Reviewing Last Week's Picks:
Not a great week, let's just move on... 7-9
Power Rankings
32.) Oakland
Raiders (0-1 =
14-19)
I don’t expect them to be in last place all year, but when your QB
can do nothing but throw checkdowns it is hard to put up even 150 yards of
offense. Their running game is a no-show as well. If they have any hope, it is
that their aging but skilled defense keeps them in enough games.
31.) Cleveland
Browns (0-1 =
27-30)
That was a spirited comeback against a team that can’t close, and
Brian Hoyer played OK, and they were able to manufacture yards, but the part of
their team that was supposed to help them (their defense) was awful much of the
day. Sadly, I think their near ridiculous comeback will be one of the
highpoints of the NFL season.
30.) Kansas City
Chiefs (0-1 =
10-26)
This is also about the injuries to Derrick Johnson and Mike DeVito
(though one of those guys means a whole lot more than the other) hurting my
perception of the team, and probably that no team looked worse than the Chiefs.
Alex Smith couldn’t throw deep, the defense which still has a lot of talent had
no answer for Jake Locker. This might be a long season in KC.
29.) St. Louis
Rams (0-1 =
6-34)
Back in June I thought they would win the NFC West. I still think
they have a shot at going 7-9, but the QB situation is so much worse than even
when Bradford was there. I don’t know how many of those guys can afford another
lost season either. Austin Davis is just nowhere near ready to play in an NFL
game. The defense was still good for most of the game, but you’ll give up plays
to an explosive team when you’re on the field all the time.
28.) Tampa Bay
Buccaneers (0-1 =
14-20)
If you can’t beat the Panthers, everyone’s off-season regression
team, when they aren’t playing their one competent offensive player under 30,
then you probably shouldn’t be getting the love you are. I like Lovie Smith the
coach and over time I think they’ll start doing some good things (should time
to be right around when Drew Brees winds down) but they’re a ways away.
27.) Washington
Redskins (0-1 =
6-17)
RGIII looked awful, but that might have been more JJ Watt looking
like the demon monster he is. What I really don’t get is despite all the talk
of Jay Gruden’s new offense, it still looks like zone reads, swing and screen
passes, and deep bombs. There’s nothing creative here, and while RGIII may not
reach his rookie form, he’s better than this.
26.) Dallas
Cowboys (0-1 =
17-28)
The defense actually played reasonably well. Of course, the 49ers
offense basically stopped trying in the 2nd half so it was hard to
tell how well the defense played. What did not go well was the offense. Tony
Romo was awful, there’s no way around it. He was reacting to pressure that wasn’t
there, throwing passes that were absolutely Favre-ian at his worst.
25.) Jacksonville
Jaguars (0-1 =
17-34)
No team can go up 17-0 and lose by 17 and come out of the game
thinking pretty well of themselves. The Jaguars have some players on that
defense, and the Kurns guy might be something. Most likely he won’t, though,
and that was them gashing a bad defense. The Jaguars shouldn’t take too much
from Henne in that game and turn to Bortles sooner rather than later.
24.) Chicago Bears (0-1
= 20-23)
The Bears might be better than this; they probably will end up
better than this. Still, you can’t excuse that type of lackadaisical play
against a seemingly poor team at home. The nicks to both Jeffery and Marshall
don’t help either. The defense still can’t stop anyone, and their mediocre
switching of personnel didn’t seem to help.
23.) Houston
Texans (1-0 =
17-6)
I’m not giving them too much credit for that win, because the
Redskins did it to themselves, and if they’re relying on blocked punt TDs and
70-yard TDs to beat bad teams then they don’t really have much of a chance.
Still… JJ Watt, presented without explanation.
22.) Baltimore
Ravens (0-1 =
16-23)
The Ravens are that team that can do nothing for three quarters,
but somehow still force field goals the hold time and then be magically alive.
This time they couldn’t finish the job, though. That defense is still very
good, and Flacco got in some rhythm, but they will not having a run game this
season at all.
