NFL Picks and Predictions

Three weeks into the NFL football season and I am officially humbled. I have started the season about as good as a Brett Favre reunion in Green Bay. Still, I am not giving up. I am now entering the part of the season where I usually go on a long winning streak. The pattern has been this way for several seasons, so why change now? Week four is the week when everything changes for NFLpicksandpredictions.com. Mark my words. You will be glad you did. Here is the free week four NFL picks and predictions:

SUN, OCT 4

Detroit at Chicago

This game features two teams that are feeling pretty good about themselves. Chicago is riding high with Cutler getting comfortable, and Detroit because they got their first win in the last century this past week. The Bears will crash the party and send Detroit on another losing streak.

Winner – Bears

Cincinnati at Cleveland

The Bengals winning? What the blue blazes is going on here? At least the Browns are playing normally. (if you call what they have been doing playing, that is) The Bengals win this one going away.

Winner – Bengals

Seattle at Indianapolis

The Seahawks are hurting badly, and the Colts are among the worst possible teams for them to face right now. This one could get ugly.

Winner – Colts

NY Giants at Kansas City

The Giants will stomp all over the Chiefs. That is a given. The question is, can the Chiefs possibly get any worse?

Winner – Giants

Baltimore at New England

The Ravens will send notice to the Pats that their time is over in the AFC. Flacco is for real, and nobody doubts that. If Brady plays like he did last week, the Patriots will have no chance at all.

Winner – Ravens

Tampa Bay at Washington

Washington will look like supermen in defense of Zorn’s job. They better.

Winner – Redskins

Tennessee at Jacksonville

The Titans are really starting to make me look bad with my picks. They get one more vote of confidence and then I show them the door. Go Titans!

Winner – Titans

Oakland at Houston

The Raiders had a bad let down game against Denver and could be dangerous here. I think it is more likely that JRussell will self implode instead.

Winner – Texans

NY Jets at New Orleans

The game of the week by far, this one will come down to who has the better defense and who can score more points. The Saints will win the point battle, and barely hang in there on defense. Great game expected here.

Winner – Saints

Buffalo at Miami

The Dolphins reaaaalllllllyyyyy needed the Bills this week. Maybe they can right the ship with a new quarterback.

Winner – Dolphins

St. Louis at San Francisco

The Niners are a team that people had better watch out for. The Rams are a team that nobody even sees anymore. This one will be a blowout.

Winner – Niners

Dallas at Denver

Denver has slowly made me a believer. They are going to have a tough one here, but I think at home they will pull it out. I still am not sold on Orton though.

Winner – Broncos

San Diego at Pittsburgh

The Steelers are angry. Very angry. If this was in San Diego, I would go with the Chargers. At home, Pittsburgh will get back on track.

Winner – Steelers

MON, OCT 5

Green Bay at Minnesota

This is the football game everyone is waiting for. The coup de gras. The first time Favre faces his former team wearing the purple. What a game this is going to be. The Vikings have too much APeterson in the backfield. He will be the difference.

Winner – Vikings
Tiebreaker Score – Green Bay 21 Minnesota 28

Week Three Record – 9-7
Season Record – 27-21

Week one certainly has shaken up the power rankings for week two, that is for sure. Some things have stayed the same of course, and it is unsure if some that were picked high can recover. We will see over the course of the NFL football season. Here are the power rankings for week two of the NFL football season. (keep in mind these are before the games in week two)

1. Pittsburgh Steelers – The Steelers stay on top after a week one win over an impressive Titans squad.

2. New England Patriots – The Patriots hold onto number two, but only by the skin of their teeth. They need some work on defense for sure.

3. NY Giants – The Giants have proven their mettle, but face a serious test in Big D during week two.

4. New Orleans Saints – With Brees throwing like that, the Saints have the chance to do something special. Can the defense hold up?

5. Philadelphia Eagles – Will McNabb return and be effective?

6. Indianapolis Colts – The Colts are kind of uncertain, but Manning has them right back in the mix.

7. Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ryan is the real deal, folks. So is that Atlanta defense.

