Week 1 of the NFL season is upon us and after an exciting Thursday night showdown that saw the Denver Broncos topple the Baltimore Ravens, the rest of the games in the opening week are set to take place.
Like the Broncos, I too started off 1-0 after picking their game with the Ravens correctly. However, that was child's play and now it's time to get down to serious business. Let's take a look at each game the rest of the week and who will emerge victorious, as well as some of the must-see matchups.
Week 1 Picks
| Game | Winner |
| Baltimore at Denver | Denver |
| Tampa Bay at New York Jets | Tampa Bay |
| Arizona at St. Louis | St. Louis |
| New York Giants at Dallas | Dallas |
| New England at Buffalo | New England |
| Cincinnati at Chicago | Chicago |
| Miami at Cleveland | Miami |
| Atlanta at New Orleans | Atlanta |
| Tennessee at Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh |
| Minnesota at Detroit | Detroit |
| Oakland at Indianapolis | Indianapolis |
| Seattle at Carolina | Seattle |
| Kansas City at Jacksonville | Kansas City |
| Green Bay at San Francisco | San Francisco |
| Philadelphia at Washington | Washington |
| Houston at San Diego | Houston |
Must-See Matchups
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints
This one definitely has the potential for an upset, so it's certainly worth taking a look at the Saints and Falcons this week.
New Orleans will welcome back head coach Sean Payton who will be back to running what should be a tremendous offense this season led by quarterback Drew Brees. Despite that, the Saints won't have much of a defense to work with and that will bring all sorts of issues.
The Falcons are on a different path this season with expectations that they can reach the Super Bowl after just barely missing out on the big game last season. Led by Matt Ryan and an elite receiving corps, the Falcons offense will welcome Steven Jackson into the mix in order to add some credibility to the rushing attack.
Conclusion: When comparing these two squads, it's abundantly clear the Falcons have the better defense, which should make the difference in this one considering both offenses are pretty evenly matched with Atlanta having an edge on the ground.
The Falcons should be able to do just about anything they want on the offensive side of the ball while the Saints won't be as fortunate. Still, I expect the Saints to put some points on the board but they won't come close to matching what the Falcons will bring.
Final Score: Atlanta 38, Saints 31
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
I'm not as high on the Giants as some people are and in fact, I think they are underdogs in the hunt for the NFC East. Sure, all the usual suspects will return with Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz as the focal points on offense, but a new running back in David Wilson and a weak secondary has the Giants asking more questions than they would like.
The Cowboys are in no better shape. They did little to improve this offseason aside from some key coaching changes (Monte Kiffin), and their offensive line isn't anymore sure than it was last season. Offensively, the Cowboys should still be able to move the ball and the health running back of DeMarco Murray will be vital to keeping some semblance of balance.
Conclusion: The Cowboys defense looked solid during the preseason, so it looks as though the switch to a 4-3 defense might be paying off thus far. The bad thing for the Giants is that their secondary was already weak, but now adding into that is the fact that safety Stevie Brown will be out for the season, further weakening what was already a suspect secondary.
Look for Dallas to take full advantage of New York's major weakness. Romo will have his pickings of anywhere on the field to throw the ball and should pick apart the Giants defense as long as he has enough time to throw the ball.
Bottom line: No penetration for the G-Men will spell a long and nightmarish start to the 2013 campaign.
Final Score: Cowboys 24, Giants 17
Cincinnati Bengals at Chicago Bears
The Bears will be sporting a new-look offense this season with new head coach Marc Trestman at the helm. Chicago's offense has been looking to tailor itself more to the strengths of Jay Cutler, so expect the Bears quarterback to be rolling out more often, which is something he had success doing during his days in Denver. On defense, barring something unforeseen, the Bears should still have a top 10 defense in the NFL.
The Bengals have high expectations this season. With the weakening of the Baltimore Ravens and a Pittsburgh Steelers team that isn't expected to do much, the Bengals are being picks by many to win that division. Andy Dalton is another year older and wiser with one of the best receivers in the league, and the Bengals will have an excellent defense to go along with it.
Conclusion: I think this is a game that many people aren't taking too seriously in regards to its upset possibility. Many will pick the Bengals because of the expectations, but that's discounting what the Bears will do on offense.
Gone will be the days when the Bears don't score points and have to depend solely on defense. Granted, they still can, but the Bears will enjoy great success with all their weapons to utilize and rebuilt offensive line.
Expect to see a bit more defense in this one because of the circumstances of this particular matchup, but this game will be a jumping off point for the Bears resurrection on offense. Home-field advantage won't hurt, either.
Final Score: Bears 20, Bengals 16
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