Hello Everyone and if you're a fan of the NFL like I am, Merry Christmas. Today is the day we have been waiting for since Peyton Manning rode off into the sunset winning Super Bowl 50, while sending shoutouts to Anheuser-Busch and this guy:
Better ingredients, better pizza? Depends on who you ask (I think it's okay). Peyton meanwhile is now teaming up with Lionel Richie for DirecTV's Sunday Ticket ad campaign. Speaking of DirecTV, here's a cute prop bet for you all: who will make more appearances during NFL games this season while you're running to the bathroom, Lionel, or Jon Bon Jovi? If the NFL had any fun with their product I could totally see Bon Jovi sing about turning back time to overturn calls in games that affected the final score, like the Dez Bryant non-catch, the offensive pass interference on Drew Pearson back in the 70's (sorry old-school Vikings fans), or THIS play:
Yeah, I'm still bitter about
that one. 17 years later. Anyway I digress.
So Peyton and his Broncos rode off into the Santa Clara sunset,
Cam Newton sulked about losing the biggest game in Carolina Panthers history, and all our attentions turned to the two most disdainful people running for President in United States history. Suffice to say that the NFL returning is a godsend.
What's new?
The NFL made some
rule changes this spring; one big one being the movement of the starting line of scrimmage for touchbacks from the 20 to the 25 yard line. I presume this was done to enhance even more offense, but I wonder if it was also done because so many kickoffs (since moving them from the 30 to the 35 yard line) were touchbacks and not being returned, which is odd because it contradicts the NFL wanting to limit kick returns because of player safety and such. By the way,
the helmet rule that is related to player safety is silly. Some of us NFL fans, especially those that have been around since the 80s, are kind of fond of throwback helmets and uniforms. Especially this:
I miss Bucco Bruce and Pat Patriot to be honest.
Also new, a
new stadium in Minnesota, a
new roof in Miami (and a different stadium name for the forty-leventh time), badly needed new scoreboards in Tampa, and biggest of all something new that's something old as well; the LOS ANGELES Rams.
How does the season shake out? I'll get to that at the end of this article, but without further ado, let's look at Week 1 starting tonight, and well well well look what we have here:
Carolina at Denver:
Yes, it's the rematch of the Super Bowl, something that hasn't happened to kick off the new season since Chiefs-Vikings in 1970; the VERY FIRST week of the NFL post-merger. The Panthers retain most of their starters from last season, with one glaring exception; Josh Norman, who is now with the Redskins (we'll get to that). Jared Allen retired but they did keep Charles Johnson at DE. Also, Kelvin Benjamin is healthy again; another target for Cam.
As for the Broncos, with both Manning and Brock Ostweiler (Ostweiler??? I didn't even...nevermind), who signed a big contract with Houston gone, their hopes lie on...
Trevor Siemian??? (Cue the Verne Lundquist asking Peter Jacobsen "who the hell is Happy Gilmore?" scene from said movie). A 7th-round pick from Northwestern in his second season making his first career NFL start. His only prior NFL action? A
kneel-down. That's it. Fun fact about Siemian: he's from the Orlando area and set an Orange County passing record while at Olympia High; a school that didn't even exist 16 years ago. His preseason stats? Average; 27-43/285yds 1 TD and 2 INTs. But GM John Elway says he continues to make plays. And the Broncos do have Demaryius Thomas back as well as their RB tandem of CJ Anderson and Devontae Booker. I don't see that big of a dropoff for the Broncos this season, but tonight may be some tough sledding; they are a 3 point home dog (according to Westgate Superbook in Vegas). BUT, if Siemien can get time to throw the ball downfield, and accurately, this may be a mild upset in the making, and I never count out the Broncos at home. Ever.
My pick:
Broncos
Tampa Bay at Atlanta:
Dirk Koetter is the new head coach in Tampa, and with it comes new optimism. Jameis Winston begins his second season as Bucs QB and look to improve and MAYBE contend for a playoff spot. Interesting sidenote to this game, Koetter and new defensive coordinator Mike Smith were of course with the Falcons two seasons ago, only with Smith as head and Koetter as offensive coordinator. Dan Quinn begins his second season in Hotlanta as head coach. Last year started promising; a 5-0 start! Then the Bucs came to town Week 7 and the bottom fell out on the Dirty Birds' Season; 2-7 after that loss. Key matchup to watch here in my opinion will be the Falcons run game vs the Bucs front seven. The Bucs did lead the preseason in sacks, but it was the PRESEASON. Falcons are thin at wideout after Julio Jones, but the Bucs running game is also thin with third stringer Mike James waived due to injury; and his replacement won't be announced until Saturday according to reports.
Fun Fact: the Falcons have won eight straight home openers at the GeorgiaDome, but this is their last season there; Mercedes-Benz Stadium opens next door in 2017.
