Right off the bat, I should have known that this was going to be an unusually tough opening week, when I got the Bears-Packers game wrong.
So, I got that one wrong. Let's see how I did with the other predictions with week one to begin the brand new 2019 season:
Buffalo 17, N.Y. Jets 16 - Enthusiasm was high among the Jets faithful, as they finally brought in a ton of excitement and anticipation for the upcoming season. They have some new talent on offense, a new coach, and even new uniforms. And the game started off incredibly well, as they took a 16-0 lead. But the Bills did not give up. They proved to be resilient, and battled their way back, ultimately taking a narrow 17-16 lead late. The Jets were not able to answer, and so Buffalo finds themselves 1-0, after coming back from a 16-point deficit. What a way to start the season for the Bills, and a scary and forgettable loss for Gang Green. My pick: Inaccurate
Kansas City 40, Jacksonville 26 - Well, this was more or less what we expected from KC, one of the clear favorites in the league entering this new season. The Chiefs scored a lot of points, and the defense, which allowed quite a few points themselves, were nevertheless good enough to allow the offensive production to hold for a nonetheless comfortable win. Patrick Mahomes completed 25 of 33 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns, picking up where he left off last year, during his MVP season. Nick Foles was injured fairly early, and is now on injured reserve after breaking his left collarbone. He will be out until at least November. Not the kind of start that Jax was hoping for. My pick: Accurate
Tennessee 43, Cleveland 13 - Wow, did I ever get this one wrong, or what? The Browns looked like the hot young team, entering this home game with a full head of steam. But they sure looked like the Browns of old, which is a scary thought. Baker Mayfield did not even play poorly, at least statistically, completing 25 of 38 for 285 yards and one touchdown. But the Titans physicality really dictated the tempo in this one, as they just out-muscled Cleveland. The game got ugly as it wore on, and Tennessee coasted to an opening day win. My pick: Inaccurate
Minnesota 28, Atlanta 12 - The Vikings new rushing game looks good. So does Minnesota’s defense. Maybe the Purple People Eaters are back. Matt Ryan had a decent day, statistically speaking, completing 33 of 46 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns. But running back Dalvin Cook was the big producer on offense for Minnesota, gaining 111 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. A very promising opening day win for the Vikings, and a very discouraging loss for Atlanta, a team that has not been able to make the most of their talent now consistently for several seasons. Not the kind of start that they wanted. My pick: Accurate
Philadelphia 32, Washington 27 - When the update came in for this game, it looked really bad for the Eagles. They were getting a beatdown, and had really gotten off on the wrong foot. But to their credit, Philly came storming back, overcoming a 17-point deficit to pull of an impressive opening day win against a clearly fired up divisional opponent. Carson Wentz really caught fire, completing 28 of 39 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns. DeSean Jackson had eight of those catches for 154 yards. All of that lifted the Eagles in an inspiring comeback win for Philly, who already move into a first place tie with Dallas. Case Keenum played extremely well himself for Washington in a losing cause, completing 30 of 44 passes for 380 yards and three touchdowns. My pick: Accurate
Baltimore 59, Miami 10 - Yikes! This is quite an embarrassing way to start the season, even if many people expected the Fins to be literally the worst team in the league for this upcoming season. Getting humiliated with what surely is a record home blowout, in front of all of their fans, has to be a crushing blow after all of the anticipation to start the season. It is hard to suggest that a team might be facing a crisis after only the first game, but this had better not be a sign of things to come for the Dolphins, because this was truly pathetic. As for the Ravens, they simply looked awesome. Sure, it is likely against what many people believed to be the worst team in the league, and clearly, after the performance on Sunday, there was ample evidence that these dire predictions for Miami were not unfounded. Perhaps the Fins can take solace in history, because the 1989 Pittsburgh Steelers started off with not one, but two humiliating blowout losses, first 51-0 at home to the Browns, and then a 41-10 drubbing at Cincinnati. Yet, that Steelers team bounced back to finish 9-7 to qualify for the postseason, and then beat the Houston Oilers in the Wildcard Game, and almost beat the eventual AFC champion Denver Broncos at Mile High, before bowing out. So, there may be hope, except that those Steelers were better than the blowout losses suggested, clearly. The jury is still out with this Dolphins team, however. My pick: Accurate
