Atlanta @ Seattle (-1.0)
How good did the Falcon’s D look last week, and I loved the way Dunn was carrying the ball. Seattle is that one team that always gives me fits to predict. One week they look unstoppable, the next they can’t do anything right. I guess the lesson is to never trust Holmgren. The Seahawks secondary is very good and very underrated, though they didn’t show it last week. Go figure. I feel like the Falcons are going to let down after last week’s tough Monday Night game. A game like that to start the season has to take a little out of you, and then having to fly all the way across the country on a short week would suck. Vick of course can offset all of that. Well, crap. I have no idea at all here. Flip a coin.
The pick: Falcons (+1)
**The outcome: Seahawks 21 - Falcons
Well, in my defense I said I had no idea… I didn’t have an opportunity to see any of this game, and there haven;t been many highlights, so it’s difficult to assess the results.**
St. Louis @ Arizona (-1.0)
I don’t quite know how to pick this one either. I’m not ready bail in the Cards just yet, they played a solid squad last week and gave up 2 special teams TDs. I also don’t think the Rams are quite as bad as you’d expect after that last loss. Call it the Martz factor, he automatically creates a +/- 6 point variance for them, which of course is wholly unpredictable. With the game outdoors and in Arizona I want to favor them, and I’m equally optimistic since I have Arrington n my fantasy team. I like the Rams over that Cards D with Jackson, though I think the pass rush of the Cards will hassle Bulger. In the end I’m going with hope over anything else.
The pick: Cardinals (-1)
The outcome: Rams 17 - Cards 12
Another crapshoot that I came out on the wrong end of. Arrington didn’t play which could have altered my predicition, and had the Cards converted at the end we’d be having a different conversation. Certainly was another one that could have gone either way.
Miami @ N.Y. Jets (-6.5)
I said it last week; I’m saying it again now. The Jets suck. Miami isn’t exactly in KC’s league, but they’ll do plenty to overcome the Jets. I simply can’t rationalize any reason to expect the Jets to bounce back against Saban and his guys. They dominated Denver, and Denver isn’t the worst team you’ll see this year. I’m expecting Herm’s seat to start getting a little warm.
The pick: Dolphins (+6.5)
**The outcome: Jets 17 - Dolphins 7
The Jets still suck, I just made the mistake of trusting Frerotte. Blind squirel and all…**
Cleveland @ Green Bay (-6.5)
Oh, oh! I know this one, the Packers blow! Run Romeo, run. That’s the answer against this flimsy team. I know Lambeau can be intimidating, and Favre doesn’t tend to crap away games at home that often, but you can do it. Can Cleveland be the team that gets it done? I don’t know, but I do know that the Pack shouldn’t be favored by nearly a TD. Sherman is the other Mike who you never put money on under any circumstances.
The pick: Browns (+6.5)
**The outcome: Browns 26 - Pack 24
This game simply wasn’t this close. The Pack got dominated for about 3 quarters, and a few fluke plays gave them life at the end. Of course these days you can always count on Favre to totally choke on these late-game opportunities. It’s just makes me giddy. Oh, and this Dilfer-to-Edwards thing will be quite something to watch this season. The real deal, book it. **
San Diego @ Denver (-3.0)
Think Tomlinson is a little bitter that he was held to 78 yards last week? I do. Think Gates is chomping at the bit to get into the game after sitting one out? I think so too. Does the concept of betting on Marty Schottenheimer scare the ever living shit out of me? You betcha! Lets face it, if the Dolphin’s were able to run roughshod over Denver, you can’t think San Diego’s offense will struggle at all. Also, two words: Jake Plummer.
The pick: Chargers (+3) [sub] Can you believe that I’m getting points?[/sub]
**The outcome: Broncos 20 - Chargers 17
Well, I’ll be damned. First push of the season. Well, I was about right with everything here. Nice days for LT and Gates, just wasn’t quite decisive. Schottenheimer kept the Broncos close. One question for him, how do you not throw the ball to LT once in space? Seriously? **
Kansas City (-1.5) @ Oakland
Look, I like Randy Moss as much as the next pot-head. I do think having Kerry Collins on your fantasy roster is going to be a great choice. But there’s one detail that gets overlooked. Failed 3rd down conversions don’t show up in many fantasy leagues. They do show up quite often in NFL games however, and I’ve yet to see Collins or Moss have a big impact converting them ever. Moss is the classic 1st down receiver, take a chance and you’ll have a Yahtzee more often than about anyone else. Collins has a strong arm and a drinking problem. Of course, KC was big last week, but that was against a awful, awful team. 6 FUMBLES! Not going to happen this week, but Oakland will make plenty of their own mistakes.
The pick: Chiefs (-1.5)
**The outcome: Chiefs 23 - Raiders 17
Quick stat, the Raiders are a whopping 8 for 25 on 3rd down this season. That makes them 5th last, the Falcons are the worst with 5 for 26. Keep an eye on that when predicting games. Quality outing by the Chiefs, but I hope they are able to contain those big plays going forward.**
