Eagles – Giants Preview

Date and Time: Sunday, September 30th, 2012 – 8:30 PM
Spread: Eagles, -2
Broadcasters: Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth
Last Meeting: November 20th, 2011 – Eagles def. Giants, 17-10

The History

These two longtime rivals first met on October 15th, 1933. On that day, the Giants thrashed the Eagles, 56-0. For the sake of the collective psyche of Philadelphians, let’s hope tonight’s affair isn’t a mirror image of the inaugural meeting between these two franchises. Overall, the Giants lead the all-time series 83-75-2. New York and Philadelphia have also met four times in the postseason with each team winning two meetings. Most recently, the Eagles triumphed over Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin in the 2008 Divisional Playoffs en route to their fourth NFC Championship game defeat in Arizona one week later. Sports Illustrated ranked the Eagles-Giants rivalry as the fourth best rivalry in the history of the NFL (behind Chiefs-Raiders, Bears-Packers, and Cowboys-Redskins). The teams split their head-to-head meetings last season. But, the Eagles had won six in a row and 12 of 18 prior to 2011.

The Pick

Tonight is Brian Dawkins’ retirement ceremony prior to the game at the Linc. Many Eagles fans are hoping that the spirit of the evening and the inspiration provided by Weapon-X will propel the Eagles to a victory against their hated rivals.

Sure, Dawkins’ return and number retirement will fire up the crowd and almost certainly the Eagles’ defense. I expect a strong game from the midnight green defenders. Eli Manning has looked superb this season (as he has the past few seasons). But, the Eagles have had plenty of success against Eli his entire career.

My problem with the Eagles in this game is (unsurprisingly) their offense. The only thing the Eagles’ offense proved last week is that the play calling still stinks and the line sans Jason Kelce is very poor. Granted, the Giants’ pass rush has not been tremendously successful this season. But, how can one have faith in Michael Vick to not turn the ball over against the Giants’ blitz? His numbers against the Giants in his career suggest that you should have a little faith:

7 G, 5 W, 2 L, 60.7 CMP%, 5 TD, 3 INT, 83.6 QB Rating

But, Vick has played worse this season than he has at any point in his Eagles’ career. Meanwhile, the offensive line has played just about as poorly as they have since 1998. If Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Osi “Ballerina” Umenyiora have a field day; the Giants will win.

Giants win, 20-14

Week Four Picks

Last Week: 10-6
2012 Season: 27-20-1

Cleveland Browns (0-3) AT Baltimore Ravens (2-1)

The Spread: Baltimore by 12
The Pick: Cleveland
The Score: Baltimore, 27-17
The Rationale: Twelve points is a lot. Even if the Ravens are playing the lowly Cleveland Browns. After back-to-back weeks against tough opponents in Philadelphia and New England, I could see a bit of a letdown here. I’m not picking Cleveland to win. But, I think they’ll hold on and cover what is a very large spread. 

Carolina Panthers (1-2) AT Atlanta Falcons (3-0)

The Spread: Atlanta by 7
The Pick: Carolina
The Score: Carolina, 30-28
The Rationale: The Falcons, my preseason Super Bowl pick, are off to their finest start since their 1998 Super Bowl campaign. Their offense is clicking on all cylinders and Boston College’s Matt Ryan is a frontrunner for MVP. Meanwhile, Carolina is coming off a brutal loss to New York in which they were dominated in every facet of the game. So, naturally, I’m going with Carolina to pull the upset. It’s a must win for the Panthers if they hope to remain relevant in the NFC South.

New England Patriots (1-2) AT Buffalo Bills (2-1)

The Spread: New England by 4
The Pick: New England
The Score: New England, 27-20
The Rationale: Who would have thought that the Patriots would be the team needing a victory here. New England lost in Buffalo last year, but had won seven straight in Orchard Park prior to that defeat. I’ll go with Belichick and Brady when they need a win over Gailey and Fitzpatrick any day of the week.

Minnesota Vikings (2-1) AT Detroit Lions (1-2)

The Spread: Detroit by 4.5
The Pick: Detroit
The Score: Detroit, 30-14
The Rationale: This pick is on the basis of Matt Stafford being able to play through the hamstring injury he incurred last week in Tennessee. I think the Lions could win even with Shaun Hill playing (as long as he isn’t calling any QB sneaks). But, I’m confident that Detroit will have their way at home in a game they need to win with their 5,000 yard signal-caller in the huddle. 

San Diego Chargers (2-1) AT Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)

The Spread: Kansas City by 1
The Pick: San Diego
The Score: San Diego, 28-13
The Rationale: The Chargers have won seven of their last nine games against Kansas City. I think they will make it eight of ten unless Jamaal Charles has another Herculean effort like the 233 yard outburst he provided in New Orleans. 

Seattle Seahawks (2-1) AT St. Louis Rams (1-2)

The Spread: Seattle by 2.5
The Pick: St. Louis
The Score: St. Louis, 24-21
The Rationale: I’m not sold on Russell Wilson after what was an otherwise brutal performance turned victory on Monday night. The Seahawks have won 13 of their last 14 against St. Louis. But, after all the hoopla this week, I think Seattle is going to find it hard to focus on winning in a tough Edward Jones Dome.

San Francisco 49ers (2-1) AT New York Jets (2-1)

The Spread: San Francisco by 4
The Pick: San Francisco
The Score: San Francisco, 27-12
The Rationale: The Jets squeaked by in Miami last weekend thanks in large part to Dolphins coach Joe Philbin icing kicker Nick Folk by calling a timeout right before Folk yanked the game winning kick wide. Moments later, the Jets were victorious after the former Dallas Cowboy connected on his do-over. San Francisco’s defense should wreak havoc on Mark Sanchez. The Tebow watch begins in the Big Apple.

Tennessee Titans (1-2) AT Houston Texans (3-0)

The Spread: Houston by 12
The Pick: Tennessee
The Score: Houston, 38-31
The Rationale: These two teams have split their season series each of the past three years. The Titans defense has looked brutal in the early going, allowing at least 34 points in each of their first three outings. Houston QB Matt Schaub lost part of his ear last week, and he won’t be able to recover in time to cover this huge spread against a division rival. 

Oakland Raiders (1-2) AT Denver Broncos (1-2)

The Spread: Denver by 6.5
The Pick: Denver
The Score: Denver, 24-16
The Rationale: Peyton Manning’s honeymoon in Denver is coming to an end. His opening week victory over the Steelers is becoming overshadowed by his mediocre performances thereafter. Oakland, meanwhile, was able to get by Pittsburgh last week. But, the Mile High City will be no kind land for the Raiders. 

