Week 1 Picks

Every week I'm going to post my weekly picks, which will not be against the spread or Over/Under. I think I may tackle that next year, or mid-season. Then again, I'd have to switch over to those picks because I would like to focus on either winners or spreads, not both. But here and there I'll toss in opinions on spreads/totals because those things are interesting to toss in every now and then.

Normally this will get posted on Friday, but this week is special.

I'll also keep a season-running total at the bottom each week, and see how I've done at the end of the year.

So without any further delay, get ready for nonsense and mediocre (at best) football picks!!!



Deacon Touchback's Week One picks: (WINNERS IN CAPS)



Tennessee @ PITTSBURGH (Should be a good game, I have too many questions about the Titan Offense, and it's extremely tough to go against the best defence from last season, at home, on the night they are raising their sixth Super Bowl banner)

Kansas City @ BALTIMORE (Kansas City is suckass, and the Ravens' defence is a hornets nest...Enough said)

PHILADELPHIA @ Carolina (Carolina won 12 games last year, runs the ball so well, is at home, and has a mammoth offensive line. So why do I find it so hard to like them this year???)

MINNESOTA @ Cleveland (Once Mangini stops running his team like it's kindergarten, keeping secrets, etc. then maybe I'll stop thinking the Browns will get pummeled every week)

Miami @ ATLANTA (Are the Falcons and Matt Ryan aka 'Matty Ice', for real? Probably just as real as how the Dolphins will feel when they come back down to earth and take a couple steps back from last year with their ugly 2009 schedule)

Detroit @ NEW ORLEANS (The Saints can't play defence, but the Lions are still the Lions. New Orleans loves to throw, has tons of weapons, and has that Drew Brees guy who is pretty darn good. Detroit's secondary might be improved, but isn't deep, and that'll show when the Saints keep them in the nickel and dime for the majority of the game with three and four wide receiver sets. Let's see how deep Detroit's regular season losing hole can go...)

Jacksonville @ INDIANAPOLIS (Not sure if the Jacksonville run game and front 4 will be enough to trump Opie and the Colts at home...)

Denver @ CINCINNATI (I like the Bengals to bounce back this year, and until Kyle Orton does something to make me forget that left-handed interception toss from pre-season, I'm going to bet against the Broncos...unless they play the Chiefs)

DALLAS @ Tampa Bay (With the T.O. show gone to Buffalo, will flying under the radar actually help the Cowboys this year? That remains to be seen, but this week it doesn't matter, because the Bucs suck)

NY Jets @ HOUSTON (Get that first win at home before making a case for the playoffs and a division crown?? Sign me up. I'm all about the Texans this year...Plus, Houston's not an easy place to play, especially for a rookie quarterback...Sorry Mark Sanchez...your winless start to your career starts here, and might not end until after your bye-week in Week 5)

St. Louis @ SEATTLE (Should be an entertaining game like most times these teams meet, but I just think the Seahawks suck a little less than the Rams right now)

Washington @ NY GIANTS (I really want to go the other way in this one, and wont be surprised if the Giants lose because of what their offense looked like after Plax was gone last year. Plus, if I told you the Redskins were the 4th ranked defence last year according to yards allowed per game, you'd think I was a liar, but it's true. Then they added Albert Haynesworth to a defensive unit that was better against the pass than the run, and ranked in the top ten in both. See how this game might be closer than you think? But then I say the name 'Jason Campbell' out loud and...)

San Francisco @ ARIZONA (If this game happens later down the road I might change my mind, but I'm not sure if Week 1 is the time to get crazy with this division matchup; Mike Singletary WANTS WINNERS, but I have no idea if he's found them yet...)

CHICAGO @ Green Bay (Definitely my homer-pick of the week; the Bears might have to win this game scoring 30+ points, but with Jay Cutler, this is the first time in my lifetime of being a Bears' fan that this is a realistic possibility week to week)

Buffalo @ NEW ENGLAND (Hmm, the Bills fire their offensive coordinator, and go to New England. Did you know that last year the BIlls were 1-8 against teams who employ 3-4 defensive schemes? Toss in some exotic looks and the ability to disguise those fronts, and Trent Edwards could be in for a long day. If only I could buy UP the spread...)

SAN DIEGO @ Oakland (This game might actually be closer than one might think, at least early on, but the Chargers will want to show the AFC West who's boss...and I can't get excited about JaMarcus Russell, at least until he's passing to a dude named Chaz Schillens who is out of this game with an injury...what a name...Chaz Schillens!!! But I'm tempering my excitement, perhaps because I'm not a senile Oakland owner who wears bling and track suits to work...)


Season Record: 0-0 (Probably the best it's going to be all year...)

Deacon Touchback