2011 NFL Week 1 Predictions: Packers Take Saints, Steelers Edge Ravens

New Orleans Saints (0-0) vs. Green Bay Packers (0-0)

Sean Payton's complex offense goes up against Dom Capers' complex defense in an ultimate chess match of past Super Bowl winners. Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers are both elite QBs, but I think Brees goes up against the bigger challenge. Capers' coverage unit of Tramon Williams on the outside, Charles Woodson on the inside and Nick Collins at safety will be able to handle Marques Colston and company. Also, GB has this guy Clay Matthews who might rush the passer a bit. NO might turn to their running game, with the stellar guard tandem of Jahri Evans and Lucas Nix likely to overpower BJ Raji and the Packers' D-Line, considering DE Jenkins is now gone. On the other side, Aaron Rodgers faces a decent and interesting defense, but GB has talent all over their offense as well. Jennings is an upper-echelon wideout, who should draw attention. Look for healthy TE Jermichael Finley to get some catches against a younger linebacker unit, except for star MLB Jonathan Vilma. This matchup could be a playoff preview, a must see game.

Prediction: Packers 20, Saints 13

Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0) vs. Baltimore Ravens (0-0)

One of sports' greatest rivalries picks up where it left off, with the Ravens looking for vengeance by beating the team which ousted them in the playoffs last year. Roethlisberger is an elite QB accompanied by a talented and deep receiving corps. With Ed Reed defending the backfield, the Steelers will need to use their depth to get open receivers away from Reed. Ravens LB Terrell Suggs is a star pass-rusher who outmatches the pass-blocking, and the Ravens will need him in this one. Mendenhall and Rice are excellent running backs, but they'll have their work cut out for them with these run defenses. Haloti Ngata and Ray Lewis are a first-level, second-level combo which is nearly impossible to get past. The Steelers front seven is absolutely loaded, featuring NT Casey Hampton, LB Lawrence Timmons, OLB James Harrison, etc. Ravens QB Joe Flacco still has WR Anquan Boldin, but is still getting used to new WR Lee Evans. Also, the Steelers can rush the football with Woodley and Harrison, and Troy Polamalu is always a headache for QBs to deal with. In another must-see game, I think two famous defenses duke it out.

Prediction: Steelers 12, Ravens 10

Atlanta Falcons (0-0) vs. Chicago Bears (0-0)

The Falcons and Bears were two teams that broke in to Super Bowl contention last year, and qualify as another big matchup for Week 1. Falcons RB Michael Turner and the offensive line face a formidable front seven on the Bears defense. MLB Brian Urlacher is among the best linebackers, and DE Julius Peppers is always a D-MVP contender. LB Lance Briggs is also a star, but hopefully he gets his stuff with the team worked out. The Falcons will have to rely on their passing game, which isn't bad. QB Matt Ryan continues to get better, and WR Roddy White and TE Tony Gonzalez remain among the best at their respective positions. They just have to get open before Julius Peppers gets to Ryan. The Bears don't have the secondary to match up with the Falcons receivers. On the other side, poor Jay Cutler hopes to not get sacked this year, but the Falcons have DE John Abraham, who should be a handful for Chicago's weak offensive line. The Falcons will use their front seven to put the pressure on Chicago and try to win the game on the line.The Bears may try to rely on their super returner Devin Hester, but Atlanta's smart enough to game-plan against him.

Prediction: Falcons 24, Bears 13

Cincinnati Bengals (0-0) vs. Cleveland Browns (0-0)

