As mentioned, the NFL season will begin on Thursday night as the defending Super Bowl champions, the New Orleans Saints host the Minnesota Vikings.
KICKOFF GAME:
Minnesota Vikings (0-0) at New Orleans Saints (0-0)- The Superdome- New Orleans, Thursday @ 8:30PM EDT, NBC
This is a rematch of last year's thrilling NFC title game, and the Saints will be ready to defend their title in front of the Home Crowd. New Orleans 28-10
SUNDAY AFTERNOON GAMES:
Cleveland Browns (0-0) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-0)- Raymond James Stadium- Tampa Bay, Sunday @ 1PM EDT, CBS
The Holmgren Era in Cleveland will either begin with a bang, thud, or whimper. I think it will be a bang, considering the Browns set sail in sunny Tampa to play the lowly Bucs. Cleveland 27-7
Miami Dolphins (0-0) at Buffalo Bills (0-0)- Ralph Wilson Stadium- Buffalo, Sunday @ 1PM EDT, CBS
The Dolphins have too many weapons on offense, including the Wildcat, for the Bills to handle. Miami 37-7
Cincinnati Bengals (0-0) at New England Patriots (0-0)- Gillette Stadium- Foxboro, Mass., Sunday @ 1PM EDT, CBS
Ochocinco y Ocho Uno make their grand debut together in good old Beantown. However, the Patriots will be red hot and ready, with Tom Brady under center, and Brady will have a field day finding his favorite targets. New England 34-17
Indianapolis Colts (0-0) at Houston Texans (0-0)- Reliant Stadium- Houston, Sunday @ 1PM EDT, CBS
The Texans are an abysmal 1-15 against the Colts, who have had eight straight seasons of ten wins or more, looking to make it nine straight. Indianapolis 31-20
Denver Broncos (0-0) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-0)- Alltel Stadium- Jacksonville, Sunday @ 1PM EDT, CBS
This is a make or break season for both teams. Tim Tebow returns to the state that made him a legend, albeit on the sidelines as Kyle Orton is still the Broncos' starting quarterback. Will it be a long trip home for Tim Tebow and his new team? Denver 21-14
Atlanta Falcons (0-0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0)- Heinz Field- Pittsburgh, Sunday @ 1PM EDT, Fox
The first game of the Big Ben-less era for Pittsburgh begins as they host a Falcons team, off a pair of back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in their franchise's history, and the Falcons are soaring for more, and they might just get the job done in Steel City. Atlanta 28-21
Oakland Raiders (0-0) at Tennessee Titans (0-0)- LP Field- Nashville, Sunday @ 1PM EDT, CBS
This is a make-or-break season for Oakland, who brought back coach Tom Cable for round three, two rounds more than people think he deserved. Tennessee 31-21
Carolina Panthers (0-0) at New York Giants (0-0)- The NEW Giants Stadium- East Rutherford, NJ, Sunday @ 1PM EDT, Fox
The New York Giants christen their new home against a Carolina team that needs to find itself, especially at the quarterback position, now that Jake Delhomme is the offensive showrunner for the Browns. Giants 20-17
Detroit Lions (0-0) at Chicago Bears (0-0)- Soldier Field- Chicago, Sunday @ 1PM EDT, Fox
The Lions, hungry to get back to their winning ways of the 1950s, goes down the I-80/90 turnpike. Chicago is still winning this game. Chicago 23-10
Arizona Cardinals (0-0) at St. Louis Rams (0-0)- Edward Jones Dome- St. Louis, Sunday @ 4:15PM EDT, Fox
And so it begins...the Sam Bradford era begins in the Arch City. Can Bradford bring back "the Greatest Show on Turf"? He doesn't have the supporting cast yet, that Arizona has with Larry Fitzgerald, but the retirement of Kurt Warner may dampen Arizona's spirit later down the road. Arizona 20-17 (OT)
Green Bay Packers (0-0) at Philadelphia Eagles (0-0)- Lincoln Financial Field- Philadelphia, Sunday @ 4:15PM EDT, Fox
For the first time in 12 years, Donovan McNabb is not on the sidelines in the city of Brotherly Love. I am not solid on Kevin Kolb as a starting quarterback. Neither will the Packers. Green Bay 35-13
