2013 NFL Week 4 Preview

This season is now flying, as it is already Week 4. This weekend features several surprising 0-3 teams looking to get their first win. Let's preview Week 4!

San Francisco 49ers vs. St. Louis Rams
Thursday September 26, 2013 8:25pm
NFL Network -- Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock

We knew the 49ers playing in Seattle to face the Seahawks would've been a tough game, but who would've known the 49ers would be handled easily by the Colts last weekend? Sitting at 1-2, this game isn't necessarily a must-win game. However, the 49ers will play like it.

San Francisco 49ers 30 St. Louis Rams 16

Baltimore Ravens vs. Buffalo Bills
Sunday September 29, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

Jacoby Jones gets hit upside the head by a stripper on a party bus, and that incident seems to be enough for former great linebacker Ray Lewis to suggest a lack of leadership on the Ravens. This has created a mini-storm with the current players because they simply disagree with that notion. Whatever the beef seems to be, the Ravens will have it behind them by Sunday's game. They should be able to escape Ralph Wilson Stadium with a win.

Baltimore Ravens 20 Buffalo Bills 14

Arizona Cardinals vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday September 29, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Sam Rosen, Heath Evans

We all knew Josh Freeman would be relieved of the starting job at some point. We just didn't know when. Well, now we know. Greg Schiano has decided to go with rookie Mike Glennon, who was the third quarterback taken in the draft behind E.J. Manuel and Geno Smith. Freeman now wants a trade, but I can't imagine a team other than the Jaguars actually needing a starting quarterback. Freeman should prepare for his upcoming days and the rest of his career as a backup. As for this game, the Cardinals' defense is no slouch, so they should be able to win.

Arizona Cardinals 20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings
Sunday September 29, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Jim Nantz, Phil Simms

For just a split second, I was about to write that these teams were both playoff teams last year. That's until I remembered the Steelers missed out. However, both of these teams come in at 0-3, and it's worse for the Vikings because this is a home game for them. Even though they did lose at home to the lowly Browns last week, the Vikings can use a true home game to get their first win. It's hard to pick who's the better team, so I'll go with the team with the better quarterback.

Pittsburgh Steelers 30 Minnesota Vikings 27 

New York Giants vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday September 29, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch

Looking at the records of both teams, one might think that this is an easy selection. It isn't all that easy. The Giants come in at 0-3 and desperately needing a win. The Chiefs boast a fast and active defense that can give the Giants' offensive line fits all day. What will keep the Giants in the game is the offense of the Chiefs, who seem to have no downfield threat. Most, if not all of their plays are not home run hitters, so the Giants will be close. They just won't be able to get past the defense of the Chiefs.

New York Giants 20 Kansas City Chiefs 23

Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday September 29, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots

Many people are stunned the Colts were able to be physical with the 49ers last week, but that shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The Colts were a finesse offense with Peyton Manning, but Andrew Luck isn't Manning. The offensive coordinator for the Colts is Pep Hamilton, who was Luck's offensive coordinator at Stanford. If you looked at Stanford's offense over the past several years, they employ a physical run game and the passing attack compliments the run. This is exactly what the Colts will do all season, and Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson gives them the ideal running backs for this system.

Indianapolis Colts 28 Jacksonville Jaguars 10

Seahawks' Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner and Cam Chancellor

Seattle Seahawks vs. Houston Texans
Sunday September 29, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Chris Myers, Tim Ryan

The Texans haven't played all that well, and the Seahawks should be determined to get the tough road victories to prove they're legit. I think the Seahawks dominate and show the country it is for real.

Seattle Seahawks 24 Houston Texans 13

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns
Sunday September 29, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Marv Albert, Rich Gannon

A week after a stunning road victory, the Browns are probably on notice from their in-state rivals. This probably means Brian Hoyer will not be sneaking up on anyone this week. I look for the Bengals to control this game from start to finish.

Cincinnati Bengals 27 Cleveland Browns 17

The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions play for first place in NFC North.

Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions
Sunday September 29, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick

This should be a game the Lions look forward to. Currently at 2-1, the Bears are ahead of them at 3-0. A win for the Lions will put them in first place with a key division win. While the Bears are undefeated, it hasn't been an impressive three wins. Comeback wins at home against the Bengals and Vikings hasn't proved much to me yet. The victory against the Steelers, however, proved to me the Bears are an improving team. Nonetheless, the Lions will be fired up to win this one and they will.

Chicago Bears 23 Detroit Lions 34

New York Jets vs. Tennessee Titans
Sunday September 29, 2013 4:05pm
CBS -- Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf

When you glance at this game quickly, not much really runs through your mind. However, when you see that both teams are 2-1 and playing well defensively, you should be a little intrigued. The Jets could be 3-0 right now if they hadn't blown numerous opportunities against the Patriots. The defense has played very well, and Geno Smith and his weapons are the question mark. This game will come down to who has fewer mistakes between Smith and Jake Locker.

New York Jets 20 Tennessee Titans 17

Washington Redskins vs. Oakland Raiders
Sunday September 29, 2013 4:25pm
FOX -- Dick Stockton, Ronde Barber

We'll have to wait and see if Terrelle Pryor is able to suit up after his concussion this past Monday. If he is, the Raiders should win. If Matt Flynn has to play, there's still a chance they win. But I give the edge to the Redskins if Flynn plays.

Washington Redskins 21 Oakland Raiders 24

Dallas Cowboys vs. San Diego Chargers
Sunday September 29, 2013 4:25pm
FOX -- Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa

Every week the analysts and "so called experts" say the Cowboys should win this game because they have this and that. All of this was said when they played the Chiefs because everyone simply believes the Cowboys are very talented. The Cowboys should be able to come into San Diego and get a win, but that will not come easy. The Chargers still have a very good quarterback in Philip Rivers, and he's very capable of leading his team to victory. I just don't believe in the defense of the Chargers.

Dallas Cowboys 28 San Diego Chargers 24

Broncos' Peyton Manning

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Denver Broncos
Sunday September 29, 2013 4:25pm
FOX -- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

This is a very interesting matchup because both teams run the no-huddle offense and run it very quickly. Chip Kelly's philosophy is to get in as many plays as possible. We're starting to see that isn't quite working with Michael Vick. LeSean McCoy has put up some great numbers, but he is very tired after every game. It certainly won't help being in Mile High Stadium. The Eagles' defense do not help either.

Philadelphia Eagles 21 Denver Broncos 45

Falcons' Mike Smith and Patriots' Bill Belichick

New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons
Sunday September 29, 2013 8:30pm
NBC -- Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth

This is a nice early season test for both teams, but the Falcons have been tested enough and that is why they sit at 1-2. However, their two losses have come on the road. Since this is a home game, and the Patriots haven't looked all that good either in their 3-0 start, I'll go with the home team in this one.

New England Patriots 24 Atlanta Falcons 27

Dolphins' Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline

Miami Dolphins vs. New Orleans Saints
Monday September 30, 2013 8:40pm
ESPN -- Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden

Both teams are entering this game at 3-0. The similarities stop there. There is no way the Dolphins will be able to come into the loud Superdome and get a win. If they can manage to pull that off, I'd be thoroughly impressed.

Miami Dolphins 24 New Orleans Saints 35

2013 NFL Week 3 Recap

Week 3 of the NFL season provided some surprising outcomes, and teams that remain winless will now have to sound the alarm. Let's recap!

Chiefs' Eric Berry intercepts a pass and returns it for a touchdown.