The Battle of Ohio is a great way to start off the season for these teams, but fortunes have switched a bit in the last few years. The Bengals are breaking in rookie cornerbacks, and franchise QB Carson Palmer has stayed true to his word and stayed away. They also lost CB Jonathan Joseph and WR Chad Ochocinco. The Browns are a team which is starting to put the pieces together. Their running game is outstanding, with Peyton Hillis running the ball with lineman Joe Thomas and Alex Mack in front of him. Also, QB Colt McCoy showed promise this year. Cincinnati's offense does have some stronger points, but the Browns have enough defensive backs to be okay. Youngster CB Joe Haden is coming along well, and should be a huge factor. The pass-rush is mediocre, but they did draft Sheard from Pitt, but I don't know if that'll be enough to pressure Dalton. Without Rob Ryan running the defense, Cleveland might have some trouble, but Cincinnati is undergoing changes too. The Browns passing game has improved with AJ Green, but it isn't great, and hopefully CB Leon Hall can help keep McCoy in check. Carlos Dunlap is a good pass rusher, he could really help the Bengals here as well. It may come down to the Browns rushing attack, which can be dangerous with the people they have on offense. 

Prediction: Browns 17, Bengals 13

Indianapolis Colts (0-0) vs. Houston Texans (0-0)

So Peyton Manning isn't playing, and that does not bode well for the Colts. They will start veteran Kerry Collins in his place, and although the Texans are adjusting to a new and revamped defense, Collins should have his hands full. Manning's offense is extraordinarily complex, and there should be confusion between Collins and the offense. He will have Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, two excellent receivers, but his line, especially the tackles, aren't going to be as good as when he was in Tennessee. Houston has some good defensive players to make it even more difficult, such as pass-rusher Mario Williams, and cornerback Jonathan Joseph. Both will help stop the pass game. Indianapolis hasn't relied on their run game in years, and they might have to here. On the other side of the ball, Matt Shaub, Andre Johnson and Arian Foster attempt to continue the offensive explosiveness. Johnson should have his way with the cornerbacks, causing mismatches. Foster should excel, as even without Leach, the Colts run-stop isn't stellar. The pride of the Colts defense is with their defensive ends, Dwight Freeney and Rashean Mathis. If they can get to Schaub, it could cause the Texans offense to fail. Lineman such as OT Eric Winston must try to prevent the pass rush. Houston has been waiting for this one for a long time.

Prediction: Texans 27, Colts 7

Tennessee Titans (0-0) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-0)

It's not often that a starting QB is released just days before the regular season starts. However, David Garrard is no longer a Jaguar, and its a questionable move at best. Other than that though, the Jaguars have had a pretty solid offseason. They revamped their defense in particular, getting LBs Paul Poluszny and Clint Session and DBs Dawan Landry, Drew Coleman and Dwight Lowery. This team has enough defensive talent to limit the Titans pass-game. However, their DEs, granted Kampman hasn't played in so long, are outmatched by a great OT tandem of Michael Roos and David Stewart, and if Johnson gets to that second line it's hard to stop him.The Jaguars have to hope the holdout has made him rusty. On the other side, the Jaguars boast a great running back themselves in Maurice Jones-Drew. He's going to be more vital than usual, given that Luke McCown will start at QB. The Titans D-Line is not what it once was. Jason Babin is now in Philly and their DTs aren't the best run-stoppers in the league. Jones-Drew should have a monster game behind his adequate O-Line, but I'm not sure if it will be enough.

Prediction: Titans 14, Jaguars 10

Buffalo Bills (0-0) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (0-0)

The Bills are not as bad a team as their reputation suggests, but their developing 3-4 defense will be put to the test in this one. Chiefs QB Matt Cassell is coming off his best pro season, and RB Jamaal Charles put up an incredible 6.4 yards per carry last year. The Chiefs have a pretty strong offensive line, and now they have FB LeRon McClain to lead the way and take the short-yardage carries. Bills NT Kyle Williams is great, and DT Marcell Dareus will be great, but this will be a challenging one. Also, if WR Dwayne Bowe is as good as he was last year, it will create mismatches in the secondary. The Bills have to hope Shawne Merriman recaptures his pass-rush form, and helps prevent the Chiefs from going to the air. The Bills offense has the same problem as they did last year; they have a good QB in Ryan Fitzpatrick, a good RB in Fred Jackso, and a good WR in Steve Johnson. However, other than Wood and Levitre, the offensive line is poor. If OLB Tamba Hali is the same 15+ sack monster as he was last season, he'll cause a bunch of problems. Johnson is a good wideout, but the Chiefs have CB Brandon Flowers to offset him, and a great S in Eric Berry. The Bills are a team to be respected this year, but the Chiefs just aren't a great matchup for them.

