NFL Week 1 Preview

NFL football is back folks. The excitement around here is at a fever pitch as the season opens tonight with the Steelers taking on the Titans. Even though it is only Thursday, it is never too early to take a look at all the week 1 games, so let’s have a preview.

Titans at Steelers (Thurs.) – Pittsburgh will be looking to come out strong as they begin defense of their championship. The Titans will be looking to make a statement as well and we will all get a look at the game many predicted would be the AFC Championship Game last season. With all the emotions running high, I would have to give the edge to the Steelers in this one. They would not want to lay an egg in their home opener and the team has talked about staying hungry and focused. It should be a defensive struggle between two of the top units in the league, but I think Pittsburgh has more diversity to get the job done. I am not sure that QB Kerry Collins will be able to do a whole lot in the air and the Steelers should be able to hold RB Chris Johnson and RB LenDale White in check. Expect QB Ben Roethlisberger, WR Hines Ward, and RB Willie Parker to put enough points on the board to secure a victory. Prediction: Steelers

Dolphins at Falcons – This has the potential to be a very good game to open the season and we will get a look at how both teams start 2009 after their surprising 2008 campaigns. If I had to predict which team would come back to earth this year, I would have to go with Miami. I believe they snuck up on people last year and that will not be the case this season. Atlanta has tons of weapons now with QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner, WR Roddy White, and newly acquired TE Tony Gonzalez. They will be on the fast turf of the Georgia Dome and I don’t think Miami will be able to keep pace. The Dolphins rely on ball control and some trick plays, but I don’t expect them to have enough in this one. Prediction: Falcons

Broncos at Bengals – Both of these teams will come into 2009 with higher expectations than they probably should have. It has really been an offseason of turmoil for the Broncos. QB Jay Cutler demanded a trade that was granted and WR Brandon Marshall did his best to try and follow suit and be a disruption to the team. The Bengals are trying to get back on track with a healthy QB Carson Palmer and new dedication from WRs Chad Ochocinco and Chris Henry. Denver’s defense has gotten progressively worse in recent years, so the Bengals should be able to score points. Cincinnati’s defense is not much better though, but it remains to be seen how well new QB Kyle Orton plays, especially with his injured finger, and how much Denver gets in the running game. This is close to a toss up in my opinion and on opening week I think you have to give the edge to the home team. Prediction: Bengals

Vikings at Browns – The main focus on both these teams in the offseason was on the quarterback position. The Vikings were able to lure QB Brett Favre out of retirement once again while the Browns took the entire preseason before deciding to go with QB Brady Quinn as their starter…or is it QB Derek Anderson? Coach Eric Mangini refuses to tell the public (although it has leaked that it is in fact Quinn starting) because he thinks it will give them an edge. Clearly though, the Vikings have a much better team than the Browns, regardless of who is at QB. Favre will come in and stabilize the offense, running it efficiently and letting RB Adrian Peterson be the driving force. Combine that with a stout defense and Minnesota should be contenders this year. They have more than enough to pick up a win on the road in week 1. Prediction: Vikings

Jaguars at Colts – It was an offseason of change for the Colts as Coach Tony Dungy retired and WR Marvin Harrison was let go. QB Peyton Manning remains constant though and that is always a good thing for the Colts. The window on another trip to the Super Bowl is quickly closing and this might be the last shot for the Colts. The Jaguars strike me as a pretty mediocre team and I don’t expect them to make much noise this year. Both the offense and defense are good enough to keep them in games, but the playoffs will not be in reach. Even through all the changes, expect the Colts to have enough to handle the Jaguars at home in game 1. Prediction: Colts

Lions at Saints – The Detroit Lions ride that huge cold streak into New Orleans, having lost 17 straight regular season games. Is this finally the week they get a win? Don’t count on it. QB Drew Brees and the Saints’ high powered offense should be able to light up the scoreboard against a Lions team that still has a long way to go before even being respectable. I believe it was a poor decision by the Lions to start QB Matthew Stafford in week 1. I said all along that QB Daunte Culpepper was motivated to do well and gave the Lions the best chance to get a win and get the losing monkey off their back. Expect Stafford to have a good moment or two, but certainly not do enough to get a win. Prediction: Saints