Miami Dolphins (1-2) AT Arizona Cardinals (3-0)

The Spread: Arizona by 6.5
The Pick: Arizona
The Score: Arizona, 29-17
The Rationale: How is the spread for this game just 6.5? Arizona gets to stay at home against a brutal Dolphins’ offense a week after they made the Eagles’ O’ look like Penn State’s. Arizona all the way.

Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) AT Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)

The Spread: Cincinnati by 2.5
The Pick: Cincinnati
The Score: Cincinnati, 25-19
The Rationale: The Bengals have rebounded nicely after a blowout week one loss to Baltimore. Their victories over Cleveland and Washington were just warm-ups for the tougher games ahead on the schedule. This, however, is not one of them. The Bengals should have an easy affair in a sparsely populated EverBank Field.

New Orleans Saints (0-3) AT Green Bay Packers (1-2)

The Spread: Green Bay by 7.5
The Pick: Green Bay
The Score: Green Bay, 34-21
The Rationale: Talk about a tough one for New Orleans to take. The Saints are winless and have to head to Lambeau to take on an angry Green Bay Packers team after Monday night’s debacle of a game. Aaron Rodgers should have a field day against a bad New Orleans defense. 

Washington Redskins (1-2) AT Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-2)

The Spread: Tampa Bay by 3
The Pick: Washington
The Score: Washington, 28-21
The Rationale: I’m not sold on Tampa Bay. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I’m not sold on Tampa Bay. 

New York Giants (2-1) AT Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)

The Spread: Philadelphia by 2
The Pick: New York Giants
The Score: New York Giants, 27-24
The Rationale: Andy Reid proved last week that he is a terribly inconsistent coach who cannot alter his strategy in-game. This week is Brian Dawkins’ retirement ceremony. Maybe if the Eagles still had some players with Weapon-X’s heart, I’d pick them.

Chicago Bears (2-1) AT Dallas Cowboys (2-1)

The Spread: Dallas by 3.5
The Pick: Dallas
The Score: Dallas, 17-13
The Rationale: Anyone actually still think Jay Cutler is a championship caliber QB? The only thing worse than the hissy-fits that Cutler will throw this Monday is the play of his offensive line. When DeMarcus Ware is on the other side, this is never a good thing.

Michael Vick and Andy Reid: Should They Stay or Should They Go?

The day was August 29th, 2011. The story was Michael Vick’s new $100 million contract. The city was abuzz with the news that Vick would be the Philadelphia Eagles’ new franchise Quarterback for years to come. But, less 13 months later, the city’s love affair with their enigmatic signal-caller has waned. 

The former Virginia Tech standout is just 9-7 since the deal with a Jon Kitna’esque 19:20 touchdown to interception ratio. With the promise of rookie QB Nick Foles lurking in the shadows, will this be the final year of the Vick experiment in the City of Brotherly Love? Should the Eagles decide to cut ties with Vick, they can avoid paying millions of dollars in bonus money owed in the latter parts of the now infamous deal. 

There’s no doubt that Vick can be an exciting and dangerous player when his head is on straight. But, the fact of the matter is that he has never improved his decision making or proficiency against the blitz. This past Sunday was no exception. In the Eagles’ 27-6 loss in Arizona, Vick dropped back to pass 46 times and was blitzed on 24 of those downs. Thanks to profootballfocus.com, we can dive even further into these statistics. Against the Cardinals’ blitz, Vick completed just 5 of 21 passes for 109 yards and his QB rating was a disastrous 48.7. This, of course, also raises the question as to why the Eagles don’t utilize LeSean McCoy more in the early parts of games. Andy Reid has always preached that his philosophy is to pass to get the lead and run to preserve said lead. But, when you’re saddled with a signal-caller who cannot read defenses and protect the football, it might be time to change your philosophy. That, or find a new job elsewhere. 

Anyone who thinks that the Eagles will not be facing a dramatic package of blitzes this Sunday night against the Giants is kidding themselves. Opponents have blitzed Vick to the tune of 38 percent of passing plays. This is a staggering number that is only trumped by the amount of blitzes that the Giants have thrown at Vick. In the three games in which New York and Vick have toiled with each other, Tom Coughlin has called on the blitz an average of 46 percent of the time. 

The good news, however, is that Vick has had success in the past against the Giants. He’s 5-2 with a completion percentage of 60. The bad news is that Vick has customarily gotten more inconsistent as the season has gone on over his career:

September: 329-580 (56.7%), 4108 yards, 25 TD – 13 INT, 83.9 rating (15-9 record) 

October: 307-508 (60.4%), 3938 yards, 20 TD – 18 INT, 83.1 rating (15-9 record)

November: 372-666 (55.9%), 4427 yards, 28 TD – 13 INT, 82.2 rating (15-13-1 record)

December: 426-809 (52.7%), 5683 yards, 37 TD – 31 INT, 74.5 rating (19-14 record)

As one can see, Vick has had to pass the ball much more as the season has gone on. This is also something that Andy Reid has become addicted to. When the weather gets worse, most teams choose to run the football to protect the rock. But, Andy Reid, the contrarian that he is, chooses to buck the trend. 

Heading into the season, most fans were concerned that Vick might not finish the season due to the amount of hits he receives and the possibility of another nagging injury hampering his success. Less than a month in, and the story has been re-written. Fans are now calling for his replacement not due to injury, but because of his sheer incapability to lead this team to where they need to be. Is Nick Foles the answer? Probably not. But, at the rate this season is going, we will find out sooner rather than later if Reid and Vick have the goods to deliver a Lombardi Trophy before their time runs out.

 

Week Three Picks in Review

Blue = Correct Pick
Red = Incorrect Pick
Black = Push

New York Giants (1-1) AT Carolina Panthers (1-1)

The Spread: Carolina by 1
The Pick: New York
The Score: New York, 28-24
The Verdict: New York, 36-7

St. Louis Rams (1-1) AT Chicago Bears (1-1)

The Spread: Chicago by 7
The Pick: Chicago
The Score: Chicago, 27-17
The Verdict: Chicago, 23-6

Buffalo Bills (1-1) AT Cleveland Browns (0-2)

The Spread: Buffalo by 3
The Pick: Buffalo
The Score: Buffalo, 31-17
The Verdict: Buffalo, 24-14

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) AT Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

The Spread: Dallas by 7
The Pick: Tampa Bay
The Score: Dallas, 24-19
The Verdict: Dallas, 16-10

Detroit Lions (1-1) AT Tennessee Titans (0-2)

The Spread: Detroit by 3.5
The Pick: Tennessee
The Score: Tennessee, 28-24
The Verdict: Tennessee, 44-41

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) AT Indianapolis Colts (1-1)

The Spread: Indianapolis by 3
The Pick: Indianapolis
The Score: Indianapolis, 27-14
The Verdict: Jacksonville, 22-17

New York Jets (1-1) AT Miami Dolphins (1-1)

