Hello readers! Another NFL season is set to begin as the games that count are about to begin. Week 1 is the toughest week to predict for pick 'ems as teams can either turn out to be good or bad. It almost seems like Week 1 is like the 4th week of preseason for most teams. In this post I'll do a breakdown of the rules, my history of pick 'ems, a preview of the week and my picks for the games. It's plenty to cover but I'm excited to get into it. Let's get to work!
Pick 'Em Rules:
The rules for my pick 'ems are relatively simple. My pick 'ems are straight up and not based on betting lines. No money will be used. Betting lines are too confusing for me to understand, I prefer straight up.
Picks must be submitted before said game(s) begin. I used to be more stingy with this rule in the past then the COVID season of 2020 happened. Such players on teams would get tested positive before a game that would directly effect the outcome. One example was the Patriots-Chiefs matchup in 2020. Thursday picks must be submitted prior to the game but Sunday picks can be submitted before the early games.
Pick 'Em History:
The 2022 NFL Season will be my 9th season doing pick 'ems. I first started doing Pick 'Ems in 2012 when I used a WordPress blog. I used Wordpress from 2012 to 2014. I took a step back from Pick 'Ems for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. After some convincing I came back to doing Pick 'Ems during the 2017 season on the Blogger platform. I've used Blogger ever since.
Since 2017 I have done pick 'ems with my former roommate, Cardinal Viking, who won the Pick 'Ems in 2017. In 2018, we would finish the season with a tie. I would finally win the Pick 'Ems in 2019 and would win again in 2020 and 2021. Maybe 2022 will be the year that Cardinal Viking breaks out of the losing column.
Week 1 Preview:
The first week of the 2022 National Football League's regular season will start on September 8th and finish up on September 12th. All 32 teams will be playing in 16 games this week. There will be a Thursday night game, nine early games, four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. Both FOX and CBS will have doubleheaders this week. Let's get to the picks!
Week 1 Picks:
Note: all game times are in US Eastern time. TW is me and CV is Cardinal Viking, my former roommate.
Buffalo (0-0) @ LA Rams (0-0) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Bills
The regular season kicks off with the Rams defending their title against a solid Bills team that might've been the AFC's representative in last year's Super Bowl. It's looking like Matthew Stafford will be able to play in the game. He will need to be on the field as the Bills defense is solid. Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson will also be ready to play. Usually the home team wins on the Opening Night game so I'll give the Rams the nod.
Baltimore (0-0) @ NY Jets (0-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Ravens will have to go on the road to take on the Jets. With everyone set to go for the Ravens I would go with the Ravens. It is Week 1 and the Jets could very well play spoiler and notch a win. I don't think the Jets have that capability so I'll go with the Ravens.
Cleveland (0-0) @ Carolina (0-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
The Baker Mayfield Revenge Game! Deshaun Watson will be serving that 11-game suspension in this one and the Browns will trot out Jacoby Brissett. Baker Mayfield will get the start against his former team. I will be giving the Panthers an edge as they do have the multiple capabilities of Christian McCaffrey and I tend to like the Panthers defense in this matchup.
Indianapolis (0-0) @ Houston (0-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Matt Ryan era starts in earnest against the hapless Texans. It feels like a trap game in the first week for the Colts as they could struggle to adjust to Ryan at quarterback. I don't think it'll be the case with this game but I could be wrong. I feel Jonathan Taylor will have a good day against the Texans rush defense.
Jacksonville (0-0) @ Washington (0-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
The first game of the Carson Wentz era starts in Washington as he leads the Commanders against the Jaguars. Jacksonville will have a better time in passing offense with the weapons that were picked up in the offseason. Wentz certainly started off poorly around this time last year and I think he will find some struggles in this game against a Jaguars team hungry for wins.
New England (0-0) @ Miami (0-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Patriots
Tyreek Hill's first game as a Dolphin. New England made changes to the offense as Matt Patricia takes over for Josh McDaniels who left for Las Vegas. Mac Jones will likely struggle against the Dolphins who made improvements to their defense. I think it'll be a defensive struggle for both teams but I think the Dolphins come out on top.
New Orleans (0-0) @ Atlanta (0-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
The Saints take on the Matt Ryan-less Falcons in this game. Matt Ryan won't be playing and Marcus Mariota will likely go as quarterback for the Falcons. I think it'll be a stressful season to be a Falcons fan as the roster that the Falcons have is just not that great. New Orleans seems to be on the right foot in terms of this game based on wide receivers. I'll take the Saints.