Kansas City Chiefs 26 Philadelphia Eagles 16

Even though the Eagles are now 1-2, they have reason to sound the alarm as well. Their next two games are on the road against the Broncos and the Giants. Sure, the Giants are sitting at 0-3 right now. However, division games are tough, especially on the road. Things are not looking pretty right now for the Eagles. The Chiefs are riding high at 3-0, and playing the struggling Giants at home next week. The Giants just seemed connected to this game!

Houston Texans 9 Baltimore Ravens 30

The Texans are 2-1, but there is cause for concern with this team as well. They didn't exactly finish off last season on a high note, losing an opportunity for a first-round bye in last year's playoffs before getting smashed by the Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round. They won their first two games, but they needed to come back down 21 to the Chargers to win. They also needed a 4th quarter comeback and then overtime to beat the Titans at home. The Texans don't look as strong as last year.

New York Giants 0 Carolina Panthers 38

Easily the most shocking developments of the season so far is the poor play of the Giants. I believe an 0-3 start all but guarantees them being out of the playoffs. However, the Giants can bounce back, with a schedule that isn't too difficult up ahead. They have the undefeated Chiefs on the road and the undefeated Bears on the road in a couple of weeks. Those are their most difficult games before their bye week in early November. For Giants fans (like myself), it's probably wishful thinking, but the Giants can probably get to 4-4 by that bye week.

Packers' Aaron Rodgers could not lift his team to victory
in Cincinnati.

Green Bay Packers 30 Cincinnati Bengals 34

This was purely a game of runs, as the Packers scored 30 unanswered points after the Bengals opened the game with 14 unanswered. After trailing 30-14, the Bengals scored 20 unanswered to get the victory, and leave the Packers at 1-2. The Packers will not panic, as they had a losing record early last season before finishing 11-5. The Packers know they'll dominate their division yet again.

St. Louis Rams 7 Dallas Cowboys 31

The Cowboys are the only team in the NFC East that looks good. If they are able to win the division, what will they be able to do with it? They only have one playoff win since 1996, and the Giants are the only team in the division to have won a Super Bowl since 1995.

Browns' Jordan Cameron catches game-winning pass in shocking win.

Cleveland Browns 31 Minnesota Vikings 27

Easily the most stunning upset of Week 3 goes to this game. The Browns were discounted by everyone, even their fan base, after they traded away Trent Richardson. Even worse, the Browns went with Brian Hoyer instead of Jason Campbell. However, the move worked and Hoyer looked good early. He did struggle as the game progressed, but a game-winning touchdown pass to Jordan Cameron has them celebrating...for one week.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3 New England Patriots 23

It hasn't been pretty, but the Patriots are now sitting at 3-0. Tom Brady was visibly frustrated with Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson after their win against the Jets. This time, it was much better, as Thompkins had two touchdown receptions and Dobson had seven catches. Brady is a happy man now.

Arizona Cardinals 7 New Orleans Saints 31

This game was easy to predict as there was no way the Cardinals would've been able to go into the loud Superdome and beat the Saints. However, the story of this game has been the status of Rashad Johnson's finger. Johnson lost a part of his middle finger, but it's not clear what play it occurred. When Johnson took off his glove, the piece of the finger that severed remained in the glove. Johnson had surgery, and is surprisingly expected to play next week.

San Diego Chargers 17 Tennessee Titans 20

If the Chargers would've been able to get out of Tennessee with a win, it would've been huge. However, they weren't able to, and the Chargers are probably debating whether it was an offensive pass interference on the game-winning touchdown reception by Justin Hunter. It sure looked like a push-off.

Detroit Lions 27 Washington Redskins 20

An upset I correctly predicted was the Lions defeating the Redskins and well, I was right. Throw history out of the window because this is 2013. The Redskins' defense continues to disappoint, and the Redskins' offense continues to...disappoint. Though they played much better than the previous two games, that offense isn't quite where it was last year. At least they're 0-3 with a quarterback trying to recover from an ACL tear. What's the Giants excuse?

Dolphins' Dion Sims catches game-winning pass in upset win.

Atlanta Falcons 23 Miami Dolphins 27

I thought about it for a moment when making my Week 3 picks of picking the Dolphins in this game. Sure, the Dolphins are still a bit unknown, but the Falcons aren't a superior team either. The Dolphins head into the Superdome next Monday against the undefeated Saints as well. Who would've thought when looking at the Monday Night Football schedule that the Dolphins and Saints would both be 3-0?

Jets' Santonio Holmes catches game-winning pass over the Bills' Justin Rogers.

Buffalo Bills 20 New York Jets 27

The battle of rookie quarterbacks was won by Geno Smith, after E.J. Manuel found himself being harassed by the Jets' defense all day. The Jets almost gave away the game, with 20 costly penalties. Smith's game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes gives Jets' fans reason to believe in him.

Jacksonville Jaguars 17 Seattle Seahawks 45

As I stated in the Week 3 preview, I remember when the Seahawks beat the Cardinals 58-0 last year. I thought this game would take a similar turn, but the Jaguars were actually able to put up 17 points in Seattle. The 49ers were only able to score three last week. This game was over fast, as Pete Carroll went with Tarvaris Jackson in the third quarter to finish out the game.

Indianapolis Colts 27 San Francisco 49ers 7

It shouldn't be alarming when you're 1-2 because it's just three games. However, there is reason to be alarmed at the 49ers now. A week after only scoring three points, they only scored seven at home and were physically pounded by the Colts. It's been reported that Frank Gore lashed out at Jim Harbaugh for his lack of rushes, but it wasn't like the 49ers weren't running the ball. Kendall Hunter and Anthony Dixon got carries as well, and Kaepernick only attempted 27 passes. The Colts just took it to them. On a side note, the Colts were probably inspired by Ahmad Bradshaw, who has now won in his last three visits to Candlestick Park.

Chicago Bears 40 Pittsburgh Steelers 23

The Steelers were thoroughly dominated by a Bears team that barely beat the Vikings at home last week. Simply put, I don't see how the Steelers turn things around. The defense just isn't as physical anymore, and the offense is struggling to get anything going. What can Mike Tomlin do to fix this? I'm not sure, because it never seems he's involved with the game anyway. Most times, you can find him cheerleading on the sideline without a headset. This isn't good.

Oakland Raiders 21 Denver Broncos 37

No one had any doubts about the outcome of this game, but the Raiders can take some positives out of it. Sure, their defense had no answer for Peyton Manning, but Terrelle Pryor had a solid game before leaving with a concussion. Hopefully, that concussion isn't too serious where he'll have to miss a number of games. There is room for improvement for Pryor, but the Raiders have to be encouraged.

2013 NFL Week 3 Preview

 

A couple of reunions will be taking place in Week 3 as Andy Reid returns to Philadelphia and Andrew Luck faces college coach Jim Harbaugh for the first time as a pro. Let's preview week 3!

 

Chiefs' head coach Andy Reid returns to Lincoln Financial Field
to take on his old team.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Thursday September 19, 2013 8:25pm
NFL Network -- Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock

Philadelphia fans have largely been ungrateful to the success Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb brought to the franchise. McNabb will return tonight also to have his number retired. It's only fitting they do this with Reid in attendance. I also hope the Chiefs win 45-0. With Chip Kelly's offense though, that won't happen.

Kansas City Chiefs 20 Philadelphia Eagles 30

Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens
Sunday September 22, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf

Both teams have been contenders for a couple of years now. However, they haven't really looked good in their first two games. The Ravens were spanked by the Broncos, then struggled to score against the Browns. The Texans had to come back from 21 down to beat the Chargers, and they had to come back down eight late in the fourth quarter to tie things up with the Titans, and then won in overtime. Hard to get a good read on either team so far but I'll go with the home team.

