| Thursday, Sep. 10, 2009 | ||||
| Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers | Fan picks | |||
| This will be a physical war, just like the last time they met late last season. The Titans won that game, followed that up with the Terrible Towel dance, but never got another chance to see Pittsburgh again when they lost in the playoffs. This Tennessee team is deep and talented. The Steelers have to show me they can handle their front. I'm not sure that line can. I smell an upset. Result: Tennessee Titans 10, Pittsburgh Steelers 13 | ||||
| Sunday, Sep. 13, 2009 | ||||
| Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Fan picks | |||
| Watch out, Cowboys. Not that they will lose this game, but it will be close. The Cowboys trained inside all summer in San Antonio, and this one will be in the Tampa heat. The Bucs have enough weapons on offense to make this interesting. Kellen Winslow has a huge game here. Dallas wins by a little. Result: Dallas Cowboys 34, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21 | ||||
| Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints | Fan picks | |||
| The Lions will start rookie Matt Stafford on the road in the dome. That's tough going. That place will be loud, making it tough to make adjustments. The new-look Saints defense, which will be aggressive, could cause him problems. The New Orleans offense will once again put up a lot of points this season, starting here. Blowout. Result: New Orleans Saints 45, Detroit Lions 27 | ||||
| Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts | Fan picks | |||
| The Jaguars will start four rookies, including both offensive tackles and a corner. That's tough duty against those Colts pass rushers and Peyton Manning. The Colts have injury issues on defense, so I look for a lot of points in this one. But in the end, the Colts will score too many against a defense that lacks a pass rush. Result: Indianapolis Colts 14, Jacksonville Jaguars 12 | ||||
| NY Jets at Houston Texans | Fan picks | |||
| This is the first start for Mark Sanchez, and it comes on the road. As with Stafford, that's tough. The Texans have to prove that they can be more than a .500 team. This is a good matchup for them. Look for Mario Williams to create problems for Sanchez and Steve Slaton to have a big day. Result: Houston Texans 7, NY Jets 24 | ||||
| Minnesota Vikings at Cleveland Browns | Fan picks | |||
| Watch out, Brett Favre. Opening on the road the first week is tough. And, while this Cleveland team isn't great, it will play hard. This won't be easy for the Vikings, but they'll find a way. I see a field-goal game as Favre gets picked twice to keep Cleveland in it. Result: Minnesota Vikings 34, Cleveland Browns 20 | ||||
| Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals | Fan picks | |||
| Who knows what the Broncos have? They are a rebuilt team that will start Kyle Orton at quarterback. The Bengals counter with Carson Palmer. That's a huge advantage for the Bengals. Their defense is better than most think, while Denver's still has issues. The Bengals win this one easily. Result: Cincinnati Bengals 7, Denver Broncos 12 | ||||
| Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers | Fan picks | |||
| The Eagles are a road favorite, which says a lot about this game. Philadelphia had injuries add up in the preseason but has most of the players back. The physical offensive line should handle a Carolina defensive line that is thin at tackle. Philadelphia will score here. I'm not sure Carolina can keep up. Result: Philadelphia Eagles 38, Carolina Panthers 10 | ||||
| Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens | Fan picks | |||
| This is tough road game for Matt Cassel's first game with the Chiefs. That Ravens defense can be fierce. They can force turnovers, which they will do here. The Chiefs' 3-4 features a lot of young players, which I think Joe Flacco can handle. Look for the Ravens to come out smoking here. Result: Baltimore Ravens 38, Kansas City Chiefs 24 | ||||
| Miami Dolphins at Atlanta Falcons | Fan picks | |||
| This is a game that features two playoff teams -- surprise playoff teams -- from last season. The Falcons have the staying power to do it again this year. Miami doesn't. Why? Quarterback. The Falcons have Matt Ryan, while the Dolphins counter with Chad Pennington. Look for a fun shootout here, with Atlanta pulling away late. Result: Atlanta Falcons 19, Miami Dolphins 7 | ||||
| St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks | Fan picks | |||
| The Seahawks have a new coach and they have Matt Hasselbeck healthy. The Rams have a new coach and Marc Bulger is healthy. But the difference is defense. Seattle's defense will be better than what the Rams put on the field. The only concern here is Seattle's line is banged up. Even so, Seahawks take it. Result: Seattle Seahawks 28, St. Louis Rams 0 | ||||
| Washington Redskins at NY Giants | Fan picks | |||
| This is a good, old-fashioned NFC East game. It will be physical. It will be tough. But the difference will be the Giants will move the ball better. They will force a key turnover by Jason Campbell and that will be the difference. It will be close until the fourth quarter. Result: NY Giants 23, Washington Redskins 17 | ||||
| San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals | Fan picks | |||
| The Cardinals didn't look good in the preseason. And many are predicting a Super hangover. I don't buy it. The 49ers will start Shaun Hill, which doesn't excite me. Arizona has a high-flying offense again. The 49ers won't keep up. Kurt Warner has a huge first game. Result: Arizona Cardinals 16, San Francisco 49ers 20 | ||||
| Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers | Fan picks | |||
| This is a great way to start for these two. They are fierce rivals, and they both have young quarterbacks who are trying to elevate to the top level. Jay Cutler makes his first Bears start and Aaron Rodgers opens his second season as a starter. Both should play well, so it comes down to the defense. I'll lean to the Packers and their 3-4 scheme under Dom Capers. Result: Green Bay Packers 21, Chicago Bears 15 | ||||
| Monday, Sep. 14, 2009 | ||||
| Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots | Fan picks | |||
| The Bills were awful on offense during the preseason and changed coordinators. That's not the way you want to go into a game where you will need to keep up. The Patriots will get theirs. Tom Brady and that offense will score 33 here. The Bills won't come close to that. Result: New England Patriots 25, Buffalo Bills 24 | ||||
| San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders | Fan picks | |||
| The Chargers are the class of the AFC. The Raiders were a disaster in the preseason. So why do I think this one will be closer? Maybe it's because the Chargers are a road team on a Monday night. That isn't easy. The Raiders aren't as bad as they looked. So I say JaMarcus Russell keeps it close. Result: San Diego Chargers 24, Oakland Raiders 20 | ||||
| PRISCO'S WEEKLY WINNING PERCENTAGE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | total | ||||||||||||||||
| 75% | 43% | 56% | 78% | 78% | 42% | 61% | 46% | 69% | 60% | 68% | 75% | 62% | |||||||||||||||||||||