L.A. Rams 30, Carolina 27 - A very good, intense game. At first, it looked like the Rams were going to roll to an easy victory, taking a 13-0 lead. But the Panthers came storming back in a big way, and made a real game of it. Still, the defending NFC champs did just enough to maintain the lead, and put it out of reach for Carolina when they scored a touchdown late in the fourth to take a 30-20 lead. Jared Goff completed 23 of 39 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown, as well as one interception. Cam Newton completed 25 of 38 passes for 239 yards, with one INT. A solid road win on the East Coast for the Rams to start the season, and their NFC title defense. My pick: Accurate
Seattle 21, Cincinnati 20 - Admittedly, even though I picked the right team to win this one, it was a much tighter game than I had expected. Cincinnati played tough defense all game long, as the Seahawks struggled. Really, the Bengals had given themselves a chance to win, although they fell short in the end. Andy Dalton returned at quarterback for the Bengals, completing 35 of 51 passes for 418 yards and two touchdowns, enjoying a strong game. Russell Wilson had a decent day for the Seahawks as well, completing 14 of 20 passes for 196 yards, and he also threw two touchdowns. A strong showing for the Bengals, even though they lose. But Seattle ties the Rams and 49ers for first place in the NFC West. Meanwhile, the Bengals sink to an 0-1 start, tied with the Steelers and Browns for last place in the AFC North. My pick: Accurate
Indianapolis at L.A. Chargers 30, Indianapolis 24 (F/OT) - This was a battle between two playoff teams last season, and two favorites heading into this season. It was a shootout, with the Chargers taking an early lead, and then trying to hold off the Colts, who relentlessly kept pushing and threatening to take the lead, although they never actually did. What they did do was force overtime, but Los Angeles managed to get the winning touchdown when they drove down the field on a 6-play, 75-yard drives that culminated in a 7-yard touchdown run by Austin Ekeler to end it. Philip Rivers completed 25 of 34 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns, with one INT. Jacoby Brissett, the new Indy quarterback replacing the recently retired Andrew Luck, had a decent day, completing 21 of 27 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns, although his efforts ultimately fell just short. Still, some promising signs for both teams. My pick: Accurate
Dallas 35, N.Y. Giants 17 - The G-Men scored first to take a 7-0 lead. After that? Well, it got ugly in a hurry in “Big D.” The Cowboys rolled all over the Giants the rest of the way, and by the time that the Giants were about to score their second touchdown of the game, it was already out of reach at 35-10. Sure, New York got that last touchdown to make it look respectable, but for all intents and purposes, they really got hammered out in Texas. A bad loss for Big Blue, and a solid win for the guys with the stars on their helmets. My pick: Accurate
Detroit 27, Arizona 27 - Both teams had the opportunity to win this game, yet neither team seemed capable of finally icing it. The Lions took a big 17-0 lead early, and still had a 24-6 lead in the fourth quarter. But the Cards came storming back, and managed to force overtime. There, neither team was able to capitalize on any real opportunities, although Matthew Stafford was very nearly intercepted very late in overtime, which probably would have led to a winning field goal for Arizona. Instead, the game ended in a rare tie. Overall, Stafford completed 27 of 45 passes for 385 yards and three touchdowns,, while Arizona’s Kyler Murray passed for 29 of 54 for 308 yards, with two touchdowns and one INT. Not a great result, but not a bad result, for either team. I think the Lions should have been able to hold the Cardinals off and ice this as a win, however. My pick: Inaccurate
San Francisco 31, Tampa Bay 17 - This started off as a back and forth, low-scoring affair. But when the 49ers offense came alive in the second half, it seemed like they were unstoppavle. And the Buccaneers offense could not respond adequately, while their defense could not stop San Francisco when it absolutely needed to. Jimmy Garoppolo completed 18 of 27 passes for 166 yards and one touchdown, as well as one INT, which was not a great day for a QB who suddenly, and rather unexpectedly, finds himself looking over his shoulder at Mullens, his backup. Meanwhile, Jameis Winston completed 20 of 36 passes for 194 yards and one touchdown, but with three costly interceptions. Not a good start at all for the Bucs, but a solid win on an East Coast road game for San Fran. My pick: Tampa Bay
