The 2014 regular season is finally upon us. Unlike the Ravens the year before, the Super Bowl champion Seahawks actually get to play the NFL season opener at home in Seattle. I have not heard more than one pundit predict a victory for the Packers, and many have gone so far as to predict the Seahawks to repeat with a second Super Bowl win. I refuse to make any pre-season Super Bowl predictions as there's simply no video or statistical evidence to support such supposedly educated guesses. Football is a violent, injury-filled sport, and the performance of even major stars can fall precipitously into oblivion from one season to the next. Teams that rely on the legs of premier running backs such as the Seahawks could see a steep decline of players such as Marshawn Lynch within the next season or two. Adrian Peterson is another such back whose production could drop off soon despite his own expectations of dominance for years to come. I'm not necessarily predicting down years for Peterson or Lynch, but simply illustrating the point that proclaiming a Super Bowl champion before the season is a meaningless endeavor and truly just a guess.
The preseason doesn't tell us much about the true strength of each team as teams tend not to tip their hand with regards to schemes and plays before the games actually count. With that said, I'm not going to place much stock in the predictions made today, but we'll certainly have fun watching the first football of the season between two playoff contenders!
WEEK 1 PREDICTIONS
PACKERS AT SEAHAWKS- Aaron Rodgers and Eddie Lacy should tear it up offensively this season, but their efforts will not be enough to beat the Seahawks in their season and home opener. The Seahawks DID lose two of their starting defensive linemen who are both now on the Jaguars. The loss of those players will prove critical in road games, but the 'Hawks simply get too much of a defensive boost in front of their raucous home crowd. SEAHAWKS 24-17
SAINTS AT FALCONS- The Falcons used to be great at home...until last seasons when they became one of the worst teams in the league. There are too many issues with the Falcons and the Saints look far too strong to bet against here. SAINTS 35-23
VIKINGS AT RAMS- Rams defense has truly become a strong unit over the last two seasons, but the loss of their starting quarterback should prove a difficult hurdle to clear especially this early on. I expect a big day from the Vikings offense, but this should be a squeaker. VIKINGS 21-20
BROWNS AT STEELERS- I was among those impressed by Brian Hoyer last season in his brief but successful stint as the Browns' starting QB. Without Josh Gordon, however, the Browns simply don't have the aerial firepower to take down any of their divisional foes this season. I PRAY that the Browns prove me wrong, but I gotta take the team I hate more than anything (I think I'd root for the old Soviet Union if they played the Steelers). STEELERS 27-13.
JAGUARS AT EAGLES- ....EAGLES 38-10
RAIDERS AT JETS- The Jets surprised a lot of people last season. On paper they appeared to be a 4-5 win team and ended up winning half of their games. The Raiders are terrible top to bottom. They will lose--that is all. JETS 20-14
BENGALS AT RAVENS- Andy Dalton has never won a football game in Baltimore. The Ravens look dramatically improved, and the Bengals will be without starting WR Marvin Jones. The Ravens will have at least 2 out of 3 if not all of their starting cornerbacks healthy and ready to go for this game. Joe Flacco has never lost a home opener. Expect offensive fireworks for the Ravens and two picks from Andy Dalton. Heeeeere kitty-kitty-kitty... RAVENS 33-21
BILLS AT BEARS- The Bills don't have a strong enough defense to win on the road against a scary Bears offense. BEARS 28-16
REDSKINS AT TEXANS- Hmmmm which one of these losers is less of a loser? The Redskins secondary looked vastly improved, but now it will be without Brandon "I was only trying to headbutt him" Merriweather. I haven't the faintest clue of what the Texans offense will look like, but .their defense should still be a force. I'm going with the home team here. TEXANS 17-14
TITANS AT CHIEFS- I expect a strong Chiefs defense and a big day from Jamaal Charles. Aarowhead is a loud, terrifying stadium in which to be a visiting team. CHIEFS 23-20
PATRIOTS AT DOLPHINS- I'd love to see the Dolphins surprise the world here and take down Brady and company, but with Gronk back in the mix, the Patriots are going to be a contender once again....until he snaps his spine or an arm falls off (both are not only plausible but also likely). I like Tannehill, but Revis should shut down Mike Wallace. This should be a close one, but the Patriots are too dangerous when healthy. PATRIOTS 24-21
PANTHERS AT BUCCANEERS- Cam Newton is not 100% and they have no Steve Smith (heh heh) but the Panthers still have a dominant defense. The Buccaneers have not given me a reason to respect them in years. PANTHERS 13-7
49ERS AT COWBOYS- The 49ers have serious personnel issues. The Cowboys weren't as bad on defense in the preseason as I expected. Romo should have a big day. COWBOYS 28-21
COLTS AT BRONCOS- Peyton Manning at the beginning of the season? At home? Against an uneven Colts defense? BRONCOS 42-28
GIANTS AT LIONS- I'm not sure how I feel about Jim Caldwell as a head coach, but a healthy Lions offense should torch a broken Giants secondary. LIONS 35-17.
CHARGERS AT CARDINALS- This is probably one of the top 2 most difficult games to predict. The absence of Darnell Dockett along with a poor preseason showing against the Chargers leads me to believe that Phillip Rivers has a decent idea of how to attack the Cardinal's defense. CHARGERS 30-21
It appears clear to me that the Ravens are primed for a big bounce back season in 2014. The rest of the country does not yet agree, but beating the Bengals, Steelers, and Browns in a row should be enough to change their minds.
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
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