Prediction: Chiefs 24, Bills 6

Philadelphia Eagles (0-0) vs. St. Louis Rams (0-0)

Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams are ready to break out of their losing reputation this year, but they do have to start with the "dream team" from Philly. The Rams are still looking for the right wideout combo, but there is no good combo against the cornerback tandem they are going against in Nnamdi Asomugha and Asante Samuel, both among the best in the league in their own right. If you add pass rushers Trent Cole, Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins to the mix, this could be a rough day fro Bradford. However, young OT Roger Saffold has proven himself to be an outstanding pass-blcoker, and the line is improving. The Rams will likely have to rely on the man who did all through the losing seasons, RB Steven Jackson. In his prime he ran well with horrible blocking. Now out of his prime, he still runs quite well with decent blocking. He's the Rams best chance on offense. They must pick on the Philly linbackers, a glaring weak spot for them. On the other side for the dream team, they have a lot of speed. Michael Vick's quickness will likely prevent sacks from DEs Long and Hall. S Quinten Mikell will face his old team, and that involves keeping pace with speedster WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Other than that, the Eagles still could use RB LeSean McCoy to burn the offense, but MLB James Laurinitis will likely be assigned to prevent that. The Eagles do have weaknesses, and the Rams hope they can reveal them.

Prediction: Eagles 23, Rams 10

Detroit Lions (0-0) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-0)

Two young promising teams collide in a very good Week 1 matchup. Lions QB Matthew Stafford has been good when healthy, but he hasn't been as good as Bucs QB Josh Freeman, who was picked in the same draft later in the first round. In the draft the next year, the Lions got the better man, as DT Ndamukong Suh has outplayed DT Gerald McCoy. On offense, Bucs RB LeGarrette Blout had a surprising breakout season. However, the Lions D-Line is outstanding, with Suh, Vanden Bosch and company. They also acquired LB Stephen Tulloch, who is a great speedy player who can round up tackles. Although the Bucs might get some running yards, their best bet is through the air, where the Lions struggle covering sometimes. They now have CB Eric Wright, but he had a lousy season last year in Cleveland. Freeman can throw to young wideout Mike Williams, and gets solid blocking from LT Donald Penn. On the other side, the matchup between Lions WR Calvin Johnson and CB Aqib Talib should affect the game enormously. Talib's off-the-fielf problems should not get in the way of his cover abilities, but Johnson is also 6'5" and as fast as anyone. The Bucs have some young new pass-rushers, but I don't think that gets them to the QB. This matchup will test two promising teams.

Prediction: Buccaneers 17, Lions 16

Carolina Panthers (0-0) vs. Arizona Cardinals (0-0)

Two new QBs square off in a match against two teams trying to get back on track. Cam Newton starts for the Panthers in a highly anticipated debut. The Panthers also have DeAngelo Williams and Steve Smith back. OT Jordan Gross remains one of the best and OT Jeff Otah is back on the right side. Their offense should be better this year. For the Cardinals, they still have 3-4 DEs Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell, a great duo for a 3-4 front. They'll need to be good to stop the Panthers run game, and force the inexperienced Newton to make plays. Steve Smith may have to worry about cornerback Patrick Peterson, regarded by many to be the best overall player out of last year's draft. On the other side, QB Kevin Kolb goes from throwing to the short and speedy DeSean Jackson to throwing to Cardinals superstar Larry Fitzgerald, a towering receiver with great hands and extraordinary leaping ability. He is likely the key to victory, because the Panthers have had issues with their cornerbacks recently. DE Charlie Johnson will be relied on to thwart the connection to Fitzgerald via getting to Kolb. The Panthers also are weak on the interior D-Line, so the Cardinals might try to capitalize through the running game. Both teams were recently good, it's likely one might ascend back to relevant.