21.) New York
Giants (0-1 =
14-35)
Should they be ranked lower? Probably, but I think that game was
more about the Lions. Also, I have to imagine the offense will get more in sync
as the season goes on. That defense played well, as odd as it sounds. Some of
the scoring was on long drives or Calvin making Calvin plays.
20.) Buffalo Bills (1-0 =
23-20)
Here’s what we know. They were surprisingly good at defense last
year behind an awesome pass rush, and that pass rush still seems to be very
good. They have a bunch of small, shifty skill position players for the 10th
straight year. What we don’t know is if EJ Manuel is any good. I still don’t
think we know.
19.) Tennessee
Titans (1-0 =
26-10)
That was an impressive win, especially defensively. The Titans
have obvious talent on offense and their success on that side comes down to
Locker staying healthy. The defense, though, was a surprise. They switched
pretty naturally to a 3-4, which is hard to with keeping the same personnel. If
that holds, then they can be a threat.
18.) Minnesota
Vikings (1-0 =
34-6)
Great win, great performance. It took a while for them to get
going, which is understandable against a good defense, but the Vikings
dominated on both lines. They’ve rebuilt that o-line nicely, and man can they
use Cordarrelle Patterson well. Mike Zimmer has that defense humming too. I can’t
imagine them really doing well against New England, but who knows?
17.) Pittsburgh
Steelers (1-0 =
30-27)
That was the opposite of a great win. That was a terrible win.
Through 30 minutes, the Steelers made it look like it was Week 1, 2008, all
over again, dominating a team like no other. Then it all fell apart.
Roethlisberger looks great, which is good for Pittsburgh since the rest of the
team looks terrible.
16.) Atlanta
Falcons (1-0 =
37-34)
Great win, but I’m not hopping on that bandwagon yet as I’m still
not confident at all in that defense, and the Falcons seem to play the Saints
close no matter what. The offense looks great, but I’m worried about the state
of the o-line.
15.) New York Jets (1-0
= 19-14)
Really nice game, should have been a dominant 19-7 win, holding
the Raiders to ~100 yards. That run defense is special, and their pass rush is
quite good. They’ll have to put that secondary together with scotch tape for a
while, but it all works in the end. They’ll get a real challenge with Green Bay
coming up.
14.) Philadelphia
Eagles (1-0 =
34-17)
They seem like, and probably are, the class of the division.
Still, it was nice to see Nick Foles struggle for a while. He reacted well, far
better than in his previous bad starts. The defense looked awful, and they won’t
be playing teams with Jacksonville’s limited weapons again for a while.
13.) San Diego
Chargers (0-1 =
17-18)
The defense looked a lot better than in the past, but that
offensive performance was strange. They were able to get short, consistent
gains last year, and didn’t try any of those at all, depending on mid to deep
routes. Sure, the Cardinals defense is fantastic, but that was an odd offensive
game.
12.) Arizona
Cardinals (1-0 =
18-17)
I went to bed with them down 6-17, despite their defense playing
awesome and despite Carson Palmer having an OK game. I woke up with them
winning the game 18-17 with their defense still playing awesome and Carson
Palmer having a good game. Their defense is really built off their secondary,
which allows them to blitz all the time. They’ll need that to continue without
Dockett and now with John Abraham banged up.
11.) Miami
Dolphins (1-0 =
33-20)
That was impressive. I don’t want to overreact to Week 1, but man
was that an awesome performance in the 2nd half. They were just
dominant. They d-line was dominant. Their secondary covered well. But the real
story was that offense. The only thing that stopped them in the 1st
half was themselves, and their o-line, a giant problem all season long last
year, was incredible. I don’t know if they can keep it up, but that was really
good.
10.) New Orleans
Saints (0-1 =
34-37)
I’m not a fan of Rob Ryan, finding him and his defenses so
overrated because of that last name ‘Ryan’. Well, they showed why. I have to
admit Rob Ryan’s defense was very good last year, but that was an absolutely
pathetic performance, the type that happened way too often with his defenses in
Dallas and Cleveland. The offense remains great, though.