8. Minnesota Vikings – The Vikings looked sharp, and with Adrian Peterson in the backfield, there is no ceiling here.

9. Dallas Cowboys – The boys have Romo comfortable again. That could be bad news for the rest of the NFC.

10. San Diego Chargers – Still dangerous in spite of a lackluster week one win over the Raiders.

The rest…..

11. Baltimore Ravens
12. Green Bay Packers
13. Seattle Seahawks
14. NY Jets
15. Tennessee Titans
16. Chicago Bears
17. San Francisco Niners
18. Denver Broncos
19. Arizona Cardinals
20. Buffalo Bills
21. Houston Texans
22. Washington Redskins
23. Jacksonville Jaguars
24. Cincinnati Bengals
25. Carolina Panthers
26. Tampa Bay Bucs
27. Oakland Raiders
28. Miami Dolphins
29. Cleveland Browns
30. Kansas City Chiefs
31. St Louis Rams
32. Detroit Lions

Going into week one I thought I would rank the NFL teams in the order I see them going into the season. This is a tough thing to do prior to the regular season, because nobody knows how certain players will fit in with new NFL teams and so on. Still, it will be a weekly thing that I do throughout the 2009 NFL football season. Here are my power rankings for week one:

1. Pittsburgh Steelers – Until someone proves otherwise, they are the champs.

2. New England Patriots – The Pats seem primed to return to glory.

3. San Diego Chargers – The fact they are finally healthy has the Charger fans in a tizzy.

4. NY Giants – Can they replace Plax? Some think not.

5. Philadelphia Eagles – The Eagles are exciting again, but they must show they can be consistent.

6. Indianapolis Colts – The Colts are always a threat with Peyton Manning. Even if Dungy is gone.

7. Carolina Panthers – The Panthers have a three headed rushing monster now with hotshot rookie Mike Goodson.

8. Minnesota Vikings – The Vikings need to put up or shut up now. They have the quarterback they said they needed.

9. Tennessee Titans – The Titans find a way to be there every year. This year should be no different.

10. Chicago Bears – The Bears are sort of like the Vikings here. They now have a quarterback. What are they gonna do with him?

The rest…..

11. Atlanta Falcons
12. Baltimore Ravens
13. Arizona Cardinals
14. Green Bay Packers
15. Dallas Cowboys
16. Miami Dolphins
17. Seattle Seahawks
18. Houston Texans
19. New Orleans Saints
20. Buffalo Bills
21. NY Jets
22. Washington Redskins
23. Jacksonville Jaguars
24. Cincinnati Bengals
25. Denver Broncos
26. Tampa Bay Bucs
27. Oakland Raiders
28. St Louis Rams
29. Cleveland Browns
30. Kansas City Chiefs
31. San Francisco 49ers
32. Detroit Lions

While certainly these rankings are a work in progress, they are the way I see the NFL shaking down as of right now. Feel free to share your picks or thoughts in the comments below.

Heinz Field Steelers Vs Titans

Now the preseason means nothing, and nobody knows that any more than me.  Still, he seemed like an aging version of himself during the preseason.  The pop in his throws were not there, and Collins is a man that depends on his arm at the quarterback position.

The Steelers on the other hand looked very much like the juggernaut that they are.  Ben is recovered by all accounts, and opening night in Pittsburgh is sure to be a huge ticket.  The Steelers are set for a very big night.

Though the game will likely come down to defense, I do think that the Steelers are going to be the ones to score early and often. Though the Titans defense is stout, the Steelers are known for finding a way to score the football. As noted in my NFL predictions here, I do think that the Pittsburgh Steelers will win this week one matchup.

Some side notes/predictions:

• Ben will throw for around 250 yds and a couple of Tds while not throwing an interception.
• The Titans offense will sputter with Collins at the helm, and even a decent running attack will not be able to pull them out.
• Willie Parker will have a better than expected game, and might make it through the game without getting hurt. (pun intended)
• The Steelers will win by at least two touchdowns.

