Will Favre Be Smiling?
The truth of the matter is that when Favre retired, he retired as a Green Bay Packer. His signing with the Jets was no big deal really in Green Bay. It stunk. It made Green Bay mad. It was odd on every level. Favre signing with arguably the Packer’s worst on field enemy is another story all together. The fact that the Vikings are serious contenders in the Packers own division is just icing on the cake. The Packers are going to be in for the fight of their life to ward off the Vikings this season. Brett Favre could very well be the reason that Green Bay does not make the playoffs this year. What crime could he commit that would be any worse to a Green Bay fan?
Watching this game on Monday night will be like nothing else in recent memory as sports go. The Packers are going to be playing against Brett Favre. No matter how many times you say it, it still has to sound strange. What will it look like? The real question is, will the Green Bay players have it in for Favre? Regardless of the niceties that are sure to be thrown around on Monday night’s pregame, you can bet that the Packers are going to be a little pissed in the back of their minds. They will be coming after Favre hard and fast.
To tell you the truth, I see that as being their ultimate downfall. They are going to be looking for Favre all night long, and Adrian Peterson is going to be running by them while they do. The real weapon in Minnesota is not Brett Favre. He is the decoy now. The real weapon is Adrian Peterson. Given this, the Vikings would do well to sling some shots down the field early against Green Bay. They should get all eyes squarely on Favre. Once they focus in, then they should smash them in the mouth with a steady dose of Adrian. The worse thing they could do is get into a passing game with the Packers.
Aaron Rodgers is actually the better quarterback at this stage of their careers. Physically he is just more put together than Favre. Favre has the experience and the mojo over Rodgers, however. If Favre is going to beat Rodgers, it will have to be between the ears. He will have to shelve his ego, and let the strengths of his team lead the way. To Favre’s credit, he has done so this year so far. This is why the Vikings are 3-0. It remains to be seen if he can do the same against the Packers.
Pull up a chair, and enjoy the ride. This should be a good one.
2009 Week One Free NFL Picks and Predictions
Finally the dress rehearsals are over. Week One of NFL football is upon us. No more Sunday afternoon wishing, and no more guessing about who is good and bad. This week we will begin to find out which NFL teams are for real, and which NFL teams are just playing for a draft pick. We welcome you to NFL picks and predictions if you are a new visitor, and we hope you will sign up for our weekly NFL picks. We have a long and storied history of success, and this year will be no different. Without further ado, here are the Free 2009 NFL Week One Picks and Predictions:
THU, SEP 10
2009 Week One NFL Matchup – Tennessee at Pittsburgh
What a heavy weight matchup to have at this time of year. Every season we see what might be a preview of a conference final in week one, and this certainly qualifies. Both teams have their share of supporters for a Super Bowl visit, and both are highly talented. The difference here is that Pittsburgh is at home. Big Ben and the boys will be riding high after this Thursday night match up. A week one loss for the Titans is nothing to worry about. They will make it back soon enough.
Winner – Pittsburgh Steelers
SUN, SEP 13
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Miami at Atlanta
This game highlights two teams who have spent a great deal of time proving others wrong during the last year. The Dolphins came from nowhere to win the division from the Patriots (albeit with Brady hurt) and the Falcons turned a team led by a rookie quarterback into a winner. They are both in position to continue their improvement, but Atlanta seems more ready to me. With the addition of Tony Gonzalez, the Falcons are an offensive juggernaut. I expect the wildcat will give them some fits here and there, but they will win at home in the end.
Winner – Atlanta Falcons
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Denver at Cincinnati
The Denver Broncos have been in major turmoil this past off season. The loss of Jay Cutler and the controversy surrounding Brandon Marshall have left the squad in a mess. With Cincinnati, it is all about second chances (sometimes third, fourth, and fifth as well). Carson Palmer, Ochocinco, and Mr. trouble Chris Henry are all trying to make a comeback of sorts. Palmer is back after injuries yet again. Ocho is trying to prove he is still an elite receiver (and kicker?) and Henry is trying to prove he can still play at this level without getting into trouble. Henry has been incredibly impressive this preseason, and the Bengals are excited. With that, I am picking an upset this week for this game. The Bengals will get off to a great start at home.