Cowboys at Buccaneers – The Cowboys are trying to steady the ship and get back to the playoffs after releasing WR Terrell Owens and getting some team chemistry going. The jury is still out on how things will go, but Dallas should have enough to go into Tampa and get a win. The Buccaneers looked pretty terrible in the preseason, especially on offense, and that was punctuated by the firing of offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski. The Cowboys have a pretty good defense, so I do not expect Tampa Bay to score much at all in this one. QB Tony Romo and the ‘Boys should roll fairly comfortably. Prediction: Cowboys

Eagles at Panthers – This is a great matchup of potential contenders in the NFC. The Eagles are getting a great deal of Super Bowl love and I agree that they have a great shot. QB Michael Vick will not be available for this game and that might be a good thing if Philly is able to get some rhythm on offense. Both of these teams sport a good defense and you would think that a 12-4 Panthers team at home would be a good pick in week 1. I disagree however. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I believe Carolina will not be as good this year. I watched them during week 3 of the preseason and they didn’t look too good in the “dress rehearsal” game against the Ravens. It might not be that much of an upset, but I am taking the Eagles to get a big road win to start the year. Prediction: Eagles

Chiefs at Ravens – I really do not need to go into great detail about this one, especially for those who have read my preseason thoughts about the Ravens. Baltimore has looked great in the preseason and the Chiefs are just in turmoil. The Ravens defense looks primed and ready to go while the Chiefs offense looks ready to spiral down the toilet. I expect a huge home opening win for the Ravens and more good things to come. Prediction: Ravens

Jets at Texans – This game will mark the regular season debut of Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez. All accounts say that Sanchez looks ready for the job and he has handled himself fairly well in the preseason with some solid play. But how will he react when the games actually count? The Jets will try to support Sanchez with a solid running game and some good play on defense. Many are saying that the Texans could be primed for a playoff run this year. They certainly have enough weapons on offense, but the defense is still lacking enough playmakers. The Texans did not look that great against the Vikings and Brett Favre in the preseason, but I am not sure the Jets and Sanchez will bring a great deal more. It seems tough to pinpoint an upset this week, but considering the hype around the Jets and Sanchez, it might be one to take the Texans and with them being at home, that’s what I will do. Prediction: Texans

Redskins at Giants – The Giants will look to get back on track toward another shot at the Super Bowl while the Redskins would be happy to just make it into the playoffs. There was some unrest in the offseason for the Redskins as it was reported the team tried to trade for QB Jay Cutler. This obviously did not sit well with QB Jason Campbell, so the Redskins will have to try and get the job done with him. Campbell has slowly improved, but he is not an elite level player and can only do so much. The defense will still take some time to gel I believe and the Redskins are only about a .500 team in my opinion. The Giants have more talent across the board and QB Eli Manning should be motivated to prove he is worth the huge contract extension he received in the offseason. Although I am not sure who will be catching passes for him, the Giants run game and defense should be enough to carry them at home in the opener. Prediction: Giants

49ers at Cardinals – The surprising Cardinals will be out to try and prove that last season’s trip to the Super Bowl was no fluke. QB Kurt Warner returned to the team and WR Anquan Boldin will once again have to play despite not receiving any big money. The loser of the Super Bowl in previous years has had trouble even making the playoffs, so there is a chance the Cardinals will crash and burn. I don’t foresee that happening in week 1 though. The 49ers and Coach Mike Singletary are slowly building the team back up, but they have more to do. The offense is still lacking firepower and Singletary is going with the steady hand of Shaun Hill at QB. WR Michael Crabtree continues to be an idiot and not sign with the team, so maybe that is an omen of things to come. The Cards should have enough at home to get a win. Prediction: Cardinals