The Spread: New York by 2.5
The Pick: New York
The Score: New York, 20-10
The Verdict: New York, 23-20

San Francisco 49ers (2-0) AT Minnesota Vikings (1-1)

The Spread: San Francisco by 7
The Pick: San Francisco
The Score: San Francisco, 34-10
The Verdict: Minnesota, 24-13

Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) AT Washington Redskins (1-1)

The Spread: Washington by 3
The Pick: Washington
The Score: Washington, 29-24
The Verdict: Cincinnati, 38-31

Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) AT New Orleans Saints (0-2)

The Spread: New Orleans by 8.5
The Pick: Kansas City
The Score: New Orleans, 30-23
The Verdict: Kansas City, 27-24

Atlanta Falcons (2-0) AT San Diego Chargers (2-0)

The Spread: San Diego by 3
The Pick: Atlanta
The Score: Atlanta, 24-21
The Verdict: Atlanta, 27-3

Houston Texans (2-0) AT Denver Broncos (1-1)

The Spread: Houston by 2
The Pick: Houston
The Score: Houston, 23-17
The Verdict: Houston, 31-25

Pitttsburgh Steelers (1-1) AT Oakland Raiders (0-2)

The Spread: Pittsburgh by 4.5
The Pick: Pittsburgh
The Score: Pittsburgh, 36-17
The Verdict: Oakland, 34-31

Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) AT Arizona Cardinals (2-0)

The Spread: Philadelphia by 4
The Pick: Philadelphia
The Score: Philadelphia, 21-14
The Verdict: Arizona, 27-6

New England Patriots (1-1) AT Baltimore Ravens (1-1)

The Spread: Baltimore by 3
The Pick: New England
The Score: New England, 26-20
The Verdict: Baltimore, 31-30

Green Bay Packers (1-1) AT Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

The Spread: Green Bay by 3
The Pick: Green Bay
The Score: Green Bay, 28-10
The Verdict: Seattle, 14-12 (Damn referees)

All in all, it was an improvement once again. After a .500 opening week and a 9-6-1 week two, Skood Sports improves to an impressive 10-6. It even could have been 11-5 if the replacement refs didn’t have the eyesight of Mr. Magoo and the brainpower of George W. Bush. Overall, this puts Skood Sports’ record at 27-20-1 through three weeks.

Next week’s picks should be up soon. Be sure to check them out if you’re interested in winning some money.

Week Three Picks

Last Week: 9-6-1
2012 Season: 17-14-1

New York Giants (1-1) AT Carolina Panthers (1-1)

The Spread: Carolina by 1
The Pick: New York
The Score: New York, 28-24
The Rationale: This is a tough nut to crack for a couple of reasons. First, the Giants haven’t looked very consistent this season. They usually struggle towards the beginning of the year before turning it on late. Second, Carolina is at home on a short week whilst New York must travel and play a full game after a hard-fought comeback victory over Tampa Bay on Sunday. I have more faith in the Giants’ weapons to get it done. But, I’m not very confident. 

St. Louis Rams (1-1) AT Chicago Bears (1-1)

The Spread: Chicago by 7
The Pick: Chicago
The Score: Chicago, 27-17
The Rationale: I like what Jeff Fisher is doing with St. Louis. I also think Sam Bradford may have turned the corner last week. But, the Chicago pass rush dwarfs the Washington pass rush sans Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker. Meanwhile, Jay Cutler and Mike Tice will have 11 days to prepare for whatever Fisher will throw at them.

Buffalo Bills (1-1) AT Cleveland Browns (0-2)

The Spread: Buffalo by 3
The Pick: Buffalo
The Score: Buffalo, 31-17
The Rationale: I picked the Bills in week one and then went against them in week two. I lost both times. I liked what I saw from Weeden and Co. in their loss to Cincinnati. But, the Browns’ run defense is putrid, and CJ Spiller is out to make a name for himself. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) AT Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

The Spread: Dallas by 7
The Pick: Tampa Bay
The Score: Dallas, 24-19
The Rationale: I proclaimed my love for the Cowboys last week and they left me at the altar. So, I’m not going to be fooled by another outlandish spread. Dallas is a good team. I think they’ll win this game at home. But, I don’t have enough faith in the mental makeup of the team. Especially when compared to Greg Schiano’s Bucs. 

Detroit Lions (1-1) AT Tennessee Titans (0-2)

The Spread: Detroit by 3.5
The Pick: Tennessee
The Score: Tennessee, 28-24
The Rationale: The Titans can’t possibly fall to 0-3, right? Chris Johnson has to get it together eventually, right? I think at least one of these two are true. Matt Stafford has been turnover prone in his young career, and playing on the road is never a good recipe for a dome team.

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) AT Indianapolis Colts (1-1)

The Spread: Indianapolis by 3
The Pick: Indianapolis
The Score: Indianapolis, 27-14
The Rationale: On paper, the Jaguars may have the better offensive weapons. But, I’ll take Andrew Luck over Blaine Gabbert any day of the week. Jacksonville, as I have mentioned previously, is in for a long season. If they lose this game, they stare at a potential 0-5 start heading into their week six bye. 

New York Jets (1-1) AT Miami Dolphins (1-1)

The Spread: New York by 2.5
The Pick: New York
The Score: New York, 20-10
The Rationale: I love this pick. In fact, I don’t see any way you shouldn’t be putting money on New York this weekend. The Dolphins beat a brutal Oakland team last week and have a cross-country trip to Arizona on the horizon. If Darrelle Revis is back, put this one in the stone-cold, lead-pipe lock column.

San Francisco 49ers (2-0) AT Minnesota Vikings (1-1)

The Spread: San Francisco by 7
The Pick: San Francisco
The Score: San Francisco, 34-10
The Rationale: Yes, it’s a road game. But, the 49ers have already proven they can go in to tough environments and win. The Vikings have looked about as good as their record this season. They’ve gotten lucky to have played Jacksonville and Indianapolis the past two weeks. Alex Smith and the 49ers’ defense will remind Vikings’ fans of their place in the NFC North. 

Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) AT Washington Redskins (1-1)

The Spread: Washington by 3
The Pick: Washington
The Score: Washington, 29-24
The Rationale: Redskins’ QB Robert Griffin III has taken the NFL by storm. Come Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals will be the next victim. I think these two teams may be about as equal in talent as possible in the NFL. But, home field and RG3 will be the difference in this affair. 

Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) AT New Orleans Saints (0-2)

The Spread: New Orleans by 8.5
The Pick: Kansas City
The Score: New Orleans, 30-23
The Rationale: This matchup of disappointing 0-2 teams will take place Sunday afternoon. The Chiefs have their work cut out for them. This spread is a bit too high for my taste. If it were 6 or 7, I might bite. I think New Orleans wins this one. But, I have enough faith in a team trying to keep their season from spiraling out of control to keep this one close.

