September 7, 2014

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROL!!

DEDICATED TO LINDA

10:05-10-15 GARY MYERS (NEW YORK DAILY NEWS) WRITER JETS/GIANTS

10:30-10:45 RICK SNIDER (REDSKINS AND NFC EAST)

11:30-WHENEVER CLARK JUDGE (NFL, JETS AND GIANTS)

ST. LOUIS -3 OVER MINNESOTA (44) – With Sam Bradford out, the Rams don’t lose too much starting

Shaun Hill at QB. Hill has a winning record as a starter in the NFL and they are going to need Zak Stacy

to run the ball effectively behind their offensive line to win anyway. Minnesota has a new head coach

in veteran DC Mike Zimmer and look for the Vikings to POUND the ball on the ground and mix in some

passes to their great TE Kyle Rudolph. This should be a close game and probably without much scoring.

I’m going to PASS on this one. ST. LOUIS 23 MINNY 20.

NEW ORLEANS -2 OVER ATLANTA (52) – Normally this would be one of the games of the day, but

personally, I don’t see it that way this season. Atlanta is coming off one of their worst seasons in history

and definitely in Mike Smith’s tenure as HC of the Falcons. Even though they lost Tony Gonzales to

retirement, the Falcons still have Roddy White and Julio Jones. However, I don’t see the defense for the

Falcons having enough to stop Drew Brees and his talented offense of the Saints. I look for the Saints to

score often and the entire game. The Saints have added Jarius Byrd at safety. That won’t hurt either.

TAKE THE SAINTS MINUS THE 2 POINTS FOR 4 STARS. NEW ORLEANS 31 ATLANTA 21.

CHICAGO -7 OVER BUFFALO (47) – I’m looking for the Bears to come out ready to play both offensively

and defensively at home over a Bills team that struggles on both sides of the ball. Bills QB EJ Manuel

continues to struggle with this offense He’s going to have to improve dramatically for the Bills to get to

the postseason. Jay Cutler is HEALTHY and usually gets off to a good start anyway. I look for the Bears

to have their way on offense with a good but not great Bills defense. Matt Forte and the Bears receivers

will be open and open regularly for Cutler to move the sticks. TAKE THE BEARS MINUS THE POINTS FOR

5 STARS! CHICAGO 27 BUFFALO 17.

BALTIMORE – 2 OVER CINCINNATI (43) – This game might be the most important of the day because

the winner takes a full game lead over the team that will probably be right there at the end of the

season to compete for the playoff spot and division championship. The Ravens have been fairly quiet

in the offseason but have made some strides on the defensive side of the ball. Ray Rice sits a two game

suspension for knocking out his new bride but many people believe that Bernard Pierce is a better

overall back than Rice anyway. If Pierce plays well, look for Rice to have a reduced role with the Ravens

offense when he does come back. TE Dennis Pitta is healthy and is Joe Flacco’s security blanket. Torrey

and Steve Smith give Flacco plenty of ammunition to go down the field in their no-huddle. Cincinnati, by

the way, is the AFC North returning champion and have plenty of weapons on both sides of the ball to

win this ballgame. Andy Dalton has just signed a long term deal with the Bengals but has lost his OC in

Jay Gruden, who took the HC job in Washington. This game should come down to the final 5 minutes of

the game. PASS. BALTIMORE 27 CINCINNATI 24.

WASHINGTON +3 OVER HOUSTON(44.5) – Two rookie coaches in Jay Gruden and Bill O’Brien going at

it with two teams whose combined records last season were 5-27? No wonder Thom Brennaman and

David Diehl are announcing the game. Houston doesn’t have much except Arian Foster (who didn’t take

a snap in preseason) and Andre Johnson on offense. Jadeveon Clowney has looked good in preseason

next to J.J. Watt and they could create problems for the Washington offensive line but in reality, the

Redskins probably have more talent overall than a Houston team where I seriously have a hard time

finding names I recognize. If Robert Griffin can deliver the ball to his receiving corps and run the ball

effectively with Alfred Morris, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them BEAT the Texans in Houston. PASS.

Too close to call. WASHINGTON 27 HOUSTON 24.

JETS -5 1⁄2 OVER OAKLAND RAIDERS – I don’t see any way the Raiders starting a rookie quarterback the

first game of the season with the way they looked during the preseason, can stay very close to a beat up

but tough Jets roster. I look for the Jets to run and throw the ball successfully against a Raiders defense

which is suspect at best. The Jets are going to do this while playing several second string players on the

defensive side of the ball. I don’t think it will make a difference. TAKE THE JETS FOR (4 STARS)JETS 31

TENNESSEE +3 OVER KANSAS CITY (42) – Kansas City made me look good last year as my TOTAL WINS

PLAY OF THE YEAR won its first 9 games on their way to a playoff spot. Don’t look for the same good

fortune this season. Starting the season without Dwayne Bowe on suspension doesn’t help. New

Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt and exceptional DC Ray Horton give Tennessee a shot at a much

better team immediately this season. Even though Alex Smith struggled to a 59.8 QB rating during the

preseason, he signed a HUGE new contract. Their offensive line is beat up and missing some key people.

I wouldn’t be a big surprised if Tennessee wins this game in Arrowhead. Titans QB Jake Locker had a

GREAT preseason. Jamaal Charles will have to have another great game to deliver a win for the Chiefs.