Not So Fun Fact: The Buccaneers have finished last in their division five straight years, tied with the Cleveland Browns for the longest active such streak. In fact, when you do not take tiebreakers into consideration, the Bucs hold the record for most consecutive seasons in or tied for last place with seven; from 1989 to 1995, the last year before Hall of Famer Tony Dungy arrived. What's interesting to note is that record would have belonged to the Falcons, had it not been for a tie
in Fulton-County Stadium against the 49ers in the 1986 season. A game I happen to remember watching on television in Robeson County, NC.
Back to the here and now though. Hey Jameis, are the Bucs going to finish last again this year??
(courtesy:
Vine)
That's what I want to hear! I've been a Bucs fan since I was a wee little kid going to Orlando Christian School and I'm hungry for a winning season. I say it starts Sunday! SIEGE THE DAY BITCHES!!
My (homer) pick:
Buccaneers
Green Bay at Jacksonville
Don't get me wrong, I like Jacksonville's future, and I like Blake Bortles. I like what Shad Khan is doing for the First Coast area. It's a shame for their sake that come Sunday two-thirds of Everbank Stadium will be full of cheeseheads. But hey, they do have a nice pool there!
Ugh...is anyone else sick of Marlins Man yet?
Anyway, the Pack look to take back the NFC North and after the way their season finished last year I'm pretty sure they may have an axe to grind about it. I don't think Aaron Rodgers will need a Discount Double-check hail Mary in what should be a de-facto home game for Green Bay. Jax, I love ya but it ain't your time yet.
My pick: Packers
Miami at Seattle:
While Marlins Man is gracing this post with his presence, why not we talk about the football team that represents South Florida?
Remember all those years ago when Shula was coach and how dominant they were in September? Good times. This year, they're pretty much running through a gauntlet to start the year:
@ Seattle
@ New England
Cleveland
@ Cincinnati
Other than the Browns home opener, good luck eking out a win with THAT schedule!
Of course the Fish get rewarded with four straight home games until back to back road games against San Diego and Los Angeles. Sheesh.
Hate to say it but the playoff push may have to wait another year. Especially if Ryan Tannehill (or as some Dolphins fans on Twitter call him, Tanne-kill) has another off-season and Ndomukong Suh decides to go through the motions again. Good news though for this matchup: Pro Football Focus has the Seahawks' offensive line ranked as the
worst in football.
That's where the good news ends though for Miami. The Hawks despite Beast Mode leaving the building have Thomas Rawls, who is quite a bit to handle as far as bringing him down (he is recovering from an ankle issue however, so Christine Michael is ahead on the depth chart). Their receiving corps is only getting better, and that defense. And Russell Wilson may just be the best quarterback in the league.
My pick: Seahawks
Cleveland at Philadelphia
The Carson Wentz Era begins in Philly. Here's his reception when he entered the field for his first snaps in the preseason:
Yes, I was at that game, and the pottymouthed comment at the end perfectly sums up Philly fan: "don't (bleep) it up!"
Philly fans get a bum rep in my opinion. The day and a half I was in Philadelphia was quite pleasant, and I can't wait to get back there. Plus I follow several Philly fans on Twitter and vice versa. When I was at said game I didn't see nor hear any of the typical cheap shots fans in Philly get (about how rude and brutal they are, etc.); they're just a passionate fanbase who years for a winner like every other fan base does. Of course being in the northeast and competing against teams from New York and DC there's a higher standard to uphold. But hey, Chris Jenkins though...
(lybio.net)
Sorry, Tarheel fans, I went there.
As for the game, remember the stat I mentioned earlier for the Bucs-Falcons game? Yep. It's the Browns. Not much to say here except they MAY win one game this season. Talk about a buzz kill after the championship the Cavs finally brought to NE Ohio and the season the Indians are having in baseball. Browns fans will be asking when Cavs season starts by Week Three end of the first half on Sunday.
My pick: E-A-G-L-E-S! EAGLES!!
And now, the rest of my picks for Week 1, home team in caps:
JETS over Bengals:
Bit of a surprise here, but consider the Jets were 10-6 and almost made the playoffs last year. This is a team not to sleep on. Speaking of teams not to sleep on...
Raiders over SAINTS:
Yes, you read this right. I'm picking the Raiders. A surprise playoff run probably won't keep them from moving to Las Vegas, but then again maybe it will if voters in Nevada have their say.
RAVENS over Bills:
No, Joe Flacco isn't quite elite. No, the Bills are not a playoff team. I'll just wait for videos to show up on Deadspin of Bills fans channeling their collective Mick Foley and
putting each other through tables during tailgate parties.
TEXANS over Bears:
Brock Ostweiler makes his Houston debut. Otherwise, this matchup to me is full of meh.
CHIEFS over Chargers:
Hey remember that face Michael Phelps made during the Olympic Games last month?
I thought that looked familiar!! Except Michael Phelps is Michael Phelps and Philip Rivers plays for the Chargers.
Vikings over TITANS:
Just as I was going to make the Vikings my Super Bowl pick from the NFC, Teddy Bridgewater
destroyed his knee. Ugh. Enter Sam Bradford, who has now gone over the course of the summer from St. Louis to Los Angeles to Philadelphia and now Minneapolis. One thing to watch for other than how Bradford handles the Viking offense: how Marcus Mariota performs in his sophomore debut with the Titans.