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

The Tennessee Titans used a bit of trickery and a solid effort from the offense and defense in the first half to hold off a second half that was pretty much won by the Bills.  Neither team played the starters for very long, and the game was pretty much what we expected it would be.  The Buffalo Bills had only field goals, and was twice stopped at the goal line by the Titans defense in the first half alone.

Terrell Owens debuted as a Buffalo Bill and played only one series.  In that series, he had two catches for 27 yds.  Not a huge deal, but still Buffalo fans got to see their new wide receiver catch a few balls of the first time.

Another interesting storyline was the play of Titans quarterback Vince Young.  He started off extremely shaky, but then did recover enough to make a nice pass for a touchdown to Paul Williams.   Starter Kerry Collins was solid in limited action as was Patrick Ramsey.

Buffalo had little to feel good about on offense, with the lone exception of backup quarterback Gibron Hamden.  He was extremely good under center completing 11/13 for 89 yds.  Another bright spot was running back Xavier Omon.  He was quite active with 36 yds rushing and 3 catches for 25 yds as well.

Preseason Season Pick Record -1 Win 0 Losses

You Must Watch The Play of The Game – The Punter Scores A Touchdown!

Ok.  I am pretty much over the whole Michael Vick thing.  But this is simply too much…

Newport News, Vick’s hometown, is throwing a celebration in honor of Vick on August the 8th according to Fox news.  Yes, a celebration.  Andrew Shannon, who is president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Newport News is heading this up, and he says it is to promote the doctrine of nonviolence.  And Vick is the guest of honor?

A returning felon is getting a celebration.  A returning violent felon (against dogs at least) is going to be their poster child for “a doctrine of nonviolence?”  Did I miss something here?

Do not get me wrong.  I feel that Michael Vick should be allowed another chance in the NFL as I stated here.  I feel that the man served his time and should be allowed another chance at making things right.  But isn’t this just a little bit rediculous?  Could they not find a better example of non-violence to celebrate?  Has he really proved himself already having  just gotten released from custody a couple weeks ago?

This is one event that I could understand PETA screaming at.  I might even pick up a sign or two myself.  That said, I feel that asking Vick to come home to a celebration is kind of like asking Pacman Jones to go to an anti-stripper rally.  It is a joke and offensive as hell all at the same time.

What do you think about this?  I would love to get some opinions for or against.

When everybody’s fantasy football draft rolls around, it is not likely that tight ends will be at the top of everyone’s draft list.  That is logical considering even the best tight ends do not even come close to contributing what a quarterback or running back will provide.  Still, the 2009 NFL football season will have some tight ends that will challenge the wide receivers of the league.

This season, there will be at least five of them that you can expect to fill your fantasy scorecard week after week.  Here they are:

Jason Witten – Witten already was putting up pinball type numbers for the Dallas Cowboys before Terrell Owens left, and now he is going to be targeted even more.  Add to that the fact that the Cowboys have a super running attack and you start to see how Witten is set for a career year.

Dallas Clark -  Clark is another example of addition by subtraction.  Harrison is no longer there for Manning to throw to, and Clark should pay the dividends.  Reggie Wayne will still be the man, but Clark will likely be the primary number two in crunch time.

Antonio Gates - Gates is an unquestioned beast when he is healthy and it appears that he is finally there.  Offseason foot surgery solved a long standing problem and that probably means bad news for the rest of the AFC.  Phillip Rivers will be throwing to him early and often.

Kellen Winslow -  Winslow is set to finally fulfill the potential that he has been missing out on for years.  He should be near the top of your tight end list if for no other reason than he is sure to be a security for…..whoever is Tampa Bay’s quarterback.

Tony Gonzalez – Matching Gonzalez with Matt Ryan is a match made in heaven.  Not only will Gonzalez give Mattie Ice a new target, but he is the perfect compliment to the Atlanta offense.  They will feed Michael Turner, and then play action pass all day long.  Hello Tony Gonzalez!