9.) New England
Patriots (0-1 =
20-33)
Would love to have them lower, but we’ve seen them have bad games
before. Still, getting outscored 23-0 in the 2nd half was pretty
shocking. Brady’s 2nd half stat-line was something out of JaMarcus
Russell’s career, going 10-27 for 62 yards! Of course, everyone says that it
was the receivers and the o-line, because it can never be Brady’s fault.
8.) Indianapolis
Colts (0-1 =
24-31)
The Robert Mathis injury is crushing. I really don’t know if their
defense can recover as he was 50% of their sacks in 2013. Still, I think we’ll
feel a lot better about that performance a few weeks from now. They played with
Denver for a bit. Their defense was good against the run. Andrew Luck is still
special and they let him rip it around which is good.
7.) Carolina
Panthers (1-0 = 20-14)
Let’s not brag too much. Guess what, haters, that defense is still
pretty damn special.
6.) Detroit Lions (1-0
= 35-14)
That was an impressive performance. The defense looks fast,
especially at the linebacker position, and Caldwell has them playing more
disciplined defensively. The offense looked more controlled as well. I like how
they’re utilizing all those weapons, and Matt Stafford looks dedicated. This
might be too high, but they’ve always had the talent.
5.) San Francisco 49ers (1-0
= 28-17)
This also might be too high, but let’s be honest, not too many of
the consensus top teams had very good Week 1’s. The 49ers defense was gifted
some picks, but it still looked good given how many people are missing. The
offense looks very good, though, but it helps when you score 14 points with 1
yard of offense.
4.) Green Bay
Packers (0-1 =
16-36)
That was not a good performance, but that was a tough position. The
Seahawks are the league’s best team right now, in primetime, at home, in their
celebration game. Only one team has ever lost their Opening Game at home following
the Super Bowl win. The Packers have issues, but I’ll wait to really judge
them.
3.) Cincinnati
Bengals (1-0 =
23-16)
Had the turned some of those 5 FGs into TDs, that would’ve been a
dominant win. Still, that was a pretty impressive win in Baltimore. Their
defense did not seem to miss Mike Zimmer much. It may be more apparent if they
get injuries. Andy Dalton looked good, but they’ll have to start getting better
performance in the red zone.
2.) Denver Broncos (1-0
= 31-24)
Not a good 2nd half, but some of that is complacency,
which can’t happen going forward. The team looked terrifying in the 1st
half, but neither side looked great in the 2nd. To me, they’ll get
better once Von Miller starts getting back to 100%, but it was good to see
their secondary play tight again.
1.) Seattle
Seahawks (1-0 =
36-16)
The King Stay the King.
32.) Oakland
Raiders (0-1 =
14-19)
I don’t expect them to be in last place all year, but when your QB
can do nothing but throw checkdowns it is hard to put up even 150 yards of
offense. Their running game is a no-show as well. If they have any hope, it is
that their aging but skilled defense keeps them in enough games.
31.) Cleveland
Browns (0-1 =
27-30)
That was a spirited comeback against a team that can’t close, and
Brian Hoyer played OK, and they were able to manufacture yards, but the part of
their team that was supposed to help them (their defense) was awful much of the
day. Sadly, I think their near ridiculous comeback will be one of the
highpoints of the NFL season.
30.) Kansas City
Chiefs (0-1 =
10-26)
This is also about the injuries to Derrick Johnson and Mike DeVito
(though one of those guys means a whole lot more than the other) hurting my
perception of the team, and probably that no team looked worse than the Chiefs.
Alex Smith couldn’t throw deep, the defense which still has a lot of talent had
no answer for Jake Locker. This might be a long season in KC.
29.) St. Louis
Rams (0-1 =
6-34)
Back in June I thought they would win the NFC West. I still think
they have a shot at going 7-9, but the QB situation is so much worse than even
when Bradford was there. I don’t know how many of those guys can afford another
lost season either. Austin Davis is just nowhere near ready to play in an NFL
game. The defense was still good for most of the game, but you’ll give up plays
to an explosive team when you’re on the field all the time.
28.) Tampa Bay
Buccaneers (0-1 =
14-20)
If you can’t beat the Panthers, everyone’s off-season regression
team, when they aren’t playing their one competent offensive player under 30,
then you probably shouldn’t be getting the love you are. I like Lovie Smith the
coach and over time I think they’ll start doing some good things (should time
to be right around when Drew Brees winds down) but they’re a ways away.