Giants over COWBOYS:
Nine times out of ten this matchup is the NBC Sunday Night Football game. Not so this week (more on that later)! However this will be a fun game to watch and is the national game for FOX (unless you're in parts of the Midwest or Seattle). Dak Prescott, who impressed during the preseason, starts for the injured Tony Romo against what I think will be a rather stingy Giants D. Meanwhile, Eli Manning has both Odell Beckham, Jr. AND Victor Cruz to throw to. This may have the makings of a wild west shootout!
COLTS over Lions:
Another "meh" matchup to me. The Lions, well they're the Lions. Andrew Luck, well he's Andrew Luck. I do expect the Colts to have a much better effort this season than last.
Steelers over WASHINGTON (Monday Night):
Sometime in the future, I may write a post regarding what nickname the Washington National Football League franchise should name themselves after they finally get rid of their current nickname. Meanwhile, remember earlier how I said the Packers would have a de facto home game in Jacksonville? Same here. Plenty of Terrible Towels will be waving in Landover, and the faithful who support the burgundy and gold will race as fast as they can to get to 495. Why is it that people in Maryland drive like there is no tomorrow anyway? Sheesh! They make Florida drivers bastions of traffic obedience, and that's saying something. Just a personal observation from my earlier trip this summer.
Meanwhile, guess who's announcing the early game on Monday night?
Sean O'Mac and Coach Gruden, baby!! (for those who didn't know Sean McDonough is my favorite announcer)
Then there's the late game on Monday night:
Rams over 49ERS:
This is compelling, but not entirely because of the game itself. I'll start with the football aspect of the intrigue. This marks the first regular season game since 1994 for the LOS ANGELES Rams, who when they were last in Southern California played their games not in Los Angeles but in Anaheim. Their opponent, the 49ers, played in San Francisco at that time. Now, they play in Santa Clara. Still, the NoCal vs SoCal rivalry is always lit (as the kids say nowadays), so a fitting welcome back to football in Los Angeles by playing your in-state rival.
Then there's the Colin Kaepernick story which you have already heard about ad nauseam by now. I gave my opinion on it on my Facebook page and I'll repeat it here: do I like what he did by sitting for the anthem? No. Was he wrong for doing so? Not at all. I can understand why he would silently protest the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner," it's his First Amendment right. But I'm not going to turn into this blog post into a political discussion. Sports and politics together is kind of like oil and water. They don't necessarily mix and when they do, it gets messy. REALLY messy. Ask any taxpayer who's on the hook for publicly financed stadia and arenas. But that's another discussion for another time.
The game itself shouldn't be all too difficult for the Rams, even if Case Keenum is quarterbacking while number one overall pick Jared Goff learns the offense from the sideline. I expect the Todd Gurley show to be in full effect.
As for the Niners, Colin isn't even starting Monday; Blaine Yo-Gabba-Gabbert is. Oh, speaking of lame nicknames given to athletes, guess who's announcing THIS game?
BACK! BACK! BACK! BACK!!!!
Thankfully many of us will be asleep before this game even starts, so we will be spared of our ears bleeding overnight.
How I Think the Season Plays Out:
As far as who I think will advance to the playoffs at the end of the season is of course a crapshoot. There are the usual suspects (Pats, Pack, Steelers, etc.), but who are the sleepers and who are the dark horses? It's like throwing a dart blindfolded to see who's in and who's out. Nonetheless here's how I see it shaking out:
AFC:
East: Patriots
North: Steelers
South: Texans
West: Chiefs
WC1: Bengals
WC2: Raiders
NFC:
East: Giants
North: Packers
South: Panthers
West: Cardinals
WC1: Seahawks
WC2: Buccaneers (hey, I am a Bucs fan!)
As for who reaches Super Bowl LI in Houston come February? Well, would you believe it just happens to be the Sunday Night Football matchup???
CARDINALS over Patriots:
Arizona gets a true test to start out the new season as the Patriots come to Glendale for the first time since Malcolm Butler made The Pick in Super Bowl XLIX (why didn't Pete Carroll give Marshawn the damn ball?!). But it won't be as much of a test as it could be because well, Tom Brady played with deflated balls and now he's suspended four games. Enter Jimmy Garoppolo, and even he won't have a full compliment of weapons at his disposal. Danny Amendola is out, and Gronk isn't 100%. Don't worry about the Patriots though, they'll be just fine. After this game, they have home games against Miami, Houston and Buffalo before Brady returns. They'll be likely 3-1 and it'll be as if nothing ever happened. Their one loss though? This Cardinals team.
Fun Fact: The Chicago/Card-Pitt/St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals have not posted four straight winning seasons since from 1946-1949, and have NEVER made the playoffs in three straight seasons. With that said, I hope I didn't jinx them since I have them going to Houston along with the Patriots. By that time the Patriots should win the rematch.
Very interesting scenario: the game that ended last season begins this season, and a game that begins this season for both teams will be the one that ends it as well.
My Super Bowl Pick:
Patriots over Cardinals
Enjoy the season everyone!
