NFL 2011 Week 1 Picks

2011 Week 1 Picks    

 I know this is a couple of days late, considering the fact that I missed the Packers and Saints game, but for this NFL season, I will be posting my picks for the games every week.  Not that I am any sort of expert on predicting the outcomes of games, I tend to make my predictions based on how I feel about a certain team at any given moment.  I hope you guys will check back every week to see how I'm doing.  Through the season, I'll keep my personal win-loss record.  When I predict a game correctly, it will count as a win, and if my prediction is incorrect for a game, that goes as a loss.  And my last little note about how this will work, I don't like getting into the "spread" of games.  I will make my predictions based on my feelings and opinions, not based on a Vegas spread, and I will do my best not to take other, so-called "experts" opinions into account as I give my predictions.

     So, as a fun little project for myself, here are my week 1 picks!!

Atlanta Falcons @ Chicago Bears

Falcons - L

Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns

Browns - L

        

Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs - L

                

Philadelphia Eagles @ St. Louis Rams

Eagles - W

Detroit Lions @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Lions - W

Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Titans - L

New York Giants @ Washington Redskins

Giants - L

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers

49ers - W

Minnesota Vikings @ San Diego Chargers

Chargers - W

Carolina Panthers @ Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals - W

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Jets

Jets - W

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins

Patriots - W

Oakland Raiders @ Denver Broncos

Broncos - W

Game of the Week:

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens

Steelers - L

     I think these teams match up pretty evenly on defense, but I think the Steelers' offense is just a bit better than the Ravens.  Joe Flacco is a great quarterback, but I just don't think that he has what it takes to beat the Steelers in an Opening Day matchup.  This is always a very physical matchup that feels more like a good ol' fashion street rumble than an NFL football game, and that is why it is my Game of the Week!

Baltimore Sun photo by Christopher T. Assaf.

Hometown Game:

Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans

Texans -W

Photo by Robert H. Levey/Getty Images North America

     Last year, the Texans beat the Colts to open the season at home when the Colts had a healthy Peyton Manning.  The Texans also had Arian Foster last year who broke out with over 230 yards of rushing in that game.  This year is different. Manning is definitely not playing after having another neck surgery recently, and Foster is listed as day-to-day.  He has not practiced all week, which would probably indicate that he will not play on Sunday, leaving a lot of work for Derrick Ward and Ben Tate.  These guys have looked great in the four preseason games, so I don't think that losing Foster in place of these guys will affect the outcome of the game too much.

     I can't wait to see the Texans new defense finally get after a first team offense and really show what they've got.  The new defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, seems to have already made a huge impact on this defense that really struggled last year.  They definitely won't be perfect, but with the defensive additions of J.J. Watt, Danieal Manning, and Johnathan Joseph, I think this defense will be much better than last year and again, I CAN'T WAIT to see them play!!

     Some people think this will be an easy game for the Texans.  I haven't bought into that just yet, but I think the Texans will manage to beat a Peyton Manning-less Colts team to open the 2011 NFL season.

    Without a lot of time to go through and make a full season prediction, I will give you my prediction for the Texans 2011 win-loss record.  Going through their schedule, I can see them doing very well against a very week AFC South and only losing one game in the division.  Outside of their division, I see them losing to the Saints, Steelers, Ravens, and Falcons.  If this holds true, I predict the Texans will win the AFC South with an 11-5 record.  Of course this is with the assumption that our key players on offense and defense can manage to stay healthy, our offense can pick up where they left off from last year, and the defense will be as good as advertised.

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     As you can see, every week I will pick a "Game of the Week."  This will not be anyone else's game of the week, (not intentionally) and it won't necessarily be a prime time Sunday or Monday night game.  This game will basically be a game that I would make it a point to watch if I could for any given reason, and a game that I think will be a very even matchup.

     Also, I will be giving more detailed thoughts on what I think will happen with the Texans games every week simply because I am a "Homer" and will typically have more to say than just a winner and loser.

     Well, that's all for my week one predictions.  I hope you'll track my predictions through the season.  Let me know if you agree or disagree with any of my picks!!

Peace Out,
Luke

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This Week's Record (9-6)