Houston Texans 23 Baltimore Ravens 27

New York Giants vs. Carolina Panthers
Sunday September 22, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick

Both teams are coming in at 0-2, but 0-2 was probably expected for the Panthers. The Giants, however, find themselves in the same position they were in back in 2007. They won the Super Bowl that year so they'll try to find inspiration from that team. Many people have said that team isn't the same team as it is now. I believe the 2013 Giants are actually more talented than that 2007 team. A must-win for both teams, I'll go with the better team.

New York Giants 27 Carolina Panthers 13

Detroit Lions vs. Washington Redskins
Sunday September 22, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Dick Stockton, Ronde Barber

The Redskins find themselves in a tough position early in the season. Robert Griffin III has looked like he's gaining his rhythm in preseason. Pierre Garcon stated what I believed all along earlier this week. Garcon believes Griffin III shouldn't play with the brace on his knee, as it is limiting his mobility. Griffin III also acknowledged that he needs to run more. I'm glad they know this. Now it's up to Mike Shanahan to trust in Griffin III's health and ability. I don't trust Shanahan to trust anyone.

Detroit Lions 24 Washington Redskins 21

San Diego Chargers vs. Tennessee Titans
Sunday September 22, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

The Chargers are back on the Eastern half of the country, a week after beating the Eagles in Philadelphia. The Titans have looked good also, almost beating the division rival Texans and beating the Steelers in Pittsburgh. This is the home opener for the Titans, so they'll be motivated to keep up the good play.

San Diego Chargers 20 Tennessee Titans 27

Arizona Cardinals vs. New Orleans Saints
Sunday September 22, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Sam Rosen, Heath Evans

The Saints are getting their step back with the return of Sean Payton. Facing the Cardinals at home is a rather easy game for them and they should be able to improve to 3-0. The Falcons better watch out. Many people thought the Saints were done after they went 7-9 last year. Not quite!

Arizona Cardinals 14 New Orleans Saints 38

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New England Patriots
Sunday September 22, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch

These two teams played in the same place this preseason. Tom Brady came out firing, as he and Danny Amendola looked like they were on the same page. Now Amendola will be out due to injury, so Brady will have to place trust in Kembrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson. They were terrible against the Jets, but that was probably what they needed. They should be fine now.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13 New England Patriots 24

Bengals' Andy Dalton looks for a signature win Sunday against
the Packers.

Green Bay Packers vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday September 22, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

This is a nice early season test for the Bengals. In front of their home crowd, they can show people they are heading toward being title contenders if they beat the Packers. They haven't necessarily looked that good so far in the first two games. Aaron Rodgers also won't have the kind of day against the Bengals' defense that he had against the Redskins' defense last week. Still, I believe they'll get the win.

Green Bay Packers 24 Cincinnati Bengals 20

St. Louis Rams vs. Dallas Cowboys
Sunday September 22, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa

Many people seem to be disappointed in the Cowboys for losing to a Chiefs team on the road. I don't believe there should be any concerns about losing to them on the road. The Chiefs are a much improved team and I had them as a surprise playoff team. Out of all the NFC East teams so far, the Cowboys have looked the best. A home game against the Rams should put them at 2-1.

St. Louis Rams 17 Dallas Cowboys 30

Cleveland Browns vs. Minnesota Vikings
Sunday September 22, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots

As if this week wasn't weird enough, the Browns started it off by naming Brian Hoyer as the starter for this game. Who? I thought Jason Campbell was the backup. Ok then. Things then took an interesting turn when the Browns traded Trent Richardson to the Colts. As you can expect, many Clevelanders are not happy with that deal. Just two games into the season, it already appears the Browns are mailing it in. Can you even remember another running back other than Richardson who's actually gotten a carry for the Browns since he arrived?

Cleveland Browns 13 Minnesota Vikings 31

Dolphins' Mike Wallace will look to go 3-0 with a signature win
over the Falcons.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins
Sunday September 22, 2013 4:05pm
FOX -- Chris Myers, Tim Ryan

The Dolphins are coming into their home opener at 2-0, so they're starting to prove me wrong. It's still early in the season, but many analysts had this Dolphins team as a sleeper playoff team. I didn't see it at all as long as Ryan Tannehill was the quarterback. This game will prove a lot to me. If the Dolphins can upend the Falcons, they will show me they are for real.

Atlanta Falcons 24 Miami Dolphins 16

Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets
Sunday September 22, 2013 4:25pm
CBS -- Marv Albert, Rich Gannon

The first two quarterbacks taken in the 2013 NFL Draft were E.J. Manuel and Geno Smith. They are now starters for the Bills and the Jets respectively. Both have shown moments of solid quarterback play, but they both know they have room for improvement. Manuel has been better so far, but I doubt he can win against the Jets' defense on the road.

Buffalo Bills 17 New York Jets 20

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Seattle Seahawks
Sunday September 22, 2013 4:25pm
CBS -- Bill Macatee, Steve Tasker

The first thing that comes to my mind about this game is the Seahawks beating the Cardinals 58-0. There's not much to predict about this game. The Jaguars have no chance of winning.

Jacksonville Jaguars 7 Seattle Seahawks 45

Colts' Andrew Luck faces off against his college coach
Jim Harbaugh for the first time in his pro career.

Indianapolis Colts vs. San Francisco 49ers
Sunday September 22, 2013 4:25pm
CBS -- Jim Nantz, Phil Simms

Besides Andrew Luck facing Jim Harbaugh for the first time in his pro career, the Colts are coming in with a couple of issues. The Colts didn't look impressive in their first two games, which happened to be home games. A narrow win over the woeful Raiders and a loss to the Dolphins, the Colts don't seem to be coming into Candlestick Park primed to upset the 49ers. The Colts acquired Trent Richardson, so he'll add to their offense. We'll see how his addition plays out. For now, it's hard to see the Colts winning.

Indianapolis Colts 17 San Francisco 49ers 31

Chicago Bears vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Sunday September 22, 2013 8:30pm
NBC -- Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth

No team has looked worse offensively than the Steelers. The frustration is visible, as Antonio Brown is now upset at Todd Haley about the offense. It's too early to say this is a mess. However, I still try to figure out why the Steelers felt they had to let Bruce Arians walk. Furthermore, why would they replace Arians with a hot-headed Haley of all people?

Chicago Bears 17 Pittsburgh Steelers 14

Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos
Monday September 23, 2013 8:40pm
ESPN -- Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden

Since this is a division game and it appears that there is some promise to the Raiders' future, I'm not going to predict a huge blowout. However, the Broncos should be able to win by double-digits. Not much more needs to be said.

Oakland Raiders 13 Denver Broncos 30

2013 NFL Week 2 Recap

 

Jets and Patriots players mix it up after Jets' Geno Smith's third
interception of the fourth quarter.

New York Jets 10 New England Patriots 13

The Jets had a shot at winning this game. The end result reminds us of how the Patriots have dominated the division in the past decade, while the Jets have always fallen to this team. Now there's reports that players on the Jets are supporting Matt Simms to be the starter. It never fails with the Jets.

St. Louis Rams 24 Atlanta Falcons 31

There was no way the Falcons were losing this game. A home opener after starting the season 0-1, the Falcons were definitely coming to take care of business. However, a cause for concern is the Falcons squeaking out the victory a bit after commanding the game early. If that sounds familiar, that happened against the Seahawks and 49ers in the playoffs last year, except they didn't beat the 49ers.

