NFL Week 1 Picks

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NFL Week 1 Schedule

The NFL regular season has started, and the matchups for Week 1 are as following.

NFL Week 1 Picks

Chicago Bears vs. Indianapolis Colts (Chicago Bears to Win)

The Chicago Bears to beat the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts have lost their greatest advantage, their star QB Peyton Manning to the Texans and this has left their team hurting on the offensive side. Without that key player, they are left trying to pick up the pieces, whether it is for passing or rushing. The Bears simply outmatch them by far in regards to rushing, since they do not do so well at passing either. The one aspect that will get the Bears the win is their defense, which has more experience and skilled than the Colts.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Atlanta Falcons to Win)

The Atlanta Falcons to beat the Kansas City Chiefs

The Falcons completely dominate the Chiefs in terms of Offense, clearly showing a dominant factor in passing; with their QB Matt Ryan. Defense wins games, but in this case both teams show a very efficient defensive lineup, making that point moot. The Falcons will be winning the game by having a better offense, as well as using their defense to stop the less than average Chief offense.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cleveland Browns (Philadelphia Eagles to Win)

This match-up is highly skewed in favor of the Eagles.

The Eagles are simply too overpowered for the Browns. The one area that the Browns could compete with the Eagles would be the defense, but the Eagles offense can easily overcome the defense; while the Browns offense would not do very well against the Eagles defense. The one advantage that the Browns have over the Eagles is the home team advantage, but that doesn’t add up to much when the skill is that far apart.

Washington Redskins vs. New Orleans Saints (New Orleans Saints to Win)

The New Orleans Saints have everything in order to win this game.

The Saints have one the perfect offensive combinations in the League, showing a high potential in both the passing and rushing. The one area that could prove to be a problem is trying to stop the Redskins passing, but they should have that covered with DE Turk McBride and DE Martez Wilson. The Saints have been able to beat better defenses with their QB Drew Brees.

St. Louis Rams vs. Detroit Lions (Detroit Lions to Win)

The Lions have shown a favorable increase in offensive performance compared to the Rams.

The Rams have not been doing well for various seasons, and have been unable to increase their offensive and defensive performance. The Lions have proven to be a solid team when it comes to the passing plays, with QB Matthew Stafford whom posted very good stats last season. Both of the team’s defenses are about equal, with the Lions having a better passing defense; with LB Stephen Tulloch and CB Chris Houston.

New England Patriots vs. Tennessee Titans (New England Patriots to Win)

Simply based on how the Patriots have performed, and continue to perform through the seasons, it isn’t a matter of which team has the better defense, but the better offense.

The Titans have the home game advantage, as well as having a better defense than the Patriots, but when it comes to stopping the passing game, the Titans lack the man power to stop the plays. They do have a great rush defense, but the Patriots will use their passing to overcome that fact. The Patriots, along with QB Tom Brady and his star receivers, WR Wes Welker, TE Aaron Hernandez and TE Rob Gronkowski, have been able to prove again and again that their offense is good enough to beat any defense.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Minnesota Vikings (Jacksonville Jaguars to Win)

The Vikings do have the home game advantage, along with a much better offense than the Jaguars; the one factor that could happen determine the outcome of the game is the Jaguars defense shutting down the Vikings offense.

Even with a powerful rushing, and a below average passing game, the Vikings will have a big problem trying to run the ball past the 9^th best rush defenders in the League; as well as passing against the 8^th best passing defense in the League. This is where the Jaguars will be able to win the game, by keeping the Vikings offense at bay. The Jaguars will have to try and improve their passing game, as the Vikings have bad pass defense. If the Jaguars are able to accomplish those two factors, we are looking at the first Underdog win of the week.

Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets (New York Jets to Win)

This is another difficult match to predict, as there is a split between which will overcome the other; the better defense or the better offense.