The Chiefs lost their last 3 home games last season. PASS.TENNESSEE 34 KANSAS CITY 31.

NEW ENGLAND -4 AT MIAMI (46.5) – Tom Brady is supposed to play which pretty much gives you a

good reason to give the 4 points and take the Pats against a Miami team that has a lot to work on this

season if they’re going to even THINK about going to the playoffs. Adding Derrelle Revis to a pretty

good defense to begin with is going to Ryan Tannehill a tough time finding anyone open to throw to.

The Dolphins picked up Knowshon Moreno as a free agent and that won’t hurt but with a new offense

and an offensive line that at best is NEW…I look for the Dolphins defense to wear down being on the

field all the time and get outscored easily. TAKE THE PATS GIVING UP JUST 4 POINTS FOR 3 STARS! NEW

TAMPA BAY -3 OVER CAROLINA (38) – Cam Newton is a game time decision and I wouldn’t be surprised

if he doesn’t start this game. He’s injured and shouldn’t play if he IS injured. Josh McCown starts for the

Bucs at QB. He can flat out play the game and I look for him to lead this Tampa Bay offense to the lead

and the win here. RB Doug Martin should be fed the ball regularly in this game and new HC Lovie Smith

(welcome back!) will find a way to win this game on the defensive side of the ball. FINAL SCORE TAMPA

BAY 23 CAROLINA 20. PASS.

PITTSBURGH -6 1⁄2 OVER CLEVELAND – I really don’t see much happening here in the way of scoring

but what score IS done in this game will be done mostly by Ben Roethelisberger and the Steelers. The

ineffectiveness of the Cleveland offense should keep Big Ben and the Steeler offense on the field long

enough to score and cover against this anemic offense of the Browns. Maybe Hoyer looks good enough

to stay and finish the game for the Browns and maybe Johnny Football gets in there sometime in the

second half to try to spark the Browns…who knows? But this game won’t be close in my opinion. Take

Big Ben and the Steelers to win big at home and make sure they get off to a good start this season.

TAKE THE STEELERS FOR 5 STARS. PITTSBURGH 31 CLEVELAND 10.

SAN FRANCISCO – DALLAS (OVER 51) – Lots of missing parts to a very good San Francisco defense and

a Dallas defense that pretty much sucks completely (last in the league in defense last year). Look for

Romo and Kaepernick to light up the scoreboard in this game in Dallas probably with the roof on which

should create plenty of action and scoring. Usually I’d be on the 49ers here to win and cover but their

offense didn’t look that good in the preseason and there are PLENTY of distractions going around

with this team right now. The Niners are missing key pieces of their great defense and it’s looking like

Michael Crabtree might not play on Sunday. TAKE THE OVER 51 POINTS FOR 5 STARS! SAN FRANCISCO

DENVER -7 OVER INDIANAPOLIS (54) – This game will be entertaining if for no other reason than

watching two future HOF quarterbacks compete. Denver has some distractions with Wes (Molly)

Welker sitting out a few games and Colts owner Robert Irsay being disciplined for driving while high

as hell on something. Earlier during the preseason, Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen announced he would

be stepping down as an active CEO of the team because of early Alzheimer’s disease. But the bottom

line here is talent. Denver on the offensive side of the ball will move the sticks almost at will. Indy will

move the ball also but it will take a hell of a lot more out of Andrew Luck to do so because of his limited

weapons. The game is in Mile High so I’m TEASING THE BRONCOS WITH THE OVER HERE WITH 50% OF

MY WINNINGS FOR THE DAY!! FINAL SCORE DENVER 41 INDY 28.

MONDAY NIGHT GAME – DETROIT -5 1⁄2 OVER GIANTS – The Giants will start slow like last season but

I’m not sure if they will improve all that much. The defense should be better but the offense looked

crippled in the preseason. I’ve already been listening to excuses out of Eli’s mouth so I’m prepared

for not much of a showing on the offensive side of the ball. Look for a rebuilt, rejuvenated, and new

offense out of the Lions. Matthew Stafford will come out slinging and Reggie Bush is ALWAYS ready for

prime time!! The Lions still have a guy on the offensive side of the ball named MEGATRON!! TAKE THE

LIONS MINUS THE POINTS OVER THE GIANTS. DETROIT 34 NEW YORK 24.

MONDAY NIGHT GAME – ARIZONA -3 OVER SAN DIEGO (46) – This game could go either way. Both

offenses are solid. Phillip Rivers and Carson Palmer have over 66,000 yards passing between them.

Both of these guys are familiar now with their offenses. Both have pretty good defenses also. I think

this game will be a shootout with the team that has the ball last winning the game. Therefore, I’M

GOING TO TAKE THE OVER 46 POINTS FOR 5 STARS!!

FINAL WEEK 1 PICKS

NEW ORLEANS -2 AT ATLANTA 5 STARS

PITTSBURGH -7 OVER CLEVELAND 5 STARS

CHICAGO -7 OVER BUFFALO 5 STARS

NEW ENGLAND -4 OVER MIAMI 3 STARS

OVER 52 DALLAS-SAN FRANCISCO 5 STARS

OVER 55 DENVER-INDIANAPOLIS 5 STARS

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