27.) Washington
Redskins (0-1 =
6-17)
RGIII looked awful, but that might have been more JJ Watt looking
like the demon monster he is. What I really don’t get is despite all the talk
of Jay Gruden’s new offense, it still looks like zone reads, swing and screen
passes, and deep bombs. There’s nothing creative here, and while RGIII may not
reach his rookie form, he’s better than this.
26.) Dallas
Cowboys (0-1 =
17-28)
The defense actually played reasonably well. Of course, the 49ers
offense basically stopped trying in the 2nd half so it was hard to
tell how well the defense played. What did not go well was the offense. Tony
Romo was awful, there’s no way around it. He was reacting to pressure that wasn’t
there, throwing passes that were absolutely Favre-ian at his worst.
25.) Jacksonville
Jaguars (0-1 =
17-34)
No team can go up 17-0 and lose by 17 and come out of the game
thinking pretty well of themselves. The Jaguars have some players on that
defense, and the Kurns guy might be something. Most likely he won’t, though,
and that was them gashing a bad defense. The Jaguars shouldn’t take too much
from Henne in that game and turn to Bortles sooner rather than later.
24.) Chicago Bears (0-1
= 20-23)
The Bears might be better than this; they probably will end up
better than this. Still, you can’t excuse that type of lackadaisical play
against a seemingly poor team at home. The nicks to both Jeffery and Marshall
don’t help either. The defense still can’t stop anyone, and their mediocre
switching of personnel didn’t seem to help.
23.) Houston
Texans (1-0 =
17-6)
I’m not giving them too much credit for that win, because the
Redskins did it to themselves, and if they’re relying on blocked punt TDs and
70-yard TDs to beat bad teams then they don’t really have much of a chance.
Still… JJ Watt, presented without explanation.
22.) Baltimore
Ravens (0-1 =
16-23)
The Ravens are that team that can do nothing for three quarters,
but somehow still force field goals the hold time and then be magically alive.
This time they couldn’t finish the job, though. That defense is still very
good, and Flacco got in some rhythm, but they will not having a run game this
season at all.
21.) New York
Giants (0-1 =
14-35)
Should they be ranked lower? Probably, but I think that game was
more about the Lions. Also, I have to imagine the offense will get more in sync
as the season goes on. That defense played well, as odd as it sounds. Some of
the scoring was on long drives or Calvin making Calvin plays.
20.) Buffalo Bills (1-0 =
23-20)
Here’s what we know. They were surprisingly good at defense last
year behind an awesome pass rush, and that pass rush still seems to be very
good. They have a bunch of small, shifty skill position players for the 10th
straight year. What we don’t know is if EJ Manuel is any good. I still don’t
think we know.
19.) Tennessee
Titans (1-0 =
26-10)
That was an impressive win, especially defensively. The Titans
have obvious talent on offense and their success on that side comes down to
Locker staying healthy. The defense, though, was a surprise. They switched
pretty naturally to a 3-4, which is hard to with keeping the same personnel. If
that holds, then they can be a threat.
18.) Minnesota
Vikings (1-0 =
34-6)
Great win, great performance. It took a while for them to get
going, which is understandable against a good defense, but the Vikings
dominated on both lines. They’ve rebuilt that o-line nicely, and man can they
use Cordarrelle Patterson well. Mike Zimmer has that defense humming too. I can’t
imagine them really doing well against New England, but who knows?
17.) Pittsburgh
Steelers (1-0 =
30-27)
That was the opposite of a great win. That was a terrible win.
Through 30 minutes, the Steelers made it look like it was Week 1, 2008, all
over again, dominating a team like no other. Then it all fell apart.
Roethlisberger looks great, which is good for Pittsburgh since the rest of the
team looks terrible.
16.) Atlanta
Falcons (1-0 =
37-34)
Great win, but I’m not hopping on that bandwagon yet as I’m still
not confident at all in that defense, and the Falcons seem to play the Saints
close no matter what. The offense looks great, but I’m worried about the state
of the o-line.
