2011 NFL Predictions: Week 1 Picks

Week 1 of the NFL Season has finally come. Get excited, you're allowed to.

The preseason games are over. The waiting is over.

It's time to strap on the helmets, sit back on the couches, fire up those grills and get ready for a full schedule of football.

Week 1 already got kicked off with the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints on NBC, a game that went right down to the final play and was a great game to kick off the 2011 campaign.

How will the other games fare in their first week of the season?

Lets find out in this week's picks.

New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers

What a way to start the season.

The Packers make a triumphant return to football and start out their defense of their title by beating the Saints 42-34 in a wild game.

This game already happened on Thursday, so we're not including this in the predictions.

But if you missed this game, shame on you. You missed an offensive display Thursday night.

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

Indianapolis, we have a problem.

This week, we found out that Peyton Manning had more surgery on his neck, which will put him on the shelf for at least two-three more months.

That may signal the beginning of the end for the Colts season.

It also puts the AFC South division wide open and for the taking.

The Texans could finally emerge as the new dominant team in the division. Beating the Colts in Week 1 would certainly establish that.

Prediction: Texans 34, Colts 17

Philadelphia Eagles at St. Louis Rams

When you first look at this game, you might think a blowout.

Not so fast.

The Rams are somewhat improved, and they are playing at home.

But unfortunately, they are starting out with an NFC powerhouse.

And unfortunately for Sam Bradford, Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are covering all of his wide receivers.

And if that's not bad enough, Trent Cole, Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin will be harassing him all day on the field.

This might not be the prettiest game for Bradford to start in 2011.

The Eagles should win, but I don't think the Rams will just lie down.

Prediction: Eagles 41, Rams 27

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens

One of the better games on the schedule for Week 1.

It's always a dog-fight between the Steelers and Ravens.

Usually, they finish one and two in the AFC North and somehow, end up facing each other in the postseason.

Lately, the Steelers somehow just find ways to squeak out a win against the Ravens.

The Steelers are ready to make another run to get back to the Super Bowl after falling short in February.

Beating the Ravens on the road would be their first major test to see if they are still a playoff caliber team.

I can see this coming down to a late score in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Steelers 20, Ravens 17

Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears

The best team in the NFC last season during the regular season gets their first test of how well they can play on the road.

Matt Ryan and the Falcons' one weakness is they have had trouble playing on the road against .500 teams.

But, with Ryan maturing and entering his third year, he's going to eventually learn to play well and win on the road.

Playing in Chicago might not be the easiest challenge for him.

But can the Bears slow down Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White?

I think this one will be close, but I think Atlanta is still good enough to pull one out on the road against the Bears.

Prediction: Falcons 28, Bears 21

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns

This will be the start of a really awful season for the Bengals.

Carson Palmer and the Bengals still haven't worked anything out, so he stays at home "retired."

Which means rookie Andy Dalton gets thrown into the lineup in Week 1.

I don't expect it to be pretty for him.

I also don't expect it to be pretty for the Bengals defense either trying to stop Peyton Hillis.

Hillis might have a field day bulldozing the Bengals defense around.

Prediction: Browns 31, Bengals 6

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars

So the Jaguars cut David Garrard before Week 1.

Blaine Gabbert is still not starting, but instead Luke McCown is.

Oh boy. Can the Jaguars just move to Los Angeles already?

All eyes will be on Chris Johnson, as he finally got his contract dispute settled.

A lot of fantasy team owners sighed a major relief, as Johnson was a lot of team's first pick and are expecting a huge season from him.

This game will be one featuring two fantasy backs who put up great numbers in Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew.

May the best running back win, because that will be the feature both offenses display here.

Prediction: Titans 24, Jaguars 20

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs

Oh, where do I start?

Buffalo is awful.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is awful.

And they are on the road. Yikes.

The Chiefs should have this one wrapped up by halftime.

Expect a big day from Jamaal Charles. Buffalo's defense will have a rough day trying to stop him all game.

Prediction: Chiefs 33, Bills 10

Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Upset special coming up right here.

The Lions are really improved. The days of them being the worst team in the NFL are gone.

You can credit Jim Schwartz for turning around what Matt Millen tried to destroy.

Some experts even picked the Lions to win the Wild Card this year.

I don't know about the Wild Card. But eight wins at least, is a possibility.

