NFL Picks Week 1: Picking Winner of Each NFC East Game Week 1

In a stacked NFC East, fast starts prove critical. Each of the last seven season, the division winner has won at least four of their first six contests.

This group doesn’t treat dawdlers kindly.

With the Cowboys looking healthy, the Eagles recharged, the Giants stout as always and the Redskins fielding a football team, no team can afford an early season letdown.

Who will heed the warning?

Here are my picks for the upcoming weekend.

Philadelphia Eagles at St. Louis Rams

The opening line says: Eagles by four

I say: Eagles 27, Rams 13

Let’s qualify this pick first. I do think the Rams will improve this year, and I do think Sam Bradford is a future star in the NFL.

I just don’t think those things will happen on Sunday.

Michael Vick will menace the Rams’ defense on turf, his preferred surface, while LeSean McCoy makes big catches out of the back field to sustain long drives. I look for the Rams to play fairly conservative in the defensive secondary, which will open the game up for McCoy, tight end Brent Celek and slot man Jason Avant underneath.

The Eagles’ big gainers on offense will result from broken plays rescued by Vick’s agility. The offensive line, anchored by rookie center Jason Kelce, will struggle with crowd noise at times and provide a few momentary lapses against Chris Long and the St. Louis pass-rush.

But even in those instances, Vick will elude trouble and keep the offense marching.

On defense the Eagles front four will harass Bradford into a couple of key mistakes—one fumble caused by Trent Cole and an interception by Asante Samuel. These turnover will prove costly, nullifying Steven Jackson’s successful charges into the weak interior of the Eagles’ linebacking corps.

After a touch-and-go first half, the Eagles pull away in the second with a suffocating secondary sealing the deal.

Three more players to watch:

Jeremy Maclin, WR - The Eagles wideout sat out the entire preseason with a mystery illness and will see his first action of the year against the Rams, his hometown team. Look to see if Maclin has the stamina to play a big role.

Steve Smith, WR - Another wideout that at one point looked doubtful for the opener, Smith has made a quick recovery from last year’s devastating knee injury and might actually start Week 1. He has the tools to make a big difference in this offense, but do he and Michael Vick have the necessary chemistry?

Mike Sims-Walker, WR - Clearly, I’m hooked on wide receivers. The Rams signed Sims-Walker  this offseason to give Sam Bradford a big play weapon. If he can pass the test against a revamped Eagles’ secondary, the future looks bright.

New York Giants at Washington Redskins

The opening line says: Giants by three

I say: Giants 30, Redskins 21

In the year's first divisional showdown, D’Angelo Hall and the Redskins’ secondary can’t slow down Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham, while attempts to bait Eli Manning into mistakes fall short.

The Giants jump to an early lead and put the game away in the fourth quarter with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw rumbling past Washington’s weary defensive line.

The win, however, won’t be without resistance. Brian Orakpo will make life difficult for Manning and Rex Grossman will substantiate his stellar preseason play with a solid performance against the Giants’ battered secondary.

Three more players to watch:

Chris Cooley, TE - Recovering from injury, it will be interesting to see if Cooley can play and, if so, how effective the 29-year-old can be.

Jason Pierre-Paul, DE - Through training camp and pre-season the second-year pass rusher from South Florida has generated tons of buzz. Against a so-so Redskins offensive line Pierre-Paul should get opportunities to pressure the quarterback.

Jason Ballard, TE - After letting Kevin Boss walk in the offseason, Travis Beckum looked like the heir apparent. Not so. Ballard gets the start Week 1, and we’ll see if he can develop the same chemistry with Manning that made Boss so good.

Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets

The opening line says: Jets by four

I say: Cowboys 24, Jets 20

I’m calling an upset in this year’s Ryan Bowl—Jets’  head coach Rex Ryan versus Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Rob Ryan—and picking the Cowboys.

Dallas won’t be phased by a night game in a venue they frequent yearly, and the return of Tony Romo gives a pretty dang stacked attack the edge it needs to break down the Jets’ vaunted defense.

DeMarcus Ware hunts Mark Sanchez all night, and Felix Jones takes a big step forward in his maturation with a couple of key late-game runs.

And while I do think the Cowboys will improve over last year’s win total, this pick is more an indictment of the Jets. Something tells me, between the Hollywood quarterback and press-baiting head coach, that this team is teetering on the edge of destruction.

Mark Sanchez might have been the worst starting quarterback on a playoff team last year, completing less than 55 percent of his passes last year despite an ample support staff. He's an area of concern for team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Maybe he takes the next step forward in 2011, but I’m skeptical. If he doesn’t improve, the Jets are just a year older on defense. He’s got to be the guy.

On Sunday night I think Dallas exposes Sanchez and does enough on offense to score a huge early season win.

Three more players to watch:

Orlando Scandrick, LCB - With Terrance Newman ailing, the fourth-year pro should see time against Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress, and Derrick Mason, the Jets’ talented trio of receivers. The Jets will test him and test him often.

Plaxico Burress, WR - Of course. All 82,000 eyes will follow the every move of football’s latest reclamation project. Even after prison, the 6”5’ receiver is still six feet and five inches. He could make a difference right away.

Phil Costa, C - The Cowboys cut Pro Bowler Andre Gurode because they think Costa is ready to start. On the road , in a prime time game, he better be. The Jets’ faithful will give him a baptism by fire.