NFL Predictions Week 1: All 16 Week 1 Winners

Thursday marks the beginning of the 2011 NFL season.  After an offseason filled with turmoil between the NFL owners and the players, we will finally have football.  Although the last few weeks have slowly relieved our stress and reminded the nation why football is America’s new pastime, it was not the brand of football we all know and love. 

Thursday’s matchup between the league’s most recent champions is a huge victory for all of us, the fans.  It is the regular season opener, now the games count.  Now we can watch Tom Brady play four quarters.  Now we can have a collective mental breakdown with each lapse in coverage our favorite team displays or relish in each perfectly executed down field block which springs our favorite team’s running back.

Now the journey for the Lombardi Trophy begins, each week offering a step forward or a blemish to our team’s record.  The road to Indianapolis starts Thursday at 8:30 PM est. when the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints face off.  Let us all be prepared for more excitement and letdowns alike, because if each NFL franchise were a stock car they would be revving their engines, ready to go.  

Here are the winners for each of Week 1's 16 games.

New Orleans Saints @ Green Bay Packers, Thursday, 8:30 PM

The first game of the season in primetime on a day of its own is always a big deal.  When that game is a matchup of the two most recent NFL champions, it is sure to be a big one.   This game has everything you want in a football game: two hungry teams, two high-flying offenses with big names at all the right positions, and two play-making, opportunistic defenses. 

You can bet the Packers want to prove themselves worthy of being the defending Super Bowl champs and you can double down that Drew Brees and the Saints have a lot to prove after being ousted by the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks in last year’s Wild Card round.

The Saints were an NFC favorite coming into last year after winning the Super Bowl, and again they are one of few teams expected to compete for the NFC’s spot in this year’s Super Bowl.  They will visit Lambeau Field and a Green Bay team full of young stars and veterans who played their best football in January and February of last year. 

As exciting games go this will surely be one.  I look for Aaron Rodgers and his healthy arsenal of weapons to be on full display Thursday night with Drew Brees and company offering a valiant effort that just falls short.

Prediction:

Green Bay Packers over New Orleans Saints       31-27

Atlanta Falcons @ Chicago Bears, Sunday, 1:00 PM

In a matchup of two of last year’s division champions who fell short of accomplishing their goals in the playoffs, the Atlanta Falcons will visit Soldier Field to play the NFC’s 2010 runner up Chicago Bears.  These two teams were nearly polar opposites with their offseason moves. 

The Falcons felt their 13-3 team of last year was close and just needed a little boost.  They made their one big free agent move by adding defensive end Ray Edwards to bring pressure off the edge opposite John Abraham.  The rest of their improvements were made in the NFL Draft by trading up to grab stud wide receiver Julio Jones who is expected to stretch the field and open up more opportunities for superstar and No. 1 wide receiver Roddy White.

The Bears, on the other hand, lost the anchor of their offensive line in center Olin Kreutz leaving for New Orleans.  They did manage to sign a number of potential game changers in Amobi Okoye on the defensive line and Roy Williams and Marion Barber to offer quarterback Jay Cutler a bigger receiving option and take over short-yardage situations in the ground game.  The Bears also recently acquired former New England Patriots safety and Pro Bowler Brandon Meriweather to add to their already formidable defense.

I think the new-found options at Matt Ryan’s disposal with Julio Jones and fellow rookie Jacquizz Rodgers will prove too much for the Bears to keep up with.

Prediction:

Atlanta Falcons over Chicago Bears          24-20

Philadelphia Eagles @St. Louis Rams, Sunday, 1:00 PM

An offseason stocked chock-full with hype finally meets its culmination for the Philadelphia Eagles when they square off against the hopeful NFC West champion St. Louis Rams. 