Cleveland Browns 6 Baltimore Ravens 14

Joe Flacco hasn't received much criticism for missing the birth of his second child. He was born a half hour before kickoff and Flacco was warming up in the stadium ready to go. I'm not here to criticize him either. However, the Ravens didn't completely dominate the Browns after being thoroughly dominated in a half of football by the Broncos in the opening game. I thought the Ravens would've come out with more fight. A win is a win though.

Carolina Panthers 23 Buffalo Bills 24

Many people had the Panthers winning this game because they continue to be stubborn and believe Cam Newton is actually a good quarterback. He isn't, and asking him to win a game on the road is a tall order. However, the Panthers did have the chance to win. Then Stevie Johnson got open in the end zone. I guess they'll blame the referees for the pass interference call plays before that set them up first and goal. It has to be a nightmare for Ron Rivera.

Bears' Martellus Bennett catches the game-winning pass.

Minnesota Vikings 30 Chicago Bears 31

The surprising part of this game is the Vikings actually had a chance to win. The Bears are not a dominant team by any stretch. However, you knew Christian Ponder would turn the ball over, and I thought that would be enough for the Bears to win easily. It took a last minute drive for the Bears to win. I'm also shocked Jay Cutler was actually able to orchestrate a game-winning drive.

Washington Redskins 20 Green Bay Packers 38

Many Redskins' fans can't believe that there are whispers calling for Kirk Cousins. If the Redskins continue to baby Robert Griffin III and prevent him from running, then I'd have no problem if they switched to Cousins. He's a better pocket passer. Griffin III may need to get rid of that knee brace. It appears to be hampering him a bit.

Texans' DeAndre Hopkins catches game-winning pass in overtime.

Tennessee Titans 24 Houston Texans 30 OT

For a minute, the Titans had me believing they are really getting better and turning the corner. Then they lost the lead late in the fourth quarter, then lost in overtime. The upside for the Titans is their next three games are at home. Can they get to 4-1?

Miami Dolphins 24 Indianapolis Colts 20

This is certainly a surprising upset, but considering the Dolphins almost won in Indianapolis last year also, this shouldn't be surprising. Dion Jordan did own Andrew Luck when Jordan was with Oregon and Luck was with Stanford. Jordan continues to own the matchup, even though he didn't do anything in this game. The Dolphins are 2-0 with two road wins. Things are looking sunny in Miami.

Chiefs' Alex Smith throws two touchdown passes in the win.

Dallas Cowboys 16 Kansas City Chiefs 17

Many people had the Cowboys winning this game easily. I didn't understand it. It was almost as if the acquisition of Alex Smith and Andy Reid meant nothing to the experts. The Chiefs already possess a good defensive unit, so limiting mistakes on offense is the key to this season. Who better than to trust with limiting mistakes than Smith? Once again, analysts are all excited about a Cowboys team that really didn't give anyone anything to be excited about.

Chargers' Eddie Royal scores the first of three touchdowns in the win.

San Diego Chargers 33 Philadelphia Eagles 30

This was a big surprise, but this is a good sign for the Chargers. The Eagles' offense did things the Chip Kelly way, even though they probably weren't fast enough again. They had quick scoring drives, but it left the Chargers offense on the field for a while as well. The offense looked good last week against the Texans, and they looked good against the Eagles. Can Philip Rivers be back?

Detroit Lions 21 Arizona Cardinals 25

The Lions should've been motivated to win this game. Last year, these two teams played in Arizona when the Cardinals were in the midst of a long losing streak. The Lions were coming off of a losing streak of their own, but they were narrow losses to eventual playoff teams. However, they lost 38-10 and essentially knocked themselves out of playoff contention with the loss last year. Chances to win in this game were there. Lions just couldn't put points on the board in the second half.

New Orleans Saints 16 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14

The Buccaneers secondary is making the defense much better, and they gave Drew Brees fits. However, an inept offense from the Buccaneers and a late drive to get into field goal range was just one of many headaches for the Buccaneers. Reports have it that Josh Freeman wants a trade. Reports also have it that Darrelle Revis isn't a fan of Greg Schiano's strict nature. This is never good.

Jacksonville Jaguars 9 Oakland Raiders 19

The CBS affiliate in Orlando had to apologize to its viewers for showing this game over the Manning Bowl. That pretty much sums up the interest in this game. The way the game played out, you can tell why there was little to no interest. Neither team is good.

Denver Broncos 41 New York Giants 23

Interceptions from Eli Manning is sure to be a topic. It's something he can't escape from analysts, despite winning two championships. Manning just doesn't seem to be on the same page as his receivers at all times. That has to change quickly because the Giants will have to rely on the pass. Their run blocking is awful. For the other team, I think the Broncos are showing they're the best in the NFL.

San Francisco 49ers 3 Seattle Seahawks 29

I predicted the Seahawks to win this game because it's hard to escape the noise in CenturyLink Field as an opposing team. However, I certainly did not expect the 49ers to be thoroughly dominated on this field again. This should provide the 49ers with motivation to win this division...and avoid playing a playoff game on this field.

Pittsburgh Steelers 10 Cincinnati Bengals 20

There comes a time where coaching adjustments need to be made as quality players age. Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark and some of those other veterans on offense and defense are still good players. However, Mike Tomlin needs to quit being a high school motivational speaker, and work with Todd Haley and Dick Lebeau in getting the most out of the players on the field. Tomlin's methods get old.

2013 NFL Week 2 Preview

Headline games in Week 2 include the latest installment of the Manning Bowl, the 49ers meet up with the rival Seahawks, and Andy Reid faces his old rival Cowboys for first time as head coach of the Chiefs. Here are the Week 2 previews and game predictions.

New York Jets vs. New England Patriots
Thursday September 12, 2013 8:25pm
NFL Network -- Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock

Before the season started, predicting that the Jets would have a slight chance of beating the Patriots in Gillette Stadium would have been an absurd prediction. However, after watching the Patriots against the Bills on Sunday, coupled with rookie quarterback Geno Smith's play against the Buccaneers, it isn't all that absurd now.

While I still believe the Patriots will win, the Patriots have to be concerned with the injuries on their offense. Shane Vereen, who was one of only two running backs to rush for over 100 yards in Week 1, is now out with a broken wrist. Danny Amendola, Tom Brady's clear go-to guy in Week 1, may miss tonight's game due to a groin injury. It isn't looking good for Brady, but I'll be shocked if the Jets can pull off an upset.

New York Jets 20 New England Patriots 30

St. Louis Rams vs. Atlanta Falcons
Sunday September 15, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa

The Rams are coming off of a thrilling win, while the Falcons need a win to avoid going 0-2. The Falcons are in the Georgia Dome for this one, so I don't see any possibility where the Rams will stun the Falcons. This is the perfect game for Matt Ryan to get going after having a sluggish game against the rival Saints in Week 1.

St. Louis Rams 14 Atlanta Falcons 31

San Diego Chargers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday September 15, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf

Both teams are coming off of Monday Night games, but the Chargers have to travel across the country for this game. It hasn't been a secret how poorly the West Coast teams perform on the East Coast. The Chargers will also have to figure out how to defend the Eagles' pace. Chip Kelly believed it wasn't fast enough. The Chargers can't be too happy about that.

San Diego Chargers 14 Philadelphia Eagles 38

Chiefs' head coach Andy Reid faces Cowboys for first time since
leaving the Eagles.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday September 15, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Chris Myers, Tim Ryan

Both teams got off to 1-0 starts so there isn't an enormous amount of pressure on either team. For the Chiefs, their win came at the expense of the lowly Jaguars, so this is a statement game for them. The acquisitions of Andy Reid and Alex Smith is supposed to provide improved play and stability to the franchise. The Chiefs will get their chance to fully measure where they are early in the season.

