Week 1 Sunday Preview:

R.I.P. Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon

We’re here, finally. After months of uncertainty wondering if we’d ever get the season in, brighter and cooler heads overcame the rhetoric and posturing to strike a 10-year deal that ensures labor peace and both sides to make billions of dollars. For the next 17 Sundays, fans all across the globe get to enjoy a traditional day of football.

With the Packers’ 42-34 win over the Saints, we kicked off the season in high style though the defenses were something of a rumor. Week 1 is always crazy as there are inevitably underdogs that come out and play way over their heads and pull the upset. This week, there are a number of intriguing matchups with only a couple of dogs mixed in.

Let’s look at the rest of the schedule, ok?

At Tampa Bay -1.5 Detroit 41

Condolences are sent to the family and friends of the great Lee Roy Selmon, the first great star of the Bucs who suddenly passed away last week. Selmon defined “agile, mobile and hostile” for a generation of fans who remember his brilliant collegiate and professional careers. If you never had a chance to see Selmon play, you missed out on seeing a magnificent player who dominated his era.

The Bucs face a very tough challenge at home against the surging Lions. Tampa Bay surprised a lot of people by going 10-6 last year while Matthew Stafford’s injury derailed another year for the Lions. Everybody in Detroit is in top form and Mister Suh is licking his chops at the thought of giving Josh Freeman a long afternoon. The Bucs may have some trouble rushing LeGarrette Blount up the middle since the Lions’ front seven has really developed into a formidable group. Gotta go Honolulu Blue here.

Projected Final Score: Detroit 21, Tampa Bay 17

At Ravens -2.5 Pittsburgh 36.5

Often times, the Super Bowl loser has a hard time getting their act together the following year. Look for the Steelers to go against that trend. There’s nothing like starting off the year with a bitter rivalry. Both of these teams will contend for top spot in the AFC North and both will be looking to apply the knockout punch from the opening bell. The Ravens come into the opener balanced on both sides of the ball while the AFC Champion Steelers are looking to open the year with a bang (especially on defense). The Ravens’ O-Line remains a work in progress, which may hinder Ray Rice from gaining traction and will certainly affect Flacco and the passing game.

Projected Final Score: Pittsburgh 23, Ravens 20.

Atlanta -3.5 At Chicago 41

After taking the NFC South crown from the Saints last year, the Falcons are looking for bigger and better things. The first step in that process is a visit to Soldier Field and a date with the Bears, who made it to the NFC Championship last season. While the Bears’ defense is always expected to put up a nasty fight, Jay Cutler remains an exercise in inconsistency at quarterback, and that offensive line is probably giving Coach Smith nightmares. The Bears are pretty banged up with RB Marion Barber out and LB Lance Briggs questionable. Barring a stumble, the Falcons ought to come out of this one victoriously.

Projected Final Score: Atlanta 24, Chicago 20

At Kansas City -4.5 Buffalo 40.5

It’s great to see the Bills sporting their classic ‘70’s look again. Uniform styles, however, do not translate into victories on the football field. The Chiefs have had the same look since 1963 with varying degrees of success. No one will probably compare Matt Cassel to the great Lenny Dawson, but Pioli and Haley have vested the keys to the kingdom in Cassel’s hands. Cassel is probable for Week 1 with rib injuries, so there’s a remote possibility that Tyler Palko will get the keys to run the offense for this week. The Bills have installed an “exciting” offense around Ryan Fitzpatrick with C.J. Spiller, the dependable Fred Jackson and Stevie Johnson. Will they employ Brad Smith and the wildcat at all this week? The question is whether all of these possible wrinkles are good enough to win. The Chiefs have a very good defense with Tamba Hali and Eric Berry and have the speed to counter whatever Coach Gailey has up his sleeve.

Projected Final Score: Kansas City 23, Buffalo 21

At Houston -9.5 Indianapolis 45

For Coach Kubiak, it’s the playoffs this year or he’ll most likely be replaced. The Texans will debut their new 3-4 front with Super Mario Williams at OLB. On offense, Arian Foster has been slowed with a hamstring injury and is questionable for the opener. For Indianapolis, the big elephant in the room is whether Peyton Manning can play. If he does play, how effective can he be after having missed all of camp while recovering from neck surgery? By Tuesday, it was reported that Manning was “doubtful” for this game, so his absence throws Indy’s offense into complete disarray. On Wednesday, Indy announced that Manning was out and Kerry Collins would be the starter. The Houston-Indy rivalry is nasty enough with or without Manning. Since the Texans are under a mandate of sorts to make the playoffs, the Indy team may find themselves in a rough spot to open the season. Houston is not inclined to do them any favors on Sunday.