As a rule of thumb, I always place more weight on the teams with the better defense; unless their opponents have proven to beat the better defense more often than not. The Jets excel at defending against the passing, ranking 5^th, and they are above average against the rush, being ranked 13^th. However, the Bills rank low in terms of defending against the pass and the rush, and that is what is going to give the Jets the victory, using the improved QB Mark Sanchez. This will be a very close and exciting game.

Miami Dolphins vs. Houston Texans (Houston Texans to Win)

The Texans have been improving their offensive passing, with their QB, Matt Schaub.

The Texans were already a solid team, with their incredible defense, and their good rushing game; the one thing they lacked was a better passing game. The Texans passing should have continued to improve with their QB’s improvements, so this game should be a good testing ground for Matt Schaub. With this combination, the Texans are set to become an NFL powerhouse so early into their creation.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals (Seattle Seahawks to Win)

The Seahawks and the Cardinals are pretty average when comparing their stats, but the Seahawks still outmatch them when it comes to defense.

Even with the Seahawks playing on the road, they have a much better chance of stopping the Cardinals from either passing or rushing the ball with their defense. The Cardinals have an average defense, which will give the Seahawks opportunities to score more than the Cardinals will. On top of that, the Seahawks were able to post much better rushing stats than the Cardinals last season, and with RB Marshawn Lynch returning to the lineup it should be fair game. Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin has impressive stats for only being his 2^nd season playing.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Green Bay Packers (Green Bay Packers to Win)

This match is truly a toss-up; the Packers have an incredible offense, while the 49ers have an excellent defense. The one turning point could be the fact that the Packers are playing at home.

The reason the Packers would win this difficult match is thanks to the fact that they play to the 49ers weakness, the pass defense. The 49ers are ranked 1^st at the rush defense, but have an average pass defense. The Packers will be passing more often than rushing, which will work in their favor; the Packers may not have a good defense, but they are good enough to stop the rushing plays the 49ers depend on. The Packers simply are strong where the 49ers are weak.

Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Carolina Panthers to Win)

The Panthers have a good chance of winning on the road.

The Buccaneers and the Panthers, both, have horrible defense; which is why this match will be settled between the offense, which is clearly in favor of the Panthers. The Panthers have a great offensive lineup. The rushing is comprised of QB Cam Newton, and RB’s Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams; while the receivers are RB Jonathan Stewart, WR Steve Smith, and TE Greg Olsen. With this great offensive lineup, the Panthers are sure to beat the Buccaneers on their home turf.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos (Pittsburgh Steelers to Win)

The Steelers have always had a top ranked defense, and with their offensive side improving, they are able to keep the Broncos rushing at bay.

The one reason the Steelers will be able to win this match against the Broncos is thanks to their strong passing and rushing defense, as well as the fact that the Broncos do not have a very good defense in either of those aspects. Even though the Broncos have acquired star QB, Peyton Manning, they will still lack the tenacity to overcome the Steelers defense. As the season progresses, the Broncos may start to show signs of improving their passing game.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens (Baltimore Ravens to Win)

The Ravens have always had a solid defense, but in their matchup against the Bengals they may have to rely more on their offense.

This game is going to be a close one, but the Ravens will still be able to pull out in front, thanks to their better offensive lineup. Both teams have excellent passing and rushing defenses, so it will be up to the team that can create the most plays, in this case the Ravens have a more likely chance to create the plays. The Ravens have RB Ray Rice, who performs well at both rushing and receiving. The Bengals lost their star RB, Cedric Benson, so their rushing game may be off balance.

San Diego Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders (San Diego Chargers to Win)

The Chargers are going to be the other Underdog team to win their match during the first week of the NFL season.

The Chargers will be able to stop the Raiders passing and rushing attempts much better than the Raiders will against them. The Raiders also are weak against the passing plays, which will give the Chargers the advantage in the offense. Oakland lost one of their better running backs, Michael Bush to the Bears, leaving a gap in their rushing. While San Diego still has their star RB Ryan Mathews, and TE Antonio Gates. This will certainly help the Chargers win against the Raiders.

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