Prediction: Panthers 14, Cardinals 13

Minnesota Vikings (0-0) vs. San Diego Chargers (0-0)

The Vikings seem to like the great QBs of old; first Brett Favre, now Donovan McNabb. It should be a smart move, as McNabb is still a good QB who can manage a game and make a difference. However, he is going up against a great pass defense with some good pass-rushers, such as OLB Shaun Phillips. The best player on the Vikings remains the same, as Adrian Peterson still is among the most talented athletes in the league. With no weaknesses, the Vikings need to push him through a weaker front three in San Diego's 3-4. They still have Luis Castillo and drafted Corey Liuget, but the Vikings still have decent run-blockers, such as G Steve Hutchison. San Diego's offense will rely on its towering recievers to get the job done. The Vikings defensive backfield is okay, but Jackson, Floyd and Gates all can win the jump balls, making life difficult for a defender. Jared Allen will have an important matchup against Chargers LT Marcus McNeill, as his counterpart Edwards has left and a pass-rush will need to be generated. Also the Chargers can run the ball with a solid O-Line, and the Williams wall has started to deteriorate (partially because of suspension). In short, the Chargers look primed to be great again.

Prediction: Chargers 24, Vikings 17

Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers

Both teams walk in to their first week with playoff dreams amidst a big rivalry. For the 49ers, they have to hope that Alex Smith is the real deal, since Frank Gore is still holding out for a new contract. They have a good receiving corps of Michael Crabtree, Braylon Edwards and Vernon Davis, and that trio can cause havoc on the Seattle secondary. Smith just needs to watch S Earl Thomas, a superstar on the rise at safety and a true ball-hawk. Seattle had a good pass-rush last year, and they'll need that to continue, but the 49ers line is pretty good too. For the Seahawks, Tavaris Jackson's debut is a main news topic, and he goes up against a rebuilding defense, except for ILB Patrick Willis; he's one of the best in the game period. Their line was better than expected last year, but they need to rely on WR Sidney Rice to get open and cause problems. San Francisco lost in the Nnamdi sweepstakes, lost CB Nate Clements and their secondary is weaker. In the worst NFL division, this game could decide who goes to the playoffs.

Prediction: 49ers 17, Seahawks 10

New York Giants (0-0) vs. Washington Redskins (0-0)

On an emotional day, two cities will remember attacks that happened in their cities a decade ago. It should be a great game, with emotions high playing a traditional American game. Amidst the Redskins mediocre QB corps, they're lucky that Giants DEs Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora are injured; they're usually the ones doing the injuring. In fact, the Giants defense has been crushed by injuries lately, with their best linebacker, defensive back and possibly their best defensive lineman injured. The Redskins must capitalize on this, but the question is how. No superstars are on the Redskins offense. Their best bet is to rely on TE Chris Cooley to take advantage of the weakened linebacker corps and WR Santana Moss to stretch the field. They don't have a bad running game, and they might muster some yards against a weakened New York D-Line. On offense, the Giants must step up, even after losing some of their offensive lineman. They still have G Chris Snee, and they acquired C David Baas. Their unit is likely still stronger than the Redskins front seven, excluding OLB Brian Orakpo, who should cause pressure and ILB London Fletcher, who should make tackles. Manning has to watch his infamous interception problem, because CB DeAngelo Hall is a ballhawk who can take it to the house. However, the Giants have good wideouts who can beat the Redskins secondary. This game should test Big Blue's mettle.