Sunday Night Football: New England 33, Pittsburgh 3 - The Patriots continued exactly as they left off last season, with another impressive win. This time, they avenged their regular season loss to the Steelers by soundly humbling Pittsburgh in this season opener at Foxboro. The Steelers have been one of the most explosive offensive teams over the past few seasons, but you would never know it based on their performance on Sunday evening. The Patriots defense played them almost to perfection, bending at times but never breaking, to the point of not even allowing a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Pats were able to build up a big lead. They enjoyed a 20-0 lead by halftime, and ultimately Stephen Gostkowski was able to enjoy a perfect game kicking four field goals that split the upright. A solid win for the defending champs, and a wake up call for the Steelers. This was clearly not the way that Pittsburgh anticipated starting the new season.. My pick: Accurate
Monday Night Football: Game One - New Orleans 30, Houston 28 - This was a strange game, and it went back and forth between the two teams. I was told by a coworker that Houston had won, and then maybe one minute later, another coworker said that the Saints had just made a 58-yard field goal on the last play to win it. The Texans played a lot tougher than I expected them to, given that they were on the road against one of the best teams in the league. But it was not easy. Deshaun Washington was sacked six times by the Saints, who seemed to have the game locked up, only to see the Texans take a lead late, only to then get one last ditch effort that actually went their way once that long field goal attempt by New Orleans’ placekicker Wil Lutz split the uprights to provide a huge, come from behind win for the Saints. My pick: Accurate
Monday Night Football: Game Two - Oakland 24, Denver 16 - The Raiders won their opening game at their home – or no longer quite home, or temporary home, or whatever it is to them – against their division rivals, the Denver Broncos. Derek Carr had a fantastic night, as he completed 22 of 26 passes for 259 yards and one touchdown. In a losing cause for his new team, the Broncos, Joe Flacco completed 21 of 31 passes for 268 yards, and also threw one touchdown. But the Raiders went ahead early by two touchdowns, and Denver never was really able to get back into this thing. That means that they fall to 0-1 and in sole possession of last place in a division where literally every other team won this weekend. My pick: Inaccurate
Buffalo 17, N.Y. Jets 16 - Enthusiasm was high among the Jets faithful, as they finally brought in a ton of excitement and anticipation for the upcoming season. They have some new talent on offense, a new coach, and even new uniforms. And the game started off incredibly well, as they took a 16-0 lead. But the Bills did not give up. They proved to be resilient, and battled their way back, ultimately taking a narrow 17-16 lead late. The Jets were not able to answer, and so Buffalo finds themselves 1-0, after coming back from a 16-point deficit. What a way to start the season for the Bills, and a scary and forgettable loss for Gang Green. My pick: Inaccurate
Kansas City 40, Jacksonville 26 - Well, this was more or less what we expected from KC, one of the clear favorites in the league entering this new season. The Chiefs scored a lot of points, and the defense, which allowed quite a few points themselves, were nevertheless good enough to allow the offensive production to hold for a nonetheless comfortable win. Patrick Mahomes completed 25 of 33 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns, picking up where he left off last year, during his MVP season. Nick Foles was injured fairly early, and is now on injured reserve after breaking his left collarbone. He will be out until at least November. Not the kind of start that Jax was hoping for. My pick: Accurate
Tennessee 43, Cleveland 13 - Wow, did I ever get this one wrong, or what? The Browns looked like the hot young team, entering this home game with a full head of steam. But they sure looked like the Browns of old, which is a scary thought. Baker Mayfield did not even play poorly, at least statistically, completing 25 of 38 for 285 yards and one touchdown. But the Titans physicality really dictated the tempo in this one, as they just out-muscled Cleveland. The game got ugly as it wore on, and Tennessee coasted to an opening day win. My pick: Inaccurate
Minnesota 28, Atlanta 12 - The Vikings new rushing game looks good. So does Minnesota’s defense. Maybe the Purple People Eaters are back. Matt Ryan had a decent day, statistically speaking, completing 33 of 46 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns. But running back Dalvin Cook was the big producer on offense for Minnesota, gaining 111 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. A very promising opening day win for the Vikings, and a very discouraging loss for Atlanta, a team that has not been able to make the most of their talent now consistently for several seasons. Not the kind of start that they wanted. My pick: Accurate