The Rams are coming off of a loss to the Seattle Seahawks at last season’s end that would have put them in the playoffs in Sam Bradford’s first year as a pro.  Now they are most people’s pick to win the lowly NFC West after giving coordinator Josh McDaniels the job of calling Sam Bradford’s pass plays.  They also add a new weapon in red-zone threat Mike Sims-Walker. 

If you think the Rams are excited about the prospects the 2011 NFL season holds you have not talked to an Eagles fan.  The Eagles had a choke hold on the NFL’s brief free agent period bringing in Nnamdi Asomugha, Cullen Jenkins, Steve Smith, Ronnie Brown and Vince Young, not to mention trading for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.  Already being predicted to win it all this year and at the same time catching flack as the “all-hype” team from its peers, the Eagles have high expectations for their upcoming campaign.

Home field advantage won’t cut it in this one as the Eagles will soar to a lopsided victory over the promising Rams.

Prediction:

Philadelphia Eagles over St. Louis Rams        34-20

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, 1:00 PM

In a game that features division rivals as they should be, hate-filled and ultra competitive, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will again go 12 rounds to find a winner.  Both teams are coming in with Super Bowl aspirations and both teams know they must master the other before attaining their lofty goals.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will enjoy having quarterback Ben Roethlisberger behind center and not serving a suspension as he was the first four games of last year.  This is especially true since Roethlisberger has never lost to his counterpart, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.

The Ravens look to reverse that trend and start on a winning note in the new season.  In the end Pittsburgh’s winning formula will play out in Baltimore to the dislike of the home crowd.  Although, it will stay true to form and be a nail-biter.

Prediction:

Pittsburgh Steelers over Baltimore Ravens           20-16

Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans, Sunday, 1:00 PM

For years now commentators and analysts alike have been calling for the Houston Texans to overthrow the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South.  This year is no different.  The only difference is the lingering neck injury Peyton Manning is dealing with leaving his Week 1 status in jeopardy. 

If Manning has trouble getting on the field early this season, especially for this Week 1 showdown with the division’s heir apparent, the Colts may dig themselves a hole even three-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning won’t be able to overcome.

As for this matchup the Texans have their own problems with last year’s superstar Arian Foster nursing a tear in his hamstring.  He insists he’ll be ready to go Week 1, but I doubt Gary Kubiak will put his team's entire season on the line by allowing Foster to possibly re-injure his hamstring.  With a capable stable of backup running backs, including Ben Tate who was supposed to win the job over Foster last season before injury, the Texans should be in decent shape to let their starter heal up.

I see the Texans getting a lot of support from an excited home crowd and in the end Matt Schaub and company will be too much for the recently out-of-retirement Kerry Collins.

Prediction:

Houston Texans over Indianapolis Colts            31-17

Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns, Sunday, 1:00 PM

In this in-state rivalry of two Ohio teams one team is starting a new era and the other is picking up the pieces.  The Cleveland Browns certainly look to be on the rise under the tutelage of Mike Holmgren in the front office. They hand the reigns over to new Head Coach Pat Shurmur while still relishing over last year’s improvements. 

On the other side of the field the Cincinnati Bengals and Coach Marvin Lewis are reeling after losing their franchise quarterback Carson Palmer and his top two veteran targets Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco.  It is a much younger offense taking the field for the Bengals highlighted by rookie quarterback Andy Dalton and rookie wide receiver A.J. Green.  While the two will surely strike up a dangerous connection at some point, they will struggle early on. 

Cleveland’s ability to bring back the core of their offense that made healthy strides last season will be the determining factor in this bout between two rebuilding franchises.

Prediction:

Cleveland Browns over Cincinnati Bengals            27-13

Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 1:00 PM

The Buffalo Bills will visit the Kansas City Chiefs to kick off the 2011 schedule.  The Chiefs are fresh off an AFC West division title and look to build on the surprising success they achieved last year.  They bring a lot of young explosive talent to the table and will need to beat teams like the Bills to outlast the San Diego Chargers again.