Atlanta Falcons (2-0) AT San Diego Chargers (2-0)

The Spread: San Diego by 3
The Pick: Atlanta
The Score: Atlanta, 24-21
The Rationale: I don’t get the hype for the Chargers. Who have they played? They beat the hapless Oakland Raiders on the road before triumphing at home against a banged up Tennessee Titans’ squad. Atlanta has proven time-and-time-again that they are good enough to win the big games. Norv Turner has never proven anything but gross incompetence. 

Houston Texans (2-0) AT Denver Broncos (1-1)

The Spread: Houston by 2
The Pick: Houston
The Score: Houston, 23-17
The Rationale: The Texans finally get a true test after kicking off the season against Big Ten teams Jacksonville and Miami. Matt Schaub and Arian Foster have looked good, and Peyton Manning looked abysmal against Atlanta. I expect the Texans to run many of the same coverages that were so successful for the Falcons. 

Pitttsburgh Steelers (1-1) AT Oakland Raiders (0-2)

The Spread: Pittsburgh by 4.5
The Pick: Pittsburgh
The Score: Pittsburgh, 36-17
The Rationale: I think I’ve made myself clear in my utter disdain for the Oakland Raiders. The Carson Palmer trade has turned into a disaster and their offense is entirely too reliant on Darren McFadden. The Steelers looked impressive on defense in their win over the Jets. The New York offense may not be anything to write home about. But, when compared to the Raiders’, Rex Ryan’s group resembles the 1998 Minnesota Vikings. 

Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) AT Arizona Cardinals (2-0)

The Spread: Philadelphia by 4
The Pick: Philadelphia
The Score: Philadelphia, 21-14
The Rationale: I want to pick this to finish in a one-point game. But, then I’d have to pick Arizona. I just can’t foresee Kevin Kolb actually beating the Eagles if they get a decent pass-rush. My biggest concern right now is the Philadelphia offensive line after losing C Jason Kelce and LT King Dunlap. 

New England Patriots (1-1) AT Baltimore Ravens (1-1)

The Spread: Baltimore by 3
The Pick: New England
The Score: New England, 26-20
The Rationale: Both teams are talented. Both teams know each other. The rematch of last January’s AFC Championship Game pits two teams coming off their first loss of the season. Does anyone really think Bill Belichick and Tom Brady will fall to 1-2? Oh, and coming this Christmas for your child’s delight, a new book from the creator of “Where’s Waldo?” It’s called, “Where’s Welker?!?” If you can find him, let his fantasy owners know. 

Green Bay Packers (1-1) AT Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

The Spread: Green Bay by 3
The Pick: Green Bay
The Score: Green Bay, 28-10
The Rationale: Seattle is the toughest place to play in the NFL according to many studies. I learned the hard way last week that picking against Seattle when they’re at home is a bad strategy. So, I’ll echo the definition of insanity and try the same thing again. Typically, I would learn from my mistakes. But, like Mitt Romney in a presidential campaign, I’ll just keep doing the same old thing. 

Week Two Picks in Review

Last week, SkoodSports’ picks were the definition of mediocrity at 8-8. Now I know how the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles felt, when a season of hope and promise concluded at a disappointing .500. Let’s see how I did this week:

Blue = Correct Pick
Red = Incorrect Pick
Green = Push

Chicago Bears (1-0) AT Green Bay Packers (0-1)

The Spread: Green Bay by 6
The Pick: Green Bay
The Score: Green Bay, 28-21
The Verdict: Green Bay, 23-10. The Packers rebounded from a poor effort in week one to absolutely trounce their rivals from the Midway. Jay Cutler had the worst game of his career, completing just 11 passes whilst being sacked seven times. 

Kansas City Chiefs (0-1) AT Buffalo Bills (0-1)

The Spread: Buffalo by 3
The Pick: Kansas City
The Score: Kansas City, 24-21
The Verdict: Buffalo, 35-17. My preseason confidence in Kansas City seems to have led me astray here in the early weeks of 2012. The Kansas City defense and special teams were absolutely overmatched a week after their defense resembled the Duke Blue Devils in a loss to Atlanta. 

Cleveland Browns (0-1) AT Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)

The Spread: Cincinnati by 7
The Pick: Cleveland
The Score: Cincinnati, 14-10
The Verdict: Cincinnati, 34-27. Pass defense was nonexistent in this game as QB’s Brandon Weeden and Andy Dalton combined to go 50-68 for 640 yards and five touchdowns. Trent Richardson had a memorable day, as well. The rookie RB from Alabama rushed for over 100 yards with a rushing and receiving touchdown. He’s the first rookie to accomplish this feat since the Packers’ Samkon Gado in 2005. 

Minnesota Vikings (1-0) AT Indianapolis Colts (0-1)

The Spread: Minnesota by 2
The Pick: Minnesota
The Score: Minnesota, 28-17
The Verdict: Indianapolis, 23-20. I overestimated Adrian Peterson’s effectiveness. Vikings’ QB Christian Ponder was strong (27-35, 245, 2 TD). But, Indianapolis rookie QB Andrew Luck grabs his first victory in his first home game. 

Oakland Raiders (0-1) AT Miami Dolphins (0-1)

The Spread: Oakland by 3
The Pick: Miami
The Score: Miami, 19-16
The Verdict: Miami, 35-13. Glad to see I saw through this spread. Oakland traveling across country to play an early game in Miami? No thanks. Ryan Tannehill (18-30, 200, 1 TD) became the second rookie QB to grab his first victory in week two. 

Arizona Cardinals (1-0) AT New England Patriots (1-0)

The Spread: New England by 14
The Pick: Arizona
The Score: New England, 30-17
The Verdict: Arizona, 20-18. Let me say that I was shocked when Stephen Gostkowski shanked a chip-shot field goal in the waning moments to clinch New England’s first home-opening loss since 2001. But, let the record show that I did believe that New England would have to play well to win this game. We will just call this sweet redemption for Billy Cundiff in the AFC Championship Game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) AT New York Giants (0-1)

The Spread: New York by 9
The Pick: New York
The Score: New York, 41-21
The Verdict: New York, 41-34. The Giants rebounded from an early hole to make this pick close. Eli Manning (31-51, 510, 3 TD – 3 INT) went from first half dog to a record setting day.

Baltimore Ravens (1-0) AT Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)

The Spread: Philadelphia by 2.5
The Pick: Philadelphia
The Score: Philadelphia, 26-23.
The Verdict: Philadelphia, 24-23. Let the record show that I am completely at ease with losing this pick. I went back and forth on it and had originally picked Baltimore to cover. But, my confidence rose during the week, and, if it weren’t for five turnovers (what else is new), the Eagles would have covered with ease.