15.) New York Jets (1-0
= 19-14)
Really nice game, should have been a dominant 19-7 win, holding
the Raiders to ~100 yards. That run defense is special, and their pass rush is
quite good. They’ll have to put that secondary together with scotch tape for a
while, but it all works in the end. They’ll get a real challenge with Green Bay
coming up.
14.) Philadelphia
Eagles (1-0 =
34-17)
They seem like, and probably are, the class of the division.
Still, it was nice to see Nick Foles struggle for a while. He reacted well, far
better than in his previous bad starts. The defense looked awful, and they won’t
be playing teams with Jacksonville’s limited weapons again for a while.
13.) San Diego
Chargers (0-1 =
17-18)
The defense looked a lot better than in the past, but that
offensive performance was strange. They were able to get short, consistent
gains last year, and didn’t try any of those at all, depending on mid to deep
routes. Sure, the Cardinals defense is fantastic, but that was an odd offensive
game.
12.) Arizona
Cardinals (1-0 =
18-17)
I went to bed with them down 6-17, despite their defense playing
awesome and despite Carson Palmer having an OK game. I woke up with them
winning the game 18-17 with their defense still playing awesome and Carson
Palmer having a good game. Their defense is really built off their secondary,
which allows them to blitz all the time. They’ll need that to continue without
Dockett and now with John Abraham banged up.
11.) Miami
Dolphins (1-0 =
33-20)
That was impressive. I don’t want to overreact to Week 1, but man
was that an awesome performance in the 2nd half. They were just
dominant. They d-line was dominant. Their secondary covered well. But the real
story was that offense. The only thing that stopped them in the 1st
half was themselves, and their o-line, a giant problem all season long last
year, was incredible. I don’t know if they can keep it up, but that was really
good.
10.) New Orleans
Saints (0-1 =
34-37)
I’m not a fan of Rob Ryan, finding him and his defenses so
overrated because of that last name ‘Ryan’. Well, they showed why. I have to
admit Rob Ryan’s defense was very good last year, but that was an absolutely
pathetic performance, the type that happened way too often with his defenses in
Dallas and Cleveland. The offense remains great, though.
9.) New England
Patriots (0-1 =
20-33)
Would love to have them lower, but we’ve seen them have bad games
before. Still, getting outscored 23-0 in the 2nd half was pretty
shocking. Brady’s 2nd half stat-line was something out of JaMarcus
Russell’s career, going 10-27 for 62 yards! Of course, everyone says that it
was the receivers and the o-line, because it can never be Brady’s fault.
8.) Indianapolis
Colts (0-1 =
24-31)
The Robert Mathis injury is crushing. I really don’t know if their
defense can recover as he was 50% of their sacks in 2013. Still, I think we’ll
feel a lot better about that performance a few weeks from now. They played with
Denver for a bit. Their defense was good against the run. Andrew Luck is still
special and they let him rip it around which is good.
7.) Carolina
Panthers (1-0 = 20-14)
Let’s not brag too much. Guess what, haters, that defense is still
pretty damn special.
6.) Detroit Lions (1-0
= 35-14)
That was an impressive performance. The defense looks fast,
especially at the linebacker position, and Caldwell has them playing more
disciplined defensively. The offense looked more controlled as well. I like how
they’re utilizing all those weapons, and Matt Stafford looks dedicated. This
might be too high, but they’ve always had the talent.
5.) San Francisco 49ers (1-0
= 28-17)
This also might be too high, but let’s be honest, not too many of
the consensus top teams had very good Week 1’s. The 49ers defense was gifted
some picks, but it still looked good given how many people are missing. The
offense looks very good, though, but it helps when you score 14 points with 1
yard of offense.
4.) Green Bay
Packers (0-1 =
16-36)
That was not a good performance, but that was a tough position. The
Seahawks are the league’s best team right now, in primetime, at home, in their
celebration game. Only one team has ever lost their Opening Game at home following
the Super Bowl win. The Packers have issues, but I’ll wait to really judge
them.
