It’s been a while since I’ve felt that familiar, tingling sensation deep in my heart...That special feeling of excitement that I feel when September has finally begun and our beloved NFL season is back.
But here we are again!!!
Diehard NFL fans are on the brink of our first week of the regular season of action, and I’m here to give insight into a few games that I hope will be filled with suspense and will give us fans that extra dose of hard-hitting action that we live and breathe for during the week.
Ask Yourself...
• Is Tom Brady’s injury for real?
• How long will it be before Ken Whisenhunt is fired….or roasted in Arizona?
• Will Matt Ryan last as the starter of the Atlanta Falcons?
• Are the commentaries ever going to get better?
1. Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons
Looking back on the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons' 2007 seasons wouldn’t give you a clue as to their possible future this year. Both teams have undergone major changes, such as the Lions getting a new offensive coordinator and the Falcons losing their Pro Bowl quarterback to a jail cell in Michael Vick.
The Lions ran an offense last year with plenty of potential, with Jon Kitna and two receivers that could have breakout seasons but also came with a defense that started off horrible, allowing 337.6 yards and 27.8 points per game on defense.
Their head coach, Rod Marinelli, is a defensive mind, carrying his former Buccaneers team to league highs in sacks. Without Mike Martz there to execute his quarterback-damaging offense, the Lions are a much more solid and sophisticated team.
The Falcons went through a tremendous offseason, picking up the No. 1 quarterback in the draft with Matt Ryan and rebuilding their offense and defense with youth and a totally new head coach.
In this game, I picture a nervous Matt Ryan making a decent debut with help from the former L.T. backup, Micheal Turner. Turner could be a game-changer for the Falcons this season, as he is a durable, every-down back with power and poise. However, Atlanta still has plenty of work to do against a fiery Detroit squad, who still has some left in the tank from last year.
I have to go for the visiting team, even though this looks to be a burst of hope for the new Atlanta Falcons.
Pick: Lions
2. New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins
The Jets are sure to have every sports fan watching this weekend, as Brett Favre will make his debut as the quarterback of a Jets team who won 10 games two seasons ago. This offseason was a crazy one for Favre, and many are watching to see if the Packers will have screwed up worse than everybody knows they did.
In 2007, the Dolphins almost made history by going totally defeated and had one of the worst teams in a very long time. This year, they have Bill Parcells on their side, which is always a plus, and an offense with a re-invented Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown.
The Jets not only have an already Hall of Fame quarterback on their side, they have two receivers that have shown a glint of potential to become a tandem of sound wideouts. Jerricho Cotchery had over a 1,000 yards last season, and Laveranues Coles had 646 yards and averaged 11.7 yards per catch.
They also have what should be a strong running attack with the help of Thomas Jones.
The Dolphins will show us that they aren’t the same team as the 1-16 group they were before. The Jets will be excited to finally get past the turbulent offseason and should have enough offense to get by Joey Porter and the Miami defense.
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