Winner – Cincinnati Bengals
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Minnesota at Cleveland
The Brett Favre era begins….This game will get a lot of press and rightfully so. The problem is that the game will not be decided by Brett Favre. The game will be decided by Adrian Peterson and that Vikings defense. This one should be ugly, though Cleveland might put up a fight. I think the biggest mistake they made in Cleveland this season is waiting so long to name the quarterback for their team. The Browns could have really used a month of playing with the same quarterback for continuity. We will see where that leads them. This week it will be a loss, but I think Cleveland will show improvements this season over all.
Winner – Minnesota Vikings
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Jacksonville at Indianapolis
The Jaguars had a really odd preseason looking great in one week and terrible in another. The Colts are in a bit of a mixed up season as well without the leadership of long time coach Dungy. Expect that the Colts will get better at home, and quickly with Manning leading the way.
Winner – Indianapolis Colts
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Detroit at New Orleans
This game is one that is fascinating on several fronts. For one, the Lions are trying to break one heck of a losing streak, and have some peices in place that might just do it. Second, the Saints are in dire need of getting off to a hot start playing in the up and coming NFC South. They can ill afford to get behind early like the last couple of seasons. Carolina and Atlanta are far too good for that. This game will be won by the Saints with Drew Brees passing for over 300 yards at a minimum.
Winner – New Orleans Saints
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Dallas at Tampa Bay
Dallas really needs to win this opening match up against the Bucs. They are entering a win or else year for head coach Wade Phillips regardless of what Jerry Jones says publicly. This game will be a very interesting mix of running backs. For Dallas you have the three headed monster of Felix Jones, Marion Barber, and Tashard Choice. For the Bucs you have former Giant Derrick Ward. You might be surprised who actually wins the match up. Upset alert right here.
Winner – Tampa Bay Bucs
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Philadelphia at Carolina
This game is a very tough call. Philly looks awfully strong, and the Panthers have not lost at home in over a year. The Panthers also have not unveiled even a little of that rushing attack from a year ago due to Stewart being out with injuries. He is back now and fully healed, and that is bad news for the rest of the NFL. Throw in the electric Mike Goodson and you have a rushing attack that is second to nobody. I give the Panthers the win due to being at home, a superior running attack, and DeAngelo Williams being healthy.
Winner – Carolina Panthers
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Kansas City at Baltimore
This game will be ugly from start to finish. The Chiefs have no chance whatsoever to penetrate the Ravens D. This game will be a blowout.
Winner – Baltimore Ravens
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - NY Jets at Houston
Quietly, the Houston Texans have built one hell of a football team. They won regularly last year at the end of the season, and they look ready to continue that trend. The Jets have hot shot new quarterback Mark Sanchez and little else. I expect that the Texans will win this one due to a more balanced attack but I expect big things from Sanchez. He has that look of a future NFL star.
Winner – Houston Texans
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Washington at NY Giants
You got to love the NFC East. The Giants and the Redskins. This is what Sunday afternoon football is all about. Unfortunately this season, the Giants are much more ready to win than the Redskins. The Skins will put up a fight as always in these matchups, but the Giants will win this one going away.
Winner – NY Giants
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - San Francisco at Arizona
Too much airpower in play here for Arizona. The Cardinals will win this one in a laugher.
Winner – Arizona Cardinals
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - St. Louis at Seattle
Now this is the real NFC West match up this week. The Rams are not as bad as some might have you think, and the Seahawks are sporting new players all over the field. It seems that the Rams drew a pretty good matchup this week and will get out with a win to start their rebuilding season. The Seahawks will have all kinds of trouble with Steven Jackson.
