NFL Week 1 Preview

Hope is the word of the day. Optimism flows freely as we have escaped the fog of lockouts and chaos of free agency and arrived at Week 1 of the NFL season, one of the happiest times of the year. And in 32 cities all sights are set on the playoffs 18 weeks ahead. But everyone has a chance, everybody starts 0-0 and in the NFL, something crazy can happen any given Sunday.

(Technically it’s 31 cities since the Jets and Giants share the Big Apple, and they’ve added tons of Thursday games along with the usual Monday Night Football games, so the madness is not stuck on Sunday.)

Key Matchups

1. Packers vs. Saints: Thursday night on NBC. The NFL is starting things off right with a matchup of the last two Super Bowl champs and two of the best teams in the league. This ought to be a great game to watch as both quarterbacks are very accurate and the offenses are explosive.
2. Ravens vs. Steelers: Sunday early on CBS. Football fans are lucky to get this matchup twice every year (sometimes thrice). The two toughest teams battle in a black n’ blue showdown. The Thursday game features the finesse; this one will be an ugly, physical, ground and pound.

Other Headline Games

1. Texans vs. Colts: People in Houston rejoiced as the Texans finally defeated Peyton Manning in the 2010 opener, only to go 5-10 the rest of the way as the Colts marched on. No Manning this week, and the pendulum looks like it’s tipping Houston’s way.
2. Jets vs. Cowboys: The NFL honors 9/11 with a game that Rex Ryan is calling “the most important of his career.” Even in Week 1, this is a very critical game for both teams, and the winner will have a good chance to get in the playoffs while the loser will be unlikely.

Upset Alert

• Titans over Jaguars
• Rams over Eagles

Stone Cold Picks

- Buccaneers over Lions. I’m the biggest fan on the Josh Freeman cheering team.
- Steelers over Ravens. Big Ben is just better than Joe Flacco. Troy Polomalu will grab an interception.
- Texans over Colts. Colts have no chance with Kerry Collins in Houston.
- Giants over Redskins. Practically the whole defense is injured for the Giants, but Bradshaw and Jacobs will run all over the Washington defense and the G-Men will outscore Rex Grossman's Redskins.

My Eliminator Lock

- Chiefs over Bills