3.) Cincinnati
Bengals (1-0 =
23-16)
Had the turned some of those 5 FGs into TDs, that would’ve been a
dominant win. Still, that was a pretty impressive win in Baltimore. Their
defense did not seem to miss Mike Zimmer much. It may be more apparent if they
get injuries. Andy Dalton looked good, but they’ll have to start getting better
performance in the red zone.
2.) Denver Broncos (1-0
= 31-24)
Not a good 2nd half, but some of that is complacency,
which can’t happen going forward. The team looked terrifying in the 1st
half, but neither side looked great in the 2nd. To me, they’ll get
better once Von Miller starts getting back to 100%, but it was good to see
their secondary play tight again.
1.) Seattle
Seahawks (1-0 =
36-16)
The King Stay the King.
Ranking Next Week’s Games
16.) St. Louis Rams (0-1) @
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) (4:05 –
FOX)
15.) Jacksonville Jaguars
(0-1) @
Washington Redskins (0-1) (1:00 –
CBS)
14.) Houston Texans
(1-0) @
Oakland Raiders (0-1) (4:25 –
CBS)
I call it “Yes, you can have a trio of forgettable games in Week 2”
Sunday, as all three of these games just seem awful. The Texans allow you to watch
JJ Watt, I guess. Still, let’s move on to real games.
13.) New Orleans Saints
(0-1) @
Cleveland Browns (0-1) (1:00 –
FOX)
12.) Dallas Cowboys
(0-1) @
Tennessee Titans (1-0) (1:00 – FOX)
11.) Kansas City Chiefs
(0-1) @
Denver Broncos (1-0) (4:25 – CBS)
10.) New York Jets
(1-0) @
Green Bay Packers (0-1) (4:25 –
CBS)
9.) Arizona Cardinals (1-0) @ New York Giants (0-1) (1:00 – FOX)
I call it “Mildly Interesting Games that I won’t have to watch
because I have Sunday Ticket” Sunday, as these games have some good teams and
units (Denver offense, Green Bay offense, Jets’ run defense, Cards’ defense),
and some awful units. I guess some could be close, but they probably won’t be
top games.
8.) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) @ Baltimore Ravens (0-1) (TNF – CBS)
I call it “The Most Infamous Version of the Rivalry” Thursday, as
what was once the league’s best rivalry gets played in a weird situation.
First, we get our first Network TV TNF game, which should be interesting. The
Ravens, though, are in turmoil right now. Teams react to these situations in
different ways, so it should be interesting how the team plays, and how the
crowd is.
7.) Miami Dolphins
(1-0) @
Buffalo Bills (1-0) (1:00 – CBS)
I call it “How is this a big game?” Sunday, as one of these two
teams will be 2-0, and unless the Jets upset the Packers, will be in 1st
place all alone. Both teams have reasons to be excited, and this should be a
fun early game.
6.) Chicago Bears (0-1) @ San
Francisco 49ers (1-0) (SNF – NBC)
5.) New England Patriots
(0-1) @
Minnesota Vikings (1-0) (1:00 –
CBS)
I call it “Desperation vs. … well… non-Desperation” Sunday, as two
early favorites try to avoid an 0-2 start on the road. On the other side, guess
what? Both the 49ers and Vikings get to open new stadiums. For the 49ers, it is
a triumphant first game in Levi’s Stadium. For the Vikings, it is Game 1 of
their 16-game odyssey into playing outdoor home games while their new palace is
getting built.
4.) Atlanta Falcons
(1-0) @
Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) (1:00 –
FOX)
3.) Detroit Lions (1-0) @
Carolina Panthers (1-0) (1:00 –
FOX)
I call it “Good Teams, Good Stories, Good Early Season Tests”
Sunday, both games have teams in that #5-#12 range, and are two of just three
games pitting teams that are both 1-0. Falcons vs. Bengals should be a nice
matchup of very good offense against very good defense. The Lions should be the
same, but now make it a great defense and an incredible WR.
2.) Philadelphia Eagles
(1-0) @
Indianapolis Colts (0-1) (MNF –
ESPN)
1.) Seattle Seahawks
(1-0) @
San Diego Chargers (0-1) (4:05 –
FOX)
I call it “Desperation vs. non-Desperation, Primetime Edition”
Sunday and Monday, as we get two very good games. The Colts need to win to
avoid 0-2, as to the Chargers. Both are at home against NFC Division Winners.