Philadelphia 32, Washington 27 - When the update came in for this game, it looked really bad for the Eagles. They were getting a beatdown, and had really gotten off on the wrong foot. But to their credit, Philly came storming back, overcoming a 17-point deficit to pull of an impressive opening day win against a clearly fired up divisional opponent. Carson Wentz really caught fire, completing 28 of 39 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns. DeSean Jackson had eight of those catches for 154 yards. All of that lifted the Eagles in an inspiring comeback win for Philly, who already move into a first place tie with Dallas. Case Keenum played extremely well himself for Washington in a losing cause, completing 30 of 44 passes for 380 yards and three touchdowns. My pick: Accurate
Baltimore 59, Miami 10 - Yikes! This is quite an embarrassing way to start the season, even if many people expected the Fins to be literally the worst team in the league for this upcoming season. Getting humiliated with what surely is a record home blowout, in front of all of their fans, has to be a crushing blow after all of the anticipation to start the season. It is hard to suggest that a team might be facing a crisis after only the first game, but this had better not be a sign of things to come for the Dolphins, because this was truly pathetic. As for the Ravens, they simply looked awesome. Sure, it is likely against what many people believed to be the worst team in the league, and clearly, after the performance on Sunday, there was ample evidence that these dire predictions for Miami were not unfounded. Perhaps the Fins can take solace in history, because the 1989 Pittsburgh Steelers started off with not one, but two humiliating blowout losses, first 51-0 at home to the Browns, and then a 41-10 drubbing at Cincinnati. Yet, that Steelers team bounced back to finish 9-7 to qualify for the postseason, and then beat the Houston Oilers in the Wildcard Game, and almost beat the eventual AFC champion Denver Broncos at Mile High, before bowing out. So, there may be hope, except that those Steelers were better than the blowout losses suggested, clearly. The jury is still out with this Dolphins team, however. My pick: Accurate
L.A. Rams 30, Carolina 27 - A very good, intense game. At first, it looked like the Rams were going to roll to an easy victory, taking a 13-0 lead. But the Panthers came storming back in a big way, and made a real game of it. Still, the defending NFC champs did just enough to maintain the lead, and put it out of reach for Carolina when they scored a touchdown late in the fourth to take a 30-20 lead. Jared Goff completed 23 of 39 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown, as well as one interception. Cam Newton completed 25 of 38 passes for 239 yards, with one INT. A solid road win on the East Coast for the Rams to start the season, and their NFC title defense. My pick: Accurate
Seattle 21, Cincinnati 20 - Admittedly, even though I picked the right team to win this one, it was a much tighter game than I had expected. Cincinnati played tough defense all game long, as the Seahawks struggled. Really, the Bengals had given themselves a chance to win, although they fell short in the end. Andy Dalton returned at quarterback for the Bengals, completing 35 of 51 passes for 418 yards and two touchdowns, enjoying a strong game. Russell Wilson had a decent day for the Seahawks as well, completing 14 of 20 passes for 196 yards, and he also threw two touchdowns. A strong showing for the Bengals, even though they lose. But Seattle ties the Rams and 49ers for first place in the NFC West. Meanwhile, the Bengals sink to an 0-1 start, tied with the Steelers and Browns for last place in the AFC North. My pick: Accurate
Indianapolis at L.A. Chargers 30, Indianapolis 24 (F/OT) - This was a battle between two playoff teams last season, and two favorites heading into this season. It was a shootout, with the Chargers taking an early lead, and then trying to hold off the Colts, who relentlessly kept pushing and threatening to take the lead, although they never actually did. What they did do was force overtime, but Los Angeles managed to get the winning touchdown when they drove down the field on a 6-play, 75-yard drives that culminated in a 7-yard touchdown run by Austin Ekeler to end it. Philip Rivers completed 25 of 34 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns, with one INT. Jacoby Brissett, the new Indy quarterback replacing the recently retired Andrew Luck, had a decent day, completing 21 of 27 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns, although his efforts ultimately fell just short. Still, some promising signs for both teams. My pick: Accurate