Philadelphia (0-0) @ Detroit (0-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Lions
The revamped Eagles go to Detroit and look to steal a win from the Lions. Philly made strides to their team in the offseason. Now is the time to see if those moves paid off. Aidan Hutchinson will make his debut as a Lion in this game and could be a factor in the Lions stealing this game. I don't think the Lions quite have that ability to beat the best teams in the NFC but I think they'll make noise.
Pittsburgh (0-0) @ Cincinnati (0-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
The AFC Champion Bengals take on the Steelers in a rivalry matchup. Last time the Steelers met the Bengals on the road it was a blowout. I think the game this go around will be different as they do have a younger quarterback in Mitchell Trubisky under center. I think the Bengals will be able to win it based on their offense vs the Steelers offense which might struggle with Trubisky under center.
San Francisco (0-0) @ Chicago (0-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The game will feature two young quarterbacks in Trey Lance for the 49ers and Justin Fields for the Bears. The deciding factor in this game will be that Trey Lance will have a better supporting cast than Fields. It will also come down to how well the pressure that Lance may face as he will be given the keys to a high performance vehicle. I don't trust the Bears to do a lot of winning this season and this game might be the reason.
Green Bay (0-0) @ Minnesota (0-0) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Packers
Its a classic rivalry game as the Packers travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. I feel both teams will have some struggles on offense that the two teams defenses will be better, specifically the Packers defense. The matchup that I will be watching is how well the Packers offense will do with the loss of Davante Adams. I think the Packers will struggle to move the ball so I'll take the Vikes in this game.
Kansas City (0-0) @ Arizona (0-0) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Star power abound as Patrick Mahomes goes to the desert to take on Kyler Murray's Cardinals. It seems like this game is a matchup of defenses. If the Cardinals defense can cause havoc to Mahomes then they do have a good shot to win this game. For the Chiefs, just let Mahomes do Mahomes things in having him do what it takes to win a game. Clyde Edwards-Helaire will be a factor in this game.
Las Vegas (0-0) @ LA Chargers (0-0) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
The Week 18 rematch! Last time these two teams met it was the Sunday night game in Week 18 that would've determined the fate for not just the Raiders and Chargers but also the Steelers. Justin Herbert and the Chargers really should've won that game as the Raiders were really letting that game slip through their fingers. Las Vegas has a new coach in Josh McDaniels which means that the offense will improve but also like his stint in Denver, it could backfire. I feel the Chargers will take the game based off of their offense. I'll take the Chargers.
NY Giants (0-0) @ Tennessee (0-0) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Daboll era in New York begins with a trip to the Music City to take on the Titans. Tennessee had a rollercoaster of a season last year. The factor for the 2022 Titans will be the health of Derrick Henry, without him the Titans are one dimensional. For the G-Men they have a running back who's looking to get back to form in Saquon Barkley. I think the Giants will be competitive in this game but I feel the Titans will come out on top.
Tampa Bay (0-0) @ Dallas (0-0) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Tom Brady's quest for ring #8 begins with a date with the Dallas Cowboys. The Buccaneers had a bit of a scare when Brady retired for a couple of months in the offseason. Fortunately for the fans, Brady had a change of heart. Tampa's roster has largely remained the same. For the Cowboys, the roster has seen some change as they had to shed talent due to the salary cap. I can't count out on Tom Brady so I'd take him in this game.
Denver (0-0) @ Seattle (0-0) (ABC; 8:15 pm): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
To say this game has delicious storylines would be an understatement. Russell Wilson has a chance to beat the team that drafted him back in 2012. This will also be the Monday Night Football debut of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. Both of them who had spent a majority of their broadcasting careers with FOX. Back to football, the game looks like a mismatch in terms of the quarterback position as Russell Wilson would seem to be the better quarterback than Drew Lock. On offense and defense I would say the Broncos have the better sides of the ball. It could be a rough night to be a Seahawks fan.
NFL Early & Late Game Broadcast Pairings (games subject to change, check local listings, games in bold are being shown in my area):
CBS Early:
Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis
New England @ Miami
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta
Baltimore @ NY Jets
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton
Cleveland @ Carolina
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely
Indianapolis @ Houston
Tom McCarthy, Tiki Barber
CBS Late:
Kansas City @ Arizona
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo
Las Vegas @ LA Chargers
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green
FOX Early:
San Francisco @ Chicago
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston
Philadelphia @ Detroit
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth
New Orleans @ Atlanta
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma
Jacksonville @ Washington
Chris Myers, Robert Smith
FOX Late:
Green Bay @ Minnesota
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson
NY Giants @ Tennessee
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez
For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2022: Week 1 Maps
2022 Pick'em Records:
My record:
Week 1: 0-0
Cardinal Viking's record:
Week 1: 0-0
Previous Picking Records:
2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1
2021: 173-98-1
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