New Orleans Saints (0-1) AT Carolina Panthers (0-1)

The Spread: New Orleans by 3
The Pick: Carolina
The Score: Carolina, 31-24
The Verdict: Carolina, 35-27. It doesn’t get much better than that. I picked Carolina as a home underdog to beat the defending NFC South champions by 7 and they take it by 8. Cam Newton (14-20, 253, 1 TD) rebounds from a difficult opening week to lead the Panthers to their first win.

Houston Texans (1-0) AT Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)

The Spread: Houston by 8
The Pick: Houston
The Score: Houston, 24-13
The Verdict: Houston, 27-7. I wouldn’t call this a difficult pick. The Texans are the undisputed class of the AFC South and have developed into one of the finest franchises in football. The Jaguars, meanwhile, have one foot on the gas pedal to Los Angeles. Arian Foster earned his status as #1 fantasy pick by galloping 28 times for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Washington Redskins (1-0) AT St. Louis Rams (0-1)

The Spread: Washington by 3
The Pick: St. Louis
The Score: St. Louis, 26-23
The Verdict: St. Louis, 31-28. Bang! Nailed it. Sam Bradford (26-35, 310, 3 TD) and the Rams’ offense looked dynamite even without veteran RB Steven Jackson. Meanwhile, special thanks to Washington WR Josh Morgan for throwing the ball at Rams’ CB Cortland Finnegan after a catch late in the fourth. The resulting 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty took the Redskins out of field goal range and prevented a trip to overtime.

Dallas Cowboys (1-0) AT Seattle Seahawks (0-1)

The Spread: Dallas by 3
The Pick: Dallas
The Score: Dallas, 34-14
The Rationale: Seattle, 27-7. This is the last time I exude this much confidence in Tony Romo and Jason Garrett. The “anointed one,” Garrett has looked more like Barry Switzer on the sideline than Jimmy Johnson in Big D’.

New York Jets (1-0) AT Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)

The Spread: Pittsburgh by 6
The Pick: New York
The Score: Pittsburgh, 17-14
The Rationale: Pittsburgh, 27-10. I thought New York could keep this one close. For much of the game, they did (13-10 Steelers at the half). But, the futility of the Jets’ offense resurrected itself in a tough road game against a fearless defense that was without SS Troy Polamalu and OLB James Harrison. 

Tennessee Titans (0-1) AT San Diego Chargers (1-0)

The Spread: Chargers by 6
The Pick: Push
The Score: Chargers, 26-20
The Rationale: Chargers, 38-10. So much for Tennessee being a sleeper pick this season. The Chargers showed that despite the exportation of so much talent recently, they still have the firepower to win the AFC West. This was San Diego Head Coach Norv Turner’s first 2-0 start in his 14 year head coaching career. 

Detroit Lions (1-0) At San Francisco 49ers (1-0)

The Spread: San Francisco by 7
The Pick: San Francisco
The Score: San Francisco, 28-14
The Verdict: San Francisco, 27-19. Barely snuck this one past the spread. The 49ers are obviously a very talented team on both sides of the ball. But, it’s truly impressive how Alex Smith, once thought of as a complete NFL bust, has resurrected his career under Jim Harbaugh. 

Denver Broncos (1-0) AT Atlanta Falcons (1-0)

The Spread: Atlanta by 3
The Pick: Atlanta
The Score: Atlanta, 34-29
The Verdict: Everybody knew the Falcons had a tremendous offense. It was their defense that made noise on Monday night against Peyton Manning and the Broncos. The future Hall-of-Famer tossed three first half picks and finished with a 58.5 passer rating in the loss. 

It was certainly a rebound from last week. After an 8-8 week one, Skood Sports’ comes up with a 9-6-1 record for this past weekend. At this rate, I should be undefeated in no time. 

Who Will You Be Watching This Sunday?

In a perfect world, we would all have NFL Sunday Ticket or at least the ability to choose what game we would like to watch on cable. Unfortunately, every NFL fan knows that this is not the case. This is especially the case for college students who go away to school and would still like to watch their hometown team. Which is why it is critical to check out the NFL TV Distribution Maps provided exclusively by the506.com. The method for NFL broadcasting is pretty simple. Both FOX and CBS have broadcasting rights to NFL games on Sunday between 1:00 PM and 8:00 PM EST. If the game being broadcasted has a road NFC team, the game will be shown on FOX. If the road team is from the AFC, the game will be on CBS. The two networks also alternate week-by-week doubleheaders. Since FOX had the national game of the week with 49ers-Packers last Sunday, CBS will have the doubleheader this weekend. Below is a detailed listing and maps of this Sunday’s match ups and where they will be broadcasted. The color of each matchup corresponds to the area on the national map where that game will be broadcasted on cable. Once again, all credit goes to the506.com:

NFL on FOX (Singleheader)

Early Games: 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers AT New York Giants (Joe Buck/Troy Aikman)
Minnesota Vikings AT Indianapolis Colts (Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick)
(yellow) Arizona Cardinals AT New England Patriots (Dick Stockton/John Lynch)
New Orleans Saints AT Carolina Panthers (Ron Pitts/Mike Martz)

Late Games:

Dallas Cowboys AT Seattle Seahawks (Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa)
Washington Redskins AT St. Louis Rams (Chris Myers/Tim Ryan)

NFL on CBS (Early Game)

Baltimore Ravens AT Philadelphia Eagles (Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf)
Houston Texans AT Jacksonville Jaguars (Marv Albert/Rich Gannon)
Oakland Raiders AT Miami Dolphins (Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots)
(Yellow) Cleveland Browns AT Cincinnati Bengals (Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker)
Kansas City Chiefs AT Buffalo Bills (Spero Dedes/Steve Beuerlein)
No game due to NFL rules.

NFL on CBS (Late Game)

New York Jets AT Pittsburgh Steelers (Jim Nantz/Phil Simms)
Tennessee Titans AT San Diego Chargers (Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts)
No game due to NFL rules.

Baltimore Ravens AT Philadelphia Eagles

Date and Time: Sunday, September 16th, 2012 – 1:00 PM
Spread: Eagles, -2.5
Network: CBS
Announcers: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Last Meeting: November 23rd, 2008 – Ravens def. Eagles 36-7

The History

The Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles only get to play once every four years. With the way the schedule is orchestrated, the AFC North and NFC East always meet during a presidential election year. Their all-time record is 1-1-1; having played just twice since a 1997 tie in Baltimore in Bobby Hoying’s first NFL start (shudder). In their last meeting in November, 2008, the Ravens absolutely pummeled the Eagles en route to a 36-7 victory in John Harbaugh’s first season as head coach in Baltimore after serving under Andy Reid as an Eagles’ assistant since 1999.

