Week 1 officially starts tomorrow night in Green Bay. WHOO-HOO!!!
I know my wife is not looking forward to becoming a football widow for the next five months, but I am dancing in the streets – mentally today and physically on Sunday.
Here is how I see all of the games shaking out. (It feels oh-so good to start doing weekly NFL previews again!!!)
Game of the Week
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens. This should a slobber-knocker. Both of these teams are the baddest bullies on the block in the NFL – particularly in the AFC. Both teams love to play old-school, grind it out, knock-the-bleep-out-of-you football. The best part about this game is that both teams hate each other – while respecting the hell out each other. My Steelers have been uncharacteristically yapping during the off-season concerning the Ravens. Normally it’s the Ravens who cannot shut the hell up. As a result, I have a BAAD feeling about this one for my Steelers. While the Steelers are better on paper, the Ravens are playing at home and are looking to get over that Pittsburgh hump. Oh, and there’s that revenge factor too… Ravens 17, Steelers 13.
Thursday’s Game
Packers over Saints. It’s gonna be close, but I cannot go against the home team in this one. This will be a preview to the NFC Championship Game…
Sunday’s Games
Falcons over Bears
Browns over Bengals
Chiefs over Bills
Eagles over Rams (they are not the Lambs any more)
Lions over Buccaneers
Titans over Jaguars (has Jacksonville given up on winning?)
Texans over Colts (it will be different not seeing Peyton manning out there)
Cardinals over Panthers
Chargers over Vikings
49ers over Seahawks
Giants over Redskins
Jets over Cowboys (why this and not the Steelers-Ravens game was selected for the late national game is beyond me)
Monday’s Games
Patriots over Dolphins (should be over by halftime)
Raiders over Broncos
Categories: NFL, sports story
You want to know why Jets – Cowboys got the national prime time game over Ravens – Steelers?
1. Money – (Isn’t money always #1 nowadays!). New York is the #1 Television market. Dallas is #5. Pittsburgh and Baltimore are #’s 23 and 26. Your 1 year old son could executive produce this opening game and it would still have a killer rating.
2. Interconference games – Always do a little better because you have fans from both conferences with an interest in the outcome. Pitt – Bal is a great matchup but it’s an AFC North battle and not as well balanced geographically as NY – Dal. It’s the same reason Kennedy picked Lyndon Johnson to run with him. lol
3. Ryan brothers and Jerry Jones. Plenty of interesting subplots there for pregame show.
pats v. dolphins game will be very close. If there’s an upset this week this will be the game.
Why the Cowboys vs. Jets?? Cause the Cowboys are a ratings bonanza… They are the most watched team when on national televsion no matter what their record is… Unless you are a serious football fan like myself or from Pitt or Baltimore there is no appeal to that game… Women who hate football will tune in to see Sanchez and Romo and others will watch whether they love or hate the Boys… Deal with it!!! They are and always will be AMERICAS TEAM
Well, THIS is what I think of “America’s Team”…
Besides, I’ve said it before and I said it again, this is the NFL not TMZ. No straight man gives a damn about the “sex appeal” of Sanchez and Tony “Romeo”. We want to see hitting – and lots of it…
Again, you’ve answered your own question. NBC doesn’t just want “straight men” to watch. They are going after everybody.