Dallas 35, N.Y. Giants 17 - The G-Men scored first to take a 7-0 lead. After that? Well, it got ugly in a hurry in “Big D.” The Cowboys rolled all over the Giants the rest of the way, and by the time that the Giants were about to score their second touchdown of the game, it was already out of reach at 35-10. Sure, New York got that last touchdown to make it look respectable, but for all intents and purposes, they really got hammered out in Texas. A bad loss for Big Blue, and a solid win for the guys with the stars on their helmets. My pick: Accurate
Detroit 27, Arizona 27 - Both teams had the opportunity to win this game, yet neither team seemed capable of finally icing it. The Lions took a big 17-0 lead early, and still had a 24-6 lead in the fourth quarter. But the Cards came storming back, and managed to force overtime. There, neither team was able to capitalize on any real opportunities, although Matthew Stafford was very nearly intercepted very late in overtime, which probably would have led to a winning field goal for Arizona. Instead, the game ended in a rare tie. Overall, Stafford completed 27 of 45 passes for 385 yards and three touchdowns,, while Arizona’s Kyler Murray passed for 29 of 54 for 308 yards, with two touchdowns and one INT. Not a great result, but not a bad result, for either team. I think the Lions should have been able to hold the Cardinals off and ice this as a win, however. My pick: Inaccurate
San Francisco 31, Tampa Bay 17 - This started off as a back and forth, low-scoring affair. But when the 49ers offense came alive in the second half, it seemed like they were unstoppavle. And the Buccaneers offense could not respond adequately, while their defense could not stop San Francisco when it absolutely needed to. Jimmy Garoppolo completed 18 of 27 passes for 166 yards and one touchdown, as well as one INT, which was not a great day for a QB who suddenly, and rather unexpectedly, finds himself looking over his shoulder at Mullens, his backup. Meanwhile, Jameis Winston completed 20 of 36 passes for 194 yards and one touchdown, but with three costly interceptions. Not a good start at all for the Bucs, but a solid win on an East Coast road game for San Fran. My pick: Tampa Bay
Sunday Night Football: New England 33, Pittsburgh 3 - The Patriots continued exactly as they left off last season, with another impressive win. This time, they avenged their regular season loss to the Steelers by soundly humbling Pittsburgh in this season opener at Foxboro. The Steelers have been one of the most explosive offensive teams over the past few seasons, but you would never know it based on their performance on Sunday evening. The Patriots defense played them almost to perfection, bending at times but never breaking, to the point of not even allowing a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Pats were able to build up a big lead. They enjoyed a 20-0 lead by halftime, and ultimately Stephen Gostkowski was able to enjoy a perfect game kicking four field goals that split the upright. A solid win for the defending champs, and a wake up call for the Steelers. This was clearly not the way that Pittsburgh anticipated starting the new season.. My pick: Accurate
Monday Night Football: Game One - New Orleans 30, Houston 28 - This was a strange game, and it went back and forth between the two teams. I was told by a coworker that Houston had won, and then maybe one minute later, another coworker said that the Saints had just made a 58-yard field goal on the last play to win it. The Texans played a lot tougher than I expected them to, given that they were on the road against one of the best teams in the league. But it was not easy. Deshaun Washington was sacked six times by the Saints, who seemed to have the game locked up, only to see the Texans take a lead late, only to then get one last ditch effort that actually went their way once that long field goal attempt by New Orleans’ placekicker Wil Lutz split the uprights to provide a huge, come from behind win for the Saints. My pick: Accurate
Monday Night Football: Game Two - Oakland 24, Denver 16 - The Raiders won their opening game at their home – or no longer quite home, or temporary home, or whatever it is to them – against their division rivals, the Denver Broncos. Derek Carr had a fantastic night, as he completed 22 of 26 passes for 259 yards and one touchdown. In a losing cause for his new team, the Broncos, Joe Flacco completed 21 of 31 passes for 268 yards, and also threw one touchdown. But the Raiders went ahead early by two touchdowns, and Denver never was really able to get back into this thing. That means that they fall to 0-1 and in sole possession of last place in a division where literally every other team won this weekend. My pick: Inaccurate
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