NFL Week 1 Picks

Holy potatoes, the football season starts in three days. I mean, I always do my football picks on Tuesdays (following the Monday night game) so I can't see injury reports or trends and then psyche myself into going against my gut instinct, but still — the NFL regular season is starting in THREE DAYS. Here are my picks: (my picks to win are bold)

1. NEW ORLEANS @ INDIANAPOLIS
These teams are pretty evenly matched: high-powered offense, suspect defense, great at home. That last part is why I give the edge to Indy, who open the season in the RCA Dome (pictured, right). If the game had been at the Superdome (pictured, left) I would have picked the Saints.

2. PHILADELPHIA @ GREEN BAY
This should be an ass-kicking.

3. KANSAS CITY @ HOUSTON
I don't like either team that much, but Kansas City is just going to be bad this year. Just watch.

4. DENVER @ BUFFALO
I'm scared of this game, but I think Denver will pull it off.

5. PITTSBURGH @ CLEVELAND
T-minus 5 games for the Brady Quinn Era.

6. CAROLINA @ ST. LOUIS
I picked St. Louis to win their division, so I might as well pick them to win their home opener (they're good at that dome).

7. ATLANTA @ MINNESOTA (mini-upset!)
I just don't see Adrian Peterson contributing quite yet, and, as documented, I think Tarvaris Jackson is terrible. I'll give the Falcons the benefit of the doubt in this game and I'm curious to see how they play.

8. NEW ENGLAND @ NY JETS
New England has several key injuries on defense, Randy Moss is hobbled, and the Jets will be fired up for their home opener — but I still expect them to win. Sorry.

9. MIAMI @ WASHINGTON
I expect Miami to be almost as bad as Kansas City, so I'm going with the 'Skins. (I'm going against my rule of picking the AFC team when two bad teams play.)

10. TENNESSEE @ JACKSONVILLE
Will Vince Young get hurt now, or will he wait till about four or five games into the season. Stupid Madden Curse!

11. CHICAGO @ SAN DIEGO
San Diego will be fired up, Rex Grossman will be REALLY flustered and the Chargers will win.

12. TAMPA BAY @ SEATTLE
Jon Gruden is coming on as a strong contender for first coach to be fired this year. The Browns' Romeo Crennel better watch his back.

13. DETROIT @ OAKLAND
Again, going against my rule of picking the AFC team when two bad teams play, but I actually think Detroit will light it up on their way to shattering the myth that the Raiders "aren't THAT bad" because their defense is decent.

14. NY GIANTS @ DALLAS
Dallas will kick the Giants' ass, and the Giants will start criticizing the coach, and coach Tom Coughlin will start criticizing the players and, hey, we have a new entrant in the "first to be fired" sweepstakes.

15. BALTIMORE @ CINCINNATI
All last year I didn't believe in the Ravens, so I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt here. If they lose this game, I'm done with them. (Go Carson Palmer! My fantasy team's starting QB!)

16. ARIZONA @ SAN FRANCISCO
In the battle of two insanely overhyped teams coming into the season, I'll go with San Francisco, who is at home and is not the historically bad loser the Cardinals are.