Tony Romo took a brutal shot to the ribs in Sunday night's win against the Giants, and he didn't look real comfortable after the hit. I don't believe it'll bother him in this game, but you never know with these injuries. That's one thing to keep an eye out for as the Cowboys look to go 2-0.

Dallas Cowboys 20 Kansas City Chiefs 27

Miami Dolphins vs. Indianapolis Colts
Sunday September 15, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

The Colts kick their season off with two manageable home games before they travel to San Francisco for a tough Week 3 matchup. Even though Andrew Luck looked good last week, the rest of the team didn't, and the Colts were down to the Raiders at one point in the fourth quarter before Luck led the comeback. We're still not quite sure if the Dolphins are improved, but this will be the game to measure that.

Miami Dolphins 20 Indianapolis Colts 24

Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans
Sunday September 15, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots

The Titans shocked the country when they marched into Heinz Field and beat up the Steelers all day en route to a 16-9 victory. The Titans must feel good about themselves going into Reliant Stadium against a division rival. However, the Texans are not the Steelers, and considering the Titans had to start the season with two road games, they'll be happy to go home for Week 3 at 1-1.

Tennessee Titans 13 Houston Texans 30

Washington Redskins vs. Green Bay Packers
Sunday September 15, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

Both teams are coming into this game at 0-1, so one will end up at 0-2 at the end of this game. Both playoff teams last year, expectations have been high. The Packers had a great matchup against the 49ers, and even though they lost, they showed they are title contenders. The Redskins showed the opposite. Their performance against the Eagles sort of reminded everyone of the beatdown the Redskins took at the hands of the Eagles on Monday Night Football back in 2010. Don't be surprised if Robert Griffin III ditches the knee brace soon.

Washington Redskins 17 Green Bay Packers 34

Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens
Sunday September 15, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Marv Albert, Rich Gannon

The Ravens will get to hang up their championship banner in front of the home crowd, but it won't feel the same to rest of the country. The Ravens were denied an opportunity to play in front of the home crowd on opening night because the MLB's Baltimore Orioles decided their game against the Chicago White Sox was too big of a game to move to 1:05. Nonetheless, the Ravens are 0-1, so they'll need a win, and this is the perfect game for them to bounce back.

Cleveland Browns 17 Baltimore Ravens 27

Carolina Panthers vs. Buffalo Bills
Sunday September 15, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Dick Stockton, Ronde Barber

The Bills start their season with two home games, and they are coming off of a close loss to a Patriots team that has dominated them and the rest of the AFC East for the past 10 years. Things are looking up in Buffalo as rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel tries to be the franchise quarterback the team has been looking for since Jim Kelly's retirement after the 1996 season.

The Panthers are coming in at 0-1 just like the Bills. They had a great opportunity to upset the Seahawks in Week 1. While that didn't happen, the Panthers have to be encouraged by the play of their defense. The only question is the improvement of Cam Newton. He'll have to lead the way if the Panthers want to be a playoff team. Winning in Buffalo will be good for the Panthers. I just don't see it happening.

Carolina Panthers 16 Buffalo Bills 27

Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
Sunday September 15, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick

The Vikings are enduring the worst possible scenario to start their season. They have two road games against division rivals, and unless Christian Ponder steps up, I don't see how they win this game either. The Bears rallied in the second half to beat the Bengals, so they should be happy with their resolve. This is also a great opportunity for the Bears to start 2-0 and get a leg up in the division.

Minnesota Vikings 14 Chicago Bears 28

New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday September 15, 2013 4:05pm
FOX -- Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch

There is real concern among Buccaneers fans about how long Josh Freeman will last as the starting quarterback for that team. Other than a decent 2010 rookie season, Freeman hasn't been good. He did throw for over 4,000 yards and 27 touchdowns last season, but it was a very inconsistent season for the team overall.

The Saints should win this game easily despite going up against a very good secondary. Let's see how long Greg Schiano sticks with Freeman.

New Orleans Saints 31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21

Detroit Lions vs. Arizona Cardinals
Sunday September 15, 2013 4:05pm
FOX -- Sam Rosen, Heath Evans

The Lions looked impressive in their season-opening victory at home against the Vikings. The Lions looked much improve and looked more like that 2011 team that went to the playoffs. It's very early in the season, so there's still a lot to take care of. The Lions should also be motivated by this game. They came into the University of Phoenix Stadium last year and were handled easily by a Cardinals team mired in an awful losing streak. Revenge should be on the minds of the Lions.

Detroit Lions 24 Arizona Cardinals 21

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Oakland Raiders
Sunday September 15, 2013 4:25pm
CBS -- Spero Dedes, Steve Tasker

While this could be one of the easier games the Jaguars play all year, they may not even come close to winning this game. Terrelle Pryor looked good in his debut against the Colts last week on the road, so this game should be much easier. The Jaguars will need solutions soon. It's still early in the season. Find answers while the season isn't over yet.

Jacksonville Jaguars 10 Oakland Raiders 23

It will not be fun and games in MetLife Stadium when Broncos'
Peyton Manning and Giants' Eli Manning face off.

Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants
Sunday September 15, 2013 4:25pm
CBS -- Jim Nantz, Phil Simms

Easily the premier game of Week 2, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning will square off for the third time in their illustrious careers. Eli has never beaten his big brother, and this is his best opportunity to do so. The Giants are coming off of a devastating loss in which they committed six turnovers and only lost by five.

The Broncos are not the Cowboys, and Peyton ripped the Ravens for seven passing touchdowns. That is not a misprint. Peyton will not get seven touchdowns again, but he will keep up the pace and apply lots of pressure to the Giants' defense. There's a sense of desperation for the Giants at 0-1, so I believe they'll come through.

Denver Broncos 28 New York Giants 31

Seahawks' Russell Wilson will look to succeed against the 49ers
much like he did last year at home.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks
Sunday September 15, 2013 8:30pm
NBC -- Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth

The last time the 49ers came to Qwest Field, the stadium was very loud and it made life difficult for Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers were routed and embarrassed by the Seahawks, so revenge should definitely be on their minds. However, the loud noise will still be there, and it is hard to play against that kind of noise when you're the road team. The 49ers are very good. I just don't believe they can beat the 12th man.

San Francisco 49ers 20 Seattle Seahawks 30

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Monday September 16, 2013 8:40pm
ESPN -- Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden

The Steelers had one of the worst performances of any team in Week 1, so they'll be looking to bounce back. There's a big problem, however. They play the Bengals in Cincinnati, and the Bengals are coming off of a disappointing loss as well. After all of the AFC North teams lost in Week 1, they all play each other in Week 2. I guess that makes this game important.

I thought Ben Roethlisberger's rocky relationship with Todd Haley would've only been temporary. However, they still don't seem to be on the same page. It makes me wonder why the Steelers felt like they needed to go in another direction anyway after Roethlisberger was having success and fun with Bruce Arians.

Pittsburgh Steelers 14 Cincinnati Bengals 34

2013 NFL Week 1 Recap

Even though there were no overtime games in Week 1, there were a number of thrilling matches to kick off the 2013 NFL season.

Broncos' Wes Welker got off to a good start in his team debut.