Rams at Seahawks – Both of these teams need to do some serious rebuilding after poor seasons last year. The Seahawks are in a much better position to do that with the return of QB Matt Hasselbeck from injury and the addition of WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The Rams don’t have much outside of RB Steven Jackson and it will probably be another long season for them. Both of these teams should not be factors in the NFC playoff picture and I have to go with the Seahawks at home for the week 1 win. Prediction: Seahawks

Bears at Packers – Outside of the Steelers/Titans opening night matchup, this has the potential to be the game of the week. Bears QB Jay Cutler will try to take Chicago into Lambeau Field and get a win over the Packers. Without question, Cutler is a huge upgrade at QB and the Bears might finally be able to score some points through the air and provide some balance to the running game spearheaded by RB Matt Forte. QB Aaron Rodgers continues to grow into a star player, but he will have a challenge on his hands going up against the Bears defense. This game is a real toss up considering that both defenses may have the edge over the other. In a tight game like this, especially on opening day, I have to give the edge to the home team. Prediction: Packers

Bills at Patriots – The early game on Monday Night Football features the regular season debut of WR Terrell Owens for the Bills as they travel to New England. Patriots QB Tom Brady is good to go after a shoulder “scare” in the preseason and the Patriots look ready to pick back up where they left off before Brady got hurt. The Bills have shown nothing on offense in the preseason and fired their offensive coordinator because of it. The Patriots should have an easy time picking up the win. Prediction: Patriots

Chargers at Raiders – The final game of week 1 features QB Philip Rivers and RB LaDainian Tomlinson taking the Chargers into Oakland. Once again, the Raiders look like they are in disarray and are no closer to being a better team. The Chargers have been notorious in recent years for getting off to slow starts, but I do not anticipate that happening this year, at least in this game. Unfortunately, the final game of opening week could turn into a snoozer and a Chargers blowout. Prediction: Chargers

The Game’s Quick Hits

Preview: #15 Georgia Tech (1-0) vs. Clemson (1-0) – In addition to opening night in the NFL, we will also be treated to this game as Clemson travels to Georgia Tech to open ACC play for both schools. Georgia Tech has hopes of winning the ACC Coastal Division over Virginia Tech and trying to get to a BCS Bowl game, but they did not look like a team ready for that against Jacksonville State. They performed poorly at times and had 5 fumbles, looking mentally out of it. They can not afford a similar performance against Clemson, even being at home. Clemson features dynamic RB C.J. Spiller and have the ability to put points on the board. This should be a great ACC contest and I would expect a close game. Clemson is more than capable of pulling an upset, but if Georgia Tech limits their mistakes and plays good football, their overall better level of talent should allow them to win this game.

- The NFL’s all-time leading rusher and future Hall of Famer, Emmitt Smith, took a shot at Cowboys’ QB Tony Romo and Coach Wade Phillips by questioning whether they have the leadership ability to make Dallas successful. Smith said that Romo does not do enough to demand excellence from his teammates and he needs to be more vocal as to what is expected to be a great team. He also said that Phillips has the responsibility to bring the team together and that he should not just act tough, but actually be tough and instill discipline from day 1. This approach has worked for coaches like Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin and the Cowboys need it. Hey, I wholeheartedly agree with what Emmitt Smith is saying here. Romo and Phillips both strike me as people who have too much of a laid back attitude and not enough of a killer instinct. To win in the NFL, you have to be driven and have the intensity to go out there and be the absolute best you can and also drag the best out of your teammates. I don’t see strong leadership from either one, and that is one of the reasons why I think it will be a struggle for Dallas to make the playoffs this year. There seems to be no sense of urgency from the Cowboys and their team is less talented than it has been. I give credit to Emmitt for telling it like it is and Romo and Phillips would be wise to listen.

