As we prepare for week 1 of the 2017 NFL season, Packernet has decided to put our predictive powers to the test. Each week we will give you our picks and see how we stack up.
*Special guest predictions by Tecmo Bowl*
New York Jets (0-0) at Buffalo Bills (0-0)
Line: Bills by 8.5. Total: 40.
Ryan’s Pick: Bills
We don’t know much but I feel fairly confident when I say the Jets are the worst team in the NFL. I could be wrong but I doubt it matters very much. Bills take this one easily.
Jon’s Pick: Jets
I think the public sides with the Bills this week, but Jets smoked them in week 17 last year. Sure, Fitzpatrick had a decent game, and somehow, as bad as he is, he seems better than Josh McCown, but I’m looking at what’s stayed the same in New York: Bilal Powell, who ran rampant on the Bills suspect run defense (they allowed 4.6 ypc last year, fifth worst in the league).
Tecmo Sim: Jets 20 Bills 28
LeSean McCoy ran for 235 yards. I feel like I really don’t need to say anything else.
Atlanta Falcons (0-0) at Chicago Bears (0-0)
Line: Falcons by 7. Total: 48.5.
Ryan’s Pick: Falcons
I think the Bears a little underrated. I do. But c’mon, it’s the falcons. I still think this game gets out of hand and the Falcons win and win big.
Jon’s Pick: Bears
I’m going upset here. I said in my fantasy picks that I would avoid Ryan this week because I have a weird feeling. The feeling is so weird that I think the Bears might just pull off an upset this week. I think their defense is better than most people think it is (although, the Falcons might have a field day going away from Jones because Cooper is bad). It feels stupid, but my gut says the Bears pull it off.
Tecmo Sim: Falcons 28 Bears 3
As if things weren’t bad enough, Jordan Howard was taken off the field after only 5 carries. The Bears couldn’t get anything going and the Falcons walk away with this one.
Jacksonville Jaguars (0-0) at Houston Texans (0-0)
Line: Texans by 6. Total: 39.5.
Ryan’s Pick: Jaguars
Everyone seems hung up on Bortles being not too good. He’s not, but did anyone bother to notice Tom Savage is on the other side. Bortles comes out with his new left tackle and stud running back and takes it to the Texans.
Jon’s Pick: Jaguars
The Texans offense looks rough. Tom Savage is their QB, which I think says enough about their offense. Plus, at some point, Blake has to stop throwing to the other team so often, right? Maybe this is finally his year. In the end, the Jaguars are too talented to keep losing to teams like the Texans.
Tecmo Sim: Jaguars 19 Texans 21
Fournette looks solid, running for 134 yards in his regular season NFL debut, but his QB is a flaming garbage heap. Ultimately, Savage is able to win this one despite throwing 3 interceptions.
Philadelphia Eagles (0-0) at Washington Redskins (0-0)
Line: Eagles by 1. Total: 47.5.
Ryan’s Pick: Eagles
Wentz is the real deal. He started hot last year and I expect much of the same this year. Josh Norman is good at what he does but there is a drop off beyond that. Torrey Smith, Nelson Agholor, and Zach Ertz have a field day in this one.
Jon’s Pick: Redskins
I don’t trust Alshon as a number one, and I think the Redskins have a better running game. Neither team were world beaters last season, but the ‘Skins were one game better, and they’re at home this week, so I’ll take them to win.
Tecmo Sim: Eagles 14 Redskins 24
Wentz is a massive disappointment giving up racking up more picks than touchdowns. In the end the Redskins walk away with this one.
Arizona Cardinals (0-0) at Detroit Lions (0-0)
Line: Cardinals by 2. Total: 48.
Ryan’s Pick: Cardinals
A big contract buys a lot of things but it doesn’t buy wins. It’ll be a full week before the Lions fans will be able to stop having nightmares about what David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald did to them.
Jon’s Pick: Cardinals
The Lions are still trying to figure things out on defense, and that’s spells trouble for whoever sees Fitzgerald the majority of the game. I don’t think the Lions offense will be able to put up enough points to overcome their weaknesses on the other side of the ball.
Tecmo Sim: Cardinals 17 Lions 24
The Lions Defense proves to be too much for the Cardinals who weren’t able to get anything going. Golden Tate gets 99 yards receiving.
Oakland Raiders (0-0) at Tennessee Titans (0-0)
Line: Titans by 2.5. Total: 50.5.
Ryan’s Pick: Titans
I think quite a few people see this as a close match but I’m not so sure. The Titans are ascending and are doing so rapidly. The Raiders’ arrow is pointing up but entirely too slowly. The defense is garbage and I see the Titans running away a little.
Jon’s Pick: Raiders
This is a fantasy player’s wet dream, but I think it’s a standard gambler’s nightmare. Both teams have so many flaws on defense, and both teams have offenses that can pour it on. I think the Raiders win a high scoring game.
Tecmo Sim: Raiders 21 Titans 10
Not the score you would have expected, especially with both Marshawn Lynch and Demarco Murray rushing for over 100 yards, but alas Tecmo has spoken.
Baltimore Ravens (0-0) at Cincinnati Bengals (0-0)
Line: Ravens by 3. Total: 42.5.
Ryan’s Pick: Bengals
The Ravens do make sense but week 1 is when things get out of hand. If something gets out of hand it will likely involve A.J. Green. Beyond that, Flacco is a little banged up.
Jon’s Pick: Ravens
I like the Ravens adding Maclin in the offseason. I think he’ll be a lot better in Baltimore than he was in KC, where they had a really hard time throwing the ball the last couple of years, whether by accident or design.
Tecmo Sim: Bengals 27 Ravens 16
A.J. Green was just too much for the Ravens defense and the Ravens couldn’t keep up.
Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0) at Cleveland Browns (0-0)
Line: Steelers by 8.5. Total: 47.
Ryan’s Pick: Steelers
Does this really need explaining? If there was anything exciting about the Browns, it was their first round draft pick. Now he’s hurt. A rookie on a trash team doesn’t beat the trio of Ben, Bell, and Brown.
Jon’s Pick: Steelers
I can’t believe the Browns are still a team. Can’t someone just pull the plug and end their misery already? Steelers, easily, and probably by a lot.
Tecmo Sim: Steelers 31 Browns 17
Isaiah Crowell did manage 104 yards but Kizer’s 4 picks and Browns 146 receiving yards more accurately sum this one up.
Indianapolis Colts (0-0) at Los Angeles Rams (0-0)
Line: Rams by 4. Total: 41.5.
Ryan’s Pick: Colts
If my life was on the line would I make this pick? I’m not sure. But it costs me nothing so I’m going to take a chance. I understand the Colts don’t have Luck, but is Goff better than Tolzein? Does anyone really know the answer? Rams are horrible, end of story.
Jon’s Pick: Rams
If the Rams don’t win this game, they should turn in their franchise to the NFL. Maybe then the Browns would follow suit and we could have a 30-team league again… maybe there would be more parity then. How can the Colts win on the road without Luck? I don’t think they can.
Tecmo Sim: Colts 7 Rams 38
The Colts lone touchdown came after a Tolzein interception was fumbled and recovered by T.Y. Hilton who ran it in for a touchdown. Just to give you perspective how bad this was.
Seattle Seahawks (0-0) at Green Bay Packers (0-0)
Line: Packers by 3. Total: 51.
Ryan’s Pick: Packers
I’m not overly confident but this isn’t a homer pick. I genuinely think the Packers are the better team. In terms of matchups, I don’t think the Seahawks can hang.
Jon’s Pick: Packers
Rodgers and co. have performed very nicely against the Seahawks in Lambeau. Refer to the fantasy article for Rodgers’s stats. If the location were swapped, I’d go the other way, but I like the Packers at home.
Tecmo Sim: Packers 17 Seahawks 24
Nelson was able to top 100 yards receiving but it wasn’t enough. In the end, the Packers offense wasn’t its self.
Carolina Panthers (0-0) at San Francisco 49ers (0-0)
Line: Panthers by 6. Total: 47.5.
Ryan’s Pick: Panthers
The Panthers struggled last year but none of that really matters. The 49ers are really bad and just decided to switch up their defensive scheme to a 4-3. It might help in the long run but it won’t in week 1.
Jon’s Pick: Panthers
The 49ers offseason was a lot better than I thought it would be with John Lynch taking over as GM with absolutely no experience in the front office, but one offseason can’t fix the problems with that nightmare in San Francisco. The Panther are at least fielding a legitimate NFL team, and that should be enough to beat the 49ers almost every week this season.
Tecmo Sim: Panthers 28 49ers 34
Brian Hoyer leads the 49ers in a massive upset throwing for over 300 yards, 130 of those yards going to Pierre Garcon. Christian McCaffrey fantasy owners aren’t disappointing though, as he leads the Panthers in both rushing and receiving.
New York Giants (0-0) at Dallas Cowboys (0-0)
Line: Cowboys by 4. Total: 48.
Ryan’s Pick: Giants
Part of me wants to say the Cowboys. Beckham is hurt and you can feel a big game coming from Elliott as a result of his impending suspension. Still, the Giants defense is scary. I think they have enough offensive power to take this one. If Beckham makes a miraculous return, I’ll feel better about this.
Jon’s Pick: Giants
This is a hard decision. I think this could go either way, but I like the Giants passing game vs Dallas’s defense. Many think that we’ll see some impassioned running from the soon-to- be suspended Elliot, but I doubt that the rest of the team will rally around domestic violence strongly enough to equal his fierce play.
Tecmo Sim: Giants 28 Cowboys 31
Manning completed 88% of his passes for over 300 yards and it still wasn’t enough. With Elliott leading the way (150 yards rushing) the Cowboys come out on top.
New Orleans Saints (0-0) at Minnesota Vikings (0-0)
Line: Vikings by 3. Total: 48.
Ryan’s Pick: Vikings
The Saints seemed like the obvious pick to me at first, but I think they are going to struggle offensively. With their porous defense, it should give the Vikings enough wiggle room to actually move the ball.
As a side note, it would make my day to see AP gash the Vikings and hand them their first of many losses.
Jon’s Pick: Vikings
If defense wins championships, it should also win games, so I’m taking the better defense at home.
Tecmo Sim: Saints 14 Vikings 37
In what was the most dominant offensive and defensive performance of week 1, the Vikings were able to carve up the Saints D for 37 points with rookie Dalvin Cook leading the way, notching over 100 yards through the air and slightly less on the ground.
Los Angeles Chargers (0-0) at Denver Broncos (0-0)
Line: Broncos by 3. Total: 43.
Ryan’s Pick: Chargers
The Broncos defense can outmatch the Chargers offense but the Chargers D can do the same. I went back and forth on this but I take Rivers over Siemian.
Jon’s Pick: Broncos
The Broncos win this one. They improved their offensive line in the offseason, which was a major hole last year, and that means they should be able to protect Siemian pretty well on Monday night. I like the new coaching staff, too. Mike McCoy wasn’t the best HC, but he made Tim Tebow look like he belonged in the NFL for a few games when he last OC’ed Denver, so I think they’ll be okay on offense. Their defense is still amongst the league’s best, even with their somewhat porous rushing D. Denver wins.
Tecmo Sim: Chargers 13 Broncos 28
Melvin Gordon is able to top 100 yards but in the end, the Denver defense reigns supreme.