BY KASSEM ADOURE AND ADAM BERRI (@berri_adam)
Opening weekend is near, I preview 8 games & one of them include the one on Thursday! Football season is here.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New England Patriots: Tom Brady is on the field for this one but Levon Bell is not. On Thursday these two teams will start opening week in the NFL & I think the Pats will be pumped & ready for this season opener. The banner will be brought down & the lights will shine bright on Brady after capturing his fourth title. The Steelers are going to have to play a lot of good defense if they want a W after game one & I don't think they're capable of doing that since they're facing Tom Brady. Brady is going to be fired up & the crowd will too, the Pats defense will get some big stops here & there since the Steelers offense will do everything for them & get exhausted.
Prediction: Patriots 24-17 Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals @ Oakland Raiders: Coming off a terrible year, the Raiders I think will be prepared for this season opener, they felt confident & drafting pretty good this past offseason. Andy Dalton coming off an injury will not play well in this game, all the Raiders secondary needs to is make sure A.J. Green doesn't get the football. That simple, Hill will have a good game but not a great one to carry this team to scoring more than 20 points. The Raiders offense will be ready, Cooper, Crabtree, & Murray will be on their A game & make sure they don't disappoint their home crowd. The Bengals won't be ready for the pressure that's coming their way this Sunday, Raiders win on a late FG.
Prediction: Raiders 21-18 Bengals
Tennessee Titans @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jamies Winston & Marcus Mariota square off in a week one matchup, it'll be both rookie QBs first season game in the NFL. Winston has much more weapons then Mariota does & I think that factors into why TB wins. Their defense is good & I don't think the Titans are good enough to score a lot of points & get key stops. They're still in the rebuilding process.
Prediction: Buccaneers 27-13
Buffalo Bills @ Indianapolis Colts: The Colts & Bills have new faces on their teams this year, McCoy & Tyrod Taylor are the big new faces on offense that could make an impact if the Bills reach the postseason. Their defense is one of the best in the league & it's going to stop big offenses this year, Rex Ryan will have these boys ready. The Colts have so many new faces on the offensive side of the ball, the weapons Luck has this year are fantastic talent. Frank Gore, Andre Johnson, Ty Hilton, Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener, & Phillip Dorset. The defense has gotten better & I think their secondary is very underrated, they will force QBs to throw to the TE more often than not because of the amazing pass coverage. This is going to be one tight & tough game, I'm picking the Colts only because they will out score the Bills.
Prediction: Colts 21-13 Bills
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears: Arron Rodgers this year has to prove he can win & put on a phenomenal performance without Jordy Nelson for the whole season, I think he will do just that. He squares off against & below average Bears defense on opening day on Sunday. The Bears offense doesn't have Kevin White but will have Jeffery & of course Forte. Jay Cutler is still the problem in Chicago, he needs to get out of there if the Bears want to go back to winning football games. He will throw INT after INT each game & will make the wrong decision while playing QB, he's had the weapons but couldn't work with them. Arron Rodgers will throw 4 TD this Sunday, Eddie Lacy will as well have a big game on the ground. I think the Packers will score 40 on opening day.
Prediction: Packers 40-24 Bears
Detroit Lions @ San Diego Chargers: The Lions offense should be rolling during week 1, they face an average Chargers defense & I think the Lions defense isn't getting credit they deserve this year. Their secondary is still very good as well as their LB, the line may be the only problem. The Chargers are still looking to come out of their shell with that one big year, they haven't had that in a long time. This year they won't because of the defense, I don't trust them to make big stops & the offense isn't that explosive. Phillip Rivers can't carry this team to the postseason by himself & I don't think he beats Detroit week one.
Prediction: Lions 27-17
New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys: This division game will be on Sunday night football, Jerry world will be bright this Sunday as the Giants come into town looking for a win to kick off this season. Dallas' offense will not be stopped by the Giants defense, the pass rush for the G men isn't as strong as they used to be & I certainly don't think Dez will be stopped on Sunday. The Giants offense will put up points on offense but not running. The run game is weak & the offensive line is no help either, they haven't been able to consistently open holes & protect Eli. The Dallas line is stronger this year & they will get to Eli. Expect OBJ to have a good game but not come out on top.
Prediction: Cowboys 28-17
Philadelphia Eagles @ Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta will open up the season on Monday Night Football & they'll host the Eagles. It's a game that's improbably for Philly because it'll tell them how Bradford plays in a regular season game on the road with a lot of weight on his shoulders. To me, Murray will have a good game on the ground. It's Bradford who'll be the problem for the Eagles offense, with all eyes on him he'll fail to deliver under pressure during week one. For Philly to be successful on offense, Their WR need to be reliable for their QB & I don't think Cooper or Aghlor can do that. Matthews will be the only one & that won't be enough. Ryan will have a big game, Julio is his only reliable target & I don't think anyone is fast enough or tough enough to stay with Julio on deep balls. The run game is the question, having little success will help the offense a ton since they won't be a one sided offense. Falcons will win on a late FG.