Baltimore Ravens 27 Denver Broncos 49

The Ravens went into halftime with a 17-14 lead, so things were actually looking good for them considering the key offseason losses they had to overcome. Then those key offseason losses reared their ugly heads in the second half as Peyton Manning exploded, throwing five touchdown passes in the second half alone and seven total, tying an NFL record. Joe Flacco jokingly told reporters that Manning is already half way to 20 touchdowns. While he isn't, what Manning did to the Ravens was beautiful.

New England Patriots 23 Buffalo Bills 21

There were a lot of eyes on this game to see how the Patriots would adjust to all of their offseason activity. Tom Brady lost a lot of his offensive targets, and Rob Gronkowski is still out due to offseason back surgery. The only familiar target for Brady was Julian Edelman, not exactly a household name. Brady struggled throughout the course of the game, and Bills' rookie E.J. Manuel looked good in his debut.

The critical moment in this game was the dropped pass from Stevie Johnson on third down in the middle of the fourth quarter. A first down keeps the chains moving, and the Bills maybe could've scored another touchdown. Instead, Brady was able to get the ball last in the fourth quarter, and well...you know the rest.

Seattle Seahawks 12 Carolina Panthers 7

The Seahawks were unable to pull away from the Panthers, which should be an encouraging sign for Panthers' fans. Russell Wilson still threw for 320 yards and a touchdown, but the running game was not effective. The Panthers' rushing attack, on the other hand, was effective, with DeAngelo Williams rushing for 86 yards on 17 carries. However, his fumble late in the fourth quarter cost the Panthers the game. The Seahawks were able to escape.

Cincinnati Bengals 21 Chicago Bears 24

In order for the Bengals to take that next step to potential championship contender, I felt it was important for the Bengals to win road games like this. The Bears are obviously no slouch, evidenced by their 10-6 record last season. But this is Andy Dalton's third year now, and the Bengals need him to improve. The Bengals came up on the short end, but it wasn't quite Dalton.

Dalton did throw two interceptions, with one of them being returned for a touchdown. However, the Bengals did hold a 21-10 lead in the third quarter. The Bengals' defense, who has shown to be very good over the past couple of years, gave up the lead. A.J. Green claims the Bears didn't stop them at all, as they stopped themselves. Even if it's right or wrong, they still lost.

Miami Dolphins 23 Cleveland Browns 10

The most disappointing part of this game didn't occur until the conclusion of the game. Mike Wallace, the prized free agent acquisition for the Dolphins, was upset over the fact he only had one catch for a lousy 15 yards. When Wallace held out for a long-term contract last offseason with the Steelers, many people looked at him as greedy and selfish. I did not.

Now I know he's selfish. Ryan Tannehill was able to find Brian Hartline all game long to the tune of nine catches for 114 yards. Tannehill completed 24 of his 38 pass attempts. It seems to me whatever Tannehill was doing was successful. After all, they did win the game.

Minnesota Vikings 24 Detroit Lions 34

It was looking like a long day for the Lions when Adrian Peterson took off for 78 yards for a touchdown early in the first quarter. However, the Lions' defense settled down after, only giving up 15 more rushing yards the rest of the game. Christian Ponder threw three interceptions, so he'll continue to be the team's downfall until he can figure out a way to play better.

As for the Lions, Reggie Bush was all over the place. He carried the ball 21 times for 90 yards, and caught four passes for 101 yards, including a 77 yard touchdown reception. The signing of Bush for the Lions could turn out to be the best offseason signing. The presence of Calvin Johnson opens things up for Bush, providing more weapons for Matthew Stafford. This could be a sleeper team.

Oakland Raiders 17 Indianapolis Colts 21

When the Colts jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the second quarter, many Raiders' fans were probably expecting this kind of performance. What they probably didn't expect is that newly anointed starter Terrelle Pryor would lead the Raiders back and grab a 17-14 lead. Even though the Raiders ended up losing, they should be very encouraged with the performance of Pryor. Could Pryor be the franchise quarterback they've been looking for too long?

Kansas City Chiefs 28 Jacksonville Jaguars 2

This was probably the most expected result of Week 1. The Jaguars have not shown anything to suggest they'll be any better. For new head coach Gus Bradley, it'll be one hell of a rebuilding situation. The Jaguars need a franchise quarterback, because clearly, Blaine Gabbert isn't one. As for the Chiefs, the new regime is paying big dividends already. A test next week against the Cowboys will accurately assess how good the Chiefs are.

Atlanta Falcons 17 New Orleans Saints 23

Many people just believe the Falcons are the best team in the NFC South, just because they went 13-3 last season and advanced as far as the NFC Championship Game. Many people forget the Saints were 13-3 just the season before that, and if it weren't for a late Vernon Davis touchdown in the NFC Divisional Round, the Saints would be in the NFC Championship Game as well. The Saints have Sean Payton back, so I expect this division to go back to them. Too bad for Tony Gonzalez because this is definitely his final season.

Jets' QB Geno Smith impressed in his debut, a Jets win.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 New York Jets 18

A lot of people say the Buccaneers gave the game to the Jets with Lavonte David's boneheaded decision to push Geno Smith while he was already out of bounds. However, it was the Jets who handed the game to the Buccaneers the drive before. With the Jets up 15-14 and Josh Freeman showing very little the entire game, the Jets decided to blitz on third down, leaving Vincent Jackson wide open for a huge gain.

That was also boneheaded considering the defensive line for the Jets were playing well all game. In a situation where the Buccaneers were far from field goal position, had the Jets played it safe, they would've won the game then. But the bigger deal in this game was the performance of Geno Smith. Let's see what he can do in front of the Gillette Stadium fans on Thursday night.

Tennessee Titans 16 Pittsburgh Steelers 9

Easily the most surprising outcome of Week 1 goes to the Titans thorough domination of the Steelers. Things got ugly early when Maurkice Pouncey tore his ACL in the first quarter. Over the course of the game, it definitely appeared Ben Roethlisberger is still not in agreement with Todd Haley's offense. It was a frustrating afternoon, and the Steelers have the Bengals on the road next Monday. This could be a disastrous season if Roethlisberger and Haley don't figure things out soon.

Arizona Cardinals 24 St. Louis Rams 27

Larry Fitzgerald boasted and bragged about finally having a quarterback who can make throws all over the field and carry the Cardinals' offense. It certainly looked good as Fitzgerald caught eight passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns. However, the Cardinals' defense, who was a surprising bright spot last season, failed to hold onto a 24-13 second half lead, allowing Sam Bradford and the Rams to steal a win.

49ers' Joe Staley and Packers' Clay Matthews Jr. fight after a late
hit from Matthews Jr. on 49ers' Colin Kaepernick.

Green Bay Packers 28 San Francisco 49ers 34

Clay Matthews Jr. was certainly effective in his threats because the 49ers didn't go to the read option much at all in this game. However, the Packers certainly weren't expecting the pass game to be as efficient and effective as it was. Anquan Boldin, traded from the AFC champions and Super Bowl champions Ravens to the NFC champions, caught 13 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown, and Colin Kaepernick threw for over 400 yards in the shootout victory.

Things got testy between Matthews Jr. and the 49ers when Matthews Jr. tackled Kaepernick when he was already out of bounds. These two teams could probably see each other again in the playoffs, so they may not be done fighting one another.

Giants' David Wilson fumbled twice, causing two of
six turnovers for the team.

New York Giants 31 Dallas Cowboys 36

Two streaks were on the line going into this game. The Giants were 4-0 at Cowboys Stadium, while the Cowboys were 6-0 against the Giants in season-opening games. The Cowboys actually changed the name of their stadium to AT&T Stadium, so I guess that hit the reset button on the Giants' 4-0 record. Nonetheless, turnovers doomed the Giants.

