NYG	NYG	WAS	NYG	WAS	NYG	NYG	NYG
CHI@GB	GB	GB	GB	CHI	GB	GB	GB	GB
BUF@NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE
SD@OAK	SD	SD	SD	SD	SD	OAK	SD	SD