Let the 2010 games begin!

Although the college football season is already underway, the appetite of the diehard gridiron fan is never quite satisfied until the NFL season begins.

That’s not to say that college football is somehow inferior to the pro game, but there’s nothing quite like spending a Sunday afternoon glued to your 46-inch HD, flat-screen TV, armed with the NFL game package. Add a couple of buddies, some wings and a well-stocked cooler, and let the games begin!

Before I go any further, I would like to remind everyone that local football fans should not limit themselves to NFL games. On the local scene, the Gilbert/Northwestern football team would love to see local fans head up to the high school on Saturdays, and the University of Connecticut would undoubtedly appreciate your support.

This seems to me like a natural progression — some high school ball followed by some college action on Saturdays and then the big show on Sundays.

I’m not going to make any bold predictions about who is going to win in their respective divisions this year, but I’m going to offer up a few teams that I think may play themselves into the playoff picture.

In the AFC East, most people like the Jets or the Patriots, but I think the Dolphins are the sleeper in that division.

In the AFC North, the Ravens are the popular pick, but both the Bengals and the Steelers will be tough.

The Colts will be tough to dethrone in the AFC South, but I say keep an eye on the Houston Texans.

In the AFC West there is no reason for the Chargers not to repeat but who knows, maybe the Raiders are worth looking at.

In the NFC East, everyone likes the Cowboys, but let’s not rule out a run by the Giants.

As for the NFC North, everyone seems to agree that it’s either the Vikings or the Packers. I say it’s the Packers, and look out for the Bears.

In the NFC South the defending Super Bowl Champions will need to hold off the high-flying Atlanta Falcons if they want to repeat and that may be hard to do. 

Enough already. Let’s get down to my first week’s picks!

Thursday, Sept. 9

Minnesota at New Orleans — I’m sure there are plenty of fans out there rooting for Brett Favre. Unfortunately, I see an aging quarterback who might not make it through the first game. I like the Saints, 34-20.

Sunday, Sept 12

Atlanta at Pittsburgh — There’s no Big Ben for the Steelers and that may well spell trouble for them. This could very well be the year of the Falcons, but I don’t think it will start on the road in Pittsburgh. I’ll stick with the always-tough Steelers, 23-20.

Carolina at New York Giants — Lots of question marks for the Giants, but they should be able to handle Carolina in what should be a real good game. I’ll stick with New York, 24-17.

Detroit at Chicago — The Bears went out and hired Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz in an attempt to revive the career of quarterback Jay Cutler. Fortunately, the Bears are home against the Lions, who are getting better and will give the Bears a run for their money. The Bears prevail, 20-17.

Oakland at Tennessee — Unfortunately, the improving Raiders have to open on the road against a solid Titans team. I’ll stay with Jeff Fisher and Tennessee in this one, 27-19.

Indianapolis at Houston — This is one of a number of good matchups on opening day. Face it — the Colts are the Colts and will post double digits in wins by the end of the year. It won’t be easy, but Peyton will pull this one out late for the Colts, 31-27.

Denver at Jacksonville — These are two teams with plenty of question marks looming over them. It’s too early to get a read on either one of them, but I’m a Jack Del Rio fan, so I’ll go with the Jags, 23-19.

Miami at Buffalo — I like the Dolphins, and if you have to go on the road to play the Bills, this is certainly a better time weather-wise. The Fish have added depth at wide receiver and that should help improve an already formidable running game. Dolphins, 20-10.

Cincinnati at New England — This is another one of the really good matchups scheduled on the first weekend of the season. Most people believe the Bengals have stepped up to the upper echelon of teams while the Pats might be slipping. I agree, and I’ll take the Bengals, 34-23.

Cleveland at Tampa Bay — We’ll have to hold on before we make any real assessment of these two teams, but I’ll go with a hunch. I’ll take the Browns, 19-17.

Green Bay at Philadelphia — To win this game would be a great start for the Eagles in the post-McNabb era. However, this Packer team is among the elite in the league and they should win this game, 27-17.

San Francisco at Seattle — There’s a new regime in Seattle, but I don’t think the Seahawks will be ready for Mike Singletary’s hard-hitting 49ers. This is my Pick of the Week: 49ers win, 23-13.

Arizona at St. Louis — There’s not a lot to get excited about in this game, outside of the debut of quarterback Sam Bradford of the Rams. As for the Cards, no Warner, no win. I’ll take the Rams, 27-24.

Dallas at Washington — Most everyone has the Cowboys in the Super Bowl without even playing a game yet. New Redskins coach Mike Shanahan is enough to make this game interesting, and I think the Skins will pull this one out late, 21-19.

Monday, Sept. 13

Baltimore at New York Jets — I think this game could be a preview of the AFC Championship, and if they do meet again, the same team is going to win. I like the Ravens, 24-17.

San Diego at Kansas City — The Chargers must guard against a slow start against a rapidly improving team. There are some problems with personnel in San Diego, and I think the Chiefs win this one, 23-21.

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