Week 1 NFL Picks: Will Colts Beat the Broncos?
Are you ready for some football?
It’s that time of year again. The NFL season kicks off Thursday night when the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks host the Green Bay Packers.
Each week I’ll be picking the winner of each NFL matchup, and keeping track of my overall record during the season.
Here are my Week 1 picks:
Packers at Seahawks: Aaron Rodgers will give the Packers a chance, but Seattle and the Legion of Boom will be too much. Pick: Seahawks
Saints at Falcons: Drew Brees plays great on turf and indoors, but Matt Ryan gets back Julio Jones and better protection up front on the offensive line. Pick: Falcons
Bills at Bears: The Bills will need big plays from C.J. Spiller and Sammy Watkins…just to keep this one close. That still won’t be enough. Pick: Bears
Titans at Chiefs: This game may be closer than folks think. Jake Locker has a costly turnover late. Pick: Chiefs
Vikings at Rams: Everyone is on the Vikings due to Sam Bradford going down, and Adrian Peterson…being Adrian Peterson. However I don’t believe folks realize how good the Rams defense is. Pick: Rams
Patriots at Dolphins: The Dolphins play the Patriots very well at home. This will be a tight one, but the Patriots have Tom Brady, the Dolphins have Ryan Tannehill. Pick: Patriots
Raiders at Jets: I think the Raiders will be better this year, but I don’t see a rookie quarterback, starting his first NFL regular season game, beating a Rex Ryan defense on the road. Pick: J-E-T-S
Jaguars at Eagles: Lesean McCoy, Chip Kelly, Lesean McCoy. Gus Bradley will have a better Jags defense this year, but the fans call for Blake Bortles start week 1. Pick: Eagles
Browns at Steelers: There’s too much pressure on Brian Hoyer with Johnn Manziel waiting in the wings. Throw in the fact that Miles Austin is the top receiver, when you don’t count tight end Jordan Cameron…Yikes. Pick: Steelers
Bengals at Ravens: Gonna be a dog fight as usual when the Bengals and Ravens meet in Baltimore. This game is really a toss up for me. I’ll take the better defense. Pick: Bengals
Redskins at Texans: RGIII has looked terrible this preseason, scared to be honest. He’ll actually be scared with Clowney and Watt coming at him for both sides. Lucky for him, Ryan Fitzpatrick is under center for the Texans. Pick: Redskins
49ers at Cowboys: San Fran travels to the Big. No Ware, no Sean lee…no D. The Cowboys will outscore some teams, but not against a 49ers defense, that’s still a top defense with the injuries and suspensions they’re facing. Pick: 49ers
Panthers at Buccaneers: Tampa Bay will be much improved. Lovie Smith will bring the Tampa 2 defense back to the Bucs, and also has a big pair of receiving targets in Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson. However the Panthers have a top 5 defense themselves. They didn’t do much to fill THEIR void at receiver, but Carolina still had Cam….whoa Cam. Pick: Panthers
Colts at Broncos: This is the matchup I’m personally waiting for. Luck vs. Peyton once more. Many expect Peyton Manning to throw for 10 touchdowns and beat the Colts by 40 points. I think this game will be a lot closer, but agree Peyton gets Peyback, even without Wes Welker. Pick: Broncos
Giants at Lions: Eli Manning has been terrible, and the talent around him seems to be getting worse due to injuries and free agency. Lions win this easily. Pick: Lions
Chargers at Cardinals: The late Monday Night Football game will likely best the better of the two. There’s a strong chance I’ll be asleep by halftime. I expect to wake up to a late Rivers interception that seals the win for the Arizona. Pick: Cardinals