Daniel: This week should be a piece of cake for me and here's why. I think Pete picks games with his heart sometimes and while I can't fault him for that, I do think it works out in my favor. I know this because the two of us get into heated arguments over the NFL all the time and just because it's on paper and not verbal doesn't mean things will cool off much. Enjoy the show people.
Pete: Don't get cocky, Daniel. I know you're my senior, but I'm not going to forget about how I nailed the score for last year's Thursday opener almost to a tee. I have skills in Punt, Pass & Pick, and it's going to be fun to see all my picks come true.
Baltimore vs. Cincinnati (-1)
Daniel: I like Pete but he does have one flaw: he's a Bengals fan. I think he's from Cincy or something but that's still no excuse. Anyway, the Bengals aren't 100 percent and Ravens are starting Joe Flacco, which tells me that these two teams will be jockeying for position at the bottom of the division this year. But Flacco? Seriously? He couldn't even escape the Towson secondary without an interception last year. Still, the Ravens will run the ball and control the clock, thus winning the game.
Pick: Ravens
Pete: I wouldn't call being a Bengals fan a flaw. In fact, this year they are expected to fail much worse than they will. In addition, they match up very well against the injury-plagued Ravens right now. Willis McGahee will be playing hurt, and Ray Rice is raw, but Cincinnati's linebacker situation is pretty rough right now. The key will be Joe Flacco as the starter; that announcement was the best thing that has ever happened to the Bengals. Nothing works better for a defensive line trying a new system and a turnover-hungry secondary like a rookie quarterback with mediocre wide receivers.
The Ravens won't control the clock, and Carson Palmer and his corps of idiot wide receivers will torch Baltimore's second-string defensive backs. Cincinnati wins, 34-20.
Pick: Bengals
Washington at New York Giants -4
Daniel: I'm picking Washington here, but not because I'm a Skins fan. In fact you could replace the Redskins with just about any other team in the league and I'd still pick that team to win this game (except the Bengals, Texans, Rams, Dolphins or Ravens). That is because the G-Men were a fluke last year and will surely be at the bottom of the conference this year. They lost the only thing that was great about them in 2007: the pass rush. Back to reality, NYC.
Pick: Redskins
Pete: New York is going to have issues dealing with the loss of two great defensive ends, but Eli Manning will be up to the task. He has a lot of targets out on the field, and running back Brandon Jacobs will wreak havoc against the Skins. Jason Taylor won't have as big an impact as expected, and Jason Campbell still hasn't proven himself to be the answer at quarterback for Washington after Todd Collins came in and played better with the same wideouts. Jim Zorn is the right fit, but he loses his coaching debut, 27-21
Pick: Giants
Denver -3 at Oakland
Daniel: The Raiders will be better than many of you think this year, but they still won't be better than the Broncos. With Jay Cutler poised for a break-out year and the Raiders transitioning into a new coaching staff and some really young players, it's pretty clear why Denver is the favorite here. Besides, Champ Bailey and Dre Bly are going to present a huge problem for the Raiders' inexperience quarterback in JaMarcus Russell.
Pick: Broncos
Pete: The Monday Night Football opener will be a big surprise, as Oakland's running game featuring Darren McFadden, Michael Bush and Justin Fargas will bowl over Denver's skimpy set of linebackers and tackles. Or blow past them. Or just wait for them to miss a tackle out of nowhere. So JaMarcus Russell won't need to throw it.
The Raider defense has not been the question mark, and Jay Cutler is known for his less-than-stellar decision making.
Pick: Raiders
Minnesota at Green Bay (-2.5)
Daniel: Once again, any decent human being would pull for Aaron Rodgers in this game so of course Pete is and I'm not that decent. I'm more of a realist and the reality is that the Vikings' defense is the last thing Rodgers wants to see right now. The way Minnesota will be able to control the line of scrimmage with the run game and the defensive front I don't see the Packers pulling this one out.
Pick: Vikings
Pete: The Packers are going to succeed under Aaron Rodgers; I really believe that. He is a competent leader and a good passer, but he needs the town to forget about the Brett Favre fiasco. Beating the Vikings will do just that. The Pack will open up on the Vikings' sub-par secondary, and the stingy Green Bay defense (which got them to the NFC Championship, not Favre) will take care of Adrian Peterson in Week 1.
Pick: Packers
Chicago at Indy (-9.5)
DanielI guessing Pete's taking the spread in this one and I don't blame him. But 10 points isn't that much in the NFL. Especially when the Bears don't have a legitimate quarterback and very few offensive weapons, which means that they have to hope to contain the Colts offense. Good luck with that Chi-Town but I don't see it happening. Peyton's been on the same team, in the same city, in the same system, so don't think for one second that him missing the pre-season will be a factor.
Pick: Colts
Pete: Yeah, Indianapolis is probably going to win this game, but 9.5 points is a lot to give a team that's playing against the Bears. Chicago wants to get back at the Colts for the Super Bowl XLI loss a year and a half ago, and Kyle Orton wants to prove himself to be a capable starter. The Colts' offense frequently starts slow, and the team will only win by a score of 19-13.
Pick: Bears
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