Week One NFL Morning Games

It’s week one of the NFL and I am extremely excited. We are just one short hour away from kickoff of the morning games. Here’s a quick preview of each of the games this morning. I will be back shortly to post the afternoon, Sunday night and Monday night NFL previews.

Atlanta at Carolina

The Panthers have been given a pass to the Super Bowl by many NFL analysts again this season. I guess they will keep picking them until they win. Both of these teams will play hard, but Carolina is the better team, and I think they will pull it out at home. Pick: Carolina

Baltimore at Tampa Bay

The Ravens will be without running back Jamal Lewis. I’ve learned that he will be sitting. This will be a big impact. Previously, I thought the Ravens would go into Tampa Bay and surprise the Buccaneers. I still think the Ravens passing game could be too much for Tampa Bay. So, I will stick with my call. Pick: Ravens

Buffalo at New England

The Patriots were once again deteriorated this offseason. I’ve learned that Tedy Bruschi will not play today. Still, the defense should be able to control the Bills offense. J.P. Losman still hasn’t proven that he’s a NFL-ready quarterback. Could today be the start of something new? I have to take the Patriots at home until they prove me wrong. It would be nice to see the Bills get back on track, but that might have to wait a few weeks. Pick: Patriots

Bengals at Chiefs

I am predicting a minor upset as the Kansas City Chiefs, at home, beat the Cincinnati Bengals. Carson Palmer is back for this one, and the Chiefs will be trying to hit him to test his mental ability. I think the Trent Green, Larry Johnson combo will put up enough points and run enough clock down. The Bengals can win next week; this week belongs to the Chiefs. Pick: Kansas City

Denver at St. Louis

The Rams have a new coach, but it’s not going to matter. This is a regular season game so Jake Plummer should play well. The Broncos are slated to win the AFC West and build on their 13-3 performance from last season. The Rams were 6-10 last season and look to be a middle of the pack team again. The game is in St. Louis, so I won’t be surprised to see a close score. Still, the Broncos have too much ability to lose. Does anyone have a clue who will start at running back for the Broncos yet? I’ll go with Mike Bell. Pick: Broncos

Saints at Browns

There’s only one reason to watch this game—for most fans. His name is Reggie Bush. His number is 25. And he’s probably going to get 20 or so touches in this game. I can see it now. Reggie Bush has a decent game, and all media outlets start talking about how moronic the Houston Texans were to pass him up. Although these teams are not great, this is a must watch game for fans. The Saints also have Drew Brees at quarterback. I can see the Saints blowing out the improved Browns. Pick: Saints

Jets at Titans

No, Vince Young won’t be playing. That’s a good thing. He’s not an NFL-ready quarterback yet. Both of these teams won 4 games last season, and both are praying for at least 7-9 seasons. I think the edge has to go with Tennessee. They have Kerry Collins at QB. While he’s not a playoff caliber QB—in my opinion—he can help move the team down the field. Mix in a little Travis Henry and the Titans could score 28-35 points in this one. The Jets need to get their offense going, but I don’t see them outscoring the Titans. Pick: Tennessee

Philadelphia at Houston

Philadelphia was 6-10 last season, but they will be much better in 2006. I actually penciled them in for a playoff spot this year. The Houston Texas were 2-14 and going nowhere fast. It’s easy to see this team starting 0-6 this year. If they don’t beat Tennessee on the road in week 8, they might end up 0-9 going into the Buffalo game. They have 5-6 games this season that are possible wins, but this game isn’t one of them. Pick: Eagles

Seahawks at Lions

The Seahawks dominated the NFC last season and went to the Super Bowl. They got better over the offseason—especially on defense. While the Lions have won 11 of their last 15 home openers, they have their work cut out for them today. The Seahawks are miles above the Lions in talent. However, if the Seahawks come out flat because they rested in the preseason and are perhaps looking to next week’s home opener against the Falcons, they could be in a little trouble. I think coach Holmgren will have this team fired out for a convincing first win. Pick: Seahawks

There’s your morning game previews. Look for another post in a little bit with the rest of the games. Next week, I will post my previews on Wednesday or Thursday to give you plenty of time to let them soak in.