Projected Final Score: Houston 24, Indianapolis 13.

Philadelphia -4.5 At St. Louis 44

The “Dream Team” faces its first test “in old St. Lou” against Sam Bradford and a young and aggressive Rams team. The Eagles (as everyone now knows) struck the mother lode in free agency and the expectations are through the roof. But for all of the moves the Iggles have made, they’re still somewhat thin on the O-Line. Meanwhile, this is a good matchup for the Rams as they’ll get inkling as to how they’ll fare against the iron of the NFC. The young Rams’ defense ought to really look forward to chasing after Michael Vick while Sam Bradford faces a very tough test against a veteran defense.

Projected Final Score: Philadelphia 27, St. Louis 20

At Cleveland -6.5 Cincinnati 36

The Dawg Pound is raring and ready to go for another year in Cleveland. The Browns will be counting heavily on Peyton Hillis to repeat his 2011 performance to balance the offensive attack led by Colt McCoy. The Bungles travel upstate to open the year with a rookie quarterback and a completely revamped receiving corps. Cedric Benson has served his brief spell in the pen and will be ready to pick up the tough yards. This is a tough spot for Andy Dalton to make his NFL debut. The Browns don’t have a great defense but they’re good enough to present a lot of looks to confound an inexperienced quarterback.

Projected Final Score: Cleveland 24, Cincinnati 17

At Jacksonville -3.5 Tennessee 38.5

David Garrard was released by the Jags on Tuesday, so the offense has been completely thrusted into Luke McCown’s lap. This is the second time in recent years that the Jags have cut loose an established quarterback on the eve of the opener. At that time, Garrard was ready to start over Leftwich, but this time, who knows? Against an established opponent, a Week 1 start may have been too much to demand of a journeyman quarterback. But this ought to be a great test for Coach Del Rio’s crew, to open up against a divisional foe that’s presently in a state of flux. Chris Johnson held out of camp in a contract dispute only to sign a lucrative deal at the very end. He’s an amazing runner, but it’s hard to see how he’ll have his game legs in top condition by the first week. For Coach Munchak, it’s a new era in Nashville, with a new quarterback and new offense. With the lack of OTA’s, it can’t be expected that the offense would be immediately hitting on all cylinders.

Projected Final Score: Jacksonville 20, Tennessee 17

NY Giants -3.5 At Washington 37.5

The G-Men hit the road in Washington to open the year, where they’ll face either John Beck or Rex Grossman leading the ‘Skins offense. (On Monday, Coach Shanahan announced that Grossman would be the starter). The ‘Skins are a little banged up, with S LaRon Landry and TE Chris Cooley as game time decisions. The Giants were hard bit by the injury bug during the preseason, especially in the secondary. Osi Umenyiora is also out, Justin Tuck is questionable and they’ve just lost LB Jonathan Goff for the season. The Giants pound the football, that’s their game. How effective will Jacobs and Bradshaw be against a patchwork defense? Tim Hightower is now the feature back in Washington’s offense. Look for Washington to try to exploit the Giants’ deficiencies on defense but with Rex Grossman at the controls, it’s a total uncertainty.

Projected Final Score: NY Giants 24, Washington 20

At Arizona -7.5 Carolina 36.5

It’s a new era for both teams as Kevin Kolb takes over at quarterback for the Cardinals against Cam Newton and the rebuilding Panthers. Newton didn’t exactly bowl over the opposition during the preseason, but he’s learning on the fly. It’s going to be a daunting learning curve for Newton, as he’s stepped into a team that’s in full-blown rebuilding mode. Added to the problems for Carolina is the fact that their best player, Jon Beason, is questionable with an Achilles injury.

As discussed in our annual preview issue, Kolb is no sure thing. The Cards have the luxury of seeing how much production Kolb can generate against a team that’s basically starting over from scratch. Look for Kolb to turn to Larry Fitzgerald early and often.