Prediction: Falcons 21-18
Miami Dolphins @ Washington Redskins: One of the games during opening weekend will include a controversial story line between RG3 and the whole Redskins organization. He'll be behind Kirk Cousins when the Redskins offense go against a stingy Dolphins defense. The Dolphins are in a division that's a race to the finish in the AFC East, their offense has gained a lot of new faces and it's a step towards being a top 10 offense. Their defense includes Suh and Cameron Wake on the defensive line and they also have a potential top 5 corner in Brent Grimes. On the downside they lost Louis Delmas to a season ending injury. For this game I have the dolphins winning not only because they have an amazing defense but also a very good offense who will have a great game all around. Washington's defense is a mess and Kirk Cousins won't be enough to win this game for the Redskins. I predict the Dolphins to win this one 27-13.
Everybody will be watching, fans around the U.S will keep their eyes on as many games as they can. It's a great time to be an NFL fan!
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New England Patriots: Tom Brady is on the field for this one but Levon Bell is not. On Thursday these two teams will start opening week in the NFL & I think the Pats will be pumped & ready for this season opener. The banner will be brought down & the lights will shine bright on Brady after capturing his fourth title. The Steelers are going to have to play a lot of good defense if they want a W after game one & I don't think they're capable of doing that since they're facing Tom Brady. Brady is going to be fired up & the crowd will too, the Pats defense will get some big stops here & there since the Steelers offense will do everything for them & get exhausted.
Prediction: Patriots 24-17 Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals @ Oakland Raiders: Coming off a terrible year, the Raiders I think will be prepared for this season opener, they felt confident & drafting pretty good this past offseason. Andy Dalton coming off an injury will not play well in this game, all the Raiders secondary needs to is make sure A.J. Green doesn't get the football. That simple, Hill will have a good game but not a great one to carry this team to scoring more than 20 points. The Raiders offense will be ready, Cooper, Crabtree, & Murray will be on their A game & make sure they don't disappoint their home crowd. The Bengals won't be ready for the pressure that's coming their way this Sunday, Raiders win on a late FG.
Prediction: Raiders 21-18 Bengals
Prediction: Buccaneers 27-13
Buffalo Bills @ Indianapolis Colts: The Colts & Bills have new faces on their teams this year, McCoy & Tyrod Taylor are the big new faces on offense that could make an impact if the Bills reach the postseason. Their defense is one of the best in the league & it's going to stop big offenses this year, Rex Ryan will have these boys ready. The Colts have so many new faces on the offensive side of the ball, the weapons Luck has this year are fantastic talent. Frank Gore, Andre Johnson, Ty Hilton, Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener, & Phillip Dorset. The defense has gotten better & I think their secondary is very underrated, they will force QBs to throw to the TE more often than not because of the amazing pass coverage. This is going to be one tight & tough game, I'm picking the Colts only because they will out score the Bills.
Prediction: Colts 21-13 Bills
Prediction: Packers 40-24 Bears
Detroit Lions @ San Diego Chargers: The Lions offense should be rolling during week 1, they face an average Chargers defense & I think the Lions defense isn't getting credit they deserve this year. Their secondary is still very good as well as their LB, the line may be the only problem. The Chargers are still looking to come out of their shell with that one big year, they haven't had that in a long time. This year they won't because of the defense, I don't trust them to make big stops & the offense isn't that explosive. Phillip Rivers can't carry this team to the postseason by himself & I don't think he beats Detroit week one.
Prediction: Lions 27-17
New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys: This division game will be on Sunday night football, Jerry world will be bright this Sunday as the Giants come into town looking for a win to kick off this season. Dallas' offense will not be stopped by the Giants defense, the pass rush for the G men isn't as strong as they used to be & I certainly don't think Dez will be stopped on Sunday. The Giants offense will put up points on offense but not running. The run game is weak & the offensive line is no help either, they haven't been able to consistently open holes & protect Eli. The Dallas line is stronger this year & they will get to Eli. Expect OBJ to have a good game but not come out on top.
Prediction: Cowboys 28-17
Prediction: Falcons 21-18
Miami Dolphins @ Washington Redskins: One of the games during opening weekend will include a controversial story line between RG3 and the whole Redskins organization. He'll be behind Kirk Cousins when the Redskins offense go against a stingy Dolphins defense. The Dolphins are in a division that's a race to the finish in the AFC East, their offense has gained a lot of new faces and it's a step towards being a top 10 offense. Their defense includes Suh and Cameron Wake on the defensive line and they also have a potential top 5 corner in Brent Grimes. On the downside they lost Louis Delmas to a season ending injury. For this game I have the dolphins winning not only because they have an amazing defense but also a very good offense who will have a great game all around. Washington's defense is a mess and Kirk Cousins won't be enough to win this game for the Redskins. I predict the Dolphins to win this one 27-13.