- Sources are now saying that the Denver Broncos and problem child WR Brandon Marshall are now talking about a possible contract extension. Part of Marshall’s problems with the Broncos has been the fact that he has not been able to get a long-term deal, so the fact that the two sides are now talking is encouraging. Here is a prime example of why the NFL is strictly business sometimes and how money talks. I bet if Brandon Marshall gets his money, he will shut the hell up, play well, and be a good teammate. I can’t say that I blame Denver for finally trying to lock this guy up. He is extremely talented and when on the field, he’s very productive. They can not just get a player of his caliber out of thin air, and it is hard to find a comparable player out of college or elsewhere because he has proven what he can bring to the table already in the NFL. I do not agree with seemingly rewarding the guy with a big money deal after the way he has acted, but business is business and a happy Brandon Marshall can help the Denver Broncos win football games.

- It now seems that the Shawne Merriman/Tila Tequila situation will be a full blown he said, she said drama and the District Attorney’s Office is now reviewing whether or not Merriman will be charged. Tequila’s attorney, Alan S. Gutman, has released a statement saying that Merriman’s explanation of the events, claiming that he was only trying to help and protect Tequila because she was drunk, is just “spin” and will be totally discredited. Gutman claimed that Merriman’s actions were illegal and indefensible and that society will not tolerate a physical assault on a 93 pound woman by a 270 pound football player. Well he is right about that, but who knows which side of the story is true. That is why we have our legal system in this country and the truth probably falls somewhere in the middle. I know nothing about Shawne Merriman as a person obviously, but I can believe that he sometimes could bring his intensity from the football field into other situations of his life where he shouldn’t be doing that. I doubt that Tequila is specifically out to ruin his life, so he is probably guilty of something, even if it is only bad judgment. When will these athletes learn that you can’t be out drinking and partying at 4 am in the morning and putting themselves in stupid situations? I can only hope the truth does come out in this case and that Merriman gets disciplined by the NFL if it is warranted.

- In more off-the-field legal drama, the woman accusing Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting her has said she will drop the civil suit if he acknowledges the rape and apologizes to her. She also would want Roethlisberger to donate $100,000 to the Committee to Aid Abused Women, a Reno, NV non-profit group, and her attorney claims that she is only seeking “to regain the dignity that was taken from her.” Excuse me a moment while I have a good laugh! Now as you all may know, being a Ravens fan makes me have no love for the Steelers. But even I can feel for a guy from Pittsburgh when he is trying to get railroaded. This lawsuit against him is an absolute farce and she is only trying to do a money grab on Big Ben. There is already plenty of evidence being leaked that shows her joking about a relationship with Roethlisberger and there is the very big fact that she did not bother to report anything or seem distraught to others after this so-called “rape” occurred. I am glad Roethlisberger and his attorneys flatly rejected this request and will continue to fight on. I’m pretty sure that Ben is a stand up guy and he would not do something like this. The woman is heading down a really dangerous path though and maybe she is just in too deep now or is getting bad advice from a sleazy lawyer who thinks he can win the case. As they say, more money more problems, and even though I dislike the Steelers with a passion, I hope Roethlisberger beats down this woman in court.

-Other NFL News and Notes: Vikings QB Brett Favre said he will not let his consecutive games played streak hurt the team this year. Favre will make his 270th straight start this weekend against the Browns, tying what the NFL considers to be the longest streak held by former Vikings defensive lineman Jim Marshall. He said that he will “absolutely” sit if he is not healthy enough and he may not make it through all 16 games. Well I am glad to see that Favre is taking the smart approach to this. Everyone knows he is a warrior, but he is at a point in his career where a less than 100% Favre might not be better than a 100% healthy Tarvaris Jackson. As I stated, if Favre can manage the game for the Vikings and not make mistakes, things will be good for Minnesota.