Six of them to be exact. The Giants had five turnovers and were down 30-24 and it appeared as if the Giants would drive down the field for a game-winning score. However, backup running back DaRel Scott failed to turn around quickly enough for the screen pass, and tipped it right into the hands of Brandon Carr for the finish. After a slow start, Manning still threw for over 400 yards and four touchdowns, an encouraging sign for Giants fans. David Wilson's fumbling issues are not an encouraging sign.

Philadelphia Eagles 33 Washington Redskins 27

I got the feeling many Redskins' fans took this game for granted because of last year's success, combined with the lack of success for the Eagles last year. However, I correctly predicted this game would go to the Eagles, just off the strength of the Redskins not knowing what to expect from the uptempo offense.

On the other hand, Mike Shanahan didn't seem to trust the stability of Robert Griffin III. Even Griffin III didn't seem to trust the stability either. The Redskins went undefeated in the preseason, but now these games seem to be preseason games for the offense as well as they try to get Griffin III back in the flow with his teammates. Let's see how long it takes for the Redskins to get going.

Houston Texans 31 San Diego Chargers 28

The Chargers had a memorable meltdown on Monday Night Football last year against the Broncos, when they held a 24-0 halftime lead and then lost the game. This time, the Chargers had a 28-7 third quarter lead, and it didn't seem to faze the Texans one bit. The Texans came back to beat the Chargers in another disheartening loss for the Chargers on Monday night. The Chargers play the Colts at home next month on Monday night. I think they just want to avoid playing that game.

2013 NFL Week 1 Preview

The NFL officially returned on August 4th when the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins faced off in the Hall of Fame Game. However, those games do not count. Starting today, the road to New York for Super Bowl XLVIII starts tonight. Let's preview all of the Week 1 matchups.

Ravens' Jacoby Jones catches game-tying touchdown pass
against the Broncos in last year's AFC Divisional Round game.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Denver Broncos
Thursday September 5, 2013 8:30pm
NBC -- Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth

This game is a rematch of last year's AFC Divisional Round thriller, which the Ravens won in double overtime en route to their championship. It is a shame the Ravens don't get to open their season at home, as MLB decided to be selfish and keep a game between the Baltimore Orioles and the last place Chicago White Sox at 7:05pm instead of moving it to 1:05pm. Camden Yards, home of the Orioles, and M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Ravens, share parking lots, so holding a game simultaneously is out of the question.

Now on to the game. People should caution against judging the entire season based off of this one game. It's only Week 1, and we remember the Broncos started 2-3 last season before winning 11 straight. Both teams will have issues tonight. The Ravens are missing a lot of pieces from last year's team, so it'll be interesting to see how Joe Flacco does in a leadership role. For the Broncos, they will be missing Champ Bailey tonight. They're also missing Von Miller, and Dan Koppen tore his ACL in training camp so the offensive line will be missing a key part. The Broncos still have Peyton Manning, and that's more than enough.

Baltimore Ravens 10 Denver Broncos 27

New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills
Sunday September 8, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf

The chatter has already begun in this game, as Bills' wide receiver Stevie Johnson proclaimed the Patriots didn't have anyone in their secondary who can stop him. While that is possibly true, that doesn't necessarily mean the Bills will win the game. Bills' head coach Doug Marrone has said rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel will play, not too long after a knee procedure. The Bills' offense showed promise under the direction of Manuel in the preseason, so it's possible the Bills can win this game.

The Patriots had a disastrous offseason, but they still have one of the game's best players in Tom Brady. That's enough for the Patriots to have another season where they'll probably have over 11 wins and win the AFC East. I'm also interested to see if Kenbrell Thompkins gets more playing time over the course of the season. He looked good in the preseason, and Brady needs wide receivers after Danny Amendola. For this game, however, I'm predicting an upset.

New England Patriots 24 Buffalo Bills 27

Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers
Sunday September 8, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Chris Myers, Tim Ryan

Panthers' quarterback Cam Newton is going into his third season as the starter now, so bigger things are expected of him. The Panthers have built a solid front seven to their defense, but their secondary remains a question. Linebacker Luke Kuechly had a very good preseason, highlighted by a dominant performance against the Ravens. The offense is the biggest question mark. Newton didn't show any improvement in the preseason, so it might be time he's on a short leash if he doesn't get the job done this year.

The Seahawks have lofty expectations coming into the season, and rightfully so. Their secondary is probably the best in the league, and they have a quarterback who is most likely their franchise quarterback in Russell Wilson. They'll rely on a power run game led by Marshawn Lynch, so the Seahawks are ready to dominate, and it'll start with this game.

Seattle Seahawks 24 Carolina Panthers 7

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chicago Bears
Sunday September 8, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Jim Nantz, Phil Simms

This is the second consecutive season the Bears are opening the season at home against an AFC opponent. Last year, they welcomed then-rookie Andrew Luck to the league and won handily. This game will not be the same as they'll face a formidable opponent in the Bengals, a team many people believe can win the AFC North. Third-year quarterback Andy Dalton will look to become the leader the Bengals need him to be in order to leap into championship contention.

The Bears have a new coach in Marc Trestman, so this means a new offense yet again for Jay Cutler. Cutler has been given passes because of the constant changing, but he simply has to play better if the Bears want to get back to the playoffs. The defense remains pretty much the same except the absence of Brian Urlacher, and that is huge. The Bears are one of the mysteries going into this season.

Cincinnati Bengals 20 Chicago Bears 23

Miami Dolphins vs. Cleveland Browns
Sunday September 8, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots

The Dolphins are one of the teams people are talking about when making the leap from mediocre to potential playoff contender. I'm not sold on that idea. However, the Dolphins have a lot of talented pieces. Their issue is at the most important position, however. Ryan Tannehill will need to improve and I just can't see it happening. Anything is possible though.

The Browns are rolling with Brandon Weeden again, and the Browns are looking for him to step up and play better. The Browns lost a lot of games last year that were close so Weeden will need to close the door on some of these games for the Browns to improve. Paul Kruger was able to get paid off of his performance with the Ravens, but can he be the same effective player with the Browns? Time will tell.

Miami Dolphins 17 Cleveland Browns 23

Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions
Sunday September 8, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick

The Vikings were the team no one expected to get to the playoffs, but they did on the strength of running back Adrian Peterson. The Vikings won't be able to just ride Peterson to the playoffs again. Christian Ponder has to improve and show he is the franchise quarterback. The Vikings did win in Detroit last year and they'll be looking to do it for another season. A road win against a division rival is a good start.

The Lions are only two years removed from going 10-6 and making it to the playoffs for the first time since 1999. They still have a lot of young talent and a solid defensive line and a decent secondary with the pickup of safety Glover Quin. Matthew Stafford threw for 5,000 yards again, but only had 20 touchdown passes and was erratic with the football. If Stafford continues to be erratic, the Lions will have another season like 2012. If he's able to turn it around, the Lions can be a playoff team this year.

Minnesota Vikings 20 Detroit Lions 31

Oakland Raiders vs. Indianapolis Colts
Sunday September 8, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Marv Albert, Rich Gannon

An article on nfl.com reveals all you need to know about the state of the Raiders' quarterback problems. The Raiders will start the season with Terrelle Pryor as their starting quarterback after Matt Flynn was unable to keep it for a second straight season. However, that article says there are people within the Raiders who believe Matt McGloin gives the Raiders the best chance to win. Wow!

McGloin is an undrafted rookie out of Penn State, and had a rather unimpressive career there platooning with Rob Bolden. The Raiders drafted Tyler Wilson out of Arkansas and he was a sleeper going into camp, but he performed terribly this preseason as well and is now on the practice squad. You can't make this stuff up.