Projected Final Score: Arizona 24, Carolina 17

At San Francisco -5.5 Seattle 38.5

This game is the only real dog of Week 1. Other than adding Braylon Edwards, the ‘Niners didn’t do much to upgrade the offense. It’s a new era in San Francisco as Jim Harbaugh looks to duplicate his success on the college level to the NFL. He was a tough and dependable pro quarterback so there’s nothing here that he hasn’t already experienced. Alex Smith is a lot like “mystery meat” because the team has no clue what to expect. There have occasions when Smith has been capable of leading the offense but there have been (plenty of) others in which he’s been brutal. The ‘Niners will lean heavily on Frank Gore to pick up the tough yards. For the Seahawks, neither Tarvaris Jackson nor Charlie Whitehurst inspires a lot of confidence at quarterback. Sidney Rice is also questionable with a shoulder injury. Seattle has the benefit of being a year further along in their rebuilding and do possess some nice players on defense, most notably Aaron Curry. But with the quarterback situation being up in the air, how much should anyone expect of the offense?

Projected Final Score: San Francisco 24, Seattle 17

At San Diego -9.5 Minnesota 41

Minnesota opens up the season with the daunting challenge of facing the Chargers. This is not an easy task for a team that is rebuilding under Coach Les Frazier. Donovan McNabb is expected to start, but the real question is how effective Adrian Peterson will be rushing behind a patchwork offensive line. Meanwhile, the Chargers return with all of their pieces intact and are looking to get off to a fast start (for a change). The Chargers will be looking to Ryan Mathews to have a big day on the ground to set up Rivers and the passing game.

Projected Final Score: San Diego 27, Minnesota 17

At NY Jets -4.5 Dallas 40.5

The Cowboys make their first of two trips to the New Meadowlands on Sunday night for a date with Coach Ryan and his brash band. This will be a unique battle of brothers as Rex and Rob have been plotting strategies against each other all week. As Coach Rex has frequently reminded the media, the Jets are well-balanced on both sides of the ball and fully intent on stuffing said ball down the Cowboys’ throats to set up the passing game. On defense, they can handle whatever Coach Garrett throws at them. Tony Romo is fully healthy and is expected to run an offense around Dez Bryant, Felix Jones and Witten. On defense, the Rob Ryan has DeMarcus Ware, who ought to make life difficult for Mark Sanchez. But the Cowboys’ defense is not as good as the Jets’. The Cowboys now have key injuries in the secondary (Newman and Jenkins) that will make things dicey, to say the least. On top of those injuries, first-round pick (and starting right tackle) Tyron Smith will likely miss the opener with a hyperextended knee.

Projected Final Score: NY Jets 27, Dallas 20

Monday Night Doubleheader:

New England -7.5 At Miami 45.5

This is Week 1’s upset special. An early season trip to South Florida is always a tough draw for the Patriots. It doesn’t matter whether the game is played in the day or at night, the heat and humidity inure to the Dolphins’ benefit. They’ve been practicing in these conditions for the last two months, the opposition hasn’t. During Belichick’s tenure, the Patriots of September usually start out slowly and hit their prime during the latter part of the season. The Pats come into this game with so many question marks. During camp and preseason, the Patriots’ play was uneven and ragged. Can the re-worked defense get off the field on third down? On the other hand, media reports indicate that Chad Henne had a great camp for the Dolphins. How effective will Reggie Bush be as an all-purpose back? Coach Sparano will probably direct the defense to heavily pressure Brady and it’s a question of how well the Pats’ interior line will hold up.

Projected Final Score: Miami 24, New England 21

At Denver -3.5 Oakland 40

Outside of the local markets and degenerate gamblers everywhere, does anyone really have an interest in this game? Despite the also-ran status of both of these teams, there’s a lot to be said to be said for the renewal of ancient AFL West rivals. The Raiders played horrifically during the preseason (not that it matters much). They were not only outmatched, they played dumb and undisciplined football for Coach Jackson. For the Broncos, it’s the beginning of a new era under John Fox. Kyle Orton had a very good camp and put to rest any talk of turning the reins over to Tim Tebow. It’s going to take some time for Coach Fox to put his imprint on the roster as the damage done by the previous regime was pretty extensive.

Projected Final Score: Oakland 23, Denver 20