Winner – St Louis Rams
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Chicago at Green Bay
The best game of the week will be played in Green Bay. This game is going to be a slobberknocker of all time proportions. In case you did not notice, Aaron Rodgers has become a pretty fine NFL quarterback in spite of the naysayers. Jay Cutler will get to enter the NFC with a bang with this one. How would you like this to be your first game with a new team? Cutler will shine brightly this first week, and it could be the start of a huge year in Chicago.
Winner – Chicago Bears
MON, SEP 14
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - Buffalo at New England
New England is about to explode. Look out below in Buffalo.
Winner : New England
Tiebreaker Score: New England 32 Buffalo 14
2009 Week One NFL Matchup - San Diego at Oakland
The Chargers are ready to break out this season as they finally have all their parts in place. The Raiders are close, but not their yet. Expect the Chargers to win this one, but in a much closer game than you would expect.
Winner – San Diego Chargers
Tiebreaker Score – San Diego Chargers 28 Oakland Raiders 17
Season Record – 0-0
The NFL preseason gets into full swing this week with a full slate of games. For those of us that have been dying for some NFL action, this week is like a football dream come true. The season got off to a great start in the Hall of Fame kickoff classic with the Titans beating the Bills. (just as I picked) Here are the rest of the week one NFL preseason games along with who I predict will come away the winner:
THU, AUG 13
New England at Philadelphia
The Patriots and the Eagles are actually two of the favorites according to most NFL experts in the NFL this season. It will be interesting to see how Tom Brady looks in preseason action, though I am sure he will not play very much. As for the Eagles, they should keep Mcnabb on the bench as well as Westbrook. They are simply too fragile. I expect that the Patriots will win this preseason matchup.
Winner – New England Patriots
Washington at Baltimore
The Redskins are hoping that Portis has at least one more big season, and the Ravens are simply hoping that defense can remain as strong as usual. The Ravens are not nearly as deep as they once were on defense. I still expect they will win this preseason match up.
Winner – Baltimore Ravens
Arizona at Pittsburgh
The Cardinals take the field for the first time since the Super Bowl, and they are fired up about it. Ironically, this Super Bowl rematch is set to be pretty interesting. Both teams have some second and third string players that are looking to make a splash. This game will come down to the running game and defense which puts the win firmly with the Steelers.
Winner – Pittsburgh Steelers
Dallas at Oakland
The Cowboys take the field without Terrell Owens and they have to find a way to replace him. This game will begin to answer the questions that the Cowboys have at wide receiver. While Oakland is not exactly the greatest secondary ever, they are a solid enough group to get a feel for the Cowboys. More importantly, the Cowboys second and third string running backs are better than most team’s starters.
Winner – Dallas Cowboys
FRI, AUG 14
St. Louis at NY Jets
The Rams just found out that they are without Donnie Avery for at least four to six weeks, and this injury is going to hurt. The Rams just do not have the firepower at the position that they have been used to. The Jets are anxious to unveil new rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. It will be a big splash for NY.
Winner – New York Jets
Minnesota at Indianapolis
The Vikings and the Colts will be a very fun game to watch simply because of the talent on the second and third teams. Both teams are pretty darn deep, and so it should be a good preseason game to watch. This one smells like a Colt win to me, however.
Winner – Indiannapolis Colts
Cincinnati at New Orleans
The Bengals are hoping for a huge return for Carson Palmer, but that likely won’t begin against the Saints in preseason. Still, there are a lot of answers to be had in this game. Can Reggie Bush play a whole game without breaking a leg? Can the Bengals play a whole game with no felonies? I mean penalties? We shall see. Either way, the Saints win this one big in preseason action.
Winner – New Orleans Saints
Denver at San Francisco
The post Cutler era in Denver gets started here and Kyle Orton has to be a bit nervous. Then again, he was a quarterback in Chicago, so he has nothing to be nervous about. All kidding aside, I think he will do quite well in Denver. He especially will do well against these 49ers in preseason action.