Tampa Bay was a shocking team last year going 10-6. Nobody saw it coming from them.

I think if anyone can try to do what Tampa did last year, it could be Detroit.

I think they make a major upset in Week 1 to put the league on notice that they could make some noise.

Prediction: Lions 27, Buccaneers 20

Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals

This will be the NFL debut of Cam Newton, the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

It's on the road against a team looking for a rebound season.

Not sure how it's going to work out for Newton.

Or really the rest of the Panthers season.

Kevin Kolb will get his chance to finally start after being traded from the Eagles in the offseason to Arizona.

He's got a nice target in Larry Fitzgerald to throw it downfield to.

I don't expect Carolina to be able to keep up with him.

The Cardinals should win this one easily.

Prediction: Cardinals 38, Panthers 14

Minnesota Vikings at San Diego Chargers

This will be Donovan McNabb's third team in three years.

He'll be starting for the Vikings on the road against a team looking to make a rebound season.

McNabb isn't the superstar he once was. He has Adrian Peterson behind him, which will take the pressure off of throwing it downfield.

But in San Diego, the Chargers will be fired up and ready to explode on Minnesota's defense.

Their running attack of Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert might be too much for the Vikings to stop.

Minnesota could make a game out of it, but I think in the end, the Chargers prevail in Week 1.

Prediction: Chargers 31, Vikings 21

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers

Like Chris Johnson, Frank Gore wanted to get a contract extension as well.

And Gore got it with a three year deal from San Francisco.

A happy Gore can only mean trouble for the Seahawks defense on the road.

The 49ers will begin their era with Jim Harbaugh as their new head coach.

For Seattle, they have Tarvaris Jackson starting at quarterback.

With David Garrard's release, if Jackson is terrible, I can see Seattle getting Garrard and taking over as the Week 2 starter.

Expect San Francisco to roll in Week 1.

Prediction: 49ers 30, Seahawks 13

New York Giants at Washington Redskins

The bad news for the Giants is that Justin Tuck might be out with a neck injury.

They have to hope it's nothing serious, they have had their defense ravaged by injuries.

The good news is that Rex Grossman is starting at quarterback for the Redskins.

Just for Grossman saying the Redskins will win the NFC East, I hope the Giants put him into the ground every snap.

And it forces Mike Shanahan to put John Beck in at quarterback.

The Giants defense should take care of the Redskins on the 10th anniversary of September 11th.

Prediction: Giants 27, Redskins 14

Sunday Night Football: Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets

This will be a battle of the Ryan family in New York.

Rex Ryan is the head coach of the Jets.

Rob Ryan is the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys defense should be improved with bringing in Ryan to coach them.

But the Jets will be making a play to be an AFC powerhouse.

They will have a tribute to the 10th anniversary of September 11th, which should be a very emotional ceremony before the game.

The Jets should win this game in NBC's first Sunday night game.

Prediction: Jets 27, Cowboys 23

Monday Night Football: New England Patriot at Miami Dolphins

Game 1 of a doubleheader on Monday Night Football in Week 1.

AFC East rivals will face off with the Patriots and Dolphins.

Brady usually plays well on Monday nights, you can ask the Jets from last year if Brady steps it up on Monday nights.

The Patriots had the best record in all of football last year, but saw their season end by the same Jets in the playoffs.

Bill Belichick doesn't take losing very well.

He'll have revenge on his hands to start the 2011 season.

That's bad news for the Dolphins, who have to be the first opponent of an angry Belichick and Brady team.

And don't think for one second if you don't think Belichick won't have his team run up the score to send a message.

Prediction: Patriots 44, Dolphins 17

Monday Night Football: Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos

The Broncos get a Monday Night Football game to start the season.

Why? It's not like they are any good.

I know they usually have two, but Denver? By the time the Patriots game ends on the East Coast, most will be turning off the TV to go to bed.

But if you do stay up to watch the game, you will likely see a Raiders team on the rise and improved.

Yes, the Raiders might be good again with Al Davis still owning them, and still alive.

The running game with Darren McFadden and Michael Bush is the strength of the Oakland offense.

And it will be enough to run over the Denver defense on national television in the first week.

I wonder how this game will draw in the ratings? My guess is not great, at least on the East. Maybe in the West, where everyone is still wide awake.

Prediction: Raiders 28, Broncos 13