The Eagles didn’t look all too great in Week 1, but now they get another
relatively soft defense. The Seahwks did look great, but the Chargers will be a
nice test for their defense.
16.) St. Louis Rams (0-1) @
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) (4:05 –
FOX)
15.) Jacksonville Jaguars
(0-1) @
Washington Redskins (0-1) (1:00 –
CBS)
14.) Houston Texans
(1-0) @
Oakland Raiders (0-1) (4:25 –
CBS)
I call it “Yes, you can have a trio of forgettable games in Week 2”
Sunday, as all three of these games just seem awful. The Texans allow you to watch
JJ Watt, I guess. Still, let’s move on to real games.
13.) New Orleans Saints
(0-1) @
Cleveland Browns (0-1) (1:00 –
FOX)
12.) Dallas Cowboys
(0-1) @
Tennessee Titans (1-0) (1:00 – FOX)
11.) Kansas City Chiefs
(0-1) @
Denver Broncos (1-0) (4:25 – CBS)
10.) New York Jets
(1-0) @
Green Bay Packers (0-1) (4:25 –
CBS)
9.) Arizona Cardinals (1-0) @ New York Giants (0-1) (1:00 – FOX)
I call it “Mildly Interesting Games that I won’t have to watch
because I have Sunday Ticket” Sunday, as these games have some good teams and
units (Denver offense, Green Bay offense, Jets’ run defense, Cards’ defense),
and some awful units. I guess some could be close, but they probably won’t be
top games.
8.) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) @ Baltimore Ravens (0-1) (TNF – CBS)
I call it “The Most Infamous Version of the Rivalry” Thursday, as
what was once the league’s best rivalry gets played in a weird situation.
First, we get our first Network TV TNF game, which should be interesting. The
Ravens, though, are in turmoil right now. Teams react to these situations in
different ways, so it should be interesting how the team plays, and how the
crowd is.
7.) Miami Dolphins
(1-0) @
Buffalo Bills (1-0) (1:00 – CBS)
I call it “How is this a big game?” Sunday, as one of these two
teams will be 2-0, and unless the Jets upset the Packers, will be in 1st
place all alone. Both teams have reasons to be excited, and this should be a
fun early game.
6.) Chicago Bears (0-1) @ San
Francisco 49ers (1-0) (SNF – NBC)
5.) New England Patriots
(0-1) @
Minnesota Vikings (1-0) (1:00 –
CBS)
I call it “Desperation vs. … well… non-Desperation” Sunday, as two
early favorites try to avoid an 0-2 start on the road. On the other side, guess
what? Both the 49ers and Vikings get to open new stadiums. For the 49ers, it is
a triumphant first game in Levi’s Stadium. For the Vikings, it is Game 1 of
their 16-game odyssey into playing outdoor home games while their new palace is
getting built.
4.) Atlanta Falcons
(1-0) @
Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) (1:00 –
FOX)
3.) Detroit Lions (1-0) @
Carolina Panthers (1-0) (1:00 –
FOX)
I call it “Good Teams, Good Stories, Good Early Season Tests”
Sunday, both games have teams in that #5-#12 range, and are two of just three
games pitting teams that are both 1-0. Falcons vs. Bengals should be a nice
matchup of very good offense against very good defense. The Lions should be the
same, but now make it a great defense and an incredible WR.
2.) Philadelphia Eagles
(1-0) @
Indianapolis Colts (0-1) (MNF –
ESPN)
1.) Seattle Seahawks
(1-0) @
San Diego Chargers (0-1) (4:05 –
FOX)
I call it “Desperation vs. non-Desperation, Primetime Edition”
Sunday and Monday, as we get two very good games. The Colts need to win to
avoid 0-2, as to the Chargers. Both are at home against NFC Division Winners.
The Eagles didn’t look all too great in Week 1, but now they get another
relatively soft defense. The Seahwks did look great, but the Chargers will be a
nice test for their defense.
