Friday, September 07, 2007

NFL Week 1 Preview and Picks

Week 1 Picks: Well, I'm already 0-1 on the week (and season) from missing the Saints over the Colts. That just means I have nowhere to go but up. As usual, all picks made regardless of spread.

Broncos over at Bills
I'm in the bag for Jay Cutler.
Steelers over at Browns
SUICIDE/ELIMINATOR POOL PICK.
Eagles over at Packers
McNabb > Favre.
at Texans over Chiefs
Schaub Era begins with W.
at Jags over Titans
MJD trumps VY.
at Vikings over Falcons
Atlanta on Brohm Tank Watch!
Pats over at Jets
Genius tops Mangenius.
at Rams over Panthers
Steven Jackson Show?
at Redskins over Dolphins
Janky Spanky is back.
Lions over at Raiders
Calvin Johnson Era begins.
at Chargers over Bears
GAME OF THE WEEK.
at Seahawks over Bucs
Overlooking Seattle?
at Cowboys over Giants
Just keep Tiki quiet.
at Bengals over Ravens
Great MNF Opener
at 49ers over Cards
Breakout year for Alex Smith?

Last week: n/a. Season: 0-1

8 comments:

Unknown said...

What is the point in picking without the point spread?

David Kippe said...

Dan is just picking who will actually win the game. not that hard to understand.

Danny from Milwaukee said...

"McNabb > Favre"

Pffft. Maybe in the first week of the season. Certainly not in the last.

Justin Kadis said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Justin Kadis said...

It's called moneyline betting. It's def the way to go. Especially if you link them together in a parlay bet.

In our office Suicide Pool we have the chance to buy back in after the first two weeks, so it kind of gives you incentive to pick one of the crappy teams to win...

Also perhaps some unknown facts about the Steelers/Browns series (sorry for the length; h/t Cleveland Plain Dealer):


As we know, the Pittsburgh Steelers don't change head coaches often. But when they do, they always lose their first game in Cleveland.

It's true.

Every Pittsburgh coach since this turnpike series began in 1950 has lost his first game to the Browns in Cleveland.

It started with John Michelosen in 1950 and it continued right through to Bill Cowher in 1992.

There were six in between, including, of course, Hall of Famer Chuck Noll, who didn't win in Cleveland until his sixth season in 1974.

On Sunday, the AFC's oldest continuing rivalry welcomes Mike Tomlin, a surprise hire after Cowher resigned in January.

As far as Browns-Steelers is concerned, Tomlin has a tough act to follow. Cowher owned the Browns in his 15-year reign as Steelers coach.

The Steelers beat the Browns 19 of 24 meetings, including two in the playoffs, with Cowher as coach.

The only reason it wasn't worse is because the Browns were idle for three seasons.

The number grew to ridiculous proportions after the Browns were reborn as an expansion team in 1999. The Steelers have won 14 of 17 times, including 13 of the last 14 and the last seven in a row.

It wasn't always this way, of course.

When the series began as a result of the NFL absorbing the powerhouse Browns in 1950, the Steelers were among the dregs of the established league. Paul Brown pummeled them 16 of the first 18 meetings. It was 29-9 in favor of the Browns when the Steelers hired Noll, Brown's former messenger guard, in 1969.

Everything changed in 1970 when former Browns owner Art Modell hatched some brilliant ideas.

First he persuaded the Steelers to join him in jumping to the newly created American Football Conference after the NFL-AFL merger. (The Colts jumped, too.) Then he traded Paul Warfield to the Miami Dolphins for their top draft pick.

The Steelers owned the first pick in the draft and used it on Louisiana Tech quarterback Terry Bradshaw.

Modell countered by using the Miami pick, third overall, on Purdue quarterback Mike Phipps.

Since those fateful events, the Steelers hold a 46-26 edge in the series. And mostly due to Cowher's incredible run, the series stands exactly even at 55-55 as Tomlin arrives.

The Steelers have never led the series.

The heroin sheik said...

The pool we do at my work is picking the winners regardless of the spread but then you have to assign a number 1-16 depending on how sure you are of the outcome. You take your total points plus the number of games you won to find a winner. Of course we use total points on MNF to settle any ties. I had to not get in on the action this weekend as I truly have no clue how any team will do this week. I have never had the Sunday ticket til this season. I wonder if being able to watch every game makes it easier to judge how teams will do week to week of if picking in a pool is still as much luck as anything.

Brian in Oxford said...

That's a confidence poll, sheik...I always wanted in on one, nobody I know has been interested.

thistlewarrior said...

Really? That's the only NFL office pool that I've seen (other than survivor/eliminator) at mine or my family's work. I always had a great time w/it.