It’s football season again! I’m pretty happy so far, seeing as how my Gators creamed Miami last night, but it’s Sunday, and it’s time for the NFL season to start. Here are the matchups this week and my predictions:
Detroit at Atlanta: The Lions will win this one. Atlanta’s defense was the worst in the NFL last season, and I’m not expecting much out of them this year, either. It’s a perfect setting for NFL rookie QB Matt Ryan. Detroit leads this series 23 – 9.
Cincinnati at Baltimore: I think this will be a close one. The Ravens lead the series 13 – 11, but they’ve got a new head coach in John Harbaugh and a rookie for their QB. I think Cincinnati will edge this one out. The Ravens are usually a tough team defensively, but they’ve struggled lately, and Carson Palmer’s been playing well against them.
Seattle at Buffalo: Buffalo leads this series 6 – 4, but I think Seattle will win this one. They’ve got a strong defense and a great leader in Lofa Tatapu, but the Seahawks are struggling on offense. Look for it to be a close match.
Kansas City at New England: New England will win, easily. The Patriots are a true dynasty, and Bill Belichick is the best head coach in the NFL, aside from perhaps Tony Dungy. The Patriots are too strong for the Chiefs to stand a chance. And after the Super Bowl XLII loss, they’ll be wanting to come out swinging. Add in a home field advantage for the Pats, and the Chiefs don’t have a prayer.
St. Louis at Philadelphia: I think this will be a close match. Philadelphia’s got a great rush defense, but the Rams have Steven Jackson. Who will win out? Donovan McNabb can be a great asset to the Eagles… if he could only stay healthy. I give the Rams a narrow victory.
Jacksonville at Tennessee: The most important game of the week, because the Jaguars are MY team! The Jaguars are going to be looking to come out strong early. They’re tired of being on the cusp of greatness and are ready to take their place among the elite. However, they have a tough time winning in Nashville against the Titans, and Vince Young is a superstar. The Titans are ready to overtake the Jaguars in the AFC South. Both teams are playoff hopefuls, and both teams are going to be physical. The rivalry’s unlikely to die down this season… especially after the Jags edge out a hard-fought victory in Tennessee.
Houston at Pittsburgh: The Steelers should have an easy time this week. They’ve got Ben Roethlisberger, and the Texans have a horrible pass defense. The Texans just can’t seem to get their act together (except when they’re playing the Jaguars), and so the Steelers should be able to get an easy win out of this game.
Tampa Bay at New Orleans: Neither one of these teams are particularly great, but New Orleans is looking to be a playoff contender this year. They’re bigger and tougher than they were last season, but Tampa Bay will make them fight for every inch. Look for the Saints to edge out a win.
N.Y. Jets at Miami: It’s the big Favre – Pennington match-up. Who will win? Chad Pennington is a talented quarterback, but he doesn’t have much to work with in Miami, one of the worst teams in the league. Favre will be looking to prove he’s still got some game left in him. Look for the Jets to win today.
Dallas at Cleveland: The Browns are the series leader, but the Cowboys have won four of the last six games. Both teams are looking to be playoff contenders, but Dallas has more talent. The Cowboys should win here.
Arizona at San Francisco: Kurt Warner will be starting for the Cardinals, but this is like the battle of the wanna-bes. The Cardinals will be looking to prove that they’re aren’t just the joke of the NFL this season. Will they succeed? A new offensive coordinator will be trying to ingite some sparks for the 49ers, but I don’t know that it will work. Look for the Cardinals to win an uneventful game.
Carolina at San Diego: The Panthers lead this series 2 – 1. The Chargers are one of the NFL’s best teams though, and are a well-rounded team with an especially good pass defense. The Panthers will probably get trampled.
Chicago at Indianapolis: Peyton Manning is missing his center, Jeff Saturday. Manning is nothing without his offensive line. Will this affect his game? My prediction is yes. Look for Manning to get easily flustered. The Bears defense will be coming for him. Chicago will win in a narrow victory.
Minnesota at Green Bay: The big story is how the Packers can survive without Brett Favre. Well, the Packers may still be a good team, but they’re facing Jason Allen and an aggressive defensive line. Minnesota will win this one.
Denver at Oakland:: The Raiders will be looking to Darren McFadden to lead them to the playoffs. This is an old rivalry, and it should be a tough, physical game. Denver should barely edge this one out.
Consider this an open thread; I’ll update with scores at the end of the day.
Gredd says: 
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