NFL 2012 Week 1 predictions

The NFL starts tonight, so it's time for me to step into my Seer sucking suit (ok, bad joke), dust off my crystal ball, and pick this week's match-ups.

Wednesday opener:  Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants:  Strangely, the reigning Super Bowl Champions have been rather quiet during the off-season, but I'm sure they don't mind that.  The big news has been the overall decline of the division, meaning that any team that can consistently play well should win the division.  That label describes the Giants well.  GIANTS, 21-13

Sunday early games
Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs: KC wasn't too impressive in the preseason.  I don't think they've improved enough to make a playoff run.  Atlanta can get to the playoffs, but they can't seem to win once they get there.  During the regular season, though, they are a strong team, as they'll prove in this game.  KC's defense is weak, giving Matt Ryan time to experiment with the new long passing scheme.  FALCONS, 34-10

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets:  Bills QB Ryan Firzpatrick just hasn't lived up to the impression of his early starts.  The Bills have a thin slate of talented receivers, which means the Jets defense didn't have to prepare for too many threats.  The Bills boosted their defense with Mario Williams, so this will be a low-scoring game.  I suspect the Jets offense will stall, giving a chance for Tim Tebow to come in sometime in the fourth quarter and engineer another comeback, like he did so well last year with Denver.  JETS, 16-13

Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears:  Andrew Luck looked great in preseason, but he faces a tough defensive challenge with the Bears.  The Colts defense is still coming together, which gives the new look Bears offense a chance to shine.  BEARS, 27-13

Jacksonville Jaguars at Minnesota Vikings:  Two teams who will vie for the bottom of the league face off against each other.  The Jags are in chaos, and the late report of Maurice Jones-Drew doesn't help.  The Vikings aren't great, but they should move the ball better than Jacksonville, and that's what wins games.  VIKINGS, 17-13

Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans: Houston has one of the strongest defenses in the league.  Matt Schaub is currently healthy, so the offense is clicking, too.  Miami isn't nearly so well structured, so this game will be pretty one-sided.  TEXANS, 20-6

New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans:  The Jake Locker era begins in Tennessee, but the Brady era has proven too tough for most teams.  The offensive additions in the off-season makes this offense even more potent, and Brady could add to his 5000+ passing yards from last season.  Locker will take some time to get his rhythm, but by that time New England will have a 17-0 lead.  PATS, 31-13

Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns:  The Browns have high hopes for their 28-year-old rookie, but his team faces the Steelers, who know how to handle experienced rookies (Big Ben was 25 when he joined the Steelers).  The Steelers lost some punch, and the defense is starting to show their age, but they should still bother Brandon Wheeden enough to win this game.  A late game run will fall short, but will demonstrate the strength of the Browns.  STEELERS, 20-17

St Louis Rams at Detroit Lions:  The Rams defense is slightly better, but they're not ready to deal with gunslinger Matt Stafford and his slate of receivers, especially Calvin Johnson.  The Rams should get some scoring in, but not enough to catch Detroit.  LIONS, 34-17

Washington Redskins at New Orleans Saints:  RGIII and the Redskins offense will push a Saints defense stripped by suspensions.  The defense, though, will struggle to stop the Saints offense, which is mostly intact from last season.  SAINTS, 30-20

Sunday late games
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Bucs: This game could go either way.  The Bucs defense is strong, but slowing Cam Newton's offense is a challenge for anyone.  Josh Freeman and the Bucs offense is improving, but they can't score as quickly or easily as Newton and company.  Of course, the Panthers defense has holes, which will help the Bucs.  In this case, I favor the Bucs defense enough that they should win, but this game could still be a Panthers win with one blown coverage play.  BUCS, 20-17

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers:  Definitely the game of the week, this game pits two of the favorites to win the conference.  Rodgers and the Packers offense will still post big numbers this year, although the strength of the 49ers defense will keep them smaller this game.  The difference will be the development of the 49ers offense.  I don't think they're ready for this caliber of competition.  If I'm wrong, the 49ers could win.  PACK, 27-17

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals: Russell Wilson gets to show his stuff with Seattle.  This is the perfect arrangement for him, as it mirrors Wisconsin.  The Seahawks have a good offensive line, a strong runner, and receivers who run tight routes.  Wilson will be right at home, and continuing where he left off after the Rose Bowl.  The Cardinals have a bit of continuity, too, as replacement QB John Skelton, who finished last season, was named starting QB.  Unfortunately he doesn't have the supporting cast of Wilson, so the Seahawks will conquer.  SEAHAWKS, 20-13

Sunday night: Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos: I don't think Peyton will quite reach his pre-injury status, but he'll be much better than Cutler, Orton, or Tebow.  However, it'll take him so time to get comfortable with his new receivers.  Pittsburgh's aging defense will suffer injuries and slow down, but that won't happen until later in the season.  For now, they are still a defensive force that will impede Manning's establishment of rapport with his new team.  STEELERS, 17-13

Monday night games
I'm clearing going to be up late, into the wee hours of Tuesday morning.  If I get too tired, though, I'm happy to have my DVR.
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens: Another highly-competitive game that could easily finish with either team winning, the Bengals look better on offense while the Ravens have a better defense.  The Bengals defense isn't bad, but neither is the Ravens when Flacco is on target.  He can be flustered, though.  If the Bengals rush defense does so, Cincy will win.  This early in the season, though, I like Flacco staying focused long enough to win.  RAVENS, 20-17

San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders:  Oakland still finds themselves in a quarterback mess.  Darren McFadden cannot carry their offense enough to match San Diego score for score, and the Raiders defense can't slow them enough.  Oakland is tough on Monday night, especially against divisional opponents, so they have history on their side, but I'll ignore history for this one.  I will make it closer than it should be.  CHARGERS, 23-20