The Bills, on the other hand, are looking to creep out of the AFC East cellar this year, but there was not much done over the offseason to warrant any strong convictions that they will.  They lost a couple big names on the defensive side in Paul Posluszny and Donte Whitner as well as long-time deep threat Lee Evans on offense. They will look for continued growth from last year’s first-round pick C.J. Spiller and hope the connection between quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and top receiver Stevie Johnson gets better with age.

The Chiefs bring a much more complete team to this matchup and playing in front of their boisterous home crowd can only help get them off on the right foot.

Prediction:

Kansas City Chiefs over Buffalo Bills         31-20

Detroit Lions @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, 1:00 PM

The two teams squaring off in this game come in with very high aspirations for the 2011 campaign.  The Detroit Lions welcome back former No. 1 overall draft pick Matthew Stafford.  He only played three times last season, but came out firing this preseason with nearly a perfect Quarterback Rating in the Lions four wins. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers already had some success last year behind their young trio of offensive talent in Josh Freeman, Mike Williams and LeGarrette Blount.  They played their way to a 10-6 record last year, but still failed to make the playoffs in a tough NFC last season.  They must get off to a good start with their division rivals the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints looking like Super Bowl contenders coming into the season.

I see the Lions continuing their precise offensive play from the preseason and their defense disrupting Josh Freeman and company just enough to get the upset in Tampa Bay.

Prediction:

Detroit Lions over Tampa Bay Buccaneers             24-17

Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, 1:00 PM

It is always a battle between these two teams—the Jacksonville Jaguars welcome the Tennessee Titans to EverBank Field on Sunday.  The big news in these games is always the talented running backs battling it out.  The bigger news for this game are the question marks surrounding those two running backs. 

Chris Johnson, the Titans' biggest offensive threat since being drafted before the 2008 season, just recently ended his second straight offseason holdout right before the season kicks off.  For the Jaguars they revolve their offense around Maurice Jones-Drew in a similar fashion, but have to worry about MJD’s second straight offseason knee surgery. 

The Jaguars will also be without their starting quarterback since 2007 as they released David Garrard and plan to start Luke McCown in his place.  I can't see the move helping their chances in the immediate future.

The winner here will be the team that shows the ability to make big plays in a game destined to be a slug-fest.  I think Chris Johnson will struggle early, but find his legs just in time to spark a game winning drive. 

Prediction:

Tennessee Titans over Jacksonville Jaguars          20-17

Carolina Panthers @ Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, 4:15 PM

Two new eras begin with this kickoff.  The Cam Newton show will officially start at 4:15 in the desert. 

On the opposite sideline will be Kevin Kolb who gets his shot as an undoubted starting quarterback.  Kolb comes into a situation where the running game has taken its lumps by trading Tim Hightower right before losing rookie Ryan Williams for the season.  He does have one of the game's most reliable and explosive targets in Larry Fitzgerald who put up impressive numbers last year with a carousel of bad quarterback play.

In the preseason Cam Newton showcased his ability to make some plays with his legs, but struggled altogether for the Panthers.  It will be interesting to see how he does when the games count.  The Panthers did their best to take the pressure off Newton by acquiring tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen as safety valves for him. 

With a rookie under center for the first time and playing on the road the Panthers will fall easily to a Cardinals team that will surely see more competent quarterback play than last year.

Prediction:

Arizona Cardinals over Carolina Panthers              26-13

Minnesota Vikings @ San Diego Chargers, Sunday, 4:15 PM

The Minnesota Vikings are being counted out by almost everyone.  They have been predicted by the majority of people to finish last in the NFC North.  They have brought in veteran quarterback and six-time Pro Bowler Donovan McNabb to fix last year’s subpar quarterback play.  They will kick off their opener by visiting the perennial AFC West favorite Sand Diego Chargers.

Last season the Chargers missed the playoffs, a rarity for them.  Despite their 9-7 record Phillip Rivers had a superb season and comes into this season regarded by many as the favorite to win NFL MVP honors. 

