Carnell Knowledge 2013 : NFL Week 1

Quiet here on the blog lately but NFL season gets my butt back in gear. Doing NFL picks started on the radio show in 2008 and then I moved it over to the blog. The name came from a listener who asked if I’d ever thought of using “Carnell Knowledge” as the name for a segment. Works for this so I’ve used it the past few seasons.

On Twitter, I picked Denver over Baltimore on Thursday. I’ll use Twitter to make the Thursday picks since that game is so much earlier than the majority of the week. For those new, I just pick winners. No point spreads. I list the games, then my pick followed by any comments I might have.

OAKLAND AT INDIANAPOLIS
COLTS

Indy made the playoffs last year at 11-5. However they were outscored by opponents by 30 points. Huh? No wonder many people like me picked them to lose in that playoff game. They were beat by the eventual Super Bowl champions 24-9. Meanwhile the Raiders are the Raiders.

MINNESOTA AT DETROIT
LIONS

Vikings made the playoffs thanks to Peterson but Ponder is still their QB. Lions I think is an 8-8 team who will surprise Minnesota in Week 1.

MIAMI AT CLEVELAND
BROWNS

2 teams who should be better than last year, just going with the Browns on a whim.

CINCINNATI AT CHICAGO
BENGALS

Quietly the Bengals have made the playoffs 2 years in a row. Even I forgot about that until the pre-season. Chicago has Jay Cutler and I’m never sold on him.

SEATTLE AT CAROLINA
SEAHAWKS

Super Bowl contender against one of the most overrated QB in the league, easy pick for me.

KANSAS CITY AT JACKSONVILLE
CHIEFS

Andy Reid now coaching KC with Alex Smith. A QB who has won a Super Bowl, well he lost his job to the guy who got them to the big game but a ring is a ring. Jaguars are airing the NFL Red Zone channel on their jumbotron during home games. All you need to know about that franchise.

TAMPA BAY AT NY JETS
BUCS

Neither team I have much faith in this season. A pick em.

ATLANTA AT NEW ORLEANS
SAINTS

Sean Peyton back as head coach after his suspension, New Orleans had one of the worst defenses ever last season. So they can’t be that bad again.

TENNESSEE AT PITTSBURGH
STEELERS

Who do the Titans have at quarterback? Jake Locker or Ryan Fitzpatrick. Dog’s breakfast there.

NEW ENGLAND AT BUFFALO
PATRIOTS

Pats usually pound the Bills so that’s enough time on this one.

GREEN BAY AT SAN FRANCISCO
49ERS

49ers spanked the Packers in the playoffs last season and this game is San Francisco so I’ll go with them.

ARIZONA AT ST. LOUIS
RAMS

Carson Palmer now in Arizona. Cardinals were in such bad shape that Palmer is a big upgrade. In one of the strangest stats of 2012, what team in the NFC West had the best division record? It wasn’t Seattle or San Francisco, it was the Rams who were 4-1-1. Go figure.

NY GIANTS AT DALLAS
COWBOYS

Early season big games, Dallas likes to show up. End of the season is a different matter altogether as we’ve seen many times.

PHILADELPHIA AT WASHINGTON
EAGLES

My team is the Redskins but I don’t know what to expect in Week 1 with RGIII. And the Eagles a re a mystery too since new coach Chip Kelly has kept things under wrap. Flip a coin and I went with Philly.

HOUSTON AT SAN DIEGO
TEXANS

Chargers finally fired Norv Turner and GM A.J. Smith. Too little, too late for the Chargers. And it is now 10 years ago when they traded Eli Manning to the Giants and got Phillip Rivers. Eli wasn’t going to play for them so can’t blame them too much for that. However San Diego later on letting Drew Brees leave and going with Rivers? Not the best decision.

Houston is a team I never believe in. Last year was that comical Monday Night game against the Patriots. Where they showed up all wearing custom made Letterman jackets like a high school team, and proceeded to get their ass kicked 42-14. Playoff time they get the Patriots again and lose 41-28.

They did make the playoffs however, so this week I’ll pick them over San Diego.

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