Winner – Denver Broncos
SAT, AUG 15
Atlanta at Detroit
The Falcons are amped up for an NFC South battle this season and the Lions are simply hoping to win a few games. While optimism is high in Detroit, the depth of this team is still very shallow. Rome was not built in a day, and neither will Detroit be.
Winner – Atlanta Falcons
Chicago at Buffalo
The Bears are anxious to see what they have with Jay Cutler under center, and the Bills are coming off an opening week loss against the Titans. While the Bears are not quite as strong as the Titans, they should still handle these Bills.
Winner – Chicago Bears
Cleveland at Green Bay
The Browns have a quarterback situation to work out. The Packers need to get a running back in order quick. This game will do little to solve either situation, but it will be a good game. The Browns will surprise an amped up Green Bay squad.
Winner – Cleveland Browns
Tampa Bay at Tennessee
The Bucs, like many other teams, need to find a quarterback. The Titans are pretty set in their lineup, and looked pretty impressive against Buffalo. I expect that the Titans will take advantage of the Bucs early growing pains.
Winner – Tennessee Titans
Houston at Kansas City
The Texans are going to be fun to watch this season. Kansas City is a team that is very much in turmoil. Expect the Texans to spring a little preseason surprise on the Chiefs.
Winner – Houston Texans
Seattle at San Diego
The Chargers and the Seahawks will be a great preseason game. The Seahawks are searching for some semblence of a running game, and the Chargers are just trying to keep LaDanian Tomlinson healthy. Expect LT to skip this one for sure, and it might be the difference.
Winner – Seattle Seahawks
MON, AUG 17
Jacksonville at Miami
The Jaguars and Miami are always a fun game with the whole intra-state rivalry thing. This game will be fun to watch as well. Expect that Miami will have a little more firepower in the backups for this one.
Winner – Miami Dolphins
Carolina at NY Giants
This game will be the ultimate expression of power struggle in the NFC. The Panthers are just too good at running back, and they should be able to handle the Giants in this one.
Winner – Carolina Panthers
Preseason Record Overall – 1 Win 0 Losses
Brett Favre truly left the Minnesota Vikings in a crappy position. Though he is approaching forty, and about the same number of retirement announcements, the former Packer and Jet really had the Vikings salivating. How much? So much that they left their other quarterbacks on a very precarious perch while they waited.
Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson now inherit the Viking offense with a wonderful sense of being unwanted. Rosenfels was actually just acquired to compete with Jackson from the Houston Texans. Excited when he first arrived, he has to be wondering why they acquired him in the first place.
With the Vikings chasing after Favre like a wounded puppy, these two quarterbacks had to have felt as though they Vikings had zero confidence in their ability. I know I would feel that way in that situation. The Vikings were certainly not bringing Favre to watch from the sidelines. The Vikings did not seem to pay any attention to what would happen if they did not get their man. And now they are paying for it.
How would you like to be the Viking’s head coach trying to explain to Sage and Tavaris now?
What do you say to these two quarterbacks. Well, we couldn’t get the guy we really wanted but we really do believe in you now? Sorry for chasing Favre? Please now lead us to the Superbowl?
The Vikings are going to have a serious problem unless Tavaris or Sage one decides to make a point. The character that is needed to overcome this situation is something that neither quarterback has shown in the past. Tavaris has been given every chance to blossom. What is alarming is that he was attempting to do well in a simple offense that features the best running back in the NFL in Adrian Peterson. If he can not make that work, then what chance does he really have now?
I guess this is exactly what the Viking brass was thinking when they went after Favre. The problem is, they now have a pair of quarterbacks that not only are inferior talent wise to Favre, but they feel their organization has no faith in them. That is usually a death sentence for a football team and a quarterback in particular.
The Vikings are strong enough to overcome this situation for sure. Whether they can do it will be a very interesting thing to watch in the coming season.
Pic courtesy of wikipedia commons user Blueag9