A new look Vikings team will struggle against a talent-laden Chargers unit that is very hungry to make up for last year’s shortcomings. 

Prediction:

San Diego Chargers over Minnesota Vikings        34-20

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, 4:15 PM

The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers start their seasons off with an inter-division game.  Both teams know the importance of this one, first and last place were only separated by two games in last season’s wide open NFC West. 

A couple of former Pac-10 coaches in Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh will look to rally their guys to get a leg up on the competition early.  Even though the Seahawks were last season’s Division Champion I give the edge to San Francisco at home in a rare game where Alex Smith is the better of the two quarterbacks.

Prediction:

San Francisco 49ers over Seattle Seahawks          24-20

New York Giants @ Washington Redskins, Sunday, 4:15 PM

In another inter-divisional matchup the New York Giants visit FedEx Field and newly anointed starting quarterback Rex Grossman.  Grossman made the offseason gesture that the Redskins will win the NFC East this season.  Well, here’s his shot to start that journey the right way. 

The Giants have weathered a few losses to free agency and a few more to injury, but still maintain a strong running game and two big-time targets for Eli Manning in Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham.  Both of these defenses always seem to play their toughest football in the division and this should be no different.  I expect some sloppy play at time from Manning and Grossman and the ground games to be on display.

The Giants will take this one in a very close game due to the home run ability of Ahmad Bradshaw and the steadily gained “tough” yards by Brandon Jacobs.

Prediction:

New York Giants over Washington Redskins        20-16

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Jets, Sunday, 8:20 PM

This Sunday Night Football showdown on the 10 year anniversary of September 11^th will surely be an emotionally charged exchange of two heavyweight NFL franchises.  The air will be thick with grief and remembrance for those lost in the tragic attacks of 9/11, but once the whistle blows it will be all business.

Buddy Ryan’s sons, Rob and Rex, will match wits once again.  Last year Rob’s defense for the Cleveland Browns almost got the better of Rex’s Jets.  This year with a much more talented defense, I expect a similarly close game.  It will more than likely come down to the turnovers as most games do. 

Mark Sanchez and Tony Romo both have a knack for untimely turnovers.  Whichever protects the ball better in this one will come away with the win.  I am going to go with the experienced Tony Romo who is itching to get back on the field after last year’s injury to protect the ball and stun the Jets in primetime.

Prediction:

Dallas Cowboys over New York Jets         21-20

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins, Monday, 7:00 PM

The New England Patriots have been a model of success over the Tom Brady era, and the Miami Dolphins have been on the wrong end of some lopsided scores between these two.  

This one will more than likely be no different.  The Dolphins are bringing in a new-look backfield with Reggie Bush and rookie Daniel Thomas.  The key for the Dolphins was and still is quarterback play.  Until Chad Henne or Matt Moore can give them a solid, reliable option they won’t stand much of a chance against their division rival New England.

Tom Brady lights the lamp in this one with at least three scores and the Patriots cruise in their opener on the road.

Prediction:

New England Patriots over Miami Dolphins          38-17

Oakland Raiders @ Denver Broncos, Monday, 10:15 PM

The last game of the week is a late west-coast Monday Night Football Special between the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos.  The Broncos bring in John Fox to take over the head coaching duties and with it will come a strong running game to balance the aerial attack they featured under Josh McDaniels a year ago. 

Oakland has found some stability at quarterback with Jason Campbell and their defense has looked pretty solid. Their key will be to try and squeeze a 16 game season out of their biggest game-breaker, Darren McFadden. They certainly look to be on the rise after an 8-8 finish last year.

This longtime AFC West rivalry will surely be a close battle.  I think the energetic rookie Von Miller and a healthy Elvis Dumervil wreak some havoc for the Broncos and help seal a close win in Denver.

Prediction:

Denver Broncos over Oakland Raiders    24-23