San Francisco 49ers (0-0) at Seattle Seahawks (0-0)- Qwest Field- Seattle, Sunday @ 4:15PM EDT, Fox
Pete Carroll's third tour of head coaching duty in the NFL commences in Seattle. The resurging 49ers want to bring back the winning ways that they had during the Joe Montana/Steve Young era. San Francisco 30-8
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Washington Redskins (0-0) at Dallas Cowboys (0-0)- Cowboys Stadium- Arlington, Tex., Sunday @ 8:20PM EDT, NBC
The Mike Shanahan era in Washington begins with the Redskins visiting their rivals, the Cowboys, who are on a mission to be the last NFL team standing on their home turf, come February. Look for the home team to be ready. Dallas 34-20
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL DOUBLEHEADER:
Baltimore Ravens (0-0) at New York Jets (0-0)- The New Giants Stadium- East Rutherford, NJ, Monday @ 7:00PM EDT, ESPN
The 41st season of Monday Night Football begins at the new Giants Stadium as the J-E-T-S, Jets, fresh off a playoff run last year, and their own show (Hard Knocks) during training camp, as they christen Giants stadium against Head Coach Rex Ryan's former team, the Ravens. Expect this to be a defensive battle, tooth and nail. J-E-T-S, Jets 17-10
San Diego Chargers (0-0) at Kansas City Chiefs (0-0)- Arrowhead Stadium- Kansas City, Monday @ 10:15PM EDT, ESPN
The San Diego Super Chargers play the Chiefs (not to be confused with New England 2.0, because the Chiefs nabbed talent from the Patriots- Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis, Quarterback Matt Cassel, Linebacker Mike Vrabel), as both teams close out the first week of the 2010 NFL season. The Chargers offense will be too much for the Chiefs to handle. San Diego 31-13
This blog is a spin-off of A Man and His Awards, and hosts weekly football predictions as well as predictions for the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament.
Thursday Night:
ReplyDeleteNew Orleans 14, Minnesota 9
Sunday Afternoon:
Pittsburgh 15, Atlanta 9 (OT)- PIT's Rashard Mendenhall scores the game-winning (and the game's only) touchdown on a 50-yard scamper in PIT's first play in OT, in a defensive field goal-frenzy
Tampa Bay 17, Cleveland 14- CLE led 14-3, then got outscored 14-0; Josh Freeman's 33-yard pass to Michael Spurlock was the game-winner for TAM
New England 38, Cincinnati 24- NE led 24-0, 24-3 (at Halftime), 31-3, 31-10, and 38-17. Patriots got it going for most of the first half. CIN did not show signs of life until the end of the first half, but allowed a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown and a 97-yard kickoff return on the opening kickoff of the second half, both were too much to overcome, despite Carson Palmer throwing 345 yards
Houston 34, Indianapolis 24- Only HOU's second win in franchise history against IND, which had a 15-1 edge going into the game. HOU's Arian Foster ran for three touchdowns.
Miami 15, Buffalo 10
Chicago 19, Detroit 14- DET's game-winning touchdown was ruled "NOT a touchdown" with 25 seconds to go
New York Giants 31, Carolina 18
Jacksonville 24, Denver 17- JAX holds off DEN late in the game
Tennessee 38, Oakland 13- TEN ran amuck against OAK
Arizona 17, St. Louis 13
Seattle 31, San Francisco 6- SURPRISING SCORE of the WEEK as SEA knocks down SF in Pete Carroll's return to the NFL in his SEA debut
Green Bay 27, Philadelphia 20- PHI's Kevin Kolb is knocked out of the game; Michael Vick brings some life to PHI, but not enough
Sunday Night:
Washington 13, Dallas 7- WASH wins in Mike Shanahan's debut, courtesy of a fumble recovery for a TD by DeAngelo Hall, and the final play of the game, a Tony Romo touchdown pass that was negated by a holding penalty
Monday Night:
Baltimore 10, New York Jets 9- The game was delayed due to lightning in the New York area; a great defensive struggle, the Jet's undoing was Dustin Keller (the tight end) stepped out of bounds just short of the first down marker on 4th down with 36 seconds left
Kansas City 21, San Diego 14- UPSET OF THE WEEK