Oakland Raiders 3 Indianapolis Colts 31

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday September 8, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Spero Dedes, Steve Tasker

The Chiefs already had an impressive defense, but they struggled last season due to poor play from the quarterback position. A turbulent season in which one of the players took his own life resulted in the firing of Romeo Crennel. Insert Andy Reid, who got the ax from the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chiefs also traded for quarterback Alex Smith, so I believe the Chiefs have taken care of their issues.

Starting the season against the Jaguars is a good way to get the season off on the right foot. It'll be very interesting to see how the Chiefs perform. I believe they're a playoff team with their current roster and coaching staff. A weak AFC conference certainly helps.

Kansas City Chiefs 24 Jacksonville Jaguars 10

Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints
Sunday September 8, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa

People in the New Orleans and Atlanta areas call this a fiery rivalry. People outside of both regions don't necessarily care for the rivalry. Nonetheless, they are the two best teams in the NFC South and have had thrilling games in recent years. Starting the season playing against one another makes this an entertaining start to the season for both teams.

The outcome of this game won't have the greatest effect on the final standings, but these division games are always important. Both teams would love to get the win. The Saints getting Sean Payton back is huge for the team in getting back to the playoffs. I give the upper hand to the Saints now.

Atlanta Falcons 24 New Orleans Saints 28

Buccaneers' Darrelle Revis faces his former team in the first game
of the season, and is coming off of last year's torn ACL.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New York Jets
Sunday September 8, 2013 1pm
FOX -- Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch

When the schedule makers decided to match the Buccaneers against the Jets in Week 1, Darrelle Revis was still with the Jets. However, there were many rumors flying around that the Buccaneers were looking to acquire him. It made sense since Revis wanted to get paid and the Buccaneers had a lot of salary cap space. The inevitable eventually happened, and Revis became a Buccaneer. Now the Jets have to face him...in Week 1!

The Buccaneers also acquired safety Dashon Goldson, so their secondary is looking very good to start the season. The Buccaneers defense may improve a lot, but that isn't the question when it comes to their success. How will Josh Freeman play? That's the biggest question. See how I avoided any Jets soap opera talk. Now only if ESPN can just do the same.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13 New York Jets 17

Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Sunday September 8, 2013 1pm
CBS -- Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

The Titans have Gregg Williams on the coaching staff for the defense, with a couple of key additions in tight end Delanie Walker and safety Bernard Pollard. Other than that, I'm not sure what the Titans can look forward to this season. The Steelers, on the other hand, are the unknown. They finished 8-8, but Ben Roethlisberger missed a couple of games due to injury. It's hard to gauge just how good the Steelers can be because Roethlisberger is always getting hurt.

The Steelers need him now more than ever because their defense isn't the same as it was a couple of years ago. If he can stay healthy, the Steelers can be a playoff team and even win the AFC North. If he isn't healthy for the entire year, forget about it.

Tennessee Titans 13 Pittsburgh Steelers 24

Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Rams
Sunday September 8, 2013 4:25pm
FOX -- Dick Stockton, Ronde Barber

The Cardinals have talked the talk so far this offseason and preseason, so I'm anxious to see if Carson Palmer can make this football team better. When the Raiders acquired him in the 2011 season, he was heralded as the savior for the franchise by head coach Hue Jackson. Palmer didn't play well and the Raiders fortunes haven't turned for the better, so the Raiders parted ways with him. Palmer has Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, so he has weapons.

Sam Bradford should be on a short leash at this point. He hasn't quite been able to get the Rams to the playoffs, but he also hasn't been helped out with a good group of wide receivers either. Danny Amendola was reliable, but he was often injured. The drafting of Tavon Austin should help Bradford out a lot. Austin is very explosive and all Bradford needs to do is dump the ball to him and he can make plays in space. Interesting season for both teams ahead.

Arizona Cardinals 10 St. Louis Rams 13

49ers' Colin Kaepernick scores touchdown in last year's
NFC Divisional Round game against the Packers.

Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers
Sunday September 8, 2013 4:25pm
FOX -- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

These two teams started their regular season last year at Lambeau Field. For the Packers, the matchup between themselves and the 49ers was also their final game of the season as well. The 49ers were dominant in both games, with the first one being started by Alex Smith. The playoff game was started by Colin Kaepernick, and he gashed the Packers' defense with the read-option. Packers' linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. vowed to hit the quarterback everytime on the read-option, drawing the ire of 49ers' head coach Jim Harbaugh.

I don't think Matthews is threatening or targeting the quarterback in an illegal way at all. The way to stop the read-option is to hit the quarterback on every play. The quarterback is fair play on every read-option so these quarterbacks better get used to getting hit often. These coaches can also stop running it to protect their quarterback.

Green Bay Packers 27 San Francisco 49ers 38

New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys
Sunday September 8, 2013 8:30pm
NBC -- Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth

The Giants are a perfect 4-0 in the new Cowboys Stadium, now named AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys really shouldn't be worried about that statistic. They should just worry about starting the season 1-0 and getting off to a fast start in the division. Whether the Giants win or lose this game, getting off to a solid first half start has never been their problem. The second half of the season has been their problem.

While the Giants started last season at 6-2, their two losses were in the division, which was a huge setback. They ended up at 3-3 in the division, which was one of the main reasons for them not making the playoffs a year after winning the Super Bowl. Winning these division games is something head coach Tom Coughlin will stress to his team. This game isn't a must win for either team, but much like the matchup between the Falcons and Saints, both teams would love to have the win.

New York Giants 27 Dallas Cowboys 21

Redskins' Robert Griffin III will look to bounce back from last
year's torn ACL.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Redskins
Monday September 9, 2013 7:10pm
ESPN -- Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden

This is a very intriguing game for both teams. For the Redskins, they are coming off of their first division crown in more than ten years. They have a dynamic quarterback in Robert Griffin III, but he's coming off an ACL injury and observers are dying to see how he reacts to being hit. Observers also want to see what head coach Mike Shanahan does with the offense. Does he continue to make Griffin III a runner or does he start to make him a traditional pocket passing quarterback?

For the Eagles, the hire of former University of Oregon head coach Chip Kelly means the Eagles will be in hurry-up mode throughout the game. This makes the Eagles the unknown coming into the season. Will this style of play help Michael Vick play much better? How will defenses try to slow down Kelly's offensive attack? The Redskins' defense is the first exhibit on attempting to slow down the Eagles. Good luck!

Philadelphia Eagles 34 Washington Redskins 27

Houston Texans vs. San Diego Chargers
Monday September 9, 2013 10:20pm
ESPN -- Chris Berman, Trent Dilfer

Philip Rivers has proven to be the Chargers' franchise quarterback in the past, but a lack of offensive weapons and a lot of poor decisions in the past couple of years have analysts criticizing him more than ever. Rivers has a new head coach in Mike McCoy, so the Chargers are the unknown going into this season. They have shady offensive line play, and a defense that doesn't look imposing. I'll put the Broncos and Chiefs ahead of them in the AFC West.

The Texans are coming off a season that ended in disappointing fashion. The Texans had opportunities to claim a first round bye in the playoffs and even get the top seed in the AFC. However, they played poorly in the final month and lost out on that opportunity. Then they were gashed by the Patriots in the playoffs, to no one's surprise. Their defense is still pretty good and they are still rolling with a number of offensive weapons. The only question mark...a guy named Matt Schaub?

Houston Texans 27 San Diego Chargers 17