Prediction: Giants 20, Redskins 17

Dallas Cowboys (0-0) vs. New York Jets (0-0)

Ten years after 9/11, the Jets play an emotional game to start off what is sure to be another wild season for Jets fans. For the Cowboys, they have a new coach who got the best out of their pretty talented team last year. Let the Ryan Bowl begin; the two defense-obsessed coaches play for a country in remembrance, a father with cancer and teams with ambition. The big question, as it always will be for the Jets, is how will Mark Sanchez perform. The Jets are a loaded offense, and they need Sanchez to be at his best to get where they want to be. Lucky for him, Dallas is dealing with some cornerback injuries to their starters Jenkins and Newman. That's not good at all for Dallas, who will have to deal with WRs Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason another way. Jets C Nick Mangold will also be key, because if he can take out NT Brett Ratliff from the equation by himself, the running game should perform well. However, Ratliff is a good player. The biggest matchup on offense will be OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson versus Dallas OLB Demarcus Ware. Ware is one of the best players in all of football, and D'Brick is an elite OT. An X-Factor for Dallas will be OLB Anthony Spencer, who could generate a pass-rush away from Ware and Ferguson. For Dallas, they got Tony Romo back, who will be a tricky matchup for the Jets. The Jets often blitz and Romo is good at avoiding it. However, with the exception of OT Doug Free, the Cowboys line isn't great. Their X-Factor on offense will be TE Jason Witten. The Jets can stop the run, and Miles Austin and Dez Bryant should be stopped by Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie respectively, but the Jets struggle covering TEs, and Witten is among the NFL's best. Two promising teams square off in a great opener in New York.

Prediction: Jets 20, Cowboys 14

New England Patriots (0-0) vs. Miami Dolphins (0-0)

Last year, a lot of people, including myself, thought the Patriots were rebuilding. Sure didn't look that way considering they only lost to two different teams all season. Neither (Jets or Mangini's Browns) was the Dolphins, and although Miami is an okay team, Belichick and Brady won't be defeated this easily. Firstly, because they have improved over the offseason, adding WR Chad Ochocinco, G Brain Waters, DE Shaun Ellis, DT Albert Haynesworth, etc. On offense, the Pats face a good defensive scheme and team, but I think the Patriots will get the needed points on the board. Branch and Ochocinco will likely take the outside, with Welker, Gronkowski, Hernandez, and Woodhead running interior routes. Thats just so many people to cover. They do have decent cornerbacks, especially Vontae Davis, and an excellent pass-rusher in Cameron Wake, but the Patriots have Sebastian Vollmer and Matt Light, a great tandem at tackle to keep their QB on his feet. On offense, the Dolphins will rely on Reggie Bush to run the ball, which is a risky prospect. The Patriots are loaded on their D-Line, and have a great ILB in Jerod Mayo. Bush, not used to running through the middle, will probably have to focus on the outside runs. Belichick already knows this. The Dolphins need to get the Henne to Marshall connection going this year, but the Pats will try to counter this by using young, promising cornerback Devin McCourty, who has been outstanding in his short career. The Patriots can be beaten, but it seems unlikely in this one.

Prediction: Patriots 31, Dolphins 6

Oakland Raiders (0-0) vs. Denver Broncos (0-0)

A division rivalry between two teams with new coaches should be interesting. Coach Jackson in Oakland has a promising team, but losing Nnamdi Asomugha is a huge blow for this team. In Denver, Fox likely made the right call at QB with Kyle Orton staying to run the squad. One person happy to see Nnamdi leave is Broncos WR Brandon Lloyd. He'll find things a lot easier in this one, but to be fair Stanford Routt has become a decent CB in his own right. The Broncos running game isn't on the mark, and they'll likely rely on the pass game. Their priorities should be to get Lloyd open and to hold off pass-rushers Richard Seymour and Kamerion Wimbley. They do have great pass-blocker in blind-side tackle Ryan Clady, but the Raiders could generate a rush. For Oakland, Jason Campbell starts at QB, but RB Darren McFadden is the most important part of the Raiders' offense this season. He's started to live up to the hype, producing with less-than-stellar blocking. Denver still is addressing run defense woes, and he could be their ace in the hole this game. For Campbell, his job will be trickier, because before Nnamdi was considered the best CB, Champ Bailey was, and he can still cover the Raiders wideouts with ease. It'll also be interesting to see how rookie LB Von Miller does today, a pass-rushing force.