Coach Eric Mangini finally made up his mind and informed QB Brady Quinn and QB Derek Anderson as to who would be the starter. Mangini did not inform the public, but as you would expect, word has leaked out and Brady Quinn will be the starter. Even though I believe Mangini looks like a fool with this whole “secret” nonsense, I think he made the right move going with Quinn. Quinn looked a little better in the preseason games and I think he has the chance to develop into a solid quarterback. I have heard people say that Quinn has been given every chance to take the job and hasn’t done it, but I fail to see any solid confidence being shown to him. Hopefully now he will get a chance to shine and show his skills because the Browns desperately need as much help as they can get.

The Terrell Owens “blow up” watch is now officially on. When asked about his thoughts on Buffalo’s no-huddle offense, Owens said that he’s not a big fan of it and he will “deal with it.” He also said that the offense is tiring him out after missing four weeks with an injured toe. This just has disaster written all over it, doesn’t it? The Bills will not be a good team this year. I have to think defenses will be all over Owens and QB Trent Edwards is not good enough to compensate for that. The pot is slowly heating up and will be coming to a boil, just wait for it.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel participated in practice for the 2nd day this week, but he was not able to go through a full and normal workout. He wore a brace on his left knee and will officially be listed as questionable for this Sunday against the Ravens. I keep trying to tell them…just sit him down. The Ravens defense will destroy him, especially on a gimpy knee.

Denver Broncos QB Kyle Orton is still optimistic he will be able to play against the Packers this Sunday despite his dislocated right index finger. Orton has been wearing a glove in practice but does not particularly like it. This does not seem like a good idea for him. All it will take is one hit or one shot on a helmet and he could worsen the injury. I have heard he can’t make long, down-the-field throws, so this just seems foolish to me. QB Chris Simms is the backup and he is not a great option either, but at least he doesn’t have an issue with his throwing hand.

Looking for a surprise on Twitter this Sunday? Watch out for Chad Ochocinco then. He claims that he will have a surprise for everyone and that he has found loopholes in the NFL policy which bans the use of social networking sites immediately before and during games. I really think he should be more worried about preparing for the game against the Broncos than what he will be doing on Twitter, don’t you? Prove that you are not washed up yet Chad, then you can run your mouth and “entertain”.

- Allen Iverson broke the story on his own twitter feed Wednesday morning by saying “God chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career.” So apparently Iverson will be taking the 1-year, $3.5 million contract that he was offered by Memphis. As I stated a few days ago, this was Iverson’s only option left. At least with the Grizzles he will probably get substantial playing time and he is making more money than any other team was willing to give him. At this point, both sides are saying the right things and Iverson says he wants to help Memphis win and that he will “shine” and lead by example. It remains to be seen what might happen if the minutes on the court start to dwindle though. Hopefully he can ease into being a role player and accept the fact that he is entering the twilight of his career. If he wants to try and win a ring though, he will still have to play well this season and then seriously consider going to a contender and accepting that he will have to come off the bench. I’m not sure he can let himself do that though, but it will either be that or retirement for A.I.

- U.S. Open Update: The amazing run of 17-year old American Melanie Oudin has finally come to an end as she lost to #9 seed Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. Oudin looked like she ran out of steam and was fatigued. She made way too many unforced errors and let Wozniacki dictate the action. Oudin’s future does look very bright though. Wozniacki will now play Yanina Wickmayer in one of the women’s semifinals. Wickmayer defeated Kateryna Bondarenko 7-5, 6-4. On the men’s side of the draw, #1 seed Roger Federer continues to roll along. He defeated #12 seed Robin Soderling in 4 sets, 6-0, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6. I will give Soderling credit for coming back after the 1st set and making Roger work for it, but he just did not have enough. Federer will now face #4 seed Novak Djokovic in one semifinal after he defeated #10 seed Fernando Verdasco in 4 sets. Djokovic has the ability to beat Federer, but will he come to play and bring his best? Sometimes Djokovic is brilliant and other times he looks terrible. He will need to be closer to brilliant to beat Roger. And in other important U.S. Open news, a man was arrested after running on the court to kiss Rafael Nadal following his victory Tuesday night. Well Nadal is certainly a strapping young man…feel the man love. LOL