Raiders of the Lost Games: Week One Of The Weakly NFL Forecast

Ahhh, they're saving the best for last on this opening week of NFL action.

On national TV Monday night, coach Tom Cable gets to show off the juggernaut he has assembled when he wasn't busy beating up his assistant coaches.

The Oakland Raiders used to go by the slogan "Commitment to Excellence."

Now they should all just be committed.

That Saints preseason game the Raiders lost 45-0 was the dress rehearsal for this season. They couldn't have looked worse if they wore dresses.

If Roger Goodell can suspend Michael Vick and others for tarnishing the sport through off-field behavior, then certainly he should be able to suspend the entire Raiders team for their on-field behavior.

Being suspended might be the only way the Raiders avoid embarrassment week after forgettable week.

I'll try not to be as big an embarrassment with my picks this year as the Raiders are before they've even taken the field.

To fail at this might take a couple of 0-16 weeks.

Cowboys favored by 6 at Bucs

Tony Romo is single again and throwing out the passes without T.O. and J.S. He just needs someone besides Jason Witten to catch them—male and female. The pick: Cowboys 24, Bucs 20

Saints favored by 13 against Lions

The Matt Millen and Rod Marinelli eras have ended and the Lions will celebrate their liberation with their 18th straight loss. They'll do it in a style that would make Millen proud. The pick: Saints 34, Lions 14

Falcons favored by 4 1/2 over Dolphins

Matchup of surprise teams from last year, but the only ones who'll be surprised in this one will be those who think Atlanta can cover that number at home against a good defensive team. The pick: Falcons 17, Dolphins 14

Texans favored by 4 1/2 over Jets

When this is over they won't be asking why they let Brett Favre go, but no one is going to be singing Mark Sanchez's praises. Rookie QBs on the road usually are an automatic "L." The pick: Texans 23, Jets 14

Bengals by 4 over Broncos

Playing with a dislocated finger can only make Kyle Orton's downfield passes miss the mark by about five or six yards more than normal. The pick: Bengals 27, Broncos 16

Eagles by 2 1/2 at Carolina

They love dogs in Charlotte too. It's the first of 17 weeks of booing and heckling for Michael Vick. He's even going to get booed and heckled during bye week. The pick: Panthers 19, Eagles 17

Colts by 7 over Jaguars 

The Tony Dungy era is over, but it wasn't him throwing TD passes when it was going on. The pick: Colts 31, Jaguars 17

Vikings by 4 at Browns

There's still time for Favre to change his mind about returning—and then change it back again. The best way for the Browns' defense to stop Favre is by forcing him to make a decision. The pick: Vikings 16, Browns 3

Ravens by -13 over Chiefs
Chiefs coach Todd Haley will wish he was back on the Cardinals after this one. When was the last time anyone wished that? The pick: Ravens 28, Chiefs 0

Giants by 6 1/2 over Redskins

The Redskins are getting a lot of support nationally as this year's surprise NFC team. So it looks like a lot of people will be surprised after Sunday. The pick: Giants 31, Redskins 13

Seahawks by 8 over Rams

Rams QB Marc Bulger said his pinkie finger is better and he can throw. If it had been amputated, he would still be a better QB option than Kyle Boller. The pick: Seahawks 21, Rams 10

Cardinals by 6 1/2 over 49ers 

The 49ers couldn't look sillier in this one if their coach actually took down his pants during a halftime speech. The pick: Cardinals 37, 49ers 14

Packers by 3 1/2 over Bears

Jay Cutler might ask for a trade because the Bears didn't appreciate him enough to get him some real receivers. The pick: Packers 23, Bears 20

Patriots by 10 1/2 over Bills

Tom Brady is throwing fine, Bill Belichick is scowling and that film is probably rolling along the sidelines again. The Pats are back. The pick: Patriots 38, Bills 24

Chargers by 9 at Raiders

Only Obama's health care plan has taken a worse beating than the Raiders will all season. The pick: Chargers 41, Raiders 10