Seattle Seahawks @ St. Louis Rams: The defending NFC champions the Seattle Seahawks will be going up against a much improved Rams team with one of the top defenses in the league. It should be a great opening weekend to the NFL. The Seahawks as we all know have been great with the legion of boom and beast mode Marshawn Lynch. This off season the Seahawks have gotten one of the best tight ends in the league, Jimmy Graham. The Seahawks have just recently signed Fred Jackson a great veteran back to pair up with Marshawn Lynch. Seahawks are looking good but there just might be a few problems as Kam Chancellor may not play at all this season and the O-line has been really struggling to protect Russell Wilson. The Rams are in conversation to have one of the best defenses in the league especially with that outstanding front 7 with players like Chris Long, Robert Quin, Alec Ogletree, and James Laurinitas. This off season they added Nick Foles but got rid of Sam Bradford who missed all of last season. The rams drafted Todd Gurley and he should have an amazing year but unfortunately he will be missing week 1 so that leaves it to Tre Mason who has been dealing with some hamstring problems and will be a game day decision. In this game I believe the Rams will win this game no matter who is playing Running back. I think Kam Chancellors absence is a huge loss and Earl Thomas may play but he is just coming off of surgery. The last reason why I think the Rams will win is because they have one of the best front 7s in the league and they will be going up against an O-line who has struggled to protect Russell Wilson. It should be a very close game as the Rams will win 20-14.
Carolina Panthers @ Jacksonville Jaguars: This weekend the Carolina Panthers are going up against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Two teams who really have no chances this year unless something magical happens. Starting off with the Panthers they have had some problems during preseason especially when Kelvin Benjamin went down and is out for the year. It looks like Cam will show how good he really is as he loses his best receiver but don't count Greg olsen or that running game out. Rookie wide receiver Devin Funchess will have a big role to play in as Kelvin Benjamin went down. The Panthers defense has been outstanding these past couple of years as they're led by Luke Kuechly and veteran Charles Johnson. I think as long as Luke kuechly and Ron Rivera are there that defense will be good. The Jaguars have had horrible seasons for a long time now but as of now it seems like they might have something to show this year. The Jaguars defense have been beefing up that D-line as they have a great run defense but not so good of a pass defense. On the other side of the ball second year quarterback Blake Bortles will have a better year than last year in my opinion as he has more weapons like Allen Robinson coming back from a injury that sat him out last year. They recently named Tj Yeldon as the starter at running back. On the downside they lost Julius Thomas to an injury but he will play this year. For this game I clearly think the Panthers will win this game, they're just the better team. I expect a big game from the run attack by Jonathon Stewart and also Cam Newton. I think the final score will be 31-16 to the Carolina Panthers.
Arizona Cardinals @ New Orleans Saints: Former Super Bowl champ Drew Brees and the Saints are going up against the Arizona Cardinals who can cause trouble for other teams this year. The Cardinals started off last season 9-1 until Carson Palmer went down with a torn ACL, he was 6-0 in the games he played. This off season the Cardinals added Mike Iupati, Corey peters, Sean Weatherspoon, Lamar Woodley, Chris Johnson and Jermaine Gresham who all will have a serious impact to this team. Unfortunately they lost Peters to season ending injury and Mike Iupati for about 4-5 weeks. In the draft players that stood out most for me in preseason and training camp were Rodney Gunter, Markus Golden, and David Johnson. I think they will all have great seasons. The Arizona Cardinals have a very underrated offense, I think there receivers are good and also the running backs but the offensive line has been struggling thus far. Coming off of an ACL injury Carson Palmer looks to lead the Cardinals in great form this year. On the other side of the ball the defense is outstanding led by Patrick Peterson and Calais Campell, don't sleep on the Honey badger though. The Saints lost Jimmy Graham to Seattle but got Max Unger to help protect Drew Brees. Injuries have been killing the Saints as Keenan Lewis will miss the year, Cj Spiller recent free agent pickup is out for this game and Brandon Browner may have a chance to play. Second year receiver Brandin Cooks is expected to have a great season as him, Mark Ingram, and Drew Brees are expected to lead this offense. For this game I have the cardinals winning, I don't think the Saints have enough to beat the Cardinals as they're dealing with a lot of injuries. The Saints can steal this one from the Cardinals if their O-line doesn't play well but I just don't seeing that happen. I predict the Cardinals will win this game 31-16.
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