That game came a week following the Eagles’ disappointing 13-13 tie in Cincinnati in which Donovan McNabb was famously quoted as having not known the NFL overtime rules. As one can see, McNabb was tormented by Baltimore prior to being benched in favor of Kevin Kolb in the second half. Four days later, the Eagles rebounded against Arizona and set off a furious fight to the finish that eventually culminated in an NFC Championship Game loss to the Cardinals.

The Eagles

The good news is, this is a much different Eagles team than it was four years ago. McNabb, Brian Westbrook, and Kevin Curtis are now retired. They’re replaced by Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy, and Jeremy Maclin. A lot has been made of Vick’s struggles last week against Cleveland. But, prior to that game, Vick had an abundance of success against AFC North opponents in his career. His 5-3-1 record against the division includes a 2002 tie against Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, his 15 TD – 10 INT ratio looks much more impressive when one considers that he threw four interceptions just last week. He has not had a lot of experience against Baltimore, going 1-1 in two games with a 51.1 completion percentage and a 67.2 passer rating.

“Shady” McCoy will need to be a lethal weapon this Sunday if Philadelphia hopes to walk out of Lincoln Financial Field with a victory. His numbers last week (26 total touches for 136 yards) were good. But, the play calling focused too much on the passing game and there were points during the 2nd and 3rd quarter where McCoy became an afterthought as Vick dropped back to pass 56 times in the game.

On defense, Philadelphia experienced their finest game statistically in years. Cleveland QB Brandon Weeden looked like the 28-year old rookie he was as he was limited to just 12 completions on 35 attempts and was intercepted four times. The Eagles had a decent pass rush. But, they’ll hope that Trent Cole can make more of an impact after being held sack-less in week one.

The Ravens

The Ravens experienced the thrill of victory on Monday night, blowing out a divisional rival for the second consecutive season on opening weekend, 44-13 over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Baltimore’s offense has long relied on ball control and physicality. Expect a lot of Ray Rice (10 carries for 68 yards) after he received a limited workload against the Bengals. Their receiving corps is highlighted by big, bruising possession receiver Anquan Boldin and speedy, young target Torrey Smith. The Eagles completely shut down Cleveland’s passing game last week. But, Boldin and Smith combined for 6 receptions and 120 yards last week and should give Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie more of a test.

The Ravens’ defense is not quite what it used to be. But, they’re still a formidable bunch. MLB Ray Lewis (pictured) and FS Ed Reed are the veteran leaders who, despite injuries and fatigue, still contribute to their teams. Meanwhile, NT Haloti Ngata is perhaps the most difficult defensive lineman to match up against in the NFL. His combination of size and speed make him a terror for lines to deal with. If the Eagles are to keep Michael Vick out of intensive care, the offensive line will need to improve on their penalty filled performance in Cleveland.

The Facts

– Think the Ravens’ defense has been good for a long time? Baltimore is the only team in the NFL to have four defensive coordinators become head coaches in a ten-year span. In 2003, Cincinnati named Marvin Lewis (the mastermind of the 2000 Super Bowl champion defense) head coach and he has remained there ever since. From 2005-2008, Lewis’ successor, Mike Nolan, was head coach in San Francisco. His tenure was memorable mostly for his choice of dress suits instead of track suits on the sideline rather than anything that happened on the field. In 2009, the New York Jets announced that Rex Ryan, then the Ravens’ D-Coordinator, would become their new head coach. He has since led his team to two AFC title games. Finally, Chuck Pagano was named Indianapolis’ coach after just one season as coordinator in 2011. It’s also worth noting that Mike Singletary (SF 2008-2010), Jack Del Rio (JAX 2003-2011), and Mike Smith (ATL 2008-present) were Ravens’ assistant coaches prior to earning their head coaching positions.

– Most of the Eagles’ defensive players have never played Baltimore. In fact, the only Eagle on defense with more than one game experience against the Ravens is DeMeco Ryans, who had 11 tackles in two career games (both losses).

– Concerned about the Ravens’ week one domination against Cincinnati and what that could mean for the Eagles? Don’t fret. Baltimore is typically mediocre on the road (8-8 the past two seasons). Last year, the Ravens opened up the season with a primetime domination of the Pittsburgh Steelers at home, 35-7. The following week, they laid an egg in Tennessee, falling on the road, 26-13.

The Pick

On my official predictions, I went with the Ravens. It would be unethical for me to change my pick now, right? Well, there are no ethics in blogging. So, I’ll make like a Mitt Romney for the first time in my life and flip-flop.

Why the Eagles will win: Philadelphia comes in fresh off just about the ugliest win you will ever witness. But, there are a few things that we learned in that game that will greatly aid them this week. First, the Eagles’ defense is for real. After a let-down in 2011 under first year coordinator Juan Castillo, the Birds flew through Cleveland, forcing turnover after turnover and limiting Trent Richardson on the ground. If a team wants to know the blueprint to defeating Baltimore, it all starts with stopping Ray Rice in the ground and screen games. Cleveland did not try many screens last week. Expect Baltimore to bait the blitz then attempt to beat them with the screen.

Second, Joe Flacco is wildly inconsistent. People have been trying to anoint the former Delaware Blue Hen as elite for years. But, he can never seem to keep it together when it matters the most. Last year, Flacco followed up a beautiful 17-29, 3 TD performance to open the season against Pittsburgh with a brutal 15-32, 2 interception display against Tennessee. The following week, rebounded by going 27-48 with 3 TD against St. Louis. The next two weeks after that were mired with inconsistency (including a 10-31 performance against the Jets). Flacco has not been able to prove that he is a consistent, elite QB. It is for this reason that he can’t be relied upon to match his impressive week one. Eagles win: 28-23

Skoods’ Week Two Picks

Last Week: 8-8
2012 Season: 8-8

Chicago Bears (1-0) AT Green Bay Packers (0-1)

The Spread: Green Bay by 6
The Pick: Green Bay
The Score: Green Bay, 28-21
The Rationale: The Packers absolutely need to win this game after losing at home to San Francisco to start the season. Bears’ QB Jay Cutler struggled at times and even through an ugly interception for a touchdown against a putrid Indianapolis defense, last week.

Kansas City Chiefs (0-1) AT Buffalo Bills (0-1)

The Spread: Buffalo by 3
The Pick: Kansas City
The Score: Kansas City, 24-21
The Rationale: Both teams are in dire need of a victory after shocking blowout losses in week one. The Bills look atrocious against the Jets, getting dominated in every facet of the game. If Jamaal Charles can run the ball successfully, I do not see Buffalo having enough offensively to stay with a tough Kansas City team.

Cleveland Browns (0-1) AT Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)

The Spread: Cincinnati by 7
The Pick: Cleveland
The Score: Cincinnati, 14-10
The Rationale: Both Cleveland and Cincinnati’s offenses looked putrid last week. But, the Browns’ defense looked much better in containing Michael Vick than the Bengals’ did at limiting Joe Flacco. For this reason only do I have Cleveland covering the spread. The over-under for this game is 38.5. I suggest the under.

Minnesota Vikings (1-0) AT Indianapolis Colts (0-1)

The Spread: Minnesota by 2
The Pick: Minnesota
The Score: Minnesota, 28-17
The Rationale: The Vikings win the award for easiest schedule in the first few weeks of the season. Of course, the next couple of games are a gauntlet as Minnesota has San Francisco and Detroit on the slate. But, the Colts have absolutely no running game and a rookie QB playing his first home game. It might be close, but Adrian Peterson should have enough juice in his knees to pull the Vikings to their first 2-0 start since 2009.

Oakland Raiders (0-1) AT Miami Dolphins (0-1)

The Spread: Oakland by 3
The Pick: Miami
The Score: Miami, 19-16
The Rationale: I know. I said that you should pick against the Dolphins every week this season if you are playing a suicide pool. But, this would be the one week I would avoid. In perhaps the worst game of the week, I believe that Ryan Tannehill will grab his first victory in his home opener against the Raiders. There’s just too many questions on offense for Oakland.

Arizona Cardinals (1-0) AT New England Patriots (1-0)

The Spread: New England by 14
The Pick: Arizona
The Score: New England, 30-17
The Rationale: I have just two rules when picking games and in this instance they drastically conflict. #1. Always be wary of a west-coast team traveling to the east coast for a 1:00 PM game. #2. Never pick a favorite who is giving double-digit points in an NFL game. Yes, Arizona is traveling cross-country to Foxboro, where teams rarely get out alive. However, 14 points is a ton for an NFL team to win by. Especially one with a young defense and questions in the running game. If New England gets a big lead, can their defense and running game keep Arizona off the field and the scoreboard enough to cover? I do not think they can. Kevin Kolb is starting this one. So, I will probably regret this pick.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) AT New York Giants (0-1)

The Spread: New York by 9
The Pick: New York
The Score: New York, 41-21
The Rationale: I’ll jump on the high-throttle offense bandwagon for this one. I don’t like to pick high scores. But, with the way the NFL is changing, high scoring will remain the norm. The Giants will rebound from a disappointing opening night loss to Dallas by pummeling a much-improved Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. Expect at least 5 sacks of Josh Freeman.

Baltimore Ravens (1-0) AT Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)

The Spread: Philadelphia by 2.5
The Pick: Philadelphia
The Score: Philadelphia, 26-23.
The Rationale: When was the last Eagles’ win that felt so underwhelming? You’ll find out the answer to that in our Eagles’ preview later in the week. But, one thing you can bet on is that the offense will not look quite as anemic as last week, even against a defense as stout as Baltimore’s. The problem I see, however, is the play-calling. If Andy Reid throws less than 35 times this week, I see Philadelphia winning. If he reverts back to his pass-happy nature, Baltimore will moonwalk out of Lincoln Financial Field to a chorus of boos and a shower of batteries from the Eagles’ faithful.

New Orleans Saints (0-1) AT Carolina Panthers (0-1)

The Spread: New Orleans by 3
The Pick: Carolina
The Score: Carolina, 31-24
The Rationale: The Saints’ defense looked abysmal against rookie QB Robert Griffin III at home. What makes anyone think they will suddenly improve against a more seasoned but similar style of QB in Cam Newton? The Panthers haven’t beaten the Saints since their season finale in 2009. But, they should have Jonathan Stewart back from injury and starting 0-2 in the division would cripple any hopes of a playoff berth in 2012.

Houston Texans (1-0) AT Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)

The Spread: Houston by 8
The Pick: Houston
The Score: Houston, 24-13
The Rationale: The Texans swept the Jaguars last season, but they were held under 30 points in both games. I think that we will see a similar story this week. The Texans’ defense should limit Jacksonville on the scoreboard. But, I have enough respect for the Jaguars’ preventative unit to stop Houston from running up the score.

Washington Redskins (1-0) AT St. Louis Rams (0-1)

The Spread: Washington by 3
The Pick: St. Louis
The Score: St. Louis, 26-23
The Rationale: It wouldn’t be the NFL without an upset here or there. Jeff Fisher’s Rams looked mighty impressive defensively in forcing turnovers and almost pulling out a victory against Detroit. Granted, few units looked better than Washington’s offense did in thrashing New Orleans. But, a rookie QB and RB tandem is bound for a few hiccups along the way. Look for St. Louis’ ball hawking defense to force a few RGIII picks and hold on for their first victory of 2012.

Dallas Cowboys (1-0) AT Seattle Seahawks (0-1)

The Spread: Dallas by 3
The Pick: Dallas
The Score: Dallas, 34-14
The Rationale: Seattle is known as the toughest place to play for road teams in the NFL. But, the Cowboys have a truly talented offense and the best pass rusher in football going against a rookie quarterback and a banged up Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks have one of the best pass defenses in football, so expect Jason Garrett’s play calling to rely a lot on DeMarco Murray. The fact that Dallas has 11 days between games does not bode well for Seattle, either.

New York Jets (1-0) AT Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)

The Spread: Pittsburgh by 6
The Pick: New York
The Score: Pittsburgh, 17-14
The Rationale: I don’t think that New York is quite as good as last weeks blowout victory against Buffalo. However, I do believe that their defense is still mighty talented. Couple that with an atrocious offensive line in the Steel City and I don’t see Pittsburgh running away with this one. If Mark Sanchez plays as well as last weekend, however, New York will win and will likely challenge New England for supremacy in the AFC East.

Tennessee Titans (0-1) AT San Diego Chargers (1-0)

The Spread: Chargers by 6
The Pick: Push
The Score: Chargers, 26-20
The Rationale: This is a tough game to pick. So, I’ll take the cop out and go with the push. San Diego’s defense looked impressive in shutting down Oakland on Monday night. But, a lot of that has to do with just how brutal the Raiders are. Meanwhile, Tennessee enters this one coming off a loss to New England in which Chris Johnson looked slow and Jake Locker separated his shoulder. I still like their defense, though.

Detroit Lions (1-0) At San Francisco 49ers (1-0)

The Spread: San Francisco by 7
The Pick: San Francisco
The Score: San Francisco, 28-14
The Rationale: There are two NFC teams that I believe have the offense to trump San Francisco’s defense at this point. One was Green Bay. The other is Detroit. The 49ers already proved that the Packers were no match. Will Calvin Johnson be able to succeed where few others have?

Denver Broncos (1-0) AT Atlanta Falcons (1-0)

The Spread: Atlanta by 3
The Pick: Atlanta
The Score: Atlanta, 34-29
The Rationale: I learned my lesson picking against the Falcons last weekend. Yes, Denver is for real. But, so is Atlanta. If Denver can’t duplicate the pressure they achieved against Pittsburgh, they will be picked apart by the Falcons’ daunting passing attack.

Week One Picks in Review

Dallas @ New York Giants (-3.5)

The Spread: New York Giants
The Score: New York Giants, 20-14
The Verdict: Dallas, 24-17. I underestimated Dallas’ running game and overestimated the Giants ability to defend their home turf moments after receiving their rings. 0-1.

Indianapolis @ Chicago (-9.5)

The Spread: Chicago Bears
The Score: Chicago Bears, 28-13
The Verdict: Chicago, 41-21. Got this one right. Jay Cutler did his finest to make me look like a fool early, starting the game 1-13. But, he rebounded and Andrew Luck’s first victory will have to wait at least one more week. 1-1.

Philadelphia (-8.5) @ Cleveland

The Spread: Philadelphia Eagles
The Score: Philadelphia Eagles, 34-14
The Verdict: Philadelphia, 17-16. Man, was this the ugliest game you have ever seen, or what? The Eagles’ offense will have to improve against Baltimore if they hope to avoid 66,000 boos at Lincoln Financial Field. 1-2.

Buffalo @ New York Jets (-3.5)

The Spread: Buffalo Bills
The Score: Buffalo Bills, 14-6
The Verdict: New York, 48-28. After a pre-season without an offensive touchdown from their starters, I believed that the Jets’ offense would be stymied by Buffalo. Boy, was I wrong. Granted, their defense and special teams aided in a couple of scores. But, Buffalo’s defense looked embarrassing. 1-3.

Washington @ New Orleans (-7.5)

The Spread: Washington Redskins
The Score: New Orleans Saints, 24-21
The Verdict: Washington, 40-32. Got this one right against the spread. I had a feeling that Washington would come out flying against a Saints team that had an abundance of distractions to deal with. But, I never expected they would put up 40 points. The Saints D’ will have to figure it out soon, or it will be “Danger, Will Robinson!” 2-3.

New England (-5.5) @ Tennessee

The Spread: New England Patriots
The Score: New England Patriots, 27-21
The Verdict: New England, 34-13. The Patriots are always a safe bet, even on the road to open the season. Tom Brady got 2012 off to a fine start. Really, the only disappointment for New England in week one was the obvious decline of Rob Gronkowski’s spiking skills. 3-3.

Gronk needs to spend more time spiking and less time soliciting porn stars.

Jacksonville @ Minnesota (-3.5)

The Spread: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Score: Minnesota Vikings, 21-20
The Verdict: Minnesota, 26-23 (OT). Adrian Peterson and Blair Walsh (55 yard field goal as time expired in regulation) proved to be the heroes for Minnesota after QB Blaine Gabbert and the Jaguars had come back to take a 3-point lead with less than :30 to play. But, by that point, it didn’t matter. I won this pick thanks to the half-point on the spread. 4-3

Miami @ Houston (-12.5)

The Spread: Houston Texans
The Score: Houston Texans, 30-13
The Verdict: Houston, 30-10. Hey, hey, hey. What do you say? Just barely missed nailing this score prediction. Quick suggestion. If you’re in a suicide pool this season; make sure you pick whomever is playing Miami or Cleveland as much as you can. Trust me. 5-3.

St. Louis @ Detroit (-7)

The Pick: Detroit Lions
The Score: Detroit Lions, 29-14
The Verdict: Detroit, 27-23. This one comes in as a loss. Unfortunately, Matt Stafford thought it would be a fine way to off the season by throwing three interceptions to one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL last season. Lucky for the Lions, they came back and won. Unlucky for me, it was by just four points. 5-4.

Atlanta (-3) @ Kansas City

The Pick: Kansas City Chiefs
The Score: Kansas City Chiefs, 28-24
The Verdict: Atlanta, 40-24. Another suggestion. When you pick a team to win the Super Bowl, do not pick against them in week one. I had Matt Ryan and the Falcons going all the way this season. But, I thought that Kansas City would hold fort at home. Too bad. 5-5.

San Francisco @ Green Bay (-5)

The Pick: San Francisco 49ers
The Score: Green Bay Packers, 26-23
The Verdict: San Francisco, 30-22. There’s no way that anyone should have put money on Green Bay in this one. Yes, they were at home. But, San Francisco’s defense is the undisputed #1 unit in the NFL. The Giants had already provided a blueprint for beating Aaron Rodgers in last year’s divisional playoff. Watch out for San Francisco. 6-5

Carolina (-2.5) @ Tampa Bay

The Pick: Carolina Panthers
The Score: Carolina Panthers, 41-17
The Verdict: Tampa Bay, 16-10. “Buzz, your girlfriend. Woof!” 6-6.

Seattle (-2.5) @ Arizona 

The Pick: Seattle Seahawks
The Score: Seattle Seahawks, 21-17
The Verdict: Arizona, 20-16. I’d like to argue that if John Skelton never got hurt, this pick could have come to fruition. But, like the Seahawks offense that got 4 time outs in the second half due to officiating error; I have no one to blame but myself. 6-7.

Pittsburgh @ Denver (-1.5)

The Pick: Denver Broncos
The Score: Denver Broncos, 26-21
The Verdict: Denver, 31-19. The Broncos are in for a special season if #18 can stay healthy. Peyton Manning looked like his old self as he picked apart Pittsburgh’s vaunted defense for much of the game. Meanwhile, the Steelers’ offensive line appears to have more holes than Ilya Bryzgalov between the pipes in a playoff game. 7-7.

Cincinnati @ Baltimore (-6)

The Pick: Cincinnati Bengals
The Score: Baltimore Ravens, 19-16
The Verdict: Ravens, 44-13. What does it take for a guy to jump off a bandwagon after one game? This result right here is the answer. The Ravens utterly dominated their division rival in every facet of the game. Cincinnati better figure out their offensive line or Andy Dalton could be the next ginger to lose his soul. 7-8.

Bengals’ RT Andre Smith looking fit as a fiddle.

San Diego (-1) @ Oakland

The Pick: San Diego Chargers
The Score: San Diego Chargers, 20-10
The Verdict: San Diego, 22-14. This game was not as close as the one possession difference indicated. The Raiders’ offense is looking like a one-man show, and RB Darren McFadden can only do so much. They have no wide receivers, no offensive line, and certainly no backup long snapper. 8-8.

So, there you have it. After one week of predictions, I am 8-8. Just like the Eagles last season, I’ll hope to improve on my mediocrity